Sound Doctrine

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Scripture

But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.
(Titus 2:1 NASB)

 

Observation

Here is an admonition to preach and/or teach sound doctrine. Why would this have been necessary in the early days of Christianity? Wouldn't the Christian faith have been pure at this point and time? Actually, in those early days Christianity was learning to co-exist in a very pagan world and there were those who did not want to give up their pagan ways, and yet, wanted some of what Christianity had to offer. Therefore the Christian doctrine was constantly being threatened by the secular world and those who had learned about Christianity needed to be encouraged to hold on and to be strong in what they truly believed.

 

Application

Interestingly we live in a day and age where people seem to view the word "doctrine" as if it were a dirty word. I don't know how many times I've had people say to me that they don't want to go to a church that teaches any kind of doctrine, they just want to hear the Bible preached. Thus the appeal of non-denominational churches where many attendees believe that they are getting "pure" Bible without any doctrine. The reality is that every time a preacher gets up to preach they are interpreting the word from a particular doctrinal perspective, whether that is advertised or not; and that is why it is important for us to understand the calling to "sound doctrine."

Those who have been able to articulate "sound doctrine" are those who have had a lasting stamp of influence on the Christian world. Think of people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Karl Barth, John Wesley, John Calvin, Augustine, Gregory of Nyssa, etc. These are people who passionately lived out their faith and in attempting to articulate their faith were able to express doctrine. It is important that we take the time to learn from those who have gone before us and have struggled through many of the same issues with which we may struggle to come to conclusions regarding their faith. This is how doctrine is hammered out within the life of the church; and doctrine informs our practice of faith.

Within the Wesleyan/Holiness world of Christianity we embrace the concept that the kingdom of God is already here, but is not yet come to completion as we await the return of Christ. This concept or doctrine helps us understand that we are already workers within the kingdom while we live here on this earth. We believe that as we are Christ to our world, then the world already has the opportunity to catch glimpses of the kingdom. As we interact in an incarnational manner with the world around us, the world is touched by the kingdom. Therefore we are not waiting to be "raptured" out of this world to be taken to the kingdom, but instead are excited to be already in the kingdom here on earth and realize that we want to help usher in the kingdom through what Christ asks us to do on earth. I am "in" the world, but not "of" the world, and my hope is found in a daily relationship with Jesus Christ, not in waiting around and speculating about when I'm going to leave. This is how my doctrine informs my practice and my life. This is why there has always been an admonition to know and then to teach/preach sound doctrine. What we really believe about faith does make a difference in our daily walk with Christ -- and in the very future of Christianity.

 

Prayer

Lord, please help us not to shirk from the study of sound doctrine, which comes from you. Amen.

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