READING SCHEDULE 2024
In 1936, the Jesuit priest Josef A. Jungmann popularized the idea of a distinction between the gospel and doctrine when he published his book, The Good News and Our Proclamation of the Faith. Jungmann defended the ‘kerygmatic’ approach to preaching, by drawing a line of distinction between gospel (kerygma) and doctrine (didache). British theologian and Cambridge professor Charles Harold Dodd in 1935 also published a book titled ‘Apostolic Preaching and Its Development’ in which he pressed on a distinction between the gospel and doctrine as he perceived contained in the Scriptures. This perverse view not only infected the denominational world, but became popular among the churches of Christ when ecumenism was first preached from the pulpits. C. H. Dodd influenced famous Missouri gospel preacher Williams Carl Ketcherside who later would say; “Not one apostolic letter is a part of the gospel of Christ…the letter to the Galatians was not a part of the gospel” (Ketcherside, 1973). He also wrote; “The gospel was proclaimed fully and completely on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus as it ever has been, and nothing written later was added to it” (Ketcherside, 1972). Cecil Hook wrote, “The gospel was not preached to the church. There is no record of such, no instruction for it, and no need for it. Although the word preach is used over one hundred times in the New Testament writings, it is not used in reference to a believing assembly.” (Hook, 1984).
This position teaches that the gospel is preached to the lost and the doctrine is taught to the saved. Resulting from this are the loud cries of “more gospel and less doctrine”. To these men and their kinsmen, the fact(s) of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection -1 Cor.15:1-4 is the gospel- nothing more! Whatever the rest of the New Testament teaches about church polity, miracles, morality, civil government, instrumental music, premillennialism, Sabbath etc. are not salvation issues. It takes just listening and reading to know definitively that this position is now within the ranks of the churches of Christ. Motivations for this superficial distinction are legion but it is evident that the undercurrent wants simply to sidestep the importance of certain teachings. Championed by Rubel Shelly et al, the unity-in-diversity movement in the churches of Christ, by affirming this position have sought to join the Lord’s church with the denominational enterprise. To men like C.H. Dodd, one should not try to teach the gospel but preach it. The doctrinal instructions should be taught not preached. Hence, the gospel is preached to the world and doctrine is taught to the church. The sugar-stick passage of these men is Matthew’s inspired account of the great commission; “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt.28:19-20).
First it would just help to state and emphasize that the word doctrine simply means a teaching!
Let me state parenthetically that typically, preaching is a monologue and teaching is a dialogue. Both inform, educate, exhort, admonish, implore and plead; and these are things both the church and the world needs!
Secondly, Jesus’ instructions to the apostles in Matthew 28 was for them to teach and disciple the world by immersing them (if they believed what has been taught them) , and keeping them disciples by continually teaching them. It makes no room for a fake distinction. In Matthew 28:19, the phrase make disciples is coming from the word ‘matheusate’ which is an aorist active imperative. The imperative tells us what to do. However, there are two participles in the text, that is baptizing and teaching is teaching us how it.
Thirdly, the supposed distinction between the gospel and doctrine of Christ is artificial and is without substance or significance. It is my thesis to show from God’s holy word that the gospel is the doctrine and the doctrine is the gospel. They are one and the same thing. I intend to show this clearly, forcefully and scripturally. If I can prove that the church was taught the gospel and the world was preached the doctrine, the entire enterprise of making a distinction is broken!
In Romans 6:17-18, Paul explains how the Roman brethren obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ and became free from sin. “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that from of doctrine to which you were delivered. And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness”. How did the Romans become Christians? They “obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine” (NKJV). If the gospel is taught to the world and the doctrine taught to the church, how could men in the world obey from the heart a form of DOCTRINE?
Paul served this distinction a death blow when he wrote to Christians; “so, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also” (Rom.1:15). Who are those addressed in the text? The Christians in Rome (Rom.1:7). Were they within or without the church? Within the church! Yet Paul in all readiness wanted to preach the gospel to them?
In Romans chapter 1, the “you” (2nd person pronoun) in verse 15, is the same group that are called of Jesus Christ (Rom.1:6). They are the same people Paul longed to meet (Rom.1:10-11). Cecil Hook should have read his bible, for in Romans 1:15 the record says; “…I am ready to preach the gospel to you (Christians – JMB) who are in Rome also’’. Romans 1:15 forever proves that the gospel is/can and must be preached both to the lost and the saved. There is no distinction in the message. The gospel of Christ and the doctrine of Christ are the same message. Whatever Jesus and the apostles taught and commanded for observance is doctrine (teaching) and can be called gospel. You can impress these facts, commandments and promises to your audience by means of monologue or a dialogue.
In Acts 17:18-19 Luke informs us, “Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?” (emphasis added) When Jesus was preached to these Athenians, they recognized (being ignorant of Him) that it as a new doctrine (teaching).
The words “gospel” and “doctrine” are used interchangeably in the same context of 1 Timothy 1:10-11. Listen; “…for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust”. The testimony of the bible is conclusive! The teaching of Christ and his apostles is gospel (good news) because obeisance to it, saves! The teaching and preaching has nothing to do with what is preached or taught but how it is done. Matthew wrote; “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom…” (Matt.4:23). Luke closed the book of Acts with these words; “Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him” (Acts 28:30-31). Let it be emphasized herein that the things which these brethren do not preached to the lost, the ones they have categorized under doctrine, were the very things that Paul preached to the Jewish leaders in Rome.
The problem arises from not paying attention to the text of 1 Corinthians 15:3 and the occasion of the passage. In 1 Corinthians 15:1-3, Paul told the Corinthians, “Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” This verse clearly point out that the death, burial and resurrection of Christ is foundational facts of the gospel or to put in the King James Versions language – the first of importance. The gospel embraces the whole of New Testament system of faith.
The gospel of Christ and the doctrine of Christ are one and the same thing. Those who erect an unauthorized wall between the gospel of Christ and the doctrine of Christ need to look elsewhere for their authorization for the bible does no such thing.
Works Cited
Hook, C. (1984). Free in Christ . Texas: Self-published.
Ketcherside, W. C. (1972). Twisted Scripture. Mission Messenger , 181.
