Doctrine in Scripture (technical stuff)

  Theology is simply organized thinking about God.  Different ways of organizing those thoughts has resulted in different types of theology, each with its own merit.  Christian theology presupposes the existence of God (theology proper) and his revelation of Himself in the Bible (bibliology).  These presuppositions are not without firm intellectual foundation; in fact, they comprise two large categories of doctrine in their own right.  Theology proper and bibliology form the starting point and foundation for true Christian theology.  The more the doctrines are studied, the more certain the foundation becomes; but they are necessary presuppositions if the student of the Scriptures is to start correctly.  As the adage goes, “Well begun is half done.”

  Doctrine is the summation or description of the truth found in the Bible.  Theology is the process of arriving at that doctrine.  The major ways to approach the study of theology are biblical theology, historical theology, systematic theology and practical theology.

  Biblical theology concerns the unfolding of truth in specific books and passages of Scripture.  It recognizes the progressive revelation of God (defined below) and therefore does not necessarily aim to present the whole of a biblical doctrine, but to establish that portion of doctrine taught in the Scripture under consideration.  The different books of the Bible were occasioned by the specific circumstances and needs.  Therefore, often the intent of the author was not to develop a doctrine fully, but rather to teach the truth necessary to accomplish a purpose that the occasion required.

  Historical theology deals with the theological perspectives set forth by Christians through the centuries.  This approach looks at the teaching as it has developed over time.  Studying the way that the Scriptures have been understood helps the modern seeker of truth to clarify his or her own thought concerning many important doctrines.

  Systematic theology  is the organized persentation of the various doctrines, with full consideration of both biblical theology and historical theology.  Doctrines are developed and articulated as a part or subset of the total structure of systematic theology.  This does not mean that tradition has equal weight with the Bible in development of doctrine.  Rather, it humbly respects the fact that other thinkers through the ages have wrestled with the same biblical truths, aided by the illumination fo the same Holy Spirit.  The conclusions and thoughts of the people of God through the centuries can contribute to the present understanding of Scriptures.

  Practical theology  emphasizes the correlation of theology to life’s needs.  It shows the connections between doctrine and application, paying attention to the ways in which theology pertains to issues concerning ethics and society, the interaction of people, and the mission of the church.

The Major Categories of Doctrine:

Bibliology                    The doctirne of the Bible

Theology Proper         The doctrine of God

Christology                The doctrine of Jesus Christ

Pneumatology          The doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Angelology                The doctrine of angels (including Satan and demons)

Anthropology            The doctrine of man

Hamartiology           The doctrine of sin

Soteriology               The doctrine of salvation

Ecclesiology            The doctrine of the church

Eschatology             The doctrine of last things

The Development of Doctrine in the Bible

  To understand the development of doctrine, it is necessary to understand two concepts:  progressive revelation, and how the church developed its theology.

  Progressive revelation  meand that God worked over time, with different persons and through different means, to reveal Himself and His truth in the Bible.  A clear indication of this in Scripture is found in Heb. 1:1-3 as well as 1 Pet. 1:10-12.  Because of this, we often weight the later portions of Scripture more heavily regarding doctrine, for they provide the fuller explantion of many teachings.  However, later biblical writers sometimes presuppose certain well-developed knowledge on the part of their readers and so do not state the assumed knowledge.  In such cases, earlier portions of Scripture may give us a fuller understaning of certain aspects of doctrine.

  Theological development  in the church has been necessary because of the occasional and nonsytematic nature of the New Testament writings.  The Bible contains enough truth for the establishment of clear, coherent doctrine, but it rarely presents that truth in a systematic teaching.  Therefore, the people in the church have necessarily and appropriately contributed thought and organization as the truths of the Bible have been expressed and extended within their own historical and intellectual setting.

A Practical Importance of Doctrine

  Biblical teaching, or doctrine, is not intended by God to stop with the enlightenment of the intellect.  Enlightenment is a necessary first step, but truth is intended to impact the thinking, habits, and behaviors of its recipients.

  Examples of this are abundant in Scripture  (see for example Rom. 12:1; 2 Pet. 3:11).  It is the intended pattern of Scripture that understanding of truth should motivate application of truth.  Always learning but never acknowledging the truth (2 Tim. 3:7) is a description of the process of Christian thought short-circuiting at the mind and not getting to practical outworking.  The writer of Hebrews tells us in Heb. 5:11-14 that Christian maturity comes through practicing biblical truth, not just by possessing the knowledge.  James writes that we are to be “doers of the word and not hearers only” (James 1:22).

  It is a theologican and practical error, however, to reverse the order and take an application of truth and build a doctrine from it.  As an example, the application of self-denial for one person should not become a prescription of lifestyle for another.  Romans 14 illustrates clarity in conviction and charity in extention of that conviction to others.  Dogmatic practices without foundational truth become a system of religion without power.

*reference Nelson study Bible*