What Is Christian Doctrine? Why It Matters for Your Faith

Do you believe Jesus is God? Do you believe He rose from the dead? Then guess what? You already believe Christian doctrines, even if you have never called them that.

I remember a year or so ago, I was talking with a pastor and said that another church, it might have been the Catholic Church, had different doctrines. He corrected me and said, “You mean theology.”

I was confused. What did he mean? Back then, I did not understand the difference between theology and doctrine. Later, I learned that my original statement was not exactly wrong either.

Doctrines are the teachings of our faith, such as Jesus being fully God and fully man. Meanwhile, theology is the study of God and what He has revealed. It helps us understand these doctrines, explain them, and see how they fit together.

For example, many Baptist churches understand Communion mainly as a symbolic memorial. Meanwhile, the Catholic Church teaches that the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ during consecration, although their appearances remain unchanged.

Yes, you do not visibly end up with a piece of meat in your hands.

So that you do not end up as confused as I was back then, this guide will explain what Christian doctrine is and where doctrines come from. We will also look at how doctrine differs from theology and why sound doctrine matters in everyday Christian life.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

Doctrine basically means teaching. It puts into clear words what we believe about God, humanity, sin, Jesus, salvation, and our final hope.
The Bible gives us God’s revelation, but it does not hand us a neat pop-out list of doctrines. Doctrine helps us connect the relevant passages and understand what they teach together.
Theology studies God and what He has revealed. Doctrine states clearly what Christians believe. Basically, theology searches for answers, while doctrine puts those answers into words.
Sound doctrine protects us from false teaching and should change the way we live. But it should also make us more humble. Instead of giving us ammunition to attack everyone who disagrees with us.

Doctrine Basically Means Teaching

The word “doctrine” comes from the Latin word doctrina, meaning teaching or instruction. I know, using Latin makes everything sound more chic.

Christian doctrine refers to the teachings Christians receive, confess, and pass on as true. Many of these doctrines are shared by Christians everywhere, while others are understood differently depending on the Christian tradition.