First–
Find all Bible verses that might speak to the subject.

Second–
Read, re-read, study, re-study these verses.

Third–
Refrain from saying anything about the doctrine you’re thinking about defining/nailing down.

Fourth–
Let the Bible verses speak for themselves, by themselves, without commentary.

Fifth–
When you think you ‘have to’ formulate a doctrine statement, just use Bible verses.

Where do we get the idea that we can say (must say) ‘it’, that is ‘anything’, better than the Bible says it ?

– – –

What about Bible verses that seem to say different things than other verses on a subject ?

Do we think we can solve that by adding man’s words, to explain what God didn’t make clear to our satisfaction in the Bible ?

“Oh, let me explain it, and I can make it clear” ? ? ?

“Oh, let Me explain it, and I can make it clear” ? ? ?

“Oh, let ME explain it, and I can make it clear” ? ? ?

There’s more where that comes from.
Example—30,000,000 “explanations for the trinity” (right there on the internet first time I looked)—just because Bible verses alone weren’t enough to tell us about God—Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

We get in trouble “comparing ourselves with those who commend themselves . . . measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, they are not wise.”*

We have a theological pattern of creating doctrines, for 2000+ years — — — shake it off ?—but nobody does that—why not ?—we’re stuck—everybody refers to some revered person or statement in the past — — — almost impossible to start fresh with just the Bible, without somebody ‘enlightened’ telling us . . . how it is . . . what it really says . . . what it really means.

Why do we refer to what people say about God, a long time ago, and today, to form our doctrine ?

XX– Is it because the Words in the Word of God are not enough for us ?
OR
XX– Is it because it is too much work for us to spend time in the Bible, for ourselves, to see what God says about Himself ?

Who do we want to impress with our knowledge of theology ?
How do we expect to impress them ?
— By quoting important people to show our knowledge of church history ?
OR
— By quoting God to show everything we must know about Him and History !

“Study to show yourself approved unto God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately explaining the Word of Truth.”

* “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.
But ‘he who glories, let him glory in the Lord.’ For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends.”