Print this pageSOUND DOCTRINE
Elder R. K. Blackshear (deceased) "From "Good Will" May 1956 "
"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed." II John 1:10.
"A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject." Titus 3:10.
Is it important that the church contend for sound doctrine, or did Christ and the apostles simply advise the church to do so? Can a church survive and prosper that does not contend for sound doctrine?
And what is sound doctrine? According to the two texts of Scripture quoted above it must be very important for churches to contend earnestly for sound doctrine, for I am persuaded to believe that unless the church does believe and contend for doctrine that is sound it will not prosper; and not only this, it will soon lose its candle stick.
Sound doctrine is Bible doctrine. The things taught in the Scriptures for the church to believe and observe. God gives His people spiritual minds whereby they can understand to some degree, at least these things that are taught, and it becomes their duty to study the Bible in order to know just what it does teach. God also gives them a love for spiritual truths, and if they keep their bodies under subjection they will want to know the truth and contend earnestly for it.
Heresy is anything contrary to sound doctrine, and anything contrary to sound doctrine is a product of the carnal mind. We notice that Paul said that if a man is a heretic after the first and second admonition reject. That is, since we are all human and liable to mistakes, if one of us errs in teaching the Scriptures those who do understand should counsel with us, showing us by the Bible where we are wrong, and then if we make the same mistake over we should be counseled again, but if we persist in this error it is evident that we either cannot learn better or want to preach the error for some ulterior motive, and in that case we should reject.
Much could be said by way of proof as to how heretics should be handled, but the above Scriptures should convince us that we cannot wink at it without being condemned ourselves. And we want to remember that the truth of the Scriptures has not changed and if we are to preach the truth today we must preach the same principles the apostles preached. God gives us the spirit by which we can understand, but He does not reveal direct from heaven everything we are supposed to believe and practice in the church, for that is why He gave us the Bible and made it our duty to read and study it. He could make us to know everything we need to know without ever reading the Scriptures, but He doesn't do this, and we are not without excuse if we fail to study.
If one should come among us preaching the absolute predestination of all things, what should we do about it? We should talk with him about it as many as two times, showing him his error according to the Scriptures, and if he persists in preaching that dangerous doctrine we should then reject him, not only from preaching but from the fellowship of the church. Such doctrine is unsound and should not be tolerated in the church. The same is true with reference to any hint or stain of arminianism, non-resurrectionism, Universalism, eternal children, hollow log or whole man doctrines, Millennial Reign theories, and any other doctrine that is contrary to the Scriptures. The prophet Amos asked in the long ago: "Can two walk together, except they be agreed?" Amos 3:3.
God's children cannot walk together in peace unless they are agreed upon the fundamental principles of truth, and it behooves the church to do whatever is necessary to keep unity and peace. Hence the commandments of Paul and John, quoted at the head of this article. Many of God's children are weak and easily led astray, and this makes it more dangerous to teach anything contrary to the truth. Many of them followed Fuller and Cary in 1790; many followed those who began to advocate absolutism, and many followed those who added new things in the beginning of the 20th century. We have had too many divisions in the past already, and we certainly do not want any more today. Let us be careful in what we preach and what we contend for, and let us CONTEND for the truths we believe. If I say that the church should believe sound doctrine; and then remain silent when false doctrine is preached, I become guilty with those who preach heresy.
Our young preachers should heed the counsel of the older preachers, and if they begin to think the Scriptures teach something that the church hasn't always contended for, they should remember that God hasn't withheld the truth from His people until they came along so that they might be the first to preach it. If I hold to views that the great body of Primitive Baptists does not believe, it behooves me to keep those views to myself and study earnestly in order to learn just what the truth is, because I know that God hasn't just now revealed things to the church through me that He hasn't revealed before. To think He has done so is egotism of the rankest dye.
There are not only heresies in the doctrine, but there are also heresies in practice. It would be heretical to hold one in the church who was a drunkard, a fornicator, a thief, a liar, or a covetous man. A member might be guilty of upholding heresy, but if the church knows it and doesn't rid herself of that member she becomes guilty with him.
We don't need any new doctrine or practice, because a full belief of those things already given the church will occupy our full time and we won't have time to think of or advocate new things. Let us be sure that all we do in the church is for the glory of God and the comfort of His children and never be guilty of trying to be like the world in anything.