Session 11

THE THEOLOGICAL OR DOCTRINAL METHOD

After studying a passage of Scripture through all the preceding methods you should have quite an extensive file or notebook covering the passage. Before you consider your study to be complete however, you should also analyze the passage for its theological or doctrinal content. This involves studying the passage again to separate the particular doctrinal truths of the book so they can be unified into a complete system of doctrinal understanding for the whole Bible.

  1. Areas of theology
    • Bibliology: The doctrine of the Scriptures and their authority
    • Theology Proper: The doctrine of God (the Trinity)
    • Christology: The doctrine of Christ and His redemptive work
    • Pneumatology: The doctrine of the Holy Spirit
    • Anthropology: The doctrine of man; his origin, fall and present state of depravity; man’s need of God’s help.
    • Soteriology: The doctrine of salvation, God’s message of hope
    • Ecclesiology: The doctrine of the Church, the body of Christ
    • Angelology: The doctrine of angels
    • Eschatology: The doctrine of the end times
    • Application: Although not a division of theology as a separate unit, it is always profitable to notice the behavioral changes that God expects in our lives due to the doctrinal teachings of the Scriptures.
  2. The process:
    • Prepare a separate page in your notebook for each area of theology listed above and label each at the top with the doctrinal area. [Example: Christology]
    • Prayerfully read the book and each time that you encounter a verse containing a teaching of a specific doctrine, list the teaching on the page for that particular doctrine. Be sure to include (1) the verse and (2) the statement of the doctrine.
    • After you have completed analyzing the book doctrinally, rearrange the doctrines in logical order. Note that in many cases the doctrinal message is already in logical order since it is part of the logic of the book. [Example: The doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Ephesians]
    • List the applications in behavioral objectives that are logical results of these doctrines. [Example: Loving all believers because Christ loves them, I John 3: 14-16; 4:7-12]

Assignment: Investigate Matthew 22:29-32 again. Find and list the doctrinal and theological content. Not all areas will be represented.