There are three principles, or three truths, that are contained there in these verses. First of all, there is the truth that is established here that we have already talked about, and that is, that there is an established and unchangeable body of Truth from God. The second truth contained here is that the Gospel can be perverted. And the third truth is that such perversion carries with it a curse upon those who are the perverters of the Truth. So we want to look at these three points in this study.

The first truth: THERE IS AN ESTABLISHED BODY OF TRUTH. There are twelve different terms that are used in the New Testament which refer to this Body of Truth. Most of these passages of Scripture are familiar to us. These terms are:

1. THE GOSPEL: Paul declares in Romans 1, verse 16, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation…” [“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”] What’s he talking about? He’s talking about the Good News of Jesus Christ! In a broader sense, he’s talking about the Word of God. [Mark 16:15—16—“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the Gospel [the Word of Christ] to every creature. He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.’”]

2. THE TRUTH: John 8, verse 32, says,“And you shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free.” [Ephesians 1:13—“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise…”]

3. THE WAY: John 14, verse 6. [“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’”]

4. THE TEACHING (DOCTRINE) OF CHRIST: 2 John, verse 9. [“Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ [the teaching, or instruction, of Christ] does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ [the teaching, or instruction, of Christ] has both the Father and the Son.”]

5. THE DOCTRINE: There’s our word “Doctrine”—teaching, instruction—Romans 16, verses 17 and 18. [“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”]

6. THE WORD: 2 Timothy 4, verse 2. [“Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”]; 1 Corinthians 15:2 [“by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that Word which I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.”]

7. THE FAITH: We see that great verse in Jude, verse 3, that says, “contend earnestly forthe faith once for all delivered…” [“Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”]

8. THE TRADITION: 2 Thessalonians 3, verse 6. [“But we command you, brethren, in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you withdraw from every brother who walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received from us.”]

9. THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD: Acts 20, verse 27. [“For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”]. Paul was proud to say that he had preached the “whole counsel of God.”

10. THE WORD OF HIS GRACE: Acts 20, verse 32.[“So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”]

11. THE PATTERN OF SOUND WORDS (THE PATTERN SHOWN YOU): 2 Timothy 1, verse 13. [“Hold fast the pattern of sound Words which you have heard from me, in faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.”], and Hebrews 8:5 [“who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according tothe pattern shown you on the mountain.’”]

12. THE SCRIPTURES (THE HOLY SCRIPTURES): 2 Peter 3:16. [“as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.”], and 2 Timothy 3:14-17 [“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God—breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”]