WHAT IS DOGMA?

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 461, 17 September 1928, Page 14

WHAT IS DOGMA?

THE TRUE AND THE FALSE Addressing the congregation at St. Heliers Presbyterian Church, Reuben E. Howie, A.V.1., Ph.S., spoke on “What is Hogma?”, taking for his text Acts 26-9. St. Paul here states, “I verily thought with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.” There are a few words in English that are so ambiguous that they can be pressed into all sorts of service. “Hogma” is one of them. This term is being constantly levelled at believers in the atonement of Jesus Christ. Good men and women, but only believers in some parts of the Scriptures, use “dogma,” a word that will justify them in their peculiar attitude toward the mediational work of Christ. This procedure carries its own condemnation. The word is supposed by some to carry a certain stigma. This is particularly noticeable in those who deny the essential of the atonement of Christ. Like Paul the Jew, they verily believe they “ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.”

However, after his conversion, we find Paul stating “Christ sent me to

preach the Gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the Cross of Christ be made of none effect.” Wonderful change of view! His Jewish zeal had given place to the real significance of

"Christ crucified,” and repentance for sin, and faith in Christ's atonement had made him a very able exponent of the teachings of the one “mediator between God and man.” Paul, as seen in our text, is defending himself before King Agrippa- He had suffered, as a result, many things of the Jews; but now as a believer in the sacrificial work of Christ as a Saviour, he nobly defends his Master’s cause.

To-day we have many and various form 3 of mental, moral and spiritual wickedness. Some go so far as to call the atonement of Christ “a mere dogma.” Now, dogmas may be true and false. The word is not found in the Bible, we may observe. It is defined as belief, doctrine, and so on. The supposed stigma is therefore mythical. Paul was no doubt sincere in his views as to Judaism, but, like many of to-day, he was ignorant and became intolerant. He was “exceedingly mad” against the Christians, he informs us.

This was belief gone to extremes. Now false doctrines are easily discernible; they have neither reason, history, or experience behind them. Paul, after his conversion, looked upon the law of Moses as a system that had simply served its purpose; yet, at the same time it typified the advent of the Messiah. He now “counted all things loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ.” Much present-day unbelief is the result of the narrow views of scept ics. Of one thing we are certain—it Is that Jesus of Nazareth and the doctrine of his atonement uplifts the individual and the State.