Can a church have an unhealthy devotion to doctrine?

[Tarheel Baptist]

http://www.outreachmagazine.com/features/4697-do-you-have-a-zombie-church.html

In this article on Zombie Churches, containing some relevant points, BTW, the author lists "an unhealthy devotion to doctrine" as a problem with some churches.

If doctrine is truth, how can a church have an unhealthy devotion to truth?

This seems to be another young skull full of mush gone politically correct crazy...in order to remain relevant, I'm sure!

 

[Izdaari]

Any good thing can be taken to an unhealthy excess. That's what the "Seven Deadly Sins" are: good things in themselves, taken to extremes and becoming obsessions.

 

[ALAYMAN]

The Church at Sardis (Rev 3) is knows as the Chrurch of Dead Orthodoxy by many commentators.  You can hold truth and speak it without love, which is what most relational churches accuse us fundys of, and sometimes theres truth in it.  We can take pride <wrongly so> in being right about the fundamentals (and soulwinning), all the while minoring on compassion <particularly in the social/community sense>.


And since you're such a homophobe, I figured this was apro pos for this OP.

link

 

[T-Bone]

Consider maybe these three senerios...

1.  Yes if the doctrine is man's rather than God's

2.  If the purpose is to just learn it and they are about the letter of the doctrine and it has no life of the Holy Spirit in it

3.  Yes, if there is no proper biblical application in the believer's life of the doctrine they learn


This may not be  what you are looking for, but some thoughts

 

[rsc2a]

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!" (Matthew 23:23-24 ESV)

 

[Reformed Guy]

A few problems with his statement:

5. A dying church will have an unhealthy devotion to doctrine. Sound biblical teaching is one of the most important things a church can offer. When we say cruel or unkind things in the name of

 

[Ransom]

If doctrine is truth, how can a church have an unhealthy devotion to truth?

I can think of two scenarios.

1. As already mentioned, you cannot proclaim truth without also proclaiming love.  As my pastor said once in a sermon, just as love without truth is flabby, truth without love is cold and hard.

2. It's entirely possible to over-emphasize particular points of doctrine, thus harming the overall testimony of the church to the truth, because to the extent that you over-emphasize doctrine A, you under-emphasize doctrines, B, C, and D. I would not wish to attend a church that obsessed on (for example) the King James Version, the Rapture, or hellfire and brimstone.  An accurate Bible translation, the Second Coming, and warnings of judgment may very well be true or important things, but when they are incessantly preached to the detriment of other important things, the overall message becomes unbalanced.

 

[Mathew Ward]

Consider maybe these three senerios...

1.  Yes if the doctrine is man's rather than God's

2.  If the purpose is to just learn it and they are abut the letter of the doctrine and it has no life of the Holy Spirit in it

3.  Yes, if there is no proper biblical application in the believer's life of the doctrine they learn


This may not be  what you are looking for, but some thoughts

Good thoughts at that...

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

Quote
5. A dying church will have an unhealthy devotion to doctrine. Sound biblical teaching is one of the most important things a church can offer. When we say cruel or unkind things in the name of

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

Consider maybe these three senerios...

1.  Yes if the doctrine is man's rather than God's

2.  If the purpose is to just learn it and they are abut the letter of the doctrine and it has no life of the Holy Spirit in it

3.  Yes, if there is no proper biblical application in the believer's life of the doctrine they learn


This may not be  what you are looking for, but some thoughts

Good thoughts at that...

Not sure that's what the author of the article had in mind....he's the stereotypical hip relevant it's all good dude....IMHO!

 

[T-Bone]

This quote was on the web-page of our local apostate Methodist church that promotes their "open doors" policy and has had men like Bishop Sheen and his Bible denying philosophy, along with evolutionist to teach...

"What finally counts is not what biblical texts or church doctrines tell us we may believe, but what humanity, reason, justice, and Christ's love tell us we ought to believe."  - William Sloane Coffin

Believe this fits into the scope of the OP.

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

This quote was on the web-page of our local apostate Methodist church that promotes their "open doors" policy and has had men like Bishop Sheen and his Bible denying philosophy, along with evolutionist to teach...

"What finally counts is not what biblical texts or church doctrines tell us we may believe, but what humanity, reason, justice, and Christ's love tell us we ought to believe."  - William Sloane Coffin

Believe this fits into the scope of the OP.

As I said in my rep comment, that's the future of 'sound doctrine'.

 

[T-Bone]

This quote was on the web-page of our local apostate Methodist church that promotes their "open doors" policy and has had men like Bishop Sheen and his Bible denying philosophy, along with evolutionist to teach...

"What finally counts is not what biblical texts or church doctrines tell us we may believe, but what humanity, reason, justice, and Christ's love tell us we ought to believe."  - William Sloane Coffin

Believe this fits into the scope of the OP.

As I said in my rep comment, that's the future of 'sound doctrine'.

Sadly, in the responses I have seen from many Christians on the gay marriage announcement of the President on my facebook page...we are already there!

 

[AresMan]

http://www.outreachmagazine.com/features/4697-do-you-have-a-zombie-church.html

In this article on Zombie Churches, containing some relevant points, BTW, the author lists "an unhealthy devotion to doctrine" as a problem with some churches.

If doctrine is truth, how can a church have an unhealthy devotion to truth?

This seems to be another young skull full of mush gone politically correct crazy...in order to remain relevant, I'm sure!

Usually if a church has an "unhealthy devotion" to doctrine it is that they have an inordinate devotion to some doctrine taught in the Bible at the expense of other doctrine taught in the Bible. For example, some people become so hyper in their Calvinism that they virtually reject that personal faith is a distinguishing component in "salvation by grace alone." They may also forsake the doctrine of "preach the gospel" and "that I may win some."

 

[T-Bone]

I might add that in my view it isn't that the church has an unhealthy devotion to doctrine, but that for the most part the church has an unhealthy ignorance of doctrine!

 

[Mathew Ward]

This quote was on the web-page of our local apostate Methodist church that promotes their "open doors" policy and has had men like Bishop Sheen and his Bible denying philosophy, along with evolutionist to teach...

"What finally counts is not what biblical texts or church doctrines tell us we may believe, but what humanity, reason, justice, and Christ's love tell us we ought to believe."  - William Sloane Coffin

Believe this fits into the scope of the OP.

As I said in my rep comment, that's the future of 'sound doctrine'.

Sadly, in the responses I have seen from many Christians on the gay marriage announcement of the President on my facebook page...we are already there!

I put this out on my FB early this morning when I could not sleep.

Much has been said and debated in regards to same-sex marriage and it will be increasingly discussed. As a Pastor, whose job and training is to study the Bible, the decision I come to in regards to same-sex marriage isn't one of bigotry, emotion or even governmental inclination. But a decision based on the teaching of the Bible, not my own personal preference nor our culture's emotional desire.

There has been plenty of discussion in regards to the separation of church and state when displaying the 10 commandments or a manger scene in a court room, school or on governmental property. But if those same proponents of that separation really believed in the separation of church and state then they would petition our government to get out of the marriage business. Although the marriage license is a great money maker for the government, but I digress. You see it wasn't the United States of America that instituted marriage but the creator of the universe, God Himself who decreed that marriage is between a man and a woman.

Because I study, believe and try and live what the Bible teaches, does that make me a bigot of those who want same-sex marriage? Absolutely not, I stand with the Bible against all forms of immorality: including fornication, adultery, bestiality and homosexuality. Just recently I lost my Aunt Joan to cancer. 22 years prior to that I also lost my mother to cancer. Now i can tell you that I hate the disease of cancer but loved those that had died from it. The same can be said of homosexuality or any other form of immorality. That I hate the immoral sin of homosexuality but love the people who practice and live in that lifestyle.

Are there Christians that get caught up in the emotionalism of this hot button issue? Absolutely. Do they sometimes make unkind and hateful statements? You betcha. Because of them does it invalidate the Bible? In no way, shape or form is the Word of God invalidated. What we as Christians need to remember is that man was made in the image of God. If we would keep this truth in mind then when the emotionalism or even sensationalism rises up we would keep our cool and treat those with whom we disagree with in a manner of love, kindness and respect.

 

[Izdaari]

There has been plenty of discussion in regards to the separation of church and state when displaying the 10 commandments or a manger scene in a court room, school or on governmental property. But if those same proponents of that separation really believed in the separation of church and state then they would petition our government to get out of the marriage business. Although the marriage license is a great money maker for the government, but I digress. You see it wasn't the United States of America that instituted marriage but the creator of the universe, God Himself who decreed that marriage is between a man and a woman.

I'm with you on getting government out of the marriage business. 

 

[Izdaari]

Are we saved through faith in Jesus Christ... or by correct doctrine?

I don't mean to imply that doctrine is unimportant, and like many of us here I enjoy studying it, to the point where I can qualify as a theology nerd.

But people who are ignorant of most doctrine, and know only that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and was resurrected... well, I think they know enough to be saved, even though they may not be capable of understanding much more.

I think a devotion to doctrine that reverses the ancient Christian principle of lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief") goes too far and is on the wrong track.

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

Are we saved through faith in Jesus Christ... or by correct doctrine?

I don't mean to imply that doctrine is unimportant, and like many of us here I enjoy studying it, to the point where I can qualify as a theology nerd.

But people who are ignorant of most doctrine, and know only that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and was resurrected... well, I think they know enough to be saved, even though they may not be capable of understanding much more.

I think a devotion to doctrine that reverses the ancient Christian principle of lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief") goes too far and is on the wrong track.

Salvation by faith thru grace IS a doctrine!
Without sound doctrine, cults, isms and looney beliefs flourish.
Which is why teaching them all things is apart of the great commission.

The reason these skulls full of mush discount doctrine is because it gets in the way of their looney methodology.

 

[Izdaari]

Are we saved through faith in Jesus Christ... or by correct doctrine?

I don't mean to imply that doctrine is unimportant, and like many of us here I enjoy studying it, to the point where I can qualify as a theology nerd.

But people who are ignorant of most doctrine, and know only that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and was resurrected... well, I think they know enough to be saved, even though they may not be capable of understanding much more.

I think a devotion to doctrine that reverses the ancient Christian principle of lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of prayer is the law of belief") goes too far and is on the wrong track.

Salvation by faith thru grace IS a doctrine!

It sure is! And one I heartily endorse! But if someone is not very bright and is capable of grasping only that one doctrine... well, I think they'll be ok. But certainly I agree that understanding more is a Good Thing.

Without sound doctrine, cults, isms and looney beliefs flourish.
Which is why teaching them all things is apart of the great commission.

The reason these skulls full of mush discount doctrine is because it gets in the way of their looney methodology.

I don't say it's unimportant. But I do say it isn't the most important thing. Faith and worship rank higher.