Definition of Catechizing⤒🔗

Catechism, or catechizing, is a teaching method that uses learning by the oral recitation of carefully worded questions and answers that have been memorized. In this way a fairly large amount of precise information can be mastered efficiently. It is very similar to learning the basics of mathematics by memorizing sums and multiplication tables or language by memorizing the rules of grammar. One can never become proficient in mathematics without mastering its basic information precisely, and one can only become proficient in grammar by memorizing its basic rules.

The same thing is also true of Christian teaching. Only if one truly learns the basic system of the Bible's teaching is one equipped to understand and apply it to life. In the history of the Christian Church, going back to the time of the apostles, a number of "catechisms," that is, sets of questions and answers, have been prepared to facilitate learning the basics of the Christian faith. Just as chaos would result economically if we all made up our own answers to the sums of numbers, so we have today a chaotic situation among those who call themselves "Christians" because so many make up their own answers to basic questions without consulting the Bible or the historic teachings of the church.

Origin of the Word "Catechism"←⤒🔗

"Catechism" is actually a Greek word used in the Bible, and now written in English letters with the original meaning brought over into our language. This is a common practice. The word "Christ" is nothing but the Greek word "Christos" (which means "anointed one") written in English letters. The word katecho means literally "to echo (another Greek word we use in English) back what has been given from above." Thus to "cate­chize" is to indoctrinate or teach in such a way that the learner is able to echo back what he has been taught. We can easily see how memorization is an excellent way to produce this kind of an echo.

The word katecho is used a number of times in Scripture both for Christian teaching (Luke 1:4, where it is translated, "been instructed") and of non-Christian teaching. Its biblical use makes clear that there is more than just knowledge involved in catechizing, there is also convincing or indoctrination. The one catechized not only knows what is taught, but is convinced that it is true and now stands for this "truth." Even if the knowledge transferred is actually false teaching (see Acts 21:21, where katecho is translated, "been informed"), this element of being convinced is necessary as part of being catechized.

The History of Christian Catechism←⤒🔗

As we have mentioned above, catechisms were developed very early in the Christian church. Right from the beginning people were carefully instructed and required to confess the truth of what they had been taught before they could become members of the church. Not only that, those being taught to become church members were called "catechumens," that is, those being catechized. In fact, in the early Christian church buildings, the central area of the for it confessing members and the "catechumens" were required to stand around the edges of this area, and were dismissed from the service before the Lord's Supper was observed. Catechumens were required to receive instruction from one to seven years (different churches had differing practices) before being received as full confessing members of the congregation.

We even see this with our Lord Jesus Christ who carefully taught his twelve apostles for approximately three years and then required a confession of their faith in Him before He finished His work by dying on the cross (Matthew 16:13­-19). He then declared to them that He would build His church on the basis of Peter and the other apostles as those who confessed what they had been taught, namely, that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. (We know that the church was built on Peter and the other apostles as confessors of Christ and not on Peter as a first Pope because just a few verses later Christ calls Peter "Satan" when he fails to believe and confess what Christ is teaching (Matthew 16:23) The Greek word for "confess" is homologeo, which means, "to say the same thing." Each Christian does not have a unique confession, all of them have the same confession. All real Christians "say the same thing." They all must know, believe and confess that Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Christ of the Old Testament who as the true Son of God died on the cross to bear the punishment of their sins.

Throughout the Medieval or "dark" ages, the knowledge of the Christian faith was neglected and fell to such a point that some priests could not even say the Lord's prayer in their own language, even though they could say it in Latin as a part of the Mass. Not surprisingly, careful catechization of church members was also neglected. The Protestant Reformation corrected this neglect, not only by preaching and insisting upon faith in its church members, but also by re-introducing catechizing. Both Luther and Calvin, the most prominent of the Reformers, produced catechisms. Our Heidelberg Catechism was produced during this time of Reformation, first being published in 1563.

Catechism in the Reformed Church in the U.S.←⤒🔗

With its background in the Continental Reformation, the Reformed Church in the United States carries on the strong Protestant and early Christian emphasis on catechizing those who are candidates for confession of faith and communicant church membership. Since salvation is communicated to people through true faith, it is absolutely essential that those who would be called Christians know and understand the content of the Christian faith. This is because the content of true faith is a real knowledge of the truth. Jesus Christ Himself emphasized knowledge of the truth as essential to salvation. He told Pontius Pilate that His reason for coming to the earth was, "to bear witness to the truth," and made that a requirement for salvation by adding, "every one who is of the truth hears my voice" (John 18:37). Just being sincere in our faith is not enough, we must know and be committed to the truth. As the apostle Paul said concerning the Jews,

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.Romans 10:2

Without a knowledge of the truth there can be no true faith.

In the Reformed Church in the U.S. the Heidelberg Catechism, one of the greatest confessions of the Protestant Reformation, is used to indoctrinate candidates for communicant membership. The Heidelberg Catechism is one of the most accurate and faithful expositions of the basic teachings of the Bible concerning what it is necessary to believe to be a Christian. We honestly believe that it has never been surpassed as such a confession. At the heart of the Heidelberg is the ancient Apostles Creed. Indeed, the knowledge of true faith as expounded in this Catechism is nothing more or less than a point by point exposition of the Apostles Creed. This kind of emphasis on the ancient Creed of the Church places our Reformed teaching in a direct line to that of the apostles of Jesus Christ. With a couple of exceptions, the articles of the Apostles Creed are found in "The Old Roman Creed," which was in use as a catechetical and confessional creed within 75 years of the death and resurrection of Christ and within ten years of the death of the apostle John.

Very sadly, many of our fellow Reformed and Presbyterian churches in the United States have either abandoned a solid catechetical program or so watered it down as to render it ineffective and useless. We in the RCUS have also had to struggle to make sure all of our congregations continue the practice of thorough catechism training for their youth. It is a requirement of truly biblical covenant theology that we instruct our children constantly in the promises and commandments of God (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) because the real advantage of covenant membership is "to them were committed the words of God" (Romans 3:2; note that the Greek word often translated "oracles" in this verse is actually logia, which means "words"). Withholding the great advantage of the covenant from our children by not thoroughly catechizing them in God's word amounts to robbing them of the greatest treasure we as parents have to pass on to them.

Occasionally some will observe, "Well, I know someone who was thoroughly catechized and still didn't turn out to be a Christian." There are two strong answers to this. One, "If I see someone get away with stealing, does that make stealing right?" Of course not! We are always to do our God-given duty and leave the outcome to God. While pragmatism ("it is only good if it works") is a great American attitude today, it is quite sinful because it makes man the judge of what is good and bad. Second answer, "That person is not dead yet." You and I do not often know the final outcome of what we see on earth, and the sinner who knows the truth often does repent in later life. But whatever the outcome, God's ways must be our ways, or we are hypocrites for calling ourselves "Christian."