A "Generous" Doctrine

"Many churches tend to invest a lot of time and energy emphasizing "sound" doctrine, while allowing doctrine to be the primary source for division.

Maybe our question or emphasis should become, "Is our doctrine making us 'sound'?"

Most theologian's define "doctrine" as Man's way of describing who God is and what he is doing. That's the short of it.

In this way, "doctrine" is a tool for centering ourselves around a common idea of who God is and what He is doing.

But consider the following about doctrine.

Paul's definition of "sound" doctrine in Titus

Speak the things which befit sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, honorable, sensible, healthy in faith, in love and in patience.

[Speak to] the older women, likewise, that their behavior be appropriate to sacredness, not false accusers, not prone to much wine, teachers of good things; so that they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, pure, keepers of their home, good, submitted to their own husbands, so that the Word of God will not be blasphemed.

In the same way exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine, showing incorruption, integrity, sincerity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned… .

Encourage servants to be obedient to their own masters and to serve them satisfactorily in everything, not talking back and not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that they may honor the doctrine of God our Savior in everything. (Tit. 2:1-10)

Notice all the "to be's" rather than "to believe's"?

• James said that pure and undefiled religion is to support the widows and orphans and stay undefiled from the world (Jam. 1:26).
• When Peter says the end is near, he exhorts Christians to be sober, pray, and to love one another in order to cover a multitude of sins. No mention is made of correcting our systematic theology (1 Pet. 4:7-8).
• Jesus mentions coming back like a thief in the night repeatedly. In every case he warns us to be careful of our behavior, not our doctrine (e.g., Luke 12:45-46).
• The Book of Revelation has seven letters to churches from Jesus. All of them address the works of those churches, not their doctrinal teachings (Rev. ch. 2-3).
• Matthew reports Jesus as saying that when he judges the sheep and the goats, his only concern will be their kindness towards others (Matt. 25:31-46).

Doctrine according to Paul expresses much more about "Character" than it does belief.

So, show me a person who expresses love to people, and I'll show you a person with sound doctrine.

Show me a person in love with doctrine and see it as a unifying source for a church body, and I will show you someone who is missing the point.