The Law, Luther, and Catechetical Learning

The two early pillars of the reformation, Luther and Calvin, disagreed partially on the place and role of the law in the life of the Christian. The interesting thing about this is that it not only impacted their preaching, but it also impacted the structure of their theological education in the church. J.I. Packer and Gary Parret give a helpful explanation of their differences of understanding here and its implications for catechesis:

"Both of Calvin's catechisms chiefly featured expositions of the same three foundational items--the Decalogue, the Creed, and the Lord's Prayer--together with teaching about the sacraments. With the second catechism, however, Calvin reversed Luther's order by treating the Commandments after the Creed. This shift reveals an important distinction in the theology of the two great reformers. For Luther, the first and fundamental use of the Law was to reveal to us our sinfulness. The Creed, on the other hand, represented an outline of the Gospel. Thus Luther's preferred catechetical order typifies the Law-Gospel paradigm that has been critical in Lutheran theology to this very day. Calvin shared with Luther in affirming humanity's full depravity and so also believed that the Law therefore functions as a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ (Gal. 3:24). But Calvin also believed that once the Gospel has raised us to new life, we, now indwelt by the Spirit of God, must walk in God's ways, which the negatives of the Decalogue implicitly indicate. The commands of God are thus not only evangelists pointing us to Christ. They are also guides to a God-pleasing Christian life. By placing the Decalogue after the Creed in his second catechism, Calvin revealed his emphasis on the so-called 'third use' of the Law" (*1)

1. Gary Parrett and J.I. Packer, Grounded in the Gospel: Building Believers the Old-Fashioned Way (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2010) 64.