Christian BasicsChristian Basics: An introduction to Discipleship is a 13 week course covering the basics of the Christian faith. During this time, you will discover what the Bible teaches about WHO God is, WHAT God has done and the RESPONSE which God expects from us.
Anyone who would like to learn more about the Christian faith and/or become a member of RC Bult is welcome to attend the course - please RSVP by sending an email to [email protected]. |
Details
Our next Christian Basics: An introduction to Discipleship course will be starting on Sunday 12 February.
We will meet at 10:00 in the G5 Coffee Room and finish at 11:15.
During the course, we will work through the Heidelberg Catechism, one of the foundational documents of the Reformed tradition and a very clear and helpful summary of the Christian faith. This catechism has been used for more than 450 years to help millions of people all over the world come to understand what the Bible teaches.
We will meet at 10:00 in the G5 Coffee Room and finish at 11:15.
During the course, we will work through the Heidelberg Catechism, one of the foundational documents of the Reformed tradition and a very clear and helpful summary of the Christian faith. This catechism has been used for more than 450 years to help millions of people all over the world come to understand what the Bible teaches.
Why are we working through a Catechism?
Catechism, is a funny word, we don't use it much these days. But its origin lies in a Greek word katecheo, which simply means 'to teach'. A Catechism was written 'to teach' - its a tool we can use to help teach and explain what the whole Bible teaches.
Still, to many, studying a Catechism in order to discover the Christian faith might seem like a strange thing to do, but we think there are five* good reasons for why we should study a catechism together:
*These five reasons are adapted from a helpful summary given by Paul Levy at IPC Ealing.
Still, to many, studying a Catechism in order to discover the Christian faith might seem like a strange thing to do, but we think there are five* good reasons for why we should study a catechism together:
- 1. It is necessary. When someone asks us, “What do you believe about God?” we want to be able to give a clear answer that takes into consideration what the whole Bible teaches us.
- 2. It is important. The Bible is given to us as a whole, and not merely as individual books and verses. We want to know what the ‘whole will of God’ is and which truths are more foundational/of primary importance. This also stops us from focusing only on our favourite teachings and Bible verses only.
- 3. It gives a solid base. Knowing what the Bible teaches will be invaluable to us in trying times of suffering and temptation. By having a good grasps of truth, we can be protected against false teaching.
- 4. It equips us to give answers. Many people claim that Christians are irrational and have a blind ‘faith’ (without evidence) in God and the Bible. We need to be equipped so that we can give clear reasons and explanations for the hope that we have in Christ.
- 5. There is one God. God has revealed himself to us clearly in his Word and all of his truth fits together. If we disbelieve or are in error in one thing that God has revealed to us, it will also affect our views of other things. For example, our view of sin, affects our view of salvation and what we believe about God affects what we believe about the Bible.
*These five reasons are adapted from a helpful summary given by Paul Levy at IPC Ealing.
Why the Heidelberg Catechism?
The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the Reformation confessions that clearly summarises the major teachings of the Bible in 129 memorable questions and answers. It was first published in 1563 to provide a systematic and thorough means by which to teach people the Christian faith and it became the most influential and generally accepted catechism of the Reformation period.
The gospel is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Rom 1:16). The Heidelberg Catechism helps us to discover just how powerful the gospel really is, and "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" (Eph 3:18).
The gospel is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Rom 1:16). The Heidelberg Catechism helps us to discover just how powerful the gospel really is, and "how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ" (Eph 3:18).
Class Summaries
Some of the PowerPoint presentations used during the classes are available here:
Introduction (Q/A: 1-2)
Sin and Misery (Q/A: 3-11)
Deliverance (Q/A: 12-25)
God the Father (Q/A: 26-28)
Justification by Faith (Q/A: 59-68) - Additional resource (A History of Justification by Faith)
Baptism (Q/A: 69-74) - Additional resource (A Brief Defense of Infant Baptism - Kevin De Young)
The Lord's Supper (Q/A: 75-85)
Gratitude (Q/A: 86-93)
The Perfect Law of God (Q/A: 94-115)
A life of prayer (Q/A: 116-129)
Summary: Salvation is of the LORD
Test
Introduction (Q/A: 1-2)
Sin and Misery (Q/A: 3-11)
Deliverance (Q/A: 12-25)
God the Father (Q/A: 26-28)
Justification by Faith (Q/A: 59-68) - Additional resource (A History of Justification by Faith)
Baptism (Q/A: 69-74) - Additional resource (A Brief Defense of Infant Baptism - Kevin De Young)
The Lord's Supper (Q/A: 75-85)
Gratitude (Q/A: 86-93)
The Perfect Law of God (Q/A: 94-115)
A life of prayer (Q/A: 116-129)
Summary: Salvation is of the LORD
Test