What Is Sound?
Since only the letters to Timothy and Titus use the word “sound” in the context of our discussion (picking up from our last post), let us look to those letters to see what Paul says is sound.
From the negative perspective, Paul defines what is contrary to sound doctrine:
Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
1 Tim. 1.8–11
So sound doctrine teaches morality, also known as righteousness. We might ask of a church, “Are you teaching and practicing righteous living?”
After some excellent teaching, Paul ends a section with:
Teach and urge these things. If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. (1 Tim. 6.2–4)
Teach and urge what things? We should back up over the previous teachings to see. We might expect something similar to the Facebook list above. Maybe he wrote on how to use the money of the church, on assembly worship practices, or on such things as dancing, drinking wine, and clapping along to worship songs. Let’s check. He actually wrote on:
- Prayer (2.1–8)
- Women’s modesty and roles (2.9–15)
- The character of Elders (3.1–7)
- The character of Deacons (3.8–13)
- A short creed of the early church having to do with Christ (3.14–16)
- Warning against apostasies and false teachings (4.1–5) – some would “require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving”
- To Timothy to train himself for godliness (4.6–16)
- How Timothy was to teach different age groups (5.1–2)
- How to deal with widows in the church (5.3–16)
- How to deal with elders in the church (5.17–25) – with an aside to Timothy: “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” Sounds like Timothy had been abstaining from wine when it would have been helpful and healthy for him to partake in moderation.
- What to teach slaves and masters (6.1–2)
These are “sound words” according to Paul, and we should look for churches who affirm these teachings.
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul writes, “Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 1.13). What exactly does Paul mean by that? If you back up in the context, he’s discussing the gospel message—how Jesus saved us and called us to a holy calling. It’s because of that message that Paul suffered, and he was not ashamed to suffer for preaching those sound words.
He urges Timothy to preach the word, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Tim. 4.3–4). Interestingly, a few verses before, he had just written about the Hebrew Scriptures:
…how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
2 Tim. 3.15–17
Timothy was to preach the word—preach those scriptures! The Old Testament Scriptures are profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness, so Paul admonished Timothy to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort” with the word in order to buttress his hearers against the false teachings. Healthy, sound teaching is about living a godly life in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3.12).
To Titus, Paul writes, the elder “must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it” (Tit. 1.9). What does the immediate context concern? Insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers were upsetting whole families, teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to have been teaching (Tit. 1.10). They were teaching Jewish myths (Tit. 1.14), and the outcome of their teaching was impurity (Tit. 1.15–16).
In contrast, Titus was to “teach what accords with sound doctrine” (Tit. 2.1), and Paul explains what he means in the following verses: teachings to older men, older women, younger women, and younger men. The teachings concern their character and moral habits, self-control being necessary at every age.
To Titus he writes: “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us” (Tit. 2.7–8). We now have a good idea what “healthy speech” is—it’s godly, true, and dignified.
What Would Your “Soundness” List Look Like?
Take time to read all three of the pastoral epistles (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) and see for yourself what Paul says is sound teaching. The first rule of Bible study is to read terms in their proper context. I have found these epistles deal with relationships and character, morality and right living. You will find nothing specific to church money or instrumental music in the assembly or anything against the drinking of alcohol. That is not to say we should not discuss and study those topics, but they were not front and center in Paul’s dealing with “sound teaching.”
If you were constructing a list of your own for what to look for in a “sound church,” what would it now contain?
Would you ask what they teach concerning the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Would you ask if they are longingly waiting for the return of Christ? Would you ask if they believe God saved them (and is saving them and will save them) not by their own righteous works but according to His own mercy?
Would you ask if the husbands love their wives, if the women love their children and manage their homes, if they all exercise self-control and strive for purity? Would you ask if the preachers and teachers present the Word and not their weekly hobbies? Would you ask if they are submissive to rulers and authorities and engage in good works? Would you ask if they are unified, do not quarrel with one another, practice patience and kindness, avoid foolish controversies?
Would you ask if they require their people to keep any rules beyond what God has clearly laid out in Scripture?
A Final Encouragement
The making of lists in general can be dangerous, and we should never make a test out of something God does not require. No perfect church exists, and those first churches in the New Testament were often messed up. I’m thinking of all the problems at Corinth (1 Corinthians), Galatia (Galatians 1.6–9), and the seven churches of Asia Jesus addressed in Revelation 2–3. In none of those cases were Christians ever told to abandon the church they were with, but rather to repent and do what was right alongside their brethren. So even after doing our best to find a “sound church,” we will invariably discover inconsistencies and blemishes. It’s what God has called us to do—grow alongside the rest of our brethren who are also incomplete and struggling in various ways.
If there is one characteristic I should like to exhibit in my own life and see in my brothers and sisters around me, it is humility. Remember where we came from, and remember we have not yet arrived. Only by God’s grace can any of us walk this road! Let us do our best to be “sound,” and let us give lots of grace to our brethren—God has surely given grace to us!