Does experience shape our doctrine

[Mark2005]

Does present and past experience shape our doctrine and faith?

Absolutely!! In fact, I would strongly suggest experience is what shapes our doctrine and faith.

A person who has experienced answers to prayer, healing or speaking in tongues is far more likely to believe such things exist than a person who has not personally experienced them.

Given that each person's experience in life is different, is it any wonder people have so many different beliefs and interpretations?

[Guest shiloh357]

The majority of the Bible is a record of experiences.

Biblical narratives (recorded experiences) are descriptive. Doctrine is prescriptive. You can run into a lot of problems when you try to establish doctrine from narrative passages.

[other one]

Does present and past experience shape our doctrine and faith?

I know faith is faith, but how we apply it, and how we view scripture; does this affect our doctrine, our walk?

For instance, those of us who have served in the armed services and seen combat? Do we look at scripture about killing in a different light from those whom have never hid in a ditch full of water for cover while your buddies scream around you?

Or those of us who have had the privilege of serving the poorest communities on outreach?

Does church and the teaching we receive broaden our knowledge? Does choosing, or not being able to attend a church, and being insular in our walk, make a difference?

Does just stuffing ourselves with the word, without going out there and applying it as commanded by Jesus, make us "fat" Christians, full of talk but light on our walk?

So. Does present and past experience shape our doctrine and faith?

simply put: Yes, it does

[nebula]

The majority of the Bible is a record of experiences.

Biblical narratives (recorded experiences) are descriptive. Doctrine is prescriptive. You can run into a lot of problems when you try to establish doctrine from narrative passages.

Just noting that we should not discount experiences as irrelevant to our lives if the Lord had a need to record such.

[Guest shiloh357]

The majority of the Bible is a record of experiences.

Biblical narratives (recorded experiences) are descriptive. Doctrine is prescriptive. You can run into a lot of problems when you try to establish doctrine from narrative passages.

Just noting that we should not discount experiences as irrelevant to our lives if the Lord had a need to record such.

It's not that they are irrelevant, but that they should not be used to form doctrine. Experiences are always relevant and have something to teach us. Learning from our mistakes is one way that experiences are valuable tools for learning.

[Zemke]

David knew he was anointed king but it was the wilderness that made him one.

Paul knew he was an apostle to the Gentiles but the wilderness, being stoned, escaping a city and sitting with Barnabas for, I've heard from three to fourteen years?, in Antioch until the Lord called Barnabas and Paul to the mission field.

Moses spent forty years being a shepard in the same wilderness he would lead the Jews for another forty.

Paul prayed that our love would abound more and more with real knowledge and all discernment. Experiantual knowledge.

We don't learn our doctrine from experience, we learn through experience what doctrine is about.

[saved34]

They both go hand in hand as far as I am concerned. Experience is so important. Not just any old experience, but those that God has laid out for us his children. They are what matures us, and it is through our experience that the words of scripture become real to us. When God answers our prayers it does our hearts so good, when he delivers us from problems and different trials, things that we read in scripture we can see in actual practice, I don't think it's possible for experience not to influence us. Scripture is the safe guard that keeps us from going over board with experience. Doctrinal issues should NEVER be settled by experience, but experience is (true experience brought about by various trials and blessings) is just as important. It is through experience that God grows us and our faith in him.

Rom 5:3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

Rom 5:4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope

[nebula]

It's not that they are irrelevant, but that they should not be used to form doctrine. Experiences are always relevant and have something to teach us. Learning from our mistakes is one way that experiences are valuable tools for learning.

But what if your doctrine is wrong and experience teaches this to you?

[Guest shiloh357]

It's not that they are irrelevant, but that they should not be used to form doctrine. Experiences are always relevant and have something to teach us. Learning from our mistakes is one way that experiences are valuable tools for learning.

But what if your doctrine is wrong and experience teaches this to you?

That is why it should not be relied upon for doctrine. We test everything by the Scriptures. Doctrine is defined as those teachings of Scripture that provide a foundation for practical Christian living. Experiences don't teach doctrine. We use doctrine to test our experiences to know how this experience relates to God's self-disclosure. God uses our experiences. I am not saying that they have no value.

Experience is good teacher where the mundane things of this life is concerned, but experience is a poor teacher when it comes to doctrine.

The problem arises when two people have two different experiences. One believer prays and their spouse is healed from cancer. Another believer prays and their spouse dies from cancer. If both people were to allow their experience to govern how their doctrine of God is formulated, it provides nothing but confusion.

Experiences we face are not necessarily divinely ordained. Sometimes, they are the result of our bad choices or the bad choices someone has made. That is why we have to be careful not read an act of God into what we experience. Our decisions have built-in consequences.

When God does do something in our life, we need to learn what God intends for us to learn, but that does make it "doctrine." It doesn't mean it is the same for everyone. Sometimes God intervenes in certain circumstances and sometimes he doesn't. Consider what happens when God answers your prayer in a certain situation and intervenes, but doesn't intervene when you are praying for someone else going through a similar situation.

[ayin jade]

It's not that they are irrelevant, but that they should not be used to form doctrine. Experiences are always relevant and have something to teach us. Learning from our mistakes is one way that experiences are valuable tools for learning.

But what if your doctrine is wrong and experience teaches this to you?

That is why it should not be relied upon for doctrine. We test everything by the Scriptures. Doctrine is defined as those teachings of Scripture that provide a foundation for practical Christian living. Experiences don't teach doctrine. We use doctrine to test our experiences to know how this experience relates to God's self-disclosure. God uses our experiences. I am not saying that they have no value.

Experience is good teacher where the mundane things of this life is concerned, but experience is a poor teacher when it comes to doctrine.

The problem arises when two people have two different experiences. One believer prays and their spouse is healed from cancer. Another believer prays and their spouse dies from cancer. If both people were to allow their experience to govern how their doctrine of God is formulated, it provides nothing but confusion.

Experiences we face are not necessarily divinely ordained. Sometimes, they are the result of our bad choices or the bad choices someone has made. That is why we have to be careful not read an act of God into what we experience. Our decisions have built-in consequences.

When God does do something in our life, we need to learn what God intends for us to learn, but that does make it "doctrine." It doesn't mean it is the same for everyone. Sometimes God intervenes in certain circumstances and sometimes he doesn't. Consider what happens when God answers your prayer in a certain situation and intervenes, but doesn't intervene when you are praying for someone else going through a similar situation.

When experience contradicts scripture, which is wrong? Too many claim that experience trumps scripture.