Doctrines in Scripture

Biblical doctrine is simply what the Bible teaches about various subjects. These are not man-made ideas or philosophical concepts, but divine truths revealed by God Himself through His Word. Understanding these doctrines is essential for spiritual growth and discernment.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

2 Timothy 3:16

The Nature of God

Understanding who God is forms the foundation of all other doctrine. Scripture reveals God's character through His names, attributes, and actions.

God's Attributes

Communicable Attributes

Qualities that humans can possess in limited measure:

Love: "God is love" (1 John 4:8)
Justice: "Just and right is he" (Deuteronomy 32:4)
Mercy: "The LORD is merciful and gracious" (Psalm 103:8)
Holiness: "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD" (Isaiah 6:3)
Truth: "God, that cannot lie" (Titus 1:2)

Incommunicable Attributes

Qualities unique to God alone:

Omnipotence: "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26)
Omniscience: "His understanding is infinite" (Psalm 147:5)
Omnipresence: "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" (Jeremiah 23:24)
Immutability: "I am the LORD, I change not" (Malachi 3:6)
Eternality: "From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God" (Psalm 90:2)

The Trinity

Scripture reveals one God eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God, yet there is one God, not three gods.

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

Matthew 28:19

The Father is God: "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father" (1 Corinthians 1:3)
The Son is God: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1)
The Holy Spirit is God: "But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost?" (Acts 5:3-4)
Yet one God: "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4)

Salvation by Grace Through Faith

The most crucial doctrine in Scripture is how sinful humanity can be made right with a holy God. The Bible is clear that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

The Human Condition

Before understanding salvation, we must understand why it's needed:

Universal Sin: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)
Sin's Penalty: "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)
Spiritual Death: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1)
Inability to Save Self: "Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:9)

God's Solution

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast."

Ephesians 2:8-9

God's Love: "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)
Christ's Sacrifice: "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3)
Substitutionary Atonement: "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Faith Alone: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved" (Acts 16:31)

Results of Salvation

Justification: "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God" (Romans 5:1)
Adoption: "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God" (John 1:12)
Eternal Life: "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son" (1 John 5:11)
New Creation: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Law and Grace

Understanding the relationship between God's law and His grace is essential for proper Christian living and assurance of salvation.

The Purpose of the Law

"Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith."

Galatians 3:24

Reveals Sin: "By the law is the knowledge of sin" (Romans 3:20)
Shows God's Standard: "The law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good" (Romans 7:12)
Condemns All: "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse" (Galatians 3:10)
Leads to Christ: The law shows our need for a Savior

Grace Triumphant

Not Under Law: "For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace" (Romans 6:14)
Christ Fulfilled the Law: "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil" (Matthew 5:17)
Free from Condemnation: "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1)
Grace Teaches: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us..." (Titus 2:11-12)

Prophecy and Its Fulfillment

Biblical prophecy demonstrates God's sovereignty over history and validates the truth of His Word. Hundreds of specific prophecies have been precisely fulfilled.

Characteristics of Biblical Prophecy

Specific Details: Not vague generalizations but precise predictions
Written in Advance: Recorded long before the events occurred
Historically Verifiable: Fulfillments can be documented
Impossible to Fake: Many involved multiple nations and centuries

"Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done."

Isaiah 46:9-10

Key Fulfilled Prophecies

Israel's Dispersion and Return: Predicted in Deuteronomy 28-30, fulfilled in history
Rise and Fall of Empires: Daniel's prophecies of Babylon, Media-Persia, Greece, and Rome
Messiah's First Coming: Over 300 specific prophecies fulfilled in Jesus Christ
Destruction of Jerusalem: Predicted by Jesus in Matthew 24, fulfilled in 70 AD

Eternal Life and Future Things

Scripture clearly teaches that this life is not all there is. Every person will spend eternity somewhere, and God has revealed what awaits both the saved and the lost.

The Reality of Eternity

"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal."

Matthew 25:46

Life After Death: "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment" (Hebrews 9:27)
Conscious Existence: The rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31)
No Second Chance: "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2)
Final Judgment: "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Heaven: The Believer's Hope

Present with Christ: "To be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8)
Perfect Bodies: "It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption" (1 Corinthians 15:42)
No More Suffering: "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes" (Revelation 21:4)
Fellowship with God: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men" (Revelation 21:3)

Hell: The Reality of Judgment

While difficult to accept, Scripture clearly teaches the reality of eternal punishment for those who reject God's offer of salvation:

Taught by Jesus: "And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" (Mark 9:43)
Conscious Torment: "And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame" (Luke 16:24)
Eternal Duration: "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever" (Revelation 14:11)
Just Punishment: "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25)

The Church

The New Testament reveals God's plan for the church—the body of all true believers from Pentecost to the Rapture.

What is the Church?

The Body of Christ: "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body" (Ephesians 1:22-23)
Born at Pentecost: The church began with the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)
All Believers: "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (1 Corinthians 12:13)
Temporary Institution: The church will be raptured before the tribulation

The Church's Mission

"Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."

Matthew 28:19-20

Evangelism: Preaching the gospel to every creature
Discipleship: Teaching believers to obey Christ's commands
Worship: Glorifying God in spirit and truth
Fellowship: Encouraging one another in love

The Second Coming of Christ

Jesus Christ will return personally, visibly, and gloriously. This blessed hope motivates holy living and faithful service.

The Promise of His Return

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

John 14:1-3

Personal Return: "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11)
Visible Coming: "Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him" (Revelation 1:7)
Glorious Appearing: "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13)
Imminency: His coming for the church could happen at any moment

Why Doctrine Matters

Some may ask, "Why focus on doctrine? Isn't love more important?" But consider what Scripture teaches:

Doctrine Protects: "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine" (Ephesians 4:14)
Doctrine Builds Faith: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Romans 10:17)
Doctrine Guides Practice: What we believe determines how we live
Doctrine Gives Assurance: "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (1 John 5:13)

"Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee."

1 Timothy 4:16