Amerikai Magyar Reformátusok Lapja, 1918 (19. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1918-06-01 / 22. szám
AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA 7 AMERIKAI-MAGYAR REFORMÁTUS KATEKIZMUS Part First. 1. Tell me, dear children, why You came here and stand now before the congregation? We came here and stand now before the congregation, because we wish to make public profession of our Christian faith, of our hope, and at the same time, we make a vow in the presence of the Almighty God. 2. Why is it necessary for you to make such a profession and vow publicly ? Might we not as well believe that your parents and guardians brought you up in the true Christian Church? Because in our infancy, when we were dedicated through Holy Baptism to God, and incorporated with the Christian Church, our parents and guardians assumed vows for us and promised to bring us up ih the true knowledge of God. Now the time has come when the whole congregation must be shown that our parents and guardians fulfilled honestly their vows. 3. What do You solemly promise now? We solemnely promise now, to assume personally and to renew the vows which our parents and guardians made for us at the baptismal and promise also through God’s help to strengthen ourselves in our true and holy religion, to grow in grace and piousness in the course of our life. 4. What religion is it, to which You belong and which You wish to profess publicly? • It is the true Christian faith, in which we were born, baptized and educated. 5. What is Christian faith? Christian faith is holy knowledge, which teaches us to understand God, his holy commandments and the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom we trust for our salvation. 6. Why do you believe that Christian faith is true faith ? Because God himself revealed it to his earthly children through his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. 7. Where do you learn all this from? From God’s Holy Book, the Bible, which is the guide of our faith and conduct. 8. How many main parts has the Bible? The Bible has two main parts, the Old Testament, which tells the history of the Jews, and the New Testament, which contains the life and teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9. Who wrote the Bible? Pious men, chosen by God. and guided by God’s Spirit. 10. Do all Christians believe and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ in the same way ? No, there are many Denominations in the Christian Church, (as for instance): the Reformed Church, the Lutheran Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Catholic Church, and other smaller denominations. 11. To which denomination do you belong? I belong to the Reformed Church, because I was born ih this Church and I love her, because my dear parents brought me up in this holy religion, and I myself confess and believe that the teachings of this church agree with the Bible. 12. Should you love those who belong to other denominations ? Yes, I should love every man, as they are my neighbors. 13. Why do you believe that the Reformed Church is the truest and best Church of Christ? Because we worship God in spirit and in truth, and because our services in the church are simple and pure as in the Apostolic age. 14. How did the first Chrstians worship God in public services? They prased God, prayed to Him, preached the Gospel, contributed to the help of the poor and administered the Holy Sacraments. 15. What is the first and fundamental doctrine of our Church? The first and fundamental doctrine of our Church is, that there is an eternal, holy and righteous God, who created and governs this world and provides for it. 16. What else does our church teach about God? Our church teaches, that this eternal, holy and righteous God revealed himself to us as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. 17. What does our church teach about man? Our Church teaches that God made our first parents (Adam and Eve) sinless, innocent, but they having wilfully disobeyed God’s command, became sinners, and through them we also, their descendants, inherited sinful human nature. 18. What was God’s gracious plan to help man’s unhappy condition ? He sent his only begotten Son to earth for the salvation of the human race, as our Lord Jesus Christ himself said: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 19. Who then redeemed us from the power of sin, death and eternal damnation? Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God. 20. How did Jesus Christ redeem us from the power of sin, death and eternal damnation? By his sinless life, His divine teachings, and by sacrificing His life for us on the cross. 21. To whom then must we pray for the forgiveness of our sins? We must pray to God, in the name of Jesus Christ and expect forgiveness of our sins through Him only. 22. What is true faith in Jesus Christ? True faith is; a hearty trust in Jesus Christ my Saviour, and obedience to His commandments. 23. What are these commandments? Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is. the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 24. How many parts are there in these commandments ? Three: 1. Thou shalt love God: 2. Thou shall love thyself, and 3. Thou shalt love thy neighbor. 25. Can you keep these commandments perfectly? I can keep them only by the help of Jesus Christ. 26. What must you avoid, if you are to be a good Christian ? Blasphemy, perjury and all sinful deeds.
