Sound minds and doctrine

1) This past week I reviewed a book written by a man who has preached for many, many years.

2) This author has worked among the churches of Christ and in 2001he published a book.

3) In this volume he affirms that the teaching the church has done on the “Godhead” is all wrong.

4) He denies that there is one God composed of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

5) He also denies that the Holy Spirit is God.

6) If this man were an isolated case that would be one thing.

7) He is just one of many brethren who have become involved with some unusual and unsound doctrine.

8) In the church we have brethren who claim a new understanding in several other areas.

a) There is another very interesting (but false) doctrine called the “70 A.D.” doctrine.

b) This teaching is directly tied to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

c) History is very clear about Jerusalem being destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D.

d) The 70 A.D. doctrine takes this information and applies it in some very unusual ways.

9) For instance, adherents of this doctrine say all Bible prophecy was fulfilled by 70 A.D.

10) Take a moment and think about that statement: all prophecies were fulfilled by 70 AD.

11) If every prophecy was fulfilled by 70 A.D., then no prophecies are left for the future.

a) Did not Jesus say something about returning at a future time (a prophecy of His 2d coming)?

b) He did, but the 70 A.D. doctrine says that Jesus’ second coming has already happened.

c) According to them, it took place in 70 A.D.

d) Did not Jesus promise a resurrection of all people at some point in the future?

e) He did, but the 70 A.D. doctrine says this also happened in 70 A.D era.

12) What the 70 A.D. doctrine does is take information in the Bible and then re-defines it.

a) The “second coming” is defined to mean God’s coming against Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

b) The word “resurrection” is re-defined to mean the “resurrection of Christianity.

c) This belief system says Christianity suffered a downturn between Acts 2 and 70 A.D.

d) After the destruction of Jerusalem, Christianity was “resurrected.

e) Most Bible believing people have a literal belief in a coming judgment day.

f) The 70 A.D. doctrine says that there will not be a future judgment day.

g) Judgment came in 70 A.D. when Jerusalem was destroyed.

13) Virtually every teaching in the Bible has been somehow attacked by someone in or out of the church.

14) People have said Jesus was not born of a virgin, hell does not exist, man does not have an eternal spirit.

15) There have been claims to the effect that Jesus was not divine and the kingdom has not come.

16) Claims are made that we have not interpreted the Bible correctly or the Bible is not from God.

SOMETIMES CHRISTIANS HEAR THESE CLAIMS OR READ A BOOK WHERE THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION IS PUT FORTH AND THEY ARE TROUBLED.

a) This should not surprise us.

b) For our Scripture reading we heard some of what is said in Gal. 1.

c) Paul spoke of people who had “troubled” the Galatians.

d) After making this point in Gal. 1:7 he added something else: perverting the gospel of Christ.

e) Since the church was established people have sought to pervert the gospel.

f) Whatever the basis for the perversion (intentional or not), the net effect was the same.

2) In 2 Tim. 2:17 Paul spoke of two men.

3) Paul said these men had a “word” (a teaching). It appears there was a topic they liked to preach on.

4) They said the resurrection was already past (verse 18).

5) This may sound incredible, but it was what they were teaching and this upset some people.

6) Whether we go back 2,000 years or look at things today, we find unsound (false) teaching

7) We also find that unsound teaching matters; it is not a small thing.

8) It mattered to Paul in 2 Tim. 2 and Gal. 1.

a) It also mattered to the Lord; I am now turning to Mt. 16.

b) In just a moment will read Mt. 16:12. The thought in the 12^th verse begins back in verse 6.

c) Jesus told His disciples to “beware” of something that involved the Pharisees and Sadducees.

d) Jesus identified this problem as “leaven.”

e) At first the disciples didn’t understand; when they thought of leaven they thought of food.

f) In verse 11 Jesus said He was not talking about bread; this was another type of leaven.

g) In verse 12 we see that they finally understood the thought – READ.

9) Teaching can affect the minds, practices, and eternal destinies of people.

10) Thus, Jesus said, “be careful.” Such has always been important and it is certainly important today.

11) Sadducees had the Bible but Lk. 20:27 says they did not believe in the resurrection.

12) That is a pretty significant doctrinal point to err on, but this was the mistake these people made.

a) Many who heard the Sadducees might have reasoned, “Well, they are the religious experts.”

b) “They study the Bible a lot. They have been Bible class teachers. They have preached.

c) “They have helped train preachers. Previous Bible students were in their families.”

d) Just because someone has written a book, preached, or trained preachers does not mean he is right.

e) Another passage to consider in this regard is Acts 20:30.

f) Paul said men would arise from within the leadership and “speak perverse things.”

g) What were those “perverse things”? We do not know.

h) I wish a little more had been written on the apostasy in Acts 20.

i) Did the perversion involve worship, how to become Christian, Christian living, church government?

j) We do not know; perhaps it was a combination of more than one of these items.

k) It does appear that some well established truth or truths was or were compromised.

13) According to 1 Cor. 15:12 the Bible says there were some at Corinth who denied a coming resurrection.

14) How on earth could people at this congregation even consider such a view?

15) They had been personally taught by the apostle Paul, and Paul was still living.

16) If this type of thing has happened in the past, it can happen today.

17) If we look around, we see that it is happening today.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF IF WE ARE GOING TO LIVE A SUCCESSFUL CHRISTIAN LIFE IS THE WORD “SOUND.”

a) Preachers sometimes speak of “sound doctrine” or “sound teaching.”

b) It is also possible to speak of “unsound” teaching.

c) In the New Testament the word for “sound” has a literal and figurative meaning.

2) We often hear people use the expression, “safe and sound.”

3) I did not research where this expression comes from.

4) I do know this much: we have this very expression in the Bible.

a) We can find it in the Bible; Lk. 15:27.

b) There was the young man who went into a “far” country.

c) He finally came home and his father called for the returning son to be restored to his place.

d) The older brother came in from the field and wanted to know what was taking place.

e) A servant told him his brother had come home and he was “safe and sound” – verse 27 – READ.

5) Here we see the term being used in a literal sense; the boy was whole, sound, complete, entire, okay.

6) This literal sense of “sound” comes through in other parts of the Bible.

7) Jesus said in Lk. 5:31 that those who are “whole” (sound/healthy) have no need of a physician (doctor).

a) “Whole” is the word translated “sound” in other passages.

b) A servant was made “whole” (sound) – Lk. 7:10.

c) 3 Jn 2 speaks of being “in health” (this is translated from the word “sound”).

8) While this word literally means “sound and healthy,” it can have a figurative meaning too.

9) This figurative meaning is directly joined to the idea of doctrine (what we believe, teach and live).

a) Listen 1 Tim. 1:10 – READ.

b) There is something called “sound doctrine.” God has a very strong interest in sound doctrine.

c) When used figuratively as here, sound doctrine describes believing what God wants us to believe.

d) Many seem to have the idea that sound doctrine is an old fashioned concept; out of date.

e) When we look at the Bible, we find that this is not true.

f) Sound doctrine is presented in such a way where we must make a choice.

g) We either choose to embrace sound doctrine or unsound doctrine (teaching).

h) The seriousness of this choice is found in the ideas of being sick and being healthy.

10) We understand what it means to be sick. We do not want to be sick but it sometimes happens.

a) We can eat food that make us sick. We can drink fluids that make us sick.

b) We can expose ourselves to an environment that makes us sick.

c) Not long ago I hear a man describe someone who had a job that apparently affected his genes.

d) He fathered three children who all suffered because he was exposed to chemicals.

e) That’s very tragic. We want to prevent sickness in the world, but that is not always what happens.

f) We can expose ourselves to people infected with a disease that can make us sick.

g) In the physical realm, we generally take the steps necessary to avoid becoming sick.

11) Even though we recognize and live by what was just said, this information is often not applied in the spiritual realm.

12) There is food (religious information) that can and will make us sick.

13) This stuff is not only capable of making us ill, it is toxic (deadly) and the results are eternal.

14) We can spiritually drink from preaching, teaching, books, videos, etc. that are like poison.

15) We can expose ourselves to spiritual environments that will make us spiritually ill.

16) We can have contact with false teachers who will affect and infect us.

a) It is no wonder that when an apostle wrote to preachers, he spoke about “sound doctrine.”

b) My remaining references come from the books of Timothy and Titus.

c) These were two preachers Paul wrote to and he told them that doctrine matters.

17) We will start in First Timothy, the first chapter.

a) We have already introduced 1 Tim. 1:10 where Paul spoke about “sound doctrine.”

b) This apostle listed some things that are contrary to sound doctrine.

c) Timothy was to avoid what was not associated with sound doctrine.

d) By wording his point in this way Paul showed that sound (healthy) doctrine exists.

e) He implied that sound doctrine can be known and it can be followed.

f) He also showed that whatever is inconsistent with sound doctrine must be avoided.

18) The word sound is then used in the last chapter (6:3); the KJV renders the word “wholesome.”

19) In 1 Tim. 6:3 Paul also spoke of someone teaching a “different doctrine.”

a) When someone teaches something besides sound doctrine, it is different doctrine and it is unsound.

b) Earlier in this lesson some “different doctrines” were specifically mentioned.

c) Paul also associated sound doctrine with godliness – 1 Tim. 6:3 READ.

d) If sound doctrine is linked with godliness, what is unsound doctrine attached to?

20) In the next book—2 Tim. 1:13 Paul said “hold to the pattern of sound words.”

21) God has given us a book to use to stay healthy.

a) The Bible is our one book for good spiritual health.

b) It is our only source for good spiritual health.

c) If we cling to it and not the ideas and doctrines of men, we will be fine.

d) Not everyone is willing to do that.

e) 2 Tim. 4:3 says there are those who will not stay with sound doctrine.

f) Some have “itching ears” and want something else. God says that will make us sick.

g) Sound doctrine is to be taught; Tit. 1:9 says “exhort” people in it.

h) “Hold to the faithful word” is at the beginning of Tit. 1:9.

i) When people are not willing to comply with it, “reprove them sharply” (Tit. 1:13).

j) Any person who commits to be a teacher for God is under obligation to teach sound doctrine, Tit. 2:1.

k) Even the older members are to be “sound” (healthy) in the faith, Tit. 2:2.

22) I have one final passage: 1 Tim. 1:19 – READ.

a) Not many of us spend much time on a boat or ship; we do spend time in vehicles.

b) What if we think of “shipwreck” as a “car wreck.”

c) This is not fender bender but a major collision, one that puts us in the hospital or kills us.

d) How seriously would we regard an accident where we lose limbs and possibly life itself?

e) Paul said that sound doctrine may be thought of in this way.

f) We will wreck our spiritual life if we fail to know, accept and follow sound doctrine.

g) The doctrine we choose to embrace and follow will determine our destiny.

h) If we accept false doctrine from the devil, we should plan on meeting the devil.

i) If we choose the doctrine of God in its entirety, we should plan on meeting God.

23) Which doctrine will we choose? Today we have an opportunity to embrace “sound doctrine.”