Christian Doctrine

By Cky J. Carrigan, Ph.D., North American Mission Board (NAMB), SBC  [March 2002]

ccarrigan@namb.net  ~  www.ontruth.com

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What is Doctrine, Why is it Important & How is it Done?

I. What is Doctrine?

  A.    Christian doctrines are simply statements of Christian beliefs.

  B.     Doctrines deal with timeless truths about God and the rest of reality.

  C.     The study of Christian Doctrine is known as Christian Theology.

    1.       Christian Theology is the study, analysis, and statement of Christian Doctrine.

    2.       Theology is biblical.

    3.       Theology is systematic.

    4.       Theology is done in the context of culture.

    5.       Theology is contemporary.

    6.       Theology is practical (e.g., 1Thes 4:16-18).

    7.       Theology is a kind of science (organized, reasonable knowing).

       a.       Theology has a definite object of study.

       b.       Theology has a method of investigation and verification.

       c.       Theology is objective.

       d.       Theology is coherent.

II. Why is Doctrine Important?

  A.    Doctrine is Central to the Mission of the Church (Mat 28:18-20)

    1.    The Supremely Commander sets forth the mission enterprise, 28:18.

    2.    The Supreme Commandment is to make disciples, 19-20a

       a.       Disciple-making involves going, 19a.

       b.       Disciple-making involves the whole world, 19a.

       c.       Disciple-making involves baptism, 19b.

       d.       Disciple-making involves teaching DOCTRINE, 20a.

    3.    The Supreme Comforter ever-sustains the mission enterprise, 20b.

  B.    Correct Doctrine on some matters is essential for salvation.

  C.    Doctrine is the objective governor of subjective experience.

  D.    There are many competing religious and philosophical options.  

III. How is the Study of Doctrine (Theology) Done?

  A.    The starting place for Christian Doctrine is the Holy Bible.

  B.    Collect, collate and unify biblical materials.

  C.    Analyze meaning of biblical materials.

  D.    Consider historical treatments over time.

  E.     Identify the Permanent Truth of the doctrine.

  F.    Consider evidence from non-theological sources (i.e., natural sciences and behavioral sciences).

  G.   Fashion a contemporary expression of the doctrine.

  H.   Develop and apply a Central Interpretive Motif.

   I.   Identify the ordinate and subordinate features of the doctrine (stratification of essential and non-essential features).

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How Do We Know What We Know about God & Doctrine?

I. Revelation Defined.

  A.   Revelation is disclosure, “uncovering” what is concealed.

  B.    God is a self-disclosing kind of God.

  C.    God discloses Himself in two basic ways.

    1.    God discloses Himself generally (General Revelation) (Ps 19:1f; Rom 1:20f).

      a.       God generally discloses Himself by means of nature.

      b.       God generally discloses Himself by means of history.

      c.       God generally discloses Himself by means of human personality.

    2.    God discloses Himself particularly (Particular Revelation) (Heb 1:1-2; Col 1:15).

      a.       God particularly discloses Himself by means of historical events.

      b.       God particularly discloses Himself by means of divine speech.

      c.       God particularly discloses Himself by means of the incarnation of God.

        ·               God’s particular disclosure is both propositional AND personal.

“THE TALKING UNIVERSE” PSALM 19:1-6

 I.     The World Of God Is Talking, 1-6.

  ¨      There Is Evidence For A Glorious Creator From Natural Revelation.

  A.    There Are Two Kinds Of Heavens Doing The Talking, 1.

    1.       The Second Heaven Is Talking, 1a, 4b-6.

    2.       The First Heaven Is Talking, 1b.

  B.    There Two Things The Heavens Are Talking About, 1.

     1.       The Heavens Are Talking About God’s Heaviness.

     2.       The Heavens Are Talking About God’s Handiwork.

  C.    There Are Three Ways The Heavens Are Talking, 1-2.

     1.       The Heavens Are Talking Like An Animated Announcer, 1a.

     2.       The Heavens Are Talking Like A Gifted Orator, 2a.

     3.       The Heavens Are Talking Like A Dynamic Teacher, 2b.

  D.    There Is No End To The Heavenly Talking, 3-4a.

      1.       The Heavens Are Talking In Every Language, 3.

      2.       The Heavens Are Talking In Every Place, 4a.

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How Do We Know What We Know about God & Doctrine?

I. The Nature of Written Revelation.

  A.    The Canon of the Written Revelation is the Bible alone.

    1.       The Canon includes 39 Books of the Old Testament in their original form.

    2.       The Canon includes 27 Books of the New Testament in their original form.

    3.       The Canon is Closed.

  B.    The Bible (Written Revelation) is Inspired by God.

     1.       The Bible is Inspired because God is its ultimate Source, (God breathed, 2 Tim 3:16).

     2.       The Doctrine of Inspiration has to do with the Preservation or writing down of Scripture.

     3.       The Bible is authored by a Confluence of God AND man.

     4.       The Holy Spirit Superintended the writing of Scripture (original autographs) so that the result was actually the Word of God.

     5.        God’s superintendence extends to all of Scripture (Plenary) and even to the choice of each and every particular word (Verbal).

     6.        The view of Inspiration expressed here is called Verbal-Plenary Inspiration.

*Other incorrect views claim that only the Big Ideas of Scripture were inspired (not verbal), or that only some of Scripture was inspired (not plenary), or that Scripture is the product of God alone (not confluent, this view is called “mechanical dictation”).

  C.    The Bible is Inerrant.

    1.       The Bible is Fully Truthful in all its teachings (Full Inerrancy).

    2.       The Bible is fully truthful in all its teachings, precisely because it is Inspired (God-breathed).

o       Other incorrect views claim that the Bible is absolutely and exactly correct in all scientific and historical matters (Absolute Inerrancy), or only inerrant on matters related to salvation (Limited Inerrancy).

o       The difference between Absolute Inerrancy and Full Inerrancy is that Full Inerrancy allows for approximations and phenomenological language, that is, language that describes things generally, or as they appear to be, rather than precisely the way they would be described in scientific language, (e.g., a “sunrise” [phenomenological] is actually an “earth-turn” [scientific] or 5,000 people [approximation] is actually 5, 086 [scientific] people.

  D.    The Bible is Authoritative.

    1.       “Authority” is the right to command belief and/or action.

    2.       The Bible is authoritative precisely because it is Inspired (God-breathed).

      a.     God is Sovereign.

      b.     God is the Ultimate Author of the Bible.

      c.     Therefore, God’s Bible is endowed with God’s right to command belief and/or action.

    3.       The Bible itself Objectively Authoritative.

    4.       The Illumination of the Holy Spirit is Subjectively Authoritative.

  E.    The Bible is the Only Inspired, Inerrant, Authoritative Source for Doctrine (Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone).

“THE UNIVERSAL TALK” PSALM 19:7-11

I.    The Word Of God Is Talking, 7-11.

¨      There Is Evidence For A Glorious Judge From Scripture.

  A.    The Word of God Speaks In A Genuine Language, 7-9, 11a.

    1.       The Word of God Is Not Faulty, 7a. 

    2.       The Word of God Is Not Variable, 7b.

    3.       The Word of God Is Not Crooked, 8a.

    4.       The Word of God Is Not Erroneous, 8b.

    5.       The Word of God Is Not Soiled, 9a.

    6.       The Word of God Is Not Delinquent, 9b. 

    7.       The Word of God Is Not Derelict, 11a.

  B.    The Word of God Acts On A Genuine Hearer, 7-11.

    1.       Genuine Hearers Get A New Soul, 7a.

    2.       Genuine Hearers Get A New Mind, 7b.

    3.       Genuine Hearers Get A New Heart, 8a.

    4.       Genuine Hearers Get A New Set of Eyes, 8b.

    5.       Genuine Hearers Get A New Watch, 9a.

    6.       Genuine Hearers Get A New Desire, 10.

    7.       Genuine Hearers Get A New Reward, 11b.

II. The World of God & The Word Of God Are Talking To Me, 12-14.

  A.    My Sin Is Known By My Creator-Judge.

  B.    My Filth Is Cleansed By My Creator-Judge.

  C.    My Purpose Is To Talk About My Creator-Judge.

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What is God Like?

 I.     God is Transcendent (Jer 23:24; Isa 6: 1; 55: 8-9).

  A.    God transcends, is beyond, is outside, is superior to …. Creation.

  B.    An example of the transcendence of God is the act of Creation from outside it.

o       Deism and the Islamic view of God are two examples of a kind of “God” who is more transcendent than the Christian view of God.

II.    God is Immanent ( Isa 6:3).

  A.    God is present and active within His Creation.

  B.    An example of the immanence of God is the incarnation of God in Christ.

o       Pantheism, the Eastern Religions, and Earth-based Religions are examples of a kind of “God” that is more immanent than the Christian view of God.

III. God is not EITHER Transcendent OR Immanent, BUT God is BOTH Transcendent AND Immanent.

IV.  The Natural Attributes of God (God is Great).

  A.    God is essentially Spirit (Jn 4:24; Jn 1:18; 1 Tim 1:17; 6:15-16).

  B.    God is Alive (Brute Existence) (Ex 3:14; Heb 11:6).

  C.    God is Personal (Ex 3:14; Gen 3) (God knows, feels, wills, acts).

  D.    God is Infinite (Unlimited).

    1.       God is NOT limited by Space (Omnipresent) (Ps 139: 7-12).

    2.       God is NOT limited by Time (Eternal) (Ps 90:1-2; Jude 25).

    3.       God is NOT limited in Knowledge (Omniscient) (Ps 147:5).

    4.       God is NOT limited in Power (Omnipotent) (Gen 17:1; Mat 19:26).

  E.    God is Constant (Immutable, Unchanging) (Ps 102: 26-27; Mal 3:6).

V.    The Moral Attributes of God (God is Good).

  A.    God is Morally Pure.

    1.       God is Holy (totally separate from creation, & absolutely pure and good).

    2.       God is Righteous (measure’s up to His own standard).

    3.       God is Just (fair in the administration of His law).

  B.    God is Integral (He has integrity, is truthful).

    1.       God is Genuine (is true, real, not fabricated, not an illusion).

    2.       God is Veracious (tells the truth).

    3.       God is Faithful (proves true, keeps all promises).

  C.    God is Loving.

    1.       God is Benevolent (cares for and provides for those He loves).

    2.       God is Gracious (deals with man on the basis of His love, not man’s merit or worth).

    3.       God is Merciful (tenderhearted toward needy).

    4.        God is Persistent (patient to withhold judgment while continuing to offer salvation).

·               God’s Love and Moral Purity are NOT in conflict. The atonement of Christ is God’s great act of Love that also satisfies His Moral Purity.

VI.  Neither God’s Power or Benevolence are compromised by the existence of Evil.

VII. The Tri-Unity of God (Three-ness & One-ness).

  A.    Six Proposition that form the Doctrine of the Tri-Unity of God.

    1.       The Father is God (1 Cor 8:4, 6; 1 Tim 2:5-6).

    2.       The Son is God (Jn 1; Heb 1; Col 1; Phil 2).

    3.       The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5; Jn 14-16; Mat 28:19).

    4.       God is ONE (Ex 20:2-3; Deut 6:4; James 2:19).

    5.       The Bible is True and Truth Does not Contradict Itself.

    6.       The Tri-Unity is a Unique Mystery with NO Exact Analogy.

B.    The Doctrine of the Tri-Unity of God is NOT…

    1.       Three Gods with one Purpose (Mormonism).

    2.       One God known by three titles: Father, Son, H.S., (Like one man known as Father, Son and Brother).

    3.       One whole God that can be divided into three absolutely distinct parts (Like an Egg or a Pie).

    4.       One God in three “Modes,” “Manifestations” or “Forms” (like water found in three states of matter: liquid, solid, gas). This view is the view of Oneness Pentecostalism, United Pentecostal Church and T. D. Jakes.

    5.       Expressed well by the Formula 1 x 1 x 1 = 1.

    6.       Expressed well by the Formula 3=1.

  C.    The Doctrine of the Tri-Unity of God is best Expressed by the Formula 3 & 1, (God is Three Personal Consciousnesses AND One God).

    1.       God is Three with reference to “Personal Consciousness” …

       a.      The Eternal Personal Consciousness of the Father.

       b.      The Eternal Personal Consciousness of the Son.

       c.      The Eternal Personal Consciousness of the Holy Spirit.

     2.       God is One with reference to Essence (Being or Nature).

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What Does God Do?

I.     God has a Sovereign Plan.

  A.    God has rendered certain the occurrence of everything that occurs.

  B.    God has rendered certain the occurrence of every human act.

  C.    God’s sovereign execution of His plan does not, however, violate human freedom. (This view is called “Compatiblism” because the Sovereignty of God is “Compatible” with human freedom.)

  D.    When the Bible indicates that there is something that God wills that does not actually come to pass, and visa versa, we call this “God’s Wish” (or general will). God’s Wishes are His general intentions and actions that correspond to His values (i.e., God wishes for all men to obey Him, but they all do not).

  E.       Everything that actually comes to pass in a specific situation is said to be God’s Will (specific will).

II.    God Creates.

  A.    God creates from nothing (ex nihilo).

  B.    God creates all things.

  C.    Creation is the work of the Triune God.

  D.    The purpose of creation is to glorify God.

  E.     Various biblical options for the manner of creation…

    1.       6day/24hr Traditional View (Young Earth View).

    2.       6day/24hr Appearance-of-Age-View (Young Earth View).

    3.       Gap view (Old Earth View).

    4.       Progressive Creation (Old Earth View): God created over a progressive period of time.

      a.       Each biblical “day” interpreted as an “age.”

      b.       Six ages are begun by a 24hr creation period with long periods of time between creation days (24hr).

  F.    God created angels (Ps 148: 2, 5).

    1.       Angels are a separate class of created beings--not divine or human. They are personal, moral, beings with a will.

    2.       There are faithful angels.

·               Faithful Angels praise and glorify God, act as messengers from God to man, minister to believers, execute judgment on the enemies of God, and will be involved in the return of the Lord.

     3.       There are fallen angels (Satan and demons).

·               Fallen Angels (Demons) carry out Satan’s work in the world. They temp, deceive, inflict illness, and generally oppose the spiritual progress of believers.

III.   God continually manages His creation (Providence).

  A.    God preserves and maintains his creation.

  B.    God hears and answers prayer.

  C.    God performs miracles (uncommon providence).

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What is Man Like?

I.     Man is a creature of God made in the image of God.

·               Not a mere machine, animal or pawn in a meaningless universe.

II.    The Origin of Man

  A.    Man was created by God (Gen 1:26-27; 2:7).

  B.    Man was created male (man) and female (woman).

    1.       Manhood has a distinct form and function (Biblical Manhood).

    2.       Womanhood has a distinct form and function (Biblical Womanhood).

  C.    There are two views of the origin of man that are influenced by the Bible.

    1.        Direct creation – Adam & Eve were directly created by God out of pre-existing matter.

    2.        Theistic evolution –God endowed a pre-existing, pre-human primate with the image of God causing that pre-human being to become human. This view also affirms the evolution of all life begun and superintended by God.

III.   The Image of God in Man (Powers of Personality)

  A.       Historically, the image of God in man has been defined as Substantive, Relational, or Functional.

  B.    The image of God (imago Dei) in man is the Powers of Personality, which make us capable of interacting with other persons, of thinking and reflecting, and of willing freely.

IV.  The Constitution of Man—Four Options

  A.       Trichotomism. Man is constituted in three distinct and separate parts as body (flesh, and bones), soul (mind, will, emotion) and spirit (1 Thes 5:23). The words “soul” and “spirit” refer to different parts of man and are, therefore, not interchangeable. These parts are separate in every dispensation of existence.

  B.       Dichotomism. Man is constituted in two distinct and separate parts as body (material) and spirit/soul (immaterial). The words “soul” and “spirit” are interchangeable biblical terms. These parts are separate in every dispensation of existence.

  C.       Monism. Man is not constituted in parts at all, but is one inseparable being.

  D.       Conditional Unity. Man is constituted in two unified parts as material and immaterial. These parts are unified during the condition of life, but separate during the intermediate state between death and the resurrection.

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What is Sin? 

I.     The Nature of Sin.

  A.    Sin is an inward inclination, or inherent, inner disposition inclining us to wrong acts.

  B.    Sin is rebelliousness and disobedience.

  C.    Sin causes and is caused by spiritual disability (Rom 1: 21, 28).

  D.    Sin is incomplete fulfillment of God’s standards (e.g. good acts for bad reasons, Mat 6: 2, 5, 16).

  E.    Sin is the displacement of God (Ex 20:3).

  F.    Sin is ABANDONING GOD (Rom 1:24-32).

    1.       The Initial Essence of Man’s Sinfulness is Abandoning God, 24-25.

      a.       Because man abandoned God, God abandoned man.

      b.       God abandoned man by withdrawing His protective hand.

      c.       God abandoned man through specific acts of judgment.

    2.       The Ultimate Expression of Man’s Sinfulness is a Degrading Passion, 26-27.

    3.       The Full Extent of Man’s Sinfulness is a Depraved Mind, 28-32.

II.    The Source of Sin.

  A.    Sin is NOT caused by God (James 1:13).

  B.    The source of sin is individual desire (James 1:14-15, desire—sin—death ).

    1.       Desire to enjoy things (“the lust of the flesh,” 1Jn 2:16).

    2.       Desire to obtain things (“the lust of the eyes,” 1Jn 2:16).

    3.       Desire to do things (“the pride of life,” 1Jn 2:16).

III.   The Results of Sin.

  A.       Results that affect man’s relationship with God.

     1.       Sin produces alienation from God (Gen 3:8).

     2.       Sin produces guilt (liability for punishment).

     3.       Sin produces punishment.

     4.       Sin produces death (Rom 3:23).

         a.       Physical death (Rom 5:12).

         b.       Spiritual death (Eph 2).

         c.       Eternal death, “Hell” (Rev 20:14).

  B.       Results that affect the sinner.

    1.       Sin produces enslavement (Rom 6:17).

    2.       Sin produces a flight from reality.

    3.       Sin produces denial of sin.

    4.       Sin produces self-deceit (Jer 17:9, Mat 7:3).

    5.       Sin produces insensitivity, hardness of heart.

    6.       Sin produces self-centeredness.

    7.       Sin produces discontentment.

  C.       Results that effect relationships with men.

     1.       Sin produces unwholesome competition including war.

     2.       Sin produces inability to empathize.

     3.       Sin produces rejection of authority.

     4.       Sin produces inability to love.

IV.  The Magnitude of Sin.

  A.    The sin nature and sinful conduct is universal (Rom 5: 12-19).

  B.       Because of Adam’s sin, all men receive a corrupted nature and are guilty in God’s sight.

  C.    All men were physically present in Adam (natural headship) and his original sin was “imputed” to all his offspring. Thus, all men sinned in Adam.