WSC

The Westminster Shorter Catechism in Modern English

By

Credits

creditsThis site’s version of the WSC owes it’s beginnings, by God’s grace, to the original work of author, Rowland S. Ward, and modified for use here by Martin Eagle.

References

Wikipedia and The Center for Reformed Theology and Apologetics (reformed.org) were referenced for various excerpts on this site.

The History, Importance, and How to use pages were taken from the booklet titled, The Shorter Catechism : Why Bother? by Sinclair B. Ferguson, provided courtesy of Ligonier Ministries © 2016.

Quizzes were compiled from the PDF titled, A Brief and Easy Explanation of The Shorter Catechism, linked to on this Reformed Books Online page.

Versions of the Shorter Catechism referenced were from http://jdlblog.blogspot.com/2006/07/westminster-shorter-catechism-in.html and cross-checked with http://www.reformed.org/documents/wsc/index.html

Rowland S. Ward’s “The Westminster Confession and Catechisms in Modern English” uses a very good and relevant ‘modern’ vernacular, and so this Shorter Catechism was written using Rowland S. Ward’s text[1] and reformed.org’s scripture references.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. You may not copy or download more than 500 consecutive verses of the ESV Bible or more than one half of any book of the ESV Bible.

Copyright information and citing this resource

Please visit the Written Permission page for detailed information.

 

 

 

Endnotes

[1] Rowland S. Ward’s text means wording for questions, answers, comments and other additions. Permission to use Ward’s text, including comments, is covered by the below statement found on page 2 of his book Learning the Christian Faith : The Shorter Catechism for Today (ISBN 0 9586241 1 9).

This modernised edition of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms may be freely quoted in books, and written or electronically transmitted material for non-commercial purposes, so long as it is quoted exactly and the source identified.

Learning the Christian Faith : The Shorter Catechism for Today is available through the Reformers Bookshop here.

(A) INTRODUCTORY

Provision of Redemption

  • Questions 1 to 3: Life's Purpose and Holy Scripture

    • (B) WHAT WE ARE TO BELIEVE ABOUT GOD

  • Questions 4 to 6: The One and Triune God
  • Questions 7 to 8: God's Eternal Plan
  • Questions 9 to 10: Creation
  • Questions 11 to 12: Providence
  • Questions 13 to 19: Sin in the Human Race
  • Question 20: God's covenant of Grace

    • Christ The Mediator

  • Questions 21 to 22: The Person and natures of the Mediator
  • Questions 23 to 26: The three offices of Christ
  • Question 27: Christ's state of humiliation
  • Question 28: Christ's state of exaltation

    • Application of Redemption

  • Questions 29 to 31: God's Effective Call
  • Question 32: Benefits in this life
  • Question 33: Justification
  • Question 34: Adoption
  • Question 35: Sanctification

    • Further Benefits

  • Question 36: In this life
  • Question 37: At death
  • Question 38: At the resurrection

    • (C) THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MAN / duty of the redeemed

  • Questions 39 to 40: The Moral Law
  • Questions 41 to 42: Brief Summary
  • Questions 43 to 81: Exposition of the ten commandments
  • Questions 82 to 84: Transgression and Penalty
  • Question 85: God’s command in the gospel
  • Question 86: Faith
  • Question 87: Repentance Leading to Life
  • Question 88: The Means of Grace
  • Questions 89 to 90: The Word of God
  • Questions 91 to 93: The Sacraments
  • Questions 94 to 95: Baptism
  • Questions 96 to 97: The Lord’s Supper
  • Questions 98 to 99: Prayer
  • Questions 100 to 107: Exposition of the Lord’s Prayer