Great Bible Doctrines
Lesson No. 1: An Introduction

Date: March 27, 2002, Wednesday Evening Adult Bible Class
Speaker: John Phillis

Good evening to everyone. Welcome to our Wednesday evening adult Bible class. Glad you are here this evening because we’re going to be starting a new series of lessons based upon Bible doctrine.

“Why a series on Bible doctrine?”—may be the question coming to your mind. First of all, let me say that “doctrine” is a word that is misunderstood by many. Many think of the word “doctrine” and they think of something like just hard cold facts, things that maybe “I wouldn’t be interested in.” Some would also think perhaps of theological matters—deep, deep theological matters—things that, once again, “I wouldn’t have any interest in, I just don’t get that deep into the Scriptures.” Some would hear that word “doctrine” and they would think of “arguing of issues,” [for example] maybe someone in a debate. Also a word that may come to mind would be “legalism.” Yes, to many, the word “doctrine” is a bad word.

What IS doctrine anyway? Our word “doctrine” in the English comes from two Greek words, which mean “teaching” or “instructing,”or “that which is taught.” So when we speak about doctrine, we are talking about TEACHING. What’s bad about that? Teaching the Truth is a GOOD thing!

Why is Bible doctrine important? First, because God has chosen to reveal His Will for us through the written Word, that is, the Bible. That’s how God communicates with us today. Thus, God—The God of Heaven—The Creator of all things—Jehovah God—is actually speaking to us, to you and to me, through the doctrine, through the teaching, if you will, that is contained in the Bible. This teaching of God becomes our means of understanding the Truth of God and how He wants us to live, and how He expects us to respond to His grace.

Without His doctrine—or teaching—we wouldn’t know much about God or anything at all about His Will for us. There are some who would say, “Oh well, I know God—I see God in nature; He’s all around us,” and that is certainly Truth, there is no question about that. But, if we only experience God as He is seen in nature, what do we learn—what do we know—about His love, about His justice, about His mercy, and about so many other things concerning our Great God? You see, these things cannot be found out in nature, nor can they come from the minds of men. Jeremiah said in the long ago, “It is not in man that walks to direct his own steps,”Jeremiah 10:23.

Bible doctrine gives us knowledge—it gives us guidance. It’s where we find the Truth. It’s also where we find our greatest encouragement. So “doctrine”—specifically Bible doctrine—is not a bad word. On the contrary, it’s a very GOOD word.

But even with this understanding, there are those who still may shun the subject of Bible doctrine—or teaching—in favor of something else. Some people would prefer “emotionalism.” You know, their “belief,” their “religion,” so to speak, is one that is better “felt” than “studied.”

Also, some people want to rely on “testimonials”—“My experience is what my understanding of doctrine is.” There are many in this world today who consider themselves to be “religious,” whose religion—whose “doctrine,” if you will—is based on “man-made doctrine”—“man-made teaching.” For such ones as these, Bible doctrine is seen, perhaps, as being “too confining,” “too restrictive,” “out-dated,” and so on.

Jesus spoke out against those who would “teach for doctrine the commandments of men,” Matthew 15:9. In that verse He says specifically, “In vain do they worship Me.” So, there are those who are seeking some other doctrine, some doctrine besides THE doctrine—THE teaching—that is contained in the Word of God. As they try to apply that and try to worship God with doctrine other than the doctrine of God—the doctrine of His Word—Jesus said they “worship Me in vain.” That word “vain” means “empty,” or “meaningless.” The things that they do are meaningless.

So “doctrine,” the “doctrine of the Bible,” which is come from God, is a GOOD thing, and as children of God and His followers, we desire to know and to understand HIS DOCTRINE.

Having said that, let me further impress this on your mind. How important is doctrine? Just how important is it that we know this doctrine of the Bible—that we understand it—that we follow it?

Well, in addition to those things that I’ve already stated, let me point out to you that the Church was established by doctrine. The Church was established through, or by, the preaching of doctrine. You see, Jesus spent three years here on the earth in what we refer to as His “earthly ministry,” and during that three-year period, He spent much time presenting doctrine. We think about it as teaching. Yes, He was the Master Teacher, but He was presenting doctrine to His followers, especially to those specially selected followers—those who were His Apostles. He was instilling His doctrine in their minds. The night before His death, He promised that He would send the Holy Spirit to remind them, that is, that they might recall all that He had taught them during this three-year ministry. The Holy Spirit was to give them a complete knowledge of all Truth. We might substitute the word doctrine for “Truth.”