Page 18 - Discipleship Ministries Student E-Book

passages with mystical interpretations". "Plowing a field" is literal language, while "plowing through a
huge workload" is figurative. For example, Jesus did not mean we should literally cut off our hands
when they err! Read Matthew 5:29-30.

Principle #3

Building Doctrines from the Word

When examining God’s Word, do not build doctrine based on historical events.
Just because someone did something in the Old or New Testament does not make
it a requirement for the church today. For example, quite often a historical event in
the Bible is used to create and support a church “doctrine.” The early church had
seven deacons, so our church should only have seven deacons. We know that
many believers in the early church sold all their property and brought the proceeds
to the apostles (Acts 3: 32-35). Should local churches today require the selling of all
personal property as a requirement for church membership? To build a doctrine
based what a person did in Scripture is fallacious reasoning.

This argument is used when considering the Old Testament Law of the Tithe.
Pastors will tell you that the tithe preceded the law because both Abraham and
Jacob tithed to the Lord. We know Abraham gave a tenth of the booty of a war to
Melchizedek, but we do not know it was a weekly practice of Abraham. We know Jacob promised to
give a tithe, but there is no evidence he did. Abraham also offered up his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice on Mt.
Moriah. Abraham lied twice about Sarah being his wife. Abraham cohabited with his concubine and
gave birth to Ishmael. Should we build New Testament church doctrines to practice similar behavior
based on what Abraham did? Absolutely not! The saints in the Old and New Testaments often did
what was right and what was wrong before the Lord. What they did does not determine doctrine!

So just because a Biblical character did something, we cannot build a doctrine based on what they did.
What they did may be something totally unique to them and not designed to be practiced today.

Principle #4

Understand the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law (Old Testament) on our behalf and to
bring the new covenant (New Testament) of grace to us. The church is no
longer under the bondage of the law (Gal 4). We are not subject to the
yoke of slavery to the law (Gal 5:1). The Old Testament prepared the
world for the coming of a new covenant in Jesus Christ. The Old
Testament shows us our need for a Savior; the New Testament reveals
the Savior, the fulfillment of his redemptive plan, and how we can serve
Him.

Try to read through the Old Testament once a year. There are thirty-nine books in the Old Testament,
and if you read about twenty minutes a day, you should be able to get through it in one year.

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