Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647), Westminster Assembly

Question 4

What is God?

God is a Spirita infiniteb eternalc and unchangeabled in his beinge wisdomf powerg holinessh justice, goodness, and truth.i

What is God?

God is a Spirita infiniteb eternalc and unchangeabled in his beinge wisdomf powerg holinessh justice, goodness, and truth.i

  1. a. John 4:24

    John 4:24

    4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

    4:24 God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  2. b. Job 11:7–9

    Job 11:7–9

    11:7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? 11:8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know? 11:9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

    11:7 Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? 11:8 They are higher than the heavens-what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol-what can you know? 11:9 Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  3. c. Psalm 90:2

    Psalm 90:2

    90:2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

    90:2 Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  4. d. James 1:17

    James 1:17

    1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

    1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  5. e. Exodus 3:14

    Exodus 3:14

    3:14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.

    3:14 God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  6. f. Psalm 147:5

    Psalm 147:5

    147:5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

    147:5 Great is our Lord, and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  7. g. Revelation 4:8

    Revelation 4:8

    4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

    4:8 And each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around and within. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  8. h. Revelation 15:4

    Revelation 15:4

    15:4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

    15:4 Who will not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before You, for Your righteous acts have been revealed."

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

  9. i. Exodus 34:6–7

    Exodus 34:6–7

    34:6 And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.

    34:6 Then the LORD passed in front of Moses and called out: "The LORD, the LORD God, is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion and faithfulness, 34:7 maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generations."

    King James VersionBerean Standard Bible

Diff style

Changes in The Baptist Catechism (1695), Question 7

No change, but in spelling and punctuation.

No change, but in spelling and punctuation.

The Baptist Catechism (1695), Question 7

What is God?

God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

Westminster Shorter Catechism (1647), Question 4

What is God?

God is a Spirit infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom power holiness justice, goodness, and truth.

The Baptist Catechism (1695), Question 7

What is God?

God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

The Baptist Catechism (1695), Question 7

What is God?

God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

Westminster Shorter Catechism (modernized) (1647), Question 4

What is God?

God is a Spirit infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom power holiness justice, goodness, and truth.

The Baptist Catechism (1695), Question 7

What is God?

God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

Related (1)

Westminster Larger Catechism (1647), parallel to this question

Question 7

What is God?

God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth.

Commentaries (10)

  • Hugh Binning, 1659, The Common Principles of the Christian Religion (5 parts)

    Exod. 3. 13, 14. When they shal say unto me, What is his Name? What shal I say? And God said, I AM THAT I AM. We are now about this question, What God is? But, who can answer it?…

    Hugh Binning’s text
  • Joseph Alleine, 1672, A Most Familiar Explanation of the Assemblies Shorter Catechism

    What is God? God is a Spirit, I finite, Eternal and Unchangeable, in his Being, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Justice, Goodness and Truth.

    Joseph Alleine’s text
  • Thomas Lye, 1672, The Assemblies Shorter Catechism Drawn out into Distinct Propositions

    What is God? God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

    Thomas Lye’s text
  • Thomas Vincent, 1673, An Explicatory Catechism

    What is God? God is a Spirit, Infinite, Eternal Unchangeable, in his Being, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Justice, Goodness and Truth.

    Thomas Vincent’s text
  • 1675, An Explicatory Catechism

    What is God? God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his Being, Wisdom, Power, holiness, justice, goodness and Truth.

    Its text
  • John Flavel, 1692, An Exposition of the Assembly’s Catechism (10 parts)

    What is God? God is a Spirit, Infinite, Eternal and Unchangeable in his Being, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Iustice, Goodness and Truth.

    John Flavel’s text
  • Thomas Watson, 1692, A Body of Practical Divinity (12 parts)

    Quest. III. What do the Scriptures principally Teach? Resp. The Scriptures principally teach what Man is to believe concerning GOD, and what Duty GOD requires of Man. Quest. What…

    Thomas Watson’s text
  • Matthew Henry, 1703, A Scripture Catechism

    What is God? God is a Spirit, Infinite, Eternal and Unchangeable, in his Being, Wisdom, Power, Holiness, Justice, Goodness, and Truth.

    Matthew Henry’s text
  • Alexander Whyte, 1883, A Commentary on the Shorter Catechism

    The compilers of the Catechism have taken our Lord’s words to the woman of Samaria as the basis of their answer to the loftiest of all questions, and they have filled up the…

    Alexander Whyte’s text
  • Benjamin Beddome, 1752, A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist Catechism

    On The Baptist Catechism (1695), Question 7, which adapts this question

    Is God a Spirit? Yes. God is a Spirit, Can we then form any adequate conception of the divine Being? No. What likeness can you compare unto him, Is God infinite and omnipresent?…

    Benjamin Beddome’s text