I have a feeling that if we were to sit down and make a list of what we consider the foundational doctrines of Christ—the basic doctrines of Christianity—that our list would be surprisingly different from the list that we would find in the Bible—a list that actually does exist, in fact. The funny thing about this is that…I think what has happened is that, at any given point in history, the things that we are going to emphasize regarding doctrine will change. What will be different to us or important to us about doctrine will seem more significant now and might not have seemed so significant 500 years ago.

I know that in the modern world we have laid a great deal of emphasis on certain doctrines because they are distinct from the rest of the religious establishment around us, in our country and where we work primarily. And, as a result of it, you naturally tend to look for those things that make you distinct from others (and I’ve addressed that before). But unfortunately, I’m afraid in some cases we’re putting up studs in the wall and rafters and ceiling joists when we have not even yet poured the foundation, and may not have the grasp of the foundational doctrines of Jesus Christ that we really ought to have. What are they? Well, the writer of Hebrews really gives us a clue on this…