Westminster Shorter Catechism (with PCA proof-texts)
First published in 1646
Q 1: What is the chief end of man?
Answer: Man's chief end is to glorify God,a and to enjoy him for ever.b
Q 2: What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
Answer: The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, a is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.b
Q 3: What do the Scriptures principally teach?
Answer: The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God,a and what duty God requires of manb.
Q 4: What is God?
Answer: God is a Spirita, infiniteb, eternalc, and unchangeabled in his beinge, wisdomf, powerg, holinessh, justicei, goodnessj, and truthk.
- a: Deuteronomy 4:15-19, Luke 24:39, John 1:18, John 4:24, Acts 17:29
- b: 1 Kings 8:27, Psalm 139:7-10, Psalm 145:3, Psalm 147:5, Jeremiah 23:24, Romans 11:33-36
- c: Deuteronomy 33:27, Psalm 90:2, Psalm 102:12, Psalm 102:24-27, Revelation 1:4, Revelation 1:8
- d: Psalm 33:11, Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 1:12, Hebrews 6:17-18, Hebrews 13:8, James 1:17
- e: Exodus 3:14, Psalm 115:2-3, 1 Timothy 1:17, 1 Timothy 6:15-16
- f: Psalm 104:24, Romans 11:33-34, Hebrews 4:13, 1 John 3:20
- g: Genesis 17:1, Psalm 62:11, Jeremiah 32:17, Matthew 19:26, Revelation 1:8
- h: Hebrews 1:13, 1 Peter 1:15-16, 1 John 3:3, 1 John 3:5, Revelation 15:4
- i: Genesis 18:25, Exodus 34:6-7, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 96:13, Romans 3:5, Romans 3:26
- j: Psalm 103:5, Psalm 107:8, Matthew 19:17, Romans 2:4
- k: Exodus 34:6, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 86:15, Psalm 117:2, Hebrews 6:18
Q 5: Are there more Gods than one?
Answer: There is but one onlya, the living and true Godb.
Q 6: How many persons are there in the Godhead?
Answer: There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost a; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.b
Q 7: What are the decrees of God?
Answer: The decrees of God are, his eternal purpose, according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass a.
Q 8: How doth God execute his decrees?
Answer: God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providencea.
Q 9: What is the work of creation?
Answer: The work of creation is, God's making all things of nothing, by the word of his powera, in the space of six days, and all very good.b
Q 10: How did God create man?
Answer: God created man male and female, after his own imagea, in knowledgeb, righteousness, and holinessc, with dominion over the creaturesd.
- a: Genesis 1:27
- b: Colossians 3:10
- c: Ephesians 4:24
- d: Genesis 1:28, Psalm 8
Q 11: What are God's works of providence?
Answer: God's works of providence are, his most holya, wiseb, and powerfulc preservingd and governinge all his creatures, and all their actionsf.
- a: Psalm 145:17
- b: Psalm 104:24
- c: Hebrews 1:3
- d: Nehemiah 9:6
- e: Ephesians 1:19-22
- f: Psalm 36:6, Proverbs 16:33, Matthew 10:30
Q 12: What special act of providence did God exercise toward man in the estate wherein he was created?
Answer: When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him, upon condition of perfect obedience; forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.a
Q 13: Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?
Answer: Our first parents, being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against Goda.
Q 14: What is sin?
Answer: Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God a.
Q 15: What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
Answer: The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruita.
- a: Genesis 3:6
Q 16: Did all mankind fall in Adam's first transgression?
Answer: The covenant being made with Adama, 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 transgressionb.
Q 17: Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
Answer: The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and miserya.
Q 18: Wherein consists the sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell?
Answer: The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam's first sina, the want of original righteousnessb, and the corruption of his whole naturec, which is commonly called original sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from itd.
Q 19: What is the misery of that estate whereinto man fell?
Answer: All mankind by their fall lost communion with Goda, are under his wrathb and cursec, and so made liable to all miseries in this lifed, to death e itself, and to the pains of hell for everf.
- a: Genesis 3:8, Genesis 3:24, John 8:34, John 8:42, John 8:44, Ephesians 2:12, Ephesians 4:18
- b: John 3:36, Romans 1:18, Ephesians 2:3, Ephesians 5:6
- c: Galatians 3:10, Revelation 22:3
- d: Genesis 3:16-19, Job 5:7, Ecclesiastes 2:22-23, Romans 8:18-23
- e: Ezekiel 18:4, Romans 5:12, Romans 6:23
- f: Matthew 25:41, Matthew 25:46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Revelation 14:9-11
Q 20: Did God leave all mankind to perish in the estate of sin and misery?
Answer: God having, out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting lifea did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemerb.
Q 21: Who is the Redeemer of God's elect?
Answer: The only Redeemer of God's elect is the Lord Jesus Christa, who, being the eternal Son of Godb, became manc and so was, and continueth to be, God and man in two distinct natures, and one person, foreverd.
Q 22: How did Christ, being the Son of God, become man?
Answer: Christ, the Son of God, became man, by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soula, being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the virgin Mary, and born of herb yet without sinc.
Q 23: What offices doth Christ execute as our Redeemer?
Answer: Christ, as our Redeemer, executeth the offices of a propheta, of a priest b, and of a kingc, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.
Q 24: How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his Worda and Spiritb the will of God for our salvationc.
Q 25: How doth Christ execute the office of a priest?
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a priest, in his once offering up of himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justicea, and reconcile us to Godb; and in making continual intercession for usc.
Q 26: How doth Christ execute the office of a king?
Answer: Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending usa, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies b.
Q 27: Wherein did Christ's humiliation consist?
Answer: Christ's humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition a, made under the lawb, undergoing the miseries of this lifec, the wrath of Godd, and the cursed death of the crosse; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.f
Q 28: Wherein consisteth Christ's exaltation?
Answer: Christ's exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third daya, in ascending up into heavenb, in sitting at the right handc of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last dayd.
Q 29: How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ?
Answer: We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirita.
- a: Titus 3:4-7
Q 30: How doth the Spirit apply to us the redemption purchased by Christ?
Answer: The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in usa, and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual callingb.
Q 31: What is effectual calling?
Answer: Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christa, and renewing our willsb, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christc, freely offered to us in the gospeld.
Q 32: What benefits do they that are effectually called partake of in this life?
Answer: They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, and sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from thema.
Q 33: What is justification?
Answer: Justification is an act of God's free gracea, wherein he pardoneth all our sinsb, and accepteth us as righteous in his sightc, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to usd, and received by faith alonee.
Q 34: What is adoption?
Answer: Adoption is an act of God's free gracea, whereby we are received into the number, and have a right to all the privileges, of the sons of Godb.
- a: 1 John 3:1
- b: John 1:12, Romans 8:17
Q 35: What is sanctification?
Answer: Sanctification is the work of God's free gracea, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of Godb, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousnessc.
Q 36: What are the benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification?
Answer: The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are, assurance of God's lovea, peace of conscienceb, joy in the Holy Ghostc, increase of graced, and perseverance therein to the ende.
- a: Romans 5:5
- b: Romans 5:1
- c: Romans 14:17
- d: 2 Peter 3:18
- e: Philippians 1:6, 1 Peter 1:5
Q 37: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
Answer: The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holinessa, and do immediately pass into gloryb; and their bodies, being still united to Christc, do rest in their graves till the resurrectiond.
Q 38: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
Answer: At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glorya, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgmentb, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of Godc to all eternityd.
Q 39: What is the duty which God requireth of man?
Answer: The duty which God requireth of man, is obedience to his revealed will a.
Q 40: What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
Answer: The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral lawa.
Q 41: Wherein is the moral law summarily comprehended?
Answer: The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandmentsa.
Q 42: What is the sum of the ten commandments?
Answer: The sum of the ten commandments is, To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourselvesa.
Q 43: What is the preface to the ten commandments?
Answer: The preface to the ten commandments is in these words, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. a
Q 44: What doth the preface to the ten commandments teach us?
Answer: The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us, That because God is the Lord, and our God, and Redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments a.
Q 45: Which is the first commandment?
Answer: The first commandment is, Thou shalt have no other gods before me.a
Q 46: What is required in the first commandment?
Answer: The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God; and to worship and glorify him accordinglya.
Q 47: What is forbidden in the first commandment?
Answer: The first commandment forbiddeth the denyinga, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God as Godb, and our Godc; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him aloned.
- a: Psalm 14:1
- b: Romans 1:20-21
- c: Psalm 81:10-11
- d: Ezekiel 8:16-18, Romans 1:25
Q 48: What are we specially taught by these words, 'before me', in the first commandment?
Answer: These words, before me, in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other Goda.
Q 49: Which is the second commandment?
Answer: The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything 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 thy self to them, nor serve 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 mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.a
Q 50: What is required in the second commandment?
Answer: The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Worda.
Q 51: What is forbidden in the second commandment?
Answer: The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by imagesa, or any other way not appointed in his Wordb.
Q 52: What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
Answer: The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God's sovereignty over us a, his propriety in usb, and the zeal he hath to his own worshipc.
Q 53: Which is the third commandment?
Answer: The third commandment is, Thou 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. a
Q 54: What is required in the third commandment?
Answer: The third commandment requireth the holy and reverend use of God's names, titles a, attributesb, ordinancesc, Wordd, and workse.
Q 55: What is forbidden in the third commandment?
Answer: The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself knowna.
Q 56: What is the reason annexed to the third commandment?
Answer: The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgmenta.
Q 57: Which is the fourth commandment?
Answer: The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.a
Q 58: What is required in the fourth commandment?
Answer: The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as he hath appointed in his Word; expressly one whole day in seven, to be a holy sabbath to himselfa.
Q 59: Which day of the seven hath God appointed to be the weekly sabbath?
Answer: From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly sabbatha; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian sabbathb.
Q 60: How is the sabbath to be sanctified?
Answer: The sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other daysa; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God's worshipb, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercyc.
Q 61: What is forbidden in the fourth commandment?
Answer: The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about our worldly employments or recreationsa.
Q 62: What are the reasons annexed to the fourth commandment?
Answer: The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment are, God's allowing us six days of the week for our own employmentsa, his challenging a special propriety in the seventh, his own example, and his blessing the sabbath dayb.
Q 63: Which is the fifth commandment?
Answer: The fifth commandment is, Honour thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.a
Q 64: What is required in the fifth commandment?
Answer: The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honor, and performing the duties, belonging to everyone in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equalsa.
Q 65: What is forbidden in the fifth commandment?
Answer: The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglecting of, or doing anything against, the honor and duty which belongeth to everyone in their several places and relations a.
Q 66: What is the reason annexed to the fifth commandment?
Answer: The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is, a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God's glory and their own good) to all such as keep this commandmenta.
Q 67: Which is the sixth commandment?
Answer: The sixth commandment is, Thou shalt not kill.a
Q 68: What is required in the sixth commandment?
Answer: The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavors to preserve our own life, and the life of othersa.
Q 69: What is forbidden in the sixth commandment?
Answer: The sixth commandment forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour, unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereuntoa.
Q 70: Which is the seventh commandment?
Answer: The seventh commandment is, Thou shalt not commit adultery.a
Q 71: What is required in the seventh commandment?
Answer: The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbour's chastity, in heart, speech, and behaviora.
Q 72: What is forbidden in the seventh commandment?
Answer: The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions a.
Q 73: Which is the eighth commandment?
Answer: The eighth commandment is, Thou shalt not steal.a
Q 74: What is required in the eighth commandment?
Answer: The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and othersa.
Q 75: What is forbidden in the eighth commandment?
Answer: The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth, or may, unjustly hinder our own, or our neighbour's, wealth or outward estatea.
Q 76: Which is the ninth commandment?
Answer: The ninth commandment is, Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. a
Q 77: What is required in the ninth commandment?
Answer: The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own and our neighbour's good namea, especially in witness bearingb.
Q 78: What is forbidden in the ninth commandment?
Answer: The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to truth, or injurious to our own, or our neighbour's, good namea.
Q 79: Which is the tenth commandment?
Answer: The tenth commandment is, Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour's.a
Q 80: What is required in the tenth commandment?
Answer: The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own conditiona, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbour, and all that is hisb.
Q 81: What is forbidden in the tenth commandment?
Answer: The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estatea, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is hisb.
Q 82: Is any man able perfectly to keep the commandments of God?
Answer: No mere man, since the fall, is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, and deeda.
Q 83: Are all transgressions of the law equally heinous?
Answer: Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than othersa.
Q 84: What doth every sin deserve?
Answer: Every sin deserveth God's wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to comea.
Q 85: What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin?
Answer: To escape the wrath and curse of God, due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto lifea, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption b.
Q 86: What is faith in Jesus Christ?
Answer: Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving gracea, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospelb.
Q 87: What is repentance unto life?
Answer: Repentance unto life is a saving gracea, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christb, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto Godc, with full purpose of, and endeavour after, new obedienced.
Q 88: What are the outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption?
Answer: The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are, his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvationa.
Q 89: How is the Word made effectual to salvation?
Answer: The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort, through faith, unto salvationa.
Q 90: How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation?
Answer: That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayera; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our livesb.
Q 91: How do the sacraments become effectual means of salvation?
Answer: The sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive thema.
Q 92: What is a sacrament?
Answer: A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christa; wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believersb.
Q 93: Which are the sacraments of the New Testament?
Answer: The sacraments of the New Testament are, Baptisma, and the Lord's Supper b.
Q 94: What is Baptism?
Answer: Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghosta, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord'sb.
Q 95: To whom is Baptism to be administered?
Answer: Baptism is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible church, till they profess their faith in Christ, and obedience to hima; but the infants of such as are members of the visible church are to be baptizedb.
Q 96: What is the Lord's Supper?
Answer: The Lord's Supper is a sacrament, wherein, by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to Christ's appointment, his death is showed fortha; and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment, and growth in graceb.
Q 97: What is required for the worthy receiving of the Lord's Supper?
Answer: It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord's Supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord's body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience; lest, coming unworthily, they eat and drink judgment to themselvesa.
Q 98: What is prayer?
Answer: Prayer is an offering up of our desires unto Goda, for things agreeable to his willb, in the name of Christc, with confession of our sinsd, and thankful acknowledgement of his mercies.e
Q 99: What rule hath God given for our direction in prayer?
Answer: The whole Word of God is of use to direct us in prayera; but the special rule of direction is that form of prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called The Lord's Prayer.b
- a: 1 John 5:14
- b: Matthew 6:9-13
Q 100: What doth the preface of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
Answer: The preface of the Lord's Prayer, which is, Our Father which art in heaven, teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverencea and confidenceb, as children to a fatherc, able and ready to help usd; and that we should pray with and for otherse.
Q 101: What do we pray for in the first petition?
Answer: In the first petition, which is, Hallowed be thy name, we pray, that God would enable us, and others, to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself knowna; and that he would dispose all things to his own gloryb.
Q 102: What do we pray for in the second petition?
Answer: In the second petition, which is, Thy kingdom come, we pray, that Satan's kingdom may be destroyeda; and that the kingdom of grace may be advancedb, ourselves and others brought into it, and kept in itc; and that the kingdom of glory may be hastenedd.
Q 103: What do we pray for in the third petition?
Answer: In the third petition, which is, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, we pray, that God, by his grace, would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to his will in all thingsa, as the angels do in heavenb.
Q 104: What do we pray for in the fourth petition?
Answer: In the fourth petition, which is, Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of God's free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with thema.
Q 105: What do we pray for in the fifth petition?
Answer: In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, we pray that God, for Christ's sake, would freely pardon all our sins a; which we are the rather encouraged to ask, because by his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive othersb.
Q 106: What do we pray for in the sixth petition?
Answer: In the sixth petition, which is, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, we pray, that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin a, or support and deliver us when we are temptedb.
Q 107: What doth the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer teach us?
Answer: The conclusion of the Lord's Prayer, which is, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever, Amen. teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God onlya, and in our prayers to praise him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory to himb; and, in testimony of our desire, and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.c