An Evangelical Catechism With Scripture Proofs
Based Upon A Puritan Catechism With Proofs
Compiled by Charles Spurgeon
Published October 1855
Catechism Outlined, Edited, and Adapted by
Dr. J. D. Watson, Pastor-Teacher
Grace Bible Church – Meeker, CO
Back Cover of printed Sola Scriptura Publications booklet: Of his Puritan Catechism, Charles Spurgeon wrote, “I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times, and therefore I have compiled this little manual from the Westminster Assembly’s and Baptist Catechisms, for the use of my own church and congregation.
“Those who use it in their families or classes must labour to explain the sense; but the words should be carefully learned by heart, for they will be understood better as years pass.
“May the Lord bless my dear friends and their families evermore, is the prayer of their loving Pastor.
“‘Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).”
Using Spurgeon’s Puritan Catechism
as a foundation, this one is offered to whoever wishes to use it for the sake
of a better knowledge of the pure doctrine of God’s Word.
[Above picture: The Westminster Assembly in
session.]
Pastor Watson’s Introduction
At the heart of the catechism that follows is Spurgeon’s Puritan Catechism. It was published about October 14, 1855 when Spurgeon was 21 years old. On October 14, Spurgeon preached Sermon No. 46 to several thousand who gathered to hear him at New Park Street Chapel. When published, the sermon contained an announcement of this catechism. The text that morning was Psalms 90:1, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.”
In our modern times, many consider what follows to be old fashioned and out of date. But may we submit that one of the greatest needs of our day is clear, solid Biblical doctrine. This booklet is meant to be a handy reference, but you might be interested in acquiring the larger booklet, An Evangelical Catechism and Statement of Faith with Scripture Proofs.
Introductory Statement
1. Q. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God, (1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 11:36; 1 Peter 4:2) and to enjoy him forever. (Psalms 73:25, 26).
Concerning Scripture
2. Q. What rule has God given to direct us how we may glorify him?
A. The Word of God which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments (Ephesians 2:20; 2 Timothy 3:16) is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify God and enjoy him. (1 John 1:3)
3. Q. What do the Scriptures principally teach?
A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man. (2 Timothy 1:13; 3:16; Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Concerning God
4. Q. What is God?
A. God is Spirit, (John 4:24) infinite, (Job 11:7) eternal, (Psalms 90:2; 1 Timothy 1:17) and unchangeable (James 1:17) in his being (Exodus 3:14), wisdom (Proverbs 1:7), power, (Psalms 147:5) holiness, (Revelation 4:8) justice, goodness and truth. (Exodus 34:6,7)
5. Q. Are there more Gods than one?
A. There is but one only, (Deuteronomy 6:4) the living and true God. (Jeremiah 10:10)
6. Q. How many persons are there in the Godhead?
A. There are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory. (1 John 5:7; Matthew 28:19)
Concerning God’s Decrees
7. Q. What are the decrees of God?
A. The decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the counsel of his own will, whereby for his own glory he has foreordained whatever comes to pass. (Ephesians 1:4,11,12; Romans 9:22-23)
8. Q. How does God execute his decrees?
A. God executes his decrees in the works of creation, (Revelation 4:11) and providence. (Daniel 4:35)
Concerning Creation
9. Q. What is the work of creation?
A. The work of creation is God’s making all things (Genesis 1:1) of nothing, by the Word of his power, (Hebrews 11:3) in six normal consecutive days, (Exodus 20:11) and all very good. (Genesis 1:31)
10. Q. How did God create man?
A. God created man, male and female, after his own image, (Genesis 1:27) in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness (Colossians 3:10; Ephesians 4:24) with dominion over the creatures. (Genesis 1:28)
Concerning God’s Providence
11. Q. What are God’s works of providence?
A. God’s works of providence are his most holy, (Psalms 145:17) wise, (Psalm 104:24; Isaiah 28:29) and powerful, (Hebrews 1:3) preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions. (Psalms 103:19; Matthew 10:29-31)
12. Q. What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the state wherein he was created?
A. When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; (Galatians 3:12) forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. (Genesis 2:17)
Concerning the Fall and Sin
13. Q. What is the duty which God requireth of man?
The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will. (Mic. 6:8, 1 Sam. 15:22)
14. Q. What did God reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
A. The rule which God first revealed to man for his obedience, is the moral law, (Deuteronomy 10:4; Matthew 19:17), which is summarized in the Ten Commandments (Matthew 22:37-40).
15. Q. Did our first parents continue in the state wherein they were created?
A. Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the state wherein they were created, by sinning against God, (Ecclesiastes 7:29) by eating the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 3:6-8)
16. Q. What is sin?
A. Sin is any want of conformity to, or transgression of the law of God. (1 John 3:4)
17. Q. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their disobeying the command of God in eating the forbidden fruit. (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:6)
18. Q. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
A. The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation, sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. (Genesis 2:16-17; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Romans 5:12)
19. Q. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
A. The fall brought mankind into a state of sin and misery. (Romans 5:12,18)
20. Q. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that state whereunto man fell?
A. The sinfulness of that state whereunto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, (Romans 5:12,19) the want of original righteousness, (Romans 3:10-11,23) and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin, (Ephesians 2:1; Psalms 51:5) together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it. (Matthew 15:19)
21. Q. What is the misery of that state whereunto man fell?
A. All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God, (Genesis 3:8,24) are under his wrath and curse, (Ephesians 2:3; Galatians 3:10) and so made liable to all the miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever. (Romans 6:23; Matthew 25:41)
22. Q. Is any man now able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
A. No mere man, since the fall, is able in his life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, (Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8,10; Galatians 5:17) but does daily break them in thought (Genesis 6:5; 8:21), word (James 3:8), and deed.
23. Q. Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
A. Some sins in themselves, and by reason of various aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others. (Ezekiel 8:13; John 19:11; 1 John 5:16; Matthew 23:14)
24. Q. What does every sin deserve?
A. Every sin deserves God’s wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come. (Ephesians 5:6; Psalms 11:6; Galatians 3:10; Matthew 25:41)
Concerning Christ
25. Q. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the state of sin and misery?
A. God having, out of his good pleasure from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, (Ephesians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13) did enter into a covenant of grace to deliver them out of the state of sin and misery, and to bring them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer. (Romans 3:20-22; 5:21; Galatians 3:22)
26. Q. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect?
A.The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ, (1 Timothy 2:5-6) who being the eternal Son of God, became man, (John 1:14; Galatians 4:4-5) and so was and continues to be God and man, in two distinct natures and one person for ever. (1 Timothy 3:16; Colossians 2:9)
27. Q. How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
A. Christ, the son of God, became man by taking to himself a true body, (Hebrews 2:14,16) and a reasonable soul, (Matthew 26:38; Hebrews 4:15) being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary, and born of her, (Luke 1:31,35) yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15, 7:26)
28. Q. What offices does Christ execute as our Redeemer?
A. Christ as our Redeemer executes the offices of a prophet (Acts 3:21-22), of a priest (Hebrews 5:6), and of a king (Psalms 2:6), both in his state of humiliation and exaltation.
29. Q. How does Christ execute the office of a prophet?
A. Christ executes the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, (John 1:18) by his Word, (John 20:31) and Spirit, (John 14:26) the will of God for our salvation.
30. Q. How does Christ execute the office of a priest?
A. Christ executes the office of a priest, in his once offering up himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, (Hebrews 9:28) and to reconcile us to God, (Hebrews 2:17) and in making continual intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25)
31. Q. How does Christ execute the office of a king?
A. Christ executes the office of a king in subduing us to himself, (Psalms 110:3) in ruling and defending us, (Matthew 2:6; 1 Corinthians 15:25) and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.
32. Q. Wherein did Christ’s humiliation consist?
A. Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, (Luke 2:7) made under the law, (Galatians 4:4) undergoing the miseries of this life, (Isaiah 53:3) the wrath of God, (Matthew 27:46) and the cursed death of the cross; (Philippians 2:8) in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time. (Matthew 12:40)
33. Q. Wherein consists Christ’s exaltation?
A. Christ’s exaltation consists in his rising again from the dead on the third day, (1 Corinthians 15:4) in ascending up into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God the Father, (Mark 16:19) and in coming to judge the world at the last day. (Acts 17:31)
34. Q. How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us (John 1:12-13) by his Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5,6)
35. Q. How does the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
A. The Spirit applies to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us (Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:8) and by it uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling. (John 6:37; Ephesians 3:17; I Corinthians 1:9)
Concerning Effectual Calling
36. Q. What is effectual calling?
A. Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit (Rom 8:30; 2 Timothy 1:9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14) whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, (Acts 2:37) enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, (Acts 26:18) and renewing our wills, (Ezekiel 36:26-27) he does persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel. (John 6:44,45)
37. Q. What benefits do they who are effectually called, partake of in this life?
A. They who are effectually called, do in this life partake of justification, (Romans 8:30) adoption, (Ephesians 1:5) sanctification, and the various benefits that in this life do either accompany, or flow from them. (1 Corinthians 1:30)
Concerning Justification
38. Q. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardons all our sins, (Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7) and accepts us as righteous in his sight (2 Corinthians 5:21) only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, (Romans 5:18-19) and received by faith alone. (Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9)
Concerning Adoption
39. Q. What is adoption?
A. Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, (1 John 3:1) whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God. (John 1:12; Romans 8:17)
Concerning Sanctification
40. Q. What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is the work of God’s Spirit, (2 Thessalonians 2:13) whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, (Ephesians 4:24) and are enabled more and more to die to sin, and live to
righteousness. (Romans 6:4,6,11)
41. Q. What are the benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, (Romans 5:1,2,5) are assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, (Romans 14:17) increase of grace, perseverance in it to the end. (Proverbs 4:18; 1 John 5:13; 1 Peter 1:5)
Concerning Eternity
42. Q. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at their death?
A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, (Hebrews 12:23) and do immediately pass into glory, (Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Luke 23:43) and their bodies, being still united to Christ, (1 Thessalonians 4:14) do rest in their graves (Isaiah 57:2) till the resurrection. (Job 19:26)
43. Q. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
A. At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, (1 Corinthians 15:43) shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, (Matthew 25:23; 10:32) and made perfectly blessed both in soul and body in the full enjoying of God (1 John 3:2) to all eternity. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
44. Q. What shall be done to the wicked at their death?
A. The souls of the wicked shall at their death be cast into the torments of hell, (Luke 16:22-24) and their bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection, and judgment of the great day. (Psalms 49:14)
45. Q. What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgment?
A. At the day of judgment the bodies of the wicked being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels for ever. (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28,29; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 25:41)
46. Q. How may we escape his wrath and curse due to us for sin?
A. To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, we must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, (John 3:16) trusting alone to his blood and righteousness. This faith is attended by repentance for the past (Acts 20:21) and leads to holiness in the future.
47. Q. What is faith in Jesus Christ?
A. Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, (Hebrews 10:39) whereby we receive, (John 1:12) and rest upon him alone for salvation, (Philippians 3:9) as he is set forth in the gospel. (Isaiah 33:22)
48. Q. What is repentance to life?
A. Repentance to life is a saving grace, (Acts 11:18) whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sins, (Acts 2:37-38) and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, (Joel 2:12-13) does with grief and hatred of his sin turn from it to God (Jeremiah 31:18,19; Ezekiel 36:31) with full purpose to strive after new obedience. (Psalms 119:59; Isaiah 1:16)
49. Q. What are the outward means whereby the Holy Spirit communicates to us the benefits of redemption?
A. The outward and ordinary means whereby the Holy Spirit communicates to us the benefits of Christ’s redemption, are the Word, by which souls are begotten to spiritual life; Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, Prayer, and Meditation, by all which believers are further edified in their most holy faith. (Acts 2:41-42,46-46)
50. Q. How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
A. The Spirit of God makes the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word (Nehemiah 8:8; 2 Timothy 4:2), an effectual means of convicting and converting sinners, (Psalms 19:7) and of building them up in holiness and comfort, (1 Thessalonians 1:6) through faith to salvation. (Romans 1:16; 10:13-17)
51. Q. How is the Word to be read and heard that it may become effectual to salvation?
A. That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend to it with diligence, (Proverbs 8:34) preparation, (1 Peter 2:1,2) and prayer, (Psalms 119:18) receive it with faith (Hebrews 4:2) and love (2 Thessalonians 2:10) lay it up into our hearts, (Psalms 119:11) and practice it in our lives. (James 1:25)
Concerning the Church Ordinances
52. Q. What is a Church Ordinance?
A. A Church Ordinance is a holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers. (Matthew 28:19; Matthew 26:26-28)
53. Q. Which are the Church Ordinances of the New Testament?
The ordinances of the New Testament are Baptism (Matthew 28:19) and the Lord’ s supper. (Matthew 26:26-28)
54. Q. How do Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become spiritually helpful?
A. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper become spiritually helpful, not from any virtue in them, or in him who does administer them (1 Corinthians 3:7; 1 Peter 3:21) but only by the blessing of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:6) and the working of the Spirit in those who by faith receive them. (1 Corinthians 12:13)
Concerning Baptism
55. Q. What is Baptism?
A. Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ, (Matthew 28:19) to be to the person baptized a picture of his fellowship with him, in his death, and burial, and resurrection, (Romans 6:3; Colossians 2:12) of his being engrafted into him, (Galatians 3:27) of remission of sins, (Mark 1:4; Acts 22:16) and of his giving up himself to God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4,5; Galatians 3:27)
56. Q. To whom is Baptism to be administered?
A. Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, (Acts 2:38; 8:36-38; Matthew 3:6; Mark 16:16; 10:47,48) and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and to none other.
57. Q. Are the infants of such as are professing to be baptized?
A. The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized, because there is neither command nor example in the Holy Scriptures for their baptism. (Proverbs 30:6)
58. Q. How is baptism rightly administered?
A. Baptism is rightly administered by immersion, or dipping the whole body of the person in water, (Matthew 3:16; John 3:23) in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, according to Christ’s institution, and the practice of the apostles, (Matthew 28:19,20) and not by sprinkling or pouring of water, or dipping some part of the body, after the tradition of men. (John 4:1,2; Acts 8:38,39)
59. Q. What is the duty of such as are rightly baptized?
A. It is the duty of such as are rightly baptized, to give up themselves to some particular and orderly Church of Jesus Christ, (Acts 2:47; Acts 9:26; 1 Peter 2:5) that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. (Luke 1:6)
Concerning the Lord’s Supper
60. Q. What is the Lord’s Supper?
A. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ; wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to his appointment, his death is shown forth, (1 Corinthians 11:23-26) and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporeal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in grace. (1 Corinthians 10:16)
61. Q. What is required to the worthy receiving of the Lord’s Supper?
A. It is required of them who would worthily partake of the Lord’s Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body (1 Corinthians 11:28,29) of their faith to feed upon him (2 Corinthians 13:5), of their repentance (1 Corinthians 11:31), love and unity (1 Corinthians 10:16-18), and new obedience (1 Corinthians 5:8), lest coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselves. (1 Corinthians 11:27-29)
Concerning Prayer
62. What is prayer?
Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto God, (Psalm 62:8) for things agreeable to his will, (1 John 5:14) in the name of Christ, (John 16:23) with confession of our sins, (Psalm 32:5-6, Daniel 9:4) and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies. (Philippians. 4:6)
63. Q. What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?
The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayer (1 John 5:14), but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer that Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord’ s Prayer (or the Model Prayer). (Matthew 6:9-13, Luke 11:2-4)
Concerning Christ’s Second Coming
64. Q. What is meant by the words, "until he come," which are used by the apostle Paul in reference to the Lord’s Supper?
A. They plainly teach us that our Lord Jesus Christ will come a second time; which is the joy and hope of all believers. (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16)