One of the things that Paul is anxious for future generations to preserve and pass on without distortion is the “pattern of sound teaching”. As one who does most of the teaching in my church, I am quite committed to saying nothing new. It is not my role to come up with new and clever ideas. I am responsible for passing on the historic Christian faith that has been preserved from generation to generation over two thousand years. It is not for me to change it. I might find new creative ways to express it and seek deeper insights into it. But I have no right to change it. Collectively, subsequent generations might sharpen their understanding of certain doctrines and correct misunderstandings of previous generations. This is part of the healthy development of the collective understanding of the church. But, again, the core message remains unchanged. Some people like to cherry-pick the parts of the Bible that they like and feel free to reject others. But this, then, makes them the arbiter of truth. Paul’s concern about sound teaching is as vital today as it was then. It is the responsibility of every Christian, not just to rote learn doctrine, but to reflect on the fundamentals of the faith so that we can translate it meaningfully to others. It is not enough to know the lingo and reel off the one-liners. We should all be students and eager learners because we are stewards of a message and heralds of truth. If we don’t really understand what we believe how can we expect to be coherent messengers?
Reflect on some possible strategies to improve your grasp on Christian doctrine.
Read 2 Timothy 1:13-18
