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Answer
The term doctrine means “teaching.” Christian doctrine constitutes the core body of teachings concerning God, the gospel, and the Christian faith. These teachings are the truths handed down through generations as “the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” «Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. », (Jude 1:3). Scripture serves as the standard believers can use to discern doctrine as either true or false. If a belief or teaching aligns with the Word of God, it constitutes sound doctrine. Conversely, if it contradicts Scripture, it is deemed false doctrine.
The Bible informs us that God, by His nature, is truth—completely truthful and reliable (Deuteronomy 32:4;2 Chronicles 15:3;John 14:6,17;1 John 5:20). God’s Word is truth (John 17:17;Psalm 18:30;Psalm 119:151). He is incapable of falsehood (Hebrews 6:18;Numbers 23:19). The Bible also reveals that God is immutable and unchangeable in His essence, His purpose, and His existence (Malachi 3:6;1 Samuel 15:29;Hebrews 13:8;James 1:17). Because God remains constant, believers can have confidence that truth will always remain unchanged, as will doctrine founded on truth. It can perpetually be trusted as the cornerstone of the principles and convictions of our faith. We can defendOur faith and construct our lives on God’s rock-solid, unchanging truth.
The standard for distinguishing truth from error has always been the Word of God. When the people of Isaiah’s day were enticed to listen to false teachers, the prophet directed them to Scripture: “Look to God’s instructions and teachings! People who contradict his word are completely in the dark” «To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them. », (Isaiah 8:20, NLT). The objective measure of God’s Word is how we assess doctrine as either true or false.
Regrettably, many churches base their doctrinal positions on unstable ground. Incorrect teachings arise when the Bible is disregarded, dismissed, or mishandled, in whole or in part. We must thoroughly examine the Scripture’s complete teaching on any given subject. Understanding the context involves studying the literal meaning of the words, situating them in their appropriate historical and cultural context, and comparing the teaching with other related passages in the Bible.
Misinterpreted teachings are not a new phenomenon. Jesus admonished the scribes and Pharisees for “teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mark 7:7;ESV;cf: Isaiah 29:13). False doctrines were widespread in New Testament times, and the Scriptures inform us they will persist in being taught (Matthew 7:15;2 Peter 2:1;1 John 4:1). Paul cautions, “For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine. Instead, to satisfy their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” «For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching
ears; », (2 Timothy 4:3).
Paul was amazed by the people in Galatia who were “turning to a different gospel—which is really not a gospel at all. It seems that some individuals are causing confusion among you and attempting to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven were to preach a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! As we have said before, I now repeat: If anyone is proclaiming a gospel different from what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!” (Galatians 1:6-9).
If our beliefs are firmly grounded in Scripture, we can be confident that we are following the path God has set for us. However, if we fail to study the Word of God for ourselves «Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, correctly handling the word of truth. », (2 Timothy 2:15), we run the risk of easily falling into error. Paul instructed that an elder of the church must hold fast to God’s truth “so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Titus 1:9;ESV;see also Titus 2:1). Individuals who do not adhere to sound doctrine should be promptly identified by their ungodly behavior (Titus 1:16;1 Timothy 1:10).
The Bible contains a solemn admonition not to add to or take away anything from God’s Word (Revelation 22:18-19). Instead, Paul encourages us to “hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me—a pattern shaped by the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus”«Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. », (2 Timothy 1:13, NLT).
Sound biblical doctrine refers to teachings that align with the revealed Word of God, the Bible. False doctrines are ideas that add to, take away from, contradict, or nullify the teachings given in God’s Word. For instance, any teaching that denies Jesus Christ’s virgin birth is a false doctrine because it contradicts the clear teaching of Matthew 1:18–25. We can judge doctrines that refute the existence of hell as false based on Revelation 20:15, 2 Thessalonians 1:8, and Christ’s own words in Matthew 10:28 and 25:46. Teachings that claim there are many paths to God are directly opposed to the truth that Jesus is the only way of salvation (John 6:35;John 10:7;John 11:25;14:6).
The more we know God’s Word, the better equipped we will be to judge doctrine and discern whether it is true or false, sound or in error (Matthew 22:29;Romans 15:4;1 Peter 2:2;2 Timothy 3:15). We should be discerning, as the Bereans were in Acts 17:11: “They . . . examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” By following the example of the early Christians, we can avoid the pitfalls of false doctrine. Acts 2:42 sets the standard: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Such dedication will protect us and ensure we remain on the path Jesus set for us.
