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Heidelberg Catechism

HC · 1563 · 129 questions

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By
Zacharias Ursinus, Caspar Olevianus
Dates
written 1563; first published 1563; adopted by the Synod of Dort, 1619
Tradition
reformed
Also called
Palatinate Catechism
Related
Adapted by An Orthodox Catechism (1680); Expounds Apostles’ Creed
Follows
The Constitution of the Reformed Dutch Church of North America, the Reformed Dutch Church’s English translation, as in its Constitution, 1840 (Philadelphia) · the scan (PDF) , from archive.org
Transcribed
From the scanChecked against a copy at ccel.org: all, word by word; each difference checked against the scan, by Claude, for cco3, 2026-10-28
License
Public domain
Notes

The English translation of the Reformed Dutch Church of North America, with its proofs, as printed in its Constitution (1840). Its misprints corrected are in the commit that added it. Until 2026-10-28 this was the Canadian Reformed Churches’ Book of Praise translation (1983), which is under copyright (#17).

Commentaries
Jeremias Bastingius, A Catechisme of Christian Religion, with the Arguments and Use (1591); Zacharias Ursinus, The Summe of Christian Religion (1587), with each question
Download
heidelberg.json · 225 kB

Contents

Lord’s Day 1

  1. 1What is thy only comfort in life and death?
  2. 2How many things are necessary for thee to know that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily?

Lord’s Day 2

  1. 3Whence knowest thou thy misery?
  2. 4What doth the law of God require of us?
  3. 5Canst thou keep all these things perfectly?

Lord’s Day 3

  1. 6Did God then create man so wicked and perverse?
  2. 7Whence then proceeds this depravity of human nature?
  3. 8Are we then so corrupt that we are wholly incapable of doing any good, and inclined to all wickedness?

Lord’s Day 4

  1. 9Doth not God then do injustice to man, by requiring from him in his law, that which he cannot perform?
  2. 10Will God suffer such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?
  3. 11Is not God then also merciful?

Lord’s Day 5

  1. 12Since then, by the righteous judgment of God, we deserve temporal and eternal punishment; is there no way by which we may escape that punishment, and be again received into favour?
  2. 13Can we ourselves then make this satisfaction?
  3. 14Can there be found anywhere, one who is a mere creature, able to satisfy for us?
  4. 15What sort of a mediator and deliverer then must we seek for?

Lord’s Day 6

  1. 16Why must he be very man, and also perfectly righteous?
  2. 17Why must he in one person be also very God?
  3. 18Who then is that mediator, who is in one person both very God, and a real righteous man?
  4. 19Whence knowest thou this?

Lord’s Day 7

  1. 20Are all men then, as they perished in Adam, saved by Christ?
  2. 21What is true faith?
  3. 22What is then necessary for a Christian to believe?
  4. 23What are these articles?

Lord’s Day 8

  1. 24How are these articles divided?
  2. 25Since there is but one only divine essence, why speakest thou of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost?

Lord’s Day 9

  1. 26What believest thou when thou sayest, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth?”

Lord’s Day 10

  1. 27What dost thou mean by the providence of God?
  2. 28What advantage is it to us to know that God has created, and by his providence doth still uphold all things.

Lord’s Day 11

  1. 29Why is the Son of God called Jesus, that is a Saviour?
  2. 30Do such then believe in Jesus the only Saviour, who seek their salvation and happiness of saints, of themselves, or anywhere else?

Lord’s Day 12

  1. 31Why is he called Christ, that is, anointed?
  2. 32But why art thou called a Christian?

Lord’s Day 13

  1. 33Why is Christ called the only begotten Son of God since we are also the children of God?
  2. 34Wherefore callest thou him our Lord?

Lord’s Day 14

  1. 35What is the meaning of these words—“He was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary?”
  2. 36What profit dost thou receive by Christ’s holy conception and nativity?

Lord’s Day 15

  1. 37What dost thou understand by the words “He suffered?”
  2. 38Why did he suffer under Pontius Pilate, as his judge?
  3. 39Is there any thing more in his being crucified, than if he had died some other death?

Lord’s Day 16

  1. 40Why was it necessary for Christ to humble himself even unto death?
  2. 41Why was he also “buried?”
  3. 42Since then Christ died for us, why must we also die?
  4. 43What further benefit do we receive from the sacrifice and death of Christ on the cross?
  5. 44Why is there added, “he descended into hell?”

Lord’s Day 17

  1. 45What doth the resurrection of Christ profit us?

Lord’s Day 18

  1. 46How dost thou understand these words, “he ascended into heaven?”
  2. 47Is not Christ then with us even to the end of the world, as he hath promised?
  3. 48But if his human nature is not present, wherever his Godhead is, are not then these two natures in Christ separated from one another?
  4. 49Of what advantage to us is Christ’s ascension into heaven?

Lord’s Day 19

  1. 50Why is it added, “and sitteth at the right hand of God?”
  2. 51What profit is this glory of Christ, our head, unto us?
  3. 52What comfort is it to thee that “Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead?”

Lord’s Day 20

  1. 53What dost thou believe concerning the Holy Ghost?

Lord’s Day 21

  1. 54What believest thou concerning the “Holy Catholic Church” of Christ.
  2. 55What do you understand by “the communion of saints?”
  3. 56What believest thou concerning “the forgiveness of sins?”

Lord’s Day 22

  1. 57What comfort doth the “resurrection of the body” afford thee?
  2. 58What comfort takest thou from the article of “life everlasting?”

Lord’s Day 23

  1. 59But what doth it profit thee now that thou believest all this?
  2. 60How art thou righteous before God?
  3. 61What sayest thou, that thou art righteous by faith only?

Lord’s Day 24

  1. 62But why cannot our good works be the whole, or part of our righteousness before God?
  2. 63What! do not our good works merit, which yet God will reward in this and in a future life?
  3. 64But doth not this doctrine make men careless and profane?

Lord’s Day 25

  1. 65Since then we are made partakers of Christ and all his benefits by faith only, whence doth this faith proceed?
  2. 66What are the sacraments?
  3. 67Are both word and sacraments, then, ordained and appointed for this end, that they may direct our faith to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, as the only ground of our salvation?
  4. 68How many sacraments has Christ instituted in the new covenant, or testament?

Lord’s Day 26

  1. 69How art thou admonished and assured by holy baptism, that the one sacrifice of Christ upon the cross is of real advantage to thee?
  2. 70What is it to be washed with the blood and spirit of Christ?
  3. 71Where has Christ promised us that he will as certainly wash us by his blood and spirit, as we are washed with the water of baptism?

Lord’s Day 27

  1. 72Is then the external baptism with water, the washing away of sin itself?
  2. 73Why then doth the Holy Ghost call baptism “the washing of regeneration,” and “the washing away of sins?”
  3. 74Are infants also to be baptized?

Lord’s Day 28

  1. 75How art thou admonished and assured in the Lord’s supper, that thou art a partaker of that one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross, and of all his benefits?
  2. 76What is it then to eat the crucified body, and drink the shed blood of Christ?
  3. 77Where has Christ promised that he will as certainly feed and nourish believers with his body and blood, as they eat of this broken bread, and drink of this cup?

Lord’s Day 29

  1. 78Do then the bread and wine become the very body and blood of Christ?
  2. 79Why then doth Christ call the bread his body, and the cup his blood, or the new covenant in his blood; and Paul the “Communion of the body and blood of Christ?”

Lord’s Day 30

  1. 80What difference is there between the Lord’s supper and the Popish mass?
  2. 81For whom is the Lord’s supper instituted?
  3. 82Are they also to be admitted to this supper, who, by confession and life, declare themselves infidels and ungodly?

Lord’s Day 31

  1. 83What are the keys of the kingdom of heaven?
  2. 84How is the kingdom of heaven opened and shut by the preaching of the holy gospel?
  3. 85How is the kingdom of heaven shut and opened by Christian discipline?

Lord’s Day 32

  1. 86Since then we are delivered from our misery, merely of grace, through Christ, without any merit of ours, why must we still do good works?
  2. 87Cannot they then be saved, who, continuing in their wicked and ungrateful lives, are not converted to God?

Lord’s Day 33

  1. 88Of how many parts doth the true conversion of man consist?
  2. 89What is the mortification of the old man?
  3. 90What is the quickening of the new man?
  4. 91But what are good works?

Lord’s Day 34

  1. 92What is the law of God?
  2. 93How are these ten commands divided?
  3. 94What doth God enjoin in the first command?
  4. 95What is idolatry?

Lord’s Day 35

  1. 96What doth God require in the second command?
  2. 97Are images then not at all to be made?
  3. 98But may not images be tolerated in the churches, as books of the laity?

Lord’s Day 36

  1. 99What is required in the third command?
  2. 100Is then the profaning of God’s name, by swearing and cursing, so heinous a sin, that his wrath is kindled against those who do not endeavour, as much as in them lies, to prevent and forbid such cursing and swearing?

Lord’s Day 37

  1. 101May we then swear religiously by the name of God?
  2. 102May we also swear by saints or any other creatures?

Lord’s Day 38

  1. 103What doth God require in the fourth command?

Lord’s Day 39

  1. 104What doth God require in the fifth command?

Lord’s Day 40

  1. 105What doth God require in the sixth command?
  2. 106But this command seems only to speak of murder?
  3. 107But is it enough that we don’t kill any man in the manner mentioned above?

Lord’s Day 41

  1. 108What doth the seventh command teach us?
  2. 109Doth God forbid in this command, only adultery, and such like gross sins?

Lord’s Day 42

  1. 110What doth God forbid in the eighth command?
  2. 111But what doth God require in this command?

Lord’s Day 43

  1. 112What is required in the ninth command?

Lord’s Day 44

  1. 113What doth the tenth commandment require of us?
  2. 114But can those, who are converted to God, perfectly keep these commands?
  3. 115Why will God then have the ten commands so strictly preached, since no man in this life can keep them?

Lord’s Day 45

  1. 116Why is prayer necessary for Christians?
  2. 117What are the requisites of that prayer, which is acceptable to God, and which he will hear?
  3. 118What hath God commanded us to ask of him?
  4. 119What are the words of that prayer?

Lord’s Day 46

  1. 120Why hath Christ commanded us to address God thus: “Our Father?”
  2. 121Why is it here added, “Which art in heaven?”

Lord’s Day 47

  1. 122Which is the first petition?

Lord’s Day 48

  1. 123Which is the second petition?

Lord’s Day 49

  1. 124Which is the third petition?

Lord’s Day 50

  1. 125Which is the fourth petition?

Lord’s Day 51

  1. 126Which is the fifth petition?

Lord’s Day 52

  1. 127Which is the sixth petition?
  2. 128How dost thou conclude thy prayer?
  3. 129What doth the word “Amen” signify?