AN OUTLINE OF THE FAITH
HUMAN NATURE
Q.What are we by nature?
A.We are part of God’s Creation, made in the image of God.
Q.What does it mean to be created in the image of God?
A.From the beginning, human beings have misused their freedom and made wrong choices.
Q.Why then do we live apart from God and out of harmony with creation?
A. From the beginning, human beings have misused their freedom and made wrong choices.
Q. Why do we not use our freedom as we should?
A.Because we rebel against God, and we put ourselves in the place of God.
Q.What help is there for us?
A.Our help is in God.
Q.How did God first help us?
A.God first helped us by revealing himself and his will, through nature and history, through many seers and saints, and especially through the prophets of Israel.
Gen 1:26-27; 5:1-2; 2:15-25-Ps. 139:13; Rev. 4:11 – Humans are created in the image of God.
Gen. 2:15-17 – God’s command vs. man’s choice
Rom. 2:15-17; Eph. 2:1-3; Heb. 2:14-15 – Result of man’s disobedience
Matt. 22:37; Josh. 24:15 – Human’s free choice to serve and serve God
1Cor. 6:19-20 – Human body is God’s temple
Rom. 5:19 – Obedience of Christ paid Adam’s disobedience
Ps. 33:20; 115:9; 121:1; Heb. 13:6 – Our help is in the name of the Lord
Gal. 4:4-7 – Sons and daughters of God
GOD THE FATHER
Q.What do we learn about God as creator from the revelation to Israel?
A.We learn that there is one God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen.
Q.What do this mean?
A.This means that the universe is good, that it is the work of a single loving God who creates, sustains, and directs it.
Q.What does this mean about our place in the universe?
A.It means that the world belongs to its creator; and that we are called to enjoy it and care for it in accordance with God’s purpose.
Q.What does this mean about human life?
A.It means that all people are worthy of respect and honor, because all are created in the image of God, and all can respond to the love of God.
Q.How was this revelation handed down to us?
A.This revelation was handed down to us through a community created by a covenant with God.
Isa. 66:1; Ps. 47:8 – God is in heaven and rules the earth
Ps. 139:13; Neh. 9:6; Rev. 10:6; 4:11; Heb. 11:3 – Creator of everything
1Tim. 4:4 – All creation is good
1Cor. 8:6; 145:3; Acts 17:24; Eph. 3:20 – Mighty wonderful God
Ps. 145:18; James 4:8 – God is a person whom you can know
John 4:24 – God is spirit
1Sam. 2:2; Lev. 11:44-45; Rev. 4:8; Isa. 5:16; 6:3 – God is Holy
Rev’t. 6:4; Eph. 4:15 – One God and father
Rev’t. 32:6; Hos. 11:1; Jer. 3:19 – God is Israel’s father
Ps. 22:9 – God is like a midwife
Isa. 49:15 – God is a suckling mother
Isa. 66:13 – God is a comforting mother
THE OLD COVENANT
Q.What is meant by a covenant with God?
A.A covenant is a relationship initiated by God, to which a body of people responds in faith.
Q.What is the Old Covenant?
A.The Old Covenant is the one given by God to the Hebrew people.
Q.What did God promise them?
A.God promised that they would be his people to bring all the nations of the world to him.
Q.What response did God require from the chosen people?
A.God required the chosen people to be faithful; to love justice, to do mercy, and to walk humbly with their God.
Q.Where in the Old Testament is God’s will for us shown more clearly?
A.God’s will for us is shown most clearly in the Ten Commandments.
Gen. 9:9; 12:1-3, 15-17 – Covenant forged
Matt. 23:23 – Basis of covenant law
Exod. 19:5 – Promise of the covenant
Gen. 22: 15-18 – God’s promise to Abraham (Heb. 6:13-14)
1Chron. 16:15 – God remembers his covenant forever
Deut. 26:5-9 – Jewish creed
Deut. 15: 5-6 – God’s covenant for blessings
Acts 13:32 – Jesus was God’s promise
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
Q.What are the Ten Commandments?”
A.The Ten Commandments are the laws given to Moses and the people of Israel.
Q.What do we learn from these commandments?
A.We learn two things: our duty to God and our duty to our neighbors.
Q.What is our duty to God?
A.Our duty is to believe and trust God:
- To love and obey God and to bring others to know him;
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To put nothing in the place of God
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To show God respect in thought, word and, deed;
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And to set aside regular times for worship, prayer, and the study of God’s ways.
Q.What is our duty to our neighbors?
A.Our duty to our neighbors is to love them as ourselves, and to do to other people as we wish them to do us:
- To love, honor and help our parents and family; to honor those in authority, and to meet their just demands;
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To show respect for the life God has given us; to work and pray for peace; to bear no malice, prejudice, or hatred in our hearts, and to be kind to all creatures of God
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To use all our bodily desires as God intended;
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To be honest and fair in our dealings; to seek justice, freedom, and the necessities of life for all people; and to use our talents and possessions as ones who must answer for them to God;
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To speak the truth, and not to mislead others by our silence;
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To resist temptations to envy, greed, and jealousy; to rejoice in other people gifts and graces; and to do our duty for the love of God, who has called us into fellowship with him.
Q.What is the purpose of the Ten Commandments?
A.The Ten Commandments were given to define our relationship with God and our neighbors.
Q.Since we do not fully obey them, are they useful at all?
A.Since we do not fully obey them, we see more clearly our sin and our need for redemption.
Exod. 20:1-17; 34:28
Deut. 5:6-21; 4:13
SIN AND REDEMPTION
Q.What is sin?
A.Sin is seeking of our own will instead of the will of God, thus distorting our relationship with God, with other people, and with all creation.
Q.How does sin have power over us?
A.Sin has power over us because we lose our liberty when our relationship with God is distorted?
Q.What is redemption?
A.Redemption is the act of God which sets us free from the power of evil, sin and death.
Q.How did God prepare us for redemption?
A.God sent the prophets to call us back to him, to show us our need for redemption, and to announce the coming of the Messiah.
Q.What is meant by the Messiah?
A.The Messiah is one sent by God to free us from the power of sin, so that with the help of God we may live in harmony with God, within ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation.
Q.Who do we believe is the Messiah?
A.The Messiah, or Christ, is Jesus of Nazareth, the only Son of God.
John 8:44 – The devil is the author of sin
Rom. 3:10; 23: 1Joihn 1:8 – All have sin
1John 3:4; 5:17 – Lawlessness and wrongdoings are sins
James 4:17 – Sin of omission
John 3:16 – God’s love
Isa. 53:5; 6; Mk. 15:16-39; Acts 4:12; Rom. 5:8; 2Kn. 5:21; Heb. 10:1; 1Pet. 2:24 – Jesus is redeemer
Matt. 26:26-28 – Forgiveness is in Christ’s blood
Rom. 5:6-10 – Friendship is with Jesus
1John 1:9; 2:1-2 – Jesus is the mediator
Luke 13:3; 5 – Death if no repentance
John 14:6 – Jesus is the way and redemption
John 4:25, 42 – Jesus is the Messiah and Savior
1Tim. 2:5-6 – Jesus is the redeemer and mediator
GOD THE SON
Q.What do we mean when we say that Jesus is the only Son of God?
A.We mean that Jesus is the only perfect image of the Father, and shows us the nature of God.
Q.What is the nature of God?
A.God is love.
Q.What do we mean when we say that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and became incarnate from the Virgin Mary?
A.We mean that by God’s own act, his divine Son received our human nature form the Virgin Mary, his mother.
Q.Why did he take our human nature?
A.The divine Son became human, so that in him, human beings might be adopted as children of God, and be made heirs of God’s kingdom.
Q.What is the great importance of Jesus’ suffering and death?
A.By his obedience, even to suffering and death, Jesus made the offering which we could not make: in him we are freed from the power of sin and reconciled to God.
Q.What is the significance of Jesus’ resurrection?
A.By his resurrection, Jesus overcame death and opened for us the way of eternal life.
Q.What do we mean when we say that he descended to the dead?
A.We mean that he went to the departed and offered them also the benefits of redemption.
Q.What do we mean when we say that he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father?
A.We mean that Jesus took our human nature into heaven where he now reigns with the Father and intercedes for us.
Q.How can we share in his victory over sin, suffering, and death?
A.We share in his victory when are baptized into the New Covenant and became living members of Christ.
1Cn. 8:6 – One Lord Jesus
Luke 1:26-35 – Story of Jesus birth
John 1:1, 14, 18 – God incarnate
Matt. 20:28; Rm. 5:8 – Jesus Redeemer
1 Cor. 11:7; Col. 1:15 – Image of the invisible God
Heb. 10:19-22 – Great priest
1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 9:15 – Jesus is mediator and redeemer
Isa. 53: 5-6; 1 Pet. 2:24; Matt. 8:17 – Jesus is savior and healer
1 John 3:8; 5:11-12 – Jesus is eternal life
John 14: 1-3 – Jesus is our hope
1 John 4:9-10 – Jesus is God’s love
Mark 15:16-39 – Salvation story climax
Rom. 6:4; 5:8; 6:14 – Death in Christ, Alive in Christ
2 Cor. 5:21 – Jesus made sin for sinners
Gal. 3:13 – Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law
John 3:16; 1:34; Matt. 3: 17; 27:54 – one begotten son of God
John 10:30; 17:11 – Jesus is one with God
Matt. 12:38-40; 1 Pet. 3:18-19 – Jesus descended to the abode of the dead
1 Cor. 15:14; 15:3-20 – Doctrine of the Resurrection
Resurrection Passages:
- John 11:24-25
- 27:52-3, 28:1-9
- Luke 14:14; 24:44-47
- Acts 1:3
- 1:2-4, 6:4-5
- 15:20
Ascension:
- John 20:17
- Luke 24:49-51
- 1:1-3; 9:24; 10:12-13; 12:2
THE NEW COVENANT
Q.What is the New Covenant?
A.The New Covenant is the new relationship with God given by Jesus Christ, the Messiah, to the apostles; and, through them, to all who believe in him.
Q.What did the Messiah promise in the New Covenant?
A.Christ promised to bring us into the kingdom of God and give us life in all its fullness.
Q.What response did Jesus require?
A.Christ commanded us to believe in him and keep his commandments.
Q.What are the commandments taught by Christ?
A.Christ taught us the Summary of the Law and gave us the New Commandments.
Q. What is the Summary of the Law?
A.You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandments. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Q. What is the New Commandment?
A.The New Commandment is that we love one another as Christ loved us.
Q.Where may we find what Christians believe about Christ?
A.What Christians believe about Christ is found in the Scriptures and summed up in the creeds.
Mk. 16:16 – Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.
Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13 – Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Rom. 5:1 – Peace with God thru Jesus Christ
John 15:4, 7 – Abide in the Lord
John 15: 12, 17 – New Commandment
John 10:10 – Abundant Life
John 6:39-40 – Believe and rise to life
John 3:16 – God’s promise of salvation
Matt. 28: 19-20 – Great Commission
Mark 16:15-16 – Commitment
Luke 10: 25-27 – Obey and live
THE CREEDS
Q.What are the creeds?
A.The creeds are the statements about our basic beliefs about God.
Q.How many creeds does this Church use in its worship?
A.This Church uses two creeds: The Apostle’s Creed and the Nicene Creed.
Q.What is the Apostle’s Creed?
A.The Apostle’s Creed is the ancient creed of baptism; it is used in the Church’s daily worship to recall our Baptismal Covenant.
Q.What is the Nicene Creed?
A.The Nicene Creed is the creed of the universal Church and is used at the Eucharist.
Q.What, then, is the Athanasian Creed?
A.The Athanasian Creed is an ancient document proclaiming the nature of the Incarnation and of God as Trinity.
Q.What is the Trinity?
A.The Trinity is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
Q.Who is the Holy Spirit?
A.The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, God at the work in the world and in the Church even now.
Q.How is the Holy Spirit revealed in the Old Covenant?
A.The Holy Spirit is revealed in the Old Covenant as the giver of life, the one who spoke through the prophets.
Q.How is the Holy Spirit revealed in the New Covenant?
A.The Holy Spirit is revealed as the Lord who leads us into all truth and enables us to grow in the likeness of Christ.
Q.How do we recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives?
A.We recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit when we confess Jesus Christ as Lord and are brought into love and harmony with God, with ourselves, with our neighbors, and with all creation.
Q.How do we recognize the truths taught by the Holy Spirit?
A.We recognize truths to be taught by the Holy Spirit when they are in accord with the Scriptures.
John 16:17 – Paraclete
John 15:26 – Proceeding from father and the son
Luke 1:35 – Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit
Matt. 5:16; Mk. 1:10; Act 10:38 – confirmed Jesus as Messiah
Matt. 12:18; Luke 4:14; John 1; 32 – Present during Christ’s ministry
1 Cor. 15:45 – Raised Jesus from the dead
Gen 1:2 – Present in creation
Acts 2:1-21; 1 Cor. 12:4-13 – Gift of the final times
1 Cor. 12:3 – Kindles faith
Rom. 8:15-16 – Inspires prayer
Rom. 8:26 – Helps in our weakness
1 Cor. 3:17 – Jesus is the Holy Spirit
Eph. 4:30 – The Holy Spirit is grieved
Acts 1:8; 4:8 – the Holy Spirit empowers us for mission and ministry
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
Q.What are the Holy Scriptures?
A.The Holy Scriptures, commonly called the Bible, are the Books of the Old and New Testament; other books, called the Apocrypha, are often included in the Bible.
Q.What is the Old Testament?
A.the Old Testament consists of books written by the people of the Old Covenant, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to show God at work in nature and history.
Q.What is the New Testament?
A.The New Testament consists of books written by the people of the New Covenant, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to set forth the life and teachings of Jesus and to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom for all people.
Q.What is the Apocrypha?
A.The Apocrypha is a collection of additional books written by people of the Old Covenant, and used in the Christian Church.
Q.Why do well the Holy Scriptures the Word of God?
A.We call them the Word of God because God inspired their human authors and because God still speaks to us through the Bible.
Q.How do we understand the meaning of the Bible?
A.We understand the meaning of the Bible by the help of the Holy Spirit, who guides the church in the true interpretation of the Scriptures.
2 Tim. 3:16 – God breathed
2 Pet. 1:3-4 – Knowledge of Scriptures is power
Heb. 11:3 – Scriptures provide understanding creation
Luke 8:11-15 – Scripture is seed
Matt. 4:4 – Scripture is food
Acts 17: 11 – Validate teachings
Matt. 4:1-10 – Used to ward off temptations
2 Cor. 2:17 – Not for sale
2 Cor. 4:2 – Not to be distorted
Luke 6:48 – To be put into practice
Rom. 1:16; 16:25-26 – Gospel of salvation and power of God
Heb. 2:1-4 – Authoritative
Heb. 4:12 – Powerful and Searching
Heb. 1:1-2; 2 Pet. 1: 20-21 – Specific revelation to man
Josh. 1:8; Prov. 4:20-22 – way to life and prosperity
Exod. 20: 1-17; Matt. 5:1-12 – Scriptures provide basic principles for right living
THE CHURCH
Q.What is the Church?
A.The Church is the community of the New Covenant.
Q.How is the Church described in the Bible?
A.The Church is described as the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members. It is called the People of God, the New Israel, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and their pillar and ground of truth.
Q.How is the Church described in the creeds?
A.The Church is described as one, holy catholic, and apostolic.
Q.Why is the Church described as holy?
A.The Church is holy because the Holy Spirit dwells in it, consecrated its members, and guides them to do God’s work.
Q.Why is the Church described as catholic?
A.The Church is catholic because it proclaims the whole Faith to all people, to the end of time.
Q.Why is the Church described as apostolic?
A.The Church is apostolic, because it continues in the teaching and fellowship of the apostle and is sent to carry out Christ’s mission to all people.
Q.What is the mission of the Church?
A.The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
Q.How does the church pursue its mission?
A.The Church pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace and love.
Q.Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?
A.The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.
Matt. 16:18 – Built upon “The Rock”
Matt. 18:17 – Church is the local congregation
1 Cor. 12:13 – Baptism into the Church
Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:18, 24 – Christ the Lord, the Church is the body
Eph. 1:22-23; 4:25; 5:30 – Part of the one body
Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12-31 – One body, different parts and functions
Eph. 2:20 – Christ is the cornerstone
1 Pet. 2:9 – Chosen race, royal priesthood
Acts 2:1-13; 2 Cor. 5:18-19 – Church’s mission
1 John 1:3; Col. 1:24; 2 Tim. 2:11-13 – Church, Communion of Saints
1 Cor. 14:4, 12, 26; 15:9 – Church are the believers
THE MINISTRY
Q.Who are the minister of the Church?
A.The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests and deacons.
Q.What is the ministry of the laity?
A.The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church; to bear witness to him wherever they may be; and according to the gifts given to them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship and governance of the Church.
Q.What is the ministry of the bishop?
A.the ministry of a bishop is to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as apostle, chief priests, and pastor of a diocese; to guard the faith, unity and discipline of the whole Church; to proclaim the Work of God; to act in Christ’s name for the reconciliation of the world and the building up of the Church; and to ordain others to continue Christ’s ministry.
Q.What is the ministry of a priest or presbyter?
A.The ministry of a priest is to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as pastor to the people; to share with the bishop in the overseeing of the Church; to proclaim the Gospel; to administer the sacraments; and to bless and declare pardon in the name of God.
Q.What is the ministry of a deacon?
A.The ministry of a deacon is to represent Christ and his Church, particularly as a servant to those in need; and to assist bishops and priests in the proclamation of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments.
Q.What is the duty of all Christians?
A.Acts 1:8 – Church is witness to the world.
Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:15 – The eleven are to go in the world to preach, teach and baptize
Matt. 4:19 – Fishers of people
Matt. 14:28 – Preach the good news until the end time
Luke 14:23 – Bring people to the banquet
Luke 24:46-48 – Preach repentance and forgiveness
Luke 4:18-19 – Preach, heal and liberate
John 14:12 – Perform miracles
John 15:12-14 – To love
2 Tim. 4:1-2; 1 Cor. 9:16 – Preach the Gospel
Eph. 4:11-13 – Gifts of ministry
Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 5:17 – Bishop/Presbyter manage the Church
1 Pet. 5:2-5 – Shepherds who serve
1 Cor. 1:23 – Preach Christ crucified
1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-9; 1 Pet. 5:1-5 – Qualifications/Duties of Bishop, Presbyters and Deacons
1 Tim. 3:2; 5:17 – Bishop/Presbyter duty to preach and teach
1 Tim. 3:5; 5:17 – Bishop/Presbyter direct affairs of the Church
Acts 20:28-31 – Bishop/Presbyter to shepherd the flock and to guard the Church from error
PRAYER AND WORSHIP
Q.What is prayer?
A.Prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words.
Q.What is Christian Prayer?
A.Christian prayer is response to God the Father, through Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Q.What prayer did Christ teach us?
A.Our Lord gave us the example of prayer known as the Lord’s Prayer.
Q.What are principal kinds of prayer?
A.The principal kinds of prayer are adoration, praise, thanksgiving, penitence, oblation, intercession, and petition.
Q.What is adoration?
A.Adoration is the lifting up of the heart and mind to God, asking nothing but to enjoy God’s presence.
Q.Why do we praise God?
A.We praise God, not to obtain anything, but because God’s Being draws praise from us.
Q.For what do we offer thanksgiving?
A.Thanksgiving is offered to God for all the blessings of his life, for our redemption, and for whatever draws us closer to God.
Q.What is penitence?
A.In penitence, we confess our sins and make restitution where possible with the intention to amend our lives.
Q.What is prayer of oblation?
A.Oblation is an offering of ourselves, our lives and labors, in union with Christ, for the purpose of God.
Q.What are intercession and petition?
A.Intercession brings before God the need of others; in petition, we present our own needs, that God’s will may be done.
Q.What is corporate worship?
A.In corporate worship, we unite ourselves with others to acknowledge the holiness of God, to hear God’s Word, to offer prayer, and to celebrate the sacraments.
Matt. 6:9-13 – Lord’s Prayer
Rev. 32:3 – Praise God’s greatness
Ps. 30:4 – Praise his holy name
Ps. 47:1 – Clap and shout with joy to God
Ps. 68: 26 – Praise god in the Church
Ps. 92:1 – Make music and use instruments
Ps. 122:6 – Pray for peace
Matt. 5:44; Luke 6:28 – Pray for those who persecute you
Matt. 6:5 – Attitude in Prayer
Luke 22:40 – Pray against temptation
Eph. 6:18 – Pray for the Spirit
James 5:13 – Pray for the sick
Acts 13:3 – Fast and pray
Mark 1:35 – Private prayer
Prov. 15:8 – Prayer of the righteous is effective
Mark 11:24 – Promise to grant prayer
Luke 18:1 – Pray always
1 Tim. 2:8 – Lifting hands in prayer
James 5:16 – Confess sins to one another and to God
1 Chron. 16-29 – Worship in the splendor of holiness
Ps. 100:2 – Worship with gladness
John 4:24 – Worship in the Spirit
Rom. 12:1 – Offer body and soul
Ps. 4:5 – Offer the right sacrifices
Ps. 66:2 – Offer glory and praise
Heb. 13:15 – Offer sacrifices of praise
THE SACRAMENTS
Q.What are the Sacraments?
A.The sacraments are outward and visible signs of inward and spiritual grace, given by Christ as sure and certain means by which we receive that grace.
Q.What is grace?
A.Grace is God’s favor towards us, unearned and undeserved; by grace God forgives our sins, enlightens our minds, stirs our hearts, and strengthens our wills.
Q.What are the two great sacraments of the Gospel?
A.The two great sacraments given by Christ to his Church are Holy Baptism and Holy Eucharist.
HOLY BAPTISM
Q.What is Holy Baptism?
A.Holy Baptism is the sacrament by which God adopts us as his children and makes us members of Christ’s body, the Church, and inheritors of the Kingdom of God.
Q.What is the outward and visible sign in Baptism?
A.The outward and visible sign in Baptism is water, in which the person is baptized in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Q.What is the inward and spiritual grace in Baptism?
A.The inward and spiritual grace in baptism is union with Christ on his death and resurrection, birth into God’s family the Church, forgiveness of sins, and new life in the Holy Spirit.
Q.What is required of us in Baptism?
A.It is required that we denounce Satan, repent for our sins, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.
Q.Why then are infants baptized?
A.Infants are baptized so that they can share citizenship in the Covenant, membership in Christ, and redemption by God.
Q.How are the promises for infants made and carried out?
A.Promises are made for them by their parents and sponsors, who guarantee that the infants will be brought up within the Church, to know Christ and be able to follow him.
Matt. 28:19 – Trinitarian Baptism
Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 15:17; Eph. 2:5 – Being buried in Christ
Rom. 6:2-4 – Dying and rising with Christ
Gal. 3:27 – Putting on Christ
Gal. 3:26; Rom. 8:14; 9:26 – Adoption as God’s children
Acts 2:38-41 – Forgiveness of sins
Col. 2:11; Phil. 3:3 – Baptism corresponds to circumcision
Eph. 4:5 – Baptism is sharing of the garment
1 Pet. 5:8-11 – Rite of renunciation and profession
Acts 19:5-6 – Baptism and laying on hands
Acts 9:18; 16:15, 33; 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:16 – Families are baptized
THE HOLY EUCHARIST
Q.What is the Holy Eucharist?
A.the Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament commanded by Christ for the continual remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection, until his coming again.
Q.Why is the Eucharist called a sacrifice?
A.Because the Eucharist, the Church’s sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, is the way by which the sacrifice of Christ is made present, and in which he unites us to his one offering of himself.
Q.By what other names is the service known?
A.The Holy Eucharist is called the Lord’s Supper, and Holy Communion; it is also known as the Divine Liturgy, the Mass, and the Great Offering.
Q.What is the inward and spiritual grace given in the Eucharist?
A.The inward and spiritual grace in the Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of Christ given to his people, and received by faith.
Q.What are the benefits which we receive in the Lord’s Supper?
A.The benefits we receive are the forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our union with Christ and one another, and the foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life.
Q.What is required of us when we come to the Eucharist?
A.It is required that we should examine our lives, repent of our sins, and be in love and charity with all people.
1 Cor. 11:23-32 – Institution of the Holy Eucharist
1 Cor. 10:16, 18-20 – Eucharist is sacred
1 Cor. 10:17 – One body- One loaf
Matt. 26:17-30; Mk. 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-30 – The Last Supper is to be remembered
Acts 2:42: Early Church continued to break bread
Acts 20:4; 1 Cor. 16:2 – Early church broke bread on the first day of the week
OTHER SACRAMENTAL RITES
Q.What other sacramental rites evolved in the Church under the guidance of Holy Spirit?
A.Other sacramental rites which evolved in the Church include confirmation, ordination, holy matrimony, reconciliation of a penitent, and unction.
Q.How do we differ from the two sacraments of the Gospel?
A.Although they are means of grace, they are not necessary for all persons in the same way that Baptism and the Eucharist are.
Q.What is Confirmation?
A.Confirmation is the rite in which we express a mature commitment to Christ, and receive strength from the Holy Spirit through prayer and the laying on of hands by a bishop.
Q.What is required of those to be confirmed?
A.It is required of those to be confirmed that they have been baptized, are sufficiently instructed in the Christian Faith, are penitent for their sins, and are ready to affirm their confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Q.What is Ordination?
A.Ordination is the rite in which God gives authority and the grace of the Holy Spirit to those being made bishops, priests, and deacons, through prayer and by laying on of hands by bishops.
Q.What is Holy Matrimony?
A.Holy Matrimony is Christian marriage, in which the woman and man enter into a life-long union, make their vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace vows before God and the Church, and receive the grace and blessings of God to help them fulfill their vows.
Q.What is Reconciliation of a Penitent?
A.Reconciliation of a Penitent, or Penance, is the tire in which those who repent of their sins may confess them to God in the presence of a priest, and receive the assurance of pardon and the grace of absolution.
Q.What is the Unction of the Sick?
A.Unction is the rite of anointing the sick with oil, or the laying on of hands, by which God’s grace is given for the healing of spirit, mind and body.
Q.Is God’s activity limited to these rites?
A.God does not limit himself to these rites; they are patterns of countless ways by which God uses material things to reach out to us.
Q.How are the sacraments related to our Christian hope?
A.Sacraments sustain our present hope and anticipate its future fulfillment.
2 Tim. 1:6; 4:14 – Ordination of Timothy
Acts 6:6 – Ordination of the seven Deacons
Acts 8:18; 19:6; 8:14-17 – Laying on of hands
Gen. 2:18 – Not good for man to be alone
Matt. 19:5-6 – man and woman become one
Matt. 19:9 – Permissive will for divorce in the Old Covenant
1 Cor. 7: 1-40: Teachings on marriage
Matt. 3:6; Acts 2:38-39 – Confession and baptism
Rom. 6:1-11 – Dead to sin and alive in Christ
James 5:16 – Confess to one another
1 John 1-9 – Confess and God will forgive
Ps. 32:5 – Acknowledge and confess
Prov. 28:13 – Hiding sin and reminiscing sin
Luke 13:3 – Repent or perish
James 5:14-15 – Unction of the sick
Acts 28:8 – Paul heals and laying on of hands
Exod. 15:26 – The Lord is the healer
1 Pet. 2:24 – by his wounds we were healed
(Confirmation)
Acts 8:17-18 – Peter lays hand on converts
Eph. 3:16 – Prayer for strength in the inner man
1 Tim 2:1 – Strengthen in the grace of Jesus
Rom. 15:18-19 – Need to witness with signs and wonder
THE CHRISTIAN HOPE
Q.What is the Christian hope?
A.The Christian hope is to live with confidence in newness and fullness of life, and to await the coming of Christ in glory, and the completion of God’s purpose for the world.
Q.What do we mean by the coming of Christ in glory?
A.By the coming of Christ in glory, we mean that Christ will come, not in weakness but in power, and will make all things new.
Q.What do we mean by heaven and hell?
A.By heaven, we mean eternal life in our enjoyment with God; by hell, we mean eternal death in our rejection of God.
Q.Why do we pray for the dead?
A.We pray for them because we still hold them in our love, and because we trust that in God’s presence those who have chosen to serve him will grow in his love, until they see him as he is.
Q.What do we mean by the last judgement?
A.We believe that Christ will come in glory and judge the living and the dead.
Q.What do we mean by the resurrection of the body?
A.We mean that God will raise us from the dead in the fullness of our being that we may live with Christ in the communion of the saints.
Q.What is the communion of saints?
A.The communion of saints is the whole family of God, the living and the dead, those whom we love and those whom we hut, bound together in Christ by sacrament, prayer, and praise.
Q.What do we mean by everlasting life?
A.By everlasting life, we mean a new existence, in which we are united with all the people of God, in the joy of fully knowing and loving God and each other.
Q.What, then, is our assurance as Christian?
A.Our assurance as Christians is that nothing, not even deaths hall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
1 Cor. 15:12-42; 53-54 – Resurrection of the dead is linked to Jesus’ resurrection
1 Thess. 4:13 – Comfort for loss in death
John 5:24 – Alive at the voice of Jesus
1 Cor. 13:12 – Eternal life is face to face with God
Phil. 1:23 – Eternal life is a personal existence
Luke 13:29; Mk. 14:25; Rev. 22:3; 7:12 – Fellowship
Matt. 5:3, 12; Luke 12:32 – God’s promise is his kingdom
Luke 17:21; 4:16-21; Rom. 6:3; 14:17 – Eternal life is also now
Ps. 7:15 – Awake in God’s likeness
Dan. 12:1-2; John 5:28-29 – End times
Rom. 6:4 – By baptism we die and rise with Christ
Matt. 25:23; Rom. 8:17, 31; 2 Cor. 5:1; 2 Tim. 4:8; Rev. 1:8; 21:7; 22:5 – God’s promise and reassurance
Matt. 25; Rom. 14:12 – Last judgement
1 John 5:12-13 – Believe in Jesus and you have eternal life
Isa. 65:17; Rev. 21:1 – New heaven and New earth