Does Doctrinal Purity Matter?
by Bryan Gibson

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Does doctrinal purity matter?

Let's allow God's word to answer the question.

A preacher recently posted the following to his Facebook page: “If the primary vision of your church is to achieve doctrinal purity and uniformity, it’s time to reread the New Testament.”  I did as he asked, and wrote down what I found. 

But first let us be sure we understand that "doctrine" is not something you find in some ecclesiastical archive. The word doctrine simply means teaching, so the doctrine of any local church would just be what that local preacher and other teachers are teaching the members.  Does it matter?  Lest I be accused of any prejudicial statements, I’ll just let God speak for Himself.

  • “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9).
  • “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine…” (Acts 2:42).
  • “Note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them” (Romans 16:17).
  • “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing…” (1 Corinthians 1:10).
  • “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).
  • “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God…that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4:13).
  • “Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).
  • “Remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine” (1 Timothy 1:3).
  • If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed” (1 Timothy 4:6).
  • “Give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine…take heed to yourself and to the doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:13, 16).
  • “If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, he is proud, knowing nothing…” (1 Timothy 6:3).
  • “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard from me…” (2 Timothy 1:13).
  • “Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:9)
  • “Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth” (Titus 1:13-14).
  • “Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines” (Hebrews 13:9).
  • “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed” (John 8:31).
  • “Therefore let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father” (1 John 2:24).
  • “Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son” (2 John 1:9).
  • “I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3).

Concerning pure doctrine, then, God says to give attention to it; take heed to it; carefully follow it; strive together with other Christians for it; abide or continue in it; hold fast to it; contend for it; and deal decisively with those who don’t. If it matters that much to God, then it should matter that much to us. Yes, doctrinal purity has aims beyond itself (e.g. 1 Timothy 1:5), but if we set aside doctrinal purity to fulfill those aims, we will fail miserably.

So, answer the question posed in this article's title -- are you going to believe the plain word of God, or are you going to put your trust in the populist rhetoric of those trying to build their numbers?  

Consider Jesus' commands in Matt 28:18: "And Jesus came to them and spake unto them, saying, All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.  Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

Finally, if doctrine does not matter, the why was this preacher urging us to reread the New Testament?  Is he claiming that the New Testament teaches that doctrine does not matter?  We know from the passages above that that is not true.  The entire New Testament is doctrine.  If doctrine does not matter, then, is he saying we do not need the New Testament?  So why is he asking us to read it?  It is not surprising that anyone who makes such blatantly unscriptural statements would end up creating such a paradox for himself.  The end result of negating the need to respect God’s teaching is the total disregard from the bible.

Let us also recognize that teaching “doctrine does not matter” is itself a doctrine (a teaching).  For some it is the only thing worth teaching.  We wonder what their standing will be in the judgment – but then we do not have to speculate since it was Jesus who said (Matthew 7:21): “Not every one that says unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”  Clearly we are disregarding God’s will for us when we declare that His teachings are unimportant.


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