Podcast: Play in new window | Download
In this inaugural episode of “The Reformed Standard,” we explore the most foundational question of human existence: “What is the chief end of man?” This question, which opens the Westminster Shorter Catechism, challenges us to consider our ultimate purpose beyond mere happiness or personal fulfillment. The episode examines the three key terms—”chief,” “end,” and “man”—unpacking how this question forces us to recognize a divinely ordained hierarchy of purposes in our lives. Rather than inventing our own meaning, we are called to discover and align ourselves with the purpose for which we were designed. This episode lays the groundwork for understanding not just reformed theology, but the very nature of human existence itself.
Key Takeaways
- The question “What is the chief end of man?” is counter-cultural because it focuses not on what will make us happy, but on what we were designed for.
- The term “chief” implies a hierarchy of purposes—there is one supreme purpose that must govern all other lesser purposes in our lives.
- “End” (from Latin finis or Greek telos) refers to the goal or purpose for which something exists, suggesting humans have an intrinsic function by design.
- Unlike the rest of creation, humans (“man”) are uniquely capable of consciously pursuing their purpose with mind, heart, and will.
- 1 Corinthians 10:31 provides the biblical foundation for understanding our chief end: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
- Even mundane activities like eating and drinking must be directed toward our ultimate purpose.
- Self-examination is critical: what would someone observe as your chief end by watching how you spend your time, money, and energy?
Key Concepts
The Counter-Cultural Nature of Purpose
The Westminster Catechism’s approach to human purpose stands in stark contrast to our culture’s self-centered orientation. Modern society encourages us to ask what will make us happy, successful, or fulfilled—questions that begin with self. The catechism, however, starts from outside ourselves, prompting us to consider our design rather than our desires. This distinction is profound: it suggests that meaning isn’t something we create, but something we discover. Our purpose exists prior to and independent of our preferences. This approach recognizes human beings as created entities with an intended function, positioning us not as autonomous meaning-makers but as creatures designed to fulfill a specific role in God’s cosmic order. This humbling perspective reorients our entire approach to life, shifting from “What do I want from life?” to “What was I made for?”
The Hierarchy of Purposes
The Westminster divines deliberately chose the word “chief” to communicate a crucial theological truth: there exists a hierarchy of purposes in human life. We all pursue multiple worthy ends—being good spouses, parents, employees, church members, and citizens. However, these worthy ends must be properly ordered under one supreme purpose. When secondary ends are elevated to primary status, they become idols that distort our lives. A career that becomes the measure of your worth, a family that becomes your ultimate security, or comfort that becomes your highest aim—these are all good things turned into ultimate things. This concept of a “chief” end provides the organizing principle by which all other purposes find their proper place. It’s not that other ends are unimportant, but rather that they must be subordinated to and aligned with our ultimate purpose, lest they become destructive idols.
Memorable Quotes
“The catechism does something far more radical. It forces us to start outside of ourselves. It doesn’t ask what man’s desire is, but what man’s design is. It assumes that we were made for something. That our purpose is not something we invent, but something we are meant to discover and align ourselves with.”
“What is your chief end? What, in practice, is the central, driving purpose of your life? If someone were to watch your life for a week—observe your decisions, listen to your conversations, see where you spend your time, your money, your energy—what would they conclude is your chief end?”
Full Transcript
[00:00:06] The Most Important Question
We begin today with the most important question a person can ever ask. It’s the question that sits underneath every other question about purpose, about meaning, about how you and I are supposed to live our lives. It’s the very first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and it’s the question that drives the entire purpose of this podcast: Question 1. What is the chief end of man?
Now, that question is our entire focus for today.
[00:00:35] Podcast Format Overview
And this brings us to the format of the podcast itself. Here at the Reformed Standard, we’re going to move deliberately. On Tuesdays, we’ll take up one question from the catechism. We’ll explore it, understand its terms, and feel its weight. Then, on Thursdays, we’ll take up the answer. This gives us time to meditate on these things. To let the question sink in before we rush to the answer.
Occasionally, we’ll pause our study and use a Wednesday episode to do a deeper dive into a creed or another theological work that’s relevant to what we’re studying. But it all starts here. With this question.
[00:01:12] Counter-Cultural Question
I want you to notice how counter-cultural this question is. Our world tells you to ask other questions. It tells you to ask, “What will make me happy?” Or, “How can I become successful?” Or, “What path will lead to the most personal fulfillment?” Those questions aren’t necessarily bad in themselves, but they are secondary. They all start with the self.
The catechism does something far more radical. It forces us to start outside of ourselves. It doesn’t ask what man’s desire is, but what man’s design is. It assumes that we were made for something. That our purpose is not something we invent, but something we are meant to discover and align ourselves with.
This is the genius of the catechetical method. It’s a disciplined way of thinking, a framework for building a robust theological understanding from the ground up. And it always begins with the most foundational things first.
[00:02:09] Breaking Down the Question: Chief
So let’s break this question down. Three key terms:
Chief.
End.
And Man.
First, chief. The writers don’t ask, “What is an end of man?” They ask, “What is the chief end of man?” The word implies a hierarchy. A priority. It means there is one supreme purpose that must govern all our other, lesser purposes.
Think of it like the foundation of a house. You can have beautiful windows and a sturdy roof, but if the foundation is cracked, the entire structure is compromised. The chief end is the foundation upon which a meaningful human life is built.
You have many ends in your life. Being a good husband is an end. Being a productive employee is an end. Being a faithful church member, a good father, a reliable friend—these are all good and noble ends. But they are not the chief end. And the danger… loved ones… is when we allow a secondary end to take the place of the primary one.
When providing for your family… which is a good thing… becomes the ultimate thing that drives you, it becomes an idol. When your career success becomes the measure of your worth, it becomes an idol. The catechism, with this one word… chief… forces us to order our lives correctly. It asks us to identify the one, single purpose that brings all our other purposes into their proper alignment.
[00:03:32] Understanding ‘End’
Second, the word end. In our modern language, “end” usually means a termination. The end of the road. The end of a movie. But the divines at Westminster were using it in its older, richer sense. The word they had in mind was the Latin finis, or the Greek telos. It means a goal. A target. A purpose for which something exists.
The telos of a knife is to cut. The telos of a seed is to become a tree. The telos of a ship is to sail. So when the catechism asks about the “end of man,” it’s asking: What were you designed for? What is your ultimate function?
This presupposes that we have a function. That we are not cosmic accidents, adrift in a meaningless universe, tasked with inventing our own purpose from scratch. It asserts that we are creatures, made by a Creator, with a purpose woven into the very fabric of our being. Our job is not to create that purpose, but to pursue it.
[00:04:28] The Significance of ‘Man’
And this brings us to the third term: of Man. Why this specific focus? Because among all of God’s visible creation, humanity alone is capable of consciously asking this question and pursuing this end. The stars declare God’s glory by their silent, majestic obedience. The animals display His creative genius by instinct. But man, created in the imago Dei… the image of God… is designed to pursue his chief end with his mind, his heart, his will. We are rational creatures, moral creatures, worshiping creatures. This question, therefore, belongs uniquely to us. It is the great question of human existence.
[00:05:06] Paul’s Insight on Purpose
The Apostle Paul frames this entire concept for us perfectly. In his first letter to the church at Corinth, chapter 10, verse 31, he writes: “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”
Now, let’s not read this verse in a vacuum. Paul isn’t just offering a pious platitude. He is resolving a deeply practical, messy church dispute. The Corinthian believers were arguing about whether it was permissible to eat meat that had been sacrificed in a pagan temple. It was a complex issue involving conscience, Christian liberty, and witness to unbelievers.
And into this complicated, real-world problem, Paul brings the highest theological principle imaginable. He resolves the issue by pointing them back to the chief end. He says the deciding factor is not ultimately about your personal freedom, or even about the meat itself. The deciding factor is, what will bring the most glory to God?
Think about that. He takes the most mundane activity—eating and drinking—and says that even this must be directed toward our ultimate purpose. If the most basic, common actions of life have this as their goal, how much more must the entire sum of our life?
This is what the catechism is getting at. It’s asking you to define the ultimate aim of your existence, from the greatest of your ambitions to the smallest of your actions.
[00:06:33] Reflecting on Your Chief End
So, as we prepare to close, let that question rest on you. Don’t rush past it. Don’t treat it as a mere academic exercise. What is your chief end? What, in practice, is the central, driving purpose of your life?
If someone were to watch your life for a week—observe your decisions, listen to your conversations, see where you spend your time, your money, your energy—what would they conclude is your chief end?
We must have an answer to this, loved ones. Because if we aim at nothing, we will hit it every time. And if we aim at the wrong thing, we will waste the one life we have been given.
Consider that, and I’ll see you on Thursday when we explore the glorious answer.