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How The Apostles Begun The Process Of Doctrinal Development

How The Apostles Begun The Process Of Doctrinal Development

Last updated on: May 13, 2026 at 2:26 am by Henry Karlson

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How The Apostles Begun The Process Of Doctrinal Development 2026-05-13T02:26:06-05:00 Henry Karlson

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Luca Sartoni: Paul, Apostle To The Gentiles, Who Helped Initiate Doctrinal Development, Mosaic from Basilica of San Vitale / Wikimedia Commons

Christians know that they do not have to be circumcised. What most do not appreciate is why many Christians, at the beginning of church history, believed otherwise. Things have changed so much in church history the context of one of the most significant debates in Christian history is lost to them. While many were telling all would-be men who converted to Christianity they would have to be circumcised, following what they believed was established in the Torah, Paul said that Christ did not impose such expectations on Gentile converts. This created a huge controversy within the early Christian community. The church had to make an official decision on the matter, and it did so as the Council of Jerusalem. There, Peter and James ultimately confirmed Paul’s take. The Council of Jerusalem shows us how the church can and should develop its doctrinal (and dogmatic) understanding, and as it does so, change its disciplines. Raymond Brown makes an important about this by pointing out they did so, not by using what Jesus expressly said, but based upon what they understood were the implications of what he did and taught:

What is startling is a deafening silence. No one who favors admitting the Gentiles without circumcision mentions the example of Jesus, saying, “Jesus told us to do so.” And, of course, the reason is that he never did tell him to do so. Indeed, one may suspect that the only ones likely to have mentioned Jesus would have been those of the circumcision party, arguing precisely that there was no authorization from him for such a radical departure from the Law. This may have been the first of many times when those who have resisted change in the church did so by arguing that Jesus never did this, whereas those who promoted change did so on the import of Christ for a situation that the historical Jesus did not encounter.[1]

Christian doctrine, Christian dogmatics, develops over time, and we can see, thanks to the decision at the Council of Jerusalem, such development began with the apostles. Official development mostly happens out of necessity, when the church finds itself dealing with a controversy which raises questions that need official answers. The earliest ecumenical councils were convened to deal with questions concerning the identity of Christ, that is, who Christ is (the incarnate God-man), and the relationship he had with the Father and the Holy Spirit (that is, how Christians are to understand the Trinity). Each time a Christological or Trinitarian question arose, the church had to draw upon its current and previous understandings, and discern the implications which were already there but not yet explored, hoping that by doing so, it would be able to produce sufficient answers. Raymond Brown tells us that this is what the apostles did at Jerusalem, and throughout the early Christian controversies, we see all the sides involved in them trying to do the same within their own context. As new situations, arose, the church consistently found itself dealing with new controversies, meaning, the church teachings and disciplines were constantly changing: they were never static.

Doctrinal development, of course, must always engage revelation, that is, what has been revealed to us through Christ. Authentic development will never create a new teaching ex nihilo; it will always be an organic development, even if, sometimes, it will appear what is produced is radically different from what had come before it (even as a tree does not look like the seed from which it came). That is, authentic development can always be seen as coming from teachings teachings and principles which came before it, though sometimes, those teachings and principles were ancient ones which were often forgotten or ignored over time. This is especially the case when Christians believe or presume, due to their context, that some beliefs or practices that they grew accustomed to, and accepted, ultimately undermine authentic Christian principles, as, for example, happened when Christians dealt with the problem of slavery: when it was examined and seen in the light of Christ, its practics was seen to fall short, as Christ came to liberate us and set us free, while slavery undermines that freedom. When the church condemned slavery, it might have seemed as if it were a new teaching, something which contradicted how Christians always viewed the matter of slavery, but those promoting the development can point to Scripture, especially St. Paul, and various important Christian writers, like St. Gregory of Nyssa, to show there was always contention on the matter which had not been worked out, contentions which, when further examined, led the church to realize it must denounce the immorality of slavery.

Some might ask, why there would ever be need for such doctrinal or dogmatic development? Were the truths of the faith not made clear from the beginning? Because, as Dom Helder explained, the truth, and therefore, the truth of the faith, transcends us; the truth is always the same, it is we who change as we slowly grasp more and more of it: “The problem is that Christianity, like truth, is so huge and rich that each of us can manage to see only certain aspects of it. Christianity, like truth, does not change; it is we who from time to time discover new aspects of it.”[2]

It is in this light we can understand recent developments concerning the death penalty and war, or Christian social doctrine in general. The more we have understood the dignity and value of the human person, the more we have learned that we must act to maintain and promote that dignity. Every action, every attitude, which would undermine or destroy it must be rejected. There is more work to be done. It is imperative that we continue with our investigation of human dignity and use it to address other issues, such a racism, sexism, poverty, health care, migration, and the like; some of what we discern should lead to a message which the church can proclaim to the secular world, such as when it advocates peace over war, but some of it will also require change within the church, such as when dealing with racism and sexism. We must do what we can to confirm the dignity of everyone, especially those whose dignity have historically been denied to them, not just by secular society, but by the church. This means there must be changes. What those changes entail are not something which can always be predetermined. It must come naturally, as the church, guided by the Holy Spirit, continues to explore humanity dignity and deal with and overcome its misunderstandings and mistakes from the past. As it does so, it will further affirm and reinforce its core teachings and beliefs, showing that the truth is not changing, even if our apprehension and engagement of it is.

[1] Raymond E. Brown, A Once and Coming Spirit at Pentecost (Collegeville, MN: The Liturgical Press, 1994), 81.

[2] José de Broucker, Dom Helder Camara: The Conversions of a Bishop. An Interview With José de Broucker. Trans. Hilary Davies (New York: Collins, 1979), 214.

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