Doctrine, An Introduction
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, August 6, 2025 (Donate)
Do you wear clothes? Have you ever heard of marriage? Do you
enjoy weekends?
Wearing clothes, the institution of marriage, the concept of
a week and weekends, and much more are doctrines of the Christian faith. The
word “doctrine” seems to be lost in many churches today, yet doctrine guides
every aspect of a believer’s faith, life, origins, and practice.
What Is Doctrine?
The term "doctrine" refers to a set of beliefs or
teachings based strictly on God’s Word that are held and promoted by the Church
as authoritative. Many of these are core, foundational truths that guide all
aspects of a believer’s life.
Doctrines are developed because we take God and His Word as
the absolute starting point—what greater foundation could there be? From there,
we study what God reveals in the Bible and develop doctrines based on specific
studies of His Word.
When we study God, we are engaging in theology—the doctrine
based on Scripture about who He is (i.e., the character and person of God) and
what He is like (i.e., the nature of God). The Greek word theos means
"God," and -ology means "the study of," so the
doctrine of God is called theology. In modern times, the term theology
has come to mean the study of any major biblical topic.
Key Doctrines of Theology
Doctrines include beliefs about all three persons of the
Godhead, which can be studied separately or collectively as the Triune God (Triadology):
- Triune
God (Triadology)
- God (Theology)
- Christ
(Christology)
- Holy
Spirit (Pneumatology)
Doctrines Rooted in Genesis
Doctrine also includes beliefs about Creation (Creationology
or Creation Ex Nihilo). Few realize that every doctrine of
theology—directly or indirectly—has its foundation in Genesis, particularly
Genesis 1–11. Many doctrines of Christianity, as well as concepts found in
other world religions, openly borrow from God’s Word because these doctrines
cannot be justified within their own religious systems! Consider just a few key
doctrines found in Genesis:
- Week,
weekend
- Marriage
- Sabbath
- Origins
- Life
- Image
of God
- Dominion/Ownership/Inheritance
- Covenant
- Work/Rest
- Biblical
Creation
- The Fall
- The Global Flood
- The
Tower of Babel
- The basis
for scientific observation and repeatability
Doctrines About Scripture
Some of the most significant doctrines concern the Bible
itself. The study of Scripture is called Bibliology, which includes:
- Inerrancy
of Scripture
- Inspiration
of Scripture
- Authority
of Scripture
- Sufficiency
of Scripture
- Infallibility
of Scripture
There are many more doctrines, including those reaffirmed
during the Reformation in the 1500s (e.g., the 5 Solas), fundamental doctrines
(such as love, faith, hope, and grace), and more.
The Purpose of Learning Doctrine
In future installments, the aim is to provide an overview of
a wide range of doctrines from a biblical authority perspective. Some doctrines
are non-negotiable because the Bible is crystal clear on them.
However, in some cases, different churches interpret
doctrine differently. Creeds, Confessions, and Statements of Faith outline the
doctrinal positions of various denominations. In such instances, I hope to
provide historical background, an overview of different positions, and
encourage readers to explore these theological discussions further—whether
through their local church or personal study.
In other words, this is not to convince you of specific debated doctrines but rather to educate readers on what they are so that they
can investigate them in more detail if one chooses to. Within Protestant
Christianity (any church that emerged from the Reformation—not Roman Catholic,
Oriental, or Eastern Orthodox), most denominations agree on major doctrines.
Differences typically arise in interpretations of Revelation 20, Calvinism vs.
Arminianism, modes of baptism, and a few other areas—these should be addressed
in future installments.
False Doctrines and Heresies
Unfortunately, some cults, groups, “churches”, and ministries deviate from sound theology and fall into error. These deviations are called false doctrines. Some leaders impose outside ideas onto Scripture, claiming to be new prophets, promoting doctrines of men, incorporating secular views, or mixing Christianity with other religions to justify their positions.
This series will also address some of these false doctrines.
Where good and true doctrines are developed from Scripture, believers must use
discernment and rely on Scripture to refute false doctrines that originate
outside of God's Word. In fact, some doctrines are so dangerous that God
Himself warns that they are doctrines of demons.
The Final Authority
In all things, God’s Word—the 66 books of the Bible—remains
the supreme authority.
Bodie Hodge, Ken Ham's son in law, has been an apologist
since 1998 helping out in various churches and running an apologetics website.
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.
