What should we do with DOCTRINE ?!

     No one really wants to talk about it.  Should they?  Doctrine is something that has caused and continues to cause so much tension and division in the church.  It's a hot potato that everyone wants to stay away from.
     On the other hand, whoever said,"Never question what God is blessing" in relation to the local church was forgetting about a story Jesus told.  The parable, recorded for us in Matthew 13, tells of a farmer who was careful to buy good seed for his field.  After planting, an enemy of the farmer snuck into the field and planted weeds in among the wheat.
     After a while the workers noticed the weeds and came to warn the farmer.  Should they try to pull up the weeds?
     These particular weeds, however, not only would be growing close to the wheat, but also looked like the wheat, except that the grain itself was a darker colour.  So the farmer instructed his workers to wait until harvest when they would be able to more easily gather up the weeds and burn them, and then properly harvest the grain.

     As long as we're in this fallen world, we will coexist with evil.  Even in our churches – no matter how large or successful – or "blessed" – there will sometimes be those who have no intention of truly following the Lord.  And though blessing may be a sign that we're doing something right, it's never license to sit back and assume there is no hidden sin-cancer threatening to destroy the work of God.
     But what should our response be?  Is it really our responsibility to criticise everyone who doesn't believe exactly what we believe?  Then again, should we allow the truth of God to be denied and never take a stand?
     In the last days of his life, Paul wrote a letter to a man he had mentored named Timothy.  Timothy was dealing with many in the church who were teaching their own ideas as Scripture, with various questionable motives.  Paul's advice may give us a framework we can use next time we encounter some unbiblical teaching.  Let's take a look!

» What is doctrine REALLY?

Back to our home page
This article is ©2002 James Cottrill