The Orthodox Baptist Catechism: Question 1

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Jonathco

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What an encouragement to read this today!

Question 1:
What is your only comfort in life and in death?

Answer:
That I am not my own, (a) but belong -- body and soul, in life and in death (b) to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. (c)
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,(d) and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.(e) He also watches over me in such a way (f) that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven(g) in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.(h)
Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life(i) and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.(j)

(a) 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
(b) Romans 14:7-9
(c) 1 Corinthians 3:23 Titus 2:14
(d) 1 Peter 1:18-19 1 John 1:7-9 1 John 2:2
(e) John 8:34-36 Hebrews 2:14-15 1 John 3:1-11
(f) John 6:39-40 John 10:27-30 2 Thessalonians 3:3 1 Peter 1:5
(g) Matthew 10:29 Luke 21:16-18
(h) Romans 8:28
(i) Romans 8:15-16 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 2 Corinthians 5:5 Ephesians 1:13-14
(j) Romans 8:1-17

*From the Orthodox Baptist Catechism, by Hercules Collins
 
I didn't know that actually. Thank you. I am more familiar with the Orthodox Baptist and the 1693 Baptist catechisms.

Hercules Collins took the HC (as Rom rightly points out) and makes it a Baptist catechism, by modifying questions in which Baptists would differ.
 
What an encouragement to read this today!

Question 1:
What is your only comfort in life and in death?

Answer:
That I am not my own, (a) but belong -- body and soul, in life and in death (b) to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. (c)
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,(d) and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.(e) He also watches over me in such a way (f) that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven(g) in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.(h)
Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life(i) and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.(j)

(a) 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
(b) Romans 14:7-9
(c) 1 Corinthians 3:23 Titus 2:14
(d) 1 Peter 1:18-19 1 John 1:7-9 1 John 2:2
(e) John 8:34-36 Hebrews 2:14-15 1 John 3:1-11
(f) John 6:39-40 John 10:27-30 2 Thessalonians 3:3 1 Peter 1:5
(g) Matthew 10:29 Luke 21:16-18
(h) Romans 8:28
(i) Romans 8:15-16 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 2 Corinthians 5:5 Ephesians 1:13-14
(j) Romans 8:1-17

*From the Orthodox Baptist Catechism, by Hercules Collins

Is this another case of our Baptist brother's borrowing our catechisms and adding more water?

Hopefully, my humor comes across in this post.
 
Is this another case of our Baptist brother's borrowing catechisms and adding more water? Hopefully, my humor comes across in this post.

Hey...water goes good with everything my friend. One can never have too much of it unless you're cooking oatmeal.

I'm thankful for the work Michael Haykin and Stephen Weaver Jr. did to make this catechism available once again though I kind of wish they would have left in the original sections on the laying on of hands after baptism and the appendix on hymn-singing.
 
Hercules Collins took the HC (as Rom rightly points out) and makes it a Baptist catechism, by modifying questions in which Baptists would differ.
Interesting to know! I am relatively new to the Reformed circle (several years in), but I know the 1689 London Baptist Confession is similar, in that it borrows heavily from the Westminster. Thanks for the background on this one.
 
What an encouragement to read this today!

Question 1:
What is your only comfort in life and in death?

Answer:
That I am not my own, (a) but belong -- body and soul, in life and in death (b) to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. (c)
He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood,(d) and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil.(e) He also watches over me in such a way (f) that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven(g) in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.(h)
Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life(i) and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.(j)

(a) 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
(b) Romans 14:7-9
(c) 1 Corinthians 3:23 Titus 2:14
(d) 1 Peter 1:18-19 1 John 1:7-9 1 John 2:2
(e) John 8:34-36 Hebrews 2:14-15 1 John 3:1-11
(f) John 6:39-40 John 10:27-30 2 Thessalonians 3:3 1 Peter 1:5
(g) Matthew 10:29 Luke 21:16-18
(h) Romans 8:28
(i) Romans 8:15-16 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 2 Corinthians 5:5 Ephesians 1:13-14
(j) Romans 8:1-17

*From the Orthodox Baptist Catechism, by Hercules Collins

Below is the original that Mr. Collins "borrowed" from.

QUESTION 1. What is thy only comfort in life and in death?

That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me, that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him.


Heidelberg Catechism. Heidelberg Catechism. Revised Edition. Cleveland, OH: Central Publishing House, 1907. Print.

The following excerpt is from the original author, Zacharias Ursinus commenting why this question is posed first.

EXPOSITION​

The question of comfort is placed, and treated first, because it embodies the design and substance of the catechism. The design is, that we may be led to the attainment of sure and solid comfort, both in life and death. On this account, all divine truth has been revealed by God, and is especially to be studied by us. The substance of this comfort consists in this that we are ingrafted into Christ by faith, that through him we are reconciled to, and beloved of God, that thus he may care for and save us eternally


Ursinus, Zacharias, and G. W. Williard. The Commentary of Dr. Zacharias Ursinus on the Heidelberg Catechism. Cincinnati, OH: Elm Street Printing Company, 1888. Print.
 
I shared this elsewhere on the site, but on the first Lord's Day this uncertainty was setting in and many churches in our area were closed, a young man (mid twenties) showed up with his mother at our service. He hasn't attended for close to 7 years and I assume he was concerned about the virus. I began the service by asking the congregation to recite questions 1 & 2 from the Heidelberg catechism. As we read together, the young man burst into tears as the Spirit of God gripped his soul! We're Baptist, but even a sprinkling or dab of Presbyterianism doesn't hurt from time to time!
 
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