The Doctrine on Doctrine

1. The Doctrine on Doctrine Is Doctrine Important or Irrelevant?

2. Introduction “Doctrine is an embarrassed intruder in many modern congregations. Barely tolerated, it cowers on the back pew; the territory around the pulpit has long since been claimed by commanding personality, practical mysticism, professional music, and pop psychology.” Roger Chambers Florida Christian Convention/National Missionary Convention 1985

3. The Doctrine on Doctrine Our Approach • Define doctrine • Why would one say doctrine is irrelevant? • Examples and observations • What do we find in the bible?

4. The Doctrine on Doctrine Definitions • In English • a particular principle, position, or policy taught or advocated, as of a religion or government: • Catholic doctrines; the Monroe Doctrine. • something that is taught; teachings collectively: • religious doctrine. • a body or system of teachings relating to a particular subject: • the doctrine of the Catholic Church.

5. The Doctrine on Doctrine Definitions • In Greek • Strongs #1319 – Greek word – didaskalia • Thayer • “teaching, i.e. that which is taught, doctrine” • Zodhiates • “The thing taught, instruction, precept, doctrine”

6. The Doctrine on Doctrine Why contend doctrine is irrelevant? • What distinguishes one church from another? • The doctrines which are taught! • If doctrine doesn’t matter, then: • I can attend the church of my choice. • You can’t disapprove of the church I choose. • Whether intentional or not it allows one to do as HE pleases!

7. The Doctrine on Doctrine Examples of this mentality “One day you will stand before God, and he will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity. The Bible says, "Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God.... Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God." Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so he has given us the questions in advance. From the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us two crucial questions: First, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?" God won't ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him? Jesus said, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Second, "What did you do with what I gave you?" What did you do with your life-all the gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources God gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made you for?" Preparing you for these two questions is the goal of this book.” Rick Warren The Purpose Driven Life

8. The Doctrine on Doctrine Examples of this mentality “One day you will stand before God, and he will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity. The Bible says, "Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God.... Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God." Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so he has given us the questions in advance. From the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us two crucial questions: First, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?" God won't ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him? Jesus said, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Second, "What did you do with what I gave you?" What did you do with your life-all the gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources God gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made you for?" Preparing you for these two questions is the goal of this book.” Rick Warren The Purpose Driven Life

9. The Doctrine on Doctrine Examples of this mentality “One day you will stand before God, and he will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity. The Bible says, "Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God.... Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God." Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so he has given us the questions in advance. From the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us two crucial questions: First, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?" God won't ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him? Jesus said, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Second, "What did you do with what I gave you?" What did you do with your life-all the gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources God gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made you for?" Preparing you for these two questions is the goal of this book.” Rick Warren The Purpose Driven Life

10. The Doctrine on Doctrine How does one “learn to love?” • What did Jesus say about loving Him? • John 14:15, 21, 23-24 • John 15:10 • Jesus exemplified this kind of love • John 14:31 • John 15:10

11. The Doctrine on Doctrine Considerations • Reflective Statements • “We are saved by Jesus, not by doctrine.” • “We are not saved by doctrinal precision, but rather by the death of Jesus.” • A false dichotomy • “division into two mutually exclusive, opposed, or contradictory groups” • Jesus or doctrine? • Is this really an either/or issue?

12. The Doctrine on Doctrine Considerations • Reflective Statements • “We are saved by Jesus, not by doctrine.” • Consider: • “Saved by Jesus” is a doctrinal statement! • Does THAT doctrine matter? • In reality, it is arbitrarily selecting which doctrine is the least offensive and most widely accepted in order to produce, in their minds, unity.

13. The Doctrine on Doctrine Examples of this mentality “One day you will stand before God, and he will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity. The Bible says, "Remember, each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God.... Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God." Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so he has given us the questions in advance. From the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us two crucial questions: First, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ?" God won't ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus did for you and did you learn to love and trust him? Jesus said, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Second, "What did you do with what I gave you?" What did you do with your life-all the gifts, talents, opportunities, energy, relationships, and resources God gave you? Did you spend them on yourself, or did you use them for the purposes God made you for?" Preparing you for these two questions is the goal of this book.” Rick Warren The Purpose Driven Life

14. What do we find in the bible? Is doctrine seen as important or irrelevant?

15. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it doesn’t matter, then any doctrine must be accepted and none must be excluded. • The one doctrine I choose to exclude negates my proposition of doctrine doesn’t matter. • However radical or extreme it might be, I must allow it or I give up my proposition.

16. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • Were some doctrines excluded in the NT? • Doctrine of Pharisees and Sadducees • Matt. 16:6-12 • Doctrine of Balaam • Revelation 2:14 • Doctrine of Nicolaitans • Revelation 2:15

17. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it didn’t matter, why were specific doctrines condemned? • Acts 15:1-2 • Colossians 2:20-23 • 2 Timothy 2:18

18. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it didn’t matter, why were some doctrines described as “sound?” • 1 Timothy 1:8-11 • 2 Timothy 1:13 • 2 Timothy 4:3 • Titus 1:9 • Titus 2:1

19. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it didn’t matter, why were some doctrines described as “sound?” • Louw-Nida – “to be correct in one's views, with the implication of such a state being positively valued - 'to be correct, to be sound, to be accurate.‘” • Zodhiates – “Metaphorically of persons, to be sound in the faith, meaning firm, pure in respect to Christian doctrine and life (Titus 1:13; 2:2). Of doctrine, meaning sound doctrine, i.e., true, pure, uncorrupted …” • This distinction would not exist if doctrine didn’t matter.

20. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it didn’t matter, why were some doctrines described as “strange?” • 1 Timothy 1:3 • Hebrews 13:9

21. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it didn’t matter, why were some doctrines described as “strange?” • Thayer • “to teach other or different doctrine i. e. deviating from the truth: 1 Tim 1:3; 6:3” • Zodhiates • “Strange, foreign, not of one's family…Used metaphorically …to refer to strange doctrines, foreign to the Christian faith” • This distinction would not exist if doctrine didn’t matter.

22. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it doesn’t matter, then no one would be condemned for what they taught. • If doctrine doesn’t matter, then no one would ever be called a false teacher or false prophet. • However radical the doctrine might be, I could not condemn the man who taught it as being false.

23. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • Were some individuals labeled as false teachers in the NT? • Jezebel – Revelation 2:20-24 • Brethren from Jerusalem – Gal. 2:3-4; Acts 15:1-2 • False teachers – 2 Peter 2:1

24. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it didn’t matter, why were warnings about these false teachers given? • Matthew 7:15-20 • Acts 20:29-30 • 2 Peter 2:1-3

25. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it didn’t matter, why was action against these false teachers exhorted? • Romans 16:17 • Titus 1:9 • 2 John 9-11

26. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • If it doesn’t matter, then one’s doctrine would have no impact upon their faith or their fellowship with God. • Since, supposedly, doctrine and faith/fellowship are mutually exclusive, one would never affect the other. • However radical the doctrine might be, it would not affect my faith or fellowship with God.

27. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • Why were some considered as fallen or gone astray because of what they taught? • 1 Timothy 4:1-5 • 2 Timothy 2:16-18 • How did believing in the wrong doctrine cause one’s faith to be overturned? • 2 Timothy 2:18 • “to overthrow, overturn, destroy”

28. The Doctrine on DoctrineDoes it matter what we teach? • Doesn’t this explain: • the need to “accurately handle the word of truth.” • 2 Timothy 2:15 • the need to “pay close attention…to your teaching” • 1 Timothy 4:16 • why they were “continually devoting themselves to the apostles doctrine?” • Acts 2:42

29. The Doctrine on Doctrine Summary • Defined doctrine • Explained why some say doctrine is irrelevant • Given examples and made observations • Examined bible passages on doctrine

30. The doctrine on doctrine? Doctrine is important! It matters what is taught!