What is apostolic doctrine?

The four things that marked them, according to verse 42, are worthy of note. First comes the apostles' doctrine or teaching. This lies at the foundation of things. The apostles were the men to whom the Lord had said, "When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). Their doctrine was consequently the fruit of the Spirit's guiding. The church was now in being, and the first thing that marked it was subjection to the Spirit's teaching through the apostles. The church does not teach; it is taught, and is subject to the Word as given by the Spirit.

As we have observed, the proof of reality of faith is not seen in baptism, but it is seen in the steadfast continuance mentioned in verse 42. Of first importance in this matter is the apostles doctrine. This teaching was fundamental to everything. Not having been written yet, it could only be communicated by word of mouth. What the Lord had spoken came back to them by the power of the Spirit (John 16:4), and to this was added what they themselves had witnessed of Himself, of His death, resurrection and ascension. Apart from this, Christianity would be nothing. Then fellowship is linked with doctrine: they continued enjoying together the truth of Christ. Breaking of bread in remembrance of the Lord also formed an important part of their lives. In the freshness of faith and first love it seems likely they did this every day. Later on this appears to have become more settled as an observance on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7). Another marked feature of their very life was continuance in prayers, a fact seen prominently throughout the book of Acts. This is the supply line through which power was received from the Spirit of God to accomplish what God intended.

But it does now exist, and the souls before us were brought into it on that memorable day. "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers." Stedfast continuance is good. To some Paul had to say, "Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?" (Gal. 5:7). Not so in Jerusalem on the Pentecostal day. There are four things to be noticed here. (1) "The apostles' doctrine." What else did they, or do we, want? Apostolic doctrine is the standard and test of truth as John declares, "We are of God: he that knows God hears us; he that is not of God hears not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error" (1 John 4:6). Are we prepared to bring all our ways and the teaching we accept to this test? Tradition is of but little worth, however ancient and widely received; what was "from the beginning" alone has a claim upon our souls. (2) "Fellowship." What a mercy that we are not called to walk alone! In a hostile world, what a relief to the heart that God has given us the fellowship of saints! Do we value it sufficiently? No saint is self-sufficient; we all need what God has for us by means of our brethren. But our fellowship must be holy. Better far to walk alone than compromise the Lord's name. In such a case His grace will be made sufficient for the soul, as many can testify; but such is not the ordinary Christian path, but fellowship. (3) "The breaking of bread." This had clearly a larger place in the Christianity of those days than now. While continuing daily in the temple, they broke bread "at home" on (at least) the first day of the week (Acts 20). Love was too fresh to be satisfied with a monthly or quarterly remembrance of Christ. In our day the very name is well-nigh lost, to say nothing of the reality. What are the sounds around us? One tells us of the mass, another of the sacrament; but how often do we hear God's titles, "the breaking of bread," and "the Lord's supper?" (4) "The prayers." They felt the solemnity of their position in the midst of enemies, and valued united prayer. When the apostles were "let go" in Acts 4, they at once sought out "their own company," and together they gave themselves to prayer. Do we feel our need? It is sorrowful to see saints, who are regular in their attendance at the Lord's table, indifferent to the prayer-meeting. What can be said of their condition of soul?

A fourth fact is in verse 42: "They continued steadfastly in the Apostles' doctrine," or the Apostles' teaching. The House of God is not a place where we are left in ignorance to follow our own way, and do the best we can; no, it is the place of divine teaching. For us today we have the Apostles' doctrine enshrined in the epistles. In Acts 2, it was limited to what was then known; today, we have the whole revealed mind of God in the Scriptures, and Paul's doctrine, which has come out since the day of Pentecost, is most important. The fact that the Apostles' doctrine is so lightly set aside today only marks a further stage in the downward course of departure from the pattern. Brethren we want to get back to the Word, and have our thoughts formed by the Apostles' teaching.

Acts 2 introduces a most practical line of truth in regard to our subject. "They continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking bread and in prayers" (v. 42). Several most important points are to be observed, we can touch them but briefly. The apostles' teaching was Spirit-breathed (inspired). Every thought or idea of man, ritualistic, ecclesiastical, or merely personal will, is completely excluded. One of the outstanding features of the apostles' teaching in the days of the Acts was the way in which they guarded the Person of Christ and glorified His Name, holding tenaciously to the truth of His death and resurrection and glorification at God's right hand. Fellowship can only be known in company with those who follow this teaching; the introduction of any suggestion which mars the thought of Christ's glory and Person must be absolutely refused. The occasion of the Lord's Supper, the breaking of bread, will yield joy to His own heart from such who are found in fidelity to His Name, and the whole position will be maintained in the spirit of prayer and humility.

Those who believed "continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and prayers" (Acts 2:42). Their fellowship was founded on the apostles' doctrine, the teaching concerning a dead and risen Christ, now glorified in heaven; and much of their fellowship would be in the breaking of bread, which was the memorial of the Lord Jesus, and in prayer to Him whom they now acknowledged as their Lord and Master.

The next point is holding fast the truth in the form taught by the apostle - the first doctrine taught. He was to hold fast the form of sound words heard of Paul, in faith and love in Christ Jesus. We have Paul's words certainly in his epistles, and nowhere else. There is no progress in revealed truth; in understanding it there is. And it has been formally expressed, and by that we have to hold fast. It was a deposit of doctrine committed to him. In these days this is of all importance. The pretext of development, of the influence on the apostles of their age and its habits of thinking, all make this holding the forms of truth given by the apostle supremely important. In fact development was the first path of error; philosophy soon came in at Alexandria, and the simplicity and divine perfection and purity of truth were lost. Full grace, and our being saved, now that we believe, shone distinctly in this truth (chap. 1:9-10).

Let us turn to the rule he has given by which we are to know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Notice that in the first place he insists on the divine origin of the apostolic mission. He says, "We are of God;" which means that those in apostolic times who had introduced and established Christianity had done it by the authority of God; that by divine sanction, by the Spirit of God, they had given the faith its permanent form — the form in which it was to be handed down to succeeding generations. John teaches that the New Testament Scriptures are given to us by the Spirit of God, and to be held as such. If we speak of teachers, since the days of the apostles, we need ask but one question: Do they hear the apostles and prophets who by the Holy Spirit have given us the New Testament Scriptures? John says: "He that knoweth God heareth us" (ver. 6). The way to know whether a teacher or prophet is of God, therefore, is by the teaching he brings. Does he teach apostolic doctrine and practice? Whatever his claim may be, if he does not do this he has no claim to be received as sent of God.

By the words, "the Spirit will lead you into all truth," we are told that Christ Himself "thus foretold the progressive development of His religion!" Now is this the Lord's meaning? Is it a sound interpretation of His words? Is it not an untruth to glorify man? We must remember that these words were spoken primarily to the apostles, before the Holy Spirit was given; that they were fulfilled after Pentecost within their lifetime; and that "all truth" was committed unto them, that we might believe through their word. The faith was "once for all" delivered to the saints.

We are to earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered to the saints. "The faith" of which Jude speaks is not the personal faith by which we believe, but that which is to be believed — the truth. When error prevails and opposition raises its head it is not sufficient that we should expound the truth, we must contend for it. This implies conflict, but when Christ is assailed, and the truth is at stake, we must not shrink from fighting the good fight of faith under any plea of Christian charity.

Moreover it is "the faith" for which we are to contend, that is, the whole circle of truth. We are not simply to contend for a particular truth. This indeed has been done, with the result that the truth as a whole has been lost, and sects have been formed to maintain a particular truth such as holiness, the presence of the Spirit, the unity of the church, or the coming of the Lord.

Further let us note that the faith for which we have to contend is the faith "once delivered to the saints." The word "once" has the force of "once for all" (See R.V.). It admits of no addition, no modification, and no development. There is no fresh communication of truth to the saints. It has been delivered to them once for all. We may have much to learn about the truth. God may grant fresh light upon the truth already revealed, and we should grow in our apprehension of it. But the truth itself has been once for all delivered to the saints. And for this we are to contend. Not the truth held in measure by the Fathers, or handed down by tradition, or crystallized by the creeds, or obscured by faulty teaching, but the faith once delivered to the saints in the very form in which it was delivered.

Again, it is well to remark that we are not called to contend with error. Many sincere souls have done so and formed crusades against different glaring evils. There are occasions, indeed, when contending for the truth necessitates the exposure of evil. But the great business of God's people is with the truth, not the error. Jude does not say earnestly expose the error, but "earnestly contend for the faith."