1 Corinthians 4:15-17 For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me. For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church.
Paul had led many of the Corinthians to faith in Christ and had planted the church there. He was concerned for them in the Lord and had sent Timothy to them to remind them of what the apostle had taught them. As an apostle, Paul had the authority to establish the doctrine for the church. This doctrine came straight from the Lord Jesus Christ and was the same doctrine taught by the other apostles. We now have this doctrine recorded for us in the New Testament. This doctrine is what the early church continued steadfastly in:
Acts 2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Please notice that the ways of Paul were in Christ. In other words, his teaching and behavior was taught to him by the Spirit of God. He wanted Timothy to bring these things to the remembrance of the Corinthians because Paul had already taught these things to them. These teachings were also the same ones he taught everywhere in every church. In other words, whatever church you gathered with, the doctrine would be the same. There is the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3).
Ephesians 4:4-6 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Isn’t if funny that different churches teach different things? Have you ever thought about the fact that many churches must be teaching man’s doctrines instead of God’s doctrine? If we were teaching God’s doctrines we would be led by the Spirit to glorify God by teaching true Bible doctrine. Today, you can literally find a church that teaches anything you want. This should not be so and it proves there are many false teachers in our world. It also shows how canal the churches are that are focusing on man’s doctrines instead of God’s.
Get your doctrine straight out of the Bible and you will be believing and teaching the same things the apostles taught. Jesus is the head of the church. Follow him!
In Christ,
Rody
