{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_1670/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_1670","id":"gutenberg_1670","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1670","summary":null,"tags":["Category: History - Early Modern (c. 1450-1750)","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Category: Teaching & Education","Christianity","Lutheran Church -- Catechisms -- English"],"text":"Luther's Little Instruction Book:\nThe Small Catechism of Martin Luther\n\nTranslation by Robert E. Smith From the German text, printed in:\nTriglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Ev. Lutheran Church.\nSt. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, pp. 538-559.\n\nNote: This version of the Small Catechism is under continuous\nrevision. Please check your source for this file from time to time to\nobtain updated versions of this text.\n\nFort Wayne, Indiana: Project Wittenberg, 2004\n\nI. The Ten Commandments\nThe Simple Way a Father Should Present Them to His Household\n\nThe First Commandment\n\nYou must not have other gods. (Exodus 20:3)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear, love, and trust God more than anything else.\n\nThe Second Commandment\n\nYou must not misuse your God's name. (Exodus 20:7)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear and love God, so that we will not use His name to curse,\nswear, cast a spell, lie or deceive, but will use it to call upon Him,\npray to Him, praise Him and thank Him in all times of trouble.\n\nThe Third Commandment\n\nYou must keep the Sabbath holy. (Exodus 20:8)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear and love God, so that we will not look down on preaching\nor God's Word, but consider it holy, listen to it willingly, and learn\nit.\n\nThe Fourth Commandment\n\nYou must honor your father and mother. [So that things will go well for\nyou and you will live long on earth]. (Exodus 20:12)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear and love God, so that we will neither look down on our\nparents or superiors nor irritate them, but will honor them, serve\nthem, obey them, love them and value them.\n\nThe Fifth Commandment\n\nYou must not kill. (Exodus 20:13)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear and love God, so that we will neither harm nor hurt our\nneighbor's body, but help him and care for him when he is ill.\n\nThe Sixth Commandment\n\nYou must not commit adultery. (Exodus 20:14)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear and love God, so that our words and actions will be clean\nand decent and so that everyone will love and honor their spouses.\n\nThe Seventh Commandment\n\nYou must not steal. (Exodus 20:15)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear and love God, so that we will neither take our neighbor's\nmoney or property, nor acquire it by fraud or by selling him poorly\nmade products, but will help him improve and protect his property and\ncareer.\n\nThe Eighth Commandment\n\nYou must not tell lies about your neighbor. (Exodus 20:16 )\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear and love God, so that we will not deceive by lying,\nbetraying, slandering or ruining our neighbor's reputation, but will\ndefend him, say good things about him, and see the best side of\neverything he does.\n\nThe Ninth Commandment\n\nYou must not desire your neighbor's house. (Exodus 20:17)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear and love God, so that we will not attempt to trick our\nneighbor out of his inheritance or house, take it by pretending to have\na right to it, etc. but help him to keep & improve it.\n\nThe Tenth Commandment\n\nYou must not desire your neighbor's wife, servant, maid, animals or\nanything that belongs to him. (Exodus 20:17)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe must fear and love God, so that we will not release our neighbor's\ncattle, take his employees from him or seduce his wife, but urge them\nto stay and do what they ought to do.\n\nThe Conclusion to the Commandments\n\nWhat does God say to us about all these commandments?\n\nThis is what He says:\n\"I am the Lord Your God. I am a jealous God. I plague the grandchildren\nand great-grandchildren of those who hate me with their ancestor's sin.\nBut I make whole those who love me for a thousand generations.\" (Exodus\n20:5)\n\nWhat does it mean?\n\nGod threatens to punish everyone who breaks these commandments. We\nshould be afraid of His anger because of this and not violate such\ncommandments. But He promises grace and all good things to those who\nkeep such commandments. Because of this, we, too, should love Him,\ntrust Him, and willingly do what His commandments require.\n\nII. The Creed\nThe Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household\n\nThe First Article\nOn Creation\n\nI believe in God the Almighty Father, Creator of Heaven and Earth.\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nI believe that God created me, along with all creatures. He gave to me:\nmy body and soul, my eyes, ears and all the other parts of my body, my\nmind and all my senses. He preserves them as well. He gives me clothing\nand shoes, food and drink, house and land, wife and children, fields,\nanimals and all I own. Every day He abundantly provides everything I\nneed to nourish this body and life. He protects me against all danger.\nhe shields and defends me from all evil. He does all this because of\nHis pure, fatherly and divine goodness and His mercy, not because I've\nearned it or deserved it. For all of this, I must thank Him, praise\nHim, serve Him and obey Him. Yes, this is true!\n\nThe Second Article\nOn Redemption\n\nAnd in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the\nHoly Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,\nwas crucified, died and was buried, descended to Hell, on the third day\nrose again from the dead, ascended to Heaven and sat down at the right\nhand of God the Almighty Father. From there He will come to judge the\nliving and the dead.\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nI believe that Jesus Christ is truly God, born of the Father in\neternity and also truly man, born of the Virgin Mary. He is my Lord! He\nredeemed me, a lost and condemned person, bought and won me from all\nsins, death and the authority of the Devil. It did not cost Him gold or\nsilver, but His holy, precious blood, His innocent body--His death!\nBecause of this, I am His very own, will live under Him in His kingdom\nand serve Him righteously, innocently and blessedly forever, just as He\nis risen from death, lives and reigns forever. Yes, this is true.\n\nThe Third Article\nOn Becoming Holy\n\nI believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the community\nof the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,\nand an everlasting life. Amen.\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nI believe that I cannot come to my Lord Jesus Christ by my own\nintelligence or power. But the Holy Spirit called me by the Gospel,\nenlightened me with His gifts, made me holy and kept me in the true\nfaith, just as He calls, gathers together, enlightens and makes holy\nthe whole Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus in the one, true\nfaith. In this Church, He generously forgives each day every sin\ncommitted by me and by every believer. On the last day, He will raise\nme and all the dead from the grave. He will give eternal life to me and\nto all who believe in Christ. Yes, this is true!\n\nIII. The Our Father\nThe Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household\n\nIntroduction\n\nOur Father, Who is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:9)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nIn this introduction, God invites us to believe that He is our real\nFather and we are His real children, so that we will pray with trust\nand complete confidence, in the same way beloved children approach\ntheir beloved Father with their requests.\n\nThe First Request\n\nMay Your name be holy. (Matthew 6:9)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nOf course, God's name is holy in and of itself, but by this request, we\npray that He will make it holy among us, too.\n\nHow does this take place?\n\nIt happens when God's Word is taught clearly and purely, and when we\nlive holy lives as God's children based upon it. Help us, Heavenly\nFather, to do this! But anyone who teaches and lives by something other\nthan God's Word defiles God's name among us. Protect us from this,\nHeavenly Father!\n\nThe Second Request\n\nYour Kingdom come. (Matthew 6:10)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nTruly God's Kingdom comes by itself, without our prayer. But we pray in\nthis request that it come to us as well.\n\nHow does this happen?\n\nIt happens when the Heavenly Father gives us His Holy Spirit, so that\nwe believe His holy Word by His grace and live godly lives here in this\nage and there in eternal life.\n\nThe Third Request\n\nMay Your will be accomplished. As it is Heaven, so may it be on Earth.\n(Matthew 6:10)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nTruly, God's good and gracious will is accomplished without our prayer.\nBut we pray in this request that is accomplished among us as well.\n\nHow does this happen?\n\nIt happens when God destroys and interferes with every evil will and\nall evil advice, which will not allow God's Kingdom to come, such as\nthe Devil's will, the world's will and will of our bodily desires. It\nalso happens when God strengthens us by faith and by His Word and keeps\nus living by them faithfully until the end of our lives. This is His\nwill, good and full of grace.\n\nThe Fourth Request\n\nGive us today our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nTruly, God gives daily bread to evil people, even without our prayer.\nBut we pray in this request that He will help us realize this and\nreceive our daily bread with thanksgiving.\n\nWhat does \"Daily bread\" mean?\n\nEverything that nourishes our body and meets its needs, such as: Food,\ndrink, clothing, shoes, house, yard, fields, cattle, money,\npossessions, a devout spouse, devout children, devout employees, devout\nand faithful rulers, good government, good weather, peace, health,\ndiscipline, honor, good friends, faithful neighbors and other things\nlike these.\n\nThe Fifth Request\n\nAnd forgive our guilt, as we forgive those guilty of sinning against\nus. (Matthew 6:12)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe pray in this request that our Heavenly Father will neither pay\nattention to our sins nor refuse requests such as these because of our\nsins and because we are neither worthy nor deserve the things for which\nwe pray. Yet He wants to give them all to us by His grace, because many\ntimes each day we sin and truly deserve only punishment. Because God\ndoes this, we will, of course, want to forgive from our hearts and\nwillingly do good to those who sin against us.\n\nThe Sixth Request\n\nAnd lead us not into temptation. (Matthew 6:12)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nGod tempts no one, of course, but we pray in this request that God will\nprotect us and save us, so that the Devil, the world and our bodily\ndesires will neither deceive us nor seduce us into heresy, despair or\nother serious shame or vice, and so that we will win and be victorious\nin the end, even if they attack us.\n\nThe Seventh Request\n\nBut set us free from the Evil One. ( Matthew 6:12)\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nWe pray in this request, as a summary, that our Father in Heaven will\nsave us from every kind of evil that threatens body, soul, property and\nhonor. We pray that when at last our final hour has come, He will grant\nus a blessed death, and, in His grace, bring us to Himself from this\nvalley of tears.  Amen\n\nWhat does this mean?\n\nThat I should be certain that such prayers are acceptable to the Father\nin Heaven and will be granted, that He Himself has commanded us to pray\nin this way and that He promises to answer us. Amen. Amen. This means:\nYes, yes it will happen this way.\n\nIV. The Sacrament of Holy Baptism\nThe Simple Way a Father Should Present it to His Household\n\nWhat is Baptism?\n\nBaptism is not just plain water, but it is water contained within God's\ncommand and united with God's Word.\n\nWhere in the Word of God is this?\n\nWhere our Lord Christ spoke in the last chapter of Matthew (Matthew\n28:19):\n\"Go into all the world, teaching all heathen nations, and baptizing\nthem in the name of the Father, the Son and of the Holy Spirit.\"\n\nWhat does Baptism give? What good is it?\n\nIt gives us the forgiveness of sins, redeems us from death and the\nDevil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, just as\nGod's words and promises declare.\n\nWhat are these words and promises of God?\n\nOur Lord Christ spoke one of them in the last chapter of Mark (Mark\n16:16):\n\"Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; but whoever does not\nbelieve will be damned.\"\n\nHow can water do such great things?\n\nWater doesn't make these things happen, of course. It is God's Word,\nwhich is with and in the water. Because, without God's Word, the water\nis plain water and not baptism. But with God's Word it is a Baptism, a\ngrace-filled water of life, a bath of new birth in the Holy Spirit, as\nSt. Paul said to Titus in the third chapter (Titus 3:5-8):\n\"Through this bath of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which He\npoured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that we,\njustified by the same grace are made heirs according to the hope of\neternal life. This is a faithful saying.\"\n\nWhat is the meaning of such a water Baptism?\n\nIt means that the old Adam in us should be drowned by daily sorrow and\nrepentance, and die with all sins and evil lusts, and, in turn, a new\nperson daily come forth and rise from death again. He will live forever\nbefore God in righteousness and purity.\n\nWhere is this written?\n\nSt. Paul says to the Romans in Chapter Six (Romans 6:4):\n\"We are buried with Christ through Baptism into death, so that, in the\nsame way Christ is risen from the dead by the glory of the Father, thus\nalso must we walk in a new life.\"\n\nV. How You Should Teach the Uneducated to Confess\n\nWhat is confession?\n\nConfession has two parts: First, a person admits his sin Second, a\nperson receives absolution or forgiveness from the confessor, as if\nfrom God Himself, without doubting it, but believing firmly that his\nsins are forgiven by God in Heaven through it.\n\nWhich sins should people confess?\n\nWhen speaking to God, we should plead guilty to all sins, even those we\ndon't know about, just as we do in the \"Our Father,\" but when speaking\nto the confessor, only the sins we know about, which we know about and\nfeel in our hearts.\n\nWhich are these?\n\nConsider here your place in life according to the Ten Commandments. Are\nyou a father? A mother? A son? A daughter? A husband? A wife? A\nservant? Are you disobedient, unfaithful or lazy? Have you hurt anyone\nwith your words or actions? Have you stolen, neglected your duty, let\nthings go or injured someone?\n\nPlease suggest to me a simple way to confess.\n\nYou should speak to your confessor this way:\n\nHonorable, dear Sir: Would you please hear my confession and pronounce\nforgiveness according to God's will.\n\nHe will respond: Yes. Please go ahead.\n\nThen say:\nI confess in the presence of God that I am a poor sinner and guilty of\nevery kind of sin. I specifically admit to you that I am a servant,\nmaid, etc., but I'm afraid that I have served my master unfaithfully.\n>From time to time, I have not done what I was told to do. I have\nangered them and caused them to swear at me. I have neglected my duty\nand allowed damage to be done. My words and actions have been shameful.\nI have been angry with my peers. I have complained about my master's\nwife and sworn at her, etc. I am sorry for all of this and ask for\ngrace. I want to do better.\n\nA master or a lady of the house should speak this way:\nI specifically confess to you that I have not faithfully led my\nchildren, servants or wife to God's glory. I have cursed. I have set a\nbad example with my obscene words and actions. I have hurt my neighbor\nand spoken evil things about him. I have charged him too much, cheated\nhim and sold him badly made goods.\n\nLet him also confess any other sins against God's commandments and his\nplace in life, etc.\n\nIf a person is not burdened with sins such as these or greater sins, he\nshould not look for other sins or invent them, because that would turn\nconfession into torture. Instead, he should mention one or two that he\nknows about. For example: specifically I confess that I once cursed.\nOnce I used inappropriate language. Once I neglected to do this or that\nthing, etc. Let that be enough.\n\nIf you do not know of anything you have done wrong (which does not seem\npossible), do not say anything in specific, but receive forgiveness\nbased upon the general confession you make to God in the presence of\nyour confessor.\n\nAfter this, the Confessor will say:\nMay God be merciful to you and strengthen your faith!\n\nThen he will ask:\nDo you also believe that the forgiveness I give is God's forgiveness?\n\nThen you will answer:\nYes, dear sir.\n\nAfter this, he will say:\nMay what you believe happen to you. And by the command of my Lord\nJesus, I forgive your sins in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy\nSpirit. Amen. Go in peace! The confessor will know how to use\nadditional passages to comfort and to encourage the faith of those who\nsorrow, are troubled or whose conscience is greatly burdened. This is\nonly meant to be a general confession for the uneducated.\n\nVI. The Sacrament of the Altar\nThe Simple Way a Father Should Present it to his Household\n\nWhat is the Sacrament of the Altar?\n\nIt is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under bread and\nwine for us Christians to eat and to drink, established by Christ\nHimself.\n\nWhere is that written?\n\nThe holy apostles Matthew, Mark and Luke and St. Paul write this:\n\"Our Lord Jesus Christ, in the night on which He was betrayed, took\nbread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to His disciples and said: 'Take!\nEat! This is My body, which is given for you. Do this to remember Me!'\nIn the same way He also took the cup after supper, gave thanks, gave it\nto them, and said: 'Take and drink from it, all of you! This cup is the\nNew Testament in my blood, which is shed for you to forgive sins. This\ndo, as often as you drink it, to remember Me!'\"\n\nWhat good does this eating and drinking do?\n\nThese words tell us: \"Given for you\" and \"Shed for you to forgive\nsins.\" Namely, that the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation are\ngiven to us through these words in the sacrament. Because, where sins\nare forgiven, there is life and salvation as well.\n\nHow can physical eating and drinking do such great things?\n\nOf course, eating and drinking do not do these things. These words,\nwritten here, do them: \"given for you\" and \"shed for you to forgive\nsins.\" These words, along with physical eating and drinking are the\nimportant part of the sacrament. Anyone who believes these words has\nwhat they say and what they record, namely, the forgiveness of sins.\n\nWho, then, receives such a sacrament in a worthy way?\n\nOf course, fasting and other physical preparations are excellent\ndisciplines for the body. But anyone who believes these words, \"Given\nfor you,\" and \"Shed for you to forgive sins,\" is really worthy and well\nprepared. But whoever doubts or does not believe these words is not\nworthy and is unprepared, because the words, \"for you\" demand a heart\nthat fully believes.\n\nAppendix I\nHow a Father Should Teach His Household\nto Conduct Morning and Evening Devotions.\n\nMorning Devotions\n\nAs soon as you get out of bed in the morning, you should bless yourself\nwith the sign of the Holy Cross and say:\n\nMay the will of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be done!\nAmen.\nThen, kneeling or standing, say the creed and pray the Lord's Prayer.\nIf you wish, you may then pray this little prayer as well:\nMy Heavenly Father, I thank You, through Jesus Christ, Your beloved\nSon, that You kept me safe from all evil and danger last night. Save\nme, I pray, that you will keep me safe today from every evil and sin as\nwell,, so that all I do and the way that I live will please you. I put\nmyself in your care, body and soul and all that I have. Let Your holy\nAngels be with me, so that the evil enemy will not gain power over me.\nAmen.\nAfter that, with joy go about your work and perhaps sing a song\ninspired by the Ten Commandments or your own thoughts.\n\nEvening Devotions\n\nWhen you go to bed in the evening, you should bless yourself with the\nsign of the Holy Cross and say:\nMay the will of God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be done!\nAmen.\nThen, kneeling or standing, say the creed and pray the Lord's Prayer.\nIf you wish, then you may pray this little prayer as well:\nMy Heavenly Father, I thank You, through Jesus Christ, Your beloved\nSon, that You have protected me, by Your grace. Forgive, I pray, all my\nsins and the evil I have done. Protect me, by Your grace, tonight. I\nput myself in your care, body and soul and all that I have. Let Your\nholy angels be with me, so that the evil enemy will not gain power over\nme. Amen.\n\nAfter this, go to sleep immediately with joy.\n\nAppendix II\nHow a Father Should Teach His Household\nto say Grace and Return Thanks at Meals:\n\nThe Blessing\n\nThe children and servants should come to the table modestly and with\nfolded hands and say:\nAll eyes look to you, O Lord, and You give everyone food at the right\ntime. You open Your generous hands and satisfy the hunger of all living\nthings with what they desire. (Psalm 145:15-16)\nNote: \"What they desire\" means that all animals get so much to eat,\nthat they are happy and cheerful. Because, worry and greed interferes\nwith such desires.\nAfter this, pray the Lord's Prayer and the following prayer:\nLord God, Heavenly Father, bless us and these gifts, which we receive\nfrom Your generous hand, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.\n\nThanking God\n\nAfter eating, too, they should modestly fold their hands and say:\n\nThank the Lord, because He is kind and His goodness lasts forever! He\ngives all creatures food. He gives livestock their food and feeds the\nyoung ravens that call out to Him. A horse's strength does not give Him\npleasure. A man's legs do not give Him joy. People who fear the Lord\nand who wait for His goodness please Him.\n\nAfter this, pray the Lord's Prayer and the following prayer:\nWe thank You, Lord God, Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, for all\nYour blessings. You live and rule forever! Amen!\n\nAppendix III\nThe Home Chart\nA number of passages to use to teach and admonish people in all holy\norders and statuses in life about their\nduties.\n\nFor Bishops, Pastors and Preachers:\n1 Tim. 3:2-4\nTitus 1: 6\n\nWhat Hearers owe their Pastors:\n1 Cor. 9:14\nGal. 6: 6\n1 Tim. 5:17-18\nHeb. 13:17\n\nFor Earthly Authorities\nRom. 13:1-4\n\nFor those Under Authority\nMatt. 22:21\nRom. 13:5-7\n1 Tim. 2:1-3\nTitus 3:1\n1 Peter 2:13-14\n\nFor Husbands\n1 Peter 3:7\nCol. 3:19\n\nFor Wives\nEph. 5:22\n1 Peter 3:5-6\n\nFor Parents\nEph. 6:4\n\nFor Children\nEph. 6:1-3\n\nFor Servants, Maids, Hired Hands and Workers\nEph. 6: 5-7\nCol. 3:22\n\nFor the Man and Woman of the House\nEph. 6:9\nCol. 4:1\n\nFor Young People in General\n1 Pet. 5:5-6\n\nFor Widows\n1 Tim. 5:5-6\n\nFor Everyone in General\nRom. 13:8-10\n1 Tim. 2:1-2\n\nIf everyone will learn his part,\nThe whole household will fare well.\n\n________________________________________________________________________\n\nThis text was translated in 1994, revised in 2002 and revised and\nexpanded in 2004 for Project Wittenberg by Robert E. Smith. It has\nbeen placed in the public domain by him. You may freely distribute,\ncopy or print this text. Please direct any comments or suggestions to\nRev. Robert E. Smith of the Walther Library at:\n\nConcordia Theological Seminary\nEmail: smithre@mail.ctsfw.edu\nSurface Mail: 6600 N. Clinton St., Ft. Wayne, IN 46825\nUSA Phone: (260) 452-3149 Fax: (260) 452-2126","title":"Luther's Little Instruction Book: The Small Catechism of Martin Luther","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":4184}