Is doctrine important? What’s the danger in deviating from sound doctrine?

2 Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

Doctrine in Greek is didaskalia which means properly applied-teaching; Christian doctrine (teaching) as it especially extends to its necessary lifestyle (applications). Strong’s # 1319

Fable in Greek is muthos which means a myth; a false account, yet posing to be the truth; a fabrication (fable) which subverts (replaces) what is actually true. Strong’s #3454

When a person preaches or teaches you fables which is a different doctrine, he is feeding you untruth about Jesus Christ which will detour you from the right path. Once you start walking in the wrong path, the longer and farther you go down that path of false doctrine, the longer it will take to come back to sound doctrine. Not only are you being deceived but you unknowingly will relay that same false message to your hearers thus deceiving them in the process.

2 John 1:9-11
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; 11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.

Doctrine is very important because it is the Truth taught by Jesus Christ and the Apostles who spoke the message of Truth that the Holy Spirit put in their hearts/minds so that they may come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. If anyone comes to you with a different gospel with a different doctrine, do not have anything to do with that person unless you want to preach to him/her the Truth. In Middle Eastern custom, when you received someone into your house you would support that person by providing for him so that he could continue on his mission. In modern day, that would be like giving material or emotional support to a person preaching false doctrine and making yourself an accomplice to the evil he/she is causing with the false message being preached.

2 Timothy 3:13-14
13 But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them,
2 Timothy 3:19-17
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Without sound doctrine, you will only go downhill in deception, drifting away into deep waters without seeing land and eventually die for lack of nourishment (Ephesians 4:12-14). That’s the outcome in not caring to know sound doctrine choosing to believe what’s false and never coming back to the Truth. You will end up dying spiritually. The man of God can only be complete and equipped to do God’s will with sound doctrine or else how will he/she know how to please God and correct those who are preaching false doctrine, saving them and their hearers as well?

1 Timothy 4:1-3
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.

Demons have their own doctrine. For example: Jehovah Witnesses believe that Jesus is not God that He is the Archangel Michael, Mormonism believes that Jesus and Satan are brothers and that one day you and I can become Gods like God the Father. Muslims believe that Jesus never died on the cross and that He is not the Son of God thus rejecting Jesus as being God. Those are examples of doctrine of demons. Why read the Bible if you don’t care about doctrine? Sound doctrine will drive you closer to Jesus Christ and false doctrine will take you away from Jesus Christ. This is the vital importance of knowing it.

1 Timothy 1:3-4
3 As I urged you when I went into Macedonia—remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine, 4 nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.

We must never teach another doctrine but make sure that what we preach and teach is sound. All the cults (who believe in a different Jesus) believe sincerely that they are teaching sound doctrine but in reality, they are teaching you Satanic doctrine right from the pits of hell if I may say it. Make sure that you are sound by knowing the scriptures or else the enemy will use your ignorance to spread his erroneous doctrine instead of the gospel.

Regarding why some Christians disagree on some interpretation that does not affect the fundamental doctrine of scripture, how can two Christians read the same passage and come out with two different interpretations? I think Rode Rhodes gives a beautiful illustration that I would like to share.

“The Holy Spirit as a radio station sending out a perfect signal that’s always the
same, never varies in any way. Christians are like radio receivers. Some
radio work really good and some don’t work so good. Some radios have bad
batteries, some radios have a broken antenna, some radio have small
speakers you could hardly even hear it. By analogy the point I’m making
is Christians have different things wrong. Some Christians are too close
to the world. Some have not repented of all their sins. Some Christians
don’t read the bible often. Because of these different levels of
problems among Christians, they have different levels of receptivity to
that one perfect signal.”