If I preach/teach the same doctrine that the apostles of Jesus did; I will be preaching/teaching TRUTH. Truth is defined by what THEY taught. The Bible says that THEY were given the same words that God gave to Jesus, and Jesus taught TRUTH. Notice:
John 12:49-50 - "For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment—what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me.”
John 15:15 - "...all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you."
John 17:8, 14, 17 - "For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me...I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world...Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth."
1 Cor. 14:37 - "...the things I am writing to you are a command of the Lord."
1 John 4:6 - "We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error."
For this reason, a church's "doctrine" must be identical with the "apostles' doctrine". - Acts 2:42
Truth' is the "form (i.e., 'standard') of doctrine" which the apostles preached to those yet in their sins - Rom. 6:17-18
This "form" (standard) was preached in every church. - 1 Cor. 4:17; 7:17; 14:37
It was the only "CREED" of churches in the first century. This "form of doctrine" (the 'apostles' doctrine') is still the only CREED that a church ought to have.
The apostle Paul warned the brethren in Rome to "mark" those who would preach "contrary to the teaching" which they had been taught by the apostles, and to "turn away from them" - Rom. 16:17
The apostle Paul said that if one preached anything different from what the apostles taught, he was accursed - Gal. 1:6-9
The apostle Paul told Timothy to see that no preacher taught any "other doctrine" different from what the apostles had taught - 1 Tim. 1:3
The apostle Paul told Timothy that, "If anyone advocates a different doctrine", he is not preaching "sound words"; he is not preaching the words that Jesus preached; nor is he preaching a doctrine that "conforms to godliness"; but rather, "he is conceited and understands nothing"; he "has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mind", and he is "VOID OF THE TRUTH", supposing that godliness is a means of gain." - 1 Tim. 6:3-5
The apostle John said that if any preached something different from what the apostles had taught, they were NOT preaching the doctrine of Christ AND WERE NOT TO BE RECEIVED! - 2 John 1:9-11
A church AND a preacher can therefore be judged as faithful to God, by a comparison of their doctrine with the apostles' doctrine.
In the apostles' "doctrine", we have a standard by which we can judge with righteous judgment any and all. We can discern between those who preach/follow truth from those who preach/follow error.
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