The Doctrine of the ONE TRUE CHURCH

The doctrine is more than just a message that is delivered. It is more than just the teaching that is promoted. It is the underlying structure on which the teaching is based.

The New Testament is the doctrine of the ONE TRUE CHURCH. More specifically, it is the teaching that comes from the pen of inspiration via the Holy Spirit. As the apostles and other men of God wrote the pages of the New Testament, they were forging a cohesive document that would forever change the faith of mankind.

The foundation or support of underlying structure is still found in the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the church, and Lord over all. As Messiah, Savior, and Lord, Jesus commands us through His revealed word. The Holy Spirit was promised to the apostles to help them remember everything that Jesus had taught them, and that the Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth. Thus, the pen of inspiration carries the full force of authority as if God Himself is speaking to us.

Ephesians 5:24 "But as the church is subject to Christ; so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything".

Paul, teaching an important principle of the relationship between Christians and Christ, compares our relationship to God in a manner that should be understood by all mankind. The relationship of a marriage. This relationship should be the most sacred and committed to relationship of all. It should be forged and bonded by love. It is very intimate and the two are one in flesh and spirit.

Take the time to read Ephesians 4:7-16. This passage not only tells us of our individual responsibility in the building up of the body of Christ (universally or locally), but also declares that God and Christ Themselves provided the necessary tools to accomplish this. Basically, Christ is pictured as being the one agent by which all these things come to pass.

Paul (in another epistle) teaches that the message comes from God, but specifically Jesus Christ speaking through the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 "Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things freely given to us by God, which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words."

Also if you remember from our last lesson, Paul taught that he had received the message that was formerly a mystery, but now has been revealed. Read Ephesians 3:1-12. Specifically v.5 teaches that the great grand glorious message which had been a mystery at one time, was now revealed through the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 2:20-22 "having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit."

The church of the first century practiced these things at the direction of the apostles and prophets. In Acts 2:42 we read; "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine......" The apostles doctrine was not any different than the doctrine of Christ or the ONE TRUE CHURCH.

We also have this warning about remaining in the doctrine of Christ from the pen of John.

2 John 9 "Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son."

Of course that reading comes from the NASB. The KJV uses the word translated into "doctrine". So whether it is the doctrine about Christ or the teaching of Christ, it is still the doctrine that is revealed in the pages of the New Testament that we have to keep and maintain and not go beyond.

To sum up all of this, we make the following observation.

Jesus Christ is Lord. As Lord, He is the King and Law-giver. Any teaching that does not come from the pages of the New Testament is not the doctrine of Christ or the doctrine of the ONE TRUE CHURCH.

Return to the ONE TRUE CHURCH