Full Text for The Catechism in the Christian Home (Text)

(!tnurnr~tu m~tnlngirul tlnut41y Continuing LEHRE UND VVEHRE MAGAZIN FUER EV.-LuTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. V August, 1934 No.8 CONTENTS Pap The Chief Prinoiples of New Testament Textual Critioism. W. Arndt. • • • • • • • • • • •• 577 Zur Lehre von der Reue. Th. Engelder ..•••••••••••••.• " 584 The Catechism in the Christian Home. T. Laetach ••••••• 596 Der Gottesdienst in der alten Kirohe. P. E. Kretzmann ••••• 604 The Story of loseph in the Light of Reoent Researoh. P. E. Kretzmann. • • • • • • •• 611 Sermons and Outlines.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . . . . . . .. 81lS lliscellanea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 826 Theological Observer. - Kirchlich.Zeitgeschiohtliches .•• " 630 Book Review. - Literatur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • • . . • . .. 644 Ein Predlger mugs n1cht alleln wf!iden, also dasa er die Schafe unterwelse, me 8i8 rechte Ohrieten aollen aeiD, sondern auch daneben den Woelfen wehre,., dll/lll sle die Schafe nfcht angrellen und mit talscher Lehre vertuebren und Irrtum eln· tnehren. - Lu,her. Es lot keto Diog, daa die Leute mehr bel der Kirchc behaelt df1lD die gute Predigt. - .Apologie, Arl.2J. If the trumpet give an oncertaiD lOund, who ohall prepare h1mle1f to the battle f 1 Oor. ,lJ, 8. Published for the Ev. Luth. Synod of lIIIissouri, Ohio, and Other States CONCORDIA PUlJLISBIlfG :S:OlJ'SlI:, St. Louf!l, lIIto. OH 596 The Catechism in the Christian Home. bie nid)t neueten Utfvrungs iff, fonbern roefentnd) aus bet amu±~eti" fd)en 3ci± f±ammt: ,,;;Sf± bas cuet arret aUftid)tiges lBefenn±nis, baB i~t cute ®i.inben ~etaIid) Deteuet, an ;;S~fum (if~tiltum gIauDet unb ben guten, emftIid)en motfat ~alit, burd) lBeif±anb Creed, and the Lord's Prayer, were reintroduced by these men of God into church and home and school. Luther insisted that the truths of the Oatechism, nothing' more, but also nothing less, be preached in every public service. In order to teach the Catechism to the people, he inaugurated special series of sermons on week-days or during' the so-called Catechism seasons, in the spring and the fall of the year, and introduced the custom of a public recital of the Catechism by the children in public worship. Helpful and beneficial though these efforts proved to be, Luther readily perceived the necessity of enlisting the Christian home in the noble work of teaching and indoctrinating young and old in the fundamentals of the Christian religion. And not a little of the marvelous success of the Reformation is to be ascribed to the untiring efforts of Luther and his assistants to make use of the opportunities which the home afforded in teaching the Catechism, to remind Christian parents of their solemn obligation to their children, to the Ohurch, and to their God and Savior, to provide the parents with proper educational material for the Ohristian train- ing of their children and the other members of their household. A brief review of these efforts will not only prOVe interesting reading, but will stimulate renewed interest in this phasG of a Lutheran pas- tor's work and give him a livGlior sense of his duties and obligations in this respect. As early as 1519, in his sermon on the Gospel for the Second Sunday after Epiphany, Luther told his congregation sOllle truths which hold good to this day and which every pastor ought to tell his people time and again. He says: "Married people should know that they can do no better work and be of no greater benefit to God, to Christendom, to the world, to themselves and to their children than by training their children well. To make pilgrimages to Rome, to The Catechism in the Christian Home. 591 Jerusalem, to St. James, to build churches, to pay for masses, or what other work may be named, is nothing compared with this one work, that married folk train their children. . .. Again, hell is not more easily earned than by one's attitude toward one's own children. Neither may a more harnttul work be done than that of neglecting children, permitting them to curse, swear, learn shameful words and songs, and living according to their own will. . .. There is no greater harm to Ohristendom than neglecting the children. For if Ohristen- dom is to be helped, one must forsooth begin with the children, as was done in former times. For this reason it is necessary that every married person regard his child in a more thorough, deeper, and more· diligent manner than merely as that flesh which has issued from him. Rather should he regard his child no less than as a precious, eternal treasure, which God has entrusted to him to keep it, so that the devil, the world, and the flesh may not steal or kill it." (St. L., X, 643 f.) From this passage we gather that, when Luther preached to his congregation, he was interested in the welfare not only of the adults, but of the children as well. And when he later had his sermons on the various parts of the Oatechism printed and published, he again did this not merely with the intention of giving the older members of his congregation an opportunity to read and study and ponder them. It was his p111'pose that what they had well learned they should teach to their children, so that they also might grow in the knowledge of the Word and will of their God and Savior. This p111'pose was well served by the custom of those days of having brief summaries of the Ohristian doctrine printed on charts or placards that were hung on the walls of the home or attached to the doors or the covers of the large family chests. Such charts, or tables, were S111'e to rouse the cUl'iosity of the children, cause them to ask questions, and thus offer to the parents an opportunity, yes, almost forc~ them, to make some explanation of, give some instruction on, the contents of these tables. It seems that Luther's KU1'z(3 Auslegung der Zehn Gebote Gottes (Brief Exposition of the Ten Oommandments of God), first published during Lent of 1518, was originally printed in the form of charts. (Oohrs, Die evangelischen Katechismusversuche, p.1, quoting the· Weimar edition, I, 248.) Hence, when Luther preached his sermon on the Second Sunday after Epiphany, 1519, he may have had in mind just these charts of his as an aid to be used by the parents in instruct- ing their children. In 1519 he also published his K Ul'ze Form, das Pal;ernoster Zt~ ventehen und zu beten, fUM die iungen Kindej' im Ohristenglauben. In the introduction he explains this term as in- cluding "all who are so simple that they do not know what the words of the Lord's Prayer comprise or what they ask for, wherefore they speak the words coldly, carelessly, without due reverence." Still a man who could preach like Luther on that Second Sunday after 598 The Catechism in the Christian Home. Epiphany certainly did not mean to exclude children from the number of those to whom this booklet was dedicated. Nor did Luther change his view in later years. In his masterly dissertation on the order of worship, his Deutsche ]Jl£esse, 1526, he, in connection with the teaching of the Catechism in public worship, devoted several paragraphs to the duty of parents to teach the Cat- echism at home. We quote from Holman's translation: - "Let us to it in God's name. First, the German service needs an easily understood, plain, simple catechism. Catechism means instruction, in which heathen who want to be Christians are taught and directed in what they should believe, do, omit to do, and know in the Christian religion. For this reason beginners who were ad- mitted to such instruction and studied the Creed before they were baptized were called catechumeni. This instruction, or direction, I know not how to put in a clearer or better way than has been done since the beginning of Christendom and retained to our own day, namely, in these three, the Ten Commandments, the Creed, and the Our Father. These three contain, simply and briefly, about every- thing a Christian needs to know. This instruction must be given, as long as there is no special congregation, from the pulpit at stated times or daily, as may be needed, and repeated or read aloud evenings and mornings in the homes for the children and the servants if we want to train them as Christians. They should not merely learn to say the words by heart, as heretofore, but with each part they should be asked questions and give answer what each part means and how they understand it. If everything cannot be covered at once, one part :;>hould be taken up and the next day another. For if the parents and guardians of youth will not take the pains to do this themselves or secure others to do it, there will never be a catechism, unless it should come to pass that separate congregations were organized, as stated above. "They should be questioned like this: What do you pray? An- swer: The Our Father. What does it mean when you say, 'Our Father in heaven?' Answer: That God is not an earthly, but a heavenly Father, who would make us rich and blessed in heaven. What does this mean: 'Hallowed be Thy name?' Answer: That we should honor His name and keep it from being profaned. How is His name dishonored and profaned? Answer: When we who should be His children live evil lives and teach and believe what is wrong. And so on, what the kingdom of God means; how it comes; what God's will is; what daily bread means; etc. "So in the Creed: What do you believe? Answer: 'I believe in God the Father,' to the end. Thereafter one part after the other as time permits, one part or two at once. For instance, What does it mean to believe in God the Father Almighty? Answer: It means to The Catechism in the Christian Home. 599 trust in Him with all the heart and with assurance to expect all grace, favor, help, and comfort from Him in time and in eternity. What does it mean to believe in Jesus Ohrist, His Son ~ .Answer: It means to believe in the heart that we should all be eternally lost if Ohrist had not died for us, etc. "Likewise in the Ten Oommandments. One must ask, What does the First Oommandment mean, the Second, the Third, and the other commandments? These questions can be taken from our Betbuech- lein, where the three chief parts are briefly explained, or one may follow his own method, until all Christian teaching is summed up for the heart in two portions, two pouches, as it were, which are faith and love. Faith's pouch may have two purses. Into the one we put this, that we believe that through the sin of Adam we are all corrupt, sinners, and under condemnation, Rom. 5, Ps. 51. Into the other purse we put this, that we are all saved through Jesus Ohrist from such corruption, sin, and condemnation, Rom. 5, John 3. L{)ve's pouch may also have two purses. One shall contain this, that we should serve and do good to everyone, even as Christ hath done for us, Rom. 13; the other shall have this, that we should suffer and endure all kinds of evil with joy. "'\Vhen a child begins to understand this, it should be encouraged to bring home Scripture-texts from the sermons and repeat them at meal-time for the parents, as was formerly the custom with the Latin lesson. Then those texts should be put into the pouches and purses just as the Pfennige, Groschen, or Gulden are put into the pockets. For instance, let faith's pouch be the golden pouch. Into the first purse this text shall go, Rom. 5: Through one man's sin all men are sinners and have passed under condemnation. Also this one, Ps. 51 : Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother con- ceive me. These are two Rhenish Gulden for this purse. The Hun- garian Gulden go into the other purse, as this text, Rom. 4: Christ was delivered up for our trespasses and was raised again for our justification. Again, John 1: Behold the Lamb of God, which beareth the sin of the world. These are two precious Hungarian Gtilden for that purse. "Let love's pouch be the silver pouch. Into the first purse shall go the texts concerning well-doing, such as Gal. 5: Through love be servants one to another; Matt. 25: What ye have done unto one of the least of these My brethren ye have done unto Me. They would be two silver Gmschen for that purse. Into the other purse shall go this text, Matt. 5: Blessed are ye when men shall persecute you for My sake; Heb. 12: Whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. These are two Schrecken- berger for that purse. "Let none think himself too wise for this and despise such child's 600 The Catechism in the Christian Home. play. Ohrist, in order to train men, must needs become a man Him- self. If we wish to train children, we must become children with them. Would to God such child's play were widely practised! In a short time we would have a wealth of Ohristian people, who would be rich in Scripture and the lmowledge of God, until thcy would of their own accord add more of such purses as locos communes and comprehend all Scripture in them. Otherwise things will remain as they have been, a daily going to church and a coming away again. For no one thinks that it makes any difference, except for the time it takes. No one expects to learn anything there. A man listens to preaching' three or four years and does not learn enough to gi ve answer concerning one article of the o reed ; this I know from daily experience. Enough is written in the books, yes; but it has not been driven home to the hearts." (Works of lYIartin Lt~ther, VI, 174ff.) When in January, 1529, Luther first published his Small Oat- echism, he had it printed in chart form, each chart, or table, bearing the superscription "As the head of the family should teach it in all simplicity to his household." While the first chart editions of January and March, 1529, are no longer extant, a copy written by Pastor Michael Stiefel of Lochau has been found in recent years, which contains the superscription over every chief part. This superscription is also found in Bugenhagen's Low-German translation, which was published before Luther's Oatechism in book form was llUt on the market. While there are no more copies of the first edition of Luther's Oatechism in book form, thc three early reprints, two at Erfmt, one at Marburg, have the supcrscription over the Oreed, the L,ord's Prayer, Baptism, 1m'd's Supper, while in the First Ohief Part it was crowded out by the new title, Ein kleiner Oatechismus oder christliche Zucht. The book is dedicated to the pastors and preachers, who in the preface were admonished to urge the parents to train their children, "showing them their duty in this regard and the greatness of their sin if they neglect it." (Triglotta, p. 537, § 19.) To the end of his life Luther did not tire in his efforts to make the homes truly Ohristian homes, in which the children and all the members of the household were to be brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Neither did he tire in exhorting pastors and preachers to keep on urging their people to train their household in the fear and love of God. In these efforts Luther was ably assisted by his coworkers. The Kirchenordnung for HambUl'g, written by Bugenhagen and adopted in May, 1529, refers in its preface to the Low-German translation of the Oatechism as to a "form in which a housefather and house- mother (who are bishops in their home) shall instruct the chilm'en and household in the Ten Oommandments, the Oreed, the Lord's Prayer, Baptism, Lord's Supper, and how they shall read the Bene- dicite and Gratias at table. If such Ohristian practise is displeasing The Catechism in the Christian Home. 601 to anyone, he has also forgotten what is right and equitable." (Reu. Quellen, I, III, 1, p. 574.*) :lYfelanchthon had published an Enchiridion as early as 1523, to be used in his schola pri1)ata and hence written in Latin. In the very same year a German edition was published by an unknown translator, who dedicated his translation to the parents and urged them to use it as a guide-book in the instruction of their children at home. This dedication deserves to be better Imown, and hence we shall ofIer it to our readers: - "To all parents God's grace and peace. Amen. Dear brethren and sisters in Ohrist. You undoubtedly are aware to what an extent the common schools are partly deteriorating, partly even already closed, for no other reason than that by the grace of God in these gracious times of the Holy Gospel of God you have come to the understanding that the so-called spiritual order (die vermaindt gaystligkayt) is before God no greater, more meritorious, nor salutary order than that of the lowliest laborer or peasant, just as though no ono should learn or know the Scriptures of God exeept the so-caned priests, monks, and nuns. Therefore our beloved brother in the Lord Philip Melanchthon in Ohristian love has recently compiled the present book and had dedicated it to all your children. With the aid of God I have undertaken to translate this book into our German language, with the good intention that from it you, together with your children, may the better learn what to do or not to do. Hence this is my sincere and faithful request that you would faithfully consider and diligently teach to your children the said faithful, Ohristian, pious instruction of Melanchthon and accustom them as children to the doctrine and Scripture, especially in view of the fact that through the divine Holy Scripture we must seek and find Ohrist. For these are the swaddling-clothes into which Ohrist Jesus, our pious Lord and Savior, was wrapped by His dear mother, the Virgin Mary. This is the very temple of God in which Ohrist in His twelfth year was again found sitting in the midst of the doctors, Luke 2. This is the real true holy sepulcher, which through the Jews, that is, through false prophets and deceiving teachers, has for so many centuries been guarded, yea, suppressed by human laws, opinions, and so-called wor- ship that Ohrist with His holy, gracious Gospel might never again rise for us poor human beings. Your children may nevertheless learn some trade or other Ohristian occupation in order to earn their living in an honest, good, and Ohristian manner. Else if only priests, monks, and mms were to learn, know, and teach the Scriptures, they would tear the living Word of God out of our mouths and hearts just as surely as it has been done for several centuries. Therefore consider for God's sake that Ohrist so diligently urges and directs us to search Holy Scripture when he tells the Jews: John 5, 39. 40. Therefore 602 The Catechism in the Christian Home. gladly receive as aNew Year's wish this kind admonition in Ohrist Jesus and never forget the advice of our dear brother Melanchthon, yea, of our Lord and Savior Ohrist, always keeping in mind the passage from the living, eternal Word of God found Provo 8, 35. - Given on Saturday, the Day of Stephen, the first martyr, A. D. 1524" * (1523 our style, since in the age of the Reformation the new year began on Ohristmas Day). Bugenhagen, preaching to his congregation in Wittenberg, 1532, refened to the chief parts of the Oatechism and continued: "To this state [to live according to these chief parts] you fathers and mothers must accustom your children and household, so that they may Imow and understand them, lest our public prea.ching be useless. For you are the bishops in your homes; that [duty] you cannot escape. For the training of the young in the discipline of the Lord is a great and arduous matter. If pious parents have properly educated one son or daughter, a pious progeny will be established, and from such progeny good will result to the whole world, both to the Ohurch mld to the State. So great a blessing can issue forth from so hunlble an origin, from the instruction of a pious father and mother." Spangenberg, in his introduction to his catechism to be used at Nordhausen, writes as follows: "What is this Ohristian doctrine called? Are these parts necessary? Who shall put these questions? Every housefather shall accustom his children, when they arise in the morning, when they go to the table, when they go to sleep at night, to recite these parts one after another, in good orderly manner, and shall not give them food or drink unless they have recited them. In like manner masters and mistresses shall inquire at least once a week of their household, servants and maids, what they know or learn of these matters; and if they do not want to know or learn them, they should not keep them in their service." (Reu, I, 2, p. 224.~·) Moerlin's second edition of Luther's Catechism Explain(!)d, pub- lished 1562, gives practical hints to the parents, advising them first to teach their children" den rein en Text/' the simple text, i. e., the texts of the five chief parts without Luther's explanation; then the explanation; finally, after this has been done, they shall, "in the present or some other form further explain to their children the rich meaning according to God's Word"; also practise Catechism hymns with their children. (Reu, I, 3, 1, p. 891.*) The Order for H 6'ssia.. adopted 1566, prescribed special sermons on the Oatechism and a thorough instruction in the chief parts on Sunday and specified week-days, with the remark added that ''by this method it could be ascertained whether the parents exercise the proper diligence and seriousness in instructing their children in the Oat- echism at home." (Reu, I, 2, p. 425.*) Such quotations could easily be multiplied; but these will suffice The Catechism in the Christian Home. 603 to show that during the age of the Reformation, pastors were alive to their duty of reminding parents of their solemn obligation to bring up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord by training them at home and teaching them the Small Oatechism. Last year there issued from the pen of the well-known Marburg catechete Dr. Karl Bornhaeuser a booklet entitled Der Ursinn des Kleinen K atechismus (The Real Meaning of Luther's Small Oat- echism). Bornhaeuser shows that Luther's Oatechism was originally intended chiefly for the Ohristian home. He dedicated his book to all evangelical housefathers and pleaded with them to make their homes truly Ohristian educational centers by teaching Luther's Oatechism to their household. We quote: "The home, after the heart of Luther, is not a silent home, as so many Ohristian homes of our day are ... and unfortunately even such homes whose members claim to be Ohris- tians and would resent the charge of belonging to the opponents of 'religion.' When are the Lord's Prayer, the Oreed, the Ten Oommand- ments, or the words of institution of Baptism and the Lord's Supper once heard in these homes? That may happen if one of the children goes to school and must learn them for the course in religion and mother must see to it that the child knows the lesson given it. Per- haps the mother will sigh because so much memory work is demanded by the school and by her attitude create unwillingness in the child. Where are morning and evening devotions or prayer at table regarded as a self-evident custom? And where are they conducted in the manner suggested by Luther? In the days when people followed Luther's advice, the Lord's Prayer was prayed, and prayed aloud, by individuals and by the whole family. That was done at least five times a day, so frequently that we Ohristians of to-day, sluggish as we are in prayer, would be tempted to say that that was almost too much of a good thing; perhaps we would even regard it as a 'Oatholic' custom, approaching the abuse of the Lord's Prayer in the rosary. Twice a day the Oreed was to be spoken. Is not in our day the Oreed relegated to public worship and religious instruction, so that it is heard in the homes only on the occasion of private baptisms? And the Ten Oommandments, when are they ever uttered in our homes except in connection with school-work? Even in public worship they are no longer heard. And especially Ohrist's words of institution of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Does one call them to mind, does one speak of them and about them prior to baptisms and partaking of the Lord's Supper? Is it surprising under such conditions that there are to-day many who are called Ohristians, who demand that they be called so, and who in spite of school and confirmation instruc- tion soon do not even remember them [these chief parts of the Oatechism] exactly, much less have the 'sense' of them? . .. But if they would hear the Lord's Prayer, the Oreed, the Oommandments daily or almost daily, the exact wording would soon be impressed upon {l04 ~et ®otte~bienft in bet nUen ~itd)e. their minds, and impressed so surely and indelibly that they could never forget it, and that without the disagreeable task of memorizing." (Pp. 19.20.) Does this description not fit many a home in our own circles'? What are we pastors doing to remedy this sad situation ~ In a different connection Bornhaeuser says : "Untold havoc has been wrought by making the school, ... as is done so often, the sub- stitute for the home in religious instruction. In the task of aiding the coming generation to become Ohristians (and not merely 're- ligious'), there dare not and there cannot be a substitute for the home. . .. No one was more firmly convinced of the indispensable and unsurpassable importance of the home with its living associations for becoming and remaining a Ohristian than Luther, whom certainly no one can charge with underestimating the sehool. Even the preacher of the Gospel cannot take the place of the home and its influence nor render it superfluous." (P. 163 f.) We close with Luther's plea, addressed to all pastors in the preface of his Small Oatechism: "Especially should you here urge civil rulers and parents to govern well and educate children for service in schools, showing them their duty in this regard and the greatness of their sin if they neglect it; for by such neglect they overthrow and destroy both the kingdom of God and that of this world and show themselves to be the worst foes both of God and man. Dwell on the great harm they do if they will not help to educate children for the ministry, elerkships, and other offices, etc., and on the terrible punishment God will visi t upon them for it. It is necessary to preach of these things; for parents and rulers sin unspeakably in them, and the devil has a horrible object in view." T. LAETsoH. ; til ~ 1)er ®.otte~bieltft in ber ttIten Sl'ifdje. lillenn ;1)atJib ~f. 27,4 bon I,ben fd)onen ®oite§biellf±en be§ &,:)@:rm" rebet, beaiefj± er fid) ofjne ,Broeifd aUf bie offentrid)en [5erfammLungen, bie nad) @oite§ Drbnung in ber ®±ift5fjiiite abgefjaHen trJurben, au~ niid)f± in [5erfJinbung mit bemmorgen~ ltnb 2rfJenbopfer, bann abel' fonbedid) bei (l)eIegenfjei± bel' gro13en ~efte. namentIicq be§ ~aHafjfefte§, be§ ~fingftfef±e§, be§ ~.aubfjiiitenfef±e§ unb be§ gro\3en [5erfofjnung§~ iage§. 2tUe biefe ®oite§bienfte trJaren trJefentIid) D p fer goite§bienfte, nid)t nul', trJeiI in ifjnen ba§ Dpfern oerfd)iebener 5ticre bie &,:)aup±fad)e biIbete, fonbem aud), tueU bie fafrifiaieUe ®eite biefer @oite§bienf±e in ~farmen unb ®ebeien befonber§ f±ad fjeroorirat. 2rUerbing§ fjaite ber @efang§1Jorirag getuiffer q3falmen burd) ben ::retnpeld)or aud) eine fafra~ men±afe ®eife, ba burd) biefe infpirier±en ®efiinge cine g)efeijrung bel' @emeinbe erateH tuurbe; abel' biefe ®eite be§ @oite§bienfte§ frat in bel' 9lege! feijr gegen ben DpferfuI±U§ autiicf.