Life and Doctrine

The Apostle Paul told Timothy: “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers,” 1 Timothy 4:16 NIV.

Contextually, Paul is exhorting young Timothy his protégé, not to let anyone look down on him for being young, but to keep a close watch on his life and the teaching that was committed to him. As he says in verse 12, "set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." Paul then reminds Timothy to devote himself to the reading of Scripture and to teaching, not neglecting the gift of God within him. This exhortation can be applied to all believers and especially to pastors and teachers.

The goal of every believer is to live a God-honoring, Christ-centered life. To walk in the footsteps of the Master as faithful disciples; imitating the Lord Jesus Christ and growing in sanctification as the grace of God works through us, 1 Corinthians 11:1, 15:10, Philippians 2:13.

No less important than right living is right doctrine. How do we know how to live the Christian life? Doctrine. Theology. Doctrine informs our understanding of who God is, who we are, and how we are to live and worship Him. Orthodoxy fuels orthopraxy.

So how do we know whether or not what we believe is doctrinally sound? Well it depends on who you ask, but in general doctrine is first of all derived from Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura). The Bible is the final authority and contains everything we need for faith and practice. Also, the creeds and confessions of the church have helped codify the tenets of Christianity and are invaluable for understanding sound doctrine. Much of this of course, depends on hermeneutics. That is why it is vitally important to learn the art and science of biblical interpretation so we won't be easily led astray. Hermeneutics seems to be a lost art in the church today and we need to regain it. Even so called "leaders" seem to be unaware that there are actually rules for interpreting the Bible, which is why so many heresies and false doctrines are prevalent in the church today. Paul's words to Timothy in his second epistle are so instructive:

"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth," 2 Timothy 2:15.

We must learn to rightly handle God's truth. Theology matters! But why does it matter? First, the word theology comes from two Greek words, theos, meaning God, and logy, or logía, which is a suffix meaning the study of something. So theology is the study and understanding of the nature of God. As Christians we tend to also use the word theology in a broader sense. We refer to theology as not only the study of God, but also of Christian faith and teachings as revealed in the Bible. What could be more important than that? If you are a Christian and theology isn't high on your priority list, it's time to reexamine your list. Actually, it's time to tear it up and start over. Theology is paramount. We can never exhaust it, because God is inexhaustible. He is infinite. He is eternal; the self-existent, immutable, sovereign creator of all things. Our understanding of Him affects every aspect of our lives, so this is not something we can neglect. As C. S. Lewis said:

"Everyone reads, everyone hears things discussed. Consequently, if you do not listen to Theology, that will not mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones — bad, muddled, out-of-date ideas." - C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

The pursuit of godly living and sound doctrine should be our highest aim, motivated by a love for Christ and a desire to glorify God in all we do. As the Westminster Shorter Catechism so aptly tells us, the chief end of man is to glorify God, and enjoy him forever. And this is principally done through the reading and study of God's word, as well as through prayer, worship, and fellowship with other believers. And so again, as Paul exhorted Timothy:

"Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers," 1 Timothy 4:13-16.