Sound Doctrine: The Teaching of the Church for Christians

Overview

The New Testament uses diverse language to communicate that there is an identifiable body of truth that God wants his people to know, love, and obey.[1]

For example:

  • Jesus commissioned his disciples to teach believers to obey “everything I have commanded you” (Matt. 28:20).

  • The early Christians “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching”—first their oral teaching and later their written letters (Acts 2:42).

  • The apostle Paul charged Timothy: “Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Tim. 1:14).

  • Paul taught: “What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also” (2 Tim. 2:2).

  • Paul instructed Titus “to proclaim things consistent with sound doctrine [or sound teaching]” (Titus 2:1).

  • The author of Hebrews referred to “the basic principles of the oracles of God” (Heb. 5:12)

  • Jude appealed to his readers “to contend for the faith [central truths about Christianity found in the Bible] that was delivered to the saints once for all” (Jude 3).

While these verses have unique contexts and emphases, this much is clear: in the Scriptures God has revealed what he expects of us. And, as part of our obedience, we must pass on these truths both to our current generation and to the next.

Detailed Explanation

What is the nature of sound doctrine?

First, sound doctrine emerges from the Bible—from specific words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, and larger sections of Scripture. We read individual passages in light of the Bible’s entire storyline, and we read the Bible’s entire storyline in light of individual passages. Down through the ages, that is how the people of God spiral in on his truth. And that is why, for example, our curriculum focuses on studying individual passages of Scripture—to teach the people of God how to interpret and apply the Bible as God revealed it to us.

Second, sound doctrine includes teaching about topics like these: the Bible, God the Father, humanity, sin and judgment, Jesus Christ, salvation, the Holy Spirit, the church, the future, and the nature of righteous living before God. We resist the tendency to minimize any of the central doctrines of the Christian faith.

Third, sound doctrine, by the grace of God, informs and transforms every part of our being—our desires, values, thoughts, commitments, behaviors, words, and emotions. Right thinking about God is the starting point for transformed living, but right thinking is never enough.

Fourth, sound doctrine must be lived out in the contexts in which we live:

  • our inner life / character

  • church

  • family

  • neighborhood

  • work

  • broader society

In other words, sound doctrine should move with us into the practical aspects of daily living.

Additionally, God also has much to say specifically to men (both older and younger), women (both older and younger), and children about his expectations for their lives, particularly for their lives within families (Eph. 5:22–6:4; Col. 3:18–4:1; 1 Tim. 2:8–15; Titus 2:1–15; 1 Pet. 3:1–7). We help both men and women to discern God’s unique calling—to live faithfully where God has placed them.

But we must be careful not to drive a wedge between the parts of the Bible. All sixty-six books of the Bible are inspired by God, and therefore they are useful for our lives, such as when we minister to others (2 Tim. 3:16–17). But the individual sections and books of the Bible make unique contributions. In brief:

  • the entire Old Testament pointed forward to and was fulfilled in Christ;

  • the four gospels, among many other things, outlined Jesus’s teaching on earth, death, and resurrection (all for the purposes of evangelizing non-Christians and strengthening Christians in their faith);

  • the book of Acts details how the resurrected Jesus led the apostles and the rest of the church during the first thirty years of the New Testament church; and

  • the remaining letters in New Testament (from Romans to Revelation) focus on teaching Christians how to be strengthened and established in the core teachings of the faith, with a particular focus on the person, work, and will of Jesus Christ. When the apostles taught (whether in oral or written form), they brought all of God’s revelation in the Bible to bear in the lives of Christians.

What are the core truths of the Christian faith?

  1. God has revealed himself, his works, and his will in the Bible (2 Tim. 3:16–17). He is the Creator, Lord, Provider, Law Giver, and Judge over all (Gen. 1–2; Acts 14:15–17; 17:22–31; Rom. 1:19–23). To him be the glory, now and forever (Jude 24–25).

  2. Throughout human history, God has ruled over and communed with his people through covenants—with creation (reaffirmed with Noah), with Abraham, with Moses and the Israelites, with David, and ultimately with his people in the New Covenant (Gen. 2:15–17; 9:8–17; 12:1–3; Ex. 19:5–6; 2 Sam. 7:1–17; Matt. 1:1–17; Heb. 8).

  3. Although God created people in his image, all people (apart from Jesus) rebel against God by disobeying his laws—valuing people and things more than him (Gen. 1:26–28; 3; Rom. 1:18–3:20). The consequences of humanity’s disobedience are alienation from God and condemnation, both in this life and the life to come (Rom. 5:12–21; Eph. 2:1–3).

  4. God’s supreme revelation to humanity arrived in the person, works, and words of Jesus Christ. Jesus became a human, lived a perfect life, died on a cross to satisfy God’s justice and wrath, was raised from the dead by God, ascended to God, now reigns at God’s right hand, intercedes to God for his people, and will return in judgment (John 1:1–18; Rom. 3:21–26; 1 Cor. 15:1–11; Col. 1:15–23; Eph. 1:20–23; 1 John 2:1–2; Rev. 19:11–16).

  5. God the Father and Jesus Christ sent the Holy Spirit into the world to convict God’s people of sin, bring them to life, guide them in the truth, and empower them to honor God (John 3:3–8; 16:8–11; Rom. 8:1–17; 1 Cor. 12).

  6. To enter a relationship with God and live with him forever, we must turn from sin and trust in Jesus (Acts 2:38–40; 14:15–17; Rom. 10:9–10; Eph. 2:1–10).

  7. We seek character transformation—putting off the characteristics of the old man (Adam) and putting on the characteristics of the new man (Jesus) (Matt. 5:1–12; Rom. 13:8–14; Gal. 5:16–26; Col. 3:5–17; 2 Pet. 1:3–11). This includes learning to endure trials (Rom. 5:3–5; 8:18; 2 Tim. 3:12; James 1:2–4; 1 Pet. 1:6–7; 4:12–19), and living with an eternal perspective in mind and eagerly awaiting the return of Jesus (Phil. 3:20–21; 1 Thess. 4:13–18; Titus 2:11–13; 2 Pet. 3:10–13; 1 John 3:2–3).

  8. We establish our households according to God’s Word (Deut. 6:6–9; Eph. 5:22–6:4; Col. 3:18–21; Titus 2:3–5; 1 Pet. 3:1–7).

  9. We participate actively in Christian community—to help one another learn to follow Jesus (Acts 2:42–47; 1 Corinthians 11:2–14:40; Eph. 4:11–16; Heb. 10:19–25).

  10. We conduct ourselves in godly ways to an observing world, with the goal of proclaiming the gospel to them so they can be saved (Matt 5:14–16; Rom. 10:13–17; 2 Cor. 5:17–21; Phil. 2:14–15; Col. 4:5–6; Titus 2:7–8; 1 Pet. 2:11–12).

With these categories in mind and in an attempt to educate Christians how to align their lives to God’s will, we created The Discipleship Series.

[1] A truth I learned from Jeff Reed, a pastor, missiologist, and educator.