Biblical Doctrine

What is doctrine?

Literally, "doctrine" means teaching or instruction: the fundamental truths of the Bible arranged systematically. The course begins by establishing a valuable distinction between dogma and doctrine. A dogma is a human declaration of a truth as people conceive it, expressed as a creed; a doctrine is God's revelation of a truth as it is found in Scripture.

Why study doctrine?

The course gives three structuring reasons:

• It is essential to the development of character: what we believe shapes how we live
• It preserves from error (Matthew 22:29; 2 Timothy 4:2-4): "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God"
• It gives an overall view of biblical truths scattered throughout the sixty-six books of the Bible

The inspiration of Scripture

The heart of the course concerns the very nature of the Bible. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16), from the Greek Theopneustos, the breath of God. You will study what this implies: the double divine and human authorship of the texts, how God supervised the writing without dictating it except in rare cases such as the Ten Commandments, and why the Bible does not merely contain the Word of God; it is the Word of God.

What you will discover in this course

• The difference between dogma and doctrine
• The doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture and its implications
• Jesus' own view of the Scriptures
• How doctrine protects the Church from winds of contrary teaching

"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

Who is this course for?

For every Christian who wants to know why they believe what they believe. Those who teach or will teach will benefit in a special way, but sound doctrine is not only for teachers: it strengthens and protects every disciple of Jesus, every child of God.