Myer Pearlman - Knowing the Doctrines of the Bible

KNOWING THE DOCTRINES OF THE BIBLE

By

MYER PEARLMAN

GOSPEL PUBLISHING HOUSE

Springfield, Missouri 65802

1937, revised 1981 by Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, Missouri 65802-1894. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior written permission of the copyright owner, except brief quotations used in connection with reviews in magazines or newspapers.

International Standard Book Number 0-88243-534-5

CONTENTS

We confidently expect that theology or doctrine will find its deserved place in religious thought and education. Whatever has been said, in recent years, derogatory to this branch of study, has been ill-timed in view of the worlds great need of sober and satisfying truth. The truth about God and destiny and the way to eternal life can never be unimportant to an immortal being. If men think at all these are things that must press for consideration. They are age-long and race-old questions and can be forgotten only when the race has sunk into idiocy or lost the image of God.

As a man thinketh in his heart so is he. All a mans life turns on what he thinks; and most of all on what he thinks of God.David S. Clarke.

Christian doctrine (the word doctrine means literally teaching or instruction) may be defined as the fundamental truths of the Bible arranged in systematic form. This study is also commonly called theology, which means literally a treatise or reasoned discourse about God. (The two terms will be used interchangeably in this section.) Theology or doctrine may be described as the science which deals with our knowledge of God and His relations to man. It treats of all things in so far as they are related to God and the Divine purposes.

Why do we describe theology or doctrine as a science? Science is the systematic and logical arrangement of certified facts. Theology is called a science because it consists of facts relating to God and Divine things, presented in an orderly and logical manner.

What is the connection between theology and religion? Religion comes from a Latin word meaning to bind; religion represents those activities which bind man to God in a certain relationship. Theology is knowledge about God. Thus religion is practice, while theology is knowledge. Religion and theology should go together in the balanced experience; but in practice they are sometimes separated so that one may be a theologian without being truly religious and on the other hand one may be truly religious without possessing a systematic knowledge of doctrinal truth. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them, is Gods message to the theologian. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (), is Gods message for the spiritual man.

What is the difference between a doctrine and a dogma? A doctrine is Gods revelation of a truth as found in the Scriptures; dogma is mans statement of that truth as set forth in a creed.

1. Doctrinal knowledge supplies the need for an authoritative and systematic statement of truth

There is a tendency in some quarters not only to minimize the value of doctrine but to dismiss it as outgrown and useless. However, as long as men think about the problems of existence they will feel the need of an authoritative and systematically arranged answer to these problems. Doctrine will always be necessary as long as men ask, Where did I come from, what am I, and whither am I going?

It is often said, It does not matter what a man believes so long as he does right. This is one way of dismissing doctrine as having no importance in relation to life. But every person has a theology whether he knows it or not; mans actions are influenced by what he believes. For example, there would be a wide difference between the conduct of a ships crew who knew that they were headed for a definite destination, and a crew who realized that they were drifting aimlessly without a definite course or destination.

Human life is a journey from time to eternity, and it matters much whether one believes that it is an aimless, meaningless journey, or one planned by mans Maker, and directed to a heavenly destiny.

2. Doctrinal knowledge is essential to the full development of Christian character

Strong beliefs make for strong character; clear-cut beliefs make for clear-cut convictions. Of course, a persons doctrinal belief is not his religion any more than the backbone is the mans personality. But as good backbone is an essential part of a mans body, so a definite system of belief is an essential part of a mans religion. It has been well said that a man does not need to wear his backbone in front of him, but he must have a backbone and a straight one or he will be a flexible if not a humpbacked Christian.

A French Unitarian preacher once made the statement: Purity of heart and life is more important than correctness of opinion. To which another French preacher answered: Healing is more important than the remedy; but without the remedy there would be no healing. Certainly it is more important to live the Christian life than to merely know Christian doctrine, but there would be no Christian experience if there were no Christian doctrine.

It is often said that the stars came before the science of astronomy, and that flowers existed before botany, and that life existed before biology, and that God existed before theology.

That is true. But men in their ignorance conceived superstitious notions about the stars, and the result was the false science of astrology. Men conceived false ideas about the plants, attributing virtues which they did not possess; and the result was witchcraft. Man in his blindness formed wrong conceptions of God, and the result was paganism with its superstitions and corruption.

But astronomy came with true principles about heavenly bodies and so exposed the errors of astrology; botany came with the truth about plants and so banished the errors of witchcraft. In like manner, Bible doctrine exposes false notions about God and His ways.

Let no man think error in doctrine a slight practical evil, declared D. C. Hodge, the noted theologian. No road to perdition has ever been more thronged than that of false doctrine. Error is a shield over the conscience, and a bandage over the eyes.

4. Doctrinal knowledge is a necessary part of the Christian teachers equipment

When a consignment of goods reaches a store the goods are unpacked and placed in their proper compartments and receptacles, so that they may be handled in an orderly manner. This is a rather homely illustration of one purpose of systematic study. The Bible indeed follows a central theme. But the various truths relating to its great theme are scattered throughout the various books. In order therefore to gain a comprehensive view of each doctrine, and impart it to others, one must gather the references relating to it and place them in compartments (topics) and in smaller receptacles (sub-topics).

Theology includes many departments.

1. Exegetical theology (exegetical comes from a Greek word meaning to draw out the truth) seeks to ascertain the true meaning of the Scriptures. A knowledge of the original languages in which the Scriptures were written is involved in this department of theology.