About the Book
The Westminster Shorter Catechism has long been the gold standard in reformed teaching, but the words and phrasing of the 1600s can be a little intimidating. Now you can study the Westminster Shorter Catechism in up to date language.
Understanding the Westminster Shorter Catechism in Today's Language was written to make the catechism approachable. With easy to read chapters accompanying the questions, this book lets the inspiring truths of God's Word stand front and center.
Catechism is one of the tried and proven methods for giving Christians young and old an appreciation of all that God has revealed in his Word. It follows a series of instructional questions and answers that cover the major themes of the Bible.
Understanding the Westminster Shorter Catechism in Today's Language was written to make the catechism approachable. With easy to read chapters accompanying the questions, this book lets the inspiring truths of God's Word stand front and center.
Catechism is one of the tried and proven methods for giving Christians young and old an appreciation of all that God has revealed in his Word. It follows a series of instructional questions and answers that cover the major themes of the Bible.
Readable Questions and Answers
One of the challenges of studying or memorizing the Westminster Shorter Catechism can be the language and phrasing of the questions themselves. This book includes updated language for each question and answer, making it easier to focus on the heart of the teaching rather than spending time trying to decipher it.
Original
Q33 What is justification? Justification is an act of God's free grace, wherein he pardoneth all our sins, and accepteth us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us, and received by faith alone.
Q87 What is repentance unto life? Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience. |
Updated
Q33 What is justification? Justification is the act of God’s free grace by which he pardons all our sins and accepts us as righteous in his sight, all through the righteousness of Christ which he imparts to us through faith alone.
Q87 What is repentance unto life? Repentance unto life is a saving grace by which sinners, truly aware of their sinfulness, understand the mercy of God in Christ, grieve for and hate their sin, and turn from it to God, fully intending and striving for a new obedience. |
Straightforward Format and Content
Understanding the Westminster Shorter Catechism in Today's Language covers all of the shorter catechism in sixty chapters. Each chapter begins with one to three catechism questions and answers in up to date language.
The catechism text is followed by a three or four page Bible-focused explanation of the major themes from the lesson. As one reader has commented, "The chapters not only help you understand what you're studying, they help you understand why it's important."
Each chapter concludes with follow up questions that are perfect for individual study or group discussion. They serve as both a review of the material and an opportunity to apply the lessons of the catechism personally.
The catechism text is followed by a three or four page Bible-focused explanation of the major themes from the lesson. As one reader has commented, "The chapters not only help you understand what you're studying, they help you understand why it's important."
Each chapter concludes with follow up questions that are perfect for individual study or group discussion. They serve as both a review of the material and an opportunity to apply the lessons of the catechism personally.
Ideal for Home School and Christian Education
This book was written with Christian education of all varieties in mind. Features of particular interest for secondary school educators, homeschool parents, and Christian education ministries include:
- Discussion or study questions accompanying each chapter serve both to review and to personalize what has been read. The questions are suitable for individual work or group discussion.
- The language of the book is easy to read but not juvenile. It provokes learning, but learning with an emphasis on the concepts being taught, not on the language and terminology being employed.
- The chapters are inspiring and devotional in nature, recognizing that discipleship is a spiritual exercise, not only an academic one.
- The sixty chapters can easily be covered in an academic school year which typically consists of two eighteen week semesters. Two chapters a week leaves some weeks open for complementary materials and the unexpected.
- A natural breaking point after the thirtieth chapter allows the material to be easily adapted to a two-year curriculum. Students joining a class half-way through (at chapter thirty one) will not feel out of place. Those who read only one half of the book still cover a well defined, self-contained body of material with a complete gospel message.
- Additional classroom materials are available for free download. Find out more...
Suitable for All Reformed Traditions
The Westminster Shorter Catechism is an outstanding tool for coming to know and understand Biblical truth irrespective of denominational background. But clearly there are some points on which solidly Bible-believing reformed Christians differ, a prime example being water baptism. It is the author's desire to offer a guide that believers from various backgrounds can use to train young Christians on to maturity. Rather than sidestep such issues, the author treats these as an opportunity to learn Biblical arguments from different traditions and urges the reader to discuss the matter with their church leaders. Review questions provide an opportunity for further study and encourage readers to understand the teachings of their own church.
View Table of Contents and Sample Text
Use the link below to view a PDF of the table of contents and first two chapters of the book.
firstpages_undwsctodayslanguage.pdf | |
File Size: | 269 kb |
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