Doctrine means teaching. Doctrine is a way of summarising truth that is woven through the scriptures. A friend once said the whole Bible can be summarised in one word, "Love." Others have said it's the answer book for all of the common questions everyone has, "Why are we here, where did we come from, where are we going, why is there pain and suffering in the world, why do I feel the way I do..." Having spent a good deal of time studying the Bible, I prefer the summary, "God's redemptive plan for humanity." Here are some key doctrines from the Bible about our Christian Faith that I've learned over 10 years of study in Bsf. It's the gospel (good news) truth about God, humanity's sin, reconciliation through Christ and final judgement.
God is Holy, Creator and Lord
No one fully understands the Trinity, which is not surprising because this doctrine deals with the innermost nature of God’s very being. The best we can do is try to understand what the Bible tells us of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This is what the church tried to do in the first four centuries of its existence. It concluded that there is but one God, which the Bible clearly teaches, but that He exists in three entities, which the church called “persons.” Although they are distinct persons, both the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are every bit as much God as God the Father is. All work together with one mind in all things. In terms of emphasis, we usually say God the Father was principally active in the creation of the world and in planning the great drama of salvation; the Lord Jesus Christ was principally active in achieving this salvation by His death and in reigning over the Church, His body, as the Church’s Lord; and the Holy Spirit is principally active in calling men and women to faith in Christ, in empowering them for witness and ministry, and in making them increasingly like Christ through the work of sanctification. (See Ephesians 1:3-10; Colossians 1:15-23; Hebrews 1:1-4; Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 63:8-10; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 1:35; John 14:7-10; 2 Corinthians 13:14.) biblegateway
The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity. Wherever the Lord Jesus Christ is being lifted up and glorified and people are coming to Him in true faith, there the Holy Spirit is present and at work (John 15:26; 16:14). Every believer receives the Holy Spirit when he or she believes in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13). In fact, it is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that makes belief possible (John 16:7-15). This is the true “baptism with the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). By definition, it occurs only once. The New Testament, especially the book of Acts, also speaks of a “filling” of the Holy Spirit, which may occur repeatedly (Ephesians 5:18; Acts 2:4 with 4:8 and 4:31). But what marks this “filling” is increased spiritual power in ministry and in faithful, verbal witness to Jesus as the Savior. Testimony follows every reference in Acts to a filling of an individual or group by the Holy Spirit. biblegateway
Humanity: Fall and Judgment
The story of mankind’s fall is told in Genesis 3, which also shows the nature of the temptations that led to the fall – doubting God’s goodness, questioning His word, desiring to be “like God.” After the fall, Adam and Eve (the literal, original human pair) show some of the effects of sin by hiding from God and by blaming others for their own transgressions. God judged Adam and Eve in specific and distinct ways, but the chief judgment was the penalty of death, which God had said would befall them if they ate of the forbidden tree. Spiritually they died and no longer had intimacy with God. They also became subject to death and ageing so that eventually they died physically as well (Genesis 3:19). Adam’s sin caused all to inherit a sinful nature. The effects of sin (spiritual and physical death in all humanity) are only overcome by the work of Christ (Romans 3:9-20; 5:12-14; 6:23). In Him we are “born again” (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:3) and made alive to God (Ephesians 2:5; Colossians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, we will also eventually receive a renewed body patterned on the resurrection body of our ascended Lord. (See 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; 49-57; Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:1-3.) biblegateway
Sin is any lack of conformity to the will of God. It is an outrage against God and a source of untold harm to ourselves and others. It subjects us to the wrath of God (John 3:36; Romans 1:18-20; 2:5). It has eternal consequences (Romans 6:23).
The Bible teaches that all are sinners and sin has so pervaded human nature that “there is no one righteous, not even one: there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:10-11). That is, it has affected our moral, intellectual and volitional capabilities, so that all fall short of God’s standards, fail to understand the gospel even when it is explained and flee from God rather than trying to seek Him out, as we should. When we understand the character and universality of sin, then we can understand the necessity for and appreciate grace. (See Romans 5:12-21; James 1:13-18; 2:10; 1John 1:8-10.) biblegateway
Redemption
Redemption is a word borrowed from the commercial world of the ancient near east (where slaves were bought and sold) and pressed into biblical service to describe how Jesus has purchased us in the marketplace of sin to set us free from sin’s dreadful bondage. The story of Hosea’s purchase of Gomer in the Old Testament book by his name is a wonderful example of this transaction (Hosea 3:1-2). Peter has the same concept in mind when he writes, “It was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18, 19). His point is we have been set free from slavery to sinful ways of life and should, therefore, live as being Christ’s possession. (See Romans 6:22-23; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:7.) biblegateway
Reconciliation
Reconciliation describes a work by which parties who are at odds are made one with each other once again. As applied to salvation, reconciliation first recognises our alienation – our sins have separated us from God and have placed us under His just wrath so that apart from Christ we face nothing but condemnation. However, God sent His own Son to bear the penalty of our sins, removing the cause of estrangement, and thus winning us back to personal fellowship with Himself (Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:19-20). In 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Paul argues that because we have been reconciled to God through the work of Christ, we should now be agents of reconciliation for others, that is, we should be ambassadors of this, the greatest good news of all time. (See also Matthew 18:15-17; Ephesians 2:11-13.) biblegateway
Prayer is talking with God. We speak to Him in prayer; He speaks to us through the Bible. Prayer involves each person of the Trinity. We pray to God the Father (Ephesians 1:17; 3:14), through the Lord Jesus Christ – it is on the basis of His atonement that we come (Romans 1:8; 5:1-2; Colossians 3:17), and of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20). We can also pray to Jesus Christ, who is our great High Priest who sympathises with our weaknesses (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15; Acts 7:59; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 22:20). Prayer is often thought of mostly as a petition to God, but it often includes adoration, confession and thanksgiving. (See Matthew 6:5-15; 7:7; John 14:13-14; Philippians 4:6; 1 John 5:14-15.) biblegateway
Sanctification refers to the believer’s progressive growth in holiness or conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 6:1-23; 8:1-17). It means being set apart for God and His work (Romans 12:1-2) and becoming more fully obedient to God in daily life. It is God’s will for the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:3). It is the work of the Holy Spirit and is, therefore, a divine work. But it is also accomplished in us by a faithful use of prayer, Bible study, fellowship, worship, and the service of God and His people in the world together with trust in the Holy Spirit to change our character. For that reason, we are also sometimes said to sanctify ourselves and are made responsible for it. (See 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:27-5:31; Colossians 3:1-17.) biblegateway
The Second Coming of Christ
One of the most frequent doctrines of the New Testament is that Jesus will return to earth. According to Scripture, the second coming of Christ will be physical, sudden, visible and unexpected. It will include the bodily resurrection of the dead and the final judgement. (See John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Mark 13:26; Luke 12:40; I Cor. 15:23; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20:1-15) biblegateway
Judgment of Believers and Unbelievers
The Bible speaks of many kinds of judgment. The book of Revelation is full of them. The chief kinds of judgment are: 1) punitive judgment upon the unregenerate for their many sins (Romans 1:18, 28; 2:1-16; Hebrews 9:27; Acts 17:31); and 2) evaluative judgment upon believers as to how well they have served Christ as His disciples in this life (Romans 8:1; 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 4:8). The evaluative judgments are sometimes spoken of as rewards and should encourage believers to faithful obedience and good works throughout their lives (1 Corinthians 3:14; 15:58; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The punitive judgments are described as being dreadful and are set forth in Scripture as a warning to sinners to flee to Jesus Christ. Punitive judgments will be endured in a conscious condition and forever (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 20:15). This doctrine is offensive to many people, but it helps to remember that judgment establishes true value or worth. Judgment proves that who we are and what we do matters. When God created humans (Gen 1:26-27) he blessed them with every physical blessing (Gen 1:28-30) and his judgement was "it was very good" (Gen 1:31). biblegateway
God is Holy, Creator and Lord
No one fully understands the Trinity, which is not surprising because this doctrine deals with the innermost nature of God’s very being. The best we can do is try to understand what the Bible tells us of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. This is what the church tried to do in the first four centuries of its existence. It concluded that there is but one God, which the Bible clearly teaches, but that He exists in three entities, which the church called “persons.” Although they are distinct persons, both the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are every bit as much God as God the Father is. All work together with one mind in all things. In terms of emphasis, we usually say God the Father was principally active in the creation of the world and in planning the great drama of salvation; the Lord Jesus Christ was principally active in achieving this salvation by His death and in reigning over the Church, His body, as the Church’s Lord; and the Holy Spirit is principally active in calling men and women to faith in Christ, in empowering them for witness and ministry, and in making them increasingly like Christ through the work of sanctification. (See Ephesians 1:3-10; Colossians 1:15-23; Hebrews 1:1-4; Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 63:8-10; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 1:35; John 14:7-10; 2 Corinthians 13:14.) biblegateway
The Holy Spirit is the third member of the Trinity. Wherever the Lord Jesus Christ is being lifted up and glorified and people are coming to Him in true faith, there the Holy Spirit is present and at work (John 15:26; 16:14). Every believer receives the Holy Spirit when he or she believes in Jesus Christ (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13). In fact, it is the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit that makes belief possible (John 16:7-15). This is the true “baptism with the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13). By definition, it occurs only once. The New Testament, especially the book of Acts, also speaks of a “filling” of the Holy Spirit, which may occur repeatedly (Ephesians 5:18; Acts 2:4 with 4:8 and 4:31). But what marks this “filling” is increased spiritual power in ministry and in faithful, verbal witness to Jesus as the Savior. Testimony follows every reference in Acts to a filling of an individual or group by the Holy Spirit. biblegateway
Humanity: Fall and Judgment
The story of mankind’s fall is told in Genesis 3, which also shows the nature of the temptations that led to the fall – doubting God’s goodness, questioning His word, desiring to be “like God.” After the fall, Adam and Eve (the literal, original human pair) show some of the effects of sin by hiding from God and by blaming others for their own transgressions. God judged Adam and Eve in specific and distinct ways, but the chief judgment was the penalty of death, which God had said would befall them if they ate of the forbidden tree. Spiritually they died and no longer had intimacy with God. They also became subject to death and ageing so that eventually they died physically as well (Genesis 3:19). Adam’s sin caused all to inherit a sinful nature. The effects of sin (spiritual and physical death in all humanity) are only overcome by the work of Christ (Romans 3:9-20; 5:12-14; 6:23). In Him we are “born again” (John 3:3, 7; 1 Peter 1:3) and made alive to God (Ephesians 2:5; Colossians 2:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17). In Christ, we will also eventually receive a renewed body patterned on the resurrection body of our ascended Lord. (See 1 Corinthians 15:42-44; 49-57; Philippians 3:21; 1 John 3:1-3.) biblegateway
Sin is any lack of conformity to the will of God. It is an outrage against God and a source of untold harm to ourselves and others. It subjects us to the wrath of God (John 3:36; Romans 1:18-20; 2:5). It has eternal consequences (Romans 6:23).
The Bible teaches that all are sinners and sin has so pervaded human nature that “there is no one righteous, not even one: there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God” (Romans 3:10-11). That is, it has affected our moral, intellectual and volitional capabilities, so that all fall short of God’s standards, fail to understand the gospel even when it is explained and flee from God rather than trying to seek Him out, as we should. When we understand the character and universality of sin, then we can understand the necessity for and appreciate grace. (See Romans 5:12-21; James 1:13-18; 2:10; 1John 1:8-10.) biblegateway
Redemption
Redemption is a word borrowed from the commercial world of the ancient near east (where slaves were bought and sold) and pressed into biblical service to describe how Jesus has purchased us in the marketplace of sin to set us free from sin’s dreadful bondage. The story of Hosea’s purchase of Gomer in the Old Testament book by his name is a wonderful example of this transaction (Hosea 3:1-2). Peter has the same concept in mind when he writes, “It was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18, 19). His point is we have been set free from slavery to sinful ways of life and should, therefore, live as being Christ’s possession. (See Romans 6:22-23; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:7.) biblegateway
Reconciliation
Reconciliation describes a work by which parties who are at odds are made one with each other once again. As applied to salvation, reconciliation first recognises our alienation – our sins have separated us from God and have placed us under His just wrath so that apart from Christ we face nothing but condemnation. However, God sent His own Son to bear the penalty of our sins, removing the cause of estrangement, and thus winning us back to personal fellowship with Himself (Romans 5:10; Colossians 1:19-20). In 2 Corinthians 5:18-19, Paul argues that because we have been reconciled to God through the work of Christ, we should now be agents of reconciliation for others, that is, we should be ambassadors of this, the greatest good news of all time. (See also Matthew 18:15-17; Ephesians 2:11-13.) biblegateway
Prayer is talking with God. We speak to Him in prayer; He speaks to us through the Bible. Prayer involves each person of the Trinity. We pray to God the Father (Ephesians 1:17; 3:14), through the Lord Jesus Christ – it is on the basis of His atonement that we come (Romans 1:8; 5:1-2; Colossians 3:17), and of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 6:18; Jude 20). We can also pray to Jesus Christ, who is our great High Priest who sympathises with our weaknesses (Hebrews 2:17; 4:15; Acts 7:59; 1 Corinthians 16:22; Revelation 22:20). Prayer is often thought of mostly as a petition to God, but it often includes adoration, confession and thanksgiving. (See Matthew 6:5-15; 7:7; John 14:13-14; Philippians 4:6; 1 John 5:14-15.) biblegateway
Sanctification refers to the believer’s progressive growth in holiness or conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 6:1-23; 8:1-17). It means being set apart for God and His work (Romans 12:1-2) and becoming more fully obedient to God in daily life. It is God’s will for the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:3). It is the work of the Holy Spirit and is, therefore, a divine work. But it is also accomplished in us by a faithful use of prayer, Bible study, fellowship, worship, and the service of God and His people in the world together with trust in the Holy Spirit to change our character. For that reason, we are also sometimes said to sanctify ourselves and are made responsible for it. (See 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Galatians 5:16-26; Ephesians 4:27-5:31; Colossians 3:1-17.) biblegateway
The Second Coming of Christ
One of the most frequent doctrines of the New Testament is that Jesus will return to earth. According to Scripture, the second coming of Christ will be physical, sudden, visible and unexpected. It will include the bodily resurrection of the dead and the final judgement. (See John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Mark 13:26; Luke 12:40; I Cor. 15:23; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 20:1-15) biblegateway
Judgment of Believers and Unbelievers
The Bible speaks of many kinds of judgment. The book of Revelation is full of them. The chief kinds of judgment are: 1) punitive judgment upon the unregenerate for their many sins (Romans 1:18, 28; 2:1-16; Hebrews 9:27; Acts 17:31); and 2) evaluative judgment upon believers as to how well they have served Christ as His disciples in this life (Romans 8:1; 14:10; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 4:8). The evaluative judgments are sometimes spoken of as rewards and should encourage believers to faithful obedience and good works throughout their lives (1 Corinthians 3:14; 15:58; 2 Corinthians 5:10). The punitive judgments are described as being dreadful and are set forth in Scripture as a warning to sinners to flee to Jesus Christ. Punitive judgments will be endured in a conscious condition and forever (Luke 16:19-31; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 20:15). This doctrine is offensive to many people, but it helps to remember that judgment establishes true value or worth. Judgment proves that who we are and what we do matters. When God created humans (Gen 1:26-27) he blessed them with every physical blessing (Gen 1:28-30) and his judgement was "it was very good" (Gen 1:31). biblegateway
