Heidelberg Catechism, Question 81
Question 81
For whom is the Lord’s supper instituted?
For those who are truly sorrowful for their sins (1 Cor. 11;28), and yet trust that these are forgiven them for the sake of Christ; and that their remaining infirmities are covered by his passion and death (1 Cor. 11;26); and who also earnestly desire to have their faith more and more strengthened, and their lives more holy (Matt. 5;6); but hypocrites, and such as turn not to God with sincere hearts, eat and drink judgment to themselves (1 Cor. 11;29).
Scripture references for paragraph 1
Berean Standard Bible. Public domain text and source credits.
1 Corinthians 11:2828Each one must examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
Psalms 51:1717The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.
Matthew 5:44Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
1 Corinthians 11:2626For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Psalms 103:33He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,
1 Corinthians 11:2424and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
Matthew 5:66Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Psalms 116:12-1412How can I repay the LORD for all His goodness to me?
13I will lift the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
14I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all His people.
1 Corinthians 11:2929For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
Titus 1:1616They profess to know God, but by their actions they deny Him. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.
Luke 6:2424But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
Luke 6:2525Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
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.
Berean Blue opens December 1, 2026 for Bible reading, study, and research. View this work in the app preview.