As we enter the month of August we realize that very soon the holidays will be over, and it will be time to return to the work of teaching and edifying God’s people. In this article we reflect on a specific aspect of this work: teaching our young people the good teaching (1 Tim 4:6), the truth that brings salvation.

Let us begin by considering an important goal of this teaching: It is that our young people would come to know their God and Saviour and that they would bring forth fruits of repentance and faith. We desire that our young people would realize how God has graciously given them a place in his covenant and how he calls them to respond to this extraordinary privilege.

As we reflect on this, we understand that there are important consequences. To begin with, faith instruction seeks to address the complete person: not just the mind, but also the heart and the will. Whoever teaches the youth of the church, in whatever context, should realize that good faith instruction is more than conveying a certain amount of Bible knowledge. In the Canons of Dort we confess that the Holy Spirit works true conversion in us not just by “powerfully enlightening the minds” but also by “penetrating into the innermost recesses of man” (CoD III,IV, Art. 11).

In addition to this, we realize that even the most excellent teaching cannot bring about faith and repentance. We are totally dependent upon God. The Canons of Dort say that regeneration is “by no means brought about only by outward teaching or moral persuasion” (CoD III/IV, Art. 12), but that regeneration is a “delightful, marvellous, mysterious, and inexpressible” work of God. God’s Word illustrates this truth on many occasions. Take for example the account of the Apostle Paul’s defence before King Agrippa (Acts 26). After offering an impressive explanation of the Christian faith, Paul ends with a personal word to the king: “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do” (Acts 26:27). King Agrippa is not ready to give in: “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” he asks. Paul, acknowledging that it is not in his own power to convince the king, responds by saying: “Short time or long – I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” Paul recognizes that the king’s heart would only be changed if God intervened. Hence he prays for the king. In his commentary on this verse John Calvin writes that Paul prays to God “as it is He who draws us to his Son; because, unless He teach us by his Spirit, the outward doctrine shall always wax cold.”

It is important for us to remember this as we teach the Christian faith to the younger generation in church. They are covenant children and as such their situation is different from King Agrippa’s. They have received God’s covenant promise that the Holy Spirit will dwell in them. At the same time the Lord has taught us that the general rule that no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again (John 3:3).

Perhaps this truth is not always recognized among us as strongly as it should. As Canadian Reformed people we reject the accusation that we would hold to a form of “covenantal automatism” (the idea that our children are saved automatically by virtue of being in the covenant). It is true: This is not what we believe. Yet, in practice it can easily happen that we become too easy-going.

Office-bearers should give leadership in this, both in teaching and preaching. Personally, I wish sometimes that our ministers would be more explicit and concrete in warning against worldliness and evil human desires. Perhaps there is a fear that such preaching would descend into moralism, but if the Scriptures are explicit in warning against drunkenness, debauchery, and lust, there is no reason why sermons should not be explicit as well.

May there be much prayer in our churches and homes that the Lord would bless Catechism instruction and other forms of teaching, so that outward doctrine shall not “wax cold” but that our children may indeed be drawn to Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

Word of God⤒🔗

A second principle for teaching in the church is that it should be based on the Word of God. Even though we use books, courses, and confessions, the real basis of teaching should be the Word of God. The Apostle Paul may again serve as a good example: In Acts 17:2 we read that “as his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures...” Similarly, when Paul was in Rome, he had a large number of people visiting him regularly and it says that “from morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets” (Acts 28:23).

Likewise, in Catechism teaching the main source of teaching should be the Word of God. This is a fundamental principle that has methodological consequences. It implies that a Catechism lesson will never be just an exercise in filling in the blanks on a handout that the teacher has prepared. It also implies that a Catechism lesson should never be just a lesson “on the Catechism.” The Word of God should be used in every lesson that is taught in Catechism class. The words spoken by “our chief Prophet and Teacher,” the Lord Jesus Christ (Lord’s Day 12) should be part of the core material that is taught. Of course, the Heidelberg Catechism is an excellent teaching tool because it is a faithful summary of God’s Word. But as we use the Catechism, God’s Word should be used much!

Human Instruments←⤒🔗

A third aspect of teaching the youth of the church is that the Lord is pleased to use human instruments to do this. God’s Word shows us that there are generally two categories of teachers: In the first place office-bearers in church, secondly parents in the homes. In the history of the church a third category was added: the teachers in the schools.

That teaching is an important mandate of the church is clear from both the Old Testament and the New. Restricting ourselves to the New Testament we find that the apostles considered teaching one of their core tasks in the church (see Acts 2:42, 6:4). They shared this calling with evangelists, teachers, prophets (Eph 4:11), and elders (1 Tim 2:2, 5:17). Paul exhorts Timothy to preach and teach “with careful instruction” (2 Tim 4:2). Clearly, office-bearers have an important role to play in the faith instruction of the youth of the church.

But parents have an important role as well. This is taught in well-known passages from the Old Testament such as Deuteronomy 6 and Psalm 78. It is illustrated in the lives of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If they were zealous to make their households serve the Lord, the Lord blessed this. If they were lax in leading their families in the ways of the Lord, they would reap the results as well.

In the New Testament the role of the family and the parents is no less important. It is interesting how in the book of Acts we read that Cornelius “and all his family were devout and God-fearing” (Acts 10:2) and that one of his attendants was “a devout soldier” (Acts 10:7). In his commentary on this passage John Calvin draws the conclusion that Cornelius obviously took care to instruct his family as well as his servants in the fear of God. It teaches us, Calvin says, that the godly must endeavour that “they do not have profane families but that they keep them under the fear of the Lord.”

Apparently Calvin considers it possible that the atmosphere in the homes can deteriorate from devout to profane, from Christian to worldly. If this happens, there is not much that Catechism teaching can do to salvage the situation. The main threat to the spiritual well-being of the next generation is probably this: that our children would grow up in homes where Christianity has lost its inner strength. As parents, let us be vigilant that we set a good example in our homes and individual lives. The Apostle Peter warns that there should be no room for “evil human desires,” such as debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing, etcetera (1 Pet 4:2-3). As parents, let us examine ourselves and set it as our goal to keep our families under the fear of the Lord. May the Lord forgive our weaknesses. May he help us to set a good example to our children and to create a godly atmosphere in our homes. If we do this, we may expect his blessing on our efforts to pass on the truth to the next generation.