Dogma
The Greek Word in the New Testament
The Greek word dogma derives from dokeo, meaning "to seem" or "to think," and originally referred to an opinion, particularly the authoritative opinion of a philosopher or ruler. In the New Testament, it appears five times but is never translated as 'dogma' in English Bibles. Instead, translators render it as 'decree,' 'ordinance,' or 'regulation,' depending on context. The word's later evolution into a term for authoritative church teaching occurred in the centuries after the New Testament was written.
Imperial Decrees
Two New Testament uses of dogma refer to decrees of the Roman government. Luke describes the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem: "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered" (Luke 2:1). Later, Paul's opponents in Thessalonica accused him and his companions of "acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus" (Acts 17:7). In both cases, dogma refers to the binding commands of imperial authority — laws that subjects were required to obey.
These passages demonstrate that God's purposes work through and sometimes in tension with human political authority. The decree that brought Jesus' parents to Bethlehem fulfilled the prophecy of Micah 5:2, while the accusation in Thessalonica reveals the inherent conflict between allegiance to Christ and allegiance to any earthly ruler who claims ultimate authority.
The Ordinances of the Law
Paul uses dogma to describe the binding commands of the Mosaic law in two theologically significant passages. In Ephesians 2:15, he writes that Christ abolished "the law of commandments expressed in ordinances," breaking down the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile. In Colossians 2:14, he declares that Christ has "canceled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands," nailing it to the cross.
In these passages, dogma refers to the written requirements of the law that exposed human sinfulness and created a barrier between God and humanity. Christ's death did not abolish God's moral character but fulfilled the law's demands, removing its condemning power over those who trust in Him. The ordinances that once separated Jew from Gentile and sinner from God were satisfied at the cross.
The Decrees of the Jerusalem Council
The fifth use of dogma describes the decisions of the apostolic council in Jerusalem. After the council decided which obligations Gentile believers should observe, Paul and his companions "delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem" (Acts 16:4). These decrees represented the earliest exercise of conciliar authority in the church, establishing guidelines for Gentile believers without requiring them to adopt the full burden of the Mosaic law.
This use of dogma introduces an important element into church history: authoritative decisions made by recognized leaders, guided by the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28), for the governance of the believing community. However, these decrees addressed practical matters of conduct rather than doctrinal definitions in the later theological sense.
From Biblical Usage to Church History
The development of 'dogma' into a term for authoritative church doctrine occurred gradually during the second and third centuries. Greek church fathers used dogma and didache (teaching) interchangeably to describe the content of Christian belief. As orthodoxy was defined against heresies, dogma came to mean the official teaching of the church, ratified by councils and distinguished from unauthorized opinions.
This later usage, while legitimate in its own context, should not be read back into the New Testament, where dogma refers to governmental decrees, legal ordinances, and conciliar decisions rather than to systematic theological propositions.
Theological Implications
The biblical uses of dogma illuminate a key tension in the Christian life: the relationship between external authority and inner freedom. Imperial decrees govern political life, Mosaic ordinances governed religious life under the old covenant, and apostolic decrees governed the early church's practical conduct. But Paul's central message is that Christ has freed believers from the condemning power of legal ordinances (Colossians 2:14-17) while establishing a new kind of authority rooted in the Spirit rather than in written codes.
Biblical Context
The Greek word dogma appears in Luke 2:1 (Caesar's decree), Acts 17:7 (decrees of Caesar), Ephesians 2:15 (ordinances of the law), Colossians 2:14 (legal demands), and Acts 16:4 (decisions of the Jerusalem council). Though the English word 'dogma' never appears in translation, these five occurrences cover the word's full range of meaning in the New Testament.
Theological Significance
The New Testament uses of dogma reveal the contrast between human legal authority and the freedom Christ brings. Imperial decrees serve God's providential purposes (Luke 2:1) but cannot claim ultimate allegiance (Acts 17:7). The ordinances of the law expose sin but are fulfilled in Christ (Ephesians 2:15; Colossians 2:14). The apostolic decrees represent Spirit-guided governance that avoids both legalism and lawlessness (Acts 16:4). Together, these uses anticipate the ongoing theological question of how authoritative teaching relates to Christian liberty.
Historical Background
In Greek philosophy, dogma referred to the authoritative opinions of philosophical schools. In Hellenistic usage, it extended to royal decrees and official regulations. The New Testament adopts both senses. The development of dogma as a technical term for church doctrine began in the second century, accelerated during the Christological controversies of the fourth and fifth centuries, and was formalized through ecumenical councils. The Protestant Reformation challenged the authority of conciliar dogma by reasserting the primacy of Scripture.