The Place Of Sound Doctrine...

To theologians:  Don't be content or satisfied just to be right in your doctrine, because there is more to the Christian abundant life than knowing all the answers, in being right all the time, or your "philosophy," because love is what makes us distinct--not orthodoxy, which can be a sham or pretense.  You can have all your theology correct and be hollow and shallow inside amounting to nothing spiritually, and then again you can know very little about doctrine (I assume you know the basics of a standard credo) and have a very strong faith.  However, if the doctrine you do believe in is not sound, your walk will not be either:  You can have a sound doctrine without a sound life, but not a sound life without sound doctrine--you cannot be a heretic, or out on a limb.

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To be a theologian is not a spiritual gift and we are all theologians; some are just better at it than others or are more serious about it.  It is not whether or not you are a theologian, but what kind of theologian you are--your doctrinal viewpoint reflects your theological school of thought and you see in this light in a sort seeing the big picture through a lens.  Without doctrine, you get tunnel vision and don't have any perspective.  A lot of theological skill is just plain academic skill and that is why all the great theologians have been men of great learning and expertise. A word of wisdom:  We are not rewarded according to how much we know, but how much we sow.

Doctrine is not everything, but it is still necessary, and if you realize that it means "teaching" you will not object to the nomenclature.  The early disciples were devoted to the "apostles' doctrine" according to Acts 2:42.  Paul urges Timothy to "watch your doctrine closely...."  There will come a time according to 2 Timothy 3 that men will not endure sound doctrine, but will "bail out theologically" to use Chuck Swindoll's wording.  No matter what, you cannot avoid facing up to theology or you commit spiritual suicide--this is not an option for the believer, according to R. C. Sproul, renowned theologian.

We are not all professional theologians and the reason they get such a bad rap is basically the distrust of theologians, and their reputation as being eggheads, intellectuals, and scholarly, and not realistic or applicable. To cite three well-known examples:  Where would we be without St. Augustine of Hippo, the greatest theologian of the first 400 years, of the church after the closing of the canon? It was Tertullian who first termed and taught clearly the doctrine of the Trinity.  "All Scripture is profitable for [what?] doctrine..." (2 Tim. 3:16); Athanasius was called the Father of Orthodoxy because of his diatribe with the Aryan heretics and defense of the triune Godhead.  

That is a loaded question since most people have a preconceived idea of what doctrine is. Doctrine is important; don't bail out theologically (cf. 2 Tim. 4:3). We all have a credo; we all have doctrines; some of us just don't have sound doctrine. Usually, they think of something dogmatic or doctrinaire or narrow-minded. They want to avoid doctrine. Actually, if we realize that all doctrine means is "teaching" then half the problem is solved. Who's against teaching?

Doctrine isn't just for intellectuals. You don't commit spiritual or intellectual suicide when you join a ministry or church. You are committing spiritual suicide if you ignore doctrine: It is a given and we are all theologians in a sense. We cannot avoid doctrine: "All Scripture is profitable for doctrine..." (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16). "Those who are wayward in spirit shall gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction [doctrine, as it were]" (cf. Isa. 29:14).

There is value in knowing the scoop, as it were, or being "clued in," because this gives us confidence and these two, according to Charles Swindoll, are like Siamese twins. Doctrine feeds the soul and is the spiritual bread that Christ referred to when He said, "You shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (cf. Matt. 4:4). Just because we are privy to some doctrine doesn't make us a cut above other Christians. " The mere presence of doctrine can leave us cold, even if it is sound doctrine." It is necessary for spiritual wellness but not sufficient.

We don't have the right to believe what we feel is right but must obey rules of hermeneutics and logic that apply to any other book as well. Avoiding controversy is un-Christlike because Christ didn't shy from controversy: "To avoid controversy is to avoid Christ" (see John Stott's book Christ the Controversialist) The early disciples were devoted to the apostles' doctrine or teaching. Remember, God wants us to be "mature in our understanding." Ignorance is not bliss! It is a childish faith that balks at learning Scripture in depth. The meat of the Word is for those who "have their senses trained to discern good and evil" (cf. Heb. 5:14). I rest my case!    Soli Deo Gloria!