Bob's Babble
BE STEADFAST
Acts 2:42
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
The importance of doctrine is often underrated in the world we live in today. In a society that increasingly believes that there are no absolutes doctrine goes from underrated to unimportant and almost obsolete. There is a large number of people that sound like Rodney King asking, can’t we all just get along. They say that unity is too important to get caught up in dogma. Those same people argue that there is no need for doctrine. Their claim is that we just need Jesus. While I agree that all we need is Jesus. I disagree that how we get to Jesus in not important. Of greater consequence though is not what they believe or what I believe. The vital question is, what does God’s Word say?
Doctrine comes from the Greek word didaskalia. It means learning or teaching. So in Acts 2:42 when it says, they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. The writer Luke was telling us that these people persisted in living according to what those 12 men that walked with Jesus taught. Those 12 men had just taught them in Act 2:38 to repent. They had just taught them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. Finally they had just taught them that if they did those things that they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Peter and the rest of the men there that day could have told the crowd doctrine is not essential as long as your heart is right. They could have said to just keep living how you are. It does not matter as long as you believe in Jesus. But this is not what they did. Instead they gave them very specific instructions. Peter was very dogmatic in his directions to the crowd. The people took these sets of guide lines or this doctrine so seriously that it became part of their lives.
I write this to encourage all of my fellow Apostolic men and women. Doctrine does matter. You are doing the right thing. Jesus warned the people in Matt 16:12 to beware of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. I am sounding the alarm to keep strong in the face of a hostile world. Beware of those that would attack this TRUTH day after day. Your DOCTRINE IS RIGHT. Your DOCTRINE IS TRUE. Stay strong, stay faithful, and as the men and women of old did BE STEADFAST in this Apostles doctrine.
REACH
REVIVE
RETAIN
