Local Church Doctrine

We have studied thus far the Local Church pastor, the Local Church body, Local Church fellowship, Local Church gospel preaching, and Local Church missions.

Today, we’ll study Local Church doctrine.  In Acts 2:42 the first thing mentioned is the apostles’ doctrine.  They received their doctrine from Jesus.  And it went from them to the church.

In 1 Tim 4:15 speaks of “the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth”.  Is this the body or the local church?

Members of the body of Christ are all over the place on Bible doctrine.  Thus, to say that Christ’s body, the church, is the pillar and ground of the truth is impractical, because of the amount of disagreement among members of his body.  We are even instructed to “mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them”, Rom 16:17.

Therefore, Bible believing churches that believe, preach, and teach the truth are, practically speaking, the pillar and ground of the truth.  Local churches and their pastors must continue steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine.

Bible doctrine, what the Bible teaches, is not established by the local church or its pastor.  Doctrine comes from scripture by inspiration of God, 2 Tim 3:16.  Like Jesus said, “My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me”, Jn 7:16.

Therefore, preachers are instructed to give attendance to doctrine, 1 Tim 4:13.  And to take heed unto the doctrine, 1 Tim 4:16.  By this, the preacher saves himself and those that hear him.

And we are to preach sound doctrine.  In 2 Tim 4:2-4 Paul said, “exhort with… doctrine… for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine”.  This takes labor in the word and doctrine, 1 Tim 5:17.

Then members are to endure sound doctrine, 2 Tim 2:2-4.  This keeps us from being “carried about with every wind of doctrine”, Eph 4:14.  We are to endure sound doctrine, even though, sometimes, doctrine comes with reproof and rebuke.

Thus, we can, by sound doctrine, exhort and convince gainsayers, Titus 1:9.  Gainsayers are those who contradict and oppose the truth.

Conclusion: by doing what the early church did, we can pass on sound doctrine to subsequent generations.