As Christians, we come to the Bible primarily to learn about God; in the process, we know about ourselves and our world. The Bible is about God and how he has revealed himself to humanity, an unfolding story of redemptive history. It is the revelation of God and God’s history with us. We are captivated and humbled by God’s truth and self-revelation in Christ. Since our source of knowledge about God is from his word, the Bible, systematic theology is about how the parts of God’s word and his truth relate to the whole message of the Bible.
The doctrine of the Word of God is the foundation for all of theology and stands as the most important Christian doctrine. With the wisdom of the ages, nearly 2000 years of church history have culminated in sound theology based on Scripture. How does this form doctrinal truth affirmed by the church? Developing sound doctrine is like seeing how all the puzzle pieces of the theological principles and subdivisions perfectly fit together. Nonetheless, false teachings are alive and well.
False doctrine is nothing new. The early church infiltrated New Testament teachings, prompting the earliest of creeds and confessions as a clear and concise response to define what Christianity is and is not. The church has publicly confessed what it believes, and these writings are the framework for the excellent theology passed on from generation to generation.
As a Southern Baptist, I come to the table with presuppositions. Southern Baptists do not formally adhere to a creed or confession; The Baptist Faith and Message serve as our guardrails. Yet, I affirm The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, The Apostle’s Creed, and the Nicene Creed. With these convictions in mind, I’ve begun writing a series, “It Is Written.”
This project will include an intro post followed by an eight-part blog series. There’s much I could write on this doctrine that would reflect my teaching, but I must consider the context of a blog post and ask that you, as the reader, do as well. I pray to represent God and His word rightly in the content while calling Christian women to sound doctrine. My blog site serves as my platform for a conservative female voice and as a supplement to my teaching, mentoring, and counseling.
Debbie Swindell 