The Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine

These six parts of the catechism are the central teachings, or Six Chief Parts of Christian Doctrine: 

The Ten Commandments

God makes known His will through the Ten Commandments, which summarize how God wants us to love Him and love our neighbour and also reveal our sin and inability to keep God’s Law.

The Apostles’ Creed

The Apostles’ Creed summarizes who God is and what He has done for the world in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the world: creating and preserving all things out of fatherly love; redeeming the world in life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and calling and gathering believers into the Church by the Holy Spirit.

The Lord’s Prayer

In The Lord’s Prayer (or the Our Father), God the Son teaches Christians how to pray as God’s own dear children, confident that what we are praying pleases Him and is for our good.

The Sacrament of Holy Baptism

Scripture teaches us that in Holy Baptism, we are cleansed from our sins and belong to the one true God, Father, Son, and Spirit, whom we trust for life and salvation.

Confession

As God’s believing, baptized children, we still battle against sins of thought, word, and deed. But God graciously has given special authority to His Church on earth to forgive the sins of the penitent and to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant (Office of the Keys and Confession).

The Sacrament of the Altar

God welcomes His children to the Sacrament of the Altar (Lord’s Supper), where Christ gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of our sins and to strengthen our faith. 

The Catechism at a Glance

Download this printable poster as a memory tool.

Printable Poster

Luther’s Catechism on Daily Prayer

Download this printable poster as a memory tool.

Printable Poster

Looking to learn more?

These explanations, and more, can be found in Luther’s Small Catechism. To obtain your own copy of the catechism, get in touch with your local Lutheran Church–Canada congregation or purchase one through Concordia Publishing House. You can also read The Small Catechism Online Here.

The Small Catechism

For centuries, Christians have used three important texts as a basic summary for teaching the Christian faith and life: the Ten Commandments, Creed, and Lord’s Prayer. Martin Luther helpfully included biblical passages on Baptism, Confession, and the Lord’s Supper. The Small Catechism, written by Luther in 1529, includes these texts along with brief explanations. The Small Catechism can be a helpful tool in teaching the faith at home in a simple way. You can read The Small Catechism Online Here.