Obedience, Punishment, and Merit

Abstract There is a longstanding debate on whether the Heidelberg Catechism favors the imputation of the active obedience of Christ ( IAOC ). In this article, I argue that the IAOC is not present in the Catechism, not even latently. The main authors of the Catechism, Olevianus and Ursinus, denied the IAOC . Additionally, what the Catechism teaches about the interrelations between obedience, punishment and merit, makes clear that the IAOC does not fit in its theological structure. Therefore, a historically sensitive interpretation of the Catechism leads to the recognition that the Catechism leaves no room for the IAOC .