Session 1: Studying God

Purpose
So often people's theology is a combination of things that have been heard from the pulpit, seen on TV, and read in books. Often things are taken for granted in theology that have been handed down through tradition, denomination, and time, that are not always Biblically correct. Instead of being like the Bereans who tested everything (Acts 17:11), even the words of Paul, many people are like sponges who just absorb anything and everything thrown at them.
The purpose of BT101 is to facilitate discussion so that we can formulate a Biblical Theology of Christianity. It is not coming from any particular denominational stance, nor is its purpose to show errors in different denominations. Instead we are approaching the topics from a Biblical viewpoint, discussing and dissecting Scripture so that we will always be ready to give a reason for the hope that we have to anyone who asks (1 Peter 3:15)

Before one embarks on a theological journey for the first time, one needs to be sure that they understand the basics of theology right at the beginning.

Terminology
The first thing that we need to look at is some basic terminology.

1) What is theology?
The word theology is derived from 2 Greek words, Theos (Θεος), meaning God (general term and is not specific to Christianity) and logos (λογος)meaning word or study of.
Theology can therefore be defined as: The study of or teaching about God (or god), religious doctrines and of all matters pertaining to divinity.

2) What is doctrine/dogma?
Doctrine/dogma is simply the substance of what is studied or taught.

3) What is the difference between doctrine and dogma?
Dogma is man's statement of a truth set forth, as in a creed.
Doctrine is God's revelation of truth as is found in the Bible.

4) What is religion?
Religion, quite simply, is the practice of doctrine/dogma.

Objections
Today in the post-post-modern society that we live in, it seems as though there is a turning away from doctrine. This is a fulfilment of 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

The need to return to sound doctrine is clearly evident.

But what are the answers to the common objection that people have towards doctrine?

Objection 1: It does not matter what you believe, it only matters that you love Jesus.
It is impossible to separate Christ from doctrine. He and His Word are one (see John 1).
It is impossible to accept Christ, while at the same time rejecting His teachings, even though it is possible to accept His teachings without accepting Him.

Objection 2: Doctrine is dull, dry, boring, dead, and is useless for us today. We need practical teaching.
Doctrine can be all of the above, however, the problem is not with the doctrine, but the teacher. The same can be said for many of the fields of science when the one teaching it is dull, dry, boring and dead.

If doctrine is correctly taught, it is not only practical, but life-changing:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16,17).

Objection 3: Experience is more important than doctrine.
Experiencing God is good, but those experiences must always be governed by Biblical theology. Unguarded experiences will always lead to error.

Focus on the experience and you will miss out on God. Focus on God and you will experience Him.

Objection 4: Doctrine leads to division, that's why there are so many denominations.
Think of it this way: stars existed before astronomy, life existed before biology, God existed before theology. Yet in all three of these disciplines there has been a perversion and a resultant division between people. Astronomy turned into astrology, biology into evolution, theology into idolatry. In all cases it was man and his interpretation that has caused the division.

Doctrine does not originate from the church, but from God Himself:
“Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:16-17).

All the ideologies and “isms” of today are as a result of people not following Biblical doctrine.
All the divisions and evils in the world are as a result of people not obeying God's doctrine.
If all followed God's doctrine, there would be no division.

Purpose
Having looked at what theology is and some of the objections people have to studying it, we now need to ascertain what the purpose of doctrine is.

Luke 1:1-4 gives us a hint of this purpose:
“Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

a) “draw up an account” - the process (theology)
b) “things that have been fulfilled” - the details of the Gospel (doctrine)
c) “carefully investigated” - this is not a practice we take lightly
c) “may know with certainty” - so as to be able to determine true from false doctrine
d) “taught” - Greek katēcheō (κατηχεω) – to instruct by means of dialogue

The purpose of theology therefore is to set forth the things that are most surely believed by true Christians so as to instruct the believer that they can know the certainty of the Truth.

Necessity
What then is the necessity of doctrine?

This is an age where all Christians need to know:
WHO they believe in
WHAT they believe, and
WHY they believe it.

Answers to these three W's will inevitably lead to determining:
Our past – where do we come from
Our character – who we are
Our attitude – towards, God, others and ourselves, and in all circumstances
Our actions – what we do
Our words – what we say
Our purpose – why am I here
Our destiny – where we are going

It is therefore necessary that Christians be instructed in sound Biblical doctrine and that all doctrine be tested by the full context of the infallible Word of God.

Doctrine received, believed and practiced determines a person's character, behaviour and destiny.

The need for doctrine can be summed up in the following:
Our relationship with God: “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11¨6).

Our relationship with Jesus: “This is how you can recognise the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God” (1 John 4:2-3a).

Our salvation: “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame”” (Romans 10:9-11).

Sources of doctrine
One of the issues that needs to be dealt with before we embark on our journey is that of the source from which our doctrine comes.

There are generally four accepted sources:
1) Natural Theology: The created universe is studied in order to determine truths about God, man's origins and human nature.
2) Tradition: The past beliefs of the church and individuals are studied to determine what things we take as being true really are or not, and whether they should form part of our doctrine.
3) The Scriptures: The Bible as the defining document of Christian faith is studied in order to find the specifics that are to be believed and practiced.
4) Experience: Religious experiences, past and current, are studied in order to determine who God is and how His relating to people has changed. New moves and new revelations of God are also studied in this area.

We will follow the third approach during our journey.

Nature of true doctrine
Before we embark on our journey, we need to remember several important facets concerning the nature of true doctrine:

1) Doctrine must be sound
“Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29)

“I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:6-9)

“We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers — and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.” (1 Timothy 1:9-11)

“If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” (1 Timothy 4:6)

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage — with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (1 Timothy 4:2-4)

“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” (Titus 1:9)

“You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1)

2) Doctrine must be pure
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognise them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognise them.” (Matthew 7:15-20)

3) Doctrine must be Biblical
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14-17)

“You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1)

4) Doctrine must be obeyed
“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (Matthew 23:1-3)

“Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from him who sent me. If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own” (John 7:16-17).

“But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.” (Romans 6:17)

5) Doctrine determines character
“If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” (1 Timothy 4:6)

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:13-16)

“If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” (1 Timothy 6:3-5)

“In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Saviour attractive.” (Titus 2:7-10).

“His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.” (2 Peter 1:3)

6) Doctrine affects fellowship
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46-47)

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:1-7)

“Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him.” (2 John 1:9-10)

7) Doctrine determines destiny
““What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?” Pilate asked. They all answered, “Crucify him!”” (Matthew 27:22)

“So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him.” (2 Peter 3:14-15)

8) Doctrine must be surrounded with love
“If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-6)

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.” (1 John 4:16)

Conclusion
Did you know that more than one-third of the New Testament is devoted to doctrine? In fact, much of Jesus' teachings in the Gospels and Revelation are on the correction and importance of correct Biblical doctrine. Why would God have included so much within the Bible if it was not that important?

We are called to test what man says. To not plainly accept what a preacher says, but to go to the Bible and see if those things are so (Acts 17:11). If it is not in the Bible, we are commanded by God to reject it, expose it (Titus 1:9) and to not entertain those who teach it (2 John 1:10). Just because a preacher is ordained (by fallen man) does not mean that we have to accept what he says – test it by our final and ONLY authority – The WORD OF GOD.
Without correct doctrine it is impossible to have correct conduct.

Baruch atem b’Shem Yeshua! (Blessings in the name of Jesus!)
GW