“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 Timothy 6:3-4a)
In all of his letters, the Apostle Paul’s teachings were based in truth, that which was found in the Old Testament and what God had revealed to him. He wrote about Jesus and salvation in Him, agreeing with the accounts in the Gospels. When he wrote his former protégés, Titus and Timothy, about their pastoral duties, he stressed the importance of teaching sound doctrine. They weren’t to teach anything that was different from that which Jesus had taught but were to always make sure their words corresponded with Jesus’. By doing this, they wouldn’t be led astray by false ideas; instead, they would be able to teach the truth and help others understand it.
The same thing applies to us today. Just as in Paul’s day, there is absolute truth and one correct way of belief. Yes, there are hundreds of religions in the world, but only one of them is actually true. That one is Christianity—belief in Jesus, the Son of God, as the one and only way to salvation. We gain salvation not by our own works, but as a free gift by faith in Jesus. When we believe in Him, He gives us a new life, in which we can finally do what we were made to do and serve Him. He frees us from sin and promises to be with us forever. When we die, we can rest assured that we will live with Him forever, and that one day, He will return to the earth and set up His kingdom that will never end. This is what the Bible teaches, and what Paul urged Titus and Timothy to teach, as well. There are so many different ideas of what truth is, but the Bible clearly states that there is only one real truth. It is extremely important that we know what that truth is and live our lives based on it. The Bible teaches us how we should live; our job is to believe it and learn from God Himself what He expects of us. Only His doctrine is sound doctrine.