The Inevitability of Doctrine
Chapter 10: The Three Doctrines — Godliness , Deception and Men The Inevitability of Doctrine Every human being lives by doctrine. The term itself, derived from the Latin doctrina and the Greek didachē , signifies teaching or instruction. It is not merely academic content reserved for theologians or scholars. Rather, doctrine is the framework of belief that informs thought, governs conduct, and shapes destiny. To live is to be taught, whether by parents, culture, experience, or revelation. The question is never whether a person will have doctrine, but rather whose doctrine a person will have.
Scripture presents no neutral ground in this matter. The Apostle Paul, writing to Timothy, establishes a stark antithesis between two sources of teaching that contend for the allegiance of every heart. On one hand, there is that which he calls "doctrine according to godliness." On the other, there is what he identifies as the "doctrine of devils." Between these alternatives, every soul must navigate. To this we must add a third category addressed by Scripture: the traditions and commandments of men, which the Apostle Paul further designates as the "doctrine of men." These three — godliness,
devils, and men — constitute the primary sources from which all teaching flows.