The origin of catechisms - it's not Catholic!

[FONT=Times New Roman,Times]From: http://www.preceptaustin.org/romans_215-29.htm#2:17

"Catechized" is idea of oral instruction especially associated with teaching by repetition. Both at home and in the synagogues, Jewish boys in particular were systematically and thoroughly instructed out of the Law. The Law was read and explained every Sabbath. Not only rabbis but also many other Jewish men memorized large portions of the OT, which they often recited in public as a demonstration of piety. It is ironic that ancient Jews considered wisdom to consist of acting according to the knowledge one had, whereas the ancient Greeks simply equated wisdom with knowledge. By New Testament times, however, many Jews, especially the religious leaders, had, in practice, accepted the Greek view of wisdom. Whether they did so intentionally or not, the consequence was that they felt content with merely knowing God’s law and had little desire or motivation to obey it. They knew much but obeyed little.

We today recognize the spiritual blindness of the Jew, but the blade cuts both ways. The sword that pierces the heart of the religious Jew also pierces ours. It is easy to imagine we are okay because we know so much more about the Bible than the average person on the street, especially in this day of Biblical illiteracy. We can read the Bible in twenty-five versions if we want. Some of us carry around Bibles that have as many as eight parallel translations. It is a great temptation for the pastor to imagine that, as he struts to the pulpit carrying his Hebrew Bible in one hand and the Greek in the other, he is okay, when in fact he may have a heart of stone.[/FONT]