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Sunday, December 16, 2012

The word Dogma is used in the Bible

The word dogma in English comes from the Greek word for a "decree" or "ordinances" and is used 5 times in the NT. Here are the instances. Notice one of them is in regards to the "dogmas" of the council of Jerusalem of Acts 15! The following is from the "King James Version" or as I call it, the Queen James perVersion:

Luke 2:1  And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree [dogma, δόγμα] from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed.
Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐξῆλθεν δόγμα παρὰ Καίσαρος Αὐγούστου ἀπογράφεσθαι πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην. -Luke 2:1


Acts 16:4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees [dogmata, δόγματα] for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
ὡς δὲ διεπορεύοντο τὰς πόλεις, παρεδίδοσαν αὐτοῖς φυλάσσειν τὰ δόγματα τὰ κεκριμένα ὑπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων τῶν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις. --Acts 16:4

Acts 17:7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees [dogmaton, δογμάτων] of Caesar, saying that there is another king, [one] Jesus.
 
οὓς ὑποδέδεκται Ἰάσων: καὶ οὗτοι πάντες ἀπέναντι τῶν δογμάτων Καίσαρος πράσσουσιν, βασιλέα ἕτερον λέγοντες εἶναι Ἰησοῦν. --Acts 17:7


Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, [even] the law of commandments [contained] in ordinances [dogmasin, δόγμασιν]; for to make in himself of twain one new man, [so] making peace;

τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασιν καταργήσας, ἵνα τοὺς δύο κτίσῃ ἐν αὐτῷ εἰς ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον ποιῶν εἰρήνην, -Ephesians 2:5

Colossians 2:14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances [dogmasin, δόγμασιν] that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
 
ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθ' ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον τοῖς δόγμασιν ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῖν, καὶ αὐτὸ ἦρκεν ἐκ τοῦ μέσου προσηλώσας αὐτὸ τῷ σταυρῷ:


As we see the word dogma (dogmata) should not be demonized by fundamentalists, otherwise they would be demonizing a term the New Testament used itself in regards to a council inspired by the Spirit (Acts 15:7). The council made dogmas (dogmata).

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