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The purpose of the Shorter Catechism is to educate lay persons in matters of doctrine and belief. The WSC is in a simple question and answer format to facilitate memorization. Typically, the parents and the church would use the shorter catechism to train their children in the ways of the Lord. New converts are also given the WSC as well as the Confession of Faith and Holy Scripture to study. Various denominations have used the Westminster Confession and Catechism to instruct their members.
The catechism is composed of 107 questions and answers. The first 12 questions concern God as Creator. Questions 13-20 deal with original sin and the fallen state of man's nature. Questions 21-38 concern Christ the Redeemer and the benefits that flow from redemption. The next set of questions, 39-84, discuss the ten commandments. Questions 85-97 teach conscerning the SacramentA sacrament is a Christian rite that mediates or symbolizes divine grace. Sacraments are usually administered by the clergy to a recipient or recipients, and are generally understood to involve visible and invisible components. The invisible component (mas of BaptismIn certain religions such as Christianity, Mandaeanism, Sikhism, and some historic sects of Judaism, baptism is a water purification ritual. The word baptize derives from the Greek word (the infinitive; also listed as the 1st person singular present activ and Holy Communion. The final set of questions 98-107 teach and explain the Lord's prayer.
The most famous of the questions (known to a great many Presbyterian children) is the first:
Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him forever.
External links:
http://www.reformed.org/documents/WSC_frames.html Shorter Catechism with Scripture Proofs http://www.shortercatechism.com/ Another format of the WSC Christian texts CalvinismEmmanuel de Witte Calvinism is a Protestant Christian doctrine named after John Calvin. Calvin had international influence on the development of the doctrine of the Protestant Reformation, beginning at the age of 25, when he started work on his first edit PresbyterianismPresbyterianism is part of the Reformed churches family of denominations of Christian Protestantism based on the teachings of John Calvin which traces its institutional roots to the Scottish Reformation, especially as led by John Knox. There are many sepa