Martin Luther’s Small Catechism is a catechism, or a manual for teaching the basics of the Christian faith, that was written by Martin Luther in 1529. Luther wrote it to provide a simple way for parents to teach their children the core elements of the Christian faith. The Small Catechism condenses basic Christian teaching into short questions and answers related to the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the sacrament of Holy Baptism, Confession and the sacrament of the Eucharist. It’s considered one of the most influential and widely-used catechisms in the Lutheran tradition.
Here is an overview of the main parts of Luther’s Small Catechism:
The Ten Commandments
The first section explains the Ten Commandments, which summarize God’s spiritual and moral law for His people. It covers each commandment with a short explanation of what it means. For example, for the 5th commandment (“You shall not murder”), Luther explains that “We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need.”
The Apostles’ Creed
This section goes through the statements of belief in the Apostles’ Creed, the most widespread Christian creed. Luther elaborates on each article of faith, such as what it means to believe in God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting.
The Lord’s Prayer
Luther provides a simple explanation of the Lord’s Prayer, expanding on what each petition means. For example, for “Give us this day our daily bread,” Luther writes “God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.”
Holy Baptism
This part explains the sacrament of baptism, what it signifies, and the benefits and blessings associated with it. Luther summarizes how baptism indicates “that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.”
Confession
Luther discusses confession and absolution, and how as Christians we should confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness. He covers what confession and absolution mean and their purpose in the Christian life.
The Sacrament of the Altar
Finally, this section explains the sacrament of the Eucharist, also known as the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. Luther unpacks Jesus’ words at the Last Supper, how bread and wine are his body and blood given for us, and how Christians receive forgiveness and strengthening of faith through partaking in this sacrament.
Throughout his explanations of these elements of the Christian faith, Luther includes relevant Bible passages that support each part. The Small Catechism is interspersed with key verses about the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6, and other passages about baptism, confession, communion, and Christian discipleship.
In addition to the main components above, Luther includes prayers for morning and evening, blessings before and after meals, and information on Christian questions and answers for marriage, the role of the pastor, and prayers. The Small Catechism provides a simple, accessible reference for both new believers and mature Christians to learn and review the essence of the faith.
Here is some background on Luther’s Small Catechism and why it was written:
Background and Luther’s Motivations
In the late 1520s, Luther became distressed over the state of Christian education among the common people and clergy. He observed that many new pastors were poorly educated and unable to properly teach or preach. The people also frequently lacked basic religious knowledge. In visiting many churches and regions, Luther encountered misconceptions, superstitions, and distorted beliefs among both church leaders and laypeople.
To address this problem, between 1528-1529 Luther preached a series of sermons explaining the essentials of Christian doctrine. These sermons covered the Ten Commandments, the Apostles’ Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and the practice of confession. Luther then published these sermons in a short book in 1529, the Small Catechism.
Luther’s goal was to provide a basic teaching tool for instructing new believers, children, and uneducated adults in the fundamentals of the Christian faith. He wanted ordinary Christians to have a “short, simple way to learn what every Christian should know.” The Small Catechism was written in a simple, concise style so that heads of households could teach their families, or pastors with limited education could have a standard resource for instruction.
Part of Luther’s motivation was his belief in the priesthood of all believers – that all Christians, not just clergy, had responsibilities to learn, understand, and teach God’s Word. The Small Catechism enabled laypeople to take an active role in Christian education for their families and congregations.
The Layout and Format
Luther intentionally organized the Small Catechism as a series of questions and answers. This question-answer format made it easy to memorize and learn through oral repetition. Traditionally, a pastor or teacher would verbally ask the questions, and the student would reply with the answer. For example:
Teacher: “What is the Fifth Commandment?”
Student: “You shall not murder.”
This repetitive style aimed to instill the teachings firmly in students’ memories. The concise answers also allowed people to grasp the core concepts easily, without complex theological language.
In addition, Luther wrote the Small Catechism using simple German, rather than scholarly Latin. This enabled ordinary people to understand it and made the Small Catechism accessible for teaching all members of a community or household.
Later editions of Luther’s catechism added Bible references next to each answer, allowing students to refer back to the relevant Scripture passages. The text was frequently printed in a chart or table format, with questions on the left and answers on the right. Woodcut illustrations were also sometimes added to visualize biblical stories and themes.
The Impact and Use of the Small Catechism
Luther’s Small Catechism proved enormously popular and influential. It quickly became the most commonly used catechism for teaching the basics of Christian doctrine in the Lutheran churches and schools. Luther himself said it was a book “for the common man, consisting of short, concise answers to the necessary questions of a Christian life.”
Within 30 years of publication, over 100,000 copies had been printed. It was soon translated from German into Latin and many other European languages. Theologian John Aurifaber claimed Luther’s Small Catechism “is known to every child” and “translated…into almost all languages.”
For centuries, Lutheran pastors implemented Luther’s advice that they should preach on the Catechism each Sunday afternoon. Lutheran clergy and teachers have used the Small Catechism extensively for religious instruction through confirmation classes, schools, and adult membership classes.
It became a common practice for Lutheran families to use the Small Catechism at home for prayer and family devotions. Luther himself encouraged parents to go through the Catechism every week with their children for memory work and Bible study.
In addition to the Lutheran tradition, many Reformed and Protestant churches have made use of Luther’s Small Catechism over the past 500 years. It continues to be used today within denominations around the world descended from the 16th century Protestant Reformation.
The Small Catechism is generally considered Luther’s most influential and enduring theological work. It brought complex Christian theology down to a level children and uneducated adults could understand. It also successfully instilled Luther’s teachings in generations of Christians since the Reformation.
The Contents and Theology
The Small Catechism succinctly conveys the core tenants of Protestant theology emerging during the Reformation. It reflects Luther and other reformers’ emphasis on salvation by grace alone through faith in Christ, the authority of Scripture, and the priesthood of all believers.
By focusing on the Ten Commandments, Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and sacraments, Luther centered on the themes of sin, redemption, faith, and grace. Salvation as a free gift from God is a constant undercurrent throughout the catechism.
In his explanations of the Apostles Creed and sacraments, Luther conveyed Protestant positions against notions rejected by reformers, such as saintly intermediaries. But Luther also demonstrated balance between Protestant and Catholic theology in discussing sacraments, prayers to saints, and the real presence of Christ in Communion.
The lifelong nature of Christian discipleship was made clear through using the Small Catechism regularly for continuous instruction throughout one’s upbringing and adulthood.
By writing it for use of the common man, Luther made the word of God accessible to the masses. The Small Catechism’s lasting significance and use lies in its presentation of timeless Christian theology in the most clear, concise framework possible.
Catechism Structure
Here is a summary of how Luther organized the contents of the Small Catechism, with his preface and introduction, explanation of each part, Bible passages, and additional prayers and information.
Preface
Luther begins the catechism with a preface urging pastors and preachers to regularly teach the Catechism. He states his regret over Christians’ lack of knowledge about the Ten Commandments, Creed, Lord’s Prayer, sacraments, and Confession. Luther exhorts clergy to faithfully teach these topics using his Catechism each Sunday.
Ten Commandments
This section starts by listing the Ten Commandments from Exodus 20:1-17 and Deuteronomy 5:6-21. It then explains each commandment in detail. For example, the explanation for the 5th commandment, “You shall not murder,” is:
We should fear and love God so that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and support him in every physical need. (Matthew 5:21-26; Ephesians 4:9)
Apostles’ Creed
The Creed is broken down article by article, with Luther clarifying the meaning of each part, such as:
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary… – I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord…
Lord’s Prayer
Again, Luther expands on each petition of the Lord’s Prayer. For example, for “Give us this day our daily bread”:
God certainly gives daily bread to everyone without our prayers, even to all evil people, but we pray in this petition that God would lead us to realize this and to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. (Matthew 6:11)
Baptism
This section discusses how baptism indicates the Old Adam within us should die and the new man arise according to God’s will. Luther summarizes baptism’s meaning and spiritual benefits.
Confession
Luther explains confession’s purpose to confess one’s sins and receive absolution or forgiveness from the pastor or fellow Christian.
Sacrament of the Altar
Finally, the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper is explained as Jesus’ body and blood given for the forgiveness of sins.
Additional Prayers and Instruction
Morning and evening blessings, mealtime prayers, the role of the pastor, table of duties for various callings, and marriage information conclude the Small Catechism.
This comprehensive summary outlines Christianity’s core doctrines for children and adults. The Small Catechism has introduced countless generations to foundational Lutheran and Protestant beliefs.