# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S512 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) A REVIEW OF THE QUESTION, “WHAT IS A DOCTRINE?” SUMMARY I. History of the Question The question “What Is a Doctrine?” arose in connection with efforts to establish pulpit and altar fellowship between The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and The American Lutheran Church during the 1930s and thereafter. An an- swer to the question was given by the 1944 synodical con- vention, but in 1953 the Synod asked for a further treatment of the question. This was provided in a 1956 statement by the seminary faculties. Acting on a resolution of the 1962 synodi- cal convention, the Commission on Theology and Church Relations issued an additional report on the matter in 1964. This present review treats additional aspects of the question as requested by the 1965 synodical convention. II. Use and Meaning of the Term “Doctrine” and Related Terms In English usage the term “doctrine” generally means “what is taught,” but in various senses. The New Testament uses “doctrine” in the singular to designate the whole Christian teaching but employs the plural “doctrines” with reference to false teachings. The Lutheran Confessions employ the word “doctrine” to denote the activity of teaching as well as to refer to the whole body of Christian truth. The pluralistic usage of “doctrines” to designate various parts of the one Christian doctrine became current in 17th-century dogmatic theology. Dr. C. F. W. Walther, like the dogmaticians, spoke of “doctrines” but distinguished between “Scripture doc- trines” and “articles of faith.” The term “dogma” emphasizes the role of the church in formulating her doctrine. “Article of faith,” sometimes used interchangeably with “doctrine,” em- phasizes the relationship of parts to the whole, as well as the relationship of all parts of the Christian doctrine to the Gospel. “Teaching” is often used as a synonym for “doctrine” but usually in a less technical sense. III. Conclusions and Applications The 1956 answer to the question is still valid and useful. The “doctrine” God gave us is an organic whole. When “a doc- trine” is distinguished from the whole doctrine for pur- poses of teaching or discussion, it is important that it be studied as belonging to the whole. Only a valid formulation of the teaching of Holy Scripture can be recognized as true Christian doctrine. Mistakes in exegesis or faulty isagogical judgments are not in themselves false doctrines but dare not conflict with the Christian doctrine or undermine the au- thority of Scripture. Denominational fellowship calls for unity in understanding the Gospel, or mutual agreement in the doctrine and all its articles. All articles of faith are integrally related to the Gospel and articulate the Gospel from different perspectives. The concept “article of faith,” which emphasizes the relationship of the Gospel to all Chris~ tian doctrine and has had a less ambiguous usage than the term “doctrines,” is recommended for the church’s use in dealing with the question of fellowship. I. HISTORY OF THE QUESTION The question “What is a doctrine?” began to agitate the minds of some members of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in connection with efforts to establish pulpit and altar fellowship between The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and the American Lutheran Church during the 1930s and thereafter. The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod stated its doctrinal position in 1932 in A Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod. In 1938 the American Lutheran Church, while on the whole accept- ing this document, elaborated on some sections of it in the Declaration of the Representatives of the American Lutheran Church, In their Declaration the commis- 501 sioners of the American Lutheran Church pointed out that theologians in their church body were accustomed to speak of “a visible side of the church,” meaning by this expression nothing else than the means of grace, and that there were those in the American Lutheran Church who might understand the passages of Scrip- ture which speak of Antichrist, of the future of Israel, and of the resurrection of the martyrs differently from the way in which these passages were generally ex- plained by Missouri Synod theologians. With respect to these matters the commissioners of the American Lu- theran Church said: “We expect no more than this, that the Hon. Synod of Missouri will declare that the points mentioned . . . are not disruptive of church- fellowship.” } Some concerned men in the Missouri Synod felt that the points in question involved important issues. They felt furthermore that the Synod should clearly state what, in its understanding, constitutes a doctrine. A memorial to the Synod in 1944 requested that the Synod adopt the following as a definition of a Scriptural doc- trine: “A Scriptural doctrine is every truth contained in, or drawn from, or implied by, Scripture.” ? Instead the convention adopted the following definition proposed by the floor committee: “A Scriptural doctrine is a truth contained in, expressed by, or properly drawn from Scripture.” 3 This definition proved to be unsatisfactory because “a truth” could include a variety of statements in Scrip- ture which had never been considered doctrines in the Lutheran Church. Under the proposed definition the number of doctrines could grow endlessly. The question “What is a doctrine?” again came be- fore the Synod at the Houston convention in 1953. The proceedings of the convention contain the following report: What Is a Doctrine? This question was raised in Unprinted Memorial 69 a. Committee 3 recommended, and Synod resolved, with three negative votes: Resolution 22 Wuereas, The Committee on Doctrinal Unity must by the very nature of its work deal with the question “What Is a Doctrine?” and Wuereas, This is a theological question which con- cerns also the faculties of our two theological seminar- ies; therefore be it Resolved, That this question be referred to the Com- mittee on Doctrinal Unity and the faculties of our two theological seminaries for joint study; and be it Resolved, That the results of this study be made avail- able to all pastors, teachers, and congregations of our Synod.4 1 Quoted from Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Regular Con- vention of The Ev. Lutheran Synod of Missouri, etc., 1938, pp. 221 to 226. 2 Proceedings, 1944, pp. 231—234. 3 Ibid., p. 250. 4 Proceedings, 1953, p. 539.