The Importance Of Biblical Doctrine
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, June 18, 2026 (Donate)
The lack of solid biblical doctrine in a church can cause
immense problems. When people in the church are not trained to know the truth
from the Bible—then it is easy to fall into error.
If You Don’t Learn Doctrine
A church could be led astray by unbiblical teachings of a
leader, false prophet, bad interpretations, syncretism (mixing Christianity
with another religion), etc. Consider for a moment if a church leader begins
teaching something contrary to Bible, all the while saying it was biblical?
Sometimes, it even sounds good and right until it is examined and tested
against God’s Word carefully. Sadly, this happens all the time.
For instance, have you ever heard a Christian leader say
that “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion!”? It sounds good and it’s
been repeated for decades—so much so that its origins are shrouded in mystery.
But a quick test against the Bible and you’ll find that God
openly calls Christianity a religion in the book of James—twice (James 1:26 and
1:27).
If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. (James 1:26-27, NKJV)
The Christian religion is to be pure and undefiled, with
bridled (i.e., restrained, kind, and pure) speech and a life unstained by the
world’s false teachings. In other words, Christianity should not be mixed with
false religions and the erroneous teachings of the world. Otherwise, believers
might be led astray into false doctrine, which can result in improper care for
widows and orphans, among other consequences.
Is Christianity a relationship with Christ? Yes, but it is also
a religion—the only true religion.[1]
Consider the situation of a new believer who has just
received Christ as Lord. They know very little about many doctrines! New
believers need to be taught and trained in biblical teaching. That is the
essence of Christian education.
Now, what happens in a church if people are not trained in
doctrine? First, their spiritual growth can stagnate. Second, they could fall
into error. And lastly, they will be less effective in teaching and sharing the
Gospel with the next generation—because they are simply not equipped to do so.
The importance of sound biblical doctrine cannot be
overstated. One should not expect children or new believers to be experts in
Christian doctrine, nor able to defend biblical authority, until they are
properly trained. Again, that is the purpose of Christian education!
Training the next generation of believers in doctrine and a
reasoned defense of the faith (called “apologetics”) is crucial. This is why
apologetics often goes hand-in-hand with doctrinal teachings.
The Levels Of Doctrine: Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary
Primary doctrines are the most important teachings of
Christianity because they define the Christian faith itself. These include
beliefs such as the Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, His death and
resurrection, salvation by grace through faith, and the authority of the 66
books of the Bible. If someone rejects these core teachings, they are rejecting
essential parts of biblical Christianity. Christians should be united on these
foundational truths.
Secondary doctrines are important teachings that affect how
churches operate and practice their faith, but Christians can still recognize
one another as fellow believers even when they disagree. Examples include the
proper subjects and mode of baptism, church leadership, the timing of the
administration of the Lord's Supper, eschatology, post-Flood boundary, certain
theological debate within the realm of biblical authority (e.g., the Calvinism vs.
Arminian debate), and when to rest.
These doctrines often explain why there are different
Christian denominations, yet believers who disagree on them can still share the
same gospel. But they often staunchly divide on these secondary doctrines.
Tertiary doctrines are teachings that Christians may discuss
and debate without causing major divisions in fellowship. Examples include what
clothing to wear, what style of music in which to listen and one’s
understanding of the role of demons and fallen angels. These topics are worth
studying because they help believers understand Scripture more fully, but
Christians should show grace and charity toward one another when disagreements
arise.
A good rule is: stand firmly on primary doctrines, take
solid but gracious views of secondary doctrines, and discuss tertiary doctrines
with humility and respect.
A Practical Example
Sadly, many people today reject the plain teaching of
Genesis 1–11 regarding origins and reinterpret it to accommodate the Big Bang,
millions of years, and evolutionary ideas. Some may argue that this is merely a
side issue—a secondary or tertiary doctrine at best. However, this is
fundamentally an issue of biblical authority.
There is a clear denial of what the Bible teaches in Genesis
1–11: that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. To
reject this teaching and instead accept ideas that originate from other
worldviews (the Big Bang, millions of years, and evolution are subsets of
secular belief systems such as naturalism, evolutionism, secular humanism, and
atheism) is a direct denial of the authority of Scripture, which is a primary
doctrine.
When a professing Christian does this, he or she abandons
what the Lord Jesus Christ has said in His Word, beginning with Genesis. Jesus
is God; therefore, the Bible—including Genesis—is the Word of Christ. This,
too, is a matter of primary doctrine. Genesis 1–11 serves as the foundation for
every major biblical doctrine, either directly or indirectly, and it provides
the essential foundation for the Gospel itself.
Genesis should not be casually neglected in favor of ideas that
come from false religions or unbiblical worldviews. As a teaching point, notice
how many Christians attempt to demote the straightforward and foundational
teaching of Genesis 1–11 to the level of a secondary or tertiary doctrine. The
reality is that denying Genesis 1–11 is a direct attack on the authority of
God's Word.
The Bible, including Genesis, comes with the authority of
Jesus Christ Himself. A professing Christian should stand upon that authority,
not mock or undermine it.
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing
evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as
a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers
News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a
Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a
Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and
running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic
materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a
grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar,
Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over 25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.
*Image generated by Grok
[1]
Thus, the initial statement “Christianity is a relationship, not a religion” is
a bifurcation fallacy (also called an “either-or fallacy”.
