Friday, January 27, 2017

What Is Sound Doctrine?


When I was young, I only thought of my future: Whom would I marry? What vocation would I pursue? Where would I live? Now that I am the father of four children, I think only of their futures.

As he approached the final days of his ministry, the Apostle Paul set his thoughts on the future well-being of Timothy, his “beloved child” in the faith (2 Tim. 1:2). He wrote to him about the things that matter most for life and ministry. Not only did Paul commend to his young protégé the glorious gospel of God (vv. 8–10) and the divinely inspired Scriptures (3:16–17), but he also instructed Timothy regarding the importance of sound doctrine: “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you” (1:13–14). According to Paul, doctrine is among the things that matter most for the well-being of the Christian and the church. Sound, or “healthy,” doctrine provides a pattern that, when followed, promotes healthy faith and love. Sound doctrine is a valuable heritage that is to be treasured in this generation and faithfully transmitted to the next (2:2).

What is doctrine? In its basic sense, doctrine is any sort of teaching. The Bible, for example, talks about the teachings of men (Mark 7:7–8), the teachings of demons (1 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 2:24), and the teachings of God (John 6:45; 1 Thess. 4:9; 1 John 2:27). Here, we are concerned with divine teaching, the teaching of God. According to one definition, doctrine is teaching from God about God that directs us to the glory of God. This definition provides a helpful anatomy of sound doctrine, identifying doctrine’s source, object, and ultimate end. We will consider these elements of sound doctrine. Read More

2 comments:

Joseph said...

Robin,

I read in your bio that you have prepared a conservative contemporary version of the 1162 Book of Common Prayer and the 1956 Free Church of England Prayer Book. Also you are or were working on a North American version of the 1662 Prayer Book.

I have been looking for a more modern language version of the Prayer Book for some time. The 1979 version is way too compromised with Modernism for my taste (though I own it). The other versions are too Elizabethan in language for my taste.

However, all the other versions of modernized language--The REC Modern Language version and the ESV version--per your posts are infected with Anglo-Catholicism.

so what do I do? Is the REC Book of Prayer, non modernized, the way to go? What do you use? Are the projects you mentioned in your bio you are working on available for purchase? If so, where?

Any information you can provide would be appreciated.

God bless.

Robin G. Jordan said...

I need to make several corrections in the modern language version of the 1956 FCE Prayer Book that I have prepared. Right now it is only in HTML format. I have posted the Daily Offices, Service of Word, and Holy Communion Service from A Prayer Book for North America on the A Prayer Book for North America website. A Prayer Book for North America is an alternative to the AMiA's Anglican Prayer Book and the ACNA's Texts for Common Prayer, which I have been working on. The URL is http://aprayerbookfornorthamerica.blogspot.com/. You might also like to look at the Diocese of Sydney's Common Prayer: Resources for Gospel Shaped Gatherings. The URL is http://enit-syd.sds.asn.au/assets/Documents/synod/Synod2012/Common%20Prayer%202012.Final%20revised%20for%20Synod.pdf