J.I. Packer writes in God Has Spoken: Revelation and the Bible,
“The older I get, the more I want to sing my faith and get others singing it with me. Theology, as I constantly tell my students, is for doxology: the first thing to do with it is to turn it into praise and thus honor the God who is its subject, the God in whose presence and by whose help it was worked out. Paul’s summons to sing and make music in one’s heart to the Lord is a word for theologians no less than for other people (Ephesians 5:19). Theologies that cannot be sung (or prayed for that matter) are certainly wrong at a deep level, and such theologies leave me, in both senses, cold: cold-hearted and uninterested.” (HT: Doxoblogy)
The divine revelation of the Holy Scriptures are expressed in the form of each of the 107 questions and answers from the Westminster Shorter Catechism (See Creeds, Etc. page), paired with a response in song selected from the Trinity Hymnal (c. 1990), including a link to a MIDI file of the tune (with the gracious permission of Great Commission Publications).
While this is, in one sense, basically my own personal attempt to familiarize myself with both, we would all be remiss if we neglected to avail ourselves of the spiritual growth to be had in our perusal of these materials.
For this reason, it would behoove us not just to read the catechism questions and answers, but to prayerfully read, search the selected Scripture proofs and consider them in context (the “Theologcial” part), responding in praise to God in the light of the truths presented in the psalm, hymn or spiritual song (the “Doxological” part).
May the God of grace grant growth to your faith and knowledge, not only of the truths about him, but a grateful and intimate knowledge of the triune God himself to whom we who believe have been bound by faith in his new covenant. Thus may we be built up not only in “that which we are to believe concerning God,” but strengthened in our performance of that “duty which God requires of us.”
Q&A 1. The Chief End of Man
Q&A 2. Direction in Man’s Chief End
Q&A 3. The Principal Teaching of Scripture
Q&A 4. The Nature of God
Q&A 5. The Uniqueness of God
Q&A 6. The Persons of God
Q&A 7. The Decrees of God
Q&A 8. Decretal Modes
Q&A 9. On Creation
Q&A 10. The Creation of Man
Q&A 11. On Providence
Q&A 12. Providence Toward Man
Q&A 13. The Fall
Q&A 14. Sin Defined
Q&A 15. Our First Parents’ First Sin
Q&A 16. Extent of the Fall
Q&A 17. Estate of Fallen Man
Q&A 18. Sinfulness of Fallen Man’s Estate
Q&A 19. Misery of Fallen Man’s Estate
Q&A 20. Deliverance from the Fall
Q&A 21. The Redeemer’s Identity
Q&A 22. The Redeemer’s Incarnation
Q&A 23. Munus Triplex: The Redeemer’s Threefold Office
Q&A 24. Christ’s Prophetic Office
Q&A 25. Christ’s Priestly Office
Q&A 26. Christ’ Royal Office
Q&A 27. Christ’s Humiliation
Q&A 28. Christ’s Exaltation
Q&A 29. Redemption Applied
Q&A 30. Mode of Application
Q&A 31. Effectual Calling
Q&A 32. Benefits of Redemption
Q&A 33. Justification
Q&A 34. Adoption
Q&A 35. Sanctification
Q&A 36. Benefits of Redemption’s Benefits
Q&A 37. Benefits received at Death.
Q&A 38. Benefits in Resurrection
Q&A 39. The Duty God Requires of Man
Q&A 40. God’s First Revealed Rule
Q&A 41. Legal Summary
Q&A 42. The Decalogue’s Sum
Q&A 43. The Decalogue’s Preface
Q&A 44. Teaching of the Decalogue’s Preface
Q&A 45. The First Commandment: Worship the Right God
Q&A 46. The First Requirement
Q&A 47. The First Prohibition (Commentary)
Q&A 48. Theology in the First Commandment
Q&A 49. The Second Commandment: Worship the Right God the Right Way
Q&A 50. The Second Requirement
Q&A 51.
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Q&A 53.
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Q&A 75.
Q&A 76.
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Q&A 107.
John –
This is really helpful. I really think it is important to memorize those Scripture references along with the catechism. The catechism explains the Scripture and the Scripture enforces the catechism. Add a hymn to each (the doxological element) is excellent!!! I’m looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Great new page on your blog, by the way.
Thanks, Andrew. Glad I can reintroduce these to some of my new readers like yourself. It’s interesting to me how people really respond positively to these. Mostly because it’s not original material, just my arrangement of some of the greatest material in the history of the church. I’ll try to get to posting new ones soon. I also am way overdue on my John Brown and Sunday at Home excerpts!
you have an interesting blog. I’m a first year student in a Presbyterian seminary I look forward to learning a lot from you.God bless.
Thank you for your interest. Do not hesitate to interact with anything that raises questions or motivates a comment from you. May The Lord bless your studies and service as you prepare for ministry in the Presbyterian church. May I ask where you live, in which school you are enrolled, and which Presbyterian denomination in which you look forward to ministering?
I’m from the Philippines. I have a baptist background and I’m new to Presbyterian. I’m still learning and figuring out where the Lord will use me.
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Helloo mate nice blog
Thank you. It’s got a few years on it. And, as I always joke, the most substantive thing about my blog is the artwork. Thanks for checking it out.