See, I'm going to read 2 Timothy 1.5 and then 3.15-17. 2 Timothy 1.5. I'll actually begin at verse 3. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of Thee in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see Thee, being mindful of Thy tears, that I may be filled with joy when I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois and in thy mother Eunice, and I am persuaded that it is in thee also." And then chapter 3, verse 14 and following, "...but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of." knowing of whom thou hast learned them, and that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Thus ends the reading of God's holy and infallible word. This Lord's Day morning return to a short series of lectures on catechetical instruction. Catechetical instruction, we're doing so basically as a preface to beginning a catechism class for our children next month. Now, last Lord's Day, we looked at the what, who, and why of catechism. We generally considered catechetical instruction. And this morning, we're going to begin to consider catechism by parents or parental catechizing. And then after we conclude considering parental catechizing, we will look at sessional catechizing. Now, what we said about catechizing last week is that the word comes from the Greek word katecheo, which means to put down by echo. And so it seems to be referring to a method of teaching the fundamentals by repetition and by question and answering. It's basically a method of recitation or method of testing. It's fairly synonymous really with the grammar phase of education in any discipline. There are certain facts that have to be known or first principles that then the rest of the discipline would be built on. And so theology or the doctrines of God are nothing different than that. There are some fundamental principles that we must understand before we can move on to others. For example, just this week I was talking with my wife about our view of song and what kind of song is to be in worship of God. And I said that oftentimes we run into people that might discuss this or debate this issue with others, and yet have failed to realize that there are at least two more fundamental principles that underlie it, if not many, many more. But the principle that comes underneath the issue about what song is in worship is the principle of the regulative principle, what belongs in worship generally. But then there's even another more underlying principle than that, and that is the principle of sola scriptura. You see, how could you argue what is right in worship with the Roman Catholic and begin at the issue of psalmody without beginning at sola scriptura? We've got to build the foundation. They've got to be convinced of that doctrine first. And the fact is, we don't often become convinced of three doctrines that are connected half an hour or an hour conversation. That just doesn't ordinarily happen. And so we've got to begin with the basics and make sure they're in place. And so we must do that for ourselves and for our children. We saw Paul in his very latter life, as he's preparing to go to glory, tells Timothy, a man who's been a pastor for years at Ephesus, that he must hold fast the faith firmly. that form of sound words, that outline, or that painter's sketch, he's still got to hold on to it. In other words, he could still lose the basics himself if he doesn't focus upon them. And so this morning, I want us to consider the teaching of the first principles of the doctrines of God as parents. So I want us to consider first the biblical basis for parental catechizing, then church history and parental catechizing, and then thirdly, some directives for parental It's very likely that I will not get to the directives this morning, so we'll most likely consider them in two Lord's Days, or next Lord's Day, actually. Now, first, the biblical basis for parental catechizing. One thing we have to realize is that catechizing is one branch of many that we are to employ in the nurturing of our children spiritually. In Ephesians 6-4, fathers are told to nurture their children, to nurture them, the totality of their being. Not just their spiritual side, so to speak, but who they are intellectually and socially, as well as physically. They're to nurture the whole person. But we're speaking today particularly about nurturing spiritually. And as I said, catechizing is one method to do that. Now, I want us to just consider some of the precepts of Scripture regarding the need for catechizing. First, in general, God calls parents to remind their children of the great redemptive acts of history of God. Consider the Exodus and the Passover. In Exodus 12, verses 24 through 27, then in verse 8 of chapter 13, as well as verses 14 through 16 of that chapter, We have God telling parents, particularly fathers, to teach their children about the Passover. And when they partake the Passover year by year, they remind their children of what it symbolizes. And it symbolizes the great redemption of God of His people out of Egypt. We see also the same thought in Joshua 4, verses 6 and 7, and then in 21 through 24, The fathers are told to remind their children about the crossing of the Jordan. And when they see those 12 stones representing the 12 tribes that are on the east or the west side of Jordan, excuse me, they'll be reminded that God divided the Jordan and the people of God came into the promised land. by the miracle of God. So we have those general principles that we are to remind our children of the great redemptive acts of God. And so we are still to do so. So we are to remind them of Christ, His incarnation, His life, His death, His burial, His resurrection, His ascension, just some of the major redemptive acts of our God. Then also consider the particular precept of Deuteronomy 6. Deuteronomy 6. And I'll read verses 6 through 9. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart. And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. And thou shalt write them upon the post of thy house and on thy gates." Here we have God telling fathers what they're to do with the law of God that's just been reiterated, restated by Moses. Moses has just restated the Ten Commandments. The summary of moral teaching for the people of God All those created in God's image. And here God tells the fathers, you're going to have to repeat this. You're going to have to speak about these ten commandments. These ten commandments are fairly short. And yet God says you're going to have to continually be talking about them and their implications in your life and in your children's life. He says these things are going to have to be on your heart first so that you can then, by God's grace, seek to implement them and teach them and inculcate them into your children's lives. But they begin with you loving those works. and out of love for them, speaking those words regularly. And then your children will begin to see that you love the truth. So, Deuteronomy 6, 9 teaches the repetition of God's Word, particularly the law of God. So, we are to make much of the redemptive acts of God, we're also to make much of the moral teaching of God. And just consider the shorter catechism, about one-third of the Catechism is the explanation of the Ten Commandments. It's also very interesting that the Shorter Catechism is not built the same way as the Confession of Faith is. Both of them cover all of Christian truth at some level. It doesn't cover everything, but it covers the basics. But the catechism begins with covering that which is somewhat in the creed, the Apostle's Creed. It covers the great redemptive acts of God and who God is, the Scripture, man, Christ, salvation. But very interestingly, in the shorter catechism, the topics of faith and repentance are not placed in the beginning part. They're not placed in their logical order. They're placed in their practical order because a child who are Anyone that's outside of Christ, that does not have a knowledge of God, needs to understand what the Scriptures are, who God is, who man is, who Christ is, what salvation is offered in Jesus Christ, and what will be the end of those that have come to faith in Christ. So, we learn that. But then in the catechism, you have the law. And it's not until you get done the teaching of the law that then you actually have the teaching about repentance and faith and what the duty of man is to embrace the Christ that's proclaimed in the gospel. Because in the catechism, what the Westminster divines were focusing upon was that first principle or that first use of the law, and that is to drive us to see our sin and thus drive us to look at Christ. And so they put the law there for that purpose, pre the duty of faith and repentance. So they preach the law as well as the gospel in the catechism. That's why the catechism is, I believe, the best evangelistic track that's in existence that's not inspired, because it does teach the gospel in a very straightforward way. Another precept that we mentioned last Lord's Day was Proverbs 22, 6. Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Now, this word in Hebrew that means train up, as I said last Lord's Day, has the root of narrowing. It really means to initiate or kind of bring someone in at the threshold of a commitment of a life of education. And so, that's why the Greeks, when they translated the Hebrew Bible, the Jews translated and used the word katikos. Katikos is a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Now, there's some of the precepts of the Scripture that teach us about the nurturing of our children through repetition. Now, just consider some of the precedents precedence for fathers teaching their children. Consider Genesis 18-19. Here, the angel of the Lord with some angels goes to meet Abraham. And Abraham is very hospitable to them. And then we have the angel of the Lord telling the angels why He is going to inform Abraham about what is to take place regarding Sodom and Gomorrah. He says, I'm going to do this for I know Him. This isn't just an intellectual knowledge of Abraham. God knows everyone. But He had an intimate relationship with him. I know Him, but I know Him that He will command His children and His household after Him that they shall keep the way of the Lord to do justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." What God says here is that I'm going to tell Abraham about this. And I know that Abraham is going to be one who tells his children what God is telling him. And what God is saying is, I'm the God of ends. I've ordained that the promise that I've made to Abraham will come to pass. But God says it's not going to come to pass in a vacuum. God who has ordained the ends has also ordained the means. And He says the means is going to be Abraham teaching his children. And teaching them authoritatively, commanding his children that they shall keep the way of the Lord. He's not just giving them a few abstract ideas that they need to place in their heads and giving them a little quiz on it. Abraham is called and is prepared to command his children. To tell them what they're to believe, and how they're to behave, and to make sure that they do so. Joshua similarly did something the same. In Joshua 24-15, if you remember, as he speaks to the people of God, he says, if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve. Whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Now, here Joshua is not saying, pick and choose your own gods. He's speaking to the Israelites in a very rhetorical way, saying, how foolish could you be to want to serve the gods that your fathers used to serve? God's across the flood, across the Jordan. I think he's referring likely to the false gods that Abraham's family would have been exposed to. And he's saying, you're going to serve those gods, former gods of your fathers? You're going to serve the gods of the Amorites and whose land we're in? Or are you going to serve God? He says, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua isn't making a decision here by committee. He doesn't say, let me get my kids and my wife together and we'll come back and tell you how we voted. We'll decide where we're heading. He says, as for me and my house, I'm representing my house. we're going to serve the Lord. I'm committed to serving the Lord myself, and I'm concerned and I'm committed to also making sure His rule is made known in my house amongst those that I'm responsible for. We also see the same principle in Psalm 78. I won't read that whole psalm, but I would encourage you fathers to consider reading that to your family this evening. Psalm 78, particularly verses 1-8, And I'll just read a couple of the verses. Give ear, O my people, to my law. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable. I will utter dark sayings of old which we have heard and known and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and His strength and His wonderful works which He hath done. Our forefathers told us the wonderful works of God, and we're prepared to pass on that knowledge of the wonderful works of God to our children, to the next generation. And so we see that education in the Scriptures and in the knowledge of God is required of the church. We as individuals, as fathers, as parents, but also as the church in general, called to pass down the truth pure and entire to the next generation. That's part of what Jesus told the disciples to do when He told them to keep, that we're to keep all the commandments and we're to teach our people to keep the commandments. In the Great Commission, that word keep is a military term that means to guard. It's not actually just talking about obedience in that passage. It's talking about maintaining the Scriptures pure and entire that we might know what we're to obey. We also see the precedent of our duties as parents in Proverbs 1-4. We read this from Solomon. Hear ye, children, the instruction of a father, and attend to no understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not My law. For I was My Father's Son, tender and only beloved in the sight of My Mother. He taught Me also and said unto Me, Let thine heart retain My words. Keep My commandments and live." Here Solomon is calling his children to receive God's Word, which is his Word. He's saying, let me give you a little rationale for it. My Father did the same thing to me. Your grandfather David saw me as his tender and only beloved, And beloved in my mother's sight, my mother and my father loved me, and part of their love was expressed in their teaching the Word of God to me." And here Solomon, when he was thinking straight and under the inspiration of God, said, this is why you should listen, children, because this is what my father told me about the Lord. So we have an exhortation to his children, but it's based on a family history lesson. That there's a history lesson being passed down from generation to generation. It's the method in which the faith is passed down to the visible church. So this precedent, as I've spoken of, is related to fathers in most of the passages we've just considered. It's particularly focusing upon the father's duty. But that doesn't mean that mothers don't have an important duty in the nurture of their children. Just consider Proverbs 31, 1 and 2. The words of King Lemuel. The prophecy that his mother taught him. What my son, and what the son of my womb, and what the son of my vows. And then she tells him about the kind of woman that he should be looking for. A woman that would rightly befit his office as a king. A woman that would behave in such a way that would be a faithful queen. But his mother taught him these things. We also consider the words that I began with this morning. 2 Timothy 1.5 As Paul contemplates his relationship with Timothy, he calls to remembrance the unfading faith that is in him, he says, that's in thee, which first dwelt in thy grandmother Lois and in thy mother Eunice. And I am persuaded that it is in thee also." Now, he's not saying that Timothy's getting in on his mother and grandmother's coattails and somehow this faith just is automatically passed down. But he's saying, I know your faith is real. It's unfeigned. It's not fake. You don't just have an external profession of faith that's not real. I can tell that these truths that you believe, you've embraced. You've embraced this Christ that you speak of. But he remembers that his grandmother and his mother also had that unfaith faith. He realizes that they had taught him the Scriptures and at some point he had embraced those Scriptures. Paul, in this very book calls Timothy to remember the time when he made that good profession before many witnesses. Paul doesn't call Timothy to remember that night when he was four years old on his knees crying with grandma or mom. He may have known a particular conversion experience like that. But even if he did, that's not where Paul tells him to go back to. He says, go back to that time when you made that profession before many witnesses. When you had come of two years and you had made that profession, keep walking in that profession that you made. And so Paul was confident of that. And then he reminds Timothy in 2 Timothy 3.14, in spite of all the apostasy that surrounds him to maintain the faith and hold firm the truth that he was taught, he then reminds him that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures. That word child could actually and it does refer at sometimes to children in the womb. This word has a very broad usage and sometimes even refers to children in the womb. That from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures. It's clear from science that children in the womb do hear what mom and dad say. They can hear music, and are affected, the brainwaves are altered by the music that's being played or by that which is being read. They're able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. It isn't the word that just, you can't just put the Bible under your pillow and it just by osmosis get into you. But it can make thee wise through the work of the Spirit, through faith which is in Christ Jesus. That's how it comes. Salvation comes through faith in this Christ that the Word proclaims. Then Paul goes on to speak of the uses of Scripture, particularly for the Christian. But he begins in verse 15 with the use of Scripture for the non-Christian. It's to make him wise unto salvation through faith. in Jesus Christ. And so Paul realized that that had taken place, that through the parental nurture of his mother and his grandmother, Timothy and his youth had come to the faith. And that's why at a very young age we see in Acts, Paul prepared to take Timothy, to bring him under his tutelage, to be a mentor to him and prepare him for ministerial training at a very young age. And that's because I think he was clearly converted at a very young age. So that's just some of the biblical basis for parental nurture in general, and obviously that then impacts the way that we catechize or teach the first principles to our children through repetition. And not only our children, but we teach ourselves, as Paul encouraged Timothy to do, even later in his life. Now let's consider briefly church history and parental catechizing. Church history and parental catechizing. I don't often have long quotes in my sermons or my lectures, but I think in these lectures I've chosen to do so for a very particular purpose. I want us to see that what we're encouraging is that which was part of the apostolic church, but I also want us to see that it was part of the Reformed church. That when Reformation took place in mid-1600s and the Protestant church developed, it went back to the apostolic church for many of its practices. And it did so regarding catechism as well. In the directory for family worship at Westminster, in paragraph two, we read about the ordinary duties which should be in families. This is what they deduce from scripture should be going on in families. There should be a reading of scriptures with catechizing in a plain way, that the understanding of the simpler may be better enabled to profit under the public ordinances, and they may be more capable to understand the Scriptures when they are read." Now here, Westminster divines say there's an advantage to catechizing. This catechizing is related to the passage of Scripture that's read in family worship. In other words, they're saying that after you read a passage of Scripture, fathers, in family worship, you ought to ask your your family, and they're actually assuming servants in the family as well, those under you, ask them simple questions about what was read, so that this thing might sink into them. And that they might be better enabled to profit when they hear the preached Word, and they may be more capable of understanding the Scripture when they're read the next day, and the next week, and the next month. So there's a certain kind of catechizing that's just repeating or by questioning, asking what's in the passage that we've been reading together as a family. But then in paragraph 8 of the directory for family worship, excuse me, they say this, on the Lord's day, after every one of the family apart and the whole family together have sought the Lord, in whose hands the preparation of men's hearts are to fit them for the public worship and to bless to them the public ordinances." Wow. They're saying that personal closet worship and family worship ought to be carried out before we come to corporate worship. I'll tell you that's a greater mark of church purity than many of the other marks that we contend are marks of church purity. A church whose families are communing with God day in and day out is on the way to reformation. There's no doubt about it. They go on, the master of the family ought to take care that all within his charge repair to the public worship. Now obviously that word repair is an old English word. They're saying basically, Fathers, it's your duty to make sure everybody that's healthy comes to worship with you. That's part of your duty. As for you and your house, you'll serve the Lord. So you don't ask the kids, which one do you want to go to church today? I'm prepared to take which ones want to go, but if you don't, that's okay. No, you take them. And he and they may join the rest of the congregation in the public worship being finished after prayer. He should take account what they have heard. He said after worship, and obviously after partaking of food, In prayer, they should ask the children what's been learned. And afterward, to spend the rest of the time which they may spare in catechizing and in spiritual conferences upon the Word of God, or else going apart, they ought to apply themselves to reading, meditation, and secret prayer that they may confirm and increase their communion with God. And so the profit which they found in the public ordinances may be cherished and promoved, and they more edified unto eternal life." He says, we're going to lay down some suggestions for how to spend your Sabbath so that you might grow and be strengthened in your Christian life unto eternal life. And I want to remind them, this is where we're heading. We're heading to eternal communion with God. And the Sabbath is, in one perspective, a foretaste of heaven. And it's a day when we don't have to worry about what's in our inbox or what's on our to-do list. So it is a day that we can give ourselves to these things uniquely. They say we should give ourselves to a spiritual conference. That means we should spend some time talking with one another. It's a time where we can fellowship with the saints and in the family more than we ordinarily can in the ordinary weeks. But we can also catechize. Or we can also be alone in private reading and meditation and prayer. So the directory of family worship is not silent on catechizing. Neither is the directory for public worship. There in the section on the sanctification of the Lord's Day, we read these words, that what time is vacant between or after the solemn meetings of the congregation be spent in reading? meditation, repetition of sermons, especially by calling their families to an account of what they've heard, and catechizing of them, holy conferences, prayer for a blessing upon the public ordinances, singing of songs, visiting the sick, relieving the poor, and such duties of piety, charity, and mercy, accounting the Sabbath a delight. And so we're going to give you a long list of things to do. And in the midst of all those and those things that you don't have to do, we're not called to do all of them every Lord's Day. But they're saying in doing them, we ought to account the Lord's Day as a light. This ought not to be a burden to catechize or to repeat sermons or to visit the sick. This ought to be something that's delightful to do because it's doing the Lord's work. Also, Let's consider next Matthew Henry. I quoted from him last Lord's Day. Matthew Henry wrote a book called The Catechizing of Youth. It was one of his sermons that was printed out. And in it he said this, those who are catechized either by their parents or ministers on the evening of the Lord's Day have a particular advantage therein that those precious minutes And one minute of Sabbath time is worth three of any other day, he says, in parentheses. With so many young people idle away in foreign foolish talk, either in the fields or at the doors of their houses, which corrupts the minds and manners and dispels what they gained if they had gained anything in and by the duties of the day. They spend in that which serves such good purposes. and will help to clench the nail that has been driven, that it may be a nail in a sure place. I know not how young people can be trained up to a better piece of good husbandry than to good husbandry of times, especially Sabbath times." What he's saying is how we use our time will significantly be reflected in our spiritual growth. And who we become intellectually and spiritually is significantly tied to what we do with the time that God's given us. And the more we flitter it away, the less time we're going to be spending committed to studying the Word of God or studying in the sphere of vocation that God has called us to to make us useful in society by saying that's a very important discipline. It's very important to pass on to your children how to redeem the time. And it's very important to pass on to your children how to redeem the Lord's Day time in a unique way. And so they're calling fathers to do that. You can hear Matthew Henry is encouraging us to that. Again, Matthew Henry in a sermon called The Church in the Home says this, public catechizing will turn to little account when family catechizing excuse me, we'll turn to a little account without family catechizing. The labor of ministers in instructing youth and feeding the lambs of the flock, therefore, proves to many labor in vain because masters of families do not do their duty in preparing them for public instruction and examining their improvement by it. You see, Matthew Henry recognized that it was the church's duty as the church to teach the fundamentals of the faith, not only to the adults, but to the children of the church. And Matthew Henry says that's not going to stick very well if dads aren't involved, and mothers as well, in parental catechizing. If they don't also parentally catechize and see how the children are doing and what they're learning in the catechism that's going on in the church, Very little profit will be made. And so here in this case, as in oftentimes the case, the church and the family must work together. It's not an either or or situation. It's both and. So that our children might know the truth. Now Thomas Manton, again, I'm quoting more than usual, but I hope this is helpful. Thomas Manton. wrote an introduction to the Westminster Standards. Many of you have that big green volume of the Westminster Standards. In the beginning, there was an epistle to the reader that Thomas Manton wrote. Most of that epistle he didn't write. He says near the beginning of it that somebody else wrote these things and he's not going to tell you who it was because you'll know who it was, but we don't really know who it is anymore. It's not really that clear. who it was. But he quoted another that says this of parents of the church. They offer their children to God in baptism. And there they promise to teach them the doctrines of the gospel. And bring them up in the nurture of the Lord. Reference to Ephesians 6. But they easily promise and easily break it. And educate their children for the world and the flesh, although they have renounced these and dedicated them to God. This covenant breaking with God and betraying the souls of their children to the devil must lie heavy on them here or hereafter. They beget children and keep families merely for the world and the flesh, but little consider what a charge is committed to them and what it is to bring up a child for God and govern a family as a sanctified society. He says, people in the church are very easily prepared to take vows before the people of God regarding their commitment to educate their children in the truth of Scriptures and in the knowledge of God. And yet too often they're prepared to ignore those very solemn promises made before God in the assembly of His people. He says, they little consider what a charge is committed to them. Is it not likely that we have forgotten the commitment that we've made, the responsibility that God has laid upon us for the nurture of our wives and our children? It's an awesome responsibility that's ours. And he goes on, he says, we're to govern a family as a sanctified society. Our families are to be little lights in our neighborhoods. Are they such? Again, Manton goes on to say, now here he's going to give some directions. I do therefore desire that all masters of families would first study well this work themselves and then teach it to their children and servants according to their capacities. And if they once understand these grounds of religion, they will be able to read other books more understandingly and hear sermons more profitably. and confer more judiciously and hold fast the doctrines of Christ more firmly than ever you are likely to do by any other course. First, let them read and learn the shorter catechism, and next the larger, and lastly, read the confession of faith." Now, he's not equating the catechisms or the confession to the Word of God. But what he's saying is you can try many other ways to learn the Scriptures, and I'm concluding you're going to learn the Scriptures this way as well as any. Because these are the creedal high watermark of church history at present. They're not Scripture, but it is the high watermark of creedal Christianity. And so therefore, why not use what God has given the church of old? We would be foolish to neglect the gifts that God has given His church over the centuries. We don't start over again every generation. We don't in science, or in engineering, or any other sphere of vocation, do we? Does somebody say, I want to be a lumberjack. You say, here's an axe, get out in the field, get out in the woods, figure out what you do. Here's a truck. Here's the keys, here's an axe, here's some chainsaws, get to work. No, there's certain things that have already come to be a pattern that are passed on. You don't give a child a piano and say, learn to play. But they're taught the basics. They're taught the first principles. And when they know those first principles, then eventually they can begin to improvise, can't they? They can go on beyond potentially what their teacher can tell them. if they study diligently and practice in it. And so it is in the Scriptures. We're not left to start over again. It's very interestingly, he says, start with the shorter, then the larger, then read. He doesn't say memorize the confession. It might be much to even memorize the larger catechism, but certainly, apparently, that's what he was promoting at that time. But I think what's helpful for us to think about in terms of his recommendation and we'll talk about this a little bit more next week. This is kind of moving into directions, but I think it's good for us to think about the shorter catechism, the larger catechism. and the confession in a microscope illustration. You see in a microscope, at least in the old days, you might've had a 5X, 10X, and a 25X. I know when I was a little kid, you might have one of those, and you look at something at 5X, five times the magnification, turn it up, you can see more. You turn it to 25, you can see more. Well, it's kind of the way. It's teaching the scriptures at a very basic level in the shorter, a little bit more detailed in the larger, and then even in a more detailed way in the larger, or excuse me, in the confession of faith. But ultimately, all of them are teaching the scriptures. They're teaching the first principles of the doctrines of God, which are the gospel. In teaching these things, we're trying to see that our children understand the Gospel so that they might embrace the Christ of the Scriptures. Not some Christ of their own making or of our making, but the Christ that's presented in the Word of God. That they might embrace Him through faith and that they might then be grounded or built up in Him. Consider the words of Paul in Colossians 2, 6 and 7. He says to that church, who apparently is struggling at some level with what I would call insipid Gnosticism, not the Gnosticism that would develop later in history, but some forms of it already existing in the church. And he says to them, as ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him rooted and built up in Him, established in the faith as ye have been taught." You say, you're facing a doctrinal struggle. Some false teaching is coming your way and I'm here to inoculate you from it. It hadn't pervaded the church yet, but Paul's seeking to prevent that. In the midst of that, he tells them, as you've received the Lord Jesus, just walk in Him the same way you received Him. And when you do so, you'll be rooted and built up. You'll have that foundation so that you can build the superstructure of a godly life on the foundation in which is Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone. The foundation, as Paul says, is the apostles and prophets. It's the Word of God. by those holy men of old that were inspired. Christ Jesus, the very cornerstone. Rooted and built up in Him. Not in some abstract faith. In the faith that is centered in the person and work of Christ. In Him. Established in the faith. Here's a synonym for being rooted and built up in Christ. It's being established in the faith. If your life is built and rooted in Christ Jesus, then you will be established in the faith as ye have been taught. He's saying if you just hold firmly to what you were taught at the beginning when you came to Christ, then you will remain steadfast in Him. You'll be rooted and built up. And that's what the catechisms have been developed for. It's basically an outgrowth of what the apostolic church or post-apostolic church did in regard to making sure that people understood the Apostles' Creed and could answer questions related to it, as well as had the Ten Commandments memorized and understood well the moral code for the Christian. and then also understood the Lord's prayer and teachings surrounding what are called the means of grace. That they understood the duties of faith and repentance, of feeding upon the Word of God, of prayer, and the use of the sacraments for their edification in the glory of God. And really the Shorter Catechism just covers that same material in a slightly different form. And so it's good for us as adults, it's good for our children to be reminded of the first principles of God. Just think how often any of us in our vocation, just to go back to the introductory book on whatever you studied in school, what happened. If you go back to what's the fundamental book or writings on it and you read it, it's amazing sometimes how many of the fundamentals you've forgotten. I remember when I first started coaching my son's baseball teams and t-ball and the like. and how many basic principles that I had even applied and practiced myself and still did, I couldn't teach. I had forgotten why, when fielding a grounder, I would step up with my left foot and swivel my right foot behind so I'm prepared to throw. I would do it, but I couldn't teach it. I had to go back to the basics and realize, hey, there's some principles here as to why that's done. And that's the case in any vocation, and it's the case in the Christian life as well. We forget the basics, and so we all need to go back to the basics. We need to be refreshed, reminded of the Gospel in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us pray.