STATEGIES TO COMBATING ERRONEOUS DOCTRINE

Introduction
What is Doctrine
Latin doctrina, from doceo, "to teach," denotes both the act of teaching and that which
is taught. In simple terms -  it is the way the central themes of God’s revelation in
Scripture are summarized and taught.

Why is Doctrine Important ?

1. Doctrine explains why we can rest in the finished work of Christ

We can read the Bible but still not fully understand why certain events happened in
the biblical story or why God included certain books. Doctrine helps us to
understand the problem—humanity’s guilty and sinful state—as well as God’s
solution—his sending of his only begotten Son to live the perfectly obedient life on
our behalf and be the perfect once-and-for-all sacrifice for our sin. (Rom. 3:23;
5:12–21; Eph. 2:8–9).

2. Doctrine helps us understand how God is a relational God.

When we learn about the Trinity and how God is one in essence and three in
persons, we can have confidence that God is not some stoic figure who made the
world but doesn’t care for or love it. The love between the persons of the Trinity
(Matt. 3:17; John 14:31; Gal. 4:6) overflows to God’s creation, even to the point
that the Father gave his only begotten Son to accomplish salvation for fallen
humans. Doctrine instructs us regarding the Holy Spirit’s work in salvation as he
convicts people of their sin and conforms them to the image of Christ (Rom. 5:5).

3. Doctrine explains why we feel empty apart from God.

God made us for a purpose, and that purpose is to glorify him and enjoy him
forever! This is why we can never feel fulfilled apart from him. God made us to
have a joyful relationship with him, but we can’t apart from Christ because of
God’s utter holiness and our guilt and indwelling sin. Even though we are different
kinds of beings and we cannot reach up to God no matter how hard we try, he
condescends to be in a loving relationship with us in Christ—and this is glorious!

4. Doctrine teaches us how to worship God.

Doctrine helps us to worship God with more joy, because we can better comprehend
how Israel’s creed (“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one”) is true and at
the same time recognize that the Father is God, Jesus is God, and the Holy Spirit is
God (Psalm 139:7–8; John 10:30; 1 Cor. 8:6).

When we hear God’s Word rightly preached, partake in the Sacraments, pray, and
sing songs of worship, doctrine explains to us that we are always approaching our
heavenly Father in Jesus’ name (because of his work on our behalf) by the Holy Spirit
(who indwells and sanctifies us).

5. Doctrine guides us in how to love God and our neighbor.

Because doctrine teaches us that our right standing before God is based on Christ’s
work and not our own, we don’t have to view our good deeds as ways to make God
love us better. We also don’t have to worry about being popular or esteemed before
people. God already loves us fully in Christ, and that’s all the love any of us ever
needs. We are God’s children, and our inheritance is secure.

We can love God and our neighbor not based on a need to perform but rather out of
tremendous gratitude for all God has done for us and as our rightful duty as his
children. Doctrine reminds us that it is God’s will for us to grow in holiness and be
conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:29).

6. Doctrine teaches us that our hope is not in vain.

We don’t have to worry about whether or not the Bible is true. Through learning
about the major covenants of the Bible and the amazing continuity of Scripture, we
can only marvel that everything we read about in Genesis, Exodus, Joshua, and the
rest of the books of the Bible is inextricably linked together by God’s promise in
Christ.

It seems impossible for so many different authors over such a long period of time to
write sixty-six books that all point to God’s redemptive plan to redeem the world; yet,
this is exactly what we find in the Bible, because the Holy Spirit inspired the authors
(2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21).

7. Doctrine helps us to pick up our cross and follow our King.

Because doctrine teaches us the great truths we need to know, we can pick up our
cross and follow Christ (Matt. 16:24). We don’t need to be afraid—no matter what
God allows in our life—because we know he has a plan and his plan is good.

We also know God is great as well as good, and we can trust him even when the
world doesn’t seem to make sense. We don’t need to regret anything that we are
leaving behind, because God has something far better for us than anything this
world can ever offer: peace with him and everlasting life in his presence.

Essential Doctrine of Christian faith

The Bible itself reveals those doctrines that are essential to the Christian faith.  
They are
1) the Deity of Christ,
2) Salvation by Grace,
3) Resurrection of Christ,
4) the gospel,

These are the doctrines the Bible says are necessary.  

1. The Deity of Christ
A. Jesus is God in flesh (John 8:58 with Exodus 3:14). See also John 1:1,14; 10:30-
33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8
i. 1 John 4:2-3: "This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit
that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every
spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the
Antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."
 a. The above verse needs to be cross referenced with John 1:1,14 (also written
by John) where he states that the Word was God and the Word became flesh.
b. 1 John 4:2-3 is saying that if you deny that Jesus is God in flesh then you are
of the spirit of Antichrist.
ii. John 8:24, "I said, therefore, to you, that you will die in your sins. For if
you do not believe that I am, you will die in your sins."
iii. Jesus said here that if you do not believe "that I am" you will die in your
sins. In Greek I am is 'ego eimi,' which means ‘I am.' These are the same
words used in John 8:58 where Jesus says "...before Abraham was, I am." He
was claiming the divine title by quoting Exodus 3:14 in the Greek Septuagint.
(The Septuagint was the Hebrew Old Testament translated into Greek.)
B. Jesus is the proper object of faith
i. It is not simply enough to have faith. Faith is only as valid as what it is put in. You
must put your faith in the proper object. Cults have false objects of faith; therefore,
their faith is useless--no matter how sincere they are.
ii. If you put your faith in a vacuum cleaner, then you will be in a lot of trouble on the
day of judgment. You might have great faith, but so what? It is in something that can't
save you.
C. The Doctrine of the deity of Christ includes:
i. The Trinity - There is one God who exists in three persons: The Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit. They are all co-eternal, and of the same nature.
ii. Monotheism - There is only one God in all existence (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6,8;
45:5,14,18,21,22; 46:9; 47:8). Mormons believe that many gods exist though they
serve and worship only one. Therefore, they are polytheists which excludes them from
the camp of Christianity.

D. The Hypostatic Union - That Jesus is both God and man.

i. The sufficiency of the sacrifice of Christ - The sacrifice of Christ is completely
sufficient to pay for the sins of the world
ii. As God - Jesus must be God to be able to offer a sacrifice of value greater than that
of a mere man. He had to die for the sins of the world (1 John 2:2). Only God could
do that.
iii. As man - Jesus must be man to be able to be a sacrifice for man. As a man He can
be the mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5).
2 Salvation by Grace
A. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from
yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9,
NIV).
B. "You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you
have fallen away from grace" (Gal. 5:4).
i. This verse and its context plainly teach that if you believe that you are saved by
faith and works then you are not saved at all. This is a common error in the cults.
Because they have a false Jesus, they have a false doctrine of salvation. (Read Rom.
3-5 and Gal. 3-5).
ii. You cannot add to the work of God. Gal. 2:21 says, "I do not set aside the grace of
God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"
(NIV)
C. "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law;
rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Rom. 3:20).
i. "However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked,
his faith is credited as righteousness" (Rom. 4:5).
ii. "Is the law, therefore, opposed to the promises of God? Absolutely not! For if a law
had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come
by the law" (Gal. 3:21).

2. The Resurrection of Christ

A. "And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1
Cor. 15:14). "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in
your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17).
B. To deny the physical resurrection is to deny Jesus' work, sacrifice, and our
resurrection.
C. These verses clearly state that if you say that Jesus did not rise from the dead (in
the same body He died in -- John 2:19-21), then your faith is useless.

3. The Gospel
A. "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one
we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now
I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let
him be eternally condemned!" (Gal. 1:8-9, NIV).
i. Verses 8 and 9 here in Galatians are a self declarative statement that you must
believe the gospel. The gospel message which in its entirety is that Jesus is God in
flesh, who died for sins, rose from the dead, and freely gives the gift of eternal life to
those who believe.
ii. Furthermore, it would not be possible to present the gospel properly without
declaring that Jesus is God in flesh per John 1:1,14; 10:30-33; 20:28; Col. 2:9; Phil.
2:5-8; Heb. 1:8.

B. 1 Cor. 15:1-4 defines what the gospel is: "Now, brothers, I want to remind you of
the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your
stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.
Otherwise, you have believed in vain. For what I received I passed on to you as of
first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures" (NIV).

Within these verses are the essentials: Christ is God in flesh (John 1:1,14; 10:30-33;
20:28; Col. 2:9); Salvation is received by faith (John 1:12; Rom. 10:9-10), therefore it
is by grace; and the resurrection is mentioned in verse 4. Therefore, this gospel
message automatically includes the essentials.

What is Erroneous Doctrine

Erroneous doctrine or false doctrine is the partial or total deviation from the christian
doctrine as established in the scriptures. Apostle Paul in the book of Colossians 2:8
admonished the church to beware of philosophy and vain deceit, not to be driven after
the tradition of men.
Acts 20: 28-31 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the
which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he
hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall
grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves
 shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after
them.  Therefore watch, and remember.
Ephesians 4:14-15 . . .  that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and
carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning
craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may
grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.
Hebrew 13:9 - Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a
good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not
profited them that have been occupied therein.

In the churches of John’s day, both “the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error” (1 John
4:6) were present. They are today, too. The Spirit of truth was heard in the apostolic
teaching. Now it is heard through Scripture and through those who teach and expound
that Scripture accurately. The spirit of error lives on in false teachers. The Spirit of
truth and the spirit of error each have their respective audiences.

Why We Must Combat Erroneous Doctrine

This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies
previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith
and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to
their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to
Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme.

1. pray. "Pray that we may be delivered from confused and evil men" (2
Thes 3:2).
2. repent. "Remove the plank from your own eye first; then you will see
clearly to take the speck from your brother's eye" (Mt 7:5).
3. obey the Lord and His Church. God's word promises: "We are
ready to punish disobedience in anyone else once your own
obedience is perfect" (2 Cor 10:6).
4. know true teachings. We must do our best to know the Bible (see
Acts 20:30- 32) and the teachings of the Church (see 1 Tm 3:15),
especially the teachings of the Pope.
5. teach the truth. "I charge you to preach the word, to stay with this
pealing-- constantly teaching" (2 Tm 4:2).
6. "profess the truth in love" (Eph 4:15). We must hate the sin of false
teaching, but love the sinners. Love is based on truth (2 Jn 2).
7. correct false teachers sharply (Ti 1:13) but gently "in the hope
always that God will enable them to repent and know the truth" (2 Tm
2:25). If our correction is not followed, we should pray about
informing the pastor, bishop or proper higher authority about the
false teaching. We should do this only after informing the false
teacher that we are contacting his or her superior.
8. "stay clear" of those who "oppose the truth" and "with perverted
minds...falsify the faith" (2 Tm 3:5, 8; see also 2 Jn 10-11). "The
influence of their talk will spread like the plague" (2 Tm 2:17). We
should not leave our church; instead we should be careful not to let
ourselves be infected with secular humanism and "blinded by the god
of the present age" (2 Cor 4:4).
9. be willing to suffer persecution and death. "Even to the death fight
for truth, and the Lord your God will battle for you" (Sir 4:28).
10. rejoice in the measure that we share Christ's sufferings (1 Pt 4:13).
God's truth will win out. "His truth is marching on" ("The Battle Hymn
of the Republic").