The Heidelberg Catechism
Just what is a catechism?
Answer: A catechism is a summary of the principles and/or precepts of Christian religion in the form of questions and answers, used for the instruction of Christians.
A catechism, then, is a teaching tool which is especially suited for oral instruction. This also explains why the Heidelberg Catechism, and other catechisms as well, are set up in a question and answer format. The answers in the Catechism are generally quite short and carefully structured. Some even have a poetic rhythm or ring to them. All of this helps to make the Catechism a memorable and useful tool for instructing people in the basic truths of salvation in Jesus Christ. There are 129 Q&As in the Catechism, divided into three parts.
The Heidelberg Catechism is divided into three main parts:
Our Sin & Misery - Questions 1 - 11
Our Deliverance from Sin - Questions 12 - 85
Our Thankfulness to God for such Deliverance - Questions 86 - 129
The Bible and the Catechism
The Catechism is not a replacement for Scripture. It is meant to lead you deeper into the Word of God, not draw you away from it. That's why under each question you'll see lists of Bible references, often called prooftexts. Even though each list is selective, it gives you an idea which Bible passages the Catechism is summarizing in each answer. From the quick overview that the Catechism gives you, you can go off and explore the treasure of Scripture's teaching on many different topics--from faith to the resurrection from the dead and many others. This website makes working with prooftexts easy because each one pops up in small window as soon as you hover over the Bible reference.