An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism Part 5

CHILDREN.

Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honor thy father and thy mother; which is the first commandment with promise; that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.--Eph.

6:1-3.

MALE AND FEMALE SERVANTS AND LABORERS.

Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; not with eye-service, as men-pleasers; but as the servants of Christ doing the will of G.o.d from the heart; with good will doing service as to the Lord, and not to men; knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free.--Eph. 6:5-8

MASTERS AND MISTRESSES.

Ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening; knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with Him.--Eph. 6:9

YOUNG PERSONS IN GENERAL.

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for G.o.d resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of G.o.d, that He may exalt you in due time.--I Pet. 5:5, 6.

WIDOWS.

She that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in G.o.d, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day; but she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.--I Tim. 5:5, 6.

CHRISTIANS IN GENERAL.

Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. Herein are comprehended all the commandments.--Rom. 13:9, 10. And persevere in prayer for all men.--I Tim. 2:1, 2.

AN EXPLANATION

OF

LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM

INTRODUCTION.

CHAPTER I.

THE BIBLE.

THE BIBLE is the inspired and unerring record of what G.o.d has revealed to men concerning Himself and the Way of Salvation. [II Tim. 3:16+, Gal.

1:8] Hence, if we ask, "What must I do to be saved?" the answer to our question must be sought in the Bible. It tells us what to believe and what to do in order that we may belong to G.o.d's kingdom on earth and in heaven. [Matt. 6:33+, Acts 16:30+, John 5:39+] It is the only rule and standard of Christian faith and life.

WHY NEEDED. Even without the Bible, men know that there is a Higher Being. Their own conscience tells them that there is a G.o.d who will punish them if they do wrong; [Rom 2:14, 15] and the works of nature proclaim that there is an Almighty Being who created them. [Ps. 19:1+]

But the knowledge of G.o.d which men gain from their own conscience and from nature is insufficient. Neither nature nor conscience can tell us anything about the Way of Salvation which G.o.d has prepared for us in Jesus Christ. It is only from the Bible that we can learn how we shall be saved.

ITS INSPIRATION. The Bible is the Word of G.o.d. It was written by holy men whom G.o.d inspired. [II Pet. 1:21+] It contains knowledge which no man could have discovered by his own power. It foretells events which no uninspired man could have foreseen. It contains teachings so exalted and holy that they could not have originated in the heart of man. It possesses a power such as no merely human book ever did or could possess. [Heb. 4:12]

ITS OBJECT is to make us wise unto salvation. [II Tim. 3:15+, Prov 9:10+] It is to be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path [Ps.

119:105+] to guide us safely through this world to our heavenly home. It contains all that we need to know and all that we ever shall know in this world concerning G.o.d and His will. [Luke: 6:31] It is the final and absolute authority in all matters of religion. We should, therefore, pay most earnest heed to its teachings, believe them with all our heart, and apply them in our lives.

ITS CONTENTS. It consists of sixty-six "books," written between the years 1500 B.C. and 100 A.D., and contains the History and the Doctrines of the Kingdom of G.o.d.

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS. The Bible consists of two parts: The Old Testament and the New Testament, The Old Testament reaches from Creation to about 400 B.C., and shows how G.o.d prepared the world for Christ's kingdom. The New Testament reaches from the birth of Christ to the end of the world, and shows how Christ came and established His kingdom.

LAW AND GOSPEL. The Bible contains Law, [Micah 6:8+] telling us what we must do, and Gospel, [John 3:16+] telling us how we are to be saved. The Old Testament contains princ.i.p.ally Law, and the New Testament contains princ.i.p.ally Gospel. But there are Law and Gospel in both. The Gospel in the Old Testament is prophetical. The Old Testament prepared the way for the New; the New Testament is the fulfilment of the Old. With the New Testament, G.o.d's revelation to men was completed; [Heb. 1:1, 2+, Heb.

2:1-3] no further revelation will be given.

THE BOOKS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

_Historical._

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther.

_Poetical._

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.

_Prophetical._

Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

The _historical_ books of the Old Testament give an account of the creation of the world and of man, of the entrance of sin and death, of G.o.d's covenant with Israel to save them, and of the history of Israel as G.o.d's chosen people. The _poetical_ books give the teachings of the Old Testament covenant in prayers, proverbs and hymns. The _prophetical_ books contain many instructions, admonitions and prophecies (especially concerning Christ who should come to save men) which G.o.d sent to the Israelites through the prophets. The first four prophets are called the Major Prophets; and the last twelve, the Minor Prophets.

THE BOOKS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT.

_Historical._

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts.

_Didactical._

Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy, t.i.tus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, I Peter, II Peter, I John, II John, III John, Jude

_Prophetical._

Revelation.

The _historical_ books of the New Testament give an account of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ and of some of His apostles. The _didactical_ books (the epistles or letters) explain the Gospel of Christ more fully, and show how we are to believe in Him aright and live aright. The _prophetical_ book tells in figurative language what shall take place in the Church of Christ up to the time when there shall be new heavens and a new earth.

CANONICAL BOOKS. The sixty-six books enumerated above are inspired, and are called the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testaments. The so-called Apocryphal Books, printed in some editions of the Bible, are not a part of the Bible: they are not inspired.

OUR ENGLISH BIBLE. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew, and the New Testament in Greek. Our English Bible is a translation from the Hebrew and the Greek. The English Bible which is in ordinary use is called the Authorized Version, or King James' Version. It is a translation made by a body of learned men and published in England in 1611, during the reign of James I. The Revised Version is an improved translation made by a body of learned men in England and America and published in 1881-1885. The Bible in whole or in part has been translated into more than three hundred languages.