The Architecture of Belief
Chapter 12: Building on Sound Doctrine The Architecture of Belief Every structure requires a foundation. The integrity of what is built depends entirely on what lies beneath. In the life of the believer and the life of the church, that foundation is doctrine. It is not merely a collection of religious ideas or a list of propositional truths to be affirmed. Doctrine, in the biblical sense, is the ordered teaching of Scripture that reveals the character of God, the work of Christ, and the calling of His people. It is the framework upon which all of life is constructed.
The Apostle Paul, when bidding farewell to the Ephesian elders, entrusted them to a powerful resource. He did not commend them to their own strength, their own strategies, or even their own sincerity. Instead, his words were specific and telling. The church at Ephesus, facing coming trials and false teachers, needed something more enduring than human effort.
"And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who
are sanctified."
Acts 20:32, ESV