# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1969_S516 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) “WHAT IS A DOCTRINE?” 505 of Providence. (5) The doctrine of the angels, as the ministering beings among the works of God.*! It is clear that by the 19th century the terms “doctrine” and “doctrines” had come to be applied to parts of and divisions within the one Christian doctrine.** E. “Doctrine” in C. F. W. Walther This terminology, understandably, was employed in the writings of the fathers of the Missouri Synod. They also distinguish between Biblical doctrines which are articles of faith and Biblical doctrines which are not. This is illustrated by the discussions on Wucher (usury) in the 1869 synodical convention at Fort Wayne. During the year 1864 the German Evangelical Lu- theran Congregation of the Unaltered Augsburg Con- fession in St.Louis, Mo., under the leadership of Dr. C. F. W. Walther had discussed the question of “usury.” The minutes of these meetings, enriched by testimonies of heathen, Jews, and Turks against usury, were pub- lished in 1869.72 In these discussions Dr. Walther had taken an uncompromising stand not only against abuses of usury but against all taking of interest. Not all pastors and congregations in the Synod agreed with Walther’s position on usury. The convention discussed the question on the basis of theses prepared by Pastor Th. Brohm The following citations from the Proceedings of this Synod indicate that Dr. Walther and those who agreed with him believed that Scripture teaches a “doctrine of usury” but that this was considered a moral doctrine, not an article of faith. The apostolic word, “Rndeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” urges us all to do every- thing in our power that we, who confess that we are agreed in the fundamental articles of the faith [Funda- mental-Artikeln des Glaubens], may become agreed also in this doctrine [Lehre] which touches the Christian life so closely.*+ Someone might think that the question, whether the lend- ing of money on interest is a sin, is not of very great importance because it does not concern an article of faith {Glaubensartikel]. .. . It is true, this question does not concern an article of faith, but it is not for this reason unimportant, because on the one hand it is very closely related to the Christian life, and on the other hand it is a doctrine [eine Lehre] which is contained clearly and plainly in the Holy Scripture. ... The commandment. “Endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” makes it our duty to strive to be agreed not only in the articles of faith, but also in all other doctrines [in allen andern Lehren| which are set forth clearly and plainly in Holy Scripture, and if we are not agreed, to find agreement through the grace of God." 21 Tbid., p. 103. 22 A parallel development took place within Reformed dog- matics as may be seen from Heinrich Heppe. Reformed Dogmatics (London, 1950), pp. 47 ff. 23 Die Wucherfrage: Protokoll der Verhandlungen der deutschen evang.-luth. Gemeinde U.A.C. zu St.Louis, Mo., etc. (St. Louts, 1869) . 24 Vierzehnter Synodalbericht der Allgemeinen Deutschen Evang.-Luth. Synode, etc., 1869, St. Louis, p. 53. 25 Ibid., p.54. On another occasion Dr. Walther related his un- derstanding of the terms ‘‘Scripture doctrine [Schriftlehre]” and “article of faith [Glaubensartikel]” to the question of church fel- lowship. He wrote: ‘We indeed know how to distinguish between articles of faith and doctrines of Scriptures which are not articles of faith. On the one hand, we permit no one to turn a clear doctrine Although the Lutheran dogmaticians and early theo- logians of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod sometimes used the term “doctrine” to denote a moral teaching of the Bible. this usage is relatively uncom- mon today. F. “Dogma,” “Article of Faith,’ and “Teaching” Dogma In New Testament usage the term “dogma” means a decree. The New Testament does not use it to denote the Christian faith but to refer to commandments, whether of men or of God. See Luke 2:1; Acts 16:4; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14. In the Lutheran Confessions the Latin text at times uses the term “dogmas” for false doctrines. For example, the Formula of Concord states: Haec dogmata omnia falsa sunt, and refers to the teachings it condemns as omnia falsa, ambigua, suspecta et damnata dogmata.* As a theological term, “dogma” emphasizes the role of the church in formulating her doctrine. In Roman Catholicism a “dogma” is “revealed truth defined by the church.” 2* and usually set forth as such by a pope or general council. In other Christian churches “dogma” is often used for those articles of faith which the church has drawn from the Bible and formulated in her creeds and confessions in response to her specific needs. Not all “doctrines” are “dogmas” in this sense, but all true “dogmas” are also “doctrines.” Article of Faith The Lutheran dogmatician Hollaz writes: The term, article, is derived from artus, and this from arcto. It properly signifies members of the body closely joined together, as the joints of the fingers closely co- here. Metaphorically, the word article is applied to the parts of the doctrine of faith, which are most intimately joined together.~* In this usage “article of faith” emphasizes not only the relationship of parts to the whole but also the intimate relationship of all such parts to saving faith and the Gospel. This understanding underlies the following statement in the Formula of Concord: We believe, teach, and confess that no church should con- demn another because it has fewer or more external cere- of Scripture, whether it may seem great or small, into an ‘open question’ for us. We consider it necessary to contend to the utmost for every article of faith (on every one of which our faith and hope depend), to condemn the contrary error, and to deny the hand of fellowship to those who contradict stubbornly. On the other hand, we by no means consider it necessary under all cir- cumstances to fight to the utmost for such Scripture doctrines which are not articles of faith, much less to pronounce the anathema on the opposing error (although we reject it) and to deny the hand of fellowship to those who err in this matter. If, in a doctrinal con- troversy, the dispute is about doctrines which do not belong to the articles of faith, everything depends for us on whether those who contradict show that they do so because thev do not want to submit to the Word of God, and therefore on whether, while appearing to Jet the basic doctrines of the Word of God stand, they nevertheless overthrow the very foundation upon which all these doctrines rest: the Word of God.” Der Lutheraner, XXVII (May 1, 1871), 131. °6 Formula of Concord, Epitome, XI, 21; Solid Declaration, The Summary Formulation, etc., 19. For a neutral use of “dogma” see the full heading of _this latter section of the Formula: “The Sum- mary Formulation, Basis, Rule, and Norm, Indicating How All Doc- trines [Latin: Dogmata,; German: Lehr] Should be Judged... .” 07 The Catholic Encyclopedia, New York, 1913, s.v. “dogma.” 28 Quoted from Schmid, p. 93.