Grace Thoughts
Why Learn a Christian Catechism? (Part Four)
Our series on Christian catechisms is primarily for parents who want to help their children learn basic teachings of the Bible. You can read about catechisms of the Early Church here, and Martin Luther’s Catechisms here.
We turn next to John Calvin’s Catechism.
John Calvin
John Calvin was about 26 years younger than Martin Luther. Luther was born in 1483 in Germany. Calvin was born in 1509 in France. Like Luther, Calvin was raised in a Roman Catholic family. However, Calvin grew up in a higher class family where his classmates and friends were aristocratic. Though Luther’s teachings were known about in France, Calvin continued to be close to the Catholic Church. However, Calvin developed friendships that eventually led him toward the Reformed faith. Because of his friends’ opposition to the Catholic Church, Calvin had to leave Paris. He was converted about 1533. Calvin went on to become a leader in the early days of the Reformation, especially in Geneva.
Calvin was a theologian and author. He may be best known for his Institutes of the Christian Religion, Calvin’s Sermons, Calvin’s Commentaries on Books of the Bible, The Necessity of Reforming the Church, The Bondage and Liberation of the Will, The Genevan Psalter, and A Treatise on Relics. Calvin was also known for writing the Catechism of The Church of Geneva. He published it in French in 1537 and Latin in 1538. It continues to be used by many Reformed churches.
I found it interesting that Calvin included this statement in his introduction to the Geneva Catechism:
Wherefore, those who publish Catechisms ought to be the more carefully on their guard, by producing anything rashly, they may not for the present only, but in regard to posterity also, do grievous harm to piety, and inflict a deadly wound on the Church. Catechism of the Church of Geneva
This is good advice to parents today. We should be careful and wise in choosing a catechism for our children. Here are some highlights from Calvin’s Catechism.
Calvin’s Catechism
Calvin’s Catechism, also known as the Catechism of the Church of Geneva, is long – 373 questions and answers. That is, in my opinion, too long for a child to learn and memorize. If you would like to use Calvin’s Catechism with your children, I recommend selecting the Q&A that best fits their spiritual needs now. You can always add more Q&A as your children become older.
CATECHISM OF THE CHURCH OF GENEVA
I: OF FAITH
II: OF LAW, THAT IS THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD
III: OF PRAYER
IV: OF THE WORD OF GOD
V: OF THE SACREMENTS
Question1 Master. — What is the chief end of human life?
Scholar. — To know God by whom men were created.
Q2 M. What reason have you for saying so?
S. Because he created us and placed us in this world to be glorified in us. And it is indeed right that our life, of which himself is the beginning, should be devoted to his glory.
Q3 M. What is the highest good of man?
S. The very same thing.
Q4 M. Why do you hold that to be the highest good?
S. Because without it our condition is worse than that of the brutes.
Q5 M. Hence, then, we clearly see that nothing worse can happen to a man than not to live to God.
S. It is so.
Q6 M. What is the true and right knowledge of God?
S. When he is so known that due honor is paid to him.
Q7 M. What is the method, of honouring him duly?
S. To place our whole confidence in him; to study to serve him during our whole life by obeying his will; to call upon him in all our necessities, seeking salvation and every good thing that can be desired in him; lastly, to acknowledge him both with heart and lips, as the sole Author of all blessings.
Q8 M. To consider these points in their order, and explain them more fully — what is the first head in this division of yours?
S. To place our whole confidence in God.
Q9 M. How shall we do so?
S. When we know him to be Almighty and perfectly good.
Q10 M. Is this enough?
S. Far from it.
Q11 M. Wherefore?
S. Because, we are unworthy that he should exert his power in helping us, and show how good he is by saving us.
Q12 M. What more then is needful?
S. That each of us should set it down in his mind that God loves him, and is willing to be a Father, and the author of salvation to him.
Q13 M. But whence will this appear?
S. From his word, in which he explains his mercy to us in Christ, and testifies of his love towards us.
Q14 M. Then the foundation and beginning of confidence in God is to know him in Christ?
S. Entirely so.
Q131 M. What is the rule of life which he has given us?
S. His law.
Q132 M. What does it contain?
S. It consists of two parts; the former of which contains four commandments, the latter six. Thus the whole law consists of Ten Commandments in all.
Q133 M. Who is the author of this division?
S. God himself, who delivered it to Moses written on two tables, and afterwards declared that it was reduced into ten sentences. (Exodus 24:12; 32:15; 34:1; Deuteronomy 4:13; 10:4.)
Q134 M. What is the subject of the first table?
S. The offices of piety towards God.
Q135 M. Of the second?
S. How we are to act towards men, and what we owe them.
Q136 M. Repeat the first commandment or head.
S. Hear, O Israel, I am Jehovah thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage: thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Q137 M. Now explain the meaning of the words.
S. At first he makes a kind of preface to the whole law. For when he calls himself Jehovah, he claims right and authority to command. Then in order to procure favour for his law, he adds, that he is our God. These words have the same force as if he had called himself our Preserver. Now as he bestows this favour upon us, it is meet that we should in our turn show ourselves to be an obedient people.
Q143 M. Let us pass to the second head.
S. Thou shalt not sculpture to thyself the image, or form any of those things which are either in heaven above or on the earth beneath, or in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not adore nor serve them.
Q144 M. Does it entirely prohibit us from sculpturing or painting any resemblance?
S. No; it only forbids, us to make any resemblances for the sake of representing or worshipping God.
Q145 M. Why is it. unlawful to represent God by a visible shape?
S. Because there is no resemblance between him who is an eternal Spirit and incomprehensible, and a corporeal, corruptible, and lifeless figure. (Deuteronomy 4:15; Acts 17:29; Romans 1:23.)
Q146 M. You think then that an insult is offered to his majesty when he is represented in this way?
S. Such is my belief.
Q147 M. What kind of worship is here condemned?
S. When we turn to a statue or image intending to pray, we prostrate ourselves before it: when we pay honor to it by the bending of our knees, or other signs, as if God were there representing himself to us.
Q148 M. We are not to understand then that simply any kind of picture or sculpture is condemned by these words. We are only prohibited from making images for the purpose of seeking or worshipping God in them, or which is the same thing, for the purpose of worshipping them in honor of God, or abusing them in any way to superstition and idolatry.
S. True.
Q233 M. As the second part of Divine Worship, which consists in service and obedience, has been sufficiently discussed, let us now proceed to the, third part.
S. We said it was revocation, by which we flee to God in any necessity.
Q234 M. Do you think that he alone is to be invoked?
S. Certainly; for he requires this as the proper worship of his Divinity.
Q235 M. If it is so, how can we beseech men to assist us?
S. There is a great, difference between the two things. For when we invoke God, we testify that we expect no good from any other quarter, and that we place our whole defence in no other, and yet we ask the assistance of men, as far as he permits, and has bestowed on them the power of giving it.
Q236 M. You say, then, that in having recourse to the faith and help of men, there, is nothing that interferes with our invocation of God, seeing that our reliance is not fixed on them, and we beseech them on no other ground, than just because God, by furnishing them with the means of well-doing, has in a manner destined them to be the ministers of his beneficence, and is pleased by their hands to assist us, and draw out, on our account, the resources which he has deposited with them?
S. Such is my view. And, accordingly, whatever benefits we receive from them, we should regard as coming from God, as in truth it is he alone who bestows all these things upon us by their instrumentality.
Q237 M. But are we not to feel grateful to men whenever they have conferred any kindness upon us. This the mere equity of nature and law of humanity dictates?
S. Certainly we are; and were it only for the reason that God honours them by sending to us, through their hands, as rivulets, the blessings which flow from the inexhaustible fountain of his liberality. In this way he lays us under obligation to them, and wishes us to acknowledge it. He, therefore, who does not show himself grateful to them by so doing, betrays his ingratitude to God.
Q238 M. Are we hence at liberty to infer, that it is wrong to invoke angels and holy servants of the Lord who have departed this life?
S. We are not at liberty; for God does not assign to saints the office of assisting us. And in regard to angels, though he uses their labor for our salvation, he does not wish us to ask them for it.
Q296 M. The order already adopted by us requires that we now consider the fourth part of divine worship.
S. We said that this consists in acknowledging God as the author of all good, and in extolling his goodness, justice, wisdom, and power with praise and thanksgiving, that thus the glory of all good may remain entirely with him.
Q297 M. Has he prescribed no :rule as to this part?
S. All the praises extant in Scripture ought to be our rule.
Q298 M. Has the Lord?s Prayer nothing? which applies here?
S. Yes. When we pray that his name may be hallowed, we pray that he may be duly glorified in his works — that he may be regarded, whether in pardoning sinners, as merciful; or in exercising vengeance, as just; or in performing his pro-raises, as true: in short, that whatever of his works we see may excite us to glorify him. This is indeed to ascribe to him the praise of all that is good.
Q299 M. What shall we infer from these heads which have hitherto been considered, by us?
S. What truth itself teaches, and was stated at the outset, viz., that this is eternal life to know one true God the Father, and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent, (John 17:3,) — to know him, I say, in order that we may pay due honor and worship to him, that he may be not only our Lord but also our Father and Saviour, and we be in turn his children and servants, and accordingly devote our lives to the illustration of his glory.
Q300 M. How can we attain to such blessedness?
S. For this end God has left us his holy word; for spiritual doctrine is a kind of door by which we enter his heavenly kingdom.
Q301 M. Where are we to seek for this word?
S. In the Holy Scriptures, in which it is contained.
Q302 M. How are you to use it in order to profit by it?
S. By embracing it with entire heartfelt persuasion, as certain truth come down from heaven — by being docile, and subjecting our minds and wills in obedience to it — by loving it sincerely — by having it once for all engraved on our hearts, and there rooted so as to produce fruit in our life — finally, by being formed after its rule. Then shall it turn to our salvation, as it was intended.
Q303 M. Are all these things put in our own power?
S. None of them at all; but everything which I have mentioned it belongs to God only to effect in us by the gift of his Spirit.
Q304 M. But are we not to use diligence, and zealously strive to profit in it by reading, hearing, and meditating?
S. Yea, verily: seeing that every one ought to exercise himself in the daily reading of it, and all should be especially careful to attend the sermons when the doctrine of salvation is expounded in the assembly of the faithful.
Q305 M. You affirm then that it is not enough for each to read privately at home, and that all ought to meet in common to hear the same doctrine?
S. They must meet when they can — that is, when an opportunity is given.
Q309 M. Is there no other medium, as it is called, than the Word by which God may communicate himself to us?
S. To the preaching of the Word he has added the Sacraments.
Q310 M. What is a Sacrament?
S. An outward attestation of the divine benevolence towards us, which, by a visible sign, figures spiritual grace, to seal the promises of God on our hearts, and thereby better confirm their truth to us.
Q311 M. Is there such virtue in a visible sign that it can establish our consciences in a full assurance of salvation?
S. This virtue it has not of itself, but by the will of God, because it was instituted for this end.
Q312 M. Seeing it is the proper office of the Holy Spirit to seal the promises of God on our minds, how do you attribute this to the sacraments?
S. There is a wide difference between him and them. To move and affect the heart, to enlighten the mind, to render the conscience sure and tranquil, truly belongs to the Spirit alone; so that it ought to be regarded as wholly his work, and be ascribed to him alone, that no other may have the praise; but this does not at all prevent God from employing the sacraments as secondary instruments, and applying them to what use he deems proper, without derogating in any respect from the agency of the Spirit.
Q313 M. You think, then. that the power and efficacy of a sacrament is not contained in the outward element, but flows entirely from the Spirit of God?
S. I think so; viz., that the Lord hath been pleased to exert his energy by his instruments, this being the purpose to which he destined them: this he does without detracting in any respect from the virtue of his Spirit.
Q314 M. Can you give me a reason why he so acts?
S. In this way he consults our weakness. If we were wholly spiritual, we might, like the angels, spiritually behold both him and his grace; but as we are surrounded with this body of clay, we need figures or mirrors to exhibit a view of spiritual and heavenly things in a kind of earthly manner; for we could not otherwise attain to them. At the same time, it is our interest to have all our senses exercised in the promises of God, that they may be the better confirmed to us.
Q315 M. If it is true that the sacraments were instituted by God to be helps to our necessity, is it not arrogance for anyone to hold that he can dispense with them as unnecessary?
S. It certainly is; and hence, if any one of his own accord abstains from the use of them, as if he had no need of them, he contemns Christ, spurns his grace, and quenches the Spirit.
Q316 M. But what confidence can there be in the sacraments as a means of establishing the conscience, and what certain security can be conceived from things which the good and bad use indiscriminately?
S. Although the wicked: so to speak, annihilate the gifts of God offered in the sacraments in so far as regards themselves, they do not thereby? deprive the sacraments of their nature and virtue.
Q317 M. How, then, and when does the effect follow the use of the sacraments?
S. When we receive them in faith, seeking Christ alone and his grace in them.
Q318 M. Why do you say that Christ is to be sought in them?
S. I mean that we are not to cleave to the visible signs so as to seek salvation from them, or imagine that the power of conferring grace is either fixed or included in them, but rather that the sign is to be used as a help, by which, when seeking salvation and complete felicity, we are pointed directly to Christ.
You can read the entire Geneva Catechism here or here.
Next Time
We’ll look at The Heidelberg Catechism in the next part of our series.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Bible StudyCatechismChristianityJesus ChristJohn CalvinReformed Theology
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