Linked Together: Doctrine

Orthodox
First, from Bobby Jamieson, here are ten reasons to love sound doctrine. You’ll find a short explanation of each point in the original post (Crossway Blog).

1. Sound doctrine re-tells the single story that sweeps through all of Scripture.
2. Sound doctrine summarizes and synthesizes the Bible’s teaching as a coherent whole.
3. Sound doctrine is a guide and guard for reading and teaching the Bible.
4. Sound doctrine is God’s roadmap for the Christian life and the life of the church.
5. Sound doctrine nourishes holiness.
6. Sound doctrine is the ground and pattern of love.
7. Sound doctrine is the foundation of unity in the church.
8. Sound doctrine is fuel for the fire of worship.
9. Sound doctrine equips and emboldens evangelism.
10. Sound doctrine fills up our joy.

And next: Did you know you can use the acronym HANDS to remember 5 arguments from scripture for the deity of Christ?

1. Jesus shares the honors due only to Christ.
2. Jesus shares the attributes of God.
3. Jesus shares the names that are used of God.
4. Jesus shares in the deeds that only God can do.
5. Jesus shares the seat of God — that is, Jesus sits on God’s throne. 

You’ll want to read the whole post to learn more about each of these arguments (Come Reason’s Apologetic Notes). 

Heretical
From Justin Holcomb, two heresies to avoid (Koinonia):

1. Marcionism: “Marcion is relevant to the church today because much contemporary teaching about Jesus and the Bible merely restates Marcion’s claims about the struggle between a God of love and a God of justice.” 
2. Gnosticism: We see traces of gnosticism in contemporary Christianity, too. In songs and books, for instance,  which “teach this world and everything in it is bad… .” 

Theological Term of the Week

Gospel
A book of the New Testament telling the story of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. The first four books of the New Testement — Matthew, Mark, Luke and John — are Gospels.

• The dedication of the Gospel According to Luke:

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. (Luke 1:1-4 ESV)

• The purpose statement included in the Gospel According to John:

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. (John 20:30-31 ESV)

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Heidelberg Catechism

Question 36. What benefit do you receive from Christ’s holy conception and birth?

Answer: He is our Mediator; (a) and with His innocence and perfect holiness, covers in the sight of God, my sins, in which I was conceived and brought born. (b)

(Click through to see scriptural proofs.)

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