Dr Reece B Sherman

Christian Doctrine in Rhyme: with Scriptural Basis Dr Reece B Sherman

Publisher Marketing: What is Doctrine? I personally believe that the church has done a poor job in teaching doctrine to the present generation. I was brought up as a young person in the 1960's and 70's. We had a weekly class that taught us the doctrine of the Christian faith. This is sadly missing from many churches of today. What do I mean by doctrine? W. T. Conner, in his seminal work, Christian Doctrine, defines doctrine this way: "Christian Doctrine is that line of study that undertakes to set out the teachings of the Christian religion, It is the organized exposition of the main doctrines of Christianity. It is the setting out in more or less complete and systematic form of the ideas necessary to the understanding of the Christian religion." He goes on to speak of the great need of doctrine. He describes 5 reasons for the necessity of Christian doctrine. (1) The Nature of Man Necessitates Doctrine. "Men will think about religion; and when a man thinks about religion, what he thinks is his religious doctrine. ... There can be no such thing as religion without some elements of doctrine." (2) New Testament Christianity Puts Large Emphasis on Teaching. (3) A Knowledge of the Truth is Necessary in the Christian Life. (4) A Knowledge of Truth is Necessary to Propagate the Gospel. (5) A Knowledge of Truth is Necessary to a Defense of the Gospel. Basically doctrine is what Christians believe about their religion. I have sought to give the main beliefs about the Christian religion in poetic form. I have also included Scripture passages to serve as a foundation to this teaching on biblical doctrine. This should be a help for people of all ages. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 gives us a wonderful framework on the importance of learning biblical truths and teaching them to the younger generation and also living by them. 4 "Israel, remember this! The LORD-and the LORD alone-is our God. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 Never forget these commands that I am giving you today. 7 Teach them to your children. Repeat them when you are at home and when you are away, when you are resting and when you are working. 8 Tie them on your arms and wear them on your foreheads as a reminder. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates.