No Development of Doctrine for Us

Authors

Th. Engelder, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis

Publication Date

9-1-1949

Document Type

Article

Keywords

doctrine, christian, inspiration, reconstructionists, infallible, modernist, walther, christendom

Submission Type

Bible Study; Lecture; Sermon Prep

Abstract

The second reason why we refuse to have anything to do with developing the doctrine is that the development of the Christian doctrine simply means the destruction of the Christian doctrine. "He who sets out to improve the Scriptural doctrines is losing the doctrines. 'Progress' is here only a euphemism for retrogression; 'development' is a misnomer for destruction." (Proc., Westena. District, 1897, p. 68.) Or, as Dr. Pieper puts it: "That there can be no development of the Christian doctrine is evidenced by the patent fact that whenever men set out to develop the doctrine, they invariably pervert and destroy the Christian doctrine" (Christliche Dogmatik, I, p. 151). If you add anything to the Christian doctrine or take anything away from it, if you modify it in the least, it will no longer be what it was.

Disciplines

Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion

Scripture References in this Resource (separated by semi-colons)

Matthew 15:19; Romans 7:18; Genesis 8:21;

Submission Cost

Free

Submission Audience

Laity; Ministers; Scholars

Recommended Citation

Engelder, Th. (1949) "No Development of Doctrine for Us," Concordia Theological Monthly: Vol. 20, Article 53.
Available at: https://scholar.csl.edu/ctm/vol20/iss1/53