Baptist Catechism (1693)
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Work through what the church teaches, with the Scripture behind it close at hand. Tap a reference to read it right where you are. The creeds, confessions and catechisms here are historic and faithful, and good to read, but they are not all part of what this church professes.
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11. How doth God execute his decrees?
God executeth his decrees in the works of creation and providence.
12. What is the work of creation?
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.
Genesis 1 KJV Read in context
1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. 2And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. 3And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. 4And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 6And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. 8And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day. 9And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. 10And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good. 11And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 13And the evening and the morning were the third day. 14And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: 15And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. 16And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. 17And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, 18And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good. 19And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. 20And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 21And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 22And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 24And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so. 25And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good. 26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. 30And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Hebrews 11:3 KJV Read in context
3Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
13. How did God create man?
God created man, male and female, after his own image, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, with dominion over the creatures.
Genesis 1:26–28 KJV Read in context
26And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Colossians 3:10 KJV Read in context
10And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
Ephesians 4:24 KJV Read in context
24And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
14. What are God’s works of providence?
God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.
Psalm 145:17 KJV Read in context
17The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
Isaiah 28:29 KJV Read in context
29This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working.
Psalm 104:24 KJV Read in context
24O LORD, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
Hebrews 1:3 KJV Read in context
3Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Psalm 103:19 KJV Read in context
19The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.
Matthew 10:29–31 KJV Read in context
29Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.
15. What special act of providence did God exercise towards man in the estate wherein he was created?
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.
Galatians 3:12 KJV Read in context
12And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Genesis 2:17 KJV Read in context
17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
16. Did our first parents continue in the estate wherein they were created?
Our first parents being left to the freedom of their own will, fell from the estate wherein they were created, by sinning against God.
Genesis 3:6–8, 13 KJV Read in context
6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 7And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons. 8And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.
Ecclesiastes 7:29 KJV Read in context
29Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions.
17. What is sin?
Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the law of God.
1 John 3:4 KJV Read in context
4Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
18. What was the sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created?
The sin whereby our first parents fell from the estate wherein they were created, was their eating the forbidden fruit.
Genesis 3:6, 12, 16–17 KJV Read in context
6And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. 12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. 16Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee. 17And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
19. Did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
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.
Genesis 2:16–17 KJV Read in context
16And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
Romans 5:12 KJV Read in context
12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
1 Corinthians 15:21–22 KJV Read in context
21For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
20. Into what estate did the fall bring mankind?
The fall brought mankind into an estate of sin and misery.
Romans 5:12 KJV Read in context
12Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
King James Version (1769 text), public domain. Text from eBible.org and the CrossWire Bible Society.