Why Doctrine? (1 of 5)
Series: A Layman's Guide to Spiritual Maturity
Eddie Snipes
To begin our journey to understand Christianity let us begin by looking at why doctrine is important. The first step is that we must understand the simple meaning of the word 'doctrine'. When people hear the word doctrine the mental image that often comes to mind is a room of theologians arguing over the meaning of words and Christian philosophies. This is not the case at all. It is no accident that the entire Bible is written on a seventh grade level. God, in His infinite wisdom has made biblical truth something that the common man can easily understand. Truth is not intended to be a mystery but something for each person to live by. The word doctrine comes from the Greek word 'didache' {did-akh-ay'} which means: the act of teaching or instructing.
The word doctrine is used forty-six times in the New Testament; therefore, we must realize that there is a great emphasis on our need to understand the teachings of scripture. When something is important enough to reemphasize, it is often repeated two or three times in scripture. When Jesus was about to make a point of utmost importance He would precede the point He was about to make by saying "Truly, truly I say to you..." This would alert the hearer to pay close attention. Knowing that doctrine has been emphasized forty-six times should alert us that it is of the utmost importance. This number is greater when you take into account the other times teaching the scriptures has been emphasized using different terminology.
The reason why doctrine is so heavily emphasized is because without understanding the teaching of scripture, it is not possible to effectively live the Christian life to its fullest. Doctrine is important because we are being taught how to have the mind of Christ and how to be victorious in God's plan for our lives. Let us look at a few passages that help us understand this principle. Look now at 2 Peter 1:3-4 ...
Series: A Layman's Guide to Spiritual Maturity
Eddie Snipes
To begin our journey to understand Christianity let us begin by looking at why doctrine is important. The first step is that we must understand the simple meaning of the word 'doctrine'. When people hear the word doctrine the mental image that often comes to mind is a room of theologians arguing over the meaning of words and Christian philosophies. This is not the case at all. It is no accident that the entire Bible is written on a seventh grade level. God, in His infinite wisdom has made biblical truth something that the common man can easily understand. Truth is not intended to be a mystery but something for each person to live by. The word doctrine comes from the Greek word 'didache' {did-akh-ay'} which means: the act of teaching or instructing.
The word doctrine is used forty-six times in the New Testament; therefore, we must realize that there is a great emphasis on our need to understand the teachings of scripture. When something is important enough to reemphasize, it is often repeated two or three times in scripture. When Jesus was about to make a point of utmost importance He would precede the point He was about to make by saying "Truly, truly I say to you..." This would alert the hearer to pay close attention. Knowing that doctrine has been emphasized forty-six times should alert us that it is of the utmost importance. This number is greater when you take into account the other times teaching the scriptures has been emphasized using different terminology.
The reason why doctrine is so heavily emphasized is because without understanding the teaching of scripture, it is not possible to effectively live the Christian life to its fullest. Doctrine is important because we are being taught how to have the mind of Christ and how to be victorious in God's plan for our lives. Let us look at a few passages that help us understand this principle. Look now at 2 Peter 1:3-4 ...
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