Q. What do you believe concerning "the Holy Spirit"?

A. First, he, as well as the Father and the Son, is eternal God.^1 Second, he has been given to me personally,^2 so that, by true faith, he makes me share in Christ and all his blessings,^3 comforts me,^4 and remains with me forever.^5

^1 Gen. 1:1-2; Matt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4

^2 1 Cor. 6:19; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Gal. 4:6

^3 Gal. 3:14

^4 John 15:26; Acts 9:31

^5 John 14:16-17; 1 Pet. 4:14

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 life^4 and united in true faith.^5 And of this community I am^6 and always will be^7 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. 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 cheerfully 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

Q. What do you believe concerning "the forgiveness of sins"?

A. I believe that God, because of Christ's atonement, will never hold against me any of my sins^1 nor my sinful nature which I need to struggle against all my life.^2 Rather, in his grace God grants me the righteousness of Christ to free me forever from judgment.^3

^1 Ps. 103:3-4, 10, 12; Mic. 7:18-19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; 1 John 1:7; 2:2

^2 Rom. 7:21-25

^3 John 3:17-18; Rom. 8:1-2

Q. How does "the resurrection of the body" comfort you?

A. Not only my soul will be taken immediately after this life to Christ its head,^1 but even my very flesh, raised by the power of Christ, will be reunited with my soul and made like Christ's glorious* body.^2

^1 Luke 23:43; Phil. 1:21-23

^2 1 Cor. 15:20, 42-46, 54; Phil. 3:21; 1 John 3:2

Q. How does the article concerning "life everlasting" comfort you?

A. Even as I already now experience in my heart the beginning of eternal joy,^1 so after this life I will have perfect blessedness such as no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no human heart has ever imagined: a blessedness in which to praise God eternally.^2

^1 Rom. 14:17

^2 John 17:3; 1 Cor. 2:9 *The first edition had here the German word for "holy." This was later corrected to the German word for "glorious."

Q. What good does it do you, however, to believe all this?

A. In Christ I am right with God and heir to life everlasting.^1

^1 John 3:36; Rom. 1:17 (Hab. 2:4); Rom. 5:1-2

Q. How are you right with God?

A. Only by true faith in Jesus Christ.^1 Even though my conscience accuses me of having grievously sinned against all God's commandments and of never having kept any of them,^2 and even though I am still inclined toward all evil,^3 nevertheless, without my deserving it at all,^4 out of sheer grace,^5 God grants and credits to me the perfect satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ,^6 as if I had never sinned nor been a sinner, as if I had been as perfectly obedient as Christ was obedient for me.^7 All I need to do is to accept this gift of God with a believing heart.^8

^1 Rom. 3:21-28; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil 3:8-11

^2 Rom. 3:9-10

^3 Rom. 7:23

^4 Tit. 3:4-5

^5 Rom. 3:24; Eph. 2:8

^6 Rom. 4:3-5 (Gen. 15:6); 2 Cor. 5:17-19; 1 John 2:1-2

^7 Rom. 4:24-25; 2 Cor. 5:21

^8 John 3:18; Acts 16:30-31

Q. Why do you say that by faith alone you are right with God?

A. It is not because of any value my faith has that God is pleased with me. Only Christ's satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness make me right with God.^1 And I can receive this righteousness and make it mine in no other way than by faith alone.^2

^1 1 Cor. 1:30-31

^2 Rom. 10:10; 1 John 5:10-12

Q. Why can't the good we do make us right with God, or at least help make us right with him?

A. Because the righteousness which can pass God's scrutiny must be entirely perfect and must in every way measure up to the divine law.^1 Even the very best we do in this life is imperfect and stained with sin.^2

^1 Rom. 3:20; Gal. 3:10 (Deut. 27:26)

^2 Isa. 64:6

Q. How can you say that the good we do doesn't earn anything when God promises to reward it in this life and the next?^1

A . This reward is not earned; it is a gift of grace.^2

^1 Matt. 5:12; Heb. 11:6

^2 Luke 17:10; 2 Tim. 4:7-8

Q . But doesn't this teaching make people indifferent and wicked

A. No. It is impossible for those grafted into Christ by true faith not to produce fruits of gratitude.^1

^1 Luke 6:43-45; John 15:5