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Doctrinal Development

Protestants who believe in Sola Scriptura (scripture only) typically deny that their doctrines have developed. Rather, they claim that they get their doctrines from the Bible. Certainly they support their doctrines from the Bible but I think it is incorrect to say that the Protestant doctrines did not develop.

Protestants who are critical of Catholicism typically object to the idea of doctrinal development, but the Catholic Church accepts the ideas (1) that doctrine has developed, and (2) that it should have developed.

In this article I discuss the topic of doctrinal development from a Protestant perspective (but I highlight issues that are typically ignored by Protestants).

Index

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Overview

A preliminary note: I occasionally make reference to the idea that Protestants should consider only accepting statements which are "straight" out of the Bible, rather than using exegesis and hermeneutics to derive doctrine from the Bible. I do this to illustrate a point, not because I recommend the practice.

A few considerations:

• The Bible does not have a "book of doctrine" in which a Systematic Theology is expounded.
• The foundational, essential Christian doctrines have all been developed.
  

  This is especially true of Protestant doctrines which took 1,500 plus years to develop (and this development still continues even today).

• Protestants rely on doctrinal formulations which are outside of the Bible. They derive these from the Bible by interpretation using rules of exegesis (which are also outside of the Bible). They do not merely rely on only the Bible itself. If they relied only on the Bible they would merely repeat the words of the Bible. But instead they:
  1. Expound it (clarify, explain, preach, etc. with words outside the Bible).
  2. Teach it (using words outside the Bible).
  3. Derive doctrine from it (expressed in words outside the Bible).
• The Canon of scripture was determined by the Early Church Fathers who knew what was true because this knowledge was passed on to them from their predecessors. They used this knowledge to select which written works were correct.
  

  They determined which books are inspired and which are not. We should note that this list of books is not in the Bible: neither is the criteria for choosing which books to include in the canon. These facts undermine the doctrine of Sola Scriptura.

• Protestants have developed doctrines using exegesis of scripture. But is it valid to do this since the Bible itself doesn't state that we should and doesn't provide the rules of hermeneutics? And if it is valid to develop doctrines via Biblical exegesis, why are there so many different, contradictory Protestant doctrines and teachings? (This process of Biblical interpretation certainly doesn't seem to work very well).
• The essential doctrines of the Christian faith (for example, the Trinity, Christology, etc.) were developed by the church in councils over a few hundred years. But today, these kinds of ecumenical (all church) councils are impossible since denominations disagree with each other. Protestants who are critical of Catholicism typically claim that these doctrinal differences are minor but such is not the case. Examples of differences:
  1. Calvinism vs. Arminianism
  2. Easy-believism vs. Lordship salvation
  3. Young-earth creationism vs. old-earth progressive creationism
  4. Baptism as a symbol vs. Baptism actually removing original sin
  5. Communion as a symbol vs. the Real Presence
  6. End-time viewpoints
  7. Charismatic vs. non-charismatic
  8. Miraculous healing is the norm for today vs. the miraculous gifts ended with the apostles
  9. The various forms of church government
  10. Trinity vs. Modalism

Some examples of Protestant doctrinal development (yes, even Protestants have developed doctrine):

• The essential Christian doctrines. None of them are merely quotes from the Bible but, rather, are developed statements (which are supported by the Bible).
• The uniquely Protestant doctrines. These were developed (invented) by the Protestant Reformers 1,500 years after Christ.

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What is Doctrinal Development?

In discussing the topic of doctrinal development by the Catholic Church it is important to consider what doctrinal development is and what it is not:

What doctrinal development is not:

• The human invention of false doctrine.
• The changing of Divine truth.
• A naturalistic evolution of ideas.

What doctrinal development is:

• The elucidation of Divine truth.
• Expressed in terms that the current culture can understand.
• Expressed in deeper ways since over time there is an ever-growing body of knowledge to build upon.
• Consideration of truth in response to heretical attacks.
• Defining ever more detailed descriptions of a particular topic.
• Responding to the needs of the faith community by addressing their current concerns and needs.
• Based on insights gained through careful study of a topic.

What does it mean when we say that a doctrine developed? One key factor in doctrine that developed (as opposed to doctrine that did not develop) is that there was change over time. Since Protestants claim that the Bible is their only authority, doctrines which have not developed are those which can be directly read from the pages of the Bible. But there are no doctrines of this type; rather, the various supporting passages must be selected, correlated, compiled, interpreted, synthesized, summarized, and finally stated in words other than those in the Biblical text. In other words, Protestant doctrine has changed since the time the apostles wrote the Bible. And Protestant doctrine has also changed since the time of the Protestant Reformation (and still continues to change today -- it is still developing).

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The Process of Doctrinal Development

In discussing the process of developing doctrine from the Bible we must first consider where the Bible came from. Even the Bible itself developed. The process:

• Inspired writers wrote letters and books.
• Uninspired writers also wrote letters and books.
• These writings became available to various congregations. Not all writings were available to all congregations.
• Heretical ideas developed using these writings as support.
• The Early Church Fathers fought heresy and themselves produced more writings.
• They began to sense the need for an official, authoritative list (canon) of books in the Bible.
• They formed various opinions about which books should be included in the canon. These lists with detailed discussions appear in their writings.
• They developed the idea that this canon of scripture was inspired and inerrant.
• They determined the canon in several councils, especially: Council of Carthage in 397 A.D. (This list includes the so-called Apocrypha of the Old Testament).

Of course, the Early Church Fathers didn't wait until the canon was officially determined to start developing doctrine. They had various writings (both inspired and uninspired) as well verbal tradition which was passed on to them from their predecessors. The process of developing doctrine:

1. Each Early Church Father started with knowledge they acquired from various sources both written and verbal.
2. They felt the need to define a doctrine either in response to heresy or to instruct the faithful.
3. They synthesized the various bits of knowledge into new doctrinal statements which they passed on to others and/or wrote down.
4. The entire set of Early Church Fathers over the first few centuries of the Church collectively had a wide range of views. There was a need to accept some of these views and reject others.
5. For any particular doctrinal topic the various Early Church Fathers had varying opinions about how all these views should be synthesized.
6. As time went on it became more and more apparent that there was a need to formulate definite official, authoritative doctrinal statements. This was often necessary to combat heresy so that the faithful would not be led astray.
7. They began meeting together in church councils to discuss the various doctrines. This went on for centuries.
8. For each particular doctrine there was a final doctrinal formulation which is accepted even today by Protestants as the correct doctrine (but we should note that each denomination has different views about which statement is the correct one).
9. After much time, all the major essential pre-reformation doctrines were developed.
10. During the Protestant Reformation the various reformers developed entirely new doctrinal statements for a variety of issues. They claimed that these new doctrines were the true, correct, Biblical doctrines (but they are expressed in news words and phrases since they are based on a synthesis and interpretation of the Bible).
11. Each reformer had his own variation of these doctrines. Even today each denomination has their own particular set of doctrines.
12. Even today there is continuing doctrinal development in various Protestant denominations (link).

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Isn't the Bible Sufficient?

Apparently not. Protestants have many other books in which they define and defend their doctrines. It is very common for Protestants to use various commentaries when studying the Bible.

If Protestants really believed that the Bible was sufficient they would have no other books or writings -- they would merely read and recite the words of the Bible as they are written. But instead, they interpret and synthesize the words of the Bible and proclaim these new "truths" in their sermons and in their various Christian books.

Catholics do not claim that the Bible is enough. They look to the Church as the Holy Spirit-inspired authority for biblical interpretation and teaching. But it should be noted (since Protestants who are critical of Catholicism often misrepresent this point) that Catholics do believe that the Bible is inspired and inerrant; and that the Bible is a key foundation of the Christian faith.

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Doctrinal Evolution?

In this section I address the topic of whether Doctrinal Development is really just some sort of naturalistic form of evolution. Since many Protestants typically ignore the topic of Doctrinal Development they are likely to misunderstand what development is. I attempt to clarify the issue.

The word evolution has several nuances of meaning:

• Evolution = Change over time. Certainly the word evolution is often used as a synonym for the word change. In this sense we can say that Doctrinal Development is the same as Doctrinal Evolution. The doctrinal statements from one time period (for example, 2000 A.D.) are different than the doctrinal statements from an earlier time period (for example, 100 A.D.).
• Evolution implies randomness, without God's guiding, and outside of God's will. Whether doctrine developed in this sense depends on whether or not you believe that God controls all of human history down to the most minute details. For example, did God plan and orchestrate that Sabellianism would appear in the early 3rd century? This is significant because doctrinal development often occurred in response to heresy; to defend the true faith.
• Evolution = Naturalistic atheism. Assumes that there is no God and that there is no Divine Revelation. Of course, Christianity strongly denies this. All true and correct doctrine, even if it developed (evolved) over time is still in harmony with God's revealed revelation (from whatever source; whether the Bible, Tradition, or via Holy Spirit-inspired prophecy or utterances).
• Evolution = non-God. The word evolution is typically used in our culture when referring to things other than spiritual things. But if we use the word evolution to refer to the changes over time of Christian doctrine, we are, of course, referring to spiritual and Divine truth. But the word evolution itself is neutral in this regard -- it does not imply that we are speaking in a non-spiritual or non-religious sense.

I prefer the phrase Doctrinal Development over the phrase Doctrinal Evolution because there is less chance for misunderstanding.

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Is the Bible a Book of Systematic Theology?

In listening to Protestants who claim that the Bible is all that is needed in matters of faith, we should expect to find a book of the Bible which defines all topics of theology in a systematic way. But we cannot find such a book or letter in the Bible.

Even for those rare topics which have extended passages (such as virginity in 1 Corinthians 7, or the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15) we find that Bible scholars use many passages when discussing a particular doctrine. They have to bring together the various passages which speak about a particular topic. You would think that if God intended that the Bible was all that was needed, that it would be organized so that we don't have to search for related passages like a needle in a haystack. But the Bible is not all that is needed -- the church (the Catholic Church) provides Holy Spirit-inspired teaching and defines true doctrine.

We can purchase many books of Systematic Theology written by various scholars and representing the views of various denominations. But why do we even need such books at all if the Bible is all we need? And, of course, each particular theological system has its own particular doctrinal statements -- there is not a general agreement among Protestants about the details of any doctrines.

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Bible Only

If Protestants really believed that the Bible were really all that was needed, their church services and worship services would be different. Here's the changes we would expect to see:

• Hymns and choruses would be direct quotes from the Bible. There would not be a joining together of passages from different places to compose songs (because this takes human creativity which is outside of the Bible).
• There would be hymns and choruses from all passages in the Bible (since the process of determining whether certain passages are more appropriate than others for use in a worship service is information that originates from outside the Bible. For example, why should we prefer to use verses from the book of Psalms but to not sing the genealogies in the book of Chronicles?)
• There would be no sermons or homilies at all. Instead there would merely be extended Bible readings. (In preparing sermons, the preacher must use his intellect and reason which are outside of the Bible and originate from man).

The Bible should have the following features since this is the way in which Protestants conduct their church services and Bible studies (but alas; none of these are in the Bible):

• A hymn book with the total collection of the words for all the hymns and choruses that are needed for the church. (Note: This book should also include the melodies, chords, and arrangements).
• A book of Systematic Theology.
• A book containing the text of all sermons and homilies that are to be used (Martin Luther provided this for his movement and he expected them to preach exclusively from it).
• A book which lists and defines all doctrines.
• A book which describes all church practices including the many details of how to conduct a church service or Bible study.
• A book that defines the "true" denominational statement of faith.
• A book of Moral Theology.

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Straight Out of the Bible

I am presenting the notion that we should only use Biblical truths which are straight out of the Bible. Why, you might ask? Because of the Protestant doctrine of Sola Scriptura. If the Bible is all that is needed, then it is all we should use.

The doctrine of Sola Scriptura is a foundational doctrine for the various denominations (and non-denominational groups) which ultimately had their roots in the Protestant Reformation (I should note that some Protestants wish to distance themselves from the Protestant Reformers).

Certainly, most Protestants believe that biblical exegesis is valid, and that formulating biblical truth in terms which go beyond the biblical statements is a valid procedure. Thus Protestant denominations have systematic theology, creeds, and denominational statements of faith. But I want to suggest the idea that this "reformulation" and "restatement" of the words of the Bible is contrary to the spirit of Sola Scriptura in which the Bible is the only authority for matters of faith and salvation.

By allowing interpretation of the Bible these adherents to the doctrine of Sola Scriptura have inadvertently made their own interpretations of the Bible more authoritative than the words of the Bible itself. When I studied the Bible as a Protestant I tended to understand the meaning of the words from the pre-formulated framework of what the Bible said based on what I was taught by the various Protestant theologians I studied. This was especially true of the so-called "difficult" passages which, on the surface, appeared to make no sense at all (but as a Catholic, these "difficult" passages now make perfect sense).

I challenge Protestants to seriously consider their sources of authority and knowledge which come from outside the Bible.

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Against Doctrinal Development

At the same time that certain foundational Protestant doctrines were being developed (in the early centuries of the church) the distinctive Catholic doctrines were also being developed (for example, church authority and ordination, the pope, the Eucharist, Marian devotion, etc.). What basis is there for accepting the "Protestant" doctrines but rejecting the "Catholic" doctrines since they were being developed at the same time by the same people, and they were being ratified at the same councils?

Most of the doctrines that Protestant critics of Catholicism object to do appear in the Bible (link, link).

Protestants who are critical of Catholicism typically claim that the notion of Doctrinal Development implies that truth changes or that God changed His mind. But such is not the case. It is our human expression and understanding of the truth that changes, not the truth itself. Us humans will forever have an incomplete understanding of truth and of God; and as consequence of this we will always be able to add new insights and new ways of understanding and explaining the truth about God and His work. This is the essence of Doctrinal Development. Just as the amount of light revealed in the New Covenant is greater than that of the Old Covenant, so our light can increase over time as more people contemplate the scriptures and the faith; and as more cultural situations present themselves in which truth needs to be understood and explained in a new context.

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John Shepard

© Copyright 2007

email: js16@northforest.org

http://www.northforest.org/CatholicApologetics/DevelopDoctrine.html

Revised: Dec. 16, 2004