The Apostolic Doctrine

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.  Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. (Acts 2:42-43)

I'd  like to examine this theme from five key points: 1. Anatomization of the doctrine 2. Atmosphere of the doctrine 3. Audience of the doctrine  4. Attitude for the doctrine and 5. Augmentation of the doctrine.

Come with me on a feast of truth... 

 Anatomization of the doctrine

By anatomization, I mean the unloading, analysis— laying bare or making clear, understanding of what the apostles’ doctrine is.  To anatomize the apostles’ doctrine, we will examine the content, the subject and the object (objective} of the doctrine. 

 #Content of the doctrine

 The word doctrine as used in the text simply means teaching. In other words, we mean the apostles’ teaching.  Coming a bit home, we may render it to mean the didactic or ethical instruction as given by the apostles. Luke applies the word apostle (Apostolos) only to the Twelve. Because they had been called by Jesus, had been with Jesus throughout his ministry, and had witnessed his resurrection, they possessed the best possible knowledge of what Jesus had said and done. The apostolic doctrine is not some kind of an esoteric or abstract set of principles, which requires a grotesque initiation rite for one to be acquainted with it. It is simply what the apostles had learnt at the feet of Christ. In other words, the content of the apostles’ teaching was the gospel. John the Apostle confidently and excitedly proclaims, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched — this we proclaim concerning the Word of life” (1 John 1:1). This is the content of the apostolic doctrine!

 #Subject of the doctrine

 The subject of the apostolic doctrine is Christ. It centres on the incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Paul said, “We preach Christ crucified…” (1 Cor. 1:23) The apostolic doctrine is Christocentric or Christ centred. It is not human philosophy or denominational dogma. It is not self-help psychology that makes people feel good by promising them false hopes.  Any teaching no matter how phenomenal its sounds, that doesn’t exalt Christ is deception.  Paul also said, “…for we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord” (2 Cor. 4:5). This is very instructive for those of us involved with the ministry of the Word. We must earnestly keep contending for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints by teaching and preaching Christ and not about ourselves. We must be wary of getting mixed up in secret and shameful ways of using deception and distorting the word of God (2 Cor. 4:2). Our teaching must present Christ. It must reveal Christ.  It must magnify Christ.

 #Object of the doctrine

 The goal of apostolic teaching is Christlikeness. “…He gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:11-13). Whether you an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or a teacher, if your ministry is not building up people to people become like Christ, then it is something else.  In view of this, therefore, the apostolic  doctrine is not merely informational, it is transformational. The process of Christlikeness is transformational.