The Parent As Theologian
What comes to your mind when you think about words like “theology” or “doctrine?” In an age of doctrinal indifferentism, where, for example, people proudly laud themselves as being “panmillennialists” (meaning they intentionally have no specific belief about the end times other than “it will all pan out in the end”), theology seems to be out of fashion for the typical evangelical Christian.
Ask the average churchman about doctrine, and you’re likely to hear:
“I'm not all that into theology.”
“I leave that stuff to the pastors.”
“I’m more interested in Jesus than doctrine.”
But biblical principles teach us that this kind of mindset is unacceptable for Christians. We’re called to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 3:18), which requires a development of mature theological beliefs. We’re instructed to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15), which means precision must be our aim. We’re rebuked if we’ve been believers for a long period of time and yet still lack a solid grasp of the basics (cf. Heb. 5:12), which means we have no warrant to purposefully remain in the shallow end of the doctrinal pool.
Truth be told, not only is doctrinal apathy unacceptable, it’s actually impossible. Here’s why: everything you think about when it comes to God, people, life, death, morality, origins, purpose, nature, art, beauty, work, leisure, the future, and anything else in the world is a product of your theology. In other words, whether admitted or not, everyone has theological beliefs. Or, in the words of the late R.C. Sproul, “Everyone's a theologian.” You may think you’re not all that into theology, but in reality that probably just means your theology is underdeveloped, inadequate, and perhaps dangerously errant.
Sproul explains further, in response to someone who is allegedly interested in Jesus but not doctrine:
So I say to that person, “Who is Jesus? You tell me all you have to know is Jesus. That’s fine, but who is Jesus?” Now if I ask you that question, as soon as you open your mouth to say a single word about Jesus of Nazareth, you are doing theology. You are making a theological statement. You are making a statement that has vast theological implications. So the question is not, “Should we be involved in theology or not be involved in theology?” but “Are we going to do theology properly or improperly?” Are we going to be good theologians or bad theologians? Are we going to be faithful and accurate in our descriptions of Jesus, or are we going to add to this confusion, making Jesus a chameleon?”[1]
For these reasons and more, pastors are commanded by God not only to be expositors, but more specifically, to be doctrinal expositors. The people in their churches need to have a good grasp of theology.
Preach the Word… with Instruction
In 2 Timothy 4:2, after issuing the most explicitly authoritative command to Timothy to “preach the word,” the Apostle Paul gave additional qualities that were necessary for pastoral preaching: “…be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” Timothy was commanded to preach whether it was popular or not (“in season and out of season”). Timothy was to correct the false beliefs of his hearers (“reprove”), convict his hearers of any sin in their lives (“rebuke”), and encourage his hearers to pursue godliness (“exhort”). Timothy was to be compassionate and enduring with his hearers (“with great patience”), knowing that growth in Christ takes time. And finally, Timothy was to accompany his preaching with instruction.
It’d be easy to gloss over this final word, but equal attention needs to be given to this just as much as the others. After all, Paul wasn’t giving ministry “tips.” These were God-inspired commands to be followed. This wasn’t a multiple-choice suggestion, in which Timothy could select one option to the neglect of the others. Providing “instruction” for his people was a mandate.
In this case, the word “instruction” comes from the Greek word didache, which is related to the act of teaching and refers to a set pattern or framework of Christian beliefs. The idea behind this word is that the entire Bible functions as a single unit, expressing a “set” or “system” of collective truths. Although the Bible was written by dozens of authors over hundreds of years, the reality is that the one Spirit standing as its ultimate author teaches unified truths—truths about who God is, who man is, how one can be saved, what the future holds, and so on. Therefore, Scripture can be harmonized, or systematized, to express these unified truths. This is the essence of sound doctrine.
This concept of grasping systematic theology and sound doctrine is so important that in order to be qualified to be an elder, Titus 1:9 says that a man’s theology must be in accordance with “the teaching” (the Greek word didache again used here). In other words, the evidence that a man can be a pastor is that his beliefs line up with the theological teachings of the apostles.
All this to say, for a pastor to “preach the word… with instruction” means he is to herald God’s Word as an expositor while also including and explaining systematic truths that help the hearers understand lofty theology. For example, while teaching verse by verse through Romans 4, a preacher should be explaining the overarching doctrine of justification by faith alone, which is an aspect of soteriology—the doctrine of salvation. While teaching verse by verse through the Gospel of John, a preacher should be explaining how Christ took to Himself a human nature without setting aside His deity or divine prerogatives—the doctrine of Christology. While teaching verse by verse through the book of 1 Timothy, a preacher needs to explain the nature, function, and purpose of the Church, which are the larger aspects of ecclesiology—the doctrine of the Church. While teaching through the book of Zechariah, a preacher needs to explain the future events that are yet to come in the Day of the Lord, which is a component of eschatology—the doctrine of the end times. (As a side note, John MacArthur has rightly said in recent years, “Do not announce your eschatology until you have mastered Zechariah.”)[2]
In any given expositional sermon, elements of broader theological concepts should be brought to bear upon the hearer. It’s not enough for a preacher to teach the chronology of redemption; he must also teach the categories of redemption.
Sadly—and to their shame—some pastors intentionally avoid deep theological truths in their preaching, operating on the misguided notion that profound doctrinal points would be intellectually taxing to their congregation. Beyond the fact that such a view is insulting to both the natural abilities of their people as well as the supernatural abilities of the Holy Spirit who indwells them (cf. Eph. 1:17-18, 1 Cor. 2:12), it’s disobedient. Scripture explicitly requires it of pastors today. Unfortunately, within the seeker-sensitive, megachurch, give-the-people-what-they-want mentality, doctrine is an obstacle, not an asset, to the type of church growth their looking for. But as one theologian said, “Doctrinal preaching certainly bores the hypocrites; but it is only doctrinal preaching that will save Christ's sheep.”[3]
Teach the Word… with Catechesis
Since parents are to mimic in the home what pastors are to model in the church, this means that parents must also teach their kids vital theology.
But how?
In Acts 18:25, it says that Apollos was an accurate theologian because he had been “instructed” in the way of the Lord. In 1 Cor. 14:19, Paul said that he’d rather speak five intelligible words “to instruct others” than ten thousand words in tongues. These passages use the Greek word katecheo, from which we get our English word “catechize.” Though the verb literally means “to sound down from above,” and was used to refer to any kind of instruction, the apostles used the word specifically to refer to teaching foundational doctrines of the Christian faith.
But it didn’t end there. This idea continued past the time of the apostles and found its expression in an ancient document that was written to catechize (instruct) new believers in basic theological truths. And what was the name of that document early believers used to teach basic theology? The Didache, which is often referred to as “the first catechism.” These early Christians recognized that a list or document of doctrines summarized from Scripture could and should be used to help new believers rapidly develop a baseline understanding of Christianity. “Catechisis,” the process of catechizing believers, was particularly instrumental at the time of the Reformation in order to guide new Protestants, many of whom were non-literate, in Gospel truths that had been long obscured.
Thus, both biblically and historically, the Christian church—from its inception, to its early centuries, through the time of the Reformation, and beyond—has understood that the way to quickly acclimate new believers to theology is through the use of a catechism. Essentially, a catechism is a series of theological questions and answers, intended to be “sounded down” (communicated via oral instruction), so that believers can memorize and recite back the answers.
How to Catechize Your Children
So, do you want to teach your kids basic theology? Do you want them to understand some of the foundational doctrines and practices of the faith? If so, you need to begin catechizing them. I’ll offer you four simple steps for implementing a catechism in the discipleship of your children: pick it, teach it, celebrate it, and use it.
Pick It
The first obvious step in catechizing your kids is to pick a catechism to use. If you’re going to teach your kids a list of questions and answers, you need the list. But which one? For starters, if you’re a member in a confessionally Reformed church, then by definition your church already has a catechism. Confessional churches subscribe to the Three Forms of Unity: the Belgic Confession, the Canons of Dordt, and… the Heidelberg Catechism. The Heidelberg Catechism was written in Germany in 1563, and thus stands as one of the most famous catechisms in church history, beginning with the well-known question, “What is your only comfort in life and in death?” It answers by saying, “That, with body and soul, both life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ…” (and continues on).
If you’re not in a confessionally Reformed church, the next best thing to do would be to talk with your pastors (who should be thrilled to have such a discussion!). They might either have a catechism that the church prefers to use, or can help you look into other catechisms such as the Westminster Shorter Catechism, Keech’s Catechism, Spurgeon’s Catechism, or a number of others that would be a good fit.
Finally, if you’re looking for my personal recommendation, I would point you (for obvious reasons) to the Expository Parenting Catechism, found here: https://www.expositoryparenting.org/catechism. This catechism is based on the 1840 Engles’ Catechism (which is an adaptation of the Westminster Shorter Catechism), with the added benefit of a few corrections in accordance with the ministry Statement of Faith (https://www.expositoryparenting.org/statementoffaith).
The Expository Parenting Catechism will equip your kids with solid doctrinal truth, in answers that are of a manageable size, while following in the footsteps of a historic, time-tested catechism. Of added benefit, the text of this catechism is formatted to work well on a small electronic device, allowing you to catechize your kids anywhere, anytime.
Teach It
Next, take your catechism and divide it up into sections of 3-5 questions each. So if your catechism contains 150 questions, you might have 30 or more sections after dividing it up.
On Day 1, read off the questions and answers of the first section (i.e. Questions 1-5) a few times to your child. Then read the questions again and see if your child can recite the answers from memory. Provide helps as needed to complete the first section. That’s it, you’re done for the day. It took you and your child all of 60 seconds, and now you are officially a parent catechizing your child. Well done!
On Day 2, do it again: read off the first 5 questions, and after each one, pause to see if your child can recite the answers from memory. Help as needed.
Repeat this process daily, weekly, or however frequently you decide to catechize your child, until he or she can recite the answers to those first 5 questions without any assistance.
Once your child has mastered those, then add in the next set of questions to your daily catechesis. So, going forward, you would ask your child Questions 1-10, and continue the routine: ask questions, wait for answers, provide help as needed. The catechism now takes 2 minutes, and you’re teaching your child solid theological truth. Great work, dad! Good on ya, mom!
You’ll gradually add more and more questions to your catechism time in this fashion. And as you might imagine, by the time several weeks or months go by, the catechism training might climb to 10 to 15 minutes in one sitting. Ultimately, when you’re working through nearly the entire catechism—which will almost assuredly take years to reach—it might take 30 minutes or more. But theological truth is dropping anchor in your child’s mind, and the day will come when he or she can recite the entire thing from memory.
Celebrate It
Although this may seem like an unexpected step in catechizing children, it’s vital. If you grew up being catechized, especially in the apostate Roman Catholic Church, you may very well have only negative memories. Rather than seeing theology training as vibrant and edifying, perhaps you think of it as cold and lifeless. Although teaching a catechism can be hard work, and some days will go better than others, the process overall should be enjoyable. Don’t miss the ultimate goal you’re aiming for: reminding your children how good it is to know God, know more about God, and be equipped to express it. Celebrations are a great way to do this.
The first, quite unsophisticated way to do this, is with candy. Yep, you read that right—candy (and other sugary sweets). On days when your kids are working hard with a good attitude, a bit of candy can go a long way, providing a wonderful connection between tasting something sweet and learning something sweet. The prophet Ezekiel agrees: “And He said to me, ‘Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your body with this scroll which I am giving you.’ Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth” (Ezek. 3:3). So does the Psalmist: “How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103).
Secondly, when your child masters the catechism all the way through a new section, and is able to recite every answer from memory, you might consider giving him or her a small gift in celebration of that milestone. It could be something small like a full-size candy bar, or a new book. Or, maybe there’s a new t-shirt that your child has been eyeing. Or, maybe he or she gets to pick the dinner menu one evening. While acknowledging that material goods can be a distraction in the Christian life, at the same time, they can also be used as a tangible expression of how thankful you are to God for what He has done in the lives of your kids. In Esther, for example, we read that after God rescued the Jews from Haman’s evil plot, they celebrated “because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from grief into joy, and from mourning into a holiday; that they were to make them days of feasting and rejoicing, and sending portions of food to one another, and gifts to the poor” (Est. 9:22). Although it was God who providentially governed the entire ordeal, the Jews celebrated by giving tangible goods to one another in honor of what He did. That same principle can be applied in your home. Catechism gifts aren’t intended to be rewards or bribes for what your child has done or should do, but celebrations of what God is doing. Just as we love one another because “He first loved us” (1 John 4:19), so too do we give gifts to one another because, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father” (James 1:17). Giving our children gifts is a great reminder of God’s good gifts to us (cf. Matt. 7:9-11).
Pray on the couch, dance on the floor, laugh together with tickles and jokes, give small gifts, and make catechesis a wonderful celebration with your kids.
Use It
Finally, perhaps you’re wondering what to do once your child memorizes catechism answers. You may be thinking, “Is that it? I just ask these questions, my daughters answers, and then we move on with our life? What’s the point?”
Make no mistake here: the reality is that this fourth and final step is where the true power of Paul’s instructions are demonstrated. Just as Timothy was commanded to preach the Word with instruction, meaning he was to teach through the Scriptures while including doctrinal principles, so too should parents teach their kids the Bible while including question and answers from the memorized catechism.
Consider this: although a pastor might find himself preaching verse by verse on a Sunday morning, and then perhaps teaching a systematic theology small group or class at other times during the week, the fullest expression of Paul’s instructions to Timothy happens when a pastor preaches verse by verse on a Sunday morning while providing doctrinal truths in the sermon. That’s what it means to preach the Word “with” (or better yet, “in,” based on the Greek) instruction. In other words, Paul wasn’t telling Timothy to preach the Word on one occasion, and then teach systematic theology on another occasion, but to marry the two inseparably; preaching should be characterized by sound doctrine.
All this to say, as you teach your kids the Bible, the power of a catechism will be unleashed when you include questions and answers during Bible time.
For example, let’s say you’ve been using the Expository Parenting catechism for several weeks and your daughter has over a dozen answers memorized. Then, on one particular day, you’re teaching through Genesis chapter 1, and you say something like, “So we see here in the first ten verses that God made the heavens, and the earth, and light and darkness, and the water and dry land.” You then pause, look at your daughter, and ask, “What else did God make?” Since she’s been memorizing the catechism, she easily replies, “God made all things.” You say, “That’s right!” You then continue teaching through the chapter, explaining the other things that God. After you finish teaching through verse 31, you ask, “Why did God make you and all things?” She answers, “For His own glory.” From there, you draw Gospel-based application about mankind falling short of this God-glorifying purpose, the need for Christ, and the future new heavens and new earth that await believers. With this practice, what you’re doing is using the answers your kids have already memorized in order to help teach the Bible passage, and ultimately bolster their understanding it. You’re leveraging the power of theological truths that they already know, and relating them back to the passage at hand.
Let’s consider one more example. Imagine you’re teaching through the account of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew chapter 3, and you come to verses 16 and 17, which say, “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’” After you read and teach what’s happening, you might say to your son, “Are there more Gods than one?” He replies (with his pre-memorized catechism answer), “No, there’s only one true God.” You then ask, “In how many Persons is this one true God.” He says, “In three.” You say, “Name these three persons.” He says, “God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.” You say, “That’s exactly right! Now see in this passage that God the Son went into the water, and God the Spirit descended on Him like a dove, right? So who was the voice from heaven?” After contemplating his catechism for a moment, he replies with, “God the Father!” Although the passage doesn’t explicitly say it was God the Father who spoke from heaven, your son was able to utilize his catechism answers and a bit of logic to think through the passage and infer who spoke.
The power of applying the wisdom of God, as found in Paul’s instructions to Timothy, in the discipleship of your children, makes for unparalleled instruction at home. By not only teaching a catechism, but using it during Bible time, you help your kids stay engaged, learn to apply logic to biblical truths, recognize how doctrines are derived from Scripture, and gain confidence that they’re mastering what you’re teaching. It’s impossible to overstate how powerful it is to use a catechism in this way when it comes to a child’s theological and doctrinal development.
Start Right Away
Just as pastors must be dependable theologians in the church, you as a parent are the resident theologian in the home. You’re the one who must nourish your children with sound doctrine (cf. 1 Tim. 4:6). You’re the one who will be fielding those thought-provoking theological questions they ask at bedtime. This is an important task.
But as you consider these things, perhaps you find yourself in need of a better handle on systematic theology. If that’s the case, consider reading through either Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth, or the more concise version of it, Essential Christian Doctrine: A Handbook on Biblical Truth. Both by John MacArthur, you can trust that these represent the best of systematic theology books available today, in terms of comprehensive accuracy.
Regardless of where you are in your own spiritual growth, start a catechism with your kids right away, considering these comments from Charles Spurgeon:
“In matters of doctrine, you will find orthodox congregations frequently change to heterodoxy in the course of thirty or forty years, and that is because too often there has been no catechising of the children in the essential doctrines of the gospel. For my part, I am more and more persuaded that the study of a good Scriptural catechism is of infinite value to our children, and I shall see that it is reprinted as cheaply as possible for your use. Even if the youngsters do not understand all the questions and answers in the “Westminster Assembly’s Catechism,” yet, abiding in their memories, it will be of infinite service when the time of understanding comes, to have known those very excellent, wise, and judicious definitions of the things of God.”[4]
Remember: Everyone’s a theologian. Make sure your kids are good ones.
References:
[1]
[2] https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/SC23-2/hope-for-the-remnant
[3] J.I. Packer, A Quest for Godliness (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1990), 285.
[4] https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/a-promise-for-us-and-for-our-children/#flipbook/