Levels of Doctrine in Christian Theology

Study Notes

Levels of Doctrine

In Christian theology, there are three main levels of understanding God's revelation of Himself through Scripture:

Theological Level: This is the highest level of doctrine where one can only understand the divine truth when inspired by the Holy Spirit. It involves discerning the inner meaning behind scriptural texts, which takes time and effort. In this understanding, people can only know what they believe to be true from their individual experiences with God.
Liturgical (Rituals): At this level of belief, Christians follow rituals and practices handed down over the centuries, such as baptism, communion, prayer services, among others. These activities have become part of the church tradition, but it remains unclear how much these traditions reflect actual biblical teaching.
Scriptural: On this level, beliefs are based on literal interpretations of the Bible without considering its deeper meanings. Here, believers take the text at face value, assuming it contains all the spiritual knowledge needed without going beyond what is explicitly written. They focus more on exegesis rather than hermeneutics.

These different levels often lead to disagreements within Christianity because each group believes their interpretation is correct while dismissing those of other groups. However, the existence of multiple levels does not necessarily make any group wrong; instead, it indicates the variety of ways humans can approach interpreting the Bible.

It is common for individuals to hold beliefs across two or even all three levels simultaneously. For instance, some may learn about Christ primarily through personal experience yet still consider church teachings and the Scriptures' explicit claims authoritative. Others might rely heavily on scriptural evidence while also incorporating liturgy into their faith practice.

Understanding these various perspectives helps us appreciate the complexity of religious thought and promotes tolerance between different sectors of the Church.

Description

Learn about the three main levels of understanding God's revelation through Scripture in Christian theology: Theological, Liturgical (Rituals), and Scriptural. Explore how interpretations at each level can lead to disagreements and how individuals may hold beliefs across multiple levels concurrently.