“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine.” – Titus 2:1

I was talking with a Christian friend the other night at church, and our conversation drifted toward something we had noticed more and more in the modern American church: the word doctrine is almost made to feel like a bad word. FYI, Jesus and doctrines pointing to Jesus have brought the people of God to life in our little growing church here in Lexington, NC.

These days, if you bring it up, people sometimes respond with something like, “Yeah, I’m not really into doctrine. I just believe the Bible.” On the surface, that sounds spiritual—commendable, even. But if you slow down and think about it, the statement doesn’t actually make sense.

Consider how people talk about politics. In our current climate, politics is everywhere. If you ask someone why they identify with a particular political party, they don’t usually shrug and say, “I just vibe with it.” They have reasons—clear, specific reasons. Those reasons are the principles, beliefs, and values of that party. In other words, they are that party’s doctrines. If someone said that a party’s beliefs don’t matter, members of either party would lose their minds. We take political beliefs seriously, but when it comes to Scripture, suddenly beliefs don’t matter?

The issue, then, isn’t whether Christianity has doctrine. The real issue is whether we understand what doctrine actually is and do we need it?

At its most basic level, doctrine simply means teaching. Doctrine is what Scripture teaches. That’s it. When someone says, “Give me Scripture, not doctrine,” what they are really saying—often without realizing it—is, “Give me the Bible, but don’t tell me what the Bible means or teaches.” That’s an impossible request. The moment you explain what a passage teaches, you have entered the realm of doctrine.

Take a familiar verse like John 3:16. Most people would say, “That’s just Scripture, not doctrine.” But the moment you say, “This verse is about Jesus,” or “This verse teaches that salvation comes through faith,” you’ve already crossed the line into doctrine. You have identified truth that Scripture teaches. Doctrine isn’t something layered on top of the Bible; doctrine is the Bible understood and taught.

The same applies to moral beliefs. If someone says they oppose abortion because human beings are created in the image of God, that belief didn’t come from thin air. It comes from Scripture interpreted and applied. That, again, is doctrine. Every Christian believes some form of doctrine. The only real question is whether that doctrine is biblical or not.

The early church understood this clearly. The book of Acts tells us that the first Christians devoted themselves to the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42). There was a recognized body of truth about who Jesus is, what He accomplished, and how believers were to live. The early church didn’t shy away from doctrine; they gathered around it. Somehow, we’ve convinced ourselves that rejecting the very word the apostles embraced makes us more spiritual. It doesn’t. It just makes us confused.

Acts 2:42

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ doctrine and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”

Now, this doesn’t mean doctrine can’t be abused. Jesus Himself warned about “the doctrines and commandments of men.” Man-made teachings that distort or replace God’s Word are dangerous and must be rejected. Ironically, the claim that we should reject all doctrine and “just believe the Bible” is itself a man-made doctrine. Scripture never teaches that idea.

There’s also danger on the opposite side—becoming the doctrine police. Some Christians expect instant theological maturity and treat every disagreement as heresy. That approach isn’t biblical either. People grow at different rates. New believers are learning. Even mature believers are still learning. Christianity isn’t a game of theological “gotcha.” There is a place, though, to highlight false teachers (Ephesians 4:14-15), but it shouldn’t be your daily delight.

Scripture calls us to speak the truth in love. Truth without love becomes harsh and arrogant. Love without truth becomes sentimental and empty. When either one is isolated, what you get is not Christianity. The goal is always truth and love held together.

This raises an important question, especially when it comes to new believers: how much doctrine does a person need to believe in order to become a Christian?

The answer is surprisingly simple. Salvation is not earned by passing a theology exam. A person must recognize their need, repent of sin, and trust in Jesus Christ. That is enough. Faith in Christ saves—not theological sophistication.

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your household.” – Acts 16:31

But that does not mean believers are meant to remain spiritual infants forever.

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus didn’t only say, “Come to me.” He also said, “Learn from me.” Following Christ necessarily involves growth. The apostle Paul explains that God gives teachers and leaders to the church for the purpose of maturity (Ephesians 4:11-12). And what is the content of that maturity? Biblical teaching. Doctrine. Much of the New Testament exists to ground believers in truth so they can live faithfully.

If you want to be spiritually malnourished, camp out in a “no-doctrine” mindset. Over time, it will show. Shallow roots produce weak faith. But if you want stability, discernment, and growth, you must be willing to learn what Scripture teaches—and learning always involves doctrine. It’s a shame we even have to make this argument, but many of today’s Christians have deserted the faith of late, and strangely, they don’t even know it. There’s no way they could know it, they got rid of doctrine.

Doctrine is not the enemy of faith. Doctrine is the framework that protects, nourishes, and strengthens faith. It is truth about Jesus drawn from Scripture and taught so that believers can grow.

2 Timothy 3:16–17

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Doctrine is not a dirty word. It is a gift—meant to be handled with humility, patience, and love, but never discarded.