| | [The Importance of Doctrine]
how important is
doctrine to the christian faith? and if it is
vital, then why doesn't the church try to teach it more often? (so i
guess im also wondering of the purpose of the church) don't we have to
have some understanding of the doctrines (sin,salvation, etc.), before
we can help others and understand what we have to do?
Believing in the RIGHT doctrines (set of truth claims) is extremely important. If you believe in FALSE doctrines (depending on what they are), it may actually mean that you're not a true Christian. How so? Maybe you've accepted Christ for all the wrong reasons. Why? Because your understanding of who Christ is and what He has done, were all based on falsehood (false doctrines).
Whenever we see the apostle Paul getting all fired up and harshly rebuking people in the Bible, it's usually because someone is teaching heresy (false doctrine, false Gospel). He knows that getting the Gospel right is a life and death issue, so when people get it wrong, he does what he can to make them get it right.
Now lest we make the mistake of reducing the Gospel to one or two shallow truth claims, we should remind ourselves that the Gospel is extremely rich in meaning, primarily because it directly speaks about the nature of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit), the nature of man (where did our sinful nature come from?), sin, grace, and salvation. And it indirectly speaks about creation (God's original design for humanity), Satan, the End Times (the 2nd coming of Christ and how He will complete the work He started), the Christian Life (we've been saved...so what? how are we to live in the here and now, Christian involvement in politics, education, the arts...) etc.
The point here is that even the Gospel--an apparently simple statement--is tied to many other doctrinal truths that may either serve to distort it or properly support its message. So yes, Christian doctrine is extremely important.
So if doctrine is that important, why doesn't the church (or churches) try to teach it more often right?
Here are few thoughts.
1. Truth (right doctrine) can be taught in a variety of ways. It can be taught via sermons, Bible studies, books, small groups, one-on-one discussion, and even movies. But another way to learn about a given topic is through a systematic approach (systematic theology). So instead of just reading through Romans and discussing what Romans 1 says about sin (common Bible study approach), you would (with the help of those who already studied the topic carefully) take one single topic of sin and see, not just what Romans has to say about it, but what the entire Bible has to say on that given subject. A systematic study of the Bible would include the doctrines of:
- salvation
- God
- Christ
- Holy Spirit
- creation
- end times (eschatology)
- Christian life etc.
Conclusion: Doctrine is always being taught in churches. Some teach better than others. And unfortunately, some just teach plain heresy. What's seems to be missing, however, is a systematic approach to teaching doctrine (systematic theology).
2. The main reason why churches don't teach systematic theology that often is because, for the most part, it bores people. Most people would rather want to sit in a Bible study that offers more practical advice, than choose to listen to someone share about the doctrine of God. Btw, a good doctrinal study would also survey how the Church has understood who God is throughout the centuries. This means that a systematic theological study would also contain a heavy dose of history. And you know as well as I do, that most people don't enjoy studying history no matter how well it is taught. I mean it's a tough subject to teach effectively to Sunday Christians who are just looking to catch the Eagles game in the afternoon.
Conclusion: Sound doctrine and theological study begins with the ability to think clearly and to read the text critically. The problem with most youth students, however, is that they're scatterbrained (can't think clearly) and they are lousy readers. Look, I
really think it starts by trying to think more theo-LOGICally
about any given issue that is brought to your attention. Seek to connect the dots. The Christian faith consists of various truth claims that are meant to form one coherent and consistent worldview.
If you really want to learn systematic theology on a consistent basis, read books that exposit Christian doctrine.
Put down the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" type of books and pick up books like "The Pleasures of God" by John Piper, "The Essential Doctrines of the Christian Faith" by RC Sproul, "Systematic Theology" by Wayne Grudem etc.
Any church has to keep in step with where its members are. If the members are still stuck on breast milk, then you just can't offer gourmet steak. So one way to really bless the church community would be by gradually elevating your level of depth and understanding of the Word of God. You would not only challenge others around you to do the same, but you would open the door for more enriching church-sponsored Bible studies in the future.
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| | Posted 9/27/2006 11:04 PM - 24 Views - 2 eProps - 1 Comment
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