Heidelberg 54 & 55 The Church

¹⁸And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. (Mathew 16:18)

Thoughts: Christ has a body.  It is His church- a community.  Those of us who believe are always a member of that body when we make Christ our Head.  We all share together as His body, and we all are called to encourage and enrich others.
    We all need each other.  Just as a team is not one person, so we are not called to be Christian hermits or individual monks unless we cannot help it.  As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.  We need to encourage one another, love one another.  When we are apart it hurts our souls- whether we feel it or not.  

Prayer: Lord, thank you that you have not left us alone.  You not only send your Spirit but you also send us to each other.  

Q & A 54

Q. What do you believe concerning “the holy catholic church”?

A. I believe that the Son of God through his Spirit and Word,1 out of the entire human race,2 from the beginning of the world to its end,3 gathers, protects, and preserves for  himself a community chosen for eternal life4 and united in true faith.5 And of this community I am6 and always will be7 a living member.

1 John 10:14-16; Acts 20:28; Rom. 10:14-17; Col. 1:18
2 Gen. 26:3b-4; Rev. 5:9
3 Isa. 59:21; 1 Cor. 11:26
4 Matt. 16:18; John 10:28-30; Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:3-14
5 Acts 2:42-47; Eph. 4:1-6
6 1 John 3:14, 19-21
7 John 10:27-28; 1 Cor. 1:4-9; 1 Pet. 1:3-5

Q & A 55

Q. What do you understand by “the communion of saints”?

A. First, that believers one and all, as members of this community, share in Christ and in all his treasures and gifts.1 Second, that each member should consider it a duty to use these gifts readily and joyfully for the service and enrichment of the other members.2

1 Rom. 8:32; 1 Cor. 6:17; 12:4-7, 12-13; 1 John 1:3
2 Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:20-27; 13:1-7; Phil. 2:4-8