Happy 460th Birthday To The Heidelberg Catechism!
This is the Heidelblog and we are all about the Heidelberg Catechism (1563). On this day, in 1563, the Catechism was published in German. If you are unfamiliar with the Catechism or catechisms...
View ArticleWhat is Your Only Comfort? (Part 1)
Americans know in their heart of hearts they are going to die, but they do not like to admit it. It is a mark of our post-Christianity that this culture is so obsessed with youth and beauty. Most folk...
View ArticleA Q&A with the Heidelberg Catechism
Zacharias Ursinus, the chief architect of the Heidelberg Catechism, in the introduction of his commentary on the aforementioned, asked, “What is the doctrine of the church?” The doctrine of the church...
View ArticleWhy Confessional Reformation Christianity Seems Antinomian To Some
To the nomist, any anti-nomist seems antinomian because guilt, grace, and gratitude (i.e., the Heidelberg Catechism) is not enough. ©R. Scott Clark. All Rights Reserved. Resources How To Subscribe To...
View ArticleA Primer on the Incarnation (Part Two)
The purpose of the incarnation was so the Son of God would participate in the same things (flesh and blood) as we who have fallen into sin through the wiles of the devil, in order, that becoming like...
View ArticleThe Catechism Was Meant To Be Heard More Than Read
This year on the Heidelcast the HRA has been releasing an audio version of one question and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism daily 6 days a week. The first reason that we are doing this is to get the...
View ArticleHeidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism 24—How Are These Articles Divided?
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has...
View ArticleNew Resource Page: On The Heidelberg Catechism
Just added to the HB: a resource page devoted to the Heidelberg Catechism. Continue reading →
View ArticleHeidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism 15—What Kind Of Redeemer And Mediator?
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has...
View ArticleWith The Guilt, Grace, Gratitude Podcast On The Heidelberg Catechism
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of my very favorite things to discuss and so it was a joy to talk with Nick Fullwiler and Peter Bell on the Guilt, Grace, Gratitude Podcast about the catechism. The...
View ArticleHeidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism 7: Whence Comes This Depraved Nature Of...
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has...
View ArticleHeidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 5
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has...
View ArticleHeidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 4
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has...
View ArticleHeidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 3
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has...
View ArticleHeidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 2
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has...
View ArticleHeidelminicast: Heidelberg Catechism Q & A 1
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most beloved and well used catechisms to emerge from the sixteenth and seventeenth century Reformation. Published in its final form in 1563, the catechism has...
View ArticleHappy Birthday To The Heidelberg Catechism (2022)
The Heidelberg Catechism appeared on this date in 1563. It went through three editions early on and it is the third edition that was authorized (in Latin) by the Synod of Dort. It is rightly beloved by...
View ArticleSophie And The Heidelberg Cat
I am not sure why it took me so long to get to Sophie and the Heidelberg Cat published in 2019. Perhaps it is because we do not have children in the house but Harrison Perkins, frequent contributor to...
View ArticleThe Heidelberg Catechism In Swahili
Two Kenyan pastors, both ministering in Three Forms of Unity churches, have just completed this new translation of the Heidelberg Catechism into Swahili. Our federation of churches has 10 congregations...
View ArticleHeidelcast 191: What Must A Christian Believe? (9): “And I Believe In Jesus...
This is episode 9 in the series, What Must A Christian Believe? In this episode we are considering the third article of the Apostles’ Creed: “And I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our...
View ArticleAudio: Two Episodes With Saints And Sinners Unplugged On The Heidelberg...
Saints and Sinners Unplugged is a podcast hosted by Ken Jones, whom you know from the White Horse Inn radio show, Aldo Leon, Jose Prado, and David Menendez. Each of these men is a pastor of a...
View ArticleUrsinus On The Two Kingdoms
IN WHAT DOES THE POWER OF THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN DIFFER FROM CIVIL POWER? The points of difference are many, and such as are apparent. 1. Ecclesiastical discipline is exercised by the...
View ArticleUrsinus On The Difference Between Church And State
“IN WHAT DOES THE CHURCH DIFFER FROM THE STATE? The chief differences between the church and the state are the following: 1. The state is a society which is bound by certain civil laws for the...
View ArticleAre Believers Prophets, Priests, And Kings And In What Ways?
31. Why is He called Christ, that is Anointed? Because He is ordained of God the Father and anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, who has fully revealed to us the secret...
View ArticleWhat Must You Know To Live And Die Blessedly?
2. How many things are necessary for you to know, that in this comfort you may live and die blessedly? Three things:1 the first, how great my sin and misery is;2 the second, how I am redeemed from all...
View ArticleChrist’s Death And Ours (Isa 52:13–53:12; Heidelberg 40–44)
40. Why was it necessary for Christ to suffer “death”? Continue reading →
View ArticleLiability, Inability, Inevitability, And, Incarnability
The following is a recent sermon (July 26, 2020), delivered in the Escondido United Reformed Church from Hebrews 10:1–18 and Lord’s Day 5 of the Heidelberg Catechism. The United Reformed Churches...
View ArticleThe Necessity Of Good Works: Ursinus’ Exposition Of Heidelberg 64
Although the Protestant movement gained political legitimacy with the Religious Peace of Augsburg in 1555, Luther’s reformation had not yet been won. Rome still sought to regain the Palatinate and, by...
View ArticleYour Only Comfort In Life And In Death
Introduction The Heidelberg Catechism is justly regarded as one of the finest summaries of the Christian faith ever written. First published in 1563, the catechism is used by more than a million...
View ArticleWith The New Geneva Podcast On Reformed Comfort: Salvation In The Heidelberg...
That there is a Reformed doctrine of salvation is clear from the confessions and catechisms of the confessional Presbyterian and Reformed churches. We are saved by grace alone (sola gratia), through...
View ArticleThe Heidelberg Catechism Confesses Salvation By Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone
It has become fashionable among some who identify as confessionally Reformed and among so-called Reformedish (i.e., Baptists who identify with aspects of Reformed theology) types to claim that the...
View ArticleOlevianus: The Gospel Is That Salvation Is Freely Given and Received Through...
8 Q. Just as there is only one way to salvation, the crucified Christ, there is also only one doctrine of salvation that freely and graciously offers us Christ and all His benefits for our possession....
View ArticleUrsinus On The Persons, Works, And Unity Of The Trinity
Question 24. How are these articles divided? Answer. Into three parts: the first is of God the Father, and our creation; the second of God the Son, and our redemption; the third of God the Holy Spirit,...
View ArticleThe Reformed Churches: We Distinguish But Do Not Separate The Two Natures Of...
Question 17. Why must he in one person be also very God? That he might, by the power of his Godhead, sustain, in his human nature, the burden of God’s wrath; and might obtain for and restore to us,...
View ArticleHappy Birthday To The Heidelberg Catechism (2016)
The catechism was published on this date (Julian calendar) in 1563. Here are some resources: Introduction to the Heidelberg Catechism Happy Birthday (2010) Happy Birthday (2011) Happy Birthday (2013)...
View ArticleWhy Do Christians Do Good Works?
86. Since then we are redeemed from our misery by grace through Christ, without any merit of ours, why should we do good works? Because Christ, having redeemed us by His blood, also renews us by His...
View ArticleHeidelberg 62: Works No Part Of Our Justification
Because the popular rhetoric in evangelical and even in confessional Protestant circles has frequently been that the medieval (or the Roman communion) taught justification by works and the Reformers...
View ArticleHeidelberg 38: Why Did Christ Suffer Under Pontius Pilate? (2)
Last time we looked at what is known from Scripture and from extra-biblical documents about the Roman governor who sentenced our Lord to death. The question remains, however, why our Lord permitted...
View ArticleHeidelberg 35: Of The Virgin Mary
Reformed Christians are understandably ambivalent about the Virgin Mary. On the one hand she was truly blessed. God graciously ordained that she should bear in her womb God the Son, that she would be...
View ArticleHeidelberg 33: God’s Eternally And Only Begotten Son And His Adopted Sons (2)
In part 1 we took a quick trip through the fundamentals of Christology: one person, two natures. Any doctrine of Christ that confuses the two natures (Eutychianism) or that makes them into two persons...
View ArticleHeidelberg 33: God’s Eternally And Only Begotten Son And His Adopted Sons (1)
One of the most basic doctrines of the New Testament is that Jesus is God the Son and the Son of God. In Matthew 4:3 we read when “the tempter came and said to him, ‘If you are the Son of God, . . ....
View ArticleHeidelberg 29: No Other Name (2): Do We Need Salvation?
In part 1 we looked at the problem created by Jesus’ declaration and the Apostolic teaching that the is the only way to the Father. In this part we need to consider another problem: salvation itself....
View ArticleProvidence (4): Not A Chance In The World
In part 3 we considered the “as it were” principle when thinking and talking about God and his providence. We talk about chance all the time. “Not a chance” or “He never gave me a chance” and in those...
View ArticleProvidence: God’s Active, Almighty, Present, Power (1)
From the moment Adam sought to grasp equality with God (Phil 2), from the moment he mysteriously rebelled against God’s sovereignty and hiddenness (“You shall be as God”), from the moment he ceased to...
View ArticleCreator, Sustainer, Father (2)
In the first part we looked at the doctrine of God embedded in Heidelberg Catechism Q/A 26. The catholic (universal) Christian doctrine of God summarized in the catechism is in antithesis to modernist...
View ArticleThe Reformed Confession Grows In Milan
Renewed interest in the Reformed confession is not a uniquely American phenomenon. There are, of course, large confessional Reformed/Presbyterian bodies in South Korea, Nigeria, The (Democratic...
View ArticleThe Christian Faith Is Trinitarian
When most people think of the Reformed confession of the Christian faith they probably think about predestination. This is the minimalist definition that is often used. When evangelicals say, “I’m...
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