Keach's 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.
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". 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.
Differing versions
Various editions of this catechism contain different numbers of questions, some containing 114, and some 118. 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. The shorter 114-question version is the original version. Below is a summary of the changes made in the longer version.- Replaces question 2 with the famous first question of the Westminster Shorter Catechism.
- Adds a new question numbered 5
- Adds a new question numbered 89
- Adds a new question numbered 99
- Removes the question that was number 103 in the shorter version
- Adds a new question numbered 105
- Adds a new question numbered 106