Overview

The catechism now begins the “faith” section — what we are to believe concerning God. It opens with God Himself: His nature (Q4), His oneness (Q5), and His triune existence (Q6). Q4 is perhaps the most precise one-sentence definition of God ever penned for memorization.

The Questions & Answers

Q4. What is God? A. God is a Spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” (John 4:24, ESV)

“Before the mountains were brought forth… from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (Ps. 90:2, ESV)

“…with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:17, ESV)

Further proofs: Job 11:7–9; Exod. 3:14; 34:6–7; Rev. 4:8; Ps. 147:5.

Q5. Are there more Gods than one? A. There is but one only, the living and true God.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” (Deut. 6:4, ESV)

Further proofs: Jer. 10:10; 1 Cor. 8:4, 6; Isa. 45:5–6.

Q6. How many persons are there in the Godhead? A. There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.

Scripture Proofs (ESV):

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matt. 28:19, ESV)

Further proofs: 2 Cor. 13:14; 1 John 5:7; Matt. 3:16–17; John 1:1; 10:30.

Exposition: Q4 brilliantly defines God by attaching three “incommunicable” attributes (infinite, eternal, unchangeable) to seven “communicable” ones (being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, truth). The genius is that each attribute is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable — God’s goodness is infinite goodness, His wisdom unchangeable wisdom, and so on. Q5 confesses strict monotheism; Q6 confesses that this one God exists in three coequal persons. One in substance, three in person — the foundational Christian mystery.

Connections

• WLC Q7–11 — what God is; that there is but one God; the three persons; the deity and equality of the Son and Spirit.
• WCF 2 (Of God, and of the Holy Trinity) — the full exposition behind these answers.
• Loci: Theology Proper (divine attributes; the Trinity).

Pastoral & Practical Significance

Q4 repays a lifetime of meditation. Because God is infinite, He is never diminished, never short of resources for you. Because He is eternal, He does not begin or end, and His promises outlast every change. Because He is unchangeable, His holiness will never relax and His goodness will never fail — your salvation rests on a God who does not waver. And because each of His attributes is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable, you never have to fear that God’s justice will overwhelm His mercy or His power exceed His goodness; all His perfections are perfectly and forever full. To worship the one true God in three persons is to know that your salvation is the work of the whole Godhead — planned by the Father, accomplished by the Son, applied by the Spirit.

For Memory & Reflection

• Commit Q4 to memory above all — it is one of the most valuable sentences to carry through life; anchor verse: John 4:24. Memorize Q5 and Q6 as well.
• Take one attribute (e.g., “unchangeable”) and trace how it reshapes a worry you carry.
• How does worshiping a triune God shape my prayer — to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit?