What are Doctrines and Why do They Matter?

What are doctrines? From a Christian perspective, doctrines are simply teachings that are found in Scripture. Put another way, everything taught in Scripture fits under the word “doctrine.” But, what does that mean from a practical point of view, and why does it matter?

To give an example of what I mean by everything in Scripture being part of a doctrine, I’ll start by looking at the gospel. The gospel is a collection of doctrines that state (very simply) that all humans are sinners who need a savior and that this savior has come. But what does that actually mean? What is a sinner? Who and what is the savior? What are we being saved from? How does this savior save us? This is where doctrine comes in. Doctrines are developed from Scripture to answer these types of questions. The answer to any question that you ask of Scripture would fit under the term “doctrine.” If I were to ask, “What does the Bible say about money,” the answer could rightfully be labeled “the doctrine of money.”

Let’s get back to the example of the Gospel being a collection of doctrines. The Gospel states that we become new creations and are adopted into God’s family when we believe in what Jesus did for us and turn back to God. Now, you can believe in the Gospel without fully understanding the implications and what actually happens when you become a follower of Christ. Still, the doctrines involving salvation are developed to help people understand what happened at salvation and what the future holds for the believer.

Contrary to what most people, even most pastors, say, it is not ok for us to have different beliefs on different doctrines. Since we know that Scripture is God’s word to us and it is the word of truth, we must handle it correctly. If we don’t handle it correctly then we get exactly what we have now—a large collection of diverse opinions. Truth isn’t relative. For something to be the “truth” it has to be a reflection of reality, or what is actually real. God’s word, handled correctly, always points to reality. Everything God does, is, and says is truth, which means that God is the ultimate reality. Therefore, God’s word, handled correctly, always points to God. And since God is truth, there can be only one correct interpretation of what Scripture says about a topic. This interpretation can be quite extensive, even covering many pages, or it can easily be summed up in one sentence. The correct interpretation for any topic is based on the truth as laid out by God. The key lies in actually determining what it is that He said regarding a topic.

Part of the problem lies in humans being extremists. We almost always fall far on one side of an argument. Just look at politics today and you will have a solid example of what I mean. When it comes to doctrine this usually means that we have two primary interpretations on it. Two polar opposite sides with both sides having an equal (or close to equal) amount of Scripture to back up their side. Each side holds their side as truth without even bothering to attempt to see the other side of the argument. This leads to pointless arguing. It is two sides of half-truths trying to prove that their side is the whole Truth, while staunchly refusing to consider that they may be following a half-truth. Almost all doctrines (I would say all, but I am sure there is an exception out there) that are split like this have a very simple solution to find the truth. You see, both sides can use Scripture to back themselves up, which means that both sides are partially correct. Unfortunately, partially correct is partially false. A half-truth is no better than an all-out lie. In fact, it may be worse because it has a better chance of deceiving people than an all-out lie does. Satan is very fond of half-truths. The first thing he ever said in Scripture was a half-truth. He used the fact that Adam and Eve wouldn’t be struck dead physically as his half-truth. The whole truth there is that they would die spiritually the second they ate of the fruit. They did die spiritually, and only after nearly a thousand years would they die physically. Physical death isn’t what Satan was after. He was after spiritual death. As I said, Satan loves half-truths.

So what is Satan after with all of these half-truths brought forth by Christians? Well, if Christians are so busy bickering with each other then they aren’t doing what God has called them to do. As believers in the Truth, we must know and understand the Truth, so it is important that we talk about all of these things. There is something that is helpful here though. Above I said that both sides were partially correct and that they each had half of the truth. So what happens if you combine two half-truths? Logically, you get the full truth (assuming you understand that you have to discard anything that is false). Most doctrines have a third option that is somewhere in the middle of the two polar opposites. That is most often the truth of what is actually taught in Scripture on that topic. If you look at all of what Scripture teaches on a subject, you will get the truth of the subject. You might not understand it completely, but you will know the truth.

It is the position of many Christians that only the doctrines directly involving salvation must be agreed with completely, and all other doctrines fit under “secondary” doctrines. Meaning that these doctrines are not as important, while the doctrines involving salvation are the “essential doctrines.” Here is the problem: All doctrines are “essential” depending on what we are talking about. For example, the process of being saved has a set of “essential” doctrines. These doctrines include: The depravity of man, the Trinity, Jesus being God, Jesus having been man, Jesus living a sinless life, Jesus dying sinless, God’s wrath being poured out on Jesus for the sins of the world, Jesus’ resurrection, the need for individual forgiveness of sins, and there being only one God. In order to be saved, it is “essential” that you believe these things. At this point, the vast majority of Christians are in agreement, though most add the doctrine of the unity of the body to this list. But I am not finished. The “essential” doctrines for someone who has already been saved are: Being made into a new creation, adoption as sons and daughters of God, justification, sanctification, redemption, unity of the body of Christ, spiritual gifts, and a call to become like Christ. All of these doctrines Christians tend to place on a lower level than the doctrines prior when they say that the prior doctrines are “essential” and the ones after are “secondary.” But both sets of doctrines are equally important! The first set is important because you cannot come to God without them. The second is important because they teach us about who we are in Christ.

Let’s put this a bit differently. If you are a follower of Christ then you already believe in the first set of doctrines. So you must move on to the truth of what you have become! Focusing on the doctrines of salvation to the exclusion of all others is focusing on the past. The doctrines involving who we are in Christ are is the present. Stop focusing on the past. Look to the past and thank God for what he has done for you, but don’t dwell there. The doctrines involving salvation are the “milk” of the word. We should be past that. We should no longer be infants in the Lord. We need to grow. We have tasted and seen that the word of God is good, now grow out of the need for milk. Eat solid food!  Consider with me Hebrews 5:11-6:3,

“We have much to say about this (that Jesus is a priest of the order of Melchizedek), but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. So let us stop going over the elementary truths about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement. And so, God willing, we will move on to further understanding.”

These are just some of the teachings that are so basic to our faith that they are the milk of the word.  They should not need to be dwelt on. We need to move on to solid food. Everything else in Scripture is the “solid food.”  The doctrines involving salvation are the “milk.”

Pursue the truth with undying zeal.  Know the truth about salvation, but move on to further understanding so that you can be mature in Christ.  Seek to always increase in the knowledge of God.