The Way of Jesus Catechism
Have you been established in the Christian faith?
On Sunday I introduced our home church to a catechism that we are using for new believers and others that want to understand the Christian faith. It started as a project for a master’s degree program I had enrolled in and become a passion as I developed it. While examining creeds and catechisms and comparing them to other discipleship material, I fell in love with Martin Luther’s short catechism. But for Pentecostals I felt there needed to be answers and instruction for our spiritual practices as well according to the Scriptures.
If Christians have grown up in Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran or Presbyterian contexts, then catechism is nothing new. But for many Evangelicals and Pentecostals, a catechism is not quite as common. Many churches do Bible studies for new believers and use booklets or some type of group learning guides. I set out to write a catechism that was true to the historic creeds of the Christian faith and also included the distinctives of Pentecostal beliefs and practices. As a Protestant I affirm that the Bible is the only infallible rule for our faith but also believe that creeds and catechisms can be helpful for us clarifying and applying the faith to our lives.
Wikipedia explains a catechism like this:
A catechism (/ˈkætəˌkɪzəm/; from Ancient Greek: κατηχέω, “to teach orally”) is a summary or exposition of doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult converts.[1]As Daniel R. Hyde has shown, this word is used in the New Testament (Luke 1:4; Acts 18:25; 21:2, 24; Rom. 2:18; 1 Cor. 14:19; Gal. 6:6) for the instruction of believers.[2]Catechisms are doctrinal manuals—often in the form of set questions and answers to be memorized—a format that has been used in non-religious or secular contexts as well.
The term catechumen refers to the designated recipient of the catechetical work or instruction. In the Catholic Church, catechumens are those who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.
Catechism is a teaching that involves questions and answers. Scriptures are mainly referenced with straightforward answers. I believe this type of learning is very dynamic and simple to grasp. The Way of Jesus Catechism: A Foundational Teaching for Christian Beliefs and Practices is of medium length. I wanted to keep things simple but develop it enough to help Christians navigate the faith and the Pentecostal church with Biblical parameters.
The first portion covers what is the way of Jesus and what is the gospel. This first part covers the nature of God, the Trinity, the creeds (Apostle’s, Nicene and Athanasiun), salvation, water baptism and Spirit baptism. The next portion is about being established in the faith by learning how to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. This includes renewing the mind, confessing sin, discovering your identity in Christ and deliverance from demonic influence. The last portion of the catechism covers the spiritual practices (or disciplines) that include things like Bible reading and prayer, as well as spiritual gifts, giving, worship, leadership standards, vocation and the mission of Christ. It all culminates with being prepared for the return of Jesus.
You can download this catechism here and share it where you would like. The purpose of the catechism is to establish you and your family in the Christian faith. I pray that Christians in church, in the home and through self study will get rooted deeply in the foundations of Christian beliefs and practices.
Thank you!