How Many Are There?

[introverteen]

How many doctrines are there in the Bible?
Is there an agreed upon set and numbered list?
Essential Scriptually based doctrines as opposed to pious and well intended but nevertheless man made ones specific to their denominations.

I've done minimal research online and I'm interested in feedback from this Christian community.

Thank you.

 

[Grandpa2390]

23

 

[introverteen]

Haha! That's a low number I wasn't expecting that.

 

[Winken]

How can we count and identify the number of doctrines? There is one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all. The Bible is not written by us!

 

[introverteen]

Maybe we can't but it's a well meaning place for someone to start out to understand the faith and boundaries of the relationship they're entering into. Like a never ending checklist of topics to study and pray on. You never stop asking or getting to know your friends and family but you're aware there are a recognised set amount of go to questions.

 

[~Anastasia~]

How many doctrines are there in the Bible?
Is there an agreed upon set and numbered list?
Essential Scriptually based doctrines as opposed to pious and well intended but nevertheless man made ones specific to their denominations.

I've done minimal research online and I'm interested in feedback from this Christian community.

Thank you.

Our Tradition has a limited number of dogmas, mostly written within the Nicene Creed, I would say. There are many more doctrines. But we've never been overly concerned with numbering and absolutely delineating things in that way. It's more about how truths fit together overall.

 

[gordonhooker]

I suppose it depends on who you are what group you belong to and if your group is Christian.

A Pasterfarian would say there is no dogma in the Bible but there is in Jamie Olivers guide to Italian cooking.

When you ask a question like that you may want to add some context so we can answer you in an intelligent way.

 

[ViaCrucis]

How many doctrines are there in the Bible?
Is there an agreed upon set and numbered list?
Essential Scriptually based doctrines as opposed to pious and well intended but nevertheless man made ones specific to their denominations.

I've done minimal research online and I'm interested in feedback from this Christian community.

Thank you.

I don't think there's an answer to this question. For several reasons: Doctrine just means "teaching", how many things are taught, or how many ideas are presented in the Bible is manifold because in some respect it depends on what we need to talk about and how we need to talk about it. The Bible isn't a compendium of theological propositions, it isn't a book of theological ideas--it is a collection of texts that span a wide range of literary genera; containing narrative, prose, poetry, instruction, and discourse. It is from the work of exegesis that we pull out from this meaning that can be applied, and to ascertain teaching that is either explicit or implicit by which to inform our belief and our practice.

I wouldn't necessarily say the number of teachings is infinite; but I would argue that it is uncountable because it comes down to the application of exegesis of Scripture in order to address the needs of the Church in any given time or circumstance. Because, as stated, the Bible isn't a collection of teachings; the Bible is a diverse collection of writings, and it is from these writings that we gain insight into how to address our faith here and now; and we do not do this simply by attempting to establish a numerical number of teachings contained in the sacred texts but by reading the texts within the context of two thousand years of Christian history--it is fundamentally impossible to separate Scripture and Tradition, as Scripture exists as part of that Tradition, and Tradition is informed and shaped by Scripture.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ViaCrucis]

Maybe we can't but it's a well meaning place for someone to start out to understand the faith and boundaries of the relationship they're entering into. Like a never ending checklist of topics to study and pray on. You never stop asking or getting to know your friends and family but you're aware there are a recognised set amount of go to questions.

If one was wanting a starting place on fundamental, rudimentary Christian doctrine, simply handing them a Bible isn't how I'd go about doing that. A much better starting place would be something like the Creed, because that Creed is an establishment of teaching, a confession of what we believe, and is a set of theological propositions. Handing someone a Bible and saying, "Figure it out yourself" is a terrible, awful thing--because without the guidance of the Church, of the community of faith, of two thousand years of informed discipline, teaching, and formation going back all the way to the apostles themselves the Bible can easily be manipulated to "say" whatever anything one wants it to say. While the authors of Scripture indeed had an objective meaning, ascertaining the authorial intent involves a great deal of study, and a reliance on subjects and materials outside of Scripture itself (as a 21st century American who speaks English I need to learn to understand how a 1st century Jew speaking Aramaic and Greek living in the Roman Empire would think, how they would use language, and what the language itself means).

As such simply giving someone a Bible to read, without any guidance, won't really help much in the vast majority of cases--at the very least some sort of guidance is necessary. "Start here, read this", and then questions can be asked, and we can as St. Peter writes, "give an answer to the hope that is in us"--and that means we ourselves being well informed in our faith, having been properly taught, etc.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[the old scribe]

There are many categories for a biblical theology. Each category of biblical theology might be said to represent a doctrine. The actual teaching of any of these doctrines might be disputed depending on ones point of view or theology. But here is somewhat of a jumbled and incomplete list. Toward the end the actual name for the category could not be remembered, so just the subject is listed. There must be such a list on line.

THEOLOGICAL CATEGORIES

I. EPISTEMOLOGY
HERMENEUTICS
REVELATION
SPECIAL / REVEALED REVELATION
GENERAL / NATURAL REVELATION
INSPIRATION
PLENARY INSPIRATION
ILLUMINATION
SOLA SCRIPTURA
EXEGESIS
EISEGESIS
ASTROLOGY
PAPAL INFALLIBILITY AND SUPREMACY

II. THEOLOGY
NAMES
UNITY – ONE GOD
OMNIPOTENT
OMNIPRESENCE
OMNISCIENCE
HOLINESS
RIGHTEOUSNESS
FAITHFULNESS
PROVIDENCE
TRANSCENDENT
EMINENCE
DOMINION THEOLOGY / THEONOMY
KINGDOM NOW THEOLOGY
SOVERNIGTY
MODALISM/SABELLIANISM
MOMOTHEISM
DEISM
DUALISM
THEODICY
OPEN THEISM
POLYTHEISM
PANTHEISM
PANETHEISM
ANTHROPOMORPHISM / ANTHROPOPATHISM
THEOPHANY
TRINITARISM modalism, sabellianism, trinitarism, etc.
Immutetable = unchanging
Indestructible
HYPOSTASIS
MARYOLOGY MEDIATORIAL ROLE OF MARY

III. CHRISTOLOGY
INCARNATION
REINCARNATION
PARTHENOGENESIS re-embodiment
KENOSIS
ADVENT
SECOND COMING / RETURN / PAROUSIA
IMPECCABILITY

IV. PNEUMATOLOGY
PARACLETE

V. ANTHROPOLOGY
ANIMISM

VI. HAMARTIOLOGY
ORIGINAL SIN
THEODICY

VII. ECCLESIOLOGY

VIII. SOTERIOLOGY
JUSTIFICATION
RIGHTEOUSMESS – INPUTED / ACTUALLY OR IMPUTED / ACCOUNTED TO
SANCTIFICATION
REGENERATION
ATONEMENT
REPENTANCE
EXPIATE
PROPITIATION
REDEMPTION
RECONCILED
PREDESTINATION
FOREKNEW
ELECTION
IN CHRIST & ABIDE IN CHRIST
EFFECTUAL CALLING / IRRESISTABLE GRACE
SOLA FIDA
SOLA GRATIA
ARMINIANISM
ANTINOMINISM
CALVINISM
PELAGIANISM
SUPERLAPSARIANISM / INFRALAPSARIANISM
AMYRALDISM
GNOSTICISM
LORDSHIP
CATHOLICISM
SACRAMENTALISM
PURGATORY
PENANCE
WORKS
INDULGENCES
UNIVERSALISM
Annihilationism
MODALISM – SABELLIANISM
SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
PERSERVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION OR ETERNAL SECURITY
ETERNAL SECURITY
SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER is different than Once Saved Always Saved
SECURITY OF THE FORMER BELIEVER or the UNBELIEVER
SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER – CONDITIONAL OR UNCONDITIONAL
CONDITIONAL SECURITY
UNCONDITIONAL PERSEVERANCE of the Saints
UNCONDITIONAL – once a believer but no longer a believer is saved
FALL FROM GARCE

IX. ESCHATOLOGY
PRETERISM
FUTURIST
HISTORICAL
DISENSATIONALISM
PRE-MILLENNIALISM
POST-MILLENNIALISM
AMILLENIALISM
PRE-TRIBULATIONALISM
POST-TRIBULATIONALISM
MID- TRIBULATIONISM
RECONSTRUCTIONISM
SECOND COMING / RETURN / PAROUSIA
PURGATORY
HELL
ANHILIHISM
UNIVERSALISM
THE LAW OF "DOUBLE REFERENCE”

X. SACRAMENTS / ORDINANCES
BAPTISM
PAEDO BAPTISM
CREDO BAPTISM
BAPTISIMAL REGENERATION
COMMUNION / LORD’S SUPPER
EUCHARIST
CONSUBSTANTIATION
TRANSUBSTANTIATION
SACRAMENTALISM
SACERDOTIALISM

XI. ECCLESIOLOGY

XII. APOLOGETICS

XIII. ANGELS

XIV. SATAN

XV. AXIOLOGY

XVI. TELEOLOGY
CREATION

 

[Winken]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what has been presented. My thought at this point, if this is supposed to be a "biblical" list, is that much of it should be deleted.

 

[the old scribe]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding what has been presented. My thought at this point, if this is supposed to be a "biblical" list, is that much of it should be deleted.

What is excluded or even those not included above has to do with ones perspective. Depending upon ones position the Bible has references to all of these subjects and more. What different groups define as a doctrine varies. Some of those listed would not meet my expectation of a doctrine, but the question posed in post #1 by
introverteen is of the general sort and not denominationally or theologically specific. Does one exclude the Seventh Day Adventist doctrine of Sabbath keeping just because he is not a Sabbath keeper?

 

[Winken]

"How many" is not up to us. It is not even applicable. One may have multiple interpretations ..... but that is one's interpretation only. It isn't a Biblical extraction based upon Biblical analysis. It is mind-mental speculations, hypotheses, nothing more. It belongs in the secular world and is therefore meaningless in Biblical terms.

 

[~Anastasia~]

"How many doctrines are in the Bible" is an unanswerable question. There are multiples of doctrines that exist, many competing with each other, and nearly all claiming some foundation in the Scriptures - the same Scriptures that those who disagree with them cite.

It is meaningless. Even trying to separate "Biblical" doctrines from "man-made" ones is a bit nonsensical en masse ... it will always come down to a man's interpretation of the Scriptures, or the method(s) he uses to inform that interpretation.

It can sound like a worthwhile endeavor, but it would be more helpful (IMO) to consider each question at a time and find the source and reason for the doctrine. Trying to say "how many are there" and of what type, is unanswerable.

 

[the old scribe]

"How many" is not up to us. It is not even applicable. One may have multiple interpretations ..... but that is one's interpretation only. It isn't a Biblical extraction based upon Biblical analysis. It is mind-mental speculations, hypotheses, nothing more. It belongs in the secular world and is therefore meaningless in Biblical terms.

---------------------------------------------------------
"How many" is not up to us," posted Winken. Who determines whose interpretation or doctrine is Biblical? This dispute has been going on since the first Christian congregation. Initially, before there was a canon of scripture, the apostles made the determination of correct doctrine. Once into the post apostolic period disputes have been determined by a council of bishops but not agreed upon unanimously. The Roman and Eastern churches split over doctrine as determined by bishops. - The Protestant Reformation made the issue the correct interpretation of the Bible as opposed to a council of bishops. The the Protestants divided into numerous denominations over the correct interpretation of the Bible.
The "us" in "How many" is not up to us" keeps on making determinations about how the Bible reads. There are the "us" of Oneness Pentecostalism denying the "us" holding to the Orthodox Trinity. Many of the posts on this forum are the "us" arguing their determination is correct against the 'us" with a different interpretation.

Winken, you are not encouraged to make a list of biblical doctrines fit for yourself because many on this forum might take exception to your opinion. I don't mind you taking issue with the list I posted since it was an off the top of the head attempt to demonstrate the expanse of possibilities. The list doesn't represent what I consider biblical doctrines, although there are those whose doctrines are represented by each one on the list.

How many Christian doctrines are there?
There may be another one tomorrow.
It is not uncommon that I hear a doctrine completely new to me.
It might not be biblical to me, but it is assumed to be by the one who believes it.

 

[Winken]

Thank God that the Holy Spirit is the one and only interpreter and applier of scripture, minus various "doctrines."

 

[All4Christ]

Thank God that the Holy Spirit is the one and only interpreter and applier of scripture, minus various "doctrines."

It is very interesting that there are so many different "interpretations" people receive directly from the Holy Spirit...despite God not being a God of confusion.

 

[All4Christ]

Traditional Christians tend to believe that the Church and associated Tradition - especially from the Apostolic / early Church - guide us even today, so the doctrines we recognize are often influenced by that belief. We still believe it is the guidance of the Holy Spirit, but it is less individualistic than many other groups of Christians.

 

[Winken]

It is very interesting that there are so many different "interpretations" people receive directly from the Holy Spirit...despite God not being a God of confusion.

.........and the conclusion is: There cannot be different interpretations, lest we all go astray!!

 

[All4Christ]

.........and the conclusion is: There cannot be different interpretations, lest we all go astray!!

I'm not sure if you are or are not being sarcastic...but...

Certainly, truth is not relative. If there are contradictory beliefs, then at least one of them isn't correct (though there may be multiple aspects to doctrine that complement each other rather than contradict, such as some of the soteriological models).

So what makes one person understand the Holy Spirit correctly while others apparently don't understand it correctly? No need to answer that here, but it is a question worth asking.