Before my speakers blew out in my ‘07 Corolla a few years back, I would listen to Christian radio just about every day. My favorite broadcast was titled the “Bible Answer Man” and was hosted Hank Hanegraaff; president of the Christian Research Institute (CRI). Hank would open his program every day by speaking on various topics concerning Christianity and current events. Then he would allow listeners to call in and ask questions related to the Bible. During several of his broadcasts, I remember Hank referencing a clever tool he created to help believers understand the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith called the D.O.C.T.R.I.N.E. acronym. D.O.C.T.R.I.N.E. stands for the Deity of Christ, Original Sin, the Cannon of Scripture, the Trinity, the Resurrection, the Incarnation, New Creation, and Eschatology.
Recently this resource I had stored away in my idea vault (Google Docs) resurfaced and I had the idea to begin implementing this tool into my campus ministry to help equip students for the work of evangelism on our college campus. The principle, I’ve told my students, is clear: The more clearly we understand the essentials of the gospel the better we can communicate and defend what we believe.
To help understand how useful this tool can be used in evangelism, consider the implications of a scientific term biologists refer to as irreducible complexity. This states that within a complex system there are components that would be considered expendable, while others are considered essential. If you take away any expendable component, the system will still operate, either in part or in full. But take away just one essential component, and the entire system cannot function. Likewise, if any of the components of the acronym D.O.C.T.R.I.N.E. are missing from our reference point of basic Christianity, then Christianity cannot function.
When we step out in faith to engage someone in a gospel conversation the subjects of science, philosophy, politics, the media, current events and corruption, although are important, are all secondary. For us, the primary reason we set out to share the gospel, you probably guessed it, is to actually share the gospel (Romans 1:16). Therefore, this tool is a must-have addition to your toolbelt. So learn these doctrines and learn them well!
If you’re interested in reading more about this tool, or if you’d like to learn more about Hanegraaff’s ministry over at the Christian Research Institute (CRI), check out his website at https://www.equip.org/.
*NOTE: the acronym D.O.C.T.R.I.N.E. does not cover every essential doctrine of Christianity (such as the role of faith, the assurance of salvation, repentance, etc.)
Deity of Christ
“The biblical witness is clear and convincing that Jesus Christ is the eternal Creator God (John 1; Colossians 1; Hebrews 1; Revelation 1). Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus claimed to be God in word and deed (Mark 14:61–62; John 5:18, 20; 8:58; 10:30–33). He vindicated His claim to deity by living a sinless life (John 8:46; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 3:5; 1 Peter 2:22); by manifesting His power over nature (Mark 4:39), over fallen angels (Luke 4:35), over sickness (Matthew 4:23), and even over death itself (John 4:50; 11:43–44; 1 Corinthians 15); and by accurately prophesying God’s judgment on Jerusalem through the destruction of the temple that occurred in AD 70 (Matthew 24:1–2, 32–35).”
Hank Hanegraff, quoted material obtained from equip.org.
Original Sin
“Sin is not just murder, rape, or robbery. Sin refers to any thought, word, deed, or state of being that fails to meet God’s standard of holiness and perfection. The Bible unambiguously proclaims that ’all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God’ (Romans 3:23). While the notion of generational curses and spirits is foreign to the text of Scripture, there is a sense in which all people are cursed as a result of an ancestor’s sin: Adam’s rebellion brought death to us all and tainted every aspect of our being (Genesis 3; 1 Corinthians 15:21–22; cf. Ephesians 2:3). God, however, has provided redemption through the atoning work of the Second Adam, Jesus Christ (Romans 5:12–21).”
Hank Hanegraff, quoted material obtained from equip.org.
Canon
“The Hebrew Scriptures along with the Greek New Testament constitute the Christian canon (meaning ’standard of measurement’). While inspiration provides the divine authority for the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16), canonization provides human acknowledgment of that authority. As such, the canon was determined by God and discovered by church fathers who accepted books as part of the canon on the basis that they were widely used within the churches and ultimately traceable to the authority of the apostles and prophets.”
Hank Hanegraff, quoted material obtained from equip.org.
Trinity
“Although the word Trinity is found nowhere in the Bible, it aptly codifies the essential biblical truths that (1) there is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10); (2) the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God (1 Corinthians 8:6; Hebrews 1:8; Acts 5:3–4); and (3) Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are eternally distinct (Matthew 28:19; John 15:26; 17:1–26). It is important to note that when Trinitarians speak of one God, they are referring to the nature, or essence, of God. Moreover, when they speak of Persons, they are referring to personal self-distinctions within the Godhead. Put another way, Trinitarians believe in one What and three Whos.”
Hank Hanegraff, quoted material obtained from equip.org.
Resurrection
“All four canonical Gospels record the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The immutable fact of Jesus’ resurrection is the cornerstone of Christian faith because it not only vindicates Jesus’ claims to deity but also ensures the future bodily resurrection unto eternal life of all who believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and proclaim Him as Lord (1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). The historical reality of the Resurrection can be demonstrated by eyewitness accounts of the fatal torment Jesus suffered on the cross; the empty tomb; the post-resurrection appearances of Jesus; and the transformation of believers throughout the ages whose lives have been radically altered upon experiencing the resurrected Lord.”
Hank Hanegraff, quoted material obtained from equip.org.
Incarnation
“The doctrine of the incarnation is summed up aptly in the words of the apostle John: ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:1, 14 NKJV). The clear testimony of Scripture is that, in the incarnation, Jesus Christ was, and will forever remain, truly God and truly man; that is, the eternal Son of God, the second Person of the Triune Godhead, added to Himself an additional nature such that He exists as the perfect unity of a divine nature and a human nature in one Person (John 1; Colossians 1). As Theanthropos (’God-man’), the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29) lived a perfectly sinless human life (Hebrews 4:15) and died a sinner’s death to sufficiently atone—once, for all—for the sins of humanity (Romans 5:1–21; Hebrews 10:11–18).”
Hank Hanegraff, quoted material obtained from equip.org.
New Creation
“The essential doctrine of New Creation is codified aptly in the words of the apostle Paul: ‘If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new’ (2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV). All who believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and confess Him as Lord are reconciled to God and inherit eternal life in His glorious presence (John 3:16; Romans 10:9–10). Jesus’ resurrection from the dead inaugurated the renewal of all things. The new creation of faithful believers and the new creation of the natural world will be consummated in the resurrection when Jesus returns bodily to Earth as the conquering King (Romans 8:18–25).”
Hank Hanegraff, quoted material obtained from equip.org.
Eschatology
“The word eschatology is an intimidating word with a simple meaning: the study of end times. While the meaning of eschatology is simple to grasp, its importance is difficult to overemphasize. Far from being a peripheral branch in the theological tree, eschatology is truly the root that provides life and luster to every fiber of the Christian’s being… Early in Genesis, Adam and Eve fell into a life of constant sin terminated by death. The rest of Scripture chronicles God’s unfolding plan of redemption. Although Christians debate secondary aspects of eschatology (such as the timing of the Tribulation or the meaning of the Millennium) we are united in the truth that, just as Christ came to Earth once to bear the sins of the world, so, too, He will return once again to gather the elect and to usher in the resurrection of all things. On that day, the just will be resurrected to eternal life and the unjust to eternal conscious torment and separation from the love and grace of God (John 5:28–29). Paradise lost will become paradise restored, and the problem of sin and Satan will be fully and finally resolved (Revelation 20–22).”
Hank Hanegraff, quoted material obtained from equip.org.