Doctrines (posted Monday, September 17 2007)

The Bible continually exhorts believers to walk in the truth and the light. And yet, there appear to be many issues of doctrine on which various groups disagree, giving rise to denominations and sects.

Are there legitimate differences in doctrine, and how should they be handled?

Are there doctrines which cannot be debated?

The most important aspect of this brief study is to determine if there is such a thing as a legitimate disagreement between believers about an issue of faith. A "legitimate disagreement" is defined in this study as an area of faith or revelation where different interpretations of Scripture are possible within traditional standards of orthodoxy.

There are certain fundamental aspects of the Christian faith which are well-established in scripture and which can have no other interpretation than the traditional. For example, Jesus Christ is perfect God and man united in One, and He came to earth to die as a substitute for our sins. By believing in this act of His, a person is counted as redeemed before the justice of God and guaranteed salvation in heaven forever. This truth of salvation well documented in hundreds of scriptures, and absolutely cannot be legitimately interpreted to mean anything else than it does.

- John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

- Acts 16:30-31 He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved - you and your household."

- 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

- 1 Peter 2:4-8 As you come to him, the living Stone - rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him - you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message, which is also what they were destined for.

These fundamental truths of faith are so important that any deviation is condemned thoroughly by the Bible.

- Galatians 1:6-9 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel - which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!

- 2 Peter 3:16 He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

- Revelation 22:18-19 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.

Thus it is clear that fundamental issues of faith are not debatable among believers, but rather that all Christians should remain in the simple, clear truths of Scripture. Important issues of faith are no place for divisions among the brethren.

- Romans 16:17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.

- 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul?

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