Why
Study Biblical Doctrine ?
Titus
1:9 He
must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be
able to give instruction
in sound
( healthy) doctrine
and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Why
should we study doctrine?
People
often object to any talk about doctrine and the study of doctrine,
because they wrongly imagine that it is an unnecessary cause of
strife and division. The fact is, we cannot have good unity if we do
not have doctrinal unity. Doctrine is not everything in Christianity;
but is important . Gospel doctrine is the foundation of all true
faith, the basis of all real comfort, and the inspiration for all
worship, obedience, and devotion. People have said , “Let’s not
discuss doctrine. Let’s just get on with evangelism.” “Let’s
not talk about doctrine. Let’s just worship the Lord.” “Don’t
preach doctrine. Just preach Christ.” That makes about as much
sense as a basketball coach saying to his team, “Boys, don’t
worry about the baskets, or the ball, or those lines out there on the
court. Let’s just play basketball.” You cannot have basketball
without the baskets, the ball, and the lines; and you cannot have
evangelism, worship, and Christianity without doctrine.
The
study of doctrine is important, because it is foundational. In Psalm
11:3, David asked, "If
the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"
Obviously,
we recognize that “the
foundation of God standeth sure” (2
Tim. 2:19). Yet, we also know that in this dark, apostate age in
which wicked religious men and women walk in darkness, without
knowledge and without understanding, The religion of the world
constantly attacks, assaults, and seeks to destroy the foundation of
doctrinal truth. When men seek to destroy the very foundations
of our faith, what can the righteous do?
Romans 16:17-18
Romans
16:17 I
appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions
and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been
taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve
our Lord Christ, but their own appetites,6 and by
smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
1
Timothy 4:16
1
Timothy 4:16
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in
this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your
hearers.
2
John 1:9
2
John 1:9 Everyone
who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does
not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father
and the Son.
We
must recognize and assert the importance of doctrine in the Word of
God. “Doctrine” is not a dirty word. When we talk about the
doctrine of the Bible, we are simply talking about the “teaching”
of the Bible. To say, “Doctrine is insignificant,” is to say that
the teachings of the Bible are insignificant. Doctrine is not
insignificant. It is vital. Gospel doctrine is absolutely necessary
to saving faith. Faith in Christ is not a leap in the dark. It is
walking in the light. That person who is not taught the doctrine of
Christ or believes that which is contrary to the doctrine of Christ
does not know Christ. This is not a matter of speculation, but of
revelation
1
Timothy 6:3
1
Timothy 6:3 If
anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the
sound
(healthy )words
of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with
godliness
Romans
15:4
Romans
15:4 For whatever
was written in former days was written for our instruction, that
through endurance and through the encouragement of the
Scriptures we might have hope.
Sound
doctrine is necessary for godly behavior, too. people may live in an
outwardly moral, religious manner without doctrine; but you cannot
live for Christ, to the glory of Christ, and after the example of
Christ, without the doctrine of Christ. Paul tells us that the
doctrine of Christ is that doctrine which is according to godliness
Our
comfort as believers living in this world of woe greatly depends upon
our grasp of the doctrine of Holy Scripture
We
must recognize the importance of doctrine; and when men would destroy
the foundations upon which our souls are built, we must cling to the
Word of God.
If,
in these days, we would contend for the integrity of the Scriptures
and the faith of the saints, we must prayerfully study and seek, by
the grace of God, to comprehend the teaching (the doctrine) of the
Word of God.
Jude
1:3-4
Jude
1:3 Beloved,
although I was very eager to write to you about our common
salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to
contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the
saints. 4 For certain people
have
crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this
condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God
into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
1
Peter 1:20-21
1
Peter 1:20 He
was foreknown before the foundation of the world but
was
made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who
through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead
and
gave
him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
The
study of doctrine is important, because it is foundational and
because the doctrine we are studying is of God. The doctrines we
believe, those doctrines taught in Holy Scripture and believed by all
true Christians, are not of men, but of God. These are not mere
denominational dogmas, church confessions, doctrinal debates, and
theological theses, but the teachings of God himself. Those things
which are vital to our souls, vital to the knowledge of God, and
vital to salvation are things which could not be known except by
divine revelation
What
is the source of true doctrine?
Most
people may assert that the Word of God is the primary source of
doctrine. However, very few look upon the Word of God as the only
source of doctrine. Even among those who say they do, very few truly
look upon the Scriptures alone as our only source for true doctrine.
Matt
15:1-9
Matt
15:Traditions
and Commandments
15 Then
Pharisees and scribes
came to Jesus from
Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why
do your disciples break
the
tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when
they eat.” 3 He
answered them, “And
why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your
tradition? 4 For
God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’
and, Whoever reviles father or mother must surely
die.’ 5 But
you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you
would have gained from me is given to God,”6 he
need not honor his father.’ So
for the sake of your tradition you have made void the
word2 of
God. 7 You
hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8
“ ‘This
people honors me with their lips,
9
in vain
do they worship me,
teaching
as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
In
Mark 7 this is mentioned again .Many,
like the Pharisees, build their doctrine upon the Bible and
tradition. Those who do so, by their tradition, make void the Word of
God. Whenever people attempt to build their doctrine on both the Word
of God and tradition, they soon prefer tradition to the Word and make
the Word of God to be of non-effect.
Comments
about this Bible and traditions?
Anyone
care to share a tradition that is or was practiced that does or
doesn't line up with the Word of God ?
This
is true when tradition doesn't line up with the word of God ,remember
test all things
1
John 4:1
1
John 4:1 Beloved, do
not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether
they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out
into the world.
Other sources
used to build doctrine.
Creeds
Others
build their doctrine on the Word of God and the creeds of the church.
While there may be a proper place and use for creeds and confessions
of faith, our faith must not be determined by the creeds of even the
best of men. Our faith must stand in the Word of God alone.
Any
comments?
Experiance
Multitudes
build their doctrine upon the Word of God and experience. Experience
is no basis for faith. Saul had a real experience in the house of a
witch in En-dor; (1 Sam 28:7-19) but that experience is not a basis
for our doctrine. Neither are our own experiences, good or bad.
Martin Luther was exactly right when he said, “any teaching which
does not square with the Scriptures is to be rejected even if it
snows miracles every day.”
Beside
this comment coming from Martin Luther is he right in his
statement?“any teaching which does not square with the Scriptures
is to be rejected even if it snows miracles every day.”
2Timothy
3:16-17
2
Timothy 3:16 All
Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for
reproof, for correction, and for training in
righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be
complete, equipped for every good work.
Romans
15:4
Romans
15: 4 For whatever
was written in former days was written for our instruction, that
through endurance and through the encouragement of the
Scriptures we might have hope.
2
Peter 1:19-21
2
Peter 1:19 And we
have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do
well to
pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place,
until the
day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing
this first of all, that
no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own
interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced
by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried
along by
the Holy Spirit.
What are these
verse's telling us about scripture?
What else is needed
for developing biblical doctrine ?
The
only basis for doctrine, the only source of divine truth is the Word
of God.
Doctrine
of the Bible, the Old and the New Testaments. We do not simply hold
to the doctrine of the New Testament. Our doctrine is the doctrine of
the Bible. We recognize that the Bible is one Book, with one Message,
and total uniformity of doctrine. . The Old Testament is the shadow.
The New Testament is the substance. The Old Testament is the promise
and prophecy. The New Testament is the fulfillment. Some say “The
Old Testament is the New Testament concealed. The New Testament is
the Old Testament revealed.”
Why
should we study doctrine?
Psalms
11:3
if the
foundations are destroyed,
what
can the righteous do
With
out a solid foundation on what we believe to be true in scripture
,having doctrinal stability how effective are we in the passing on
of the Christian faith?
Meaning
of Doctrine:Doctrine
Doctrine
is a set of accepted beliefs held by a group. In religion, it is
the set of true beliefs that define the parameters of that belief
system. Hence, there is true doctrine and false doctrine relative
to each belief set. In Christianity,
for example, a true biblical doctrine is that there is only
one God in
all existence (Isaiah
43:10; 44:6, 8).
A false doctrine is that there is more than one God in all
existence.
Meaning
of Theology:Theology
