Deuteronomy 32:2 King James Version (KJV) Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:

The first doctrine came by men who listened to God and spoke the words they were given. The first five books of the bible are words given to Moses to record for our posterity. Other men dedicated to God became the voices where early believers received instruction, teaching, doctrine indirectly from God because Godly men had a personal relationship with God.

It was not until Christ came into the world and spoke to all mankind that the multitudes heard directly from God.

Hebrews 1:1-3a King James Version (KJV) God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power.

This is why the words of Jesus are so important. Those who place their faith in the atoning works of Christ can hear directly from God without the need for a prophet or a teacher or a pastor.

Given that the word in the bible is logos there is a connection between the written word and the revealed mind of God. He is speaking truth to us by the power of the Holy Spirit who is given to teach us all the things that Jesus has said.

Continued tomorrow.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 English Standard Version (ESV) For the time is coming when people will not endure sound^[healthy] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Has this time come or has it been going on for some time now? The answer to that will be different based on experience. Church shopping will often give the shopper a wider range of church doctrines upon which to select their new home church. What the shopper is looking for will often be nothing more than trying to establish a comfortable place.

The answer to what makes church doctrine should be more complicated than just saying teaching. It often comes down to being seen as teaching but are those teachings healthy for the listeners?  The ESV footnote for sound is healthy and this is why the word appears in brackets above. Does the teaching of the church promote health or just appease the senses? Most people do not think in those terms. There are some that want their pastors to have graduated from seminary school.

How many of the churches we are familiar with have pastors that have a doctorate in theology? Very few do if we are being honest. Most have been ordained which is merely a consensus agreement by other ordained ministers that these men have been examined and found to be sound in their faith enough to be qualified to be ordained.

What if those ordained ministers were of a church order that did not teach sound doctrine?

That is a difficult question to answer for anyone who is not already led by the Holy Spirit in truth.

Look at the congregation when seeking a new church. Are the people spiritually healthy?