Doctrine-Gospel Distinction

Authors:  Bobby Holmes and Mark Roberts

I. Error

• 1. “Gospel is the good news about Christ, and nothing more. Gospel cannot be preached to saints. None of the epistles are Gospel. We must agree on Gospel, but not on doctrine. Fellowship should be extended to all who accept the Gospel.”
  1. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4

A. Neo-Calvinists say:B. Passages misused:

II. Truth

• • a) 1 Timothy 1:8-11
    b) Philippians 1:27
    c) 2 Corinthians 5:14
    a) Romans 1:5; 2:8; 6:17; 10:16; 16:21
    a) Romans 1:15
    b) 1 Peter 1:25
    c) 1 Corinthians 15:1-3
    a) Where is this list of “gospel facts” that all agree on?
    b) Some have 5 facts, others 12, some 7 — this is unity?

  1. “Gospel” and “Doctrine” are used interchangeably2. Gospel must be obeyed:

  3. Jesus preached the Gospel (Matthew 4:23) also called doctrine (Matthew 7:28).
  4. Gospel can be preached to saints

  5. Who will get to decide what is gospel?

  6. Why were the epistles written if they don’t really matter?

A. Neo-Calvinists could not have missed it farther!

III. Additional Problem Area: Examples and Inferences

• • a) Lord’s Supper only on Sunday
    b) frequency of Lord’s Supper, once a week
    c) elders in every church
    d) how churches cooperated
    e) how spiritual gifts were imparted
    f) a church treasury
    g) duration of miracles
    a) Where is the background command for taking the Supper every week?
    b) Where is the background command for appointing elders in every church; why not Metropolitan bishops?

  1. Neo-Calvinists argue that human reasoning decides which examples to bind, and what is a “necessary” inference.
  2. If God wants to communicate by implication/examples can we limit Him?
  3. See how many things are changed when this part of biblical authority is discarded (this is only a partial list!):4. Don’t buy into “we accept examples with a clear ‘background command’.”

  5. This is just an effort to broaden fellowship!

A. Neo-Calvinism strips the Bible of authority!