What is Doctrine & Biblical Theology?
Doctrine is a body of teachings, principles, or beliefs taught by a group, a religion, political party, or school of thought. If anyone makes the argument that doctrine divides, they are correct, however if you ask them what they believe and why they believe it, their answer will require them to stand on doctrine to do it. We want to make sure that the doctrine that we stand on in this life is based upon truth and that truth is God’s Word. Jesus Himself told us this in John 17:17. He said, while praying to God the Father, “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17).
Biblical doctrine helps us understand the will of God for our lives. Biblical doctrine teaches us the nature and the character of God (Psalm 90:2; 97:2; John 4:24), the path of salvation through faith (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 10:9–10), instruction for the church (1 Corinthians 14:26; Titus 2:1–10), and God’s standard of holiness for our lives (1 Peter 1:14–17; 1 Corinthians 6:18–20). When we accept the Bible as God’s Word to us (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21), we have a solid foundation for our doctrine.
Biblical theology is the study of the doctrines of the Bible, arranged according to their chronology and historical background. In contrast to systematic theology, which categorizes doctrine according to specific topics, biblical theology shows the unfolding of God’s revelation as it progressed through history. Biblical theology may seek to isolate and express the theological teachings of a specific portion of Scripture, such as the theology of the Pentateuch (first five books of the Old Testament) or the theology contained within John’s writings, etc. Or it may focus on a particular period of time, such as the theology of the unified kingdom years. Another branch of biblical theology may study a particular motif or theme in the Bible: a study of “the remnant,” for example, might search out how that motif is introduced and developed throughout Scripture.
Biblical theology asks, “How did our understanding of angels develop throughout biblical history?” and then starts with the Pentateuch’s teaching about angels and traces God’s progressive revelation of these beings throughout Scripture. Along the way, the biblical theologian draws conclusions about how people’s thinking about angels may have changed as more and more truth was revealed. The conclusion of such a study is, of course, an understanding of what the Bible has to say about angels, but it also places that knowledge in the context of the “bigger picture” of God’s whole revelation. Biblical theology helps us see the Bible as a unified whole, rather than as a collection of unrelated doctrinal points.
Together, correct biblical doctrine and proper biblical theology help us to understand God and the Bible and ensures that what we know about the true and living God can be both taught and lived out in accordance with His will and divine purpose.
Under this section header you will find the following:
Creeds, Confessions and Catechisms – Creeds and confessions help to ground us and to guard us. They become a perimeter to help us know where we can go and where we can’t go…They help us to train up our children, and they help our teachers, our pastors, and our elders to remain steadfastly orthodox in the faith.
Fundamentals of the Faith – The perfect resource for establishing a solid biblical foundation for the Christian life and a great study for new or mature Christians alike.
Hymnology – Is the doctrinal study of classic hymns, their origin and meaning. Hymns were wonderful didactic tools, filled with Scripture and sound doctrine, a medium for teaching and admonishing one another, as we are commanded in Colossians 3:16. Most of these hymns were written by pastors and theologians: Charles Wesley, Augustus Toplady, Isaac Watts. “The heart can only go as high in worship as it can go deep in theology.” – John MacArthur