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Heidelberg Catechism, Question 53

Question 53

What dost thou believe concerning the Holy Ghost?

First, that he is true and co-eternal God with the Father and the Son (Acts 5;3, 4); secondly, that he is also given me (Acts 2;38), to make me by a true faith a partaker Christ and all his benefits (1 Cor. 12;3); that he may comfort me, and abide with me forever (John 14;16).

Scripture references for paragraph 1

Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.

Acts 5:3

3Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and withhold some of the proceeds from the land?

Acts 5:4

4Did it not belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? How could you conceive such a deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!”

1 Corinthians 3:16

16Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?

Hebrews 9:14

14how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, purify our consciences from works of death, so that we may serve the living God!

Acts 2:38

38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 5:32

32We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.”

1 Thessalonians 4:8

8Anyone, then, who rejects this command does not reject man but God, the very One who gives you His Holy Spirit.

2 Corinthians 1:22

22placed His seal on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a pledge of what is to come.

1 Corinthians 12:3

3Therefore I inform you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:14

14... for this reason I bow my knees before the Father,

Ephesians 3:16

16I ask that out of the riches of His glory He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being,

Romans 8:9

9You, however, are controlled not by the flesh, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.

Ephesians 3:17

17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. Then you, being rooted and grounded in love,

1 John 4:13

13By this we know that we remain in Him, and He in us: He has given us of His Spirit.

John 14:16

16And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate to be with you forever—

John 14:26

26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.

John 15:26

26When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father—He will testify about Me.

Acts 9:31

31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.

Source and edition

Heidelberg Catechism. RCA English, E. R. Good & Bro., Tiffin, 1879. RCA English, E. R. Good & Bro., Tiffin, 1879

Public Domain (historic text); CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikisource transcription). Source transcription.

Transcription licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0.

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