A hymn based on the Nicene Creed

Genevan 36 / 68 by George vP

Sing the Catechism!

This is a book of songs I wrote using the text of much of the Heidelberg Catechism. Many Reformed youth are taught this catechism and required to memorize it. As one who taught the catechism for many years to the youth of several congregations I know that some youth find it difficult to memorize text whereas they can memorize songs. Perhaps these songs will be helpful to them. "Sing the Catechism!" consists of songs based on the Apostles' Creed, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. But this book is meant not only for instruction; rather, these songs are written for anyone who wants to sing the comforting truths of the catechism. The overall theme of the Heidelberg Catechism is "comfort," and these songs are written with that theme in mind. May all who sing them know deeply the comfort that comes with belonging to Jesus Christ, body and soul, both in life and in death. Order here, for $6.

Song on Art. 11, 12 of the Apostles' Creed (QA 57, 58 of the Heidelberg Catechism)

"When my Mortal Life is Over, and my Soul to Christ has Flown" by George vP

Song on Art. 9, 10 of the Apostles' Creed (QA 54-57 of the Heidelberg Catechism)

"The Son of God is Gathering out of the Human Race" by George vP

Song on Art. 8 of the Apostles' Creed (QA 53, Heidelberg Catechism)

"I Believe in God the Spirit" by George vP

Song on Art. 7 of the Apostles' Creed (QA 52 of the Heidelberg Catechism)

"My Comfort is that Jesus Christ Will Come Again for Me" by George vP

An Ascension Hymn

Based on Article 6 of the Apostles' Creed ("... he ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty") and Lord's Days 18 & 19a of the Heidelberg Catechism.

"Our Lord Ascended from the Earth" by George vP

Alleluia! When Christ Arose

This is the next and fifth hymn based on the Heidelberg Catechism's elaboration of the Apostle's Creed, specifically Article 5 of the Creed, "On the third day he arose from the dead." This new hymn puts to verse and tune the prose of Lord's Day 17.

"Alleluia! When Christ Arose" by George vP

Jesus Christ alone is God's Eternal Son

This song is based on the Heidelberg Catechism's explanation of the Biblical teaching of Articles 2b and 3 of the Apostles' Creed. It is is set to an old (14th c.) tune of a Dutch Christmas carol.

"Jesus Christ alone is God's eternal son" by George vP

I Believe in Jesus Christ

This hymn is part of the continuing effort to put to song the questions and answer of the Heidelberg Catechism that address the 12 articles of the Apostles Creed.

"I Believe in Jesus Christ" by George vP

The pertinent questions and answers are:

LORD’S DAY 11

29.   Q. Why is the Son of God called Jesus,

            that is, Saviour?

        A. Because he saves us from all our sins,¹

            and because salvation is not to be sought or found

            in anyone else.²

                    1 Mt 1:21; Heb 7:25.

                        2 Is 43:11; Jn 15:4, 5; Acts 4:11, 12; 1 Tim 2:5.

30.   Q. Do those who seek

            their salvation or well-being

            in saints, in themselves, or anywhere else,

            also believe in the only Saviour Jesus?

        A. No.

            Though they boast of him in words,

                 they in fact deny the only Saviour Jesus.¹

            For one of two things must be true:

                 either Jesus is not a complete Saviour,

                 or those who by true faith accept this Saviour

                 must find in him all that is necessary

                 for their salvation.²

                  ¹ 1 Cor 1:12, 13; Gal 5:4.

                        ² Col 1:19, 20; 2:10; 1 Jn 1:7.

LORD’S DAY 12

31.   Q. Why is he called Christ,

            that is, Anointed?

        A. Because he has been ordained by God the Father,

            and anointed with the Holy Spirit,¹ to be

            our chief Prophet and Teacher,²

                 who has fully revealed to us

                 the secret counsel and will of God

                 concerning our redemption;³

            our only High Priest,⁴

                 who by the one sacrifice of his body

                 has redeemed us,⁵

                 and who continually intercedes for us

                 before the Father;⁶

            and our eternal King,⁷

                 who governs us by his Word and Spirit,

                 and who defends and preserves us

                 in the redemption obtained for us.⁸

                        ¹ Ps 45:7 (Heb 1:9); Is 61:1 (Lk 4:18); Lk 3:21, 22.

                        ² Deut 18:15 (Acts 3:22).

                        ³ Jn 1:18; 15:15.

                        ⁴ Ps 110:4 (Heb 7:17).

                        ⁵ Heb 9:12; 10:11-14.

                        ⁶ Rom 8:34; Heb 9:24; 1 Jn 2:1.

                        ⁷ Zech 9:9 (Mt 21:5); Lk 1:33.

                        ⁸ Mt 28:18-20; Jn 10:28; Rev 12:10, 11.

Christ Jesus for us Suffered

This Good Friday hymn is based on Lord's Days 15 & 16 (Article 4 of the Apostles' Creed) of the Heidelberg Catechism. It is set to the tune of "O Sacred Head now Wounded" (Passion Chorale).

"He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried, he descended into hell."

"Christ Jesus for us Suffered" by George vP

I Believe in God the Father

The Heidelberg Catechism, a reformational confession, was written in 1563. It elaborations on four blocks of material: the Apostles' Creed, Word and Sacraments, the Ten Commandments, and the Lord's Prayer. This hymn is based on Lord's Days 9 & 10 which treat the first article of the Apostles' Creed. 

"I Believe in God the Father" by George vP

"He descended into hell."

As we approach Good Friday, we reflect upon the suffering of our Saviour and his descent into hell for us.

Perhaps the most misunderstood words of the Apostles’Creed are: “He descended into hell.” In this ancient statement of what the church and believers believe, we say that Jesus Christ suffered, was crucified, that he died and was buried, that he descended into hell. Then we go on to say that he arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. A quick read will lead the reader to conclude that between his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ spent some time in hell, the place of eternal punishment.

Did he? Did the Lord Jesus, after he gave up his spirit, go to hell until Easter morning? We know that his body was buried in a tomb. But where did his soul, his spirit go? Did it go to hell? Did it go to that place described in the Bible as the lake of fire, as the outer darkness – the place of eternal torment of all those who hate God?

No, the soul of Jesus Christ did not go to the place of eternal torment between Friday evening and Sunday morning. Several of the things Christ said on the cross prove that conclusively.

Towards the end, Jesus said, “It is finished.” His payment for the sin of man was finished. If it was finished, why would he need to go to the place of eternal torment? If he did, in fact, go to the place of everlasting punishment, even just for a little longer than a day, we could only conclude that “it” was not finished on the cross. Obviously, more suffering was required.

His promise to the one criminal crucified with him also proves that he did not, upon death, go to hell. To the criminal who repented and asked Christ to remember him when he came into his kingdom, Christ said, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Not tomorrow or the day after or sometime in the future, but “today.” Both Jesus and the criminal died on Friday. And on that very day they were together in paradise, in the heavenly kingdom.

Just before he died, Christ said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” If he needed to go to hell to suffer there in the spirit yet for a day or so, he would not have been able to commit his spirit into the Father’s hands. His spirit would have been committed into the hands of the devil.

These three words of Christ on the cross prove that Jesus did not go to hell, the place of eternal punishment, after he died; rather, while his body went into the grave, his soul went to the Father in heaven.

Why, then, does the church say in the Apostles’ Creed, “he descended into hell?” What is the meaning of this article of faith?

It does not refer to something that Christ endured after he died; rather, it refers to the “anguish, pain, terror and agony, which he endured throughout all his sufferings, but especially on the cross” (Heidelberg Catechism, Answer 44). The life of Christ was a steady descent into hell. He suffered the depths of hellish agony on the cross. For what is the essential thing about hell? Surely it is God-forsakeness. God the Father forsook his Son on the cross. The most heart rending words Jesus spoke on the cross – the most heart-breaking words spoken in the history of mankind – were, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?” While Jesus Christ hung on the cross, the whole land was plunged into darkness for three hours from noon until midafternoon. God withdrew the gift of light from his Son. He who once said, “Let there be light!” made it dark. In that darkness, Christ knew that he was utterly forsaken. God the Father had abandoned him. “He descended into hell.”

To be forsaken by God is the essential thing about hell. There is no doubt that hell is a place in God’s universe. Some of the mainline churches have worked the doctrine of hell out of their theology and confession. They put Satan on the unemployed list. A church can only come to this conclusion as it closes the Bible. The Lord Jesus warned us about hell. He said that it is the place of unquenchable fire. Hell is also referred to as the outer darkness, the bottomless pit, the lake of fire and sulphur, and the second death. The Bible uses different images to describe hell. The images are powerful and inspire fear. The worst thing about hell, though, is not the fire or the darkness. The worst thing about hell is being forsaken by God. The most frightening aspect of hell is being left, for eternity, to yourself. The man who wanted nothing to do with God gets his wish. He is left to his own devices, forever. Recall back to when you, as a child, were lost for a half hour. The feeling of abandonment is still vivid. Amplify that feeling infinitely, and perhaps you can just begin to get the first inklings of what it would mean to be abandoned by God in hell forever.

Christ suffered under the wrath of God against the sin of man the whole time he lived on earth, but especially on the cross. The good news is that whoever believes in him will not be cast into hell but will, instead, receive eternal life. That’s the good news of Good Friday and of Easter Sunday. We are free! Free from the curse of God and received back into the Father’s favour.