An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism Part 18

Article III. treats of G.o.d the Holy Ghost and His work of _Sanctification_.

THE TRINITY. There is only one G.o.d, [Deut. 6:4] but there are three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Hence, we say that G.o.d is the Holy Trinity, or the Three in One. We cannot understand or explain how G.o.d can be three Persons and yet only one G.o.d. But we must not expect with our finite mind to comprehend the infinite G.o.d. We must accept the truth concerning G.o.d as He himself has revealed it to us in His Word. He plainly tells us that He is One; for He says, "_I_ am the Lord thy G.o.d; thou shalt have no other G.o.ds before _Me_." [Exod. 20:2-3] Yet He also plainly tells us that there are three Persons. They are expressly mentioned in Christ's command to His disciples, "Go ye, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." [Matt. 28:19] And they were all revealed at the baptism of Jesus, when the Father spoke from heaven and said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased," and the Holy Ghost descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. [Matt. 3:16-17] Each Person of the Holy Trinity has a share in the work of our salvation. The Father sent His Son to save us; [John 3:16] the Son became man and died for us; [Rom. 5:8] and the Holy Spirit applies redemption to our souls [I Cor. 12:3] through the Word of G.o.d and the Sacraments.

QUESTIONS.--1. Define the word Creed. 2. Why is the Apostles' Creed so called? 3. How did it originate? 4. What two kinds of creeds are there?

5. Name the oec.u.menical creeds. 6. Name the particular creeds or confessions of the Lutheran Church? 7. What does the Apostles' Creed contain? 8. Of what do the three articles of the Apostles' Creed treat?

9. What is meant by the Holy Trinity? 10. How do we know that G.o.d is only one G.o.d? 11. How do we know there are three Persons? 12. How do the three Persons of the Trinity share in the work of our salvation?

CHAPTER XVI.

THE FIRST ARTICLE.

OF G.o.d THE FATHER, OR CREATION.

I believe in G.o.d the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

_What is meant by this Article?_

I believe that G.o.d has created me and all that exists; that He has given and still preserves to me my body and soul, with all my limbs and senses, my reason and all the faculties of my mind, together with my raiment, food, home and family, and all my property: that He daily provides me abundantly with all the necessaries of life, protects me from all danger, and preserves me and guards me against all evil; all which He does out of pure, paternal and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I am in duty bound to thank, praise, serve and obey Him. This is most certainly true.

I BELIEVE IN, that is, I trust in, I rely upon.

G.o.d THE FATHER, He is the Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, [Matt. 11:25]

and the first Person of the Holy Trinity. Through Christ He is also my Father. [John 20:17, Eph. 1:3+]

ALMIGHTY, He is able to do all things, and to help me in every time of need.

MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. [Ps. 102:25] He has made all things,--the universe and all that it contains. The world did not come into being of itself or by chance, nor did it exist from eternity. G.o.d made it out of nothing. In the beginning He created the heaven and the earth. [Gen.

1:1+, Ps 33:6, 9] They were at first a formless ma.s.s; [Gen. 1:2] but in six days G.o.d fashioned the formless ma.s.s into the world as it now exists. On these six days He created, 1. Light, 2. The Firmament, 3.

Land and Sea, 4. Sun, moon and stars, 5. Fishes and birds, 6. Beasts and man. [Gen 1:3-31]

G.o.d's Chief Creatures are the angels in heaven and men on earth. All His creatures, as they came from His hands, were very good. [Gen. 3:31] But some of the angels sinned, and became bad angels or devils. [II Pet.

2:4] And man also, though created in the image of G.o.d, fell into sin, and lost his original righteousness and holiness. [Gen. 3, Gen. 8:21, Eph. 4:24]

Luther's explanation of this Article in the catechism tells us:

I. What G.o.d has done and still does for me,

II. Why G.o.d does all this for me,

III. What I owe to G.o.d in return.

I. WHAT G.o.d HAS DONE AND STILL DOES FOR ME.

I BELIEVE THAT G.o.d HAS

1. CREATED ME [Job. 33:4+] AND ALL THAT EXISTS; [Neh. 9:6, Col. 1:16+]

THAT HE HAS GIVEN TO ME

MY BODY,--WITH ALL MY LIMBS AND SENSES. Though my body, like that of the beasts, is made of the dust of the ground, [Gen. 2:7+] it is vastly superior to their bodies, and is a marvelous piece of divine workmanship, [Ps. 139:14] exquisitely adapted to be the earthly tabernacle of the soul which inhabits it.

MY SOUL, [Gen. 2:7+]--MY REASON AND ALL THE FACULTIES OF MY MIND, by which I am placed so far above the brute creation. G.o.d made the human soul to be a likeness of Himself; [Gen. 1:27, Gen. 9:6] that is, He gave to man in a limited measure those powers and faculties which He Himself possesses in unlimited and infinite measure. And while the human mind has become dimmed by the fall, its powers and faculties are still most wonderful.

2. PRESERVES ME. [Neh. 9:6] All that has helped to support my life has been G.o.d's gift; namely, MY RAIMENT, FOOD, HOME AND FAMILY, AND ALL MY PROPERTY. I continue to live because He sustains me. [Jas. 1:17+, Acts 17:28+]

HE DAILY PROVIDES ME ABUNDANTLY WITH ALL THE NECESSARIES OF LIFE. [Ps.

115:15-16+] His care for me is a constant, daily care. His mercies are new every morning. [Matt. 6:31-32+, Lam. 3:22-23+]

HE PROTECTS ME FROM ALL DANGER, SEEN AND UNSEEN. [Ps. 34:7, Matt. 10:30]

I am beset with perils on every hand. If G.o.d withdrew His protecting hand, I should perish immediately.

HE PRESERVES ME AND GUARDS ME AGAINST ALL EVIL. [Ps 121:5, 8+] No real evil can come upon G.o.d's children. What seems an evil is meant for a good purpose, and is a blessing in disguise. [Rom. 8:28+, Isa. 55:8-9, Jer. 29:11, Ps. 23:4+]

II. WHY G.o.d DOES ALL THIS FOR ME.

He does it purely

1. OUT OF PATERNAL AND DIVINE GOODNESS AND MERCY. [Ps. 103:13+] It is

PATERNAL or fatherly [Ps 103:13+] goodness and mercy, because He is my Father through Jesus Christ, and loves me as His child. It is

DIVINE goodness and mercy, because G.o.d is love, [I John 4:16+] and only His unspeakable love could move Him to bestow His great benefits upon sinful men, even upon the wicked and unthankful. [Matt. 5:45+]

2. WITHOUT ANY MERIT OR WORTHINESS IN ME. [Gen. 32:10+] I have merited (deserved) nothing and I am worthy of nothing but punishment; for I am a sinful being, [Ps. 51:5] and I have broken G.o.d's law many times by thoughts and words and deeds. [Jer. 14:7]

III. WHAT I OWE TO G.o.d IN RETURN.

For all His goodness and mercy

I AM IN DUTY BOUND [Ps. 116:12+, Ps. 50:14]

1. TO THANK AND PRAISE HIM. I must not receive G.o.d's benefits as a matter of course, but must recognize them as gifts of His grace, and daily thank and praise Him in my heart and with my lips. [Ps. 103:1+]

2. TO SERVE AND OBEY HIM. I must show my grat.i.tude in my life by obeying G.o.d's commandments and giving myself with all my heart to His service.

[Rom. 12:1+]

THIS IS MOST CERTAINLY TRUE; namely, 1. That all the blessings I enjoy come from G.o.d, 2. That they are the gifts of His grace and that I am unworthy of them, 3. That I owe to G.o.d the fullest grat.i.tude of heart and life.

QUESTIONS.--1. What does "I believe" mean? 2. Why do we say "G.o.d the _Father_"? 3. What does "Almighty" mean? 4. What has G.o.d made? 5. Name His chief creatures. 6. What three things does Luther's explanation of this article tell us? 7. What has G.o.d done and what does He still do for us? 8. In creating us, what has G.o.d given us? 9. How does He preserve us? 10. Why does G.o.d do all this for us? 11. Why are we not worthy of it? 12. What do we owe to G.o.d in return? 13. What is meant by thanking and praising Him? 14. What is meant by serving and obeying Him? 15. What is most certainly true according to this article?

SCRIPTURE VERSES.--Eph. 1:3. Blessed be the G.o.d and father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

Gen. 1:1. In the beginning G.o.d created the heaven and the earth.

Job 33:4. The Spirit of G.o.d hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.