The Baptist Catechism (Keach’s Catechism). 1677. Page 2. Q. 1. Who is the first and best of beings? A. God is the first and best of beings. (Isaiah 44:6; Psalm 8:1
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Q. 1. Who is the first and best of beings? A. God is the first and best of beings. (Isaiah 44:6; Psalm 8:1; 97:9) Q. 2. What is the chief end of man? A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. (1 Cor. 10:31; Psalm 73:25-26) Q. 3. How do we know there is a God? A. The light of nature in man, a nd the works of God, plainly declar e that there is a God; but His Word and Spirit only, do effectually reveal Him unto us for our salvation. (Rom. 1:18-20; Psalm 19:1-2; 2 Tim. 3: 15; 1 Cor. 1:21-24; 1 Cor. 2:9-10) Q. 4. What is the Word of God? A. The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, be ing given by divine inspiration, are the Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timot hy 3:16-17; Isaiah 8:20) Q. 5. How do we know that the Bible is the Word of God? A. The Bible evidences itself to be God’s Word by the heavenliness of its doctrine, the unity of its parts, its power to convert sinners and to edify saints; but the Spirit of God only, bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in our hearts, is able fully to persuade us that the Bible is the Word of God. (1 Cor. 2:6-7, 13; Ps. 119:18, 129; Acts 10:43, 26:22; Acts 18:28; He b 4:12; Ps. 19:7-9; Rom. 15:4; John 16:13-4; 1 J ohn 2:20-27; 2 Cor. 3:14-17) Q. 6. May all men make use of the Scriptures? A. All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted, to read, hear, and understand the Scriptures. (John 5:39; Luke 16:29; Acts 8:28-30; 17:11)
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Q. 7. What do the Scriptures principally teach? A. The Scriptures princi pally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty God requires of man. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; John 20:31; Acts 24 :14; 1 Cor. 10:11; Eccles. 12:13) Q. 8. What is God? A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unc hangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness and truth. (John 4:24; Ps. 147:5; Ps. 90:2; James 1:17; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 89:14; Exod. 34:6-7; 1 Tim. 1:17) Q. 9. Are there more gods than one? A. There is but one only, the living and true God. (Deut. 6:4; Jeremiah 10:10) Q. 10. How many persons ar e 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 e ssence, equal in power and glory. (1 Cor. 8:6; John 10:30; John 14:9; Acts 5:3-4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14) Q. 11. What are the decrees of God? A. The decrees of God are His eternal purpose, a ccording to the counsel of His will, whereby for His own glory, He has fore-ordained whatsoever comes to pass (Eph. 1:11; Rom. 11:36; Dan. 4:35) Q. 12. How does God execute His decrees? A. God executes His decrees in the works of creation and providence. (Gen. 1:1; Rev. 4:11; Matt. 6:26; Acts 14:17)
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Q. 13. What is the work of creation? A. The work of creation is God’s making all thin gs of nothing, by the Word of His power, in the space of six days, and all very good. (Gen. 1:1; Heb. 11:3; Ex. 20:11; Gen. 1:31) Q. 14. How did God create man? A. God created man male and female, after Hi s own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures. (Gen. 1:27; Col. 3:10; Eph. 4:24; Gen. 1:28) Q. 15. What are God’s works of providence? A. God’s works of providence are His most ho ly, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures, and all their actions. (Neh. 9:6; Col. 1:17; Heb. 1: 3; Ps. 103:19; Matt. 10:29-30) Q. 16. What special act of providence did God ex ercise towards man, in the estate wherein he was created? A. When God had created man, He entered into a covenant of works with him, upon condition of perfect obedience, forbidding him to eat of the tr ee of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death. (Gen. 2:16-17; Gal. 3:12; Rom. 5:12) Q. 17. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created? A. Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God. (Gen. 3:6; Eccles. 7:29; Rom. 5:12) Q. 18. What is sin? A. Sin is any want of conformity unt o, or transgression of, the law of God. (1 John 3:4; Rom. 5:13)
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Q. 19. What was the sin whereby our first parents fe ll from the estate wherein they were created? A. The sin whereby our first parents fell from th e estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit. (Gen. 3:6, 12, 13) Q. 20. 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, si nned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression. (1 Cor. 15:21-22; Rom. 5:12, 18-19) Q. 21. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind? A. The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery. (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:18-19: Is. 64:6) Q. 22. Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell? A. The sinfulness of that estate whereunto man fell, consists in th e guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righte ousness, and the corruption of his w hole nature, which is commonly called original sin, together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it. (Rom. 5:19; 3:10; Eph. 2:1; Is . 53:6; Ps. 51:5; Matt. 15:19) Q. 23. What is the misery of that estate whereunto man fell? A. All mankind, by their fall lost communion with God, are under His wrath and curse, and 80 made liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. (Gen. 3:8,24; Eph. 2:3; Gal. 3:10; Ro m. 6:23; Matt. 25:41-46; Ps. 9:1) Q. 24. Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery? A. God, out of His mere good pleasure, from all eternity, having chosen a people to everlasting life, did enter into a cove nant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation, by a Redeemer. (Eph. 1:3-4; 2 Thess. 2:13; Rom. 5:21; Acts 13:8; Jer. 31:33)
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Q. 25. Who is the Redeemer of God’s elect? A. The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lo rd Jesus Christ, who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continues to be God and man, in two di stinct natures and one person, forever. (Gal. 3:13; 1 Tim. 2:5; John 1:14; 1 Tim. 3:16; Rom. 9:5; Col. 2:9) Q. 26. 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 and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary and born of her, yet without sin. (Heb. 2:14; Matt. 26:38; Luke 2:52; John 12:27; Luke 1:31-35; Heb. 4:15; 7:26) Q. 27. What offices does Christ execute as our Redeemer? A. Christ, as our Redeemer, executes the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of a king, both in His estate of humiliation and exaltation. (Acts 3:22; Heb. 5:6; Ps. 2:6) Q. 28. How does Christ execute the office of a prophet? A. Christ executes the office of a prophet, in reve aling to us, by this Word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation. (John 1:18; 14:26; 15:15) Q. 29. How does Christ execute the office of a priest? A. Christ executes the office of a priest, in His on ce offering up of Himself, a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us. (1 Peter 2:24; Heb. 9:28; Eph. 5:2; Heb. 2:17; 7:25; Rom. 8:34) Q. 30. How does Christ execute the office of a king? A. Christ executes the office of a king, in subduing us to Himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all His and our enemies. (Ps. 110:3; Matt. 2:6; 1 Cor. 15:25)
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Q. 37. What is justification? A. Justification is an act of Go d’s free grace, wherein He pardons all our sins, and accepts us as righteous in His sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone. (Rom. 3:24; Eph. 1:7; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:19; Phil. 3:9; Gal. 2:16) Q. 38. What is adoption? A. Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, where by we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God. (1 John 3:1; John 1:12; Rom. 8:16-17) Q. 39. What is sanctification? A. Sanctification is a work of God’s free grace whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness. (2 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 4:23-24; Rom. 6:11) Q. 40. What are the benefits whic h in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification? A. The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end. (Rom. 5:1-5; 14:17; Prov. 4:18; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 5:13) Q. 41. What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death? A. The souls of believers are at death made perf ect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory, and their bodies, being still united to Chri st, do rest in their grav es till the resurrection. (Heb. 12:23; Phil. 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:8; Luke 23:43; 1 Thess 4:14; Is. 57:2; Job 19:26) Q. 42. What benefits do believers receiv e from Christ at the Resurrection? A. At the resurrection, believers become raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly ble ssed in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity. (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:42-43; Matt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thess. 4:17)
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Q. 43. What shall be done to the wicked at death? A. The souls of the wicked shall at death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgement of the great day. (Luke 16:22-24; Ps. 49:14) Q. 44. What shall be done to the wicked at the day of judgement? A. At the day of judgement, the bodies of the wick ed, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeak able torments with th e devil and his angels forever. (Dan. 12:2; John 5:28-29; 2 Thess. 1:9; Matt. 25:41) Q. 45. What is the duty which God requires of man? A. The duty which God requires of man, is obedience to His revealed will. (Micah 6:8; Eccles. 12:13; Ps. 119:4; Luke 10:26-28) Q. 46. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience? A. The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience was the moral law. (Rom. 2:14-15; 5:13-14) Q. 47. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended? A. The moral law is summarily comp rehended in the Ten Commandments. (Deut. 10:4; Matt. 19:17) Q. 48. What is the sum of the Ten Commandments? A. The sum of the Ten Commandments is, to love the Lord our God, with a ll our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our ne ighbor as ourselves. (Matt. 22:36-40; Mark 12:28-33)
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Q. 49. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments? A. The preface to the Ten Commandments is, fiI am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.fl (Exodus 20:2) Q. 50. What does the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us? A. The preface to the Ten Commandments teaches us, that because God is the Lord, and our God and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all His commandments. (Deut 11:1) Q. 51. Which is the first commandment? A. The first commandment is, fiThou shalt have no other Gods before me.fl (Exodus 20:3) Q. 52. What is required in the first commandment? A. The first commandment requir es us to know and acknowledge G od to be the only true God, and our God, and to worship and glorify Him accordingly. (Joshua 24:15; 1 Chron. 28:9; Deut. 26:17; Ps. 29:2; Matt. 4:10) Q. 53. What is forbidden in the first commandment? A. The first commandment forbids the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God, as God and our God; and the giving that worshi p and glory to any other, which is due unto Him alone. (Joshua 24:27; Rom. 1:20-21; Ps. 14:1; Rom. 1:25) Q. 54. What are we especially taught by these wo rds, fibefore me,fl in the first commandment? A. These words, fibefore me,fl in the first comma ndment, teach us, that God, who sees all things, takes notice of, and is much displeased with the sin of having any other God. (Deut.30:17-18; Ps. 44:20-21; Ps. 90:8)
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Q. 55. Which is the second commandment? A. The second commandment is, fiThou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serv e them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: and showing me rcy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.fl (Exodus 20:4-6) Q. 56. What is required in the second commandment? A. The second commandment requires the receivi ng, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances, as God has appointed in His Word. (Deut. 32:46; Matt. 28:20; Deut. 12:32) Q. 57. What is forbidden in the second commandment? A. The second commandment forbids the worshi pping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in His Word. (Rom. 1:22-23; Deut. 4:15-16; Matt. 15:9; Col. 2:18) Q. 58. What are the reasons anne xed to the second commandment? A. The reasons annexed to the second commandm ent, are, God™s sovereignty over us, His propriety in us, and the zeal He has for His own worship. (Ps. 45:11; Ex. 34:14; 1 Cor. 10:22) Q. 59. Which is the third commandment? A. The third commandment is, fiThou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.fl (Exodus 20:7) Q. 60. What is required in the third commandment? A. The third commandment requires the holy and re verent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, words, and works. (Ps.29:2; Deut. 32:1-4; Deut.28:58-59; Ps.111:9; Matt. 6:9, Eccles. 5:1; Ps. 138:2, Job 36:24; Rev. 15:3-4; Rev. 4:8)
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