While cherished for its rich theological tone, the catechism's length and breadth could be difficult for the common man and children, so an official, shorter version was commissioned by Frederick III's son and successor, John Casimir, Count Palatine of Simmern. This "Small Heidelberg Catechism" first appeared in 1576, accompanied by a "Warning to the Reader." The text was later revised and reissued in 1585. The Small Catechism was printed alongside the standard catechism within the Church Order itself.
In 1599, Hermanus Faukelius produced a similar abridgement in the Dutch language called A Compendium of the Christian Religion. This Compendium would find official recommendation at the Synod of Dort.
The text presented here is the 1585 revsion, as found in the critical German edition Die evangelischen Kirchenordnungen des XVI. Jahrhunderts (14. Band): Kurpfalz (1969). An 1859 edition is also available with supporting biblical citations. This English translation was produced using Gemini 3 Pro and compared to the 400th anniversary edition. Question numbers are added for convenience.
This extract has not been composed with the intention of introducing a new catechism, nor of abolishing or displacing the original one. In this extract, we present not only the same Christian doctrine but also nearly the same wording as the larger catechism. We pray to Almighty God that in these troubled times He would grant us true and steadfast constancy in the saving doctrine that is grounded in the writings of the prophets and apostles.
However, because some questions in the catechism might be too long or too difficult for the common person and for young, beginning children, we have prepared this extract. It briefly comprehends the most important parts of Christian doctrine so that no one may have an excuse, and so that all households, children, and students may practice themselves in godliness and have an introduction to the catechism.
May the Father of lights, from whom alone all good gifts come, give to all heads of households and housemothers—indeed, to all of us—the diligence and zeal to love, practice, and promote the saving doctrine from the heart. Amen.
This extract or small catechism has not been conceived and newly revised with the intention of bringing a new catechism into use or of abolishing and setting aside the large one (which treats the main points of Christian doctrine in detail), for in this extract we present not only the very same doctrine but also nearly the exact words of the large catechism. And we pray from the bottom of our hearts to our faithful God that in these sorrowful, last times, amidst so many adversities which we face on the right and on the left, he would grant us a true, steadfast constancy in the sound doctrine of the Christian catechism.Â
For we can testify and say with a good conscience that in our catechism we have looked to no man’s name or writings, but have diligently endeavored that the main points of Christian doctrine, as much as is possible, be drawn and explained from the firm ground of the prophets and apostles, out of the very words that stand in the Holy Bible.Â
However, because some questions in the large catechism might seem somewhat too long for the common, simple man, as well as for the beginning youth, and some might seem too difficult, we set forth this extract and small catechism (in which, nevertheless, the most principal and necessary parts of the Christian doctrine are briefly, clearly, and orderly comprehended) several years ago, and have now newly revised it with all diligence and in the fear of God, with the counsel of God-fearing and learned people here, especially regarding the doctrine of the holy Sacraments
Given at Heidelberg, the 1st day of June, 1585.
What is your only comfort in life and in death?
That I belong—body and soul, in life and in death—not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his precious blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely set me free from all the power of the devil; therefore I am also baptized in his name and am called a Christian.
How many things must you know that you may live and die in the joy of this comfort?
Three. First, the greatness of my sin and misery. Second, how I am delivered from all my sins and misery. Third, how I am to be thankful to God for such deliverance.
From where do you know your misery?
From the Law of God.
What does the Law of God require of us?
Jesus Christ teaches this in a summary in Matthew 22: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."
Can you keep all this perfectly?
No, for I am prone by nature to hate God and my neighbor.
From where, then, does this corrupt human nature come?
From the fall and disobedience of our first parents, Adam and Eve, in Paradise; whereby our nature became so corrupt that we are all conceived and born in sin.
Will God allow such disobedience and rebellion to go unpunished?
By no means, but he will punish them in time and eternity, as he has declared: "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, and do them."
How may we escape this punishment and be again received into favor?
God requires that his justice be satisfied; either by ourselves or by another.
Can we make this payment ourselves?
By no means; on the contrary, we daily increase our debt.
 What kind of mediator and deliverer must we seek then?
One who is a true and righteous man and at the same time true God.
Who is this mediator who is at the same time true God and a true, righteous man?
Our Lord Jesus Christ, as the articles of the Christian faith teach us in a summary.
What, then, are the articles of the faith?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, his Almighty Father; from there he shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit; a holy catholic Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting, Amen.
Since there is only one divine essence, why do you name three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit?
Because God has so revealed himself in his Word, that these three distinct persons are the one, true, eternal God.
What do you believe when you say: "I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth"?
That the eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who out of nothing created heaven and earth with all that is in them, who also upholds and governs them by his providence, is for the sake of Christ his Son my God and Father, who provides me with all things necessary, and whatever evil may happen to me, he will turn to my good.
Why is the Son of God called "Jesus", which means Savior?
Because he saves us from our sins.
From where do you know and are certain that he saves you?
From the holy gospel, which is summarized in the articles of the faith.
Why then is he called "Christ", which means Anointed?
Because he is ordained by God the Father and anointed with the Holy Spirit to be our chief Prophet and Teacher, to be our only High Priest, who sacrificed himself for me and intercedes for me with the Father, and to be our eternal King, who governs me here on earth until he finally takes me to himself into eternal salvation.
What do you believe concerning the Holy Spirit?
First, that he is true and coeternal God with the Father and the Son; second, that he is also given to me as the true comforter, preparing and sanctifying me, planting and awakening in me faith in Christ, prayer, and all fruits of faith.
What do you believe concerning the forgiveness of sins?
That, for the sake of Christ's satisfaction, God will no more remember all my sins.
How are you righteous before God?
Only by true faith in Jesus Christ, through which my sins are forgiven me, so that the satisfaction of Christ alone is my righteousness before God, and I can receive it in no other way than by faith alone.
What is true faith?
A certain knowledge of the divine and fatherly will toward us, and a firm confidence in his gracious promise through Christ, our Savior.
But why cannot our good works be our righteousness before God, or a part of it?
Because even our best works in this life are imperfect and defiled with sin.
Will our good works merit nothing, even when it is God's purpose to reward them in this life, and in the future life as well?
This reward is not given out of merit, but out of grace.
What are the Sacraments?
They are visible, holy signs and seals, appended to the promise of the gospel, to assure us that God, because of the one sacrifice of Christ accomplished on the cross, graciously grants us the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Are both the Word and the Sacraments designed to direct us to the one Christ and the one ground of salvation?
Yes, indeed, for Christ's true body, given for us, is the true treasure of the gospel and of the holy Sacraments.
How many Sacraments has Christ instituted in the New Testament?
Two, holy Baptism and the holy Supper.
What then is holy Baptism?
It is not a mere bath of water, but a Sacrament or holy sign of the New Testament, which assures me that I am a member of the Christian congregation, and, as I am externally sprinkled with water, so Christ washes and cleanses me internally by his blood from all sin and gives me regeneration unto the adoption of God and unto a new life.
Where has Christ promised this?
In the institution of Baptism which runs thus: "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." "He who believes and is baptized will be saved: but he who does not believe will be condemned." This promise is also repeated where the Scriptures call baptism "the washing of regeneration" and the washing away of sins.
Are infants also to be baptized?
Yes, because they, as well as the older ones, belong in the covenant of God and his congregation.
What is the holy Supper?
It is the second Sacrament or holy sign of the New Testament, instituted for those who grow and increase in Christ, since the Lord does not merely offer bread and wine, but rather testifies and assures that he gave his body into death for us for the forgiveness of our sins, and feeds and nourishes our souls to everlasting life with this very same body and his shed blood.
How then do the words of institution read?
The holy apostle Paul relates them from the three evangelists thus: "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, 'Take, eat, this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.'" And this promise is also repeated by St. Paul, when he says: "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, many as we are, are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf."
But Christ in the institution calls the bread his body, not a sign of his body.
Because, however, he ordains a Sacrament in remembrance of him, and the Sacraments are holy signs, bread and wine are rightly called holy signs.
Are they then bare signs?
By no means, but they are such signs with which the Lord simultaneously imparts to guests at his table the heavenly gift, namely his body given for us and his shed blood.
But how can we eat Christ's body, since he has ascended into heaven?
Very well, for although he is bodily in heaven until he comes to judge the living and the dead, as the articles of faith teach us, nevertheless he is received by faith in the word of promise, and believers are certain that through his almighty Spirit they are united with him and are his members, indeed that he lives in them and they in him.
Does our faith then make the Sacrament?
No, rather Christ's ordinance and command makes the Sacrament, but faith receives the gift promised in the Sacrament, namely his body and blood, just as the hand or mouth receives the holy signs of bread and wine.
Yet Christ does not say: "take, believe", but rather: "take, eat".
"Take, eat" is spoken of that which he took into his hand and broke, namely the bread. But the promise: "this is my body, which is given for you", requires purely believing hearts and a spiritual eating and drinking of the soul.
Since we are delivered from our misery by grace through Christ without any merit of our own, why must we do good works?
Because just as Christ has purchased us with his blood, he also renews us through his Holy Spirit according to his own image, so that with our whole life we may show ourselves thankful.
Can those who do not turn to God from their unthankful, impenitent life be saved?
By no means! For, as Scripture says: No sexually immoral person, idolater, adulterer, thief, greedy person, drunkard, slanderer, robber, and the like will inherit the kingdom of God.
What is Christian repentance?
It is not only sincere sorrow and heartfelt grief over our committed sins, but also a transformation of the believing heart and conversion to God, which brings forth the true fruits of repentance, namely good works.
But what are good works?
Only those which are done out of true faith, in accordance with the Law of God, and for his glory.
How does the Law of the Lord read?
God spoke all these words:
"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me."
"You shall not make yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."
"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work; but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your manservant, or your maidservant, or your cattle, or the sojourner who is within your gates; for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it."
"Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you."
"You shall not kill."
"You shall not commit adultery."
"You shall not steal."
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."
"You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant, or his maidservant, or his ox, or his ass, or anything that is your neighbor's."
What does the Lord require in the first commandment?
That I must avoid and flee all idolatry, sorcery, magic arts, invocation of saints or other creatures.
What is idolatry?
It is to imagine or possess something in which to put one's trust in place of or beside the one true God who has revealed himself in his Word.
What does God require in the second commandment?
That we should not represent God in any way, nor worship him in any other manner than he has commanded in his Word.
What does the third commandment require?
That we do not blaspheme or abuse the name of God, not only by cursing or by perjury, but also by unnecessary oaths.
What does God require in the fourth commandment?
God requires that the gospel ministry and schools be maintained, and that I, especially on the day of rest, diligently attend the church of God.
What does God require in the fifth commandment?
That I show all honor, love, and faithfulness to my father and mother and to all who are set in authority over me.
What does God require in the sixth commandment?
By forbidding murder, God means to teach us that he abhors the root of murder, such as envy, hatred, anger, and desire for revenge, and that he regards all these as hidden murder.
What does the seventh commandment require?
That all unchastity is condemned by God; therefore he forbids all unchaste gestures, words, thoughts, desires, and whatever may excite a person to them.
What does God forbid in the eighth commandment?
He forbids not only the theft and robbery which civil authorities punish, but God also labels as theft all wicked schemes and devices by which we seek to get for ourselves our neighbor's goods.
What does the ninth commandment require?
That I am to avoid, under penalty of the severe wrath of God, all lying and deceit as the very works of the devil.
What does the tenth commandment require?
That there should never enter our heart even the least desire or thought contrary to any commandment of God.
Why, then, does God have the ten commandments preached so strictly since no one can keep them perfectly in this life?
First, that we may become increasingly aware of our sinful nature and seek righteousness in Christ; second, that we may pray to God for the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that more and more we may be renewed in the image of God.
How does the prayer read?
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever. Amen.
Why has Christ commanded us to address God: "Our Father"?
That he may awaken in us the childlike reverence and trust toward God, namely that God has become our Father through Christ.
What is the first petition?
"Hallowed be thy name." That is: grant us, that we may know thee rightly, and hallow, glorify, and praise thee in all thy works.
What is the second petition?
"Thy kingdom come." That is: govern us by thy Word and Holy Spirit.
What is the third petition?
"Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." That is: grant that we may renounce our own will and obey his will, which alone is good, without any contradiction, as the angels in heaven do.
What is the fourth petition?
"Give us this day our daily bread." That is: be pleased to provide for all our bodily needs.
What is the fifth petition?
"And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors." That is: be pleased, for the sake of Christ's blood, not to charge to us all our sins, as we also find this witness of thy grace in us, that we heartily forgive our neighbor.
What is the sixth petition?
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." That is: since the devil, the world, and our own flesh ceaselessly assail us, be pleased to preserve and strengthen us through the power of thy Holy Spirit so that we may offer them firm resistance.
What is the meaning of the little word "Amen"?
Amen means: this shall truly and certainly be.