Doctrine as a weapon?

I’ve had a couple of conversations about doctrine over the past week or two…maybe it’s been three since the first one. In both situations, close friends have said something like this: “I hate it when people use doctrine as a weapon.” Two different people. Two different times. Same idea.

Strange, don’t you think? These guys live hundreds of miles apart and as far as I know they’ve never met, yet they say the same thing. Bizarre! Must be listening to the same people or reading the same books or something. Two people don’t just come up with the same thing all by themselves. Not usually.

Anyway, their “doctrine-as-a-weapon” words set me to thinking. All sorts of questions flooded my mind? What did they mean by what they said? Is this kind of hatred godly or not? Have I ever used doctrine as a weapon? Do my words unnecessarily offend others? What does the Bible say about doctrine? Is it useful or harmful? What is doctrine?

That last one was asked of me as I talked to my wife about these conversations. I had to confess that I didn’t know the precise meaning of the word.

Do you?

I looked it up. Doctrine, according to the Encarta Dictionary is – first definition – a rule or principle that forms the basis of a belief, theory, or policy or – second definition - a body of ideas, particularly in religion, taught to people as truthful or correct. Webster’s New World Dictionary says doctrine is (a) something taught; teachings or (b) something taught as the principles of a religion, political party, etc.

So doctrine is the rules, principles, beliefs, teachings, ideas that the members of any group hold to be true or correct.

Can doctrine be used as a weapon?

I think we all know the answer to that question. Yes, of course doctrine can be used as a weapon.

Al Queda believes all infidels should convert or be killed. Violence and terrorism is the result. The KKK says everyone who’s not like them is inferior. They’re continually stirring up hatred and bigotry.

Doctrine, even the Christian variety, can be taken to an extreme and used to judge others harshly.

Anyone heard of Fred Phelps? He wields the Bible’s clear teaching on the sinfulness of homosexuality as a two-fisted battle axe. He shouts out his lies. “God hates fags!” Oh the damage he does to the name of Jesus. He slams shut the door for so many who could be saved.

Doctrine has been used as a weapon for thousands upon thousands of years.

The religious folks of Jesus’ day got after some of his disciples because they casually plucked a few kernels of wheat as they walked through a field on the Sabbath. “That’s work!” they shouted. “Bad boys! You should know better than to harvest on the Lord’s day.”

I’m serious. It’s in the Bible.

“At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, ‘Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath.’” (Matthew 12:1-2, NIV)

Mark records Jesus’ reply. In part our Master said, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27-28, NIV)

A short time later – Matthew has it on the same day – Jesus was criticized for healing on the Sabbath.

Luke tells the story this way: “On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.’

“Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

“Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue ruler said to the people, ‘There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.’

“The Lord answered him, ‘You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?’

“When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.” (Luke 13:10-17, NIV)

Crazy! Judging someone – the Son of God no less – for doing good? Come on, guys! What are you thinking? Why are you using the doctrine of the Sabbath as a weapon?

God gave man a day of rest for his benefit. He blessed the Sabbath day. He commanded God’s people to keep it holy. That’s true doctrine. You can’t read the Bible and miss the idea of the Sabbath rest. It’s all over the place. It’s one of the Ten Commandments for crying out loud.

But in seeing that rule, you have to be careful not to use it to cruelly judge others. (I’m talking to you.) Do not openly criticize those who do things on the Sabbath that you would never do. Don’t even mumble about the things your daddy taught you under your breath.

Let God be the judge.

“Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?” Paul asked Roman believers. Then he said, “To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

“One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord.” (Romans 14:4-6, NIV)

Ok, we all see it. Doctrine can be used as a weapon. Beliefs can be used to judge others harshly and I think it’s safe to say that we should hate it when that happens. Jesus hated what the Sabbath police were doing. He rebuked them sharply.

That answers at least one of my questions. Hatred of the wrong use of doctrine is godly. We’ll answer another question next time.

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