By George “Chip” Hammond

“Doctrine divides.”

It’s a pithy saying, and I suppose because of its pithiness it catches the unwary. It is completely untrue. Doctrine (from the Greek word “teaching”) in fact unites. The short doctrinal statements of the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds bind together Christians throughout the ages and around the world.

Good doctrine brings our thinking in line with God’s thinking. “Doctrine divides” is really another way of saying, “We don’t want to discuss much, or in too much detail what the Bible says, because doing so may put on display disunity between people, and disharmony with the Word of God.” Note that the disunity and disharmony are already present, just undiscovered. Biblical doctrine (rightly understanding God’s Word and conforming our thinking to that standard) is the only thing that can unite us.

When we are explaining something to a child (or an adult) and we want to be sure the person understands, we might say, “Tell me back in your own words what I’ve been telling you.” This is essentially what theology is. It is the human echo of the divine voice which we find in Scripture.

There is indeed a danger to theology and doctrine, but it is not to be found in the notion that doctrine itself divides. It is rather to be found in the misuse of doctrine.

It is sadly possible to understand and be able to state back in our own words the propositions of Scripture, while remaining completely ignorant of the Person who gave them. It is a sad fact that it is possible to know the Bible and know historical theology and not know the God who gave us his revelation – in fact, to use the study of that revelation as a diversion from knowing God. This was the charge of Jesus against the religious leaders and scholars of his day.

God did not give us his Word so that we could know things; he gave us his word so that we could know him. And knowing him is either manifested or denied in the way we treat others (see Matt 5:43-48, 1 Jn 3:16-17, Gal. 5:14).

Lack of doctrine divides. Good doctrine (accurately reflecting the teaching of God’s Word) unites, but only as we come to know God through it and our hearts and lives are changed as result.