Charles H. Spurgeon was in his very early 20s when, in 1855, he oversaw the republication of the Second London Confession. Along with that confession he produced a catechism one that he stated was based “from the Westminster Assembly’s and Baptist Catechisms, for the use of my own church and congregation.”[1]
In recent years there has been a bit of an Evangelical resurgence in interest in catechisms. In 1986 John Piper published “A Baptist Catechism.”[2]Like Spurgeon before, this was a revision/adaptation of the “Baptist Catechism” also known as “Keach’s Catechism” that was published along with the Second London Confession in the late 17thcentury.
In 2017 the Gospel Coalition published “The New City Catechism” in an attempt to once more introduce the concept of catechesis to U.S. Evangelicals.
As Piper stated, to catechize is to teach the faith “biblical truth in an orderly way. Generally, this is done with questions and answers accompanied by biblical support and explanation.”[3] Spurgeon, in his introduction, stated, “I am persuaded that the use of a good Catechism in all our families will be a great safeguard against the increasing errors of the times.”[4] Catechesis has also served to make Christian instruction in the faith “instruction is less individualistic and more communal.”[5]
The point of this project, however, is not to defend, or even promote, catechism(s). I truly believe that that is something that can be done better and more completely by someone else. No, the point of this project is to reflect, perhaps even devotionally, on a catechism, in this case, Spurgeon’s. Over the next however long a few times a week I will be publishing a reflection on a question and answer from Spurgeon’s Catechism.
This is a project as much for my own edification as it is for public consumption, but I do hope that it will provide edification and spiritual nourishment to you as well.
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[1]Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). A Catechism, With Proofs(p. 2). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
[2]https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-baptist-catechism
[3]https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/a-baptist-catechism
[4]Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). A Catechism, With Proofs(p. 2). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.
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