We live in a time of limited doctrinal understanding. A large recent survey on The State of Theology in America and among Evangelicals revealed a rather shocking lack of understanding on some essential doctrines. Many answers were contradictory. For example: almost all Evangelicals affirm the Trinity, but 78% agreed with the statement: “Jesus is the first and greatest being created by Godâ€! That shows an enormous failure to grasp the most foundational of Christian truths.
Maybe they weren’t interviewing real Evangelicals? The survey defined “Evangelical†as those who believe:
- The Bible is the highest authority for what I believe.
- It is very important for me personally to encourage non-Christians to trust Jesus Christ as their Savior.
- Jesus Christ’s death on the cross is the only sacrifice that could remove the penalty of my sin.
- Only those who trust in Jesus Christ alone as their Savior receive God’s free gift of eternal salvation.
That sounds great. But from these same folks, 51% agreed that “God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.†Also, 52% agreed that “Everyone sins a little, but most people are good by nature.†This is a drift by many far, far from the truth of the Bible.
My friends, doctrine matters. Some people find the word “doctrine†intimidating. It sounds so authoritative. Well, the word just means “teaching†— and, yes, the teaching of the Lord Jesus and His Apostles is indeed authoritative. Every believer needs to acknowledge that Scripture itself requires a firm commitment to sound doctrine.
There have always been “other voices†and “strange doctrines†out there, but in the information age, with massive options at one’s finger tips, the stream of “other voices†is endless! Combine that with a worship of celebrity and fame, along with many distractions from biblical literacy, and a culture that rejects absolute truth altogether, and greater care than ever needs to be taken by believers that we are faithful to the word.
Members of the early church, the Book of Acts tells us, were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer†(Acts 2:42). Notice the first thing on that list — the Apostle’s teaching — doctrine!
For the Roman church, Paul gives thanks to God that “though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed†(Rom 6:17). At the end of that letter, he reminds the believers in Rome to “keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them†(Rom. 16:17). That’s everyone’s job. Keep an eye out for what’s not in accord with the Apostle’s teaching.
“continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer†(Acts 2:42)
So every Christian has a duty to affirm biblical doctrine. But the burden falls especially on church leadership. That means pastors and elders, of course, but also deacons, teachers in a variety of settings, and counselors. We must all follow Paul’s example when he says, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ†(Col. 1:28).
Fortunately, we have Paul’s letters to pastors as well as churches. Doctrine plays an even greater role in the “pastoral epistles.†Paul tells Timothy to take on with vigor what Paul calls “deceitful spirits†and “doctrines of demons,†which, in his examples, teach an unhealthy form of self-denial. This is not a major doctrine like the deity of Christ or justification by faith, yet Paul calls these things “doctrines of demons.†Even in matters of Christian living, Paul tells Timothy: “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following†(1 Tim 4:6). Sound doctrine is to nourish us!
According to Paul, the church elder is to be “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict†(Titus 1:9). He tells Timothy, “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching†(1 Tim 4:16).
At AFBC, we are committed to being good servants of Jesus Christ in this most important area of teaching. Doctrines are not a free-for-all of opinions. Ideas, especially regarding God’s revelation to us in Scripture, can easily be and often are mischaracterized, misapplied, and misused. When I was a new Christian, my mind drifted in all sorts of directions theologically. I know very well how that can happen! But as I matured in the faith, and studied hard, and learned about Biblical interpretation, I shook off those speculations and teachers that didn’t accord with Scripture. I am so thankful for God’s grace in this, because not only would I have been off-track, I could easily have led others that way.
Sound interpretive principles, long held and proven, guide us in grasping God’s intent in the Scriptures. And our Doctrinal Statement, deeply rooted in one of the great historic creeds, is a guide that has helped keep us on a straight and solid path.
So, we are careful, very careful, about what we teach, and we want an informed and discerning congregation — not to “toe the line,†but to faithfully bear witness to the truth God has revealed.
Yours in Christ,
Originally printed in The AFBC Pony Express. Vol. XI, No. 12, December 2018.
Suggeset Resources:
- Video: American Gospel, which examines several false Gospels we frequently encounter in our country, and through numerous interviews and well done graphics, contrasts these false Gospels with the biblical one.
- Book: Doctrines That Divide. Each chapter gives a historical overview and biblical evaluation of doctrines which have been the source of several disagreements in the church. Lutzer (recently retired as the long-time pastor of Moody Memorial Church) has a way of making complex questions understandable for ordinary folks.