Collection › LCMS Convention Workbook (St. Louis, Missouri) › 1969 · 48th Convention › Sheet 533
LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1969, Sheet 533

Scan: The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Transcription machine transcription, uncorrected

502 “WHAT IS A DOCTRINE?”

Responding to the above resolution, the faculties of
the two seminaries devoted considerable time to a
further study of the question “What is a doctrine?” and
by the spring of 1956 had formulated the following
statement and comments:

A doctrine is an article of faith which the church in
obedience to her Lord, and in response to her specific
needs, derives according to sound principles of inter-
pretation from Scripture as the sole source of doctrine
and sets forth in a form adapted to teaching.

Comment on the Definition

I. A doctrine. In the Lutheran Church the term “a doc-
trine” is used to designate the church’s formulation of
a part of the Scriptural revelation of the will of God.

Il. Is an article of faith. Every doctrine must be or-
ganically related to the intention of the holy and gracious
God for the faith and life of man as revealed in His Word.

Ill. Which the church, in obedience to her Lord. Every
claim of God upon men is to be received by the church
in the full obedience of faith.

IV. And in response to her specific needs. The formu-
lation of such doctrines is conditioned by the historical
situation in which the church finds itself.

V. Derives according to sound principles of interpreta-
tion from Scripture as the sole source of doctrine. Such
formulations are based either on express statements of
Scripture, or on direct implications of Scripture state-
ments, or on a synthesis of a number of related statements
of Scripture. The procedure in each case must be in ac-
cordance with the basic law of interpretation that Scrip-
ture is its own interpreter and as divine revelation claims
total submission from man.

VI. And sets forth in a form adapted to teaching. The
purpose of these formulations is that of communication,
whether it be for preaching, teaching, refuting error, or
defending the truth. “All Scripture is given by inspira-
tion of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man
of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all
good works” (2 Tim. 3: 16-17) 5

While this definition has considerable merit, it does
not distinguish clearly between the various usages of
the term “doctrine” in the New Testament, the Lutheran
Confessions, and post-Reformation dogmatic theology.
Nor did it fully satisfy those who were urging the
question, and the matter again came before the Synod
at Cleveland, Ohio, June 20—29, 1962. The Proceedings
of this convention contain the following resolution:

Wuereas, Memorial 331 points up the importance of the
question: What is a doctrine? and particularly the rela-
tionship of doctrine and practice, or application of doc-
trine; therefore be it

Resolved, That this memorial and the supporting brief
be referred to the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations for serious study, consideration, and report; and
be it further

Resolved, That the results of this study be sent to all
pastors and teachers at least one year before the next
convention. . . .6

In 1964, the Commission on Theology and Church
Relations issued in pamphlet form a Report on “What
Is a Doctrine?” This report quotes the statement adopted
at Saginaw and the definition proposed by the two
seminary faculties and says:

5 The Lutheran Witness, LXXV (May 8, 1956), 178.
6 Proceedings, 1962, p. 108.

The commission . .. found the definitions of doctrine
adopted or authorized by the Synod adequate, in harmony
with the Scriptures and the Confessions. Pursuant to the
above resolution the commission is submitting this report
to the pastors and teachers. It includes the statements
adopted or authorized by the Synod and pertinent state-
ments from the Confessions. These statements of the Con-
fessions are simple, they view doctrine as a whole, and
they preclude false distinctions between doctrine and
application of doctrine.

The report adds a number of quotations from the
Lutheran Confessions which illustrate the confessional
usage of the term “doctrine” and emphasize that doc-
trine in the Christian church is to be derived from
Scripture. This in turn is followed by an appendix with
suggestions for study.*

At the 46th regular convention of The Lutheran
Church — Missouri Synod in 1965, the floor committee
on doctrinal matters studied the report of the Commis-
sion on Theology and Church Relations on “What Is
a Doctrine?” and recommended the following:

Wuereas, The Commission on Theology and Church
Relations in its report on “What Is a Doctrine?” responded
to a resolution of the Cleveland Convention (Proceed-
ings, 1962, p.108); and

Wuereas, The commission could not give the time and
did not have the opportunity prior to issuing its report

more than a year ago to attempt a full-scale study and
reformulation of a definition of “doctrine”; and

Wuereas, The study on fellowship, especially in the
historical section of Theology of Fellowship, has given
insights that bear on a definition of doctrine; and

Whereas, It may be expected that the ongoing studies
on various Biblical topics, as well as the proposed study
on Biblical hermeneutics, may well shed further light on
the nature of a doctrine as well as the proper manner
of formulating doctrine; therefore be it

Resolved, That this convention gratefully approve this
report of the Commission on Theology and Church Rela-
tions as an adequate response to the memorial originally
addressed to the Synod at Cleveland; and be it further

Resolved, That the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations be encouraged to continue its study of
the question “What is a doctrine?” and formulate a further
definition that takes into account the results of all its
Biblical and theological studies, indicating if possible the
distinctions between —

a) “the doctrine” and “a doctrine” or “doctrines”; as
well as

b) related terms such as “dogma,” “article of faith,”
“teaching,” as these terms are used in Scripture as well as
the Lutheran Confessions; and be it finally

Resolved, That the Commission on Theology and
Church Relations submit the results of this study to the
members of the Synod for careful study and to a future
convention of the Synod for adoption.

This recommendation of the floor committee was
adopted by the convention.§

The following is an attempt to carry out the instruc-
tions of the Synod as laid down in the above resolutions.

IJ. USE AND MEANING OF THE TERM
“DOCTRINE” AND RELATED TERMS
The very persistence with which the question “What
Is a Doctrine?” has been and still is being asked suggests
that there is something intrinsically difficult about the

7 Report, p. 8; also Convention Workbook, 1965, p. 40.
8 Proceedings, 1965, pp. 98—99.