This article is adapted from the forthcoming book The Whole Counsel of God: A Protestant Catechism and Discipleship Handbook.
A Biblical Duty of the Church
The Christian faith is a precious treasure that must be handed down from generation to generation. Jesus Christ first entrusted this faith to his holy apostles. In turn, they deposited the truth in the Church like a rich man depositing his money in a bank, so that all people might draw from her the water of life (1 Corinthians 15:3–4; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6). Those whom the apostles baptized at Pentecost immediately “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42) and spread their doctrine throughout the Mediterranean world. Because the Church is built on the unshakeable foundation of the apostles (Ephesians 2:20), it stands as “a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15) in every age. The Church’s sacred charge is to “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).
The Church passes on the apostolic faith by obeying the Great Commission to make disciples of Jesus Christ through baptism and teaching (Matthew 28:19–20). In the New Testament, the word teaching or instruction is sometimes translated from the Greek word katēcheō, from which we derive the English word catechesis (1 Corinthians 14:19; Galatians 6:6). Apollos, for example, is said to have been catechized [katēcheō] in the way of the Lord (Acts 18:25). It is likely that all early Christians were catechized in a common body of authoritative doctrine—a “pattern” or “standard” of apostolic teaching (2 Timothy 1:13; Romans 6:17). As a faithful Mother, the Church gives birth to children for God and does not shrink back from declaring to them “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), nursing them at her breast with the “pure spiritual milk” of God’s Word (1 Peter 2:2).
Catechesis is focused on doctrinal truth, but it is never merely an intellectual exercise.
In the Bible, catechesis is focused on doctrinal truth, but it is never merely an intellectual exercise. The Apostle Paul writes of “the teaching that accords with godliness” (1 Timothy 6:3; cf. Titus 1:1), and emphasizes that “the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). In keeping with Christ’s emphasis on obedience to his commands (Matthew 28:20), biblical catechesis entails orderly instruction in the Christian faith with an emphasis on its ethical implications.
A Priority in Church History
The early Church was intentional and methodical in its approach to catechesis. Candidates for baptism were enrolled in a robust catechumenate to ensure that they understood the gospel and had counted the cost of discipleship. As Priscilla and Aquila took Apollos aside to catechize him “in the way of God more accurately” (Acts 18:26), the Church took their catechumens aside to initiate them into the mystery of the faith. The catechumenate continued for centuries as a bridge from the City of Man to the City of God—the Christian kingdom with its peculiar faith and ethics. For the sake of clarity, concision, and consistency over time, pastors prepared catechisms to aid in the Church’s disciple-making mission.
Ironically, some now regard the use of catechisms as being distinctively Roman Catholic. However, it was the Protestant Reformers of the 16th century who believed that the Roman Church had failed to catechize the laity, making them vulnerable to error and confusion. Nearly every Protestant church produced its own catechism, ushering in a period of intense catechetical renewal. Protestant catechisms include Luther’s Small Catechism and Large Catechism (1529); the Catechism of the Church of Geneva (1545); the Catechism of the Church of England (1549); the Heidelberg Catechism (1563); and the Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechism (1647). “Believe me,” Calvin wrote, “the Church of God will never preserve itself without a Catechism, for it is like the seed to keep the good grain from dying out, and causing it to multiply from age to age.”
Nearly every Protestant church produced its own catechism, ushering in a period of intense catechetical renewal.
The Methodist or Wesleyan tradition shares in the evangelical heritage of catechesis. John Wesley lamented the neglect of catechesis in his day, wrote his own children’s catechism, and included a revision of the Westminster Shorter Catechism in his Christian Library. The first Methodist denomination, the Methodist Episcopal Church, published a catechism and rehearsed it every month in Sunday School. It included the Apostles’ Creed and Baptismal Covenant, which was to be frequently recited and “accompanied with instruction on the nature and obligations of Christian baptism.” For advanced learners, the great Methodist theologian William Burt Pope prepared A Higher Catechism of Christian Theology.
Most historic catechisms expound the Apostles’ Creed, Ten Commandments, and Lord’s Prayer. “In these three parts,” Martin Luther explained, “everything that we have in the Scriptures is included in short, plain, and simple terms.” The Ten Commandments and Lord’s Prayer are the Bible’s own summary of God’s law and the believer’s prayer, while the Apostles’ Creed weaves together many strands of Scripture into an exquisite tapestry of faith. Augustine taught his catechumens, “These words which you have heard are in the divine Scriptures scattered up and down: but thence gathered and reduced into one.” Luther likewise explained, “We did not create or invent [the Apostles’ Creed]—nor did the church fathers. Instead, just as a bee makes honey by gathering together many lovely, delightful, dear flowers, so this creed is gathered from the books of the dear prophets and apostles. That is, it is finely and succinctly distilled from the entirety of Holy Scripture for children and simple Christians.”
Finally, catechisms are sacramentally oriented, in keeping with the Lord’s Great Commission. They provide a summary of what it means to be baptized and received into the Church of the Triune God, where God’s people are nourished by the body and blood of Christ at his Table.
An Urgent Need in Our Day
Catechesis is an urgent need in our day, when Christian faith is often misrepresented and easily misunderstood. We can no longer assume that seekers and new believers understand even the most basic Christian beliefs. Sadly, many Christians are also confused about what they believe, or why they believe it, and have major gaps in their understanding. Some know more about their denominational distinctives (what separates them from other Christians) than they know about matters of first importance such as the Trinity and incarnation (what separates them from unbelievers). Pastors must again catechize the Church in the ancient faith so that its members may “no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:14).
Many Christians are also confused about what they believe, or why they believe it, and have major gaps in their understanding.
For several years, the team at Holy Joys has been working to produce a catechism that taps into the riches of the Christian tradition to meet the needs of the contemporary Church. The result is a forthcoming book, The Whole Counsel of God: A Protestant Catechism and Discipleship Handbook. Its answers are simple but deep, drawing heavily on the beautiful and theologically rich language of historic catechisms, creeds, and confessions. In the spirit of Thomas Oden, it aims to say nothing new, that the next generation may come to know and cherish the substance of classic Christianity.
How to Use the Whole Counsel of God Catechism
The Whole Counsel of God catechism may be used in a variety of contexts. Its six chapters are designed for initial use in a six-week catechism class or catechumenate in preparation for baptism and church membership. Each chapter corresponds with weekly assignments that help catechumens to establish a habit of daily prayer and Bible reading, and to become immersed in the grand narrative of Scripture.
Since every word is pregnant with meaning, we encourage regular review and memorization to aid in learning and inwardly digesting the whole. Families, small groups, and Sunday School classes may cover one or two questions a week, looking up the key Scriptures, reading the explanatory notes, and discussing implications for the Christian life. Many churches also recite one or more catechism questions every Sunday in public worship.
The catechism book will soon be available from our store. The substance of the catechism can be read at catechism.holyjoys.org.
Key Terms
- catechesis — Teaching the Christian faith, especially in an orderly or systematic way. Pronounced “ka· tuh· KEE· suhs.”
- catechize — To give instruction in the Christian faith.
- catechism — A tool for systematic instruction in the Christian faith, often in question-and-answer format.
- catechumen — Someone being instructed in the Christian faith, usually in preparation for baptism and church membership.
- catechumenate — A course or period of instruction in the Christian faith, especially in preparation for baptism and church membership.
- catechist — A teacher of catechumens.
