Fact & Theory

Many modern theologians want us to distinguish between the “dogma” of the New Testament and the history of early Christian thought and practice, essentially claiming that the “dogmatic tie” that binds the New Testament books together was imposed upon them by the Church. James Denney warns us to guard against pressing such distinctions between “thing and meaning…fact and theory” too far.

“He who does not see the meaning does not see the thing…he who refuses to take a ‘dogmatic’ view proves by doing so that he falls short of a completely ‘historical’ one” (The Death of Christ, ed. Tasker [London, The Tyndale Press, 1951], 13).

“It does not matter…whether an interpretation is called historical or dogmatic…it does not matter whether we put it under the head of Biblical or of Philosophical theology; what we want to know is whether it is true. In the truth such distinctions are apt to disappear” (Death of Christ, 14).

Listen to Pastor John read more of Denney’s thoughts on this subject: https://youtu.be/CWMEG4zoTO4