Doctrine Matters!

The importance of sound teaching in faith, as highlighted by 2 Timothy 4:3.

BIBLICAL DOCTRINE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.

What is it that energizes you?  Everyone of us has that thing that drives us, drives our day.  For some, it’s sports. For others, it is simply work.  Maybe it’s your children and their sports or hobbies?  Maybe a hobby you picked up as an adult? The list could be endless.

I am talking about that one thing that you keep coming back to repeatedly. That one thing that your conversation always drifts to. That one thing that energizes you and is obvious to everyone as the thing that turns your crank and puts gas in your emotional and intellectual tank. For me, it is God's Word.  

You name it I've done it. I've done so many things that if anyone hears the story of every jot and tittle of all the jobs I have had, all the businesses I have owned, some built, some bought, then sold or closed, the many skill sets that I possess, and the many ministry positions I have held, one would think that I would have to be 100 years old. But… Out of ALL the things I have done, and have talent to do, at the end of the proverbial day, I will gravitate, when possible, to talking about Jesus, and something from the Word of God that declares His glory, goodness, and grace. I simply cannot help myself. I won’t fill your ear with stories about my many abilities and skill sets to repair, build, or manage. No, I am going to bring up Jesus and then delve into a story from the Word of God.  

Often I am found to be the one in a gathering bringing up some thought provoking question that sucks people into a conversation about God's Word… I always want to challenge the thinking of those around me on biblical matters.  Although, it is not lost on me that some are reluctant to hang for long, if at all. However, out of their desire to be polite, they endure.

I personally think all of mankind should have that hunger and curiosity for God’s Word.  We, as created beings, should desire His Word for it is stated in scripture that we “are not to live on bread and water alone but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (John 4:4)   After all… it says that God has put eternity in our hearts. (Ecclesiastes 3:11)  We should be naturally drawn.  

The WORD OF GOD - NOT RETURNING VOID!

Since a young believer at the age of fifteen, I have always been a ravenous reader of the Word. Back in the day I would go to coffee with these young adult believers that took me under their wing and mentored me. We would go to Denny’s and just talk all night about the Word of God. We would dig in deep and get into the Greek, Aramaic, or Hebrew. We would expound on it exegetically. To the best of our ability, no eisegesis was allowed.  I found it fascinating that God’s Word says in Isaiah 55:11 that it will go and do that which it was sent to do and not return void. And, fascinating that God has always chosen to “speak” what we wished to convey to His creation. He “spoke” and things were created.

When I was in grade school, my mother was actually able to accomplish the task of getting me to Sunday school at the local American Baptist Church. In their Sunday school classes I heard the Word, learned the Word, memorized it and then would do what was called sword drills. Basically we would compete with each other to see who could look up or quote a particular scripture reference the fastest.  Of course it was a competition so we would win something as we did these drills. But, I also received something else.  There was a “God Thing” going on within me. Completely unknown to me, the seed of the Word was being planted, and unknown to me it would one day germinate and bloom.  It resulted in explosive growth once I truly came to believe in Jesus as Messiah.

Sad to say, the entire time I spent at that little American Baptist Church, I never once heard the gospel message of salvation clearly articulated. If I had died sitting in the pew of the little church I would have passed into eternity and spent it in hell. I did not come to actually believe the Word regarding Jesus until years later.  It all happened as the result of reading a random book written by the most unlikely of characters, and making comparisons to what I read by reading it in a bible. The random little book was called “Welcome to the Family” written by Kenneth Copeland Ministries. This was at a time before Ken went completely off the rails and lost what appears to be all sanity and biblical accountability.  Regardless, as a result of the message that flowed from the pages of his book and the bible, I came to believe. I was born-again, saved, translated from death to life.  After all is said, and done, it does not diminish the time I spent at that little American Baptist church. The seed of God’s Word went forth and did not return void. 

When I finally came to believe in Jesus in the manner of which the Apostle John wrote, at the age of fifteen, I had a huge grasp of the Word and much of it began to flow from within me as a “spring of living water” (John 7:37-38).  From that point on it was all about God's Word. What does God’s Word have to say?  If it wasn’t written within the scriptures, I contested it. I was known for that among my peers and certain Pastors within my local community.  Odd as it is, that was apparently a little too much for one certain pastor.  Sadly, it led to his own demise. It is hard to say “the demise of his ministry” when in the end he really did not have one.

ODD RESPONSE - PROVED PROBLEMATIC

Back in the mid 90’s when I was still pastoring the local Foursquare Church, my wife and I made a decision to resign and make a move from the Foursquare to something different. Even though I was making the move because of theological differences. Mainly due to Arminianism thought and teaching, which I was not in agreement with, and few other non-essential issues, it still felt like we were really making a change for the sake of change. We just needed it. Therefore, I was in the process of transferring my credentials to Open Bible.  I was looking ahead, as to where I could transfer my credentials, so when I finally resign my current position, I would be able to step aside and continue pastoral work elsewhere. 

Upon resigning the pastorate at the Foursquare church, I would need to not just step down, but also step aside to allow new leadership the time needed to settle in with the congregation.  Leadership changes are hard enough. The incoming leadership does not need, nor want, the former Pastor hanging around making it more difficult.  

While in this transition I bumped into a local Pastor. I had known this individual, and his wife, for many years. I actually had much respect for him and his wife.  However, that was about to change. 

He was one of those within the community that knew my position on the Word, the Word, the Word… Teach the Word!    He and his wife originally headed up the children's ministry at the particular Open Bible church that my wife and I were considering attending, and finally did attend.

Side note: Be aware that this particular Open Bible Church was part of the very denomination that I had already transferred my pastoral credentials to.  Additionally this particular church was going through its own transition. The founding Pastor who was there for possibly a decade or more was taking a leadership position within the denomination. Needless to say they were trying to promote from within for a new Senior Pastor.  This is where it went sideways. 

After making my own transitional move that I speak of, I ran into this particular Pastor at a local convenience store, just as he was promoted from children's ministry to Senior Pastor. To cut to the end, and not build the clock, he was quick to let me know  - “ there will no longer be the heavy burden of teaching legalism of the bible.” (his words verbatim) Well I’m all for that, for we truly are under the covenant of grace alone.  I was greatly pleased to hear that, however it was not lost on me that his comment was kind of brash and was clearly aimed at me in some weird way.  Completely unknown to me at the time, what he said didn’t really mean what I thought it meant.  Over the course of the following year he literally does not teach from the Word, nor even bring his bible to the pulpit, not even one time for the first 6 months, but rather teaches from Winney the Pooh stories and Psychology Today articles. Now… know this!  I am NOT embellishing. You heard me correctly. Pooh and Psychology Today. 

This same Pastor, when confronted, said to me while sitting in his office  - “The bible is just a book.  I could write a letter right now and it could be considered scripture.”  Whoa! Wait! What??  There were many more out of character things said that defied the authority, inerrancy, and finished work (plenary) of God’s Word. Which led to heated debate and a whole lot of rabbit holes. The story is much longer than I am willing to write. But the gist of the story is this… The WORD!  The infallible, inerrant, plenary(complete) WORD OF GOD does not need this pastor, nor myself adding to it. Making our own version of it.

The end result was that I attempted to bring correction. I went to him directly to no avail. I then took another Pastor on staff to no avail, we attempted to take him to the board but he literally obstructed, deflected and avoided.  Finally, brought before the District, again to no avail. The district Pastor didn't want to deal with it because it was going to lead to a whole lot of egg on the face of the very man that put an unqualified man in a position that never should have been occupied to begin with.

My final words to the district proved to be prophetic. I declared that what I had witnessed from the man he installed as Senior Pastor will bear very bad fruit and this church will diminish to the point of no return. Year by year, it did just that. A few short years from when it all started the church was looking for a new pastor, it never recovered, and today it is just a distant memory.

What is to be learned from all of this?

So many religious sects, cults, and false teachers follow suit in the same mode of operation as Lucifer did in the garden.  They show up disguised as something they are not and they diminish and bring individuals to question the Word of the Lord… To doubt God's Word.

Worse… Some diminish its infallibility and suggest it is corrupted and therefore felt the need to alter, add to, or write something entirely different and tell everyone it is the holy and sacred words of God. It should not be lost on anyone that Joseph Smith of Mormonism has done this, Ellen White of Seventh-Day Adventist has done this, Charles Russel of Jehovah Witnesses have done this, even some individuals, more than likely Christian “in name only,” have done this. Such as the author of the “Passion Translation” bible which is nothing more than a paraphrased version of the bible written by a single man, not a translation team, no accountability.

It is a repeat. Nothing new under the sun. There are many that have done the same. It is all an astonishing attack on the Word of God, an attack upon its established integrity through TEAMS of translators, not single person translations.  Single person translations of the bible or the concepts held within it are extremely dangerous!

One cannot suggest, such as that former Open Bible pastor - “I could literally write a letter right now and it could be considered scripture,” just because he thinks he is the present day continuation of the Book of Acts.

Many false teachers, false prophets, false pastors throughout the ages have attacked the sovereignty of God’s Word.  Meanwhile, putting into practice the very tactic of Lucifer himself.  An undermining of God's Word.  Basically ignoring and rejecting the only plumbline in the lives of mankind. If there is any other moral compass that one holds to, where do you think the basis of it came from? It came from God's Word!

God’s Word is the plumbline for our lives.  Without the Word of God... the infallible, sovereign, inerrant Word of He who created us, we are simply reduced to groping in the dark for any meaningful existence.

2 Timothy 3:16  > All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

The world around us, including much of Christendom, has an opinion about something that is often based on Dogma and Institutional Manmade Doctrine.  That being said... in the end, it is man made doctrines and the many “Isms” of the world that lack biblical truth. Often just a religious canned opinion gleaned from one's church, confessions, councils, catechisms, and even bible colleges, and many seminaries that leans into “Isms” such as Calvinism and Arminianism, or even various repetitive pagan practices of Catholicism, and unbiblical principles of Mormonism.  There is always some unbiblical “ism” lurking around.  As Solomon said - “There is nothing new under the sun.” 

Doctrine sounds like such an unnecessary and boring subject. Yet, we all live according to a set of principles that ultimately add up to our own personal doctrine. 

Whether one wants to believe it or not, or even care, doctrine is important. Specifically biblical doctrine.  God has always communicated in some form of language to His creation… always!  It is God's revelation to man that is the definitive Word of God. 

Biblical truth!  I do not speak of relative truth (Relativism), but of written, validated, and authenticated truth.  When one says - “Well I don’t believe what that book says.”  Well then… that’s interesting because the life you live is very much in accordance with it.   Your life lines up with it in more ways than you are willing to recognize and definitely admit.  Do any of us really think that any concept of goodness actually resides within us?  God’s Word clearly declares otherwise. 

One cannot have truth without some form of a plumbline or litmus test by which to compare and test all doctrine and belief systems objectively.  I speak of systems of belief, often erected like an idol by flawed mankind. 

The plumbline for creation is God's Word, and His Word has been under attack since the garden when the serpent said to Eve - "Did God Really Say?" “Nah… surely you won’t die.” Then… WE SPIRITUALLY DIED and eventually physically died. All of which man was not created to experience.

It is the job of every bible believing Christian to strive for the ability to clarify scripture,  in a contextual exegetical manner. Like Paul wrote in Hebrews. 

Hebrews 5:12-14

[12]For even though by this time you ought to be teaching others, you actually need someone to teach you over again the very first principles of God's Word. You have come to need milk, not solid food.

[13]For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant [not able to talk yet]!

[14]But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.

So many simply ignore when they do not understand, or choose to believe religious dogma instead. For most it is easier to believe what you are told rather than study God's Word to find the hidden meat for oneself.

What the Word of God declares is seldom the same as a large portion of your church's doctrine. I don't care what your church says, or teaches. It is about the Word of God. What does it say? It is so important to really read and comprehend your particular church's teachings and doctrine and again… say to yourself- “Well… what does God's Word say?”

I hope you choose to challenge your thinking, or, may I say, I hope you are challenged to think outside of the box of your personal doctrine! You will find the correct road map and users manual for your life in God’s written Word! 

Journey with us and see what "God really did say, and still does say!"  You may come to find the Jesus you thought you knew, and revisit what you thought you heard.  Maybe… it was Lost in Translation?"

Forever, O Lord, your word

    is firmly fixed in the heavens.  (Psalm 119:89)

Blessings - Yours in Christ always!

Brent Hartford,