Measuring Doctrines

[159 words] What did Paul mean when he wrote to Timothy, exhorting him to charge men not to teach a different doctrine (1 Timothy 1:3)? There are some doctrines easily understood and affirmed, but some are rather complicated and confusing. How can one know which doctrine (tprileaching) to oppose? We need to start here: “If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord” (1 Cor. 14:37, ASV; cf. Gal. 1:6-9). Add to this the words of John, “We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he who is not of God heareth us not. By this we know the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 John 4:6). From this, we can get a sense of what Paul meant: that which is taught must…