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Jesus and Doctrine: Inseparably United
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et’s face it: “Doctrine” is not a very popular word today. There are movements that want to minimize doctrine and emphasize Jesus only. For some, doctrine conjures up the idea of cold church creeds, stale traditions, boring discourses, and “proof-texting.” While some contend that Jesus and doctrine should not, cannot, be spoken of in the same breath, Scripture makes plain that Jesus and doctrine—meaning Jesus and His teachings—are inseparable. To take one away is to take away both.1 Almost everything we know about Jesus comes from the Bible, especially the Gospels and the rest of the New Testament. And a lot of that content consists of His teachings. The careful reader of the Gospels recognizes they are saturated with the teachings of Jesus, and that it is impossible to separate what Jesus did from what Jesus taught, because His whole life is a lesson book. If we don’t know and accept Jesus’ teachings, how can we really claim to know Him? Some may be surprised that the early church emphasized doctrine. The thousands baptized on the day of Pentecost “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship” (Acts 2:42). This emphasis on doctrine they learned from Jesus Himself (see Luke 24:27, 44). EVERY DOCTRINE CHRIST-CENTERED
We are told, “Every true doctrine makes Christ the center, every precept receives force from His words.”2 Some might wonder if that can really be said about every doctrine of Seventh-day Adventists. Let’s look at three doctrines as examples, showing how Jesus is at the heart of each:3 The Remnant. Is Jesus really at the center of our doctrine of the remnant? Absolutely. Let’s keep in mind that the entire book of Revelation was revealed to John by Jesus (Rev. 1:1), and therefore Jesus teaches us what the two distinguishing characteristics of the remnant are—they “keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 12:17). Several other passages describe in symbolic terms the events leading to the rise of the remnant (Rev. 10:1-11:1) and the message they proclaim (Rev. 14:6-12; 18:1-4). In essence, that message, which includes “the everlasting gospel,” applies Jesus’ Great Commission, given to the early Christians (Matt. 28:18-20), to an end-time setting. It also makes clear that “the faith of Jesus” is the only way they can keep the commandments of God (Rev. 14:12). In this verse, Jesus answers a question He had asked but left unanswered at the time: “When the Son of Man Image: fauk74 / iStock / Getty Images Plus / Getty Images
