The Law Was Not Abolished

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B UILDING S TRONG F AMILIES

a man may not be a vocational theologian, but in his home he must be the resident theologian. The apostle Paul, when he is urging women to keep silent in the church, tells them that “if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home” (1 Corinthians 14:35). The tragedy is that many modern women have to wonder why the Bible says they should have to ask their husbands. . . . a husband must be prepared to answer his wife’s doctrinal questions, and if he cannot, then he must be prepared to study so that he can remedy the deficiency. 5 We think of a prophet as one who proclaims Gods truth. He is first and foremost one who hears from God so that he can proclaim the truth accurately. A husband who would attempt to speak on God’s behalf should tremble at the assignment. After all, false prophets in the Old Testament were stoned. The New Testament warns us to “be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15, NASB ). He establishes a doctrinal foundation for his home. We live in an age when doctrine is viewed negatively. You may have heard preachers say, “You don’t need doctrine, you just need Jesus!” Doctrine is viewed as rigid, stuffy, boring, divisive, and almost antithetical to the cause of Christ. In truth, there is no understanding of the Scriptures or of who Jesus is without some understanding of theology and doctrine. When talking with a friend who was “down” on doctrine, I asked simply, “Who is this Jesus in whom you claim to believe?” Puzzled by such an obvious question, he said, “He’s the Son of God, the Savior of the world!” “No, no, no,” I protested. “I don’t want theology! Don’t give me that doctrinal stuff! Just tell me who Jesus is!” The point quickly became obvious to my friend. Whenever we express basic truths of the Christian faith, we are dealing with doc trine. Theology is a word that literally means “the study of God.” Rather than ignoring theological and doctrinal issues, dismissing them as foolish or unnecessary, a husband should find himself wrestling with the issues raised in Scripture and should determine for his wife and his family what is right and true.