Philippians 4:9 Doctrine

The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you. [Philippians 4:9 NKJV]

Paul is, once again, using himself as pattern for Christian life. Previously, he invited the Philippian church to emulate his behavior. He adds here that they - and we - should follow his teaching. We don't have the advantage of having witnessed his life or heard him teach, but we do have his teachings recorded in his epistles. Some of the things he taught were;

• The Trinity
  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. [Ephesians 4:4-6 NKJV]
• The Deity of Jesus
  Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, [Philippians 2:5-6 NKJV]
• The Holy Spirit
  Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? [1 Corinthians 6:19 NKJV]
• The fallen state of man
  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, [Romans 3:23 NKJV]
• Salvation by grace
  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. [Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV]
• Sanctification by grace
  This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh? [Galatians 3:2-3 NKJV]
• Death and resurrection of Jesus
  For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, [1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NKJV]
• Second coming of Jesus
  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. [1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NKJV]

Of course, there are many more teachings in the writings of Paul, but this covers some of the basic themes.

Just as Paul lived his life as an example, so we should live our lives that we may be an example. It is important to live a holy life, but it is also important to know what you believe, and why you believe it.

Don't just take my word for it, or a pastor's word, or a denomination's word. Study for yourself. The church in Berea offers a good example;

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so. Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men. [Acts 17:11-12 NKJV]

Don't believe every new teaching that comes along. At the same time, don't hold on to the old teachings, just because they are what you've always been taught. Study for yourself. Know what you believe because you have studied and prayed, and have been taught by the Spirit of God through His word.

Father, thank You for giving us the Bible – Your word – for our instruction. Please speak to us through Your word. Open our hearts and minds to understand.