Here are the ground rules for doctrine. These are the rules we follow for establishing doctrine and for validating other doctrines.
Ground Rules for Doctrine
- The Bible is inerrant
- All doctrine must be based exclusively on scripture
- Scripture must be first interpreted literally (see the prophetic imagery exception)
- Any major doctrine requires two to three scriptures
- How God behaves is the ultimate interpretation of scripture
These ground rules are critical for good doctrine. Anyone unwilling to accept these rules will find the doctrines based on them useless.
The Bible is Inerrant
If we are to trust God, we have to trust the scriptures that he has given us. Since God is omnipotent, it is trivial for him to have protected the scriptures and insure they have arrived down through time the way he intended them.
Once you start picking and choosing, then it is impossible to believe any of the scriptures. As such, the Bible must be accepted inerrant as a whole.
All Doctrine Must be Based Exclusively on Scripture
In the same way that the acceptance of the New Testament was contingent on it being based on the Old Testament, so must all doctrine be based entirely on the scriptures. There cannot be things added that cannot be based on scripture.
An example is church membership. There is no scriptural basis for church membership, yet many bodies practice this concept.
This is a problem because church membership contains rules for inclusion, which means they contain rules for exclusion and some people will simply not meet them. Jesus never excluded anyone during his entire public ministry. Some people left as a result of his teachings, but never because Jesus said, “You don’t belong.”
Church membership is an example of the damaging kinds of things that can happen when you do not base all of your doctrine on scripture.
Scripture Must be First Interpreted Literally
Scriptures must first of all be read in context and literally. Scripture is created to become both word and spirit and so there are many interpretations for any part of the Bible. Jesus and the Apostles frequently used scriptures out of context by divine revelation. Nevertheless, the first interpretation must be literal.
Prophetic Imagery Exception
There is some scripture that simply cannot be interpreted literally because it is prophetic imagery designed to speak to the spirit instead of to the mind. As such, it is simply not possible to interpret these scriptures literally.
The prophetic imagery exception applies only to those scriptures that cannot be interpreted literally. Before applying this exception, though, you must still attempt a literal interpretation first.
Any Major Doctrine Requires Two to Three Scriptures
While there are some smaller doctrines that may be acceptable to be based on a single scripture, all major doctrines must follow the scriptural rule “In the mouths of two or three witnesses is a thing established.”
Things like who is Jesus, how are we saved, what is heaven like, what is man’s role in God’s plan are questions the entire Bible was written to answer. Any of them should easily be answered with two to three scriptures or should not be accepted.
For example, if the battle of Armageddon was an event that happened on a day in the future, it would be a major doctrine of the Bible. There is, however, only Revelation 19:11-21 that discusses it.
At this point, you realize that this is prophetic imagery. Once you understand that, you can see that the battle of Armageddon began at the fall of man and that the entire Bible is about this. This is the importance of the two to three witnesses rule.
How God Behaves is the Ultimate Interpretation of Scripture
Our God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He will never behave differently than what he says in the scriptures. As such, the most reliable and accurate interpretation of scripture is the way God and Jesus behave.
Any interpretation that varies from God’s behavior is wrong. For example, the doctrine “God is a Holy God and cannot stand sin in his presence” is proved incorrect because of the way God behaves. If this were true, why would God pay the most lavish price ever paid for anything simply to allow sinful people into his presence?
Summary
These are our ground rules for doctrine. Please hold us to them and make sure that the doctrines we teach are reliable and accurate. Hold others to them as well and see how their doctrines stack up.