# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1959_S16
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

16 DOCTRINAL ESSAY

great acts culminating in the incarnation, death, resurrection, and
exaltation and recorded in the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures.

Of this one doctrine the New Testament in particular has much
to say. This doctrine Jesus had received from the Father and
taught His disciples (John 7:16). About that doctrine the high
priest inquired of Jesus at the Savior’s trial before the Jewish
court (John 18:19). The people “were astonished at His doctrine,
for His Word was with power” (Luke 4:32). This doctrine Paul
calls “the doctrine of God, our Savior” (Titus 2:10), and says that
“it should not be blasphemed” (1 Tim.6:1). Luke calls it “the
apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42) because the apostles proclaimed it.
With this doctrine the apostles “filled all Jerusalem” (Acts 5:28).
To the standard, or norm, of this doctrine the Christians in Rome
had been converted and committed some years before Paul wrote
them his epistle (Rom.6:17; cf. also Rom.16:17). This doctrine
was something wholly “new” to the wise philosophers of Athens
(Acts 17:19). In preaching this doctrine Paul and the elders had
labored (2 Tim. 3:10; 1 Tim.5:17). Paul calls it “good” doctrine
(1 Tim. 4:6). He also calls it “sound” doctrine, that is, healthy,
wholesome, pure, right, doctrine (1 Tim.1:10; 2 Tim. 4:3; Titus
1:9; 2:1). As we shall develop later, the heart and center of this
doctrine is always Jesus Christ, His salvation, the forgiveness
merited by Him for all men. But this doctrine possesses also
dynamic power; it has the capacity not merely to create faith, but
also to change human lives, to instill a new life, to re-establish
man in the sight of God, to make him God’s beloved child, to fill
man’s heart with love for the brethren, with hope, with a clean
conscience, with the certainty of eternal bliss in heaven.

Following this general introduction, which reminds me of the
introduction of a sermon since it suggests the motifs to be presented
in the body of the sermon, I will now indicate the headings of the
four parts which will be submitted:

I. God’s Concern for His Doctrine

Il. The Source of Divine Doctrine
II. The Content of Divine Doctrine

IV. The Communication of Divine Doctrine

I. God’s Concern for His Doctrine

God is concerned about His doctrine, His revelation, chiefly
because of the competition His doctrine meets at the hands of
those who teach false and pernicious doctrine. False doctrine, un-
godly doctrine, was introduced into the world when Satan tempted
Eve in the garden by saying: “Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not
eat of every tree of the garden?” (Gen.3:1). When Eve objected

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