Jeremy Treat on Gospel and Doctrine in the Life of the Church

I just read a great piece by Jeremy R. Treat, “Gospel and Doctrine in the Life of the Church,” SBET 32.2 (2014): 180-94. (Read the whole thing here).

I liked it because it dovetails nicely with many of the things I was arguing for in my Evangelical Theology about the centrality of the gospel for theology, ethics, ministry, and life.

Here’s Treat’s sub-headings:

Doctrine: The Product of Faith Seeking Understanding of the Gospel

Doctrine Promotes the Primacy of the Gospel

Doctrine Defends the Gospel

Doctrine Defines the Gospel

Doctrine Helps the Church Understand and Respond to the Gospel

Gospel Doctrine in the Church

Gospel Doctrine and Prayer

Gospel Doctrine and Worship

Gospel Doctrine and Preaching

Treat concludes with these wise words:

In sum, this essay has argued that the task of theology is not to go beyond the gospel, but deeper into its riches. Doctrine, theology’s product, promotes the gospel by defending and defining it, in order that the church may understand and respond to what God has done in Christ. Sound doctrine is rooted in the gospel, bears fruit in the church, and serves the ultimate purpose of bringing glory to God.