In Search of Truth

In 2 John 9, what exactly is the "doctrine of Christ"? John says that we are not to bid false teachers godspeed or welcome them in our home. Is this limited to people who deny the deity of Jesus? What are your thoughts on this?

John, an apostle of Jesus Christ, wrote: 4 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth, as we received commandment from the Father.
5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.
6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it.
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
8 Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.
9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.
10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him;
11 for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds. (II John 1:4-11 - NKJ)

In light of the problems with gnostics in the first century, who taught a needed separation of body and spirit, denied that Christ came in the flesh, because they held to the philosophy that the flesh was evil and the spirit was good. These people were a problem for Christians John has been speaking to. This idea that John says that they should not have fellowship with them or let them in the house goes with the idea of not taking part in allowing them to continue to decieve people and spread their lies. Of course directly it refers to those who deny the deity of Jesus, but these people held to many things, they felt that they had a higher KNOWLEDGE of God, where as many today do the same. If the "doctrines of Christ" are distorted and those who distort them will not listen to truth, then John says have no part with them. These principles can certainly be applied today with much scripture to uphold the thoughts that John is giving to those of the first century.

For most of us it will determined by what we have concluded as truth, since there are 100's and 100's of variations of supposed "Doctrines of Christ". Certainly if one will not listen to the objective truth of God then he will only do harm to the message and the faith of others who hold to truth.

To be able to identify the "Doctrines of Christ" on has to look no further than the New Testament.