In 1 Corinthians 14:19 Paul says, "In the church I would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue." In Galatians 6:6 he says, "Let him who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches." Acts 18:25 says that Apollos "has been instructed in the way of the Lord."

In each of these verses the Greek word for "instruct" or "teach" is katecheo. From this word we get our English word "catechize". It simply means to teach Biblical truth in an orderly way. Generally, this is done with questions and answers accompanied by Biblical support and explanation.

This Catechism was originally created to clarify the theology of the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith that was written in 1677 and published in 1689. It was also adopted by the Philadelphia Baptist Association in 1742.

Several texts teach that there is. For example, in Romans 6:17 Paul gives thanks that "you have become obedient from the heart to the pattern of teaching to which you were committed." 2 Timothy 1:13 says, "Follow the pattern of sound words which you heard from me." Acts 2:42 says, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching." 2 Thessalonians 2:15 says, "Stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught by us." And Acts 20:27 says, "I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God."

So, it appears that there was a body of authoritative instruction and even a way of teaching it in the early church.

1.     We are required to "continue in the faith, stable and steadfast" (Col. 1:23).

2.    We are urged to "attain to the unity of the... knowledge of the Son of God...so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine" (Eph. 4:13-14).

3.    There are many deceivers (1 John 2:26).

4.   There are difficult doctrines "which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction" (2 Peter 3:16).

5.    Leaders must be raised up who can "give instruction in sound doctrine and also refute those who contradict it" (Titus 1:9).

Make these questions part of your family routine or just use them for yourself. The Leadership at Heritage Tulsa is excited about being a partner with you in building a "stable and firm" generation who hopes in God.

God is the first and chiefest being.

(Is. 44:6; 48:12; Ps. 97:9)

Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

(1 Cor. 10:31; Psalm 73:25-26)

Everyone ought to believe there is a God; and it is their great sin and folly who do not.

(Heb. 11:6; Ps. 14:1)

The light of nature in man and the works of God plainly declare there is a God; but his word and Spirit only do it fully and effectually for the salvation of sinners.

(Rom. 1:19,20; Ps. 19:1, 2, 3; Acts 17:24; 1 Cor. 2:10; 2 Tim. 3:15,16)

The holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the word of God, and the only certain rule of faith and obedience.

(2 Tim. 3:16; Eph. 2:20)

All men are not only permitted, but commanded and exhorted to read, hear, and understand the holy scriptures.

(John 5:38; John 17:17,18; Rev.1:3; Acts 8:30)

The holy scriptures chiefly contain what man ought to believe concerning God, and what duty God requireth of man.

(2 Tim. 1:13; 3:15,16)

God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

(John 4:24; Job 11:7, 8, 9; Ps. 110:2; Jas. 1:17; Ex. 3:14; Ps. 147:5; Rev. 4:8; Rev. 15:4; Ex. 34:6)

There is but one only, the living and true God.

(Deut. 6:4; Jer 10:10)

There are three persons in the godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God, the same in essence, equal in power and glory.

(1 John 5:7; Mt. 28:19)

The decrees of God are his eternal purpose according to the counsel of his will, whereby, for his own glory, he hath foreordained whatsoever comes to pass.

(Eph. 1:4, 11; Rom. 9:22-23; Is. 46:10; Lam. 3:37)

God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.

The work of creation is God’s making all things of nothing, by the word of his power, in the space of six days, and all very good.

(Gen. 1 throughout; Heb. 11:3)

God created man, male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.

(Gen. 1:26, 27, 28; Col. 3:10, Eph. 4:24)

God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

(Ps. 145:17; Is. 28:29, Ps. 104:24; Heb. 1:3; Ps. 103:19; Mt. 10:29, 30, 31)

When God had created man, he entered into a covenant of life with him upon condition of perfect obedience: forbidding him to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, upon pain of death.

(Gal. 3:12; Gen. 2:17)

Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.

(Gen. 3:6, 7, 8, 13; Eccles. 7:29)

Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.

(1 John 3:4)

The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.

(Gen. 3:6, 12, 16, 17)

The covenant being made with Adam, not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind descending from him by ordinary generation sinned in him, and fell with him in his first transgression.

(Gen. 2:16, 17; Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21, 22)

The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.

(Rom. 5:12)

The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adam’s first sin, the want of original righteousness, and the corruption of his whole nature, which is commonly called original sin; together with all actual transgressions which proceed from it.

(Rom. 5:12, to the end; Eph. 2:1, 2, 3; James 1:14, 15; Mt. 15:19)

All mankind by their fall lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell for ever.

(Gen. 3:8, 10, 24; Eph. 2:2, 3; Gal. 3:10; Lam. 3:39; Rom. 6:23; Mt. 25:41, 46)

God having out of his mere good pleasure, from all eternity, elected some to everlasting life, did enter into a covenant of grace, to deliver them out of the estate of sin and misery, and to bring them into an estate of salvation by a Redeemer.

(Eph. 1:4, 5; Rom. 3:20-22; Gal. 3:21, 22)

The only Redeemer of God’s elect is the Lord Jesus Christ; who, being the eternal Son of God, became man, and so was and continueth to be God and man in two distinct natures, and one person for ever.

(1 Tim. 2:5, 6; John 1:14; Gal. 4:4; Rom. 9:5; Lk. 1:35; Col. 2:9; Heb. 7:24, 25)

Christ the Son of God became man by taking to himself a true body, and a reasonable soul; being conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and born of her, yet without sin.

(Heb. 2:14, 17; 10:5; Mt. 26:38; Luke 1:27, 31, 34, 35, 42; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 4:15; 7:26)

Christ as our Redeemer executeth the offices of a prophet, of a priest, and of king, both in his estate of humiliation and exaltation.

(Acts 3:22; Heb. 12:25; 2 Cor. 13:3; Heb. 5:5, 6, 7; 7:25; Ps. 2:6; Is. 9:6, 7; Mt. 21:5; Ps. 2:8-11)

Christ executeth the office of prophet in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

(John 1:18; 1 Pet.1:10,11, 12; John 15:15; and 20:31)

Christ executeth the office of priest in his once offering up himself a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and reconcile us to God, and in making continual intercession for us.

(Heb. 9:14, 28; Heb. 2:17; Heb.7:24, 25)

Christ executeth the office of a king, in subduing us to himself, in ruling, and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies.

(Acts 15:14, 15, 16; Is. 33:22; Is. 32:1, 2; 1 Cor. 15:25; Ps. 110 throughout)

Christ’s humiliation consisted in his being born, and that in a low condition, made under the law, undergoing the miseries of this life, the wrath of God, and the cursed death of the cross; in being buried, and continuing under the power of death for a time.

(Luke 2:7; Gal. 4:4; Heb. 12:2, 3; Is. 53:2, 3; Luke 22:44; Mt. 27:46; Phil. 2:8; 1 Cor. 15:3,4; Acts 2:24, 25, 26, 27, 31; Mt. 12:40)

Christ’s exaltation consisteth in his rising again from the dead on the third day, in ascending up into heaven, in sitting at the right hand of God the Father, and in coming to judge the world at the last day.

(1 Cor. 15:4; Mark 16:19; Eph. 1:20; Acts 1: 11; 17:31)

We are made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, by the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit.

(John 1:11,12; Titus 3:5,6)

The Spirit applieth to us the redemption purchased by Christ, by working faith in us, and thereby uniting us to Christ, in our effectual calling.

(Eph. 1:13, 14; John 6:37, 39; Eph. 2:8; Eph. 3:17; 1 Cor. 1:9)

Effectual calling is the work of God’s Spirit, whereby convincing us of our sin and misery, enlightening our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth persuade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ freely offered to us in the gospel.

(2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Thess. 2:13, 14; Acts 2:37; Acts 26:18; Ez. 36:26, 27; John 6:44, 45; Phil. 2:13)

They that are effectually called do in this life partake of justification, adoption, sanctification, and the several benefits which in this life do either accompany or flow from them.

(Rom. 8:30; Eph. 1:5; 1 Cor. 1:30)

Justification is an act of God’s free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

(Rom. 3:24, 25; and 4:6, 7, 8; 2 Cor. 5:19, 21; Rom. 5:17-19; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9)

Adoption is an act of God’s free grace, whereby we are received into the number and have a right to all the privileges of the sons of God.

(1 John 3:1; John 1:12; Rom. 8:14-17)

Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.

(2 Thess. 2:13; Eph. 4:23, 24; Rom. 6:4,6; 8:1)

The benefits which in this life do accompany or flow from justification, adoption, and sanctification, are assurance of God’s love, peace of conscience, joy in the Holy Spirit, increase of grace, and perseverance therein to the end.

(Rom. 5:1, 2, 5; Rom. 5:5, 17; Pr. 4:18; 1 John 5:13; 1 Pet. 1:5)

The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves till the resurrection.

(Heb. 12:23; 2 Cor. 5:1, 6, 8; Phil. 1:23; Luke 23:43; 1 Thess. 4:14; Is. 57:2; Job 19:26, 27)

At the resurrection believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged, and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made perfectly blessed, both in soul and body, in the full enjoyment of God to all eternity.

(1 Cor. 15:43; Mt. 25:23; Mt. 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 4:17, 18)

The souls of the wicked shall, at their death, be cast into the torments of hell, and their bodies lie in their graves, till the resurrection and judgment of the great day.

(Luke 16:23, 24; Acts 2:24; Jude 5, 7; 1 Pet. 3:19; Ps. 49:14)

At the day of judgment the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves, shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels for ever.

(John 5:28, 29; Mt. 25:41, 46; 2 Thes. 1:8, 9)

The duty which God requireth of man is, obedience to his revealed will.

(Mic 6:8; 1 Sam. 15:22)

The rule which God at first revealed to man for his obedience, was the moral law.

(Rom. 2; 14, 15, and 10:5)

The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments.

(Deut. 10:4; Mt. 19:17)

The sum of the ten commandments is, to love the Lord our God, with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our strength, and with all our mind; and our neighbour as ourselves.

(Mt. 22:37-40)

The preface to the ten commandments is in these words; I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

(Ex. 20:2)

The preface to the ten commandments teacheth us that because God is the Lord, and our God and redeemer, therefore we are bound to keep all his commandments.

(Luke 1:74, 75; 1 Pet. 1:15-19)

The first commandment is, You shall have no other gods before Me.

(Ex. 20:3)

The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God and our God, and to worship and glorify him accordingly.

(1 Chron. 28:9; Deut. 26:17; Mt. 4:10; Ps. 29:2)

The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying the true God, as God and our God, and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due unto him alone.

(Ps. 14: 1; Rom. 1:21; Ps. 81:10, 11; Rom. 1:25, 26)

These words before me, in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of and is much displeased with the sin of having any other god.

(Ex. 8:5, to the end)

The second commandment is, You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

(Ex. 20:4, 5, 6)

The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire all such religious worship and ordinances, as God hath appointed in his word.

(Deut. 32:46; Mt. 23:20; Acts 2:42)

The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his word.

(Deut. 4:15-19; Ex. 32:5, 8; Deut. 7:31, 32)

The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’s sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.

(Ps. 45:2, 3, 6; Ps. 45:11; Ex. 34:13, 14)

The third commandment is, You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

(Ex. 20:7)

The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word and works.

(Mt. 6:9; Deut. 23:58; Ps. 68:4; Rev. 15:3, 4; Mal. 1: 11, 14; Ps. 136: 1, 2; Job 36:24)

The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning and abusing of any thing whereby God makes himself known.

(Mal. 1:6, 7, 12; 2:2; 3:14)

The reason annexed to the third commandment is, that however the breakers of this commandment may escape punishment from men, yet the Lord our God will not suffer them to escape his righteous judgment.

(1 Sam. 2:12, 17, 22, 29; 3:13; Deut. 28:58, 59)

The fourth commandment is, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of Yahweh your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female slave or your cattle or your sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days Yahweh made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore Yahweh blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

(Ex. 20:8-11)

The fourth commandment requireth the keeping holy to God such set times as He hath appointed in His word, expressly, one whole day in seven to be a holy sabbath to Himself.

(Ex. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-14)

Before the resurrection of Christ, God appointed the seventh day of the week to be the weekly Sabbath; and the first day of the week ever since, to continue to the end of the world, which is the Christian Sabbath.

(Ex. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-14; Ps. 118:24; Mt. 28:1; Mk. 2:27, 28; Jn. 20:19, 20, 26; Rev. 1:10; Mk. 16:2; Lk. 24:1, 30-36; Jn. 20:1; Acts 1:3; 2:1, 2; 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1, 2)

The Sabbath is to be sanctified by a holy resting all that day, even from such worldly employments and recreations as are lawful on other days; and spending the whole time in the public and private exercises of God’s worship, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy.

(Ex. 20:8, 10; Ex. 16:25-28; Neh. 13:15-22; Lk. 4:16; Acts 20:7; Ps. 92:title; Is. 66:23; Mt. 12:1-13)

The fourth commandment forbiddeth the omission or careless performance of the duties required, and the profaning the day by idleness, or doing that which is in itself sinful, or by unnecessary thoughts, words, or works, about worldly employments or recreations.

(Ez. 22:26; Amos 8:5; Mal. 1:13; Acts 20:7, 9; Ez. 23:38; Jer 17:24-27; Is. 58:13)

The reasons annexed to the fourth commandment, are God’s allowing us six days of the week for our own lawful employments, his challenging a special propriety in a seventh, his own example, and his blessing the Sabbath day.

(Ex. 20:9; Ex. 20:11)

The fifth commandment is, Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which Yahweh your God gives you.

(Ex. 20:12)

The fifth commandment requireth the preserving the honour and performing the duties belonging to every one in their several places and relations, as superiors, inferiors, or equals.

(Eph. 5:21; 1 Pet. 2:17; Rom. 12:10)

The fifth commandment forbiddeth the neglect of, or doing any thing against the honour and duty which belongeth to every one in their several places and relations.

(Mt. 15:4-6; Ez. 34:24; Rom. 13:8)

The reason annexed to the fifth commandment is a promise of long life and prosperity (as far as it shall serve for God’s glory, and their own good) to all such as keep this commandment.

(Deut. 5:16; Eph. 6:2, 3)

The sixth commandment is, You shall not murder.

(Ex. 20:13)

The sixth commandment requireth all lawful endeavours to preserve our own life and the life of others.

(Eph. 5:28,29; 1 Kings 18:4)

The sixth commandment absolutely forbiddeth the taking away of our own life, or the life of our neighbour unjustly, or whatsoever tendeth thereunto.

(Acts 26:28; Gen. 9:9)

The seventh commandment is, You shall not commit adultery.

(Ex. 20:14)

The seventh commandment requireth the preservation of our own and our neighbors chastity, in heart, speech, and behavior.

(1 Cor. 7:2, 3, 5, 34, 36; Col. 4:6; 1 Pet. 3:2)

The seventh commandment forbiddeth all unchaste thoughts, words, and actions.

(Mt. 15:19, 5:28; Eph. 5:3, 4)

The eighth commandment is, You shall not steal.

(Ex. 20:15)

The eighth commandment requireth the lawful procuring and furthering the wealth and outward estate of ourselves and others.

(Gen. 30:30; 1 Tim. 5:8; Lev. 25:35; Deut. 22:1, 2, 3, 4, 5; Ex. 23:4, 5; Gen. 47:14, 20)

The eighth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever doth or may unjustly hinder our own or our neighbour’s wealth or outward estate.

(1 Tim. 5:8; Pr. 28:19; Pr. 21:17, and 23:20, 21; Eph. 4:28)

The ninth commandment is, You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

(Ex. 20:16)

The ninth commandment requireth the maintaining and promoting of truth between man and man, and of our own neighbour’s good name, especially in witnessbearing.

(Zech. 8:16; Jn. 5:12; Pr. 14:5, 25)

The ninth commandment forbiddeth whatsoever is prejudicial to the truth, or injurious to our own or our neighbour’s good name.

(1 Sam. 17:28; Lev. 19:16; Ps. 15:2, 3)

The tenth commandment is You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male slave or his female slave or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

(Ex. 20:17)

The tenth commandment requireth full contentment with our own condition, with a right and charitable frame of spirit toward our neighbour, and all that is his.

(Heb. 13:5; 1 Tim. 6:6; Job 31:29; Rom. 7:15; 1 Tim. 1:5; 1 Cor. 8:4, 7)

The tenth commandment forbiddeth all discontentment with our own estate, envying or grieving at the good of our neighbour, and all inordinate motions and affections to anything that is his.

(1 Kings 21:4; Esther 5:13; 1 Cor. 10:10; Gal. 5:26; James 3:14, 16; Rom. 7:7, 8, 13:9; Deut. 5:21)

No mere man since the fall is able in this life perfectly to keep the commandments of God, but doth daily break them in thought, word, or deed.

(Ecc. 7:20; 1 John 1:8, 10; Gal. 5:17; Gn 4:5, and 7:21; Rom. 3:9-21; James 3:2-13)

Some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.

(Ez. 8:6, 13, 15; 1 Jn. 5:16; Ps. 78:17, 32, 56)

Every sin deserveth God’s wrath and curse, both in this life and that which is to come.

(Eph. 5:6; Gal. 3:10; Lam. 3:39; Mt. 25:41; Rom. 6:23)

To escape the wrath and curse of God due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption.

(Acts 20:21; Pr. 2:1-6, 8:33 to the end; Is. 55:2, 3)

Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.

(Heb. 10:39; Jn. 1:12; Is. 26:3, 4; Ph. 3:9; Gal. 2:16)

Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of and endeavour after new obedience.

(Acts 11:28; Acts 2:37, 38; Joel 2:12; Jer 3:22; Jer 31:18, 19; Ez. 36:3 1; 2 Cor. 7: 1 1; Is. 1: 16, 17)

The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption are his ordinances, especially the word, baptism, the Lord’s supper, and prayer; all which means are made effectual to the elect for salvation.

(Mt. 28:19, 20; Acts 2:42, 46, 47)

The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching of the word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation.

(Neh. 8:8; Acts 26:18; Ps. 19:8; Acts 20:32; Rom. 1: 15, 16, 10: 13, 14, 15, 16, 17; 15:4; 1 Cor. 14:24, 25; 1 Tim. 3:15, 16, 17)

That the word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, preparation, and prayer; receive it with faith and love, lay it up in our hearts, and practice it in our lives.

(Pr. 8:34; 1 Pet. 2:1, 2; Ps. 119:18; Heb. 4:2; 2 Thes. 2:10; Ps. 119:18; Luke 8:15; James 1:25)

Baptism and the Lords supper become effectual means of salvation, not for any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them, but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of the Spirit in those that by faith receive them.

(1 Pet. 3:21; Mt. 3:11; 1 Cor. 3:6, 7; 1 Cor. 12:3; Mt. 28:19)

Baptism is an ordinance of the New Testament instituted by Jesus Christ, to be unto the party baptized a sign of his fellowship with him, in his death, burial, and resurrection; of his being ingrafted into him; of remission of sins; and of his giving up himself unto God through Jesus Christ, to live and walk in newness of life.

(Rom. 6:3, 4, 5; Col. 2:12; Gal. 3:27; Mk. 1:4; Acts 2:38, and 22:16; Rom. 6:3, 4)

Baptism is to be administered to all those who actually profess repentance towards God, faith in and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ, and to none other.

(Acts 2:38; Mt. 3:6; Acts 8:12, 36, 37, 38; 10:47, 48)

The infants of such as are professing believers are not to be baptized, because there is neither command or example in the holy scriptures, or certain consequence from them to baptize such.

(Ex. 23:13; Pr. 30:6; Lk. 3:7, 8)

Baptism is rightly administered by immersion, or dipping the whole body of the party in water, into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, according to Christ’s institution, and the practice of the apostles, and not by sprinkling or pouring of water, or dipping some part of the body, after the tradition of men.

(Mt. 3:16; Jn. 3:23; 4:1, 2; Mt. 28:19, 20; Acts 8:38; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12)

It is the duty of such who are rightly baptized to give up themselves to some particular and orderly church of Jesus Christ, that they may walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.

(Acts 2:41, 42; 5:13, 14; 9:26; 1 Pet. 2:5; Lk. 1:6)

The Lord’s supper is an ordinance of the New Testament, instituted by Jesus Christ; wherein by giving and receiving bread and wine, according to his appointment, his death is shown forth, and the worthy receivers are, not after a corporal and carnal manner, but by faith, made partakers of his body and blood, with all his benefits, to their spiritual nourishment and growth in grace.

(Mt. 26:26, 27, 28; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; 10:16)

They who have been baptized upon a personal profession of their faith in Jesus Christ, and repentance from dead works.

(Acts 2:41, 42)

It is required of them that would worthily partake of the Lord’s supper, that they examine themselves of their knowledge to discern the Lord’s body, of their faith to feed upon him, of their repentance, love, and new obedience, lest coming unworthily they eat and drink judgment to themselves.

(1 Cor. 11:28, 29; 2 Cor. 13:5; 1 Cor. 11:31; 1 Cor. 10:16, 17; 1 Cor. 5:7, 8; 1 Cor. 11:28, 29)

Prayer is an offering up our desires to God, by the assistance of the Holy Spirit, for things agreeable to his will, in the name of Christ, believing, with confession of our sins, and thankful acknowledgments of his mercies.

(Ps. 62:8; Rom. 8:26; 1 Jn. 5:14; Rom. 8:27; Jn. 16:23; Mt. 21:22; James 1:6; Ps. 32:5, 6; Dan. 9:4; Ph. 4:6)

The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; but the special rule of direction is that prayer which Christ taught his disciples, commonly called the Lord’s prayer.

(1 Jn. 5:14; Mt. 6:9-13; with Lk. 11:2-4)

The preface of the Lord’s prayer, which is Our Father who is in heaven, teacheth us to draw near to God with all holy reverence and confidence, as children to a father, able and ready to help us; and that we should pray with and for others.

(Mt. 6:9; Rom. 8:15; Lk. 11:13; Is. 24:8; Acts 12:5; 1 Tim. 2:1, 2)

In the first petition, which is, Hallowed be Your name, we pray that God would enable us and others to glorify him in all that whereby he maketh himself known, and that he would dispose all things to his own glory.

(Mt. 6:9; Ps. 67:2, 3; Ps. 83 throughout; Rom. 11:36)

In the second petition, which is, Your kingdom come, we pray that Satan’s kingdom may be destroyed, and that the kingdom of grace may be advanced, ourselves and others brought into it and kept in it, and that the kingdom of glory may be hastened.

(Mt. 6:10; Ps. 68:1, 18; Rev. 12:10, 11; 2 Thes. 3: 1; Rom. 10: 1; Jn. 17:19, 20; Rev. 22:10)

In the third petition, which is, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven, we pray that God by his grace would make us able and willing to know, obey, and submit to his will in all things, as the angels do in heaven.

(Mt. 6:10; Ps. 67: throughout; Ps. 119:36; 2 Sam. 15:25; Job 1:21; Ps. 103:20, 21)

In the fourth petition, which is, Give us this day our daily bread, we pray that of God’s free gift we may receive a competent portion of the good things of this life, and enjoy his blessing with them.

(Mt. 6:11; Pr. 30:8; Gn 28:20; 1 Tim. 4:4, 5)

In the fifth petition, which is, And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors, we pray that God, for Christ’s sake, would freely pardon all our sins; which we are rather encouraged to ask because of his grace we are enabled from the heart to forgive others.

(Mt. 6:12; Ps. 51:1, 2, 7, 9; Dan. 9:17-19; Lk. 11:4; Mt. 18:35)

In the sixth petition, which is, And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, we pray that God would either keep us from being tempted to sin, or support and deliver us when we are tempted.

(Mt. 6:13; Mt. 26:31; 2 Cor. 12:8)

The conclusion of the Lord’s prayer, which is, For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen, teacheth us to take our encouragement in prayer from God only, and in our prayers to praise Him, ascribing kingdom, power, and glory, to Him. And in testimony of our desire and assurance to be heard, we say, Amen.

(Mt. 6:13; Dan. 9:4, 7-9, 16-19; 1 Chron. 29:10-13; 1 Cor. 4:16; Rev. 11:20; 22:20, 21)