I'm rereading The Fire and the Staff by Klemet Preus. This book examines Lutheran theology in practice. Here are some thoughts on doctrine.
Doctrine seems to be a 8 letter word -- a double 4 letter word for many. Everyone has doctrine. There is ONE doctrine with many facets. Facets are articles of faith such as baptism, the Lord's Supper, predestination, good works and the list goes on.
Doctrine is and must be pure. True and pure doctrine is based on the Word of Christ and it is certain. In fact, Paul turned the world completely upside down with his doctrine and so did Martin Luther. They both had complete certainty about their beliefs.
Doctrine seems to be a 8 letter word -- a double 4 letter word for many. Everyone has doctrine. There is ONE doctrine with many facets. Facets are articles of faith such as baptism, the Lord's Supper, predestination, good works and the list goes on.
Doctrine is and must be pure. True and pure doctrine is based on the Word of Christ and it is certain. In fact, Paul turned the world completely upside down with his doctrine and so did Martin Luther. They both had complete certainty about their beliefs.
A thought to ponder and treasure in your heart:
Doctrine is a gift of God.
A couple of quotes from Martin Luther regarding doctrine from Luther's Works:
"Doctrine must be one eternal and round golden circle, in which there is no crack; if even the tiniest crack appears, the circle is no longer perfect."
"With the utmost rigor we demand that all the articles of Christian doctrine, both large and small -- although we do not regard any of them as small -- be kept pure and certain. This is supremely necessary. For this doctrine is one our only light, which illumines and directs us and shows you the way to heaven."
