Why Have Doctrines?

I came across an old letter written by Dr. Opal Reddin in response to some A/G ministers asking this question years ago. Given the current struggle that many face as to why it is important to believe the right things about Christianity and the Bible - thought this letter brings up some great points:


"Do we want doctrinal purity? Do we want doctrines? Referring to Pentecostals and Charismatics, one very popular speaker/author recently said that "people don't want doctrine, they just want Him (God)." The writer seems to believe that people can experience God without all the fuss about doctrine.

The Assemblies of God has been delineated as being strong on Experience and weak on Doctrine. Admittedly, we have been too busy trying to evangelize the world to take time to write many "scholarly" tomes, but we have known what we believe. In my time at Fuller Theological Seminary, I was often asked, "What does the AoG believe about this?" I suffered no embarrassment whatever as I always had an answer for any who asked about any doctrinal belief.

It's true that when the 300-plus Pentecostals met in Hot Springs, April 2, 1914 to form the General Council of the Assemblies of God they disdained a formal doctrinal statement. It indeed was a biblical experience they could not deny that had caused them to be driven out of their respective denominations. Since the majority were already "Bereans" and well grounded in the Word, they saw no need for a rigid creed.

(However) It was new "Revelation" that made the young movement realize the need for written "Statement of Fundamental Truths". The (new) "Revelation" was also termed "The New Issue", "Jesus Only", "Oneness", and "Pentecostal Unitarianism". To counteract what the majority could not accept, sixteen doctrines were enunciated at the fourth General Council in 1916. The second doctrinal statement, "The One True God", is almost as lengthy as all the others combined because of the need to defend Trinitarian doctrine against the errors of Unitarianism.

In Anointed To Serve, Dr. William Menzies wrote, "It is remarkable after all of these years the Statement of Fundamental Truths, as it was called, has remained virtually unchanged, with but minor rewording for the sake of clarification in recent years." (GPH, 1971, 119). Presently we face a deja vu: Many Pentecostals and Charismatics are saying ones belief about the Godhead does not matter. I urge each of you to review your understanding of the Trinity. In fact, since many of the "Latter Rain" false teachings are being recycled, why not teach our 16 fundamental doctrines to your congregation? A member of the board of directors told me last week that he's teaching them in Sunday school and the class is growing! They love doctrine, well taught."

In Spirit and Truth,

Opal Reddin


My note: We are definitely having deja vu again today! This time around I would urge our ministers to review their understanding of the Virgin Birth, Substitutionary Atonement, Inerrancy of Scripture and the reality of Hell, just to name of few. Because there are so called "Evangelicals" today who are questioning the veracity of these core doctrines of Christianity. People do love doctrine well taught. We've been doing a Wednesday night study of these 16 fundamental truths and the groups are growing. In fact, we've had better attendance for this study than any other - and folks even had to buy a book for their study groups. I think too often pastors underestimate the desire their people have to learn Biblical doctrine and be versed well enough to never "suffer embarrassment" from not being able to answer a question about their faith. In fact such knowledge may just keep them out of divorce court, the counselor's office, the Kingdom Hall, the Mormon Temple....