The student's confusion reflects a prevailing mind-set among American evangelicals today. But Christian ministry cannot be isolated from Christian theology. Every aspect of the Christian life is founded on the biblical message. That's why the apostle Paul instructed Timothy, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Tim. 4:16)

Detouring the Faith
The 20th century distaste for sound doctrine is not entirely new. Christ lamented in His day, as did the prophet Isaiah, “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men” (Matt. 15:8,9; Isa. 29:13). All sorts of strange teachings troubled the first-century church (Eph. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:3,4; Heb. 13:9; etc.).

The neglect of biblical doctrine poses one of the greatest threats to American Christianity today. Without a clear understanding of truth, we are easily sidetracked or detoured. Take the “Toronto Experience.” How do we know whether the convulsive laughter, hysterics, and other bizarre behavior are actually of God? How can we distinguish this from similar experiences outside of Christianity?

Many Christian leaders, even those sympathetic to “charismatic renewal,” have hesitated to endorse these experiences because they have no biblical basis. Without a standard of truth to help us discern the real from the counterfeit, we are like sheep, easily led astray.

Another example is “Evangelicals and Catholics Together,” an unofficial document signed by prominent evangelicals and Roman Catholics in 1994. The accord sought to encourage broader cooperation against social problems such as abortion, homosexuality, and pornography. Unfortunately, while seeking to establish common ground, it also minimized the essential doctrine of justification by faith alone.

The words of Paul remind us that we must careful never to compromise the gospel message: “But even if we or an angel from heaven preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned” (Gal. 1:8,9).

Defining Doctrine
Over the past 30 years, the evangelical movement, which once defined itself by its doctrines, now questions which doctrines are essential and whether doctrine is even tat important. We have forsaken the approach of the Bereans, who “received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said as true” (Acts 17:11).

Truth is essential for spiritual progress. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:17). In fighting off Satan’s wilderness temptations, He quoted Moses: “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4; Deut. 8:3).

Perhaps the modern avoidance of doctrine lies partially in the fact that we view doctrine too narrowly – as a doctrinal statement or theological essay, rather than the broad sense of biblical content. Scripture never envisions doctrine as ivory tower musings over theological speculation or minutiae.

Two New Testament words are most often translated “doctrine,” “teaching,” or “instruction” – didaché and didaskalia. When we examine their combined 51 appearances, we see that Christian doctrine refers to Scripture, whether read, explained, or theologically systematized.

This doctrine finds its ultimate source in God, while all other doctrine is either of man (Col. 2:22) or demons (1 Tim. 4:1). Thus only biblical doctrine is “sound” (1 Tim. 6:3) and “useful” (2 Tim. 3:16).

Evangelicals clearly must affirm a high view of Scripture and doctrine. But equally important, we must make Scripture the basis for translating sound Christian doctrine into godly living – “so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive” (Titus 2:10). Simply put, Christina doctrine serves as the constitution of godly living.

The Indispensable Factor
The New Testament epistles overflow with exhortations to make sound doctrine the very heart of Christian faith and ministry. Paul reminds us:

• to serve as a good minister of Jesus Christ through the truths of the faith (1 Tim. 4:5).
  
• to keep the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 1:13).
  
• to preach the word, correct, rebuke, and encourage (2 Tim. 4:2).
  
• to hold firmly to the trustworthy message and encourage others by sound doctrine (Titus 1:9).
  
• to teach what is in accord with sound doctrine (Titus 2:1).

Christ’s ministry (Matt. 7:28,29), the apostles’ ministry (Acts 5:28), and the early church’s ministry (Acts 2:42) all revolved around sound doctrine. To minimize or question the value of doctrine belittles Christ, the apostles, and early church – as well as countless martyrs such as John the Baptist, William Tyndale, and Jim Elliot.

Sound doctrine offers a glorious legacy, providing eternal value (2 Tim. 3:16,17) and promising God’s blessing for obedience (Josh. 1:8; Rev. 1:3).

Imagine what would happen if the standard of sound doctrine were forsaken. On what basis would false teachers be rejected (Rom. 16:17, 2 John 9-11) or false doctrine refuted (Titus 1:9)? How would believers know what was true and worth holding (1 Tim. 3:9; Rev 2:24,25)? How would we distinguish right from wrong? How would sin be confronted and corrected? Imagine where the gospel would be if Paul had not confronted Peter (Gal. 2:11-21).

True Relevance
Some people periodically uses empty clichés to de-emphasize doctrine. “Doctrine deadens,” they say. “Doctrine separates. Doctrine is irrelevant.” A second glance at these slogans, however, reveals the unbiblical reasoning behind them. Truth brings life, not death. Truth unifies those who seek it. And truth offers the only lasting solution to our problems. Such contemporary issues as abortion, homosexuality, pornography, immorality, rape, murder, or child abuse could never be addressed authoritatively without Christian doctrine.

Admittedly, some overzealous evangelicals have assumed that right doctrine automatically leads to godliness, or that defending the truth is more important han living out othe truth. But these abuses are no reason to neglect doctrine. While correct doctrine does not always produce godliness, godly living will never result from unsound doctrine. Doctrinal integrity and godly reality share the same high priority and remain biblically inseparable.

Remember the missions group traveling for ministry to Chechnya war refugees. What is the most relevant, practical message they could bring? Would it not be to answer the ancient question, “What must I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:30)?

Christ’s ambassadors cannot always change the fact of war nor the horrendous loss and pain inflicted. But they can bring the exclusive message of Christian hope – that people can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5:18-21). In the end, this is the most practical and relevant issue of all.

Priority One
No approach to doctrine, other than taking it seriously, makes sense of Christ’s command for the disciples to teach obedience to all that He commanded (Matt. 28:20).

Or Paul’s ministry to the Ephesian elders by proclaiming the whole will of God (Acts 20:27).

Or the angel’s mandate for Timothy to pass on the apostolic teachings to the next generation (2 Tim. 2:2).

Or Christ’s commendation to the Ephesian church for rejecting false teachers (Rev. 2:2,6).

Previous Christian generations have labored faithfully, suffered, and died to pass on sound doctrine for today’s evangelicals, Nothing less than perpetuating it untarnished will be honoring to Christ and worthy of our spiritual forefathers. So I’m encouraged to see signs of a possible renewed interest in sound doctrine among evangelicals.

I pray that the utilitarian approach to Christianity has run its unsatisfactory course and that those temporarily sidetracked are now returning to their heritage of Scriptural truth. Only by wholeheartedly embracing this commitment will we evangelicals preserve our biblical legacy in an era that is not inclined to endure sound doctrine.