The Shorter Catechism
of the Westminster Assembly
Explained and Proved
from Scripture

by Thomas Vincent

XXIV. Ques. How doth Christ execute the office of a prophet?
Ans. Christ executeth the office of a prophet, in revealing to us, by his word and Spirit, the will of God for our salvation.

Q. 1. What doth Christ reveal to us as a prophet?
A. Christ, as a prophet, doth reveal unto us the will of God for our salvation.

Q. 2. What is meant by the will of God which Christ doth reveal?
A. By the will of God which Christ doth reveal, is meant the whole counsel of God, or whatever God would have us to know, believe, and do, in order to salvation.

Q. 3. Whereby doth Christ reveal unto us the will of God for our salvation?
A. Christ doth reveal unto us the will of God for our salvation — 1. By his word: "These things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that, believing, ye might have life through his name." John 20:31. 2. By his Spirit: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things." — John 14:26.

Q. 4. Which is the word of Christ, whereby he doth reveal to us the will of God?
A. The whole book of the Scriptures of the Old, and especially of the New Testament, is the word of Christ. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." — Col. 3:16.

Q. 5. How are the whole Scriptures the word of Christ, when but a small part of them was spoken by his own mouth?
A. The whole Scriptures are the word of Christ, forasmuch as the prophets and apostles, and other penmen of the Scriptures wrote not their own word, but the word which they had from the Spirit of Christ. "Of which Salvation the prophets have inquired, searching what or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ," &c. — 1 Pet. 1:10, 11.

Q. 6. Is the word of Christ, without his Spirit, sufficient to teach us the will of God for our salvation?
A. The word, without the Spirit of Christ, is insufficient to teach us the will of God for our salvation, because it is by the Spirit of Christ only that we are enabled to discern and receive the things which are necessary to salvation. "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." — 1 Cor. 2:14.

Q. 7. Is the Spirit of Christ without his word, sufficient to teach us the will of God for our salvation?
A. Christ, by his Spirit without his word, could teach us the will of God; but he doth not, neither hath promised now to do it, since the whole will of God necessary to our salvation is revealed in his word: the word of Christ without his Spirit cannot the Spirit of Christ without his word will not, teach us the will of God for our salvation.