Why Do We Need Catechisms?

Or: Lutheran Statements of Faith and God's Word

Some people, especially some Protestant Christians, wonder why the Lutheran Church teaches its members not only the Bible but also certain statements of faith, e.g., the 1529 Small Catechism of Martin Luther (1483-1546). Aren't those statements written by people who can make mistakes? 

This would be a good reason for concern, if the Small Catechism, for example, contained teachings that were not clearly taught in God’s Word, the Bible. Indeed, the Lutheran Church would then contradict Luther himself who was a great champion of the "Scripture alone" principle: God's inspired Word is the only source and norm for faith and life in the Church of God.

Now, we still do believe in "Scripture alone." But we also believe that it is entirely possible -- and, in fact, sometimes very helpful -- to summarize briefly what Scripture teaches on certain topics. This makes it easier to learn. It also makes it easier to distinguish between true and false teachings. The Christian Church has been doing this from the beginning. The Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds, also known as Ecumenical Creeds, bear witness to this practice.

In this sense, the two Catechisms Luther wrote in his lifetime, the Small Catechism and the Large Catechism, are like physics textbooks: They don't add anything to their subject matter – this is at least the firm conviction of us Lutherans. They simply describe what's objectively stated in God's Word. This is then also why we accept them as normative along with our other statements of faith, not because they are from Luther or some ancient church assembly, but because they accurately summarize God's inerrant Word.

Even after over 475 years, the Small Catechism remains a sound summary of Scripture's teachings on God’s Law (the Ten Commandments); God's Gospel (the Apostles' Creed); God-pleasing prayer (the Lord's Prayer); Holy Baptism; Confession and Absolution; and the Lord's Supper.

Along with the other statements of faith, like the 1530 Augsburg Confession and the 1577 Formula of Concord, contained in the 1580 Christian Book of Concord, the Catechism has served Lutherans all over the world to remain faithful to God’s teachings revealed in the Bible. Meditate on these writings for yourself and compare them diligently with God's biblical word, and you will find them in perfect agreement.