Doctrine Lesson 1

Introduction

Who here grew up in a Missionary Baptist Church? Who did not? Kala grew up in a Missionary Baptist Church, but I did not. In fact, before coming to a Baptist church I explored several options in my attempts to answer the questions I had. The reason I had finally gotten off the bench of atheism and Scientology is because logically I knew I had a soul and that had to come from somewhere. At first I wanted to believe everybody worshipped the same God in different ways. Then I began slowly ruling out other religions such as Buddhism, Islam, and Hindu. Finally I resolved that the Christian God was the correct answer, but then I was faced with the unsettling question of which denomination to go to. Every time I have had a question of doctrine, and whether Baptist is the correct way, God has shown me that it is. Now, not all Baptist churches are scriptural, and sometimes (rarely) a church of another denomination follows the correct doctrine. But what is doctrine? And how do we know that out of all the denominations Baptists got it mostly right? This lesson series will first explore each of the ABA’s 23 doctrinal statements and their biblical accuracy before exploring the inaccuracy of other doctrines such as the Book of Mormon, infant baptism, sprinkle baptism, and many others.

What is Doctrine? 2 Timothy 3:16

The body of teachings of the Christian faith concerning its central beliefs. Doctrine is grounded in Scripture and aims to maintain the integrity of Christianity by distinguishing it from non-Christian beliefs. Doctrine is of central importance in Christian preaching and teaching in that it equips the people of God for effective and faithful service in his world.

The Bible tells us exactly where to get our doctrine from, and why we should care about it!

Discussion Questions

As we prepare to begin lessons on the ABA doctrinal statements, can you confidently and biblically explain to somebody why you are missionary baptist?

What is the main point of doctrine?

Why do you think Christian doctrine is so divisive?

What do you believe is the most important doctrine that we believe?