Starting on Sunday, September 12, 2021 there is a new School of Discipleship class for the Fall at Redeemer Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Austin, TX. Below is the class description, its teacher, and its schedule.
Class Description:
Have you ever wondered—“Why do I struggle so much in my life as a Christian?” The answer to your difficulties may lie with a misunderstanding of just how the Christian life actually works. In this class we will explore the Bible’s teaching on faith, repentance, justification, adoption, and sanctification. We’ll also discuss how Christians receive and extend forgiveness, how they adopt an attitude of Cross-bearing, how they engage in prayer, and how they mortify the prevailing sins of their life. Several resources will be used from Church History—Augustine’s Confessions, Luther’s Small Catechism, Calvin’s Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life, Bunyan’s Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners, and rich insights from the Heidelberg Catechism. I hope and pray that not only will your questions be answered, but you will be equipped with several tools and strategies to strengthen your Christian life.
My resources for this class–Augustine, Luther, the Heidelberg Catechism, Calvin, and Bunyan. All of these books are considered to be classics in Christian literature.
Class Instructor:
Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Serven is a longtime teacher of the Bible, Reformed theology, and the history of Christ’s Church. After a lengthy pastoral career of serving Presbyterian churches in both California and Missouri (1980-2016), Marcus and his family relocated to Austin, Texas in order to retire—but God had other plans! He now serves as the Pastor of Christian Discipleship at Redeemer Presbyterian Church and is a member of the Presbytery of South Texas (PCA). Marcus has earned degrees from the University of California at Davis (BA), Fuller Theological Seminary (MDiv), and Covenant Theological Seminary (ThM and DMin). He is an active member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Calvin Studies Society.
Class Schedule:
Sept. 12 – The Christian Life
Sept. 19 – Faith
Sept. 26 – Repentance
Oct. 3 – Justification
Oct. 10 – Adoption
Oct. 17 – Sanctification
Oct. 24 – Forgiveness
Oct. 31 – Cross-bearing
Nov. 7 – Prayer
Nov. 14 – Assurance
Nov. 21 – Union with Christ
Nov. 28 – Mortification of Sins
Dec. 5 – Word and Sacraments
I hope you can join us from week to week throughout the Fall! If you miss a Sunday, then don’t worry since I often refer back to the insights from previous lessons. We meet on Sundays at 10:15 AM in Calvin Hall (Room 206). Come early, since this is a very popular and crowded class!
“Old Town” Heidelberg on the Rhine River in Southern Germany
Written by Dr. Marcus J. Serven
Out of all the Creeds, Confessions, and Catechisms written during the time of the Protestant Reformation, the Heidelberg Catechism (1563) is the most beloved. It is loved for its brevity, its faithfulness to the Bible, and its testimony to shared human experience. Written in Heidelberg, Germany by Zacharius Ursinus (1534-1583) and Caspar Olevianus (1536-1587), it touches the core of human emotion by making numerous statements throughout that affirm the promises of God. It has especially been appreciated during times of persecution, trial, and war. It was commissioned by Prince Frederick III (1515-1576) elector of the Palatinate in Southern Germany. The people of the Netherlands came to greatly appreciate this Catechism and made it part of the “Three Forms of Unity” that are affirmed in most Dutch Reformed Churches. The “Three forms of Unity” consist of: (1) The Belgic Confession, (2) The Canons of Dort, and (3) The Heidelberg Catechism.
What is unique and special about the Heidelberg Catechism? G. I. Williamson answers with the following thoughtful explanation,
“One of the unique things about the Heidelberg Catechism is that it really is two creeds in one. Or, to say it differently, there is a creed with this creed. You see, a large part of the catechism (or creed) is simply a careful explanation of the Apostles’ Creed. The Apostles’ Creed is the earliest, or most ancient, creed of the church. And right here we see one of the most important things about a creed that is true to the Bible–it remains true down through the ages. It does not need to be changed again and again, with each generation, because it deals with things that are unchanging. Thus, an accurate creed binds the generations together. It reminds us that the church of Jesus Christ is not confined to one age, just as it is not confined to any one place. In other words, there is a unity in what Christians have believed, right down through the ages. Just think of it: when we confess our faith today in the words of the Apostles’ Creed, we join with all those believers who have gone before us. Does this not demonstrate that there is indeed just one Lord and one true faith?”
G. I. Williamson, The Heidelberg Catechism, 3
Here are the first two questions–of one hundred and twenty-nine altogether–that show forth the experiential and personally relevant character of the Heidelberg Catechism. Note the emphasis on one’s “comfort” and personal assurance in the face of the many trials and tribulations of this world.
Lord’s Day 1 – With Scripture Proofs
Zacharius Ursinus (1534-1583)
Q. 1: What is thy only comfort in life and death?
A.: That I with body and soul, both in life and death (1), am not my own (2), but belong unto my faithful Savior Jesus Christ (3); who, with His precious blood (4), hath fully satisfied for all my sins (5), and delivered me from all the power of the devil (6); and so preserves me (7) that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head (8); yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation (9), and therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life (10), and makes me sincerely willing and ready, henceforth, to live unto Him (11).
1 Cor. 6:19-20
Rom. 14:7-9
1 Cor. 3:23
1 Pet. 1:18-19
John 1:17
1 John 3:8; Heb. 2:14-15
John 6:39; John 10:28-29
Luke 21:18; Matt. 10:30
Rom. 8:28
2 Cor. 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:5
Rom. 8:14; Rom. 7:22
Caspar Olevianus (1536-1587)
Q. 2: How many things are necessary for thee to know, that thou, enjoying this comfort, mayest live and die happily?
A.: Three (1), the first, how great my sins and miseries are (2); the second, how I may be delivered from all my sins and miseries (3); the third, how I shall express my gratitude to God for such deliverance (4).
Luke 24:47
1 Cor. 6:10-11; John 9:41; Rom. 3:10, 19
John 17:3
Eph. 5:8-10
Let us, then, as students of the Bible resolve to learn the questions and answers from this historic catechism. It is an accurate summary of the teachings from the Bible. Plus, it addresses some of the most searching questions formulated by Christians who have experienced much misery and suffering. Soli Deo Gloria!
Select Bibliography:
Beeke, Joel & Sinclair Ferguson, eds. Reformed Confessions Harmonized. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1999.
Boekestein, William. The Quest for Comfort: The Story of the Heidelberg Catechism. Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2011.
Douglas, J. D. ed. The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974; Revised edition, 1978.
“Calvin, John,” by W. S. Reid
“Calvinism,” by W. S. Reid
“Genevan Catechism,” by W. S. Reid
“Catechisms,” by Colin Buchanan
“Low Countries,” by Dirk Jellema
“Olevianus, Kaspar,” by J. G. C. Norman
“Protestantism,” by David C. Steinmetz
“Reformation, The,” by Robert D. Linder
“Reformed Churches,” by W. S. Reid
“Ursinus, Zacharias,” by Marvin W. Anderson
McKim, Donald K. ed. Encyclopedia of the Reformed Faith. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1992.
“Calvin, John,” by Hughes Oliphant Olds
“Calvinism,” by W. Stanford Reid
“Dutch Reformation,” by Donald Bruggink
“Genevan Reformation,” by Robert M. Kingdon
“Heidelberg Catechism,” by Shirley C. Guthrie
“Olevianus, Kaspar,” by Lyle D. Bierma
“Ursinus, Zacharius,” by Dirk Visser
Noll, Mark A., ed. Confessions and Catechisms of the Reformation. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1991.
Williamson, G. I. The Heidelberg Catechism: A Study Guide. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishers, 1993.
Dr. Marcus J. Serven, ThM and DMin
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