Why Did the Early Church Use Catechisms?
Question 0010
Before we can answer why, we should be clear about what we mean by a catechism. The word comes from the Greek κατηχέω (katēcheō), meaning “to teach by word of mouth” or “to instruct.” Luke uses this word in his Gospel when he tells Theophilus that he is writing “that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught (κατηχήθης, katēchēthēs)” (Luke 1:4). Paul uses it when he speaks of those who are “instructed (κατηχούμενος, katēchoumenos) in the word” (Galatians 6:6).
A catechism, then, is a method of instruction in a typically in question-and-answer format. It is designed to teach the essential truths of the Christian faith in a memorable and systematic way. The early church used catechisms because they understood that new converts needed thorough grounding in the faith before they were baptised and admitted to the Lord’s Table. Whilst I personally do not think you should have to go through ‘classes’ for either as believers already in the Gospel (we do not see a Biblical precedent for this), it makes sense to do so afterward. In a world full of competing religions, philosophies, and heresies, the church could not afford to leave its members doctrinally vulnerable.
The Context: A Pagan World
We often forget that the earliest Christians were making converts out of paganism. They were not dealing with people who already believed in one God, accepted the authority of Scripture, and understood the basics of biblical morality. Converts came from every imaginable background; worshippers of Zeus and Artemis, devotees of mystery religions, practitioners of emperor worship, former Jews, and Gentiles with no religious training at all.
To bring such people into the church without instruction would have been irresponsible. They needed to understand who Jesus is, what He accomplished, what the Scriptures teach, how to pray, how to live, and how to resist the false teachings that constantly assailed the church from within and without.
The catechumenate, the formal period of instruction for new believers, became some of the church’s response to this challenge. It was a serious and extended process of discipleship.
Evidence from the New Testament
The practice of catechesis is already present in the New Testament. The book of Acts records that converts were taught immediately after coming to faith. In Acts 2:42, the first believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Teaching was not optional; it was foundational.
Apollos, we are told, “had been instructed (κατηχημένος, katēchēmenos) in the way of the Lord” (Acts 18:25). Priscilla and Aquila then explained the way of God to him more accurately. This is catechesis in action; building on what had been taught, correcting where needed, and filling in the gaps.
The author of Hebrews assumes that his readers have received basic instruction: “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment” (Hebrews 6:1-2). Notice the list: repentance, faith, baptism, the resurrection, judgment. These are catechetical topics, the foundational teachings that every believer was expected to know.
The Didache: An Early Catechetical Document
One of the earliest Christian documents outside the New Testament is the Didache, or “Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” likely dating to the late first or early second century. It begins with a section called “The Two Ways”, the Way of Life and the Way of Death, and provided moral instruction for new believers before they are baptised.
The Didache includes teaching on prayer (including the Lord’s Prayer), fasting, and the proper administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. It is, in effect, an early catechism. It shows that even in the apostolic era, the church was concerned with structured teaching for converts.
The Catechumenate in the Second and Third Centuries
By the second century, the catechumenate had become formalised. Justin Martyr (c. AD 100-165) describes how those who “are persuaded and believe that the things we teach and say are true, and undertake to live accordingly” are brought into fellowship after a period of preparation including prayer, fasting, and instruction (First Apology 61). Only then were they baptised and admitted to the Eucharist.
Hippolytus of Rome (c. AD 170-235) provides even more detail in his Apostolic Tradition. He describes a catechumenate lasting up to three years, during which candidates were instructed in the faith, examined for their moral conduct, and assessed for their readiness to join the church. Teachers would test whether they were “living piously” and whether they had “honoured the widows” and “visited the sick” and “done every good work.” Only after this extended probation were they baptised during the Easter Vigil.
This was not arbitrary tradition. It was the church’s recognition that faith requires understanding, and understanding requires teaching. The Great Commission commands us to make disciples “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20). Some take that to mean it should happen before baptism but tell that to the Ethiopian eunuch!
Cyril of Jerusalem and Baptismal Catechesis
By the fourth century, catechetical instruction had reached a high level of sophistication. Cyril of Jerusalem (c. AD 313-386) delivered a famous series of catechetical lectures to candidates preparing for baptism. These lectures covered the Creed article by article, explaining the doctrines of God, creation, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the church, the resurrection, and eternal life.
After baptism, Cyril delivered “mystagogical catecheses” which were further instructions on the sacraments the new believers had just received. This demonstrates some of the early church’s conviction that understanding should both precede and follow baptism. The Christian life is one of continuous learning.
Augustine and Catechetical Instruction
Augustine of Hippo (AD 354-430) wrote a treatise called De Catechizandis Rudibus (On Instructing the Uninstructed), offering guidance to a deacon on how to teach new converts. Augustine emphasised that catechesis should not be dry recitation of facts but should be animated by love. The goal is not merely to inform the mind but to transform the heart.
He also urged that instruction be tailored to the hearer. Some come to the faith ignorant; others come with education. Some are sincere seekers; others have mixed motives. The catechist must discern and adapt without compromising the content of the faith.
Why Catechisms? The Practical Reasons
The early church used catechisms for several practical reasons.
To ensure doctrinal integrity. With heresies multiplying: Gnosticism, Arianism, Manichaeism, and others. So, the church needed a reliable way to pass on the apostolic faith. Catechisms provided a standard of orthodoxy that could be checked against Scripture and against the teaching of the wider church.
To form moral character. Christian ethics differed radically from the surrounding culture. Converts needed to understand how to live. The “Two Ways” tradition, that is, contrasting the way of life with the way of death, and gave practical moral guidance rooted in the Ten Commandments and the teaching of Jesus.
To prepare for baptism. Baptism was not treated casually. It marked the formal entrance into the covenant community. The church wanted to ensure that those who were baptised understood what they were committing to and were prepared to renounce their former way of life.
To enable participation in worship. Early church worship included the recitation of the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, and responses that assumed knowledge of the faith. Without instruction, a new believer would be lost. Catechesis equipped them to participate intelligently and reverently.
To build a literate and articulate laity. The early church faced persecution, marginalisation, and constant intellectual challenge from pagan philosophers. Christians needed to know what they believed and why. Catechisms gave them the tools to defend and explain their faith.
The Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Commandments
The content of early catechesis typically centred on three foundational texts: the Lord’s Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments. These three were seen as summaries of what Christians should pray, believe, and do.
The Lord’s Prayer taught them to address God as Father, to seek His kingdom, to depend on Him for daily needs, to confess sin and forgive others, and to ask for deliverance from evil. It shaped their entire approach to prayer.
The Creed (eventually the Nicene Creed or the Apostles’ Creed) summarised the essential doctrines: God the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth; Jesus Christ His only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried, descended into hades, rose on the third day, ascended into heaven, and will come to judge the living and the dead; the Holy Spirit; the church; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.
The Commandments provided the moral framework: no other gods, no idols, no misuse of God’s name, Sabbath observance, honour to parents, and prohibitions against murder, adultery, theft, false witness, and covetousness.
These three elements; prayer, belief, practice, covered the essential ground of Christian formation.
Relevance for Today
The early church’s commitment to catechesis is a rebuke to our shallow age. We live in a time when many professing Christians cannot articulate basic doctrines, do not know the Ten Commandments, and have never memorised the Lord’s Prayer. We have neglected systematic instruction in favour of experience, and the result is a church that is wide but shallow. It is susceptible to every new teaching and unable to give a reason for the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15).
There is much we can learn from the early church. Teaching the faith is not optional. It is commanded. It requires effort, time, and intentionality. New believers need to be grounded before they are launched. Mature believers need ongoing instruction and refreshment.
The Reformers understood this. Luther’s Small Catechism, the Westminster Shorter Catechism, and the Heidelberg Catechism were all attempts to recover the ancient practice of catechesis for a new generation. They asked simple questions and gave biblical answers: “What is your only comfort in life and death?” “What is the chief end of man?” “What is the law of God?” [My opinion on these are that on the whole this catechisms are good but on some questions they veer towards Calvinism rather than Biblicism].
I would recommend: The Baptist Catechism (https://baptistcatechism.org/) or the New City Catechism (https://newcitycatechism.com/) provide excellent frameworks for family/personal worship and instruction.
Conclusion
The early church used catechisms because they took discipleship seriously. They understood that converts from paganism needed thorough instruction in doctrine, morality, and worship. They knew that heresy was a constant threat and that only a well-taught church could resist it. They believed that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ (Romans 10:17), and they organised the life of the church accordingly.
May we recover their conviction. May we teach the faith to our children and to new believers with the same care and intentionality. May we never assume that knowledge of the gospel is automatic but labour to pass it on from generation to generation, until the Lord returns.
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.” Acts 2:42 (ESV)
Bibliography
- Didache. In The Apostolic Fathers, translated by Michael W. Holmes, 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.
- Hippolytus of Rome. On the Apostolic Tradition, 2nd ed. Translated by Alistair C. Stewart. Yonkers: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 2015.
- Cyril of Jerusalem. Lectures on the Christian Sacraments. Edited by F.L. Cross. Crestwood: St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1977.
- Augustine of Hippo. De Catechizandis Rudibus. In Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, Vol. 3. Edited by Philip Schaff. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980.
- Justin Martyr. First Apology. In The Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 1. Edited by Alexander Roberts and James Donaldson. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979.
- Ferguson, Everett. Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2009.
- Kelly, J.N.D. Early Christian Doctrines, 5th ed. London: A&C Black, 1977.
- Schaff, Philip. History of the Christian Church, Vol. 2: Ante-Nicene Christianity. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1980.
- Packer, J.I. Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2010.
- Ryrie, Charles C. Basic Theology. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1999.
