A History of Christian Doctrine #3 - Online Christian Library

A History of Christian Doctrine
in places. Its position on a number of issues is quite controversial,
and its appeal to historical authority is inconsistent. Here
are some examples:
• It relies heavily on postbiblical tradition to support
the doctrine of the trinity and trinitarian baptism, when
Scripture alone should be our doctrinal authority, in practice
as well as in theory. For the “basic statement of the doctrine
of the Trinity” it quotes the Athanasian Creed instead of
Scripture (pages 42-43). It asserts, “The proper formula for
water baptism is triune,” and as proof it cites the following
authorities: Matthew 28:19, the Didache, Justin, Irenaeus,
Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and the church historians
Sozomen and Socrates (pages 71-72).
• Ironically, on other subjects the booklet ignores
prominent and even majority teachings in church history,
thereby falsely portraying its views as the only “historic,
orthodox” ones. For instance, most of the writers it cites as
authorities for the baptismal formula taught that baptism
effects the remission of sins and is part of the new birth. So
taught Justin, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Cyprian, Augustine, and
many more. 348 It vehemently denounces as cultic the teaching
that baptism is part of the experience of salvation, yet it conveniently
omits that throughout history and even today most
professing Christians have affirmed this very doctrine, including
Roman Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Lutherans (the
first Protestants). The Nicene Creed affirms “one baptism for
the remission of sins,” and the framers clearly meant that in the
ceremony of water baptism God washes away sins.
If the creeds and the ancient writers known as the church
fathers represent so-called historic orthodoxy on the doctrine
of God, why do they not equally represent historic orthodoxy
on the doctrine of water baptism? The truth is that the author
is highly selective in what he deems orthodoxy. To support the
doctrine of the trinity he invokes the creeds and fathers and
denounces anyone who would deviate from their supposed
354