SOUND DOCTRINE

Intro: For many years there has been a tendency in religious circles for people to downplay and even denigrate the role of "doctrine" in christianity. According to this point of view, the doctrine that each church teaches is seen as something separate from the church or the practice of christianity. Proponents of this view would say that there are great aspects of Bible faith that we should promote, but that all the other diverse and complex dogmas of each church are unimportant and merely divisive. They say that we should not let "doctrine" get in the way of christians uniting in love and peace. While the search for unity is noble, and certainly many of the doctrines found in various churches are at best useless, a study of the New Testament will show that teaching and believing the right doctrine is essential to the practice of true christianity.

I. What is Doctrine?

Titus 2:1. Doctrine - Part of the problem is a misunderstanding of what is meant by "doctrine." Many people think that it refers to some special ecclesiastical part of what a church teaches, but this is not so. The word doctrine simply means "what is taught, teaching." Any and every thing that a church teaches is doctrine. Indeed, Christianity is nothing more than declaring, hearing, and practicing the teaching of Jesus Christ. Consequently, you can not have Christianity without doctrine. I have heard people say, "teach Christ and not doctrine," but this is impossible. Once you open your mouth and say one thing about Christ, you are teaching doctrine. Every word of the New Testament is doctrine. What is really meant by such a slogan is, "teach a few things about Christ that I think are important, but don't teach everything." Speak the things - Here and elsewhere we are commanded to "teach the teachings." How can we not do so? How do you even begin to practice christianity if you can not teach it. Even the argument that a church's doctrine is unimportant is itself a doctrine. You can not practice christianity without teaching. The only question is, what teaching (or doctrine) are we going to teach? Sound - This word means "whole, sound, healthy." This requires a value judgment. We can not speak or teach just any teaching in religion, but we must speak only that doctrine which is sound. But what is sound doctrine?

II. Sound and Unsound Doctrine.

Consider the following passages which define sound and unsound doctrine. Look at them and decide for yourself if it matters whether or not we teach doctrine, and if it matters what kind of doctrine we teach.

1 Timothy 1:3-7,10. Here we have a contrast. In verse 10 we are told that "sound teaching" is contrary to immoralities such as the ones listed in verses 9 and 10. On the other hand, in verses 3-7 we read of those who teach "strange doctrines." These are defined as myths, mere speculation, straying from the truth, and assertions about things not understood. The word "strange" literally means "other, different." Other or different from what? As we will see in the following passages, sound teaching is according to the revealed word of God. All teaching that is not from God is "other" or "different" from God's teaching, and therefore is not sound.

1 Timothy 4:6-7. We are obligated to teach doctrine. This doctrine must be "sound" and it must come from our being nourished on the words of "the faith." What is "the faith"? It is the sum of all that has been revealed to us by the prophets of God, Jude 1:3. In contrast there are "worldly fables" that we should have nothing to do with. The phrase "worldly fables" denotes both the source and the falsehood of unsound teaching.

1 Timothy 6:3-5. Again, we see a contrast. On the one hand we have "sound words." These are defined as "those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and...the doctrine conforming to godliness." On the other hand we have a "different doctrine." This is the same word as the "strange doctrine" of 1 Timothy 1:3. This is teaching that is different from the words of Christ, that does not agree with sound words, and that comes from those who have no understanding because they are deprived of the truth.

Notice that strife arises, not from the teaching of doctrine, but from the teaching of doctrine which is unsound because it is based on human opinions and speculations and not the words of Christ.

2 Timothy 1:13. The words of Paul are sound. They should therefore be "retained", as opposed to those which should be rejected because they are not in keeping with Paul's words. This is exactly what Paul means by calling his words the "standard of sound words".

2 Timothy 4:2-4. It is the job of the evangelist to preach and teach "the word". What word? What else but God's word? Notice that preaching God's word includes applying it to specific situations, for how could Timothy ever reprove or rebuke anyone if he could not say, "The word of God condemns what you are doing"? This is the very thing Paul calls "sound doctrine". Preaching sound doctrine includes telling people they are wrong. The constant danger that Paul warns against is that brethren will not "endure" sound doctrine, but will abandon it for doctrine which is unsound. Teaching that is not sound is defined as "in accordance to their own desires", "away... from the truth", and "myths". It seems to me that those who think that doctrine is unimportant bear a striking resemblance to the people that Paul is describing.

Titus 1:9-11. Elders must be men who have a good grasp of "the faithful word" which is in accordance with "the teaching". They must be able to exhort in "sound doctrine". And this includes being able to "refute" those who contradict, (literally, those who speak against or the opposite of that which is true). Those who contradict are further described as deceivers who must be silenced because they teach things they should not, things which upset, (literally: overturn, bring ruin to), whole families.

Titus 1:13-14. To be "sound in the faith" one must be "severely reproved" if he ever pays attention to "myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth".

Conclusion: There is a body of doctrine which comes from God through Jesus and the Apostles. It is contained in the scriptures. It is called the faith, the teaching, the word, and sound doctrine. This teaching must be taught, endured, retained, and held to. All teaching that does not conform to this teaching is other, strange, different, and contrary. The source of this other teaching is given as speculation, worldly, in accordance to their own desires, and commandments of men. Of this we are told not to teach, have nothing to do with, refute, silence, and reprove.

- D.R.-

1 Timothy 1:3-7,10 - "...instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions."

1 Timothy 4:6-7 - "In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. But have nothing to do with worldly fables..."

1 Timothy 6:3-5 - "If anyone advocates a different doctrine, and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing; but has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth,..."

2 Timothy 1:13 - "Retain the standard of sound words which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus."

2 Timothy 4:2-4 - "preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and will turn aside to myths."

Titus 1:9 - "holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, that he may be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict."

Titus 1:13-14 - "...For this cause reprove them severely that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth."