Should we talk about doctrine?

So since doctrine can be used as a weapon and since Jesus hated it when that happened we should never talk about doctrine, right?

I don’t think that’s what my friends were saying when they made their statements, but there are some who think that way.

There are some who don’t want to offend, so they just keep their religious views, their beliefs to themselves. There are some who, if they mention it at all, downplay the seriousness, the destructiveness, the deadliness of sin. There are some who make doctrine warm and fuzzy and nice and, in many cases, false. It seems to me that they do this because it feels good to be tolerant and fit in and be applauded by the masses.

Paul predicted that teachers and hearers like this would show up eventually.

In 2 Timothy 4:3-4 we find these words of prophesy: “…the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (NIV)

And Paul’s solution for times like this?

“Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2, NIV)

In a nutshell, Paul says talk about doctrine.

The fact that doctrine can be used as a weapon necessitates discussion of doctrine. If we don’t talk about true doctrine, what Paul calls sound doctrine, we allow false doctrine to win the day. And we can’t allow that. Truth and error is life and death. When unsound doctrine is accepted, people are damned. Forever damned!

So listen carefully. Potential misuse does not require complete disuse. We must talk about what we believe. We dare not remain silent.

So speak the truth we must, but without using the truth as a weapon.

That’s harder than you think. Judging others ruthlessly is easy. Condemning those who differ with you…piece of cake. Criticizing sinners…no problem at all.

I’ve done all those things. How about you? Easy, right?

You want a challenge? Try obeying God’s instruction on this matter. He demands patience and care and kindness. He commands gentleness and love and mercy.

Let me show you all those things from the Bible.

We already read Paul’s words from 2 Timothy 4:2, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.” (NIV)

See it! Patience and care are required by God when you or I speak the truth. Even when we correct or rebuke, we do so patiently and with great care.

Earlier in this same letter, Paul talks to Timothy and to us about God’s way of teaching the truth.

“And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” (2 Timothy 2:24-26, NIV)

What do we see here?

In addition to patience and care, truth tellers are to be kind to everyone. They are to gently instruct those who oppose them. Why be kind? Why be instruct gently? So that people ensnared by sin can hear the truth and in repenting of their sin escape the devil’s traps.

Can I insert something important real quick? Beating people over the head with the truth is like pounding a nail into a board. Your harsh delivery only serves to drive their false beliefs deeper into their minds and hearts. Defensive people don’t escape the devil’s deception, they dig in and fight for their right to be wrong. People are won to the truth by gentleness and kindness not by gruffness and cutting remarks. The church today is driving people away from Jesus with all their ranting and raving and picketing and politicking.

Paul gives further instruction in Ephesians 4:11-15.

Talking about Jesus, Paul says: “It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (NIV)

The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers are charged with building up the Christ so that there is unity and with protecting against error. They are to do that by speaking the truth in love.

Patience. Care. Gentleness. Kindness. Love. These attitudes when speaking about doctrine not only free people from Satan’s snares, they also grow the faith of believers. They make Jesus-followers more secure in their convictions. They mature Christians, making them more and more like their Master who showed so much patience and care and gentleness and kindness and love toward those caught in sin.

The religious folks criticized Jesus because he ate and drank with sinners. He ignored them and just kept eating and drinking with them, loving them and gently guiding them into the truth. They followed him.

Perhaps we ought to follow our Master’s example. More people might be interested in him. And that’s what mature believers want most, isn’t it? More people interested in Jesus.

So listen to what James 2:12-13 says to us.

“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!” (NIV)

The mercy God showed us in Jesus ought always to be in our minds when we speak about doctrine. It is by grace that we have been saved. Our good works did nothing to secure our place in God’s family. We were and are completely dependent on mercy.

Therefore we patiently, carefully, gently, kindly, lovingly, mercifully speak the truth.

That, my friends, is a tall order. I have failed to live up to that high standard many, many times. I have been impatient. I have lacked compassion. I have spoken in anger. I have scolded people. I have been unkind. I have used unloving words. I have shown less grace than Jesus has shown me. I have used doctrine as a weapon.

While all of that is true of me, I’m not going to stop doing what God’s told me to do. I’m not going to stop speaking just because I’m likely to mess up again. The truth matters too much to be silent. People’s eternal destiny is at stake.

Friends, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to keep teaching the truth as patiently, carefully, gently, kindly, lovingly and mercifully as I can with God’s patient, caring, gentle, kind, loving, merciful help. I’m going to keep speaking the truth in love so that you may be built up in the faith and become mature. I’m going to continue to gently instruct all whom God sends my way so that, with God’s help, some will escape from the sin-trap the devil has them in.

Will you join me in that? This isn’t just about preachers standing in the pulpit on Sunday morning, you know? You can speak the truth in love on Monday. You can gently instruct on Thursday. You can obey this command with great patience every day of the week. You can! Really!

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