It is hard to dress up milk and meat in one dish,” wrote the Scottish commissioners of the Westminster Assembly to their home churches in Scotland. Catechisms have long been a part of Christian discipleship, but they have their faults. If the catechism is too short, it does not have value to the disciple who has outgrown simple truths. Short catechisms also have a broader audience; more people can subscribe to a shorter catechism. Consider the growing popularity of the New City Catechism, which downplays the importance of infant baptism as well as the Lord’s Day. Downplaying controversial truths allows for wider audiences.

Catechisms that are too large will have a smaller readership. The truths expressed in a longer catechism, although deeper, may be seen as untouchable to children or those without a formal theological education.

For the divines at the Westminster Assembly, the answer to these problems was to “dress up” milk and meat into two dishes. The children would get a catechism that had their doctrinal truths cut up into bite-size pieces. Those who had more proficiency in biblical knowledge would receive the steak and potatoes that the Larger Catechism provides.

In the year following the signing of the Solemn League and Covenant, a committee of Westminster assemblymen was formed to write the new catechism. Many hands aided in the production of the Larger Catechism. Eventually the catechism would be completed (July 2, 1648) and submitted for approval to the House of Lords.

Not all great work is recognized, though. Essentially, the English Parliament would table the approval of the Larger Catechism. The English church would not be able to incorporate the Larger Catechism as a part of her symbols. She did not have the blessing of Parliament in regard to the Larger Catechism. This was Aug. 23, 1648. It would be another several months, Feb. 1649, before the Larger Catechism would become part of the approved practice of the Church of Scotland. Presbyterianism moves slowly.

As the approval of the catechism moved slowly, so too has the catechism moved slowly in finding a place in the hearts of Presbyterians worldwide. In the new introduction to the Larger Catechism by Crown & Covenant Publications, I have argued that the catechism has been “overwhelmingly underappreciated.” It is overwhelming how many Presbyter­ians—and even Reformed Presbyterians—have not spent time in the Larger Catechism. It is underappreciated as a historical document and, more importantly, as a tool of discipleship.

So what is the value of the Larger Catechism to the Christian home and the individual in the trenches of life who may question whether he or she has time to work through its 196 long answers as compared to the 107 smaller answers of the Shorter Catechism? I believe there are five reasons the Larger Catechism should be incorporated into the discipleship around your dining room table.

Scriptural Fidelity

The Word of God needs to be the starting point as well as the end or purpose of all discipleship. The dining room table disciple would do well to be in the Scriptures more, to dive more deeply into the Word of God, and to draw from the Scriptures the truths that will transform his or her mind, life, and walk.

The Larger Catechism points to the Word. The Scriptures are the main textbook of the catechism, and the disciple is taught to be in them and to remain in them. Each question and answer is supplied with several biblical references, reminding the disciple that the Word of God is the central evidence for what the catechism teaches. The catechism reminds the disciple that Scripture is the only rule for faith and obedience (question 3), as well as that the Holy Spirit must be the agent for convicting and convincing the disciple to have that standard (question 4).

Sound Theology

Scripture is good, but not all have the tools for properly understanding what the Scriptures teach. Here in Southern California, there is a quasi-denomination that makes vibrant Reformed believers because they memorize a lot of Scripture. That Scripture memorization is without a system of doctrine or “form of sound words” for these brothers and sisters, and when they discover Reformed theology, it clicks. I’ve been told that time and again. When one takes the Scriptures and applies them to the system of doctrine taught in the Scriptures, we have sound theology. Sound theology is taught in the Larger Catechism, and when one studies the truths of the Scriptures, following the system of doctrine found within the Scriptures, the dining room table disciple may flourish with growth in grace and knowledge.

One might argue that the Shorter Catechism is enough or the Westminster Confession of Faith is enough. But that’s not how these documents were intended to be used. These three primary documents of the Westminster Assembly are a concert of Reformed theology that is best appreciated together. Think of a piece of classical music: when played on the piano, it’s lovely. Bring in a stringed instrument and it’s even better; but nothing beats the full orchestra. For those who don’t like classical music, fine. Guitar; guitar and drum kit; full band. You get the picture: the Larger Catechism is to be used alongside the Shorter and the Confession of Faith. That is where the fullness of sound theology comes in.

Substance of Discipleship

We are so prone to major on minors and to ride our theological hobby horses. My wife was converted in college and quickly surrounded herself with “cage stage” Calvinists (Google it if you don’t know what that means). After 20 years in the Christian faith, she has reflected and said that it seemed that head coverings, psalmody, and the King James Version were the centerpieces of the Christian life. What about Bible reading? What about the place of Christ in daily living? What about public worship and the importance of the sacraments and means of grace?

The Larger Catechism protects the dining room disciple from growing oddly without the balance of majoring on majors and minoring on minors. The Larger Catechism is broad in its scope and pointed in its application, but it avoids the pitfalls many disciplemakers make. Your quiet time is not the most important aspect of the Christian life, according to the Larger Catechism. Your view on whether the Apostle Paul wrote Hebrews is not among the most important 200 questions of the Christian life. Your view on American politics is not a part of your discipleship. Eschatology is not central to your faith. The Larger Catechism helps to correct our extremes—and within the RPCNA we do have some extremes on both sides of the street named Reformation. The Larger Catechism keeps the disciple focused on the substance of discipleship rather than the hobby horses that we all have.

Significance of the Church

How often does the Shorter Catechism mention the church? The official standards of the RPCNA mention the church in over 200 places. Of those 200 places, there is only one question in the Shorter Catechism that mentions the church (question 95). The Larger Catechism, however, mentions the church over 50 times. If the Shorter Catechism is the only source of a disciple’s theology and practice of the church, the disciple is left believing that the Christian life is all about the individual, as this is the Shorter Catechism’s focus. The Larger Catechism has a much more corporate, familial, and ecclesiastical focus. The church is important to the Larger Catechism, and as Reformed believers we understand that the church is central in our Christian life. The church is our mother and, without the Larger Catechism, the Reformed disciple may miss this important component to discipleship.

Sensitivity to the Christian Walk

The fifth great benefit of the Larger Catechism to the dining room table disciple is that it teaches the disciple the height, depth, and width of Christian ethics through a sensitivity to sin and to what it means to walk circumspectly in this life.

From Questions 91–151, the Larger Catechism explains, expounds, and exhorts the Christian in what it means to live a life unto the glory of God. There is no fuller or finer explanation of the 10 commandments in any catechism written in 2,000 years of Christian history. The Larger Catechism’s explanation of the 10 commandments is broken up into positive duties and negative prohibitions. The disciple’s heart is probed with the Scriptures to best assure that he or she lives a life to the glory of Jesus Christ. In an age of superficial Christianity where the will of God is not often sought, the Larger Catechism will teach the disciple to care about the will of God and to seek to walk accordingly. From learning to know what it means to love God with heart, mind, soul, and strength to learning to love our neighbors in a way that pleases God, the Larger Catechism shines as an example of Christ-centered ethics, a need in the church today.

As you sit down to the dining room table, the center of discipleship in many of our homes, you will normally sit down with three tools: a Bible, a psalter (hopefully from Crown & Covenant) and a Shorter Catechism. These are great tools for discipleship, but they are not the only tools. The Larger Catechism ought to have a place on your dining room table as well, so that the disciples in your home—whether that is just you or a table full of squirming children—will be better equipped to answer that first question and answer. What is the chief and highest end of man? The Larger Catechism says, “Man’s chief and highest end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy him for ever.” You have help with that. Please take out your Larger Catechism. It’s time for discipleship.

Nathan Eshelman is the pastor of the Los Angeles RPC.