Where Have All The Doctrines Gone?

Prophetic Observer

Keeping Time On God's Prophetic Clock

November 2004 — Vol. 11, No. 11

L-996

Where Have All the Doctrines Gone?

by N. W. Hutchings

The trio of Peter, Paul, and Mary back in the '60s popularized an anti-Vietnam War song with the lyrics:

Where have all the young men gone?

Gone for soldiers every one.

Where have all the soldiers gone?

Gone to graveyards every everyone.

When will they every learn?

When this song was popular, I was teaching Sunday school and training union at the First Baptist Church of Nicoma Park, Oklahoma. The teaching of the fundamentals of the Christian faith within the eight basic Bible doctrines was an essential of both Sunday school and pulpit presentation, not only among Southern Baptists, but most other flavors of Baptists, and other denominations as well. Also at that time, doctrine was still an essential of most seminary curriculums.

Why is doctrine important? If our Christian faith is built upon sound and unchanging doctrinal pillars as set forth by God in His Word, then we will not be “carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:14). As instructed in 2 Timothy 3:10, if a Christian is well grounded in sound doctrine, then he or she will not be deceived by false teachers and every new cult that comes along. It has been reported that half of the Jehovah's Witness cult are former Southern Baptists, and now almost 100 percent of Southern Baptist churches, and probably the majority of churches of other denominations, have embraced some form of the Purpose Driven Church movement.

To explain the eight doctrinal pillars of the Christian faith would take an entire book; however, we list them with a brief comment, because most church members today do not even know what they are:

Theism: The reality of God and His revelation in Three Persons.
Bibliology: The divine revelation of God to mankind in the sixty-six books of the Bible, written by men led and inspired by the Holy Spirit, authoritative and infallible.
Theology: God as Creator by Jesus Christ; the laws of God that govern this world and the universe.
Angelology: The creation and mission of angels; classification, missions, and future of those who fell, and those who remained faithful to God.
Anthropology: The creation of man, his fall, and inherent carnality; the reality of Heaven for redeemed man; the reality of Hell for the lost.
Soteriology: Jesus Christ; His preincarnate appearances; His incarnation as both God and man in the form of man; His death in sinful man's place; salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, a gift of God's grace; the new birth and ministry of the Holy Spirit; sanctification — immediate and progressive; rewards and the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Ecclesiology: Church definition; founding of the church; government of the church; church ordinances; mission of the church, now and in the future.
Eschatology: The second coming of Jesus Christ; purpose of His return; the Rapture or Translation of the church; resurrections; judgments; the coming Kingdom age; the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Mr. Rick Warren on page 34 of his book The Purpose Driven Life states:

One day you will stand before God, and he [small “h”] will do an audit of your life, a final exam, before you enter eternity. The Bible says, “Remember each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God... Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to God.” Fortunately, God wants us to pass this test, so he has given us the questions in advance. From the Bible we can surmise that God will ask us two crucial questions. First, “What did you do with my Son, Jesus Christ.” God won't ask about your religious background or doctrinal views. The only thing that will matter is, did you accept what Jesus Christ did for you and did you learn to love and trust him.

Mr. Warren quotes Romans 14:10 from one of the new versions. The NIV, NASV, and the HCSB, and almost all the other new versions, with the exception of the NKJV, say “the judgment seat of God.” We read in a John 5:22 that the Father has committed all judgment to the Son. Paul stated in Romans 14:10, and repeats in 2 Corinthians 5:10, that we, meaning all Christians, must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged, not for salvation, but for works. The Textus Receptus states plainly, the Judgment Seat of Christos, interpreted correctly in the KJV as Christ. The word is Christos, not Theos. We are not going to be asked about our relationship with Jesus Christ, because if we were not saved, we would not be before the Judgment Seat of Christ in the first place. Perhaps Mr. Warren thinks he is to appear for judgment before the Great White Throne Judgment. If he thinks that, then he is in a lot of trouble. He continues to indicate that salvation also depends upon learning to love and trust Jesus experientially.

Comparison of Scriptures

Scripture	KJV	NIV	NASV	HCSB
Deuteronomy 32:2	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Job 11:4	Doctrine	Beliefs	Teaching	Teaching
Proverbs 4:2	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Instruction
Isaiah 28:9	Doctrine	Message	Message	Instruct
Isaiah 29:24	Doctrine	Instruction	Instruction	Instruction
Jeremiah 10:8	Doctrine	Taught	Discipline	Instructed
Matthew 7:28	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Matthew 16:12	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Matthew 22:33	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Mark 1:22	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Mark 1:27	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Mark 4:2	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Mark 11:18	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Mark 12:38	Doctrine	Taught	Teaching	Teaching
Luke 4:32	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
John 7:16	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
John 7:17	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
John 18:19	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Acts 2:24	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Acts 5:28	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Acts 13:12	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Acts 17:19	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Romans 6:17	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
1 Corinthians 14:6	Doctrine	Instruction	Teaching	Teaching

This is a progressive salvation teaching and is contrary to sound doctrine, but Mr. Warren indicates that doctrine is not important. And tens of thousands of pastors are insisting that their memberships read Mr. Warren's books and espouse this kind of fuzzy, confusing heresy.

In the Old Testament we find the word “doctrine” six times in the KJV as translated from the Masoretic Text. Two different Hebrew words were understood to be doctrine in the context. In the NIV, NASV, and the HCSB, these words are translated to be: “teaching,” seven times; “beliefs,” once; “instruction,” four times; “message,” twice; “taught,” once; “discipline,” once; “instructed,” once; and “instruct,” once. Now we would think that in just one of the eighteen places the new versions would take into consideration that for over four hundred years millions of Christian scholars and laymen had understood these words to mean doctrine. But no, the word “doctrine” must go.

But you say, what difference does it make if the Scripture says doctrine, teaching, instruction, or message? Let's continue and go to the New Testament.

Scripture	KJV	NIV	NASV	HCSB
1 Corinthians 14:26	Doctrine	Instruction	Teaching	Teaching
Ephesians 4:14	Doctrine	Teaching	Doctrine	Teaching
1 Timothy 1:3	Doctrine	Doctrines	Doctrines	Doctrine
1 Timothy 1:10	Doctrine	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching
1 Timothy 4:6	Doctrine	Teaching	Doctrine	Teaching
1 Timothy 4:13	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
1 Timothy 4:16	Doctrine	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching
1 Timothy 5:17	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
1 Timothy 6:1	Doctrine	Teaching	Doctrine	Teaching
1 Timothy 6:3	Doctrine	Doctrines	Doctrine	Doctrine
2 Timothy 3:10	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
2 Timothy 3:16	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
2 Timothy 4:2	Doctrine	Instruction	Instruction	Teaching
2 Timothy 4:3	Doctrine	Doctrine	Doctrine	Doctrine
Titus 1:9	Doctrine	Doctrine	Doctrine	Teaching
Titus 2:1	Doctrine	Doctrine	Doctrine	Teaching
Titus 2:7	Doctrine	Teach	Doctrine	Teaching
Titus 2:10	Doctrine	Teaching	Doctrine	Teaching
Hebrews 6:1	Doctrine	Teachings	Teaching	Message
Hebrews 6:2	Doctrine	Instruction	Instruction	Teaching
2 John 9	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
2 John 10	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Revelation 2:14	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Revelation 2:15	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching
Revelation 2:24	Doctrine	Teaching	Teaching	Teaching

In the New Testament, the word “doctrine” occurs forty-four times in the singular in the KJV. The Greek word for “doctor” in the Received Text is didaskalos. The Greek word for “doctrine” is didaskalia. There is no excuse for translating didaskalia as teaching, beliefs, message, or instruction. Your doctor may instruct you to take prescribed medicine, or he may try to teach you how to take care of your health. But teaching or instructing are not the doctor, any more than teaching or instruction is doctrine. Discipleship, or teaching and instruction, come from doctrine.

We read in the four Gospels that the masses were amazed at the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and “doctrine” is found in the singular twelve times in the Gospels. Now we might think that in at least one place the NIV, NASV, or the HCSB would translate from the Westcott and Hort text the word “doctrine.” Think again — it isn't there. In all twelve places, all three versions substitute “teaching” for doctrine. Coincidence? No!

In the book of Acts “doctrine” is mentioned four times. Again, the NIV, NASV, and the HCSB say “teaching” — not “doctrine.”

In the general epistles, “doctrine” is mentioned nine times in the KJV. In the other versions referenced, the Greek is translated “teaching,” “instruction,” or “message.” Finally, the NASV in Ephesians 4:14 translated the Greek to mean “doctrine.” In the Pastoral Epistles, the KJV references “doctrine” sixteen times, and finally the new Westsott and Hort versions do relent somewhat, possibly to avoid conservative criticism of the heavily doctrinal epistles. In the Pastoral Epistles, of the sixteen times “doctrine” is mentioned, the NIV translates the word “doctrine” seven times, and “teaching” nine times; the NASV, “doctrine” eight times, “teaching” eight times; the HCSB, “doctrine” only three times, “teaching” thirteen times. The NIV claims dynamic equivalency. The HCSB claims optimal equivalency — some option. In the three scriptures in Revelation where the word “doctrine” appears, “teaching” has taken its place in all three versions, as in all Westcott and Hort newer versions. Our associate ministers provide further insight as to why doctrines are being depleted from the newer versions of the Bible:

Doctrine, Proof-texting, and Modern Versions

If you have ever tried to compare a racy, modern version of the Bible with the Authorized Version to see how the modern version renders a certain verse, you have encountered some major difficulties. Verse divisions are often omitted and phrases are often scrambled. Sometimes the modern paraphrase is so far removed from the AV that you've even asked yourself, “Is this the right chapter?” Might this have anything to do with the current war against Bible doctrine?

Modernists don't like to talk about “doctrine.” Neither do they like proof-texting, the accepted method for establishing any doctrine. A proof-text is a Bible verse, or portion of Scripture, that provides the biblical basis for a doctrine. Because doctrine allegedly divides, those who use proof-texting to establish a doctrine are ridiculed. The modernists' solution to proof-texting is to publish a version that makes proof-texting impossible.

The Message is a prime example of how a particular Bible version is being used to weaken churches and to allow false and dangerous doctrines to be accepted by the masses of undiscerning church members.

— Dr. Larry Spargimino

Comparison of KJV and Other Versions

When comparing a certain word that appears in the KJV with the same word in other versions, it is necessary to check the phrases in each to make sure you are dealing with the same word. For instance, in most cases the NIV, NASV, and the HCSB use the word “teaching” instead of the word “doctrine” used in the KJV. The other versions, especially the NIV and HCSB, are so convoluted that it is difficult to know if you are comparing the same word. The word “doctrine” appears fifty times in the KJV, the only thirteen times in the NASV; seven times in the NIV; and six times in the HCSB in comparing the same verses.

It appears that doctrine is less and less important as the newer versions appear. It is obvious that most of these word changes were made only to add to the number of word changes for copyright purposes. While all of the anti-KJV versions are guilty, the HCSB translates the same Greek New Testament word as “doctrine” in 2 Timothy 4:3 and “teaching” in Titus 1:9, revealing that they do realize that there is a difference, but deliberately create confusion.

— Dr. Bob Glaze

In the PDC churches there is a move to remove denominational titles, doctrines, and even the name “church.” Church properties are now becoming “campuses,” but Jesus did not say, “Upon this rock, I will build my campus.” Doctrinal substances appears less and less in Sunday school materials or presented from the pulpit. Most churches now frown upon anything that is fundamental doctrinally. We are even told that doctrine is divisive, bad, or evil. If the word “doctrine” is taken from the Bible, then the doctrines of God can be completely eliminated.

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.