Let's Go Back to the Bible

Doctrine, It Means Something

Why do so many people have different teachings concerning the Bible? Not just in the areas of opinion but often many groups have different teachings that are directly at odds of one another. One might read a passage and say that God’s authoritative word teaches their doctrine. Another might read the same passage and say that it teaches their doctrine that contradicts the aforementioned group. If anything, this highlights the need to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12). We should not surrender our judgement and reasoning to others. It also should give us pause to think about the nature of doctrine.

The New Testament talks about two types of doctrines. There is doctrine that is deceitful or different. “As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14). There is doctrine that is different. “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain” (1 Tim. 6:3-5). These are doctrines or teachings that are contrary to what has been taught. If the Bible mentions that such doctrines existed, then we must understand that there is a doctrine that we should teach.

The second form of doctrine is sound doctrine. Literally translated it means healthy teaching. We are commanded to “speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine” (Tit. 2:1). Also, “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” (Tit. 1:9). It is plain to see that doctrine matters and one can’t teach anything they want. It also means that the Bible was written to teach something specific.

So why are there so many doctrines? Paul told Timothy this was the reason: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths” (2 Tim. 4:3-4). We need to make sure that we are “constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following” (1 Tim. 4:6b).