Keach's Catechism

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Benjamin Keach was pilloried for writing a catechism. Benjamin Keach pillory.jpg
Benjamin Keach was pilloried for writing a catechism.

The Keach's Catechism, also called the Baptist Catechism, is a Particular Baptist catechism consisting of a set of basic questions and answers from scripture teaching readers the basics of the Baptist faith.

Contents

The Catechism is similar to the earlier Westminster Catechism and Heidelberg Catechism except for the sections on Baptism. It followed the Second London Confession of Faith drafted up in 1677 which was later ratified by over 100 Baptist congregations in England and Wales in 1689, which was signed by Hanserd Knollys, William Kiffin, Benjamin Keach, and others Baptist divines. The Confession was written by English Baptists who held to a Calvinistic analysis to give a formal scriptural explanation of their Christian faith from a Baptist perspective. One of the preachers active in creating the Second London Confession of Faith, Benjamin Keach, is often credited with the writing of the Baptist Catechism, also commonly known as "Keach's Catechism" (although it was likely compiled by William Collins, Keach's associate in drafting the Confession of Faith). The catechism was officially published by the British Particular Baptists in 1693. The Second London Confession, which the Baptist Catechism was based upon, was later adopted by the Philadelphia Baptist Association in 1742, in America. [1] [2] [3]

Differing Versions

It is interesting to note that various editions of this catechism contain different numbers of questions, some containing 114, [4] and some 118. [5] Though it has attained a wide distribution under the same title, the 118 question edition appears to have been edited by John Piper, and dates from 1986. [6] The shorter 114-question version is the original version. Below is a summary of the changes made in the longer version.

- The original second question was, "Ought everyone to believe there is a God?"

One final difference of interest between the original and modified versions of the Keach's Catechism is the wording of question 46 in the original and 47 in the modified edition. The original version has, "What is the sum of the ten commandments?" while the modified version gives, "Where is the obedience of faith given in summary form?" This change may be theologically significant as the modified edition equates "obedience of faith" with what is commonly referred to as the moral law. Because some theologians in Baptist circles have suggested that there are two stages of justification, the final stage of which is dependent on obedience to the moral law, this modification may represent a tendency toward the two-stage justification model.

References

  1. ↑ Haynes, David C; Haynes, Dudley C (1857), The Baptist denomination: its history, doctrines, and ordinances…, Sheldon, Blakeman & co, p. 75.
  2. ↑ Copeland, David A (2001), Benjamin Keach and the development of Baptist traditions in seventeenth-century England, E Mellen Press, ISBN   978-0-7734-7566-3 .
  3. ↑ Keach, Benjamin (2017), Keach's Catechism, CrossReach Publications, ISBN   978-1549851957 .
  4. ↑ Nettles, Tom J (1998), Teaching Truth, Training Hearts: The study of Catechisms in Baptist Life, Calvary Press, ISBN   1879737388 .
  5. ↑ Keach, Benjamin; Baggett, Brett Anthony (2022), The Baptist Catechism (1693): Asking and answering the most important questions in the world, Independently published.
  6. ↑ Piper, John. "A Baptist Catechism". Desiring God. Desiring God. Retrieved 15 November 2024.


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