by Sir Anthony F. Buzzard
I would like to encourage the abandonment of the misleading dichotomy which goes like this:
“Don’t preach doctrine; preach Christian living.”
This can easily be an excuse for never making clear the essential framework of the Christian faith.
“Doctrine divides,” so the slogan goes.
Yes, but truth and error divide too, and Jesus caused all sorts of divisions with his teaching. He (and Paul) also of course aimed at a solid unity among his followers — a unity based on truth. And Paul uttered these amazing words in 2 Thessalonians 2:10:
“Because the love of the truth they would not accept in order to be saved, God will give them over to a deluding influence so that they wind up believing what is false.”
The only insurance against falling for the spirit of antichrist was, for Paul, a thorough and increasing grasp of truth, the very mind of Jesus, who is the Truth.
Yes, of course we are to be kindly in all of our teaching and living. We are to be “gentle towards all.” But avoiding “doctrine” may simply make us water down the precious truths of the faith. And of course, all teaching is doctrine. So the cry “don’t preach doctrine, preach Christian living” actually amounts to “don’t preach these teachings, but do preach other teachings.” Then of course the awkward reply of Scripture to this point of view is that we are to “live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Jesus combined Christian living and “doctrine” so beautifully, concisely and uncomplicatedly (John 17:3).
“This is the life of the age to come” — this is how we are to live and eventually gain the immortal life of the future Kingdom fully — by knowing and understanding that You, Father, are the only one who is truly God (o monos alethinos theos, the ultimate definition of monotheism — Jesus defined it superbly), and that Jesus is your accredited shaliach, ambassador, agent, deputy, plenipotentiary.
I would like to encourage the abandonment of the misleading dichotomy which goes like this:
“Don’t preach doctrine; preach Christian living.”
This can easily be an excuse for never making clear the essential framework of the Christian faith.
“Doctrine divides,” so the slogan goes.
Yes, but truth and error divide too, and Jesus caused all sorts of divisions with his teaching. He (and Paul) also of course aimed at a solid unity among his followers — a unity based on truth. And Paul uttered these amazing words in 2 Thessalonians 2:10:
“Because the love of the truth they would not accept in order to be saved, God will give them over to a deluding influence so that they wind up believing what is false.”
The only insurance against falling for the spirit of antichrist was, for Paul, a thorough and increasing grasp of truth, the very mind of Jesus, who is the Truth.
Yes, of course we are to be kindly in all of our teaching and living. We are to be “gentle towards all.” But avoiding “doctrine” may simply make us water down the precious truths of the faith. And of course, all teaching is doctrine. So the cry “don’t preach doctrine, preach Christian living” actually amounts to “don’t preach these teachings, but do preach other teachings.” Then of course the awkward reply of Scripture to this point of view is that we are to “live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
Jesus combined Christian living and “doctrine” so beautifully, concisely and uncomplicatedly (John 17:3).
“This is the life of the age to come” — this is how we are to live and eventually gain the immortal life of the future Kingdom fully — by knowing and understanding that You, Father, are the only one who is truly God (o monos alethinos theos, the ultimate definition of monotheism — Jesus defined it superbly), and that Jesus is your accredited shaliach, ambassador, agent, deputy, plenipotentiary.
