Eph 996 2/9/89; 5/3/81; 7/4/78; 4/12/77; 10/11/76; 8/6/76; 12/24/74
A. Definition.
1. Doctrine is important because it is related to the attributes of God.
2. Doctrine is the basis for all true worship. Ps 138:2, “I myself will worship toward Your holy Temple, and praise Your person [name] for Your grace and doctrine. For You have magnified Your doctrine above Your person.” Praising the Lord is not saying an empty hollow phrase, but thinking doctrine. The only way you can apply doctrine is to put doctrine first in your life.
3. By comparing Lk 23:46, “Into Your hands I deposit My spirit,” with Ps 31:5, we learn what was not recorded in Luke, “for You have delivered Me, O Lord, God of doctrine.”
4. Rom 3:3-4, “Shall their unbelief cancel the faithfulness of God? Definitely not! Moreover, let God continue faithful, even though every man is a liar. Even as it stands written [Ps 51:4], `That You might be vindicated by Your doctrine, and that You might prevail when You are maligned.’”
a. God only deals with us in truth. All faithfulness is based on truth. God always levels with us and tells us the truth.
b. You can malign the truth (Bible doctrine), but you can’t destroy it. Bible doctrine is maligned in two ways.
(1) Distortion, which is false teaching.
(2) Ignorance.
5. Bible doctrine is the content of the Bible communicated by teaching and instruction. It is the communication of Bible subjects based on the exegetical analysis from the original languages, including the context, analysis, classification of subjects and teaching.
6. While grace is the genius plan of God to bless us and integrity is the character of God, doctrine is the manifestation and explanation of that genius.
7. Bible doctrine is the written permanent expression of God’s integrity to the human race. It is the verbalization of divine justice. Doctrine is the study of the attributes of God. Ps 33:4, “For the Word of the Lord is integrity, and all His provision is in faithfulness.”
8. Bible doctrine is the thinking of God in terms of relationship to the human race. Nothing is more important than knowing what God thinks, understanding how God operates, and understanding the basis for all of these things through His integrity.
B. Nomenclature for Bible Doctrine.
1. Hebrew.
a. EMETH means true versus false doctrine, Prov 22:21; Ps 31:5, 25:5, 26:3, 86:11, 119:142.
b. CHAKMAH means doctrine in the right lobe of the soul, Ps 8:1.
c. SHEMUAH means what is heard or concentrated on, Isa 28:9.
d. LEQACH refers to the self-discipline necessary to learn doctrine, Deut 32:2; Prov 4:2; Job 11:4; Isa 29:24.
e. MUSAR means what is learned by discipline or instruction, Job 10:8; Prov 1:2, 4:13, 23:23. It refers to learning Bible doctrine as the principle by which you live your life.
2. Greek.
a. GINOSKO means to learn, to know; GNOSIS means objective understanding in the left lobe of the soul.
b. EPIGNOSIS means doctrine in the right lobe.
c. PROGNOSIS, PROGINOSKO means doctrine in the mind of God; doctrine which existed in eternity past, the “foreknowledge” of 1 Pet 1:2 which refers to God’s omniscience.
d. LOGOS means speech, word, thinking, doctrine, Heb 6:1; 1 Cor 1:18.
e. DIDACHE means what is taught, Mt 7:28, 22:33; Mk 1:22, 27; 4:2; 1 Cor 14:6; 2 Tim 4:2; Heb 6:2; Rev 2:14; Rom 6:17, 16:17.
f. GNOSTOS means capable of being known, doctrine as a potential, intelligible, Rom 1:19.
g. DIDASKALIA means the teaching of doctrine or what is taught, Mt 15:9; Eph 4:14; Col 2:22; 1 Tim 1:10, 4:1, 6, 13, 16; Tit 1:9, 2:1, 7, 10; 2 Tim 3:10, 16, 4:3. h. SUNEISIS, SUNEIDESIS means doctrine in the conscience.
i. GNOTES refers to an expert in doctrine, Acts 26:3.
C. The believer’s legacy in Old Testament times was Bible doctrine.
1. Ps 138:2, “I myself will worship toward the temple of Your Holiness [heaven], and I will be motivated to praise Your person because of Your grace and Your doctrine, because You have magnified Your doctrinal teaching over Your reputation.”
2. Worship is the intake of Bible doctrine. God’s reputation with you is based on your understanding of doctrine.
3. Doctrinal teaching is your highest priority in life. We must be motivated by Bible doctrine to praise God. Once you understand the integrity of God, you have enough doctrine to praise Him.
4. Doctrinal teaching is the only way anyone can understand the integrity of God. This is why doctrinal teaching is magnified above all else by God.
5. God is glorified when he can give us our escrow blessings. He cannot do so unless we have maximum Bible doctrine in the soul for the capacity to appreciate the Source of those blessings.
D. In His dying words Christ made Bible doctrine the legacy of the royal family. In His dying breath, Jesus Christ made Bible doctrine the spiritual legacy of the royal family. Lk 23:46 cf Ps 31|:5, “Into Your hands I deposit My spirit, for You have delivered Me, O Jehovah, God of doctrine.”
E. Bible doctrine preexisted the human race, Prov 8:33-36.
1. “Heed Bible teaching, become wise, do not neglect it. Happiness to the man who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at my doors. He who finds me [Bible doctrine] finds capacity for life and obtains grace blessing from the Lord. But he who sins against me injures himself. All those who hate me love death [the sin unto death].”
2. Both Bible doctrine and evil were here before you came and will be here after you have gone. You cannot change either, but they can change you.
3. Attitude toward doctrine determines whether the believer is blessed or disciplined in time, Prov 8:33-36; Heb 11, 12. The issue in life is not sin, but whether evil or Bible doctrine controls the soul.
F. Doctrine is the basis for the distribution of escrow blessings in time, Isa 53:12. “Therefore, I [God the Father] will distribute the plunder of victory to Him [Jesus Christ] because of the many [royal family]; then He will distribute the plunder of victory to the great ones [mature believers] because He poured out His soul to death...”
G. Doctrine is the basis for the distribution of escrow blessings for eternity, Heb 11:9-10 cf 11:13; Jas 1:25 cf 2:12-13.
H. Bible doctrine must be more real than empirical knowledge, 2 Pet 1:12-21. If there is a conflict between what you see in life and Bible doctrine, Bible doctrine is always right. Bible doctrine is more real than anything else in life to the mature believer.
I. Lack of Bible doctrine destroys a nation, Hos 4:1-6.
J. Bible doctrine is part of the principle of logistical grace, Col 1:25-29; Heb 13:7, 17; Eph 4:11-13. God keeps us alive to take in doctrine. Logistical grace includes time, food, shelter, clothing, money, transportation, protection, the Bible, a pastor, a local church, friends, and loved ones. Bible doctrine is an essential part of our logistical grace provision for our advance to maturity.
K. The plan of God is both the advance and vindication of Bible doctrine, Isa 53:10 cf Rom 3:4; Ps 51:4. You are vindicated through the application of doctrine when you are maligned or rejected.
L. The pastor establishes the balance of residency between the filling of the Holy Spirit and Bible doctrine in the soul of the believer, making possible the advance to maturity. 1 Cor 6:19, 3:16; Eph 5:18.
1. Bible doctrine is transferred from the written page to the believer’s soul by Bible teaching from one’s right pastor-teacher. This is called the function of GAP (grace apparatus for perception).
2. The purpose of this transfer of doctrine is to establish a balance of residency with the filling of the Holy Spirit, whereby God can be glorified in your life by blessing you.
3. Since the Holy Spirit works through the Word in the Church Age, the vacancy of doctrine in the soul creates a demand for the grace apparatus for perception.
4. Daily function of GAP creates a balance of residency.
M. The importance of the consistency of GAP, Heb 10:25, 35-36, 39; Col 2:6-7. You only have supergrace capacity through persistent positive volition and the daily function of GAP. Heb 10:35-36, “Don’t throw away as worthless your confidence in doctrine.” Consistency is the secret to reaching maturity. The biggest problems to being consistent are distractions, mental attitude sins, inordinate desire rather than contentment, and entertainment.
N. The Results of Bible Doctrine in the Soul.
1. It produces confidence in time, Job 5:24-27; 2 Cor 5:6-8; Heb 10:35.
2. It produces divine viewpoint of life and establishes right priorities in the soul, Isa 55:7-9; 2 Cor 10:5.
3. It orients the believer to the plan of God, Isa 26:3-4; Rom 8:28.
4. It produces stability of mind, James 1:8.
5. It is the basis for divine guidance and the execution of the will of God, Rom 12:2-3.
6. It leads to occupation with Christ, your social life with Christ, and the capacity and ability to love God and appreciate Him as the Source of blessing when it comes, Phil 3:10; Eph 3:19; Heb 12:1-2.
7. It attains and holds maturity, Phil 3:12-14.
8. It attains eternal grace blessing, Heb 11:9, 10, 13; James 1:25 cf 2:12-13.
O. Synonyms for Maximum Bible Doctrine in the Soul.
1. Language: CHAKMAH, EPIGNOSIS.
2. Theological: James 4:6, “MEIZONA CHARIS” means super grace.
3. Priestly: Heb 13:10, “Altar of the soul.”
4. Building: Eph 4:12, 16, “edification complex of the soul.
5. Time: Toward God, Eph 5:15-18, “redeeming the time.” Toward the unbeliever, Col 4:5.
6. Central control: Eph 6:10, “Dictator of the soul.”
7. Military:
a. Eph 6:11-18, “Putting on the full armor from God.”
b. Heb 12:1-2 cf 11:1-3 “follow the colors to the high ground.” Cf. Col 2:5-8, “establishing a command post of the soul.”
8. Crucifixion: Mk 8:34; Mt 10:38; Lk 9:23, 14:27, “Taking up your cross” and “follow Me” emphasize the impersonal love of the mature believer.
9. Chemical: Mt 5:13; Mk 9:50; Col 4:6; Lk 14:34, “Salt of the Land.”
10. Sanctification: 1 Tim 6:3-4; 2 Pet 1:3, “Godliness.”
P. Bible doctrine in the soul is the means of promotion, 1 Chr 11:1-2.
Q. Bible doctrine in the soul is the true source of happiness, Lk 11:27-28. “Happiness is hearing and retaining the Word of God.” Life without learning is death.
R. The important Bible passages on the importance of doctrine are Heb 11, Prov 8, 2 Pet 1:12-21, and Isa 53:12.
S. Thinking is the application of Bible doctrine to experience. (Eph 998.)
1. Learning is understanding. Understanding is thinking. Therefore, thinking is the application of understanding. Thinking doctrine is the application of doctrine
2. Learning Bible doctrine is tantamount to understanding Bible doctrine. Therefore, thinking Bible doctrine is synonymous with application of Bible doctrine. First we must learn doctrine, then we must think doctrine.
3. You have to learn Bible doctrine before you can think Bible doctrine or apply Bible doctrine.
4. No believer can apply doctrine to his experience until he has metabolized that doctrine in the right lobe of the mentality of the soul. Application of doctrine depends on metabolization of doctrine.
5. You have to think metabolized doctrine before you can apply it.
6. There are three concepts for the environment of application: learning, thinking, and solving.
a. Learning is tantamount to perception and application of Bible doctrine.
b. Thinking is the application of metabolized doctrine to experience.
c. Solving is understanding and using the problem-solving devices of the protocol plan of God.
7. The direction of application.
a. Toward God includes worship, personal love for God, and occupation with Christ.
b. Toward people means impersonal love for all mankind.
c. Toward self refers to spiritual self-esteem.
d. Toward dying means the application of the doctrine of dying grace.
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R. B. Thieme, Jr. Bible Ministries 5139 West Alabama, Houston, Texas 77056 (713) 621-3740
© 1998, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
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