God’s Word says yes – the Catechism says no

The Heidelberg Catechism speaks in Lord’s Day 7 (Q&A 21) about “true faith.” It defines this as: holding as true all that God has revealed in His Word. But in the very question immediately preceding the definition of “true faith” (Q&A 20), it shows itself not to believe what God has said. On the contrary: it flatly contradicts the Word. And not about a side issue, but about the very heart of the Gospel.

Question 20 of Lord’s Day 7 reads:

Are all men, then, saved by Christ as they perished in Adam?

There are two passages of Scripture where precisely this question is answered. Literally. Where Paul shows the perfect parallel between the impact and scope of the one act of Adam on the one hand, and the one act of Christ on the other.

“So then, as through one offense it is to all men to condemnation, so also through one declaration of ‘Righteous’ it is to all men to justification of life.”
— Romans 5:18 (YLT)

“For even as in Adam all die, so also in the Christ all shall be made alive, and each in his own order…”
— 1 Corinthians 15:22,23 (YLT)

Both statements are crystal clear and unambiguous. Paul leaves no room for exceptions. In other words: the answer of the Catechism to Question 20 should have been a loud and resounding YES. But what does it answer?

NO, but only those who are ingrafted into Him by a true faith…

The irony could hardly be greater. The Heidelberg categorically denies what God has revealed! While speaking of “a true faith,” it openly demonstrates a true unbelief.

Whoever truly holds everything God says to be true can give only one answer to Lord’s Day 7, Question 20: the explicit answer given in Romans and 1 Corinthians.
And “true faith” responds to that with: Amen!

Delen: