An Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism and a Crazy Story of Redemption
The Church provides a structural orthodoxy and holy boundaries to keep us from going off the cliff.
What is a Catechism?
So, what is a catechism, after all? A catechism is a summary or explanation of Christian doctrine in the form of questions and answers. We all know the famous first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, a significant document in the history of Christian theology: “What is the chief end of man?” The answer: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.” This back-and-forth of questions and answers allows for easy memorization and summarizing of the essentials of the Christian faith.
The Pastoral Nature of the Heidelberg Catechism
One very attractive feature of the Heidelberg Catechism is how pastoral it is. The first time I read the first question and answer, I had a deeply emotional reaction to it. Read through it line by line:
Q & A 1
Q. What is your only comfort
in life and in death?
A. That I am not my own,
but belong—
body and soul,
in life and in death—
to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,
and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.
He also watches over me in such a way
that not a hair can fall from my head
without the will of my Father in heaven;
in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.
Because I belong to him,
Christ, by his Holy Spirit,
assures me of eternal life
and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready
from now on to live for him.1
It is a tender catechism for young and old. Above all, it desires unity. The language is intended to draw our hearts to Jesus Christ, our only comfort in life and death.
It differs from other confessions by observing the Christian experience. It is undoubtedly a theocentric (God-centered) confession, but the Heidelberg is also concerned about the life of the Christian. It “considers the contents of Christian doctrine from the experiential standpoint of the believing Christian.”[1] It provides the response of the Christian to particular doctrines. It describes his status within a doctrine. It does not isolate a doctrine. It does not make a doctrine the end-all of the Bible, but it includes us in the overall plan of God. For instance, in question 54 we read:
What believest thou concerning the "holy catholic church" of Christ?
Answer: That the Son of God from the beginning to the end of the world, gathers, defends, and preserves to himself by his Spirit and word, out of the whole human race, a church chosen to everlasting life, agreeing in true faith; and that I am and forever shall remain, a living member thereof.
The “holy, catholic church” is not seen as something ethereal. We are actually members of this Church. There is an identifiable body; an objective body of believers in this Christian Church.
Living Theology
Theology is not abstract. And what we see very clearly in this catechism is that theology is not done in isolation. The Heidelberg Catechism is a “catechism of the church. It cannot conceive of any deliverance from the human situation which does not involve full participation in the life of God’s holy people.”[2] The Bible does not conceive of studying God in isolation. The Bible volunteers God’s people to the task of studying God and His Revelation together. This is why studying the Bible is always more satisfying with the members of the body. The Church provides a structural orthodoxy and holy boundaries to keep us from going off the cliff.
As a pastor, I spend most of my hours in the office surrounded by dead writers. I do not simply want to hear my voice in the sermon, but I want to hear the voices of the saints gone before us. The wisdom of our forefathers is needed today more than ever against false doctrines and the ever-increasing individualism of our culture. A theology done outside the community is not a theology worth investing in. This is why it is essential to first delve into the past before forming your own future, especially as it pertains to the study of theology.
A Community of Salvation
The pastoral theology of the Heidelberg Catechism encourages us to think in terms of our relationship with God and our relationship with one another as we learn about God.
The effects of studying and living the Bible in a community are filled with gospel benefits. People are brought into the Church of our Lord by the life and wisdom of others. Even if you came to faith by reading the Scriptures, who gave you those Scriptures? Who led you to the point where you desired to read the Scriptures? The Spirit of God works through His people to redeem sinners.
This became clearer to me some years ago.
I was working on my sermon and received a call from a man. He called because he found our church name on Google. He wanted to speak to a Reformed Christian brother. He didn’t begin the conversation as some usually do when asking for money, so I immediately knew this was a different call. He told me the story that his father physically abused him, and at the age of 16, he ran away from home in Los Angeles and entered into the homosexual life and community. He lived in that community for over 30 years. He told me that it was a community of death from the moment you entered it. All he saw around him was death, spiritual and physical death. As he told me, the life expectancy for homosexuals is much shorter than the average person.[3]
He said that some years prior, he accidentally bumped into someone at Starbucks and spilled his coffee. The man was young and kind-hearted and also an avid reader of Reformed literature and the Bible. They began a friendship and started reading the Scriptures and classic Reformed works together. But the young man he bumped into was terminally ill and died a few months later, but left an indelible impression on this homosexual living in West Hollywood. One day, by the power of the Spirit, he said I do not want to live this life anymore, placed his trust in Christ, and abandoned that lifestyle and his community. He found a little Reformed church-plant in Los Angeles pastored by a Scottish minister.
He abandoned that community of death. When he went to the doctor, he discovered that he had AIDS. At that stage, the doctor said he had six more months to live. Converted to Christ and dying because of sin, but also dying to sin, he decided to share his testimony with his parents, who were living in Florida. He came down to tell his family members who were deeply involved in the occult, but his family rushed him out of the house. They wanted to hear none of it!
With little money, he found a ride coming to Pensacola, and that’s when he called me. I had breakfast with him, and through the Church’s benevolent fund, we provided a place for him to stay before he returned to Los Angeles. I do not believe he is alive today, but that man was a living example of how God used his people and incorporated them into communities. Our Lord drastically changed their lives.
In question 86, the Heidelberg Catechism says, “with our whole life we may show ourselves grateful to God…and that by our reverent behavior, we may win our neighbors to Christ.” That young man at Starbucks, through his reverent behavior, changed the life of another.
The Heidelberg Catechism is deeply interested in living out our faith for the sake of the gospel. By living out our faith, we make the gospel appealing to those who despise it. It seals our comfort in the only One who can comfort the lost.
[1] Hoeksema, Herman. The Triple Knowledge: An Exposition of the Heidelberg Catechism, vol. 1. Reformed Free Publishing Association, Grand Rapids, Michigan. 13
[2] Ed. Donald J. Bruggink. Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude: A Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism. Edited by Donal J. Bruggink, The Half Moon Press, New York, NY. 7.
[3] This research claims 20 years: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive//ldn/2005/jun/05060606
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Yes. I grew up on the catechism and was trained in that tradition of Protestantism. It is a profoundly Biblical and pastoral document when you understand what they were doing.