VERITAS: Essential Doctrines

The “Purpose Statement” of the Apologetics Resource Center states, “The Apologetics Resource Center equips the Church to understand [to know], live, defend, and advance the Christian gospel and worldview.” Part of our mission is to “reach the hearts and minds of people with the truth claims of the gospel… [and to] contend for the faith….” One must first know the truth before he can defend it.

One of the classic passages in Scripture charging believers in apologetics is in Jude 3:3-4, exhorting us to, “contend for the faith that was once and for all delivered to the saints.” The context and necessity is given in response to “certain men” who redefined the gospel and thus deny the true Jesus Christ.

Peter likewise warns about false prophets and teachers who introduce “fatal heresies, even denying the true redeemer, Jesus Christ” (2 Pet. 2:1). God inspires Paul in numerous passages to exhort Christians to study and know sound doctrine for spiritual health and because of the many fatal heresies (1 Tim. 1:3-5; 4:1-3; 6:3-4; 2 Tim. 1:13-14; 2:15, 4:2-5; Titus 1:9-11).

Notice, the Scripture makes a distinction between fatal heresies and error. Paul clearly specifies that the essential defining doctrines for Christianity are the Person and Work of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 11:3-4, 13-15; Gal. 1:6-9, 2:15-16).

Necessarily related to the Person and Work of Christ is the essential doctrine of the Triune Godhead, or the Trinity. God reveals that there is but one true God to be believed in and worshipped, but many false gods. To believe in them is fatal (Ex. 20: 3-5; Gal. 4:8; 1 Tim. 2:5; Jn. 4:24).

Contingent to the Work of Christ is the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone in the finished work of Christ—the gospel. Any other belief regarding salvation is false and fatal.

The ways fallen mankind have corrupted Christianity’s essential doctrines are numerous. Apologetically, we are first to know the truth and then we are to defend the faith from errors and advance the truth over those errors.

All other religions are not in harmony with Christianity and are false. Some of these major religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, Baha’i, and Judaism. Other expressions of fatal heresy are pseudo-Christian cults such as Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, Seventh-day Adventism, many Churches of Christ, Roman Catholicism, United Pentecostalism, and many more. These religions and cults deny the interconnected and essential Biblical revelation of the Trinity, the nature and condition of man, the Person and work of Christ, the gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

In addition to religious groups, liberalism in the Church has denied the inerrancy and authority of the Bible, making truth “relative.” They have no place for dogma. We have thoroughly covered this topic in three of our earlier Journals, “The Breath of God”, “Do We Have the Right Books?”, and “Does the Bible Err?”.

In this issue of Areopagus we are focusing on understanding the essential doctrines of the Christian faith. Our first article and essential doctrine focuses on revelation of the one true God—the triune God, or the Trinity, written by Kenneth Samples. Yes, it is true that the word “Trinity” is not in the Bible as those who deny the triune God like to point out.

But Samples systematically lays out the scriptural revelation of the nature of the Godhead and the revelation of the triune Godhead inescapably emerges. The term “Trinity” is a “logical inference.”

Samples not only logically, scripturally, and systematically demonstrates this consistent revelation, but also exposes the misconceptions and heretical expression of the Godhead. He also describes the incommunicable attributes of God (unique and distinct), which distinguishes this from all of creation and which provides us with reason to wholly submit and trust in Him.

There are those who will attempt to use Scripture to refute the revelation of the triune God. The Bible describes them as “untaught” or “deceitful,” and twisters of Scripture “to their (and others) own destruction” (1 Peter 3:16, 1 Tim 6:3-6, 20).

For example those who deny the Triune point to several passages in which Jesus seems inferior or subject to the Father (John 14:28; 1 Corinthians 15:28; John 17:13; Colossians 1:15; John 20:17) or other passages that seem to indicate that Jesus was not all knowing (Mark 13:32), thus not God.

But when all the passages revealing the triune God and the person and work of Christ are applied, the three distinct Persons in the One Being of the Godhead and the dual natures of Jesus Christ are totally consistent with the proof-texts applied by those in denial. For a detailed exegesis of those passage utilized by these false teachers, contact our office for an information packet on the “the Trinity” (www.arcapologetics.org).

Our second article “The Implications of the Fall: Romans 5:12” is by Dr. Donald Hartley, Biblical Theology professor at Southeastern Bible College. The focus of this article is a necessary contingent doctrine on the state of mankind and a necessity for an understanding of the next article on “The Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ” by Dr. Fred Malone.

All of these essential doctrines are like an unbroken chain that describes God’s nature, His plan, our state, and the sovereign paths laid out for us to navigate.

Dr. Hartley’s article describes the utter consequences of the Fall and the place it has for us in God’s plan for redemption—the ordo solutis. He also traces the historic human interactions of heresy and corrective truth.

Dr. Malone’s article presents the logical and Biblical outworking of the Triune nature of God with man’s redemption. Jesus Christ had to be fully God and fully man to effect the redemption of man which is sufficient for and effectual only for God’s elect.

The next article by Dr. Joel Becke, “What Must I Do to be Saved? Three Truths and a Consequence: Satisfaction by Faith Alone,” takes the next sequential step to presenting the life-saving gospel—God’s plan of salvation.

There are many heresies circulating. The Bible describes them ultimately as “the doctrines of demons.” From an apologetics perspective we are to know the real thing so well that we can both discern the heresy and correct the errors of the heresy.

In our final article, Dr. Buzwell McNutt addresses the second return of Christ, “The King is Coming.” He does not argue for a particular eschatological system (a debated topic), but focuses on the final phase of Christ’s redemptive accomplishment, and the believers’ remaining responsibility until that event.

Let me conclude with a challenge: to truly understand essential doctrine or any biblical doctrine goes beyond intellectual assent. As theologian John Calvin once said, “Sound doctrine (orthodoxy) without practice (orthpraxy) is not sound doctrine.”

Orthodoxy or Orthopraxy?
There are numerous terms that refer to Christians. One is “he knows the Lord.” Another is, “she is a believer.” Still another is, “they love the Lord.” But what does it really mean “to know the Lord,” to be a “believer,” and to “love the Lord.”

Moving beyond our forensic justification with God (receiving God’s free gift of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone) we then enter into a dynamic, growing, life-long relationship with the triune God. Believing, knowing, and loving are relationship words.

One can know, believe in, and love at many levels. On one end of the spectrum, one can know things about someone but not really experientially know that person. Jesus warns of those who claim salvation based on the many good deeds done in His name, saying “depart from me, I never knew you” (Mt. 7:22-23).

One can know the right things but not truly believe them. Dallas Willard gives an illustration of this in his book, The Divine Conspiracy. He writes, “I sometimes joke with my students by asking them if they actually believe the right answers they wrote on their tests. They always laugh. They know that belief is not required.” Human teachers never lower a student’s grade for simply giving the right answer without believing it. But, only true belief controls one’s life.

Jesus said if you love me, you will obey me (Jn.14:15, 21). James warns about the fatal consequences of those who claim to have true faith yet without a demonstrative reality. Even demons know about Jesus and correctly believe who He is (Jas. 2:14-19).

This brings us to the importance of understanding the reality and the relationship of what is called orthodoxy and orthopraxy. Orthodoxy entails “right belief” or correct doctrine. Orthopraxy entails “right living” or good works. Far too often Christians fail to hold these two categories in balance.

Without understanding the equal importance and dynamic relationship between orthodoxy and orthopraxy, one can have an anemic relationship in knowing the triune God. Focusing primarily or exclusively on doctrinal knowledge often leads to pride in intellect and knowledge, formalism, rationalism, living by rules and programs, and a dead orthodoxy with more of a relationship with doctrinal principles then with the living God. Too much emphasis on the experiential or good works often leads to pietism, burn-out, disappointment, a legalistic performance based relationship, and even choices based on human sentiment rather than God’s truth.

Knowledge can “puff up” but love builds up (1Cor. 8:1). In order to have an intimate, interactive love relationship with Jesus Christ, we need a balance of sound doctrinal understanding, experiential communion, and devoted obedience. Because God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is the Head and Sustainer of the Church and the source of Spiritual life, fruitful living can only be done by participating in His life through faith, created and sustained by the Spirit through His word. We obey from the changed heart (Rom. 6:17).

In fact, when one examines the meaning of the Greek words for knowledge and the context, it is quite revealing and instructive. A verb for “to know” is ginosko, which means “taking in knowledge, to understand facts.”

But there is another verb, epiginosko, which has a stronger meaning, “to fully perceive, advanced knowledge,” and it implies a special participation with the object known (person or truth.). [1]

Knowledge as a noun also has two expressions, gnosis and epignosis. Epignosis means “exact or full knowledge, discernment, a greater participation by the knower and the object known.” [2]

God’s desire is for us not to know just in part (intellectually), but to more fully know (epignosis), a more full, relational, participatory understanding as well as intellectual. For example, in Ephesians 1:17 and 4:13, Paul’s foundational prayer is that we will gain wisdom and true enlightenment through our interactive knowledgeable relationship with Christ. From that we are to grow into a mature man, no longer deceived and tossed about through false and deceptive teaching.

He also asks God to “fill us with the true knowledge (epignosis) of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding so that we will live our life in a manner worthy of the Lord…bearing fruit in every good work and growing in the epignosis of God.” (Colossians 1:9-10).

We are called to the priority of regular, proper, and deep study of the Scriptures (2 Tim. 2:15). Jesus prays for us to be sanctified in the truth for His word is truth (Jn.17:17; 8:31-32). But notice that God presents the written Word as the “living word” which penetrates where we live (and hide), and that Jesus is also the living word (Heb. 4:12; Jn.1:1, 14). Being in His word is a dynamic relationship. Some understandably argue for the logical priority of orthodoxy (sound doctrine) over orthopraxy (right living). But even so, they must always be married, where the two become one.

Here is an interesting scenario that may expose our own gap between intellectual knowledge and experiential knowledge. Suppose one sunny morning you walked outside and suddenly it became pitch black dark, and a beam of light suddenly bathed you, and a loud voice said your name and said, “I am the Lord your God, you’re Abba Father – take and do what I am about to say.”

What would your reaction be? Would you be on your knees in humility, in joy, listening and ready to obey? If so, is there any difference when we actually open the Word of God to meet with Him?

Craig Branch is director of the Apologetics Resource Center, Birmingham, Alabama.