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Sunday, April 12, 2020

Christianity's Emphasis on Doctrine

As long time readers of this blog know, I have written many posts in the past about the preoccupation of the Christian Church (Catholic, Protestant and Other) with doctrinal differences. Indeed, one would be justified in saying that most of the denominations and organizations which constitute modern Christendom are obsessed with underscoring what makes them different or unique. And this is no where more apparent than in the practice of publishing a "Statement of Belief."

In beginning a discussion of doctrine, it is essential to underscore the fact that the Greek word translated into English as doctrine simply denoted a teaching (see Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible). This stands in sharp contrast to our modern, more expansive definition of the word doctrine: a principle or position or the body of principles in a branch of knowledge or system of belief : DOGMA (see Merriam-Webster). To the modern churchman, the term suggests a well-developed theological position on topics like the nature of God (unitarian, binitarian or trinitarian), the mechanics of baptism (immersion, dipping or sprinkling) or communion (weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly), the nature of the afterlife (heaven, hell, purgatory, sleep, resurrection), which days to observe (Sunday/Sabbath, Christmas, Easter, Passover, etc.) and how to observe them, Church governance (episcopal, presbyterian, congregational), etc.

Once again, this stands in stark contrast to the way a First Century Christian would have approached the subject of doctrine. We know this, in part, because the elaborate theology that most modern Christians have constructed around their belief system is dependent on the collection of writings that we call the New Testament - most of which were not available to them. Likewise, Christian thinking has been influenced by the writings of many men and women over the almost two millennia that have elapsed since those days. And, finally, we know from the New Testament writings that their teachings centered on proclaiming Jesus Christ as the Messiah and a few other items which they considered foundational or fundamental to the new religion (see Hebrews 6:1-2). If we could resurrect a First Century Christian and show them a modern doctrinal treatise, they would be bewildered and need much background and explanation before they would even be able to comprehend what was being discussed!

In my own religious experience, the Statement of Belief(s) of two of the organizations which I was formerly affiliated with (Seventh Day Baptists and Church of God International) will serve as a good illustration of the point I'm attempting to make in this post. Once again, the approaches of the two groups represent the contrast between a minimalist approach to doctrine compared to a much more elaborately defined system.

The Seventh Day Baptists "Statement of Belief" begins with this introduction: "Seventh Day Baptists consider liberty of thought under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be essential to Christian belief and practice. Therefore we encourage the unhindered study and open discussion of Scripture. We uphold the individual’s freedom of conscience in seeking to determine and obey the will of God. The following statement is not intended to be exhaustive, but is an expression of our common belief, which is derived from our understanding of Scripture." see https://seventhdaybaptist.org/about/statement-of-belief/ The statement goes on to list ten foundational beliefs for the organization: God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit), The Bible, Mankind, Sin and Salvation, Eternal Life, The Church, Baptism, The Lord's Supper, Sabbath and Evangelism.

On the other hand, CGI's "Statement of Beliefs" begins with this introduction: "The doctrinal tenets, practices, teachings, and beliefs of the Church of God International are based on the Word of God, the Holy Bible. God’s people believe that they are to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4)." see https://www.cgi.org/about The statement goes on to list thirty-seven beliefs! Moreover, if one takes a closer look at CGI's website, it becomes clear that they also believe in Anglo-Israelism, and that holidays like Christmas and Easter are pagan and should not be celebrated by Christians. Also, like many other denominations and organizations, both organizations (Seventh Day Baptists and Church of God International) affirm that they believe in a traditional interpretation of marriage (as being between one man and one woman).

What does all of this tell us about Christian's and doctrine? It tells us that the question of doctrine is a much more complex notion today than it was in Christianity's infancy. It also tells us that doctrine has been skillfully used to differentiate one group of Christians from another and allow them to say that they are somehow better or closer to the truth than the other group(s). It also clearly presents a dilemma for most believers - must we accept/agree with every doctrinal position of this group to fellowship with them? AND Is it even possible to find a group with which I am in complete doctrinal agreement?

It's ironic that most of these groups love to quote Paul's second epistle to his disciple Timothy to underscore the fact that their doctrines are derived from Scripture. The King James Version translates the verse as "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." (II Timothy 3:16) In this connection, it is instructive to notice this passage in the context of its surrounding verses in the New Living Translation: "But you must remain faithful to the things you have been taught. You know they are true, for you know you can trust those who taught you. You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work." (II Timothy 3:14-17)

Notice what a difference this makes to our understanding of this verse. The NLT makes plain that Scripture is useful to TEACH us what is true and right and to prepare and equip us to do good. Again, notice that there is NO suggestion/implication in the verse that Scripture is to be used to formulate a Statement of Beliefs - to justify the doctrinal positions of a particular group! In other words, many of these groups twist this scripture to support their elaborate and distinctive theology. Hence, in this blogger's humble opinion, when we are discussing Christian doctrine, this is one of those instances where LESS IS MORE!
   

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