A Bible doctrine has a few characteristics we should notice. A doctrine usually consists of:
a short summary statement, and a group of statements like
definitions and
explanations and
evidences of the truth of the doctrine.
A simple doctrine like the love of God will serve as a brief example:
1. A summary statement of this doctrine might be The God of the Bible is a God of love. Obviously this could be worded any number of ways, which points out another characteristic of Bible doctrines: Their specific wording varies from person to person, even though their truths remain the same.
2. With the above summary statement, our doctrine of the love of God might define love using the Greek word agape, meaning self-sacrificing love.
3. We would certainly include a list of texts to explain God's love, from places like John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 13; and 1 John 4:8 ("God is love").
4. The best evidence we could give for God's love is the death of Jesus on the cross.
Doctrines can be simple like this example, or
more detailed and complex. Doctrines like the Atonement, the Second Advent of
Christ, the Heavenly Sanctuary, and the Law of God tend to require more
detail, and they may include things like word studies, charts, time
prophecies, or highly symbolic prophecies. But all doctrines should be able to
be explained clearly, so that anyone interested can understand them. If a
doctrine is too complicated and obscure, it probably isn't a good doctrine.
There are good doctrines and bad ones. There
are teachings that are good, clear, and helpful for those who study them. And
there are teachings that are the product of either a simple misinterpretation
of the Bible or a more deeply ingrained error, such as an entire church may
believe. Just believing in a doctrine doesn't make it a good doctrine; the
truth of Bible doctrines isn't decided by "majority vote." All good doctrine
must harmonize with all the teaching of the Bible. Good doctrines can be
taught Sola Scriptura, as the Protestant reformers said, "from
Scripture alone." Good doctrines don't need intricate, forced definitions
placed on Bible statements; they flow from the plain reading of the Bible
texts. Good doctrines don't need extra-Biblical information (that found
outside the Bible itself) in order to be explained or proven.
Good doctrine takes a person where they are in
their understanding of God and salvation and leads them into a more healthy,
intelligent faith. Bible doctrines are teachings about God and salvation from
the Bible. Bible doctrines are the truths and ideas and lessons that God
placed in the Bible to lead people closer to Himself. Done well, a study of
good doctrines makes a Christian stronger, healthier, and more deeply grounded
in their faith. This is the reason we should study the doctrines of the Bible.
God commanded His church both to study and to
teach. "He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the
Son," 2 John 1:9. "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.
Amen," Matthew 28:20. Bible doctrines are used in any kind of witnessing,
evangelizing, or preaching done by Christians. From the person just learning
how to become a Christian, to the new church member learning more about
Christian beliefs, to the seminary professor writing a book on the insights
received while studying a favorite theme, Bible doctrines are the life blood
of Christian faith.
One reason people say negative things against
Bible doctrine and the church's use of them is because of poor teaching
experienced by them in the past. Even good doctrine can be poorly taught. And
good doctrine taught poorly can cause more damage than bad doctrine taught
well. If the way a person has had doctrine presented to them causes them to
hate all mention of doctrines, that person has been made to hate the very
thing he needs to be spiritually healthy. A bad doctrine can damage faith,
too, but if the way it was taught makes the person hungry for more, at least
then they have a chance to recognize their doctrine as bad someday.
This really is the same as asking "How should the Bible be studied?" With prayer, with deep humility and honesty, and with a heart hungry for the truth about God are all good answers to this question. Another important aspect of doctrinal study is keeping Christ in the center of it. As He said of the Scriptures, "these are they which testify of Me," (John 5:39), it is only as we see the relationship of each doctrine to the gospel of salvation (the unifying Biblical doctrine) that we can grow from the study. Otherwise the study becomes dry and mechanical, and loses the practical relevance of good doctrinal studies.