The Mind of Christ in His Word: Part 2 (4)

All Scripture isgiven by inspiration of God, and isprofitable for doctrine… 2 Timothy 3.16

Sources of doctrine
We have considered a few of the sources of false doctrine, those vain speculations which are the fruit of nothing more than the best thinking of human minds. Advertising, education, friends, the media, politicians, pop culture – these are just a few of the ways false teaching insinuates itself into our thinking, beliefs, and actions.

False teaching can also come from within the Church, as teachers, afflicted with doctrinal revulsion, head off in pursuit of some whim or intellectual fancy and set themselves up as having gained some “new insight” into what it means to be a Christian. And that “new insight” may be only to debunk sound doctrine and insist, for example, that we really just need to accept and love one another.

Sound doctrine, in contrast to speculative thinking, is a work of God’s Spirit, as He, through the whole counsel of God in Scripture, teaches us how to think, believe, and live with respect to a wide range of matters.

The Spirit teaches us how to compare Scripture from one part of the Bible with Scripture from other parts in response to our interests or queries (1 Cor. 2.13). As the Bible sheds its light on our question, our task is to sort out the various texts and teachings, compare and combine them, and use them to help us understand God’s will, purpose, and plan.

Sound doctrine is nothing more than Scripture ordered to the task of addressing the primary concerns of belief and life. It is discovering by reason and logic the mind of the Logos, as He guides us into all truth, and renews us in His mind.

Examples in Scripture
We see examples of this process at work in the Bible itself. For example, as part of his argument concerning why salvation must be all of grace, and all dependent on the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul offers a brief synopsis of the problem of sin in Romans 3. Drawing from various passages in the Psalms, Proverbs, and Isaiah, Paul explains the devastating effects of sin on our minds and wills, making us ignorant of God’s truth, hostile to God, and in danger of His wrath.

By searching and comparing Scripture, he develops a summary of the doctrine of sin, which then helps to explain why salvation and righteousness can only be attained by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

Similarly, in Hebrews 1, the writer is making an argument that Jesus, as the Son of God, is more to be revered and obeyed than the angels. His belief on this question draws from at least three different books of the Old Testament and five different passages. The writer wasn’t making up His doctrine of Jesus to suit the needs of his readers, or merely to express some personal whim. His convictions are the fruit of careful study, comparison, analysis, and synthesis of the relevant texts of Scripture.

Doctrine for all of life
What Paul did for the doctrine of sin and the writer of Hebrews for the doctrine of Christ, we have the privilege and calling of doing for every aspect of life. Scripture is profitable for doctrine, for discovering the will of God about a great many areas of life. As we learn how the mind of Christ thinks concerning all aspects of life, we can then believe the teaching of His Word, be renewed in our minds, and live as servants and ambassadors of Christ in His Kingdom and for His glory. By applying ourselves to sound doctrine, we may believe as we should and live as God commands and promises, in the hope of knowing His blessing and manifesting His glory.

Sound doctrine thus comes to us as revelation – God disclosing for our edification whatever He considers necessary for faith and life. Human beings do not discover or invent sound doctrine; nor must they fall into the trap of thinking that sound doctrine changes with the changing circumstances of the times or the needs and whims of people. Sound doctrine, being revealed by God, is true and lasting. It needs only to be studied, understood, believed, and applied to have the promised effect of transforming our souls and equipping us to love God and our neighbors.

But if we succumb to doctrinal revulsion, our openness to sound doctrine – and with this, our access to divine truth and a renewed mind – will be sorely compromised.

For reflection
1.  What do we mean by saying that the Holy Spirit is the source of sound doctrine? Why is this important?

2.  Meditate on 1 Corinthians 2.12, 13 and Acts 17.11. How do these guide your thinking about the work of sound doctrine? Is this work part of your own spiritual disciplines?

3.  What are some questions Christians should be asking the Bible these days? How does asking such questions relate to the work of sound doctrine?

Next steps – Demonstration: How should the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith guide our relations with others in our Personal Mission Fields? How will it guide yours today?

T. M. Moore

This is part 5 of a multi-part series on the Christian mind. To download this week’s study as a free PDF, click here.

Brush up on your Christian worldview, and stretch your mind to think about life and the world as Jesus does. Our free online course, One in Twelve: Introduction to Christian Worldview, can provide the categories, terms, and framework for you to begin nurturing a more expansive Christian mind. For more information and to register, click here.

How’s your knowledge of the Bible, as to its primary themes, overall development, and Christ-centeredness? Order a copy of our workbook, God’s Covenant, and spend 13 glorious weeks working your way through the whole of Scripture, examining key themes and tracing the development of God’s precious and very great promises (click here). Or sign up for our course, Introduction to Biblical Theology, and discover the best ways of getting at, getting into, and getting with the Word of God. The course is free and online, and you can study at your own pace and depth. For more information or to register, click here.

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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.