"God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you." (Rom 6:17)

That form of doctrine to which Paul refers in Romans chapter six is the doctrine which calls sinners to forsake their sins and yield their lives as servants unto righteousness. It is the doctrine which directs mankind to the door of entry into a place of favor with The Almighty God, who created all things for His own pleasure and glory. All of mankind has drifted far away from that place because of the fall of Adam, and God has provided a means of reconciliation through the sacrifice of His only begotten son, Jesus Christ, for our sins.

Once a person has been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, by repentance and forgiveness of sins, the need for doctrine does not go away. Paul told Timothy that a continued faithfulness to doctrine plays a very important role in our ultimate salvation. We are able to "endure to the end" by adherence to the doctrine of Jesus Christ as well as the "Apostles’ doctrine." (Acts 2:41,42) In writing to the young Timothy, Paul said,

"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation (manner of life), in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." (1 Tim. 4:12-16)

We, as Christians have inherited from our spiritual forefathers a common misunderstanding of God's use of such terms as "The Church," "God's Elect," "The Bride The Lamb's Wife," and others. Insomuch as we have misunderstood these terms, we have also failed to comprehend the true intent of much of the writings in our most precious treasure: The Holy Scriptures.

Many of us have concentrated on the New Testament, because we think it is more relevant or more easily understood. However, the common and widely varied differences in doctrines among believers shows that to be a false assumption. The writings of the Apostle Paul make up much of the New Testament, and Peter testified that some of those writings were hard to be understood. It would seem that some of Peter's words, or John's and Matthew's, are not so obvious either. Therefore, it is necessary that we rightly divide the Word of Truth, and become able ministers of the New Testament. We must learn to use meat and not milk only. (Heb. 5:13)

God promised us by the words of Jeremiah that he would give us pastors after His own heart who would "feed (us) with knowledge and understanding." Therefore, I have labored to rightly divide for us this great truth and set it forth for your edification.