Sound Doctrine

Sound Doctrine Defined

There is more in this document than can be preached in the time typically allocated for a single message.  Either present it in several messages or pick parts to present.

The exact phrase of sound doctrine  only occurs four times in the Bible.  All four are within the Pastoral Epistles, which makes these instructions to pastors and sound doctrine  is a major theme to all three Pastoral Epistles.  1Timothy defines sound doctrine.  2Timothy instructs the pastor to defend sound doctrine.  Titus instructs the pastor to distribute sound doctrine  to God's people.  Titus is the job description for a pastor and has this command in it twice, which gives us two witnesses  and makes it a law which the pastor will be judged for his level of obedience at the judgment seat of Christ.

The phrase Sound Doctrine  can be said to have a simple Biblical definition of 'God's way to teach spiritual truths so that God's people do the work to build God's kingdom on this Earth and, thereby, obtain God's character as their own character'.

1Timothy 1:8-11 says But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully; Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

This sentence starts with the word But  and is defining Sound Doctrine  as well as giving instruction to the pastor to preach Sound Doctrine.  This sentence starts with the word But  because it is telling to preacher to be different from men who are Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm  (1:7).

2Timothy 4:1-4 says I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

This is a legal charge  given to the pastor.  The pastor will have to answer for how well he obeys this charge  when he stands before His God at the judgment seat of Christ.  Verse 3starts the second sentence of this chapter and starts with the word For,  which means it is giving us the reason why the charge  was given in the first sentence.

Titus 1:7-9 says For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Notice that the ability to use sound doctrine  is not optional but the word must  makes it an absolute requirement.

Titus 2:1 says But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:  Following this are mentioned several things which become sound doctrine.

While all saved are to do the Great Commission and bring salvation to the lost, the main job of a pastor is to speak sound doctrine  so that the saved people will spiritually mature.  People are saved when they have God's life in them in the form of God's Holy Spirit.  All life changes and grows.  If it does not change or grow, it is dead.  The main purpose of sound doctrine  is to encourage that spiritual growth and to encourage it to grow the way God wants.  We have the teaching in the Bible about God's people becoming a wild vine  (2Kings 4:39; Isaiah 5:2) and poisoning the rest of God's people.  But the man of God  was able to remove the poison.  If the pastor does not preach sound doctrine  he cannot remove the poison from sin from the lives of God's people even though they are saved.  However, preaching sound doctrine  will remove the sin.  Therefore, we need to look at what the Bible calls sound doctrine.

Sound Doctrine  as defined by 1Timothy.

1. 1Timothy 1:3- Sound Doctrine  is not other doctrine.  Sound Doctrine  matches what God's Word literally says.
2. 1Timothy 1:4- Sound Doctrine  is not fables and endless genealogies.
1. Evolution and anything which goes against the literal account of creation in Genesis is rejected.
2. Also rejected is Buddhism and anything else which claims that our sin corrupted flesh can become anything more than the sin corrupted flesh that it is.  Not even God will use any part of our current flesh but will replace it with an incorruptible body.
3. 1Timothy 1:4- Sound Doctrine  rejects anything which minister questions, rather than godly edifying  such as questions about the sons of God  found in Genesis 6.  The fact is that there are things in the Bible which we cannot fully understand until God explains them to us after we get to Heaven.  These are a test of faith  , which our verse tells us is the basis of Sound Doctrine.  Simply put, we must have true Biblical faith  that God has all of the answers and will give those answers to us when we can handle them.  Until God gives us the answer we are to concentrate on obeying what we can understand and avoid wasting time question things that we cannot get the answer to.
4. d1Timothy 1:5- tells us that the goal (the end of the commandment)  of Sound Doctrine  is: charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned.  That is what a pastor is to seek in the life of each and every person that God gives you responsibility for.
1. Charity  is not love.  We love  people that we know and that treat us well.  Charity  is giving the same treatment to strangers and to people who treat us wrong.  Until your people respond to wrong treatment with charity,  you still have work to do.
2. A pure heart  is one that is 100% (pure  ) turned to God.  Our heart  is the short-term way that we think, (2Samuel 13:33; Proverbs 23:7; Isaiah 10:7; Matthew 9:4), the short-term way that we make decisions of our will (282 verses with will  and heart  ), and the short-term way that we respond emotionally to the circumstances of life (anger  or have mercy  ).  Since we all struggle with these areas all of our life, we need Sound Doctrine  preached all of our life.
3. What the Bible calls good  is anything that comes from God.  Also, God uses our conscience  to let us know when we are going the wrong way.  There are 32 verses in the New Testament which teach us about our conscience.  A good conscience  is one that responds to God every time that He uses our conscience  to direct our attitudes and actions.
4. The word unfeigned means: 'Not feigned; not counterfeit; not hypocritical; real; sincere; as unfeigned piety to God; unfeigned love to man'.  Romans 2 teaches us to not be a hypocrite.  This means that if you ask the family, neighbors and coworkers about a church member, you will only hear about a testimony of letting Christ live through their life.
5. 1Timothy 1:6- From which some having swerved  warns that there is constant temptation to turn from right.  True Sound Doctrine  reminds the saved of the blessings, from God, of obedience and the cursing, from God, for disobedience.
6. 1Timothy 1:6- have turned aside unto vain jangling.  This is our indication of someone turning to error.  What is vain  looks pretty on the outside but is dead on the inside.  The Biblical picture is witted sepulchers.  The word jangling  is talking about something which makes a noise with no purpose.  Think about the speeches of politicians.  They make lots of noise but the only purpose of their speech is to boost their own pride.  Therefore, watch for church members being filled with pride and watch for church members who talk but have no apparent godly purpose for their talk.
7. 1Timothy 1:7- Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.  These are people who want to be leaders in the church but do not want to receive proper training and there is no evidence of God teaching them through personal daily prayer based Bible Study.
8. 1Timothy 1:8- Sound Doctrine  uses the law lawfully.
1. 1Timothy 1:9- Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man.  Any so-called Christian religion which claims the righteousness, salvation or sanctification come from keeping any part of the Mosaic Law, or from keeping any part of any other rules, is teaching doctrinal error.
2. 1Timothy 1:10- Knowing this, that the law is' for the lawless and disobedient'.  The Mosaic Law and religious rules are only used to condemn.  We are to use the law  to tell people that their attitudes and actions are wrong.  Righteousness only comes from obeying Christ and having Him give us His righteousness.
9. 1Timothy 1:10-11- and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.
1. Sound Doctrine  is According to the glorious gospel which was committed to my trust.  The Pauline Epistles define Sound Doctrine.  Yes, other parts of the New Testament also give us Sound Doctrine  , but the rest of the New Testament agrees with the doctrine from the Pauline Epistles.
2. Sound Doctrine  is According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God.  Anything which goes against the character of the blessed God  is not Sound Doctrine.
10. 1Timothy 1:12- Sound Doctrine  teaches that all enabling  comes strictly from Christ Jesus our Lord  and not from our own abilities.
11. 1Timothy 1:12- for that he counted me faithful.  Sound Doctrine  teaches that we must be faithful  with what we have been given before God gives us anything more.
12. 1Timothy 1:12- putting me into the ministry  Only Christ Jesus our Lord  puts people into the ministry.  Mommy called, daddy sent preachers  will not be blessed by God.
13. 1Timothy 1:13, 15- Who was before a blasphemer'.  Sound Doctrine  teaches that a changed life from sin to righteousness is mandatory.
14. 1Timothy 1:16- Sound Doctrine  says that the pastor must live a life which is a pattern  to all believers.  Sound Doctrine  demands that the Christian, and especially the preacher, back their preaching with their way of life.
15. 1Timothy 1:17- Sound Doctrine  teaches personal worship and praise of God.
16. 1Timothy 1:18- Sound Doctrine  passes on the truth to others who will do the same.
17. 1Timothy 1:19-20- Sound Doctrine  identifies people who have put away concerning faith have made shipwreck.  This is not to make them look bad but to use their example to warn others what not to do.
18. 1Timothy 2:1-4- Sound Doctrine  says that the first priority of the church is supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men  and especially For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  Notice that this was written when most kings, and for all that are in authority  were serving devils.  While this is true, we are to pray for them that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
19. 1Timothy 2:1-2- Sound Doctrine  says that the church is to pray  for the lost because this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  Obviously, prayer for the lost is to be backed by action to take the gospel to them.
20. 1Timothy 2:1-2- Sound Doctrine  says that there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus  , which means that we are to not pray to any other being.
21. 1Timothy 2:8- Sound Doctrine  says that prayer is to be done lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
22. 1Timothy 2:8- Sound Doctrine  says that people are to present themselves to the world in a way which is different from the way that the world presents itself and in a way which shows shamefacedness and sobriety.
23. 1Timothy 2:8- Sound Doctrine  says that we are to back our profession with good works.
24. 1Timothy 2:11-15- Sound Doctrine  teaches to be in subjection to our God-given authority even when God's reasons don't make sense to us.
25. 1Timothy 3:1-16 (entire chapter)- Sound Doctrine  teaches that church leaders must live a life that is above reproach and that demonstrates a personal life which qualifies them for spiritual leadership.  Their life must manifest Godliness.
26. 1Timothy 4:1-7- Sound Doctrine  requires people to be faithful to the true faith with a life which backs what is said.
27. 1Timothy 4:10- Sound Doctrine  teaches God's people to be willing to labour and suffer reproach  for the good of others while trusting in the living God  to provide for them.
28. 1Timothy 4:12- Sound Doctrine  teaches God's people are to follow a man with a godly life and not just someone who has external credentials such as age or an ability to speak well.
29. 1Timothy 4:13-16- Sound Doctrine  teaches God's people are to Neglect not the (spiritual) gift that is in thee  but allow Sound Doctrine  to direct the use of that spiritual gift.
30. 1Timothy 5:1-19- Sound Doctrine  teaches the proper way to deal with different people within the church.
31. 1Timothy 5:20- Sound Doctrine  places teaching all God's people above the pride of any single person.
32. 1Timothy 5:21- Sound Doctrine  teaches that all things are to be done without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.
33. 1Timothy 5:22- Sound Doctrine  teaches that we are to avoid personal violence and trust our Lord for our protection.
34. 1Timothy 5:24-25- Sound Doctrine  teaches that we are not to judge people before we know God's judgment.  Judge their actions but not the people because there are things that only God knows.
35. 1Timothy 6:1-2- Sound Doctrine  teaches that we are to treat our bosses in this world in a way that brings glory to God.
36. 1Timothy 6:3-5- Sound Doctrine  teaches that we are to withdraw thyself  from everyone that teaches doctrinal error.
37. 1Timothy 6:6-8- Sound Doctrine  teaches But godliness with contentment is great gain  because we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.  Therefore, all that matters is the treasure in Heaven  which we can lay up while in this life.
38. 1Timothy 6:9-21- Sound Doctrine  teaches to avoid the error of seeking money but use it for the advancement of the kingdom of God.
39. 1Timothy 6:9-21- Sound Doctrine  teaches that the only thing which matters is our keeping this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2Timothy instructs the saved person to defend Sound Doctrine.

2Timothy is our instruction on how to defend Sound Doctrine.  In the process it identifies the enemies of Sound Doctrine.  Therefore, true Sound Doctrine  is taught by people who do not have these character traits.  In addition, our epistle tells us that Sound Doctrine  rebukes the character traits and the doctrine of people who preach doctrinal error.  Further, it identifies the character traits which are required in a preacher of Sound Doctrine.  These character traits are required and without them, the preacher will not be able to rebuke people who teach error.  With that written, The Book Study on 2Timothy identifies both sets of character traits in detail.  In addition, the Doctrinal Study called Significant Events - New Testament, identifies many promises, which are found in this epistle, and given to the people who truly defend Sound Doctrine.

One important point to remember is that sound doctrine  only comes from our ongoing personal relationship with Christ.  That role, of the Son of God, is what is symbolically meant by the way that the word of God  uses the word rock  in the parable of 'Houses Built on Rock and Sand' (Matthew 7:24-29 and Luke 6:47-49).  The 'House Built on the Sand' spiritually represents religious traditions and is not sound doctrine.  However, the 'House Built on the Rock' spiritually represents our ongoing personal relationship with Christ  and it does produce sound doctrine.  In addition to that Study, Please also see the Doctrinal Study called: Relational Prepositions, which identifies sixteen (16) places where 2Timothy tells us about our ongoing personal relationship with Christ.  That relationship is the true source of sound doctrine.

1. 2Timothy 1:7 says: For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.  In order to know, and preach sound doctrine,  we must have a sound mind.  If we truly do have a sound mind,  then we will Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus  (2Timothy 1:13).  And, we will endure sound doctrine  (2Timothy 4:3-5) and will not act like people who refuse to preach sound doctrine  but who, instead, after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  These character traits are how we tell the difference between people who endure sound doctrine  and those who refuse to do so.
2. 2Timothy 3:10-11 promises that the Lord (shall) deliver  anyone who lives their life like Paul did in spite of persecutions and afflictions.  And, the next sentence continues with: Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.  That is: people who truly live according to sound doctrine  will have this lifestyle and results.  However, people who claim to be saved but do not live this lifestyle and do not have these results, are not following sound doctrine.  Therefore, people who claim to be saved but never suffer persecution  either are not truly saved or they do not live godly in Christ Jesus.  Regardless of which is true, they do not follow sound doctrine.
3. 2Timothy 3:16-17 says that All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.  Therefore, we must believe and obey All scripture  if we wish to follow sound doctrine.  Anyone who rejects some of the scripture,  or who rejects any of the applications of this sentence, is rejecting sound doctrine.  However, it must be noted that the 'Religious law', which is part of the Mosaic Law, is suitable for our admonition  and teaching spiritual truths, but has been replace by the New Testament  for our obedience.  Therefore, people who preach obeying the 'Religious law' (keep the sabbath), are not preaching sound doctrine  because they are rejecting the truth taught by the Book of Hebrews.
4. 2Timothy 4:1-2 commands us to: Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  Therefore, anyone who is not preaching sound doctrine  is disobeying this command.
5. 2Timothy 4:3-5 says that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  Anyone who is preaching fables,  or anything else which goes against what the word of God  literally says, is not preaching sound doctrine.

Titus instructs the saved person to distribute Sound Doctrine.

1. Titus 1:5- Sound Doctrine  sets in order  the things of the ministry and makes sure that all things are done decently and in order.
2. Titus 1:6- Sound Doctrine  appoints people to positions only so long as they meet God's requirements.
3. Titus 1:7-9- Sound Doctrine  teaches that we are to be Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught  and does this by living in obedience to Sound Doctrine.
4. Titus 1:7-9- Sound Doctrine  teaches that we are to be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.  If a preacher cannot correct doctrinal error that is taught within his area of ministry then he needs to study and get that answer.
5. Titus 1:10-11- Sound Doctrine  stops the mouths  of people teaching doctrinal error.
6. Titus 1:11- Sound Doctrine  is not motivated nor affected by filthy lucre.
7. Titus 1:12-13- Sound Doctrine  rebukes  wrong attitudes and actions within the church.
1. liars  = 'following the way of Satan'.
2. evil beasts  = 'acting in an evil manner'.
3. slow bellies  = 'lazy'.
8. Titus 1:13- Sound Doctrine  teaches people to be sound in the faith.  That is, solid and reliable at all times when it comes to the faith.
9. Titus 1:13- Sound Doctrine  teaches that the motivation for correcting error is that they may be sound in the faith.  Our motivation is not to show that we can win a disagreement.
10. Titus 1:15-16- Sound Doctrine  teaches that we are to live what we preach.  If we live in sin, our preaching will turn to justifying sin no matter how much Sound Doctrine  we were given in the past.
11. Titus 2:1-10- Sound Doctrine  teaches that there are different attitudes and actions for saved people who have different roles in life.  We are to have attitudes and actions which match the role of life that God places us into.
12. Titus 2:11-15- Sound Doctrine  teaches that there are certain attitudes and actions which are the same for all saved people.
13. Titus 3:1-7- Sound Doctrine  teaches that the saved are to deal in this world as witnesses of God's mercy and grace with the attitude that only eternal spiritual results have any true value.
14. Titus 3:8- Sound Doctrine  teaches that the saved are to maintain good works.
15. Titus 3:9-15- Sound Doctrine  teaches that the saved are to avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.  Saved are to avoid people who would draw them into such contentions.