Doctrine is a set of beliefs and instructions, that the senior leadership and theologians of every church or denomination formulate, based on their best understanding of the Scripture. In Christian theology, there are 3 levels of doctrines.
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(1) ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ง-๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ are ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐น๐ that we must believe in because our salvation hinges on them. A denial of them is to deny Christianity itself. They are ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐๐ผ๐น๐๐๐ฒ๐ which define the core beliefs of the Christian faith. You are not a Christian if you donโt believe them.
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(2) ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ก๐-๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ are beliefs that Christians may disagree on. This is why there are different churches and denominations. But they are ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ which significantly impact the overall character and ministry style of a church. They form the โ๐๐ก๐โ of a congregation. For us in CHC, our doctrine is Protestant, Evangelical and Pentecostal in essence and emphasis.
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(3) ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐-๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐ฅ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ are beliefs that Christians may have disagreement on, but we can still remain in close fellowship within a local church. They are usually ๐๐๐ฏ๐ท๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ or ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐บ๐๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ concerning less-clear issues in the Bible, that are not worth dividing a congregation over. We can worship and serve God together in the same church, even if we disagree on them.
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The ability to correctly discern the differences between core essentials, spiritual convictions, and legitimately disputable matters, will keep a church from compromising on important truths, or having factions resulting from disagreement over peripheral issues. Let us not have factions in our spiritual family. Letโs have a ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ ๐๐ป๐ถ๐๐, birthed through a real conviction of the truths that the Holy Spirit has illuminated to us from the Bible, according to our best understanding.
