06 Jun GS 1983 art 161

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ARTICLE 161 – Heidelberg Catechism (Conclusion)

Committee II presents:

A. MATERIAL – Agenda VIII, E

  • 1.  Report from the Committee on the Heidelberg Catechism (plus covering letter)
  • 2.  Letter from the Church at Brampton
  • 3.  Letter from the Church at Burlington-East
  • 4.  Letter from the Church at Burlington-South
  • 5.  Letter from the Church at Carman
  • 6.  Letter from the Church at Chatham
  • 7.  Letter from the Church at Chilliwack
  • 8.  Letter from the Church at Cloverdale (see C,8)
  • 9.  Letter from the Church at Smithers (see C,10)

B.  OBSERVATIONS

  • Synod 1980 gave the Committee the following mandate:
    • a.   To complete the “Draft Translation 1979,” considering the comments received from Rev. S. DeBruin, the Church at London, Ontario, the Church at Barr­head. Alberta, and to use the following guidelines:
      • i  to make use of the first and second draft translation and the present English text, taking as basis the German and Latin of 1563 and the Dutch text of 1611.
      • ii  to replace the difficult and archaic words and expressions, if proper equivalents are available in today’s English;
      • iii  to restructure. with discrimination, sentences which are too complicated, into positive and separate sentences which directly answer the question.
    • b.   To submit its final draft translation to a panel of three English language ex­perts before submitting it to the Churches. with the understanding that this panel is to be appointed by the Committee and must include one of its members.
    • c.   To submit to the Churches the (revised and completed) “Draft Translation 1979″ together with reference notes where needed and invite comments to be submitted to the Committee before November 1, 1982.
    • d.   To submit their report with recommendations to Synod 1983.
    • e.   To establish what the original proof texts are and to see whether the selec­tion can be improved by replacing, deleting and/or adding and to include them in the “Draft Translation 1979.”
    • f.    To provide an index to cross-reference the Three Forms of Unity.
  • 2.  The Committee has been able to complete is mandate, although it has not been able to keep the time schedule set out by the mandate. Since the Committee members had obligations in other Synodical Committees and since the work required many weekly meetings, the Committee had to present its report some­ what late.
  • 3.  Owing to a late start and the amount of time required to complete the mandate, the Committee was not able to invite comments and to evaluate them before making their final report. However, the numerous comments, previously given to past Committees, as well as the comments, mentioned in the mandate, were all evaluated.
  • 4.  With respect to the individual questions and answers Synod received a great number of comments, suggestions and objections from Churches and Church members.
  • 5.  Re Answer 76 the Committee writes: “The Committee received comments sug­gesting the elimination of “sacred body” and “we are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bones” Though “sacred body” presents no heresy and points to the union with the Holy One, it has a R. C. ring to it, it was said “We are flesh of His flesh and bone of His bone” was based on a text in Eph. 5:31 but it is now regarded as a later addition and modern translations do not include it. The Committee feels that the General Synod should decide on these matters.
  • 6.  Re Answer 103 the Committee writes: “The feast day” is according to the Ger­man (“am feiertag” ) and the Latin (“testis diebus”) texts. We kept to the singular (German text) instead of the plural (Latin text) in order to prevent misunderstand­ings (cl. Art. 67, C.O. about “the feast days”).
  • 7.  The Church at Chatham would like to see the question repeated in the answers of all the Lord’s Days or leave out the repeat of the question in the answers of all Lord’s Days for the sake of consistency.
  • 8.  The Church at Chatham is pleased with the removal of the word “then” from Q. & A.15 and asks Synod to consider removing “then” from Q. & A’s 6, 7, 9 and 22 as well.
  • 9.  The Church at Burlington-South finds that the new translation is very inconsis­tent when changing some of the Catechism’s terminology and considers this new translation in several places very stilted and in no way an improvement over the translation presently used by our Churches.

C.  CONSIDERATIONS

  • 1.  The Committee has completed its mandate, but was not able to invite and eval­uate comments from the Churches, before making its final report.
  • 2.  The Committee recommends that the text of the Catechism be adopted for use by the Churches.
  • 3.  The Committee recommends that the list of proof texts be approved by Synod for use by the Churches as an aid in the understanding and usage of the Hei­delberg Catechism.
  • 4.  The Committee recommends that the proposed Cross-References be adopted and included in the new Church Book as an aid in the usage of the Confessions.
  • 5.  A great number of comments. received from Churches and Church members has to be evaluated by Synod, before the final report can be adopted.
  • 6.  Alter evaluation of the various comments, the Advisory Committee came to the conclusion that the following emendations should be implemented in the final text of the Heidelberg Catechism. The emendations are numbered  according to the pertinent questions and answers of the Catechism.
    • Q. & A. 1 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood…”
    • Q. & A. 6 The Church at Burlington-East and the Church at Brampton propose to re­ place the word “as” by “in” and read “in His Image.”
    • Q. & A. 7 The Church at Chatham proposes to read “From where did man’s depraved nature come?” The Advisory Committee proposes to add the word “then” and read “From where then did man’s depraved nature come?”
    • Q. & A. 8 The Advisory Committee proposes to replace the words “born again” by “regenerated.”
    • Q. & A. 9 The Church at Chatham proposes to eliminate the word “not” and read “Is God, then unjust.”
    • Q. & A. 10 The Advisory Committee proposes to add the word “for” and read “No. for God so created man.”
    • Q. & A. 10 The Church at Carman proposes to read “our actual sins.” The Church at Chatham proposes to read “Therefore He will punish them by a just judgment both now and in the age to come.”
    • Q. & A. 12 The Church at Brampton proposes to rep lace the words “punishment both now and in the age to come” by the expression “temporal and eternal pun­ishment.”
    • Q. & A. 19 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “From the holy gospel which God Himself.”
    • Q. & A. 21 The Church at Chatham proposes to rephrase “to me also” by “also to me.”
    • Q. & A. 22 The Church at Chatham proposes to delete the word “then” in the ques­tion, and read “What must a Christi an believe.”
    • Q & A. 23 The Church at Chatham proposes to insert the word “begotten” and “Chris­tian” and to make the punctuation consistent with that presented in the Acts of Synod 1980.
    • Q. & A. 31 The Church at Chatham proposes to read instead of the expression “by the Holy Spirit” the phrase “with the Holy Spirit.”
    • Q. & A. 32 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “Because I am a member of Christ by faith and thus a shareholder in His anointing, so that I may as prophet confess His Name as priest.” The Ad­visory Committee proposes to read “Because I am a member of Christ by faith and thus I share in His anointing. so that I may as prophet confess His name. as priest”
    • Q. & A. 33 The Church at Chatham proposes to insert also here the word “begotten.” Q, & A. 37 The Church at Carman proposes to read instead of “His whole life on earth” “all the time He lived on earth.”
    • Q. & A. 39 The Church at Carman proposes to change the expression “a crucified one” in “the death of the cross” (was cursed by God).
    • Q. & A. 40 The Church at Carman proposes to replace the phrase “payment for our sins” by the word “satisfaction.”
    • Q. & A. 44 The Church at Chatham proposes to change “sorrows and temptations” into “temptations and sorrows.”
    • Q. & A. 52 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “He
    • will cast all His and my enemies into everlasting condemnation. but He will take me and all His chosen ones to Himself into heavenly joy and glory.”
    • Q. & A. 53 The Church at Carma n proposes to insert the word “along” and read “He is. along with the Father…” The Advisory Committee proposes to read “He is together with the Father.”
    • Q. & A. 53 The Church at Chatham proposes to rephrase the words “share, by true faith, in Christ…” as “by true faith share in Christ”
    • Q. & A. 54 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “a Church chosen to everlasting life. Moreover, I believe that I am and for­ ever shall remain a living member of it.” The Advisory Committee proposes to delete the word “moreover” and read “a Church chosen to everlasting life. I believe that I am and forever shall remain a living member of it. “
    • Q. & A. 56 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “I believe that God, because of Christ’s satisfaction, will no more remember my sins, nor my sinful nature, against which I have to struggle all my life, but will graciously grant me the righteousness of Christ so that I may never come into condemnation.”
    • Q. & A. 57 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “this my body.”
    • Q. & A. 60 The Church at Burlington-South proposes to replace the phrase “all I need to do is accept” by “If only I accept.”
    • Q. & A 61 The Church at Burlington-South proposes to change the words “make it mine” into “make it my own.”
    • Q. & A. 62 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “whereas even our best works.”
    • Q. & A. 66 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “They were instituted by God that by their use He might the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel. And this is the promise that God graciously.”
    • Q. & A. 69 The Church at Chatham proposes to read, instead of “remind and assure you” “signify and seal to you.”
    • Q. & A. 75 The Church at Carman proposes to change the expression “remind and assure you” into “signify and seal to you.”
    • Q. & A. 78 The Advisory Committee proposes to replace the word “language” by “usage” and read “the nature and usage of sacraments.”
    • Q. & A. 78 The Church at Chatham proposes to change “so too the bread” into “so also the bread.”
    • Q. & A. 79 The Church at Carman proposes to replace the phrase “are true food and drink of our souls” by “are true food and drink for our souls…”
    • Q. & A 80 The Church at Carman proposes to replace “declares” by “testify.”
    • Q. & A. 84 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “Ac­cording to the command of Christ, the kingdom of heaven is opened when it is proclaimed and publicly testified to each and every believer by a true faith…” The kingdom of heaven is closed when it is proclaimed.”
    • Q. & A. 84 The Church at Chatham proposes to change “the testimony” into “this testimony.”
    • Q. & A. 86 The Church at Brampton proposes to replace the phrase “we may win our neighbour for Christ” by “our neighbour may be won for Christ.”
    • Q. & A. 91 The Advisory Committee proposes to change the expression “human tradi­tion” into “precepts of men.”
    • Q. & A. 92 The Church at Chatham proposes to insert the words “to them” in “bow down to them or serve them.”
    • Q. & A. 93 The Advisory Committee proposes to read “Into two tables” instead of “In­ to two parts. “
    • Q. & A. 93 The Church at Carman proposes to insert the word “duties” in “what duties we owe our neighbour.”
    • Q. & A 103 The Churches at Chilliwack and Carman propose to replace the expres­sion “feast day” by “day of rest” and the Churches at Brampton and Smithers propose to read “the Lord’s Day.” The Advisory Committee pro­ poses to use the expression “day of rest” (see Recommendations 8).
    • Q. & A. 108 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “and live chaste and disciplined lives.”
    • Q. & A. 115 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “more and more become aware of our sinful nature and therefore seek more eagerly the forgiveness of sins…renew us after God’s image.”
    • Q. & A. 120 The Church at Chatham proposes to change the phrase ‘which should be basic to our prayer” into “which should be the basis of our prayer.”
    • Q. & A. 120 The Advisory Committee proposes to delete the word “human” and to read “than our fathers refuse us earthly things.”
    • Q. & A. 125 The Church at Cloverdale proposes the following sentence restructure “Grant, therefore, that we may withdraw our trust from all creatures and place it only in Thee.”
    • Q. & A. 126 The Church at Chatham proposes to omit the words “that we are” in the expression “wretched sinners that we are.”
    • Q. & A. 127 The Churches at Burlington-South and Carman propose to replace the word win” by “obtain” (the complete victory).
  • 7.   Re Answer 76. The Advisory Committee is of the opinion that the expressions “sacred body” and “flesh of His flesh and bones of His bones” are proper translations of the original German text of the Heidelberg Catechism. The Advisory Committee agrees with the Committee that these expressions point to the unity between Christ and His Church. Although this expression is not found in the present translation of Eph. 5:31. it is found in Gen. 2:23, to which Eph. 5 refers. Therefore the Advisory Committee considers it correct to maintain these expres­sions in the Heidelberg Catechism.
  • 8.   Re Answer 103. The Advisory Committee is of the opinion that the request from the Churches should be granted, to replace the expression “feast day” by “day of rest.” The original German word “feiertag” can be translated by “feast day” as well as by “day of rest.” However, we are faced nowadays with a growing tendency to reduce the Day of the LORD to a feast day, apart from the com­mandment of the LORD to rest (“a sabbath to the LORD. your God; in it you shall not do any work” ). In this situation it is preferable and warranted to retain the word “day of rest” in the Heidelberg Catechism.
  • 9.   The Advisory Committee does not agree with the Church at Chatham that the questions either should be repeated in all the answers or should be left out of all the answers.
  • 10.   The request of the Church at Chatham to remove the word “then” should be granted with respect to answer 22 but not as far as the answers 6, 7 and 9 are concerned.
  • 11 The Advisory Committee is of the opinion that the rest of the comments and amendments (56 out of 106) should not be implemented in the final text of the Heidelberg Catechism.

D. RECOMMENDATIONS

Synod decide:

  • 1.  to thank the Committee for the Translation of the Heidelberg Catechism for the faithful completion of its mandate:
  • ADOPTED
  • 2.   to adopt provisionally the text of the Heidelberg Catechism as proposed by the Committee, with the following amendments, numbered according to the perti­nent questions and answers of the Heidelberg Catechism:
    • Q. & A. 1 Read “I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 6 Replace the word “as” by “in” and read “in His Image…”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 7 Read “From where then did man’s depraved nature come?”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q.  & A. 8 Replace the words “born again” by “regenerated”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q.  & A. 9 Eliminate the word “not” and read “Is God, then, unjust.”
      • REJECTED
    • Q.  & A. 10 Add the word “for” and read “No, for God so created man.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 10 Read “our actual sins.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Read “Therefore He will punish them by a just judgment both now and eternally.
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 12 Replace the words “punishment both now and in the age to come” by the expression “temporal  and eternal punishment.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A 19 Read “From the holy gospel which God Himself.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 21 Rephrase “to me also” by “also to me.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 22 Delete the word “then” in the question, and read “What must a Christian believe?”
      • DEFEATED
    • Q. & A. 23 Insert the word “begotten” and “Christian” and to make the punctuation consistent with that presented in the Acts of Synod 1980.
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 31 Read instead of the expression “by the Holy Spirit” the phrase “with the Holy Spirit.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 32 Read “Because I am a member of Christ by faith and thus share in His anointing, so that I may as prophet confess His name, as priest.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 33 Insert also here the word “begotten.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 37 Read instead of “His whole life on earth”, “all the time He lived on earth.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 39 Change the expression “a crucified one” into “the death of the cross” (was cursed by God).
      • DEFEATED
    • Q. & A. 40 Replace the phrase “payment for our sins” by the word “satisfaction.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 44 Change “sorrows and temptations” into “temptations and sorrows.”
      • DEFEATED
    • Q. & A. 52 Read “He will cast all His and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but He will take me and all His chosen ones to Himself into heavenly joy and glory.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 53 Read “He is, together with the Father.
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 53 Rephrase the words “share, by true faith, in Christ…” as “by true faith share in Christ…”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 54 Read “a Church chosen to everlasting life. I believe that I am and forever shall remain a living member of it.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 56 Read “I believe that God, because of Christ’s satisfaction, will no more remember my sins, nor my sinful nature, against which I have to struggle all my life, but will graciously grant me the righteousness of Christ so that I may never come into condemnation.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 57 Read “this my body.”
      • DEFEATED
    • Q. & A. 60 Replace the phrase “all I need to do is to accept” by “If only I accept”
    • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 61 Change the words “make it mine” into “make it my own.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q.  & A. 62 Read “whereas even our best works.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 66 Read “they were instituted by God that by their use He might the more fully declare and seal to us the promise of the gospel. And this is the prom­ise: that God graciously.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 69 Read instead of “remind and assure you” “signify and seal to you.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A.  75 Change the expression “remind and assure you” into “signify and seal to you.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q.  & A. 78 Replace the word “language” by “usage” and read “the nature and usage of sacraments.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 78 Change “so too the bread” into “so also the bread”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 79 Replace the phrase “are true food and drink of our souls” by “are true food and drink for our souls.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 80 Replace “declares” by “testify.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 84 Read “According to the command of Christ, the kingdom of heaven is open­ ed when it is proclaimed and publicly testified to each and every believer…by a true faith…The kingdom of heaven is closed when it is proclaimed.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 84 Change “the testimony” into “this testimony.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 86 Replace the phrase “we may win our neighbour for Christ” by “our neighbour may be won for Christ.”
      • DEFEATED
    • Q. &A. 91 Change the expression “human tradition” into “precepts of men.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 92 Insert the words “to them” in “bow down to them or serve them.”
      • ADOPTED
    • a. & A. 93 Read “Into two tables” instead of “into two parts.”
      • DEFEATED
    • Q & A. 93 Insert the word “duties” in “what duties we owe our neighbour.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 103 Use the expression “day of rest.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 108 Read “and live chaste and disciplined lives.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 115 Read “more and more become aware of our sinful nature and therefore seek more eagerly the forgiveness of sins, renew us after God’s image.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 120 Change the phrase “which should be basic to our prayer” into “which should be the basis of our prayer.”
      • DEFEATED
    • Q. & A. 120 Delete the word “human” and to read “than our fathers would refuse us earthly things.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 125 Read “Grant, therefore, that we may withdraw our trust from all creatures and place it only in Thee.”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 126 Omit the words “that we are” in the expression “wretched sinners that we are”
      • ADOPTED
    • Q. & A. 127 Replace the word “win” by “obtain” (the complete victory).
      • ADOPTED
  • 3.   to adopt the list of proof texts for use by the Churches as an aid in the under­ standing and usage of the Heidelberg Catechism;
    • ADOPTED
  • 4.  to adopt the proposed Cross-References as an aid in the usage of the Confessions;
    • ADOPTED
  • 5.  to include the revised text of the Heidelberg Catechism with proof texts and the Index of Cross-References in the Book of Praise for use by the Churches, after it has been linguistically scrutinized.
  • The discussion on the Report of Committee II on the revision of the Heidelberg Catechism is continued and concluded.
  • The Heidelberg Catechism is adopted as amended.
  • Adopted are also the Recommendations D. 1, 3, 4, and 5.

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