Original Word: διδασκαλία
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: didaskalia
Pronunciation: dee-das-kal-ee'-ah
Phonetic Spelling: (did-as-kal-ee'-ah)
KJV: doctrine, learning, teaching
NASB: doctrine, teaching, doctrines, instruction, teachings
Word Origin: [from G1320 (διδάσκαλος - Teacher)]

1. instruction (the function or the information)

doctrine, learning, teaching.

From didaskalos; instruction (the function or the information) -- doctrine, learning, teaching.

see GREEK didaskalos

Cognate: 1319 didaskalía (a feminine noun derived from 1321 /didáskō, "teach") – properly applied-teaching; Christian doctrine (teaching) as it especially extends to its necessary lifestyle (applications). See 1321 (didaskō).

Word Origin
from didaskalos
Definition
instruction (the function or the information)
NASB Translation
doctrine (9), doctrines (3), instruction (1), teaching (7), teachings (1).

STRONGS NT 1319: διδασκαλία

διδασκαλία, διδασκαλίας, ἡ (διδάσκαλος) (from Pindar down);

1. teaching, instruction: Romans 12:7; Romans 15:4 (εἰς τήν ἡμετέραν διδασκαλίαν, that we might be taught (A. V. for our learning)); 1 Timothy 4:13, 16; 1 Timothy 5:17; 2 Timothy 3:10, 16; Titus 2:7.

2. teaching, i. e. that which is taught, doctrine: Ephesians 4:14; 1 Timothy 1:10; 1 Timothy 4:6; 1 Timothy 6:1, 3; 2 Timothy 4:3; Titus 1:9; Titus 2:1, 10; plural διδασκαλιαι, teachings, precepts (from Isaiah 29:13), Matthew 15:9; Mark 7:7; ἀνθρώπων, Colossians 2:22; δαιμονίων, 1 Timothy 4:1.

Overview

Greek word: διδασκαλία – systematic instruction, authoritative teaching or doctrine that shapes belief and conduct.

Place within Salvation History

From the Law given through Moses to the incarnate Word and the apostolic witness, God has always regulated His people by revealed instruction. In the New Testament διδασκαλία designates that body of truth which accords with the gospel and, by extension, any competing body of ideas that challenges it.

Positive Uses: Nurturing Sound Faith

• Romans 15:4 declares that Scripture’s earlier writings were penned “for our instruction,” highlighting διδασκαλία as the divinely intended means of imparting perseverance and hope.
• 2 Timothy 3:16 situates it at the heart of sanctification: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction.” Doctrine is therefore Scripture-saturated, God-originated, and profitable.
• Titus 2:1 commands, “Speak the things that are fitting for sound doctrine,” making healthy teaching the main safeguard for orderly congregational life.
• In Romans 12:7 teaching appears as a Spirit-bestowed grace-gift, confirming that doctrine is not mere scholarship but Spirit-empowered service.

Pastoral Epistles: Guarding the Deposit

Fourteen of the twenty-one occurrences cluster in 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, underscoring apostolic concern for doctrinal purity.

‒ 1 Timothy 1:10 joins “sound doctrine” with the gospel’s moral demands.

‒ 1 Timothy 4:13–16 binds public reading of Scripture, exhortation, and doctrine into a single ministry rhythm; life and teaching must align.

‒ 1 Timothy 5:17 esteems elders “who labor in the word and doctrine,” indicating that sustained doctrinal labor merits double honor.

‒ 2 Timothy 3:10 shows Paul’s own life as a living curriculum, marrying doctrine with example.

‒ Titus 1:9 requires overseers to “hold firmly to the trustworthy word as taught,” both to encourage believers and refute opponents.

Negative Uses: Exposing Counterfeits

• Matthew 15:9 / Mark 7:7 quote Isaiah to indict traditions that supplant divine command: “They teach as doctrine the commandments of men.” διδασκαλία can thus denote empty religiosity.
• 1 Timothy 4:1 predicts “doctrines of demons,” taught by deceitful spirits, signaling an eschatological intensification of error.
• Ephesians 4:14 warns against being “carried about by every wind of doctrine,” connecting false teaching with spiritual immaturity.
• Colossians 2:22 speaks of regulations “destined to perish” that are “based on human commands and teachings,” stressing the transient nature of man-made systems.
• 2 Timothy 4:3 foresees a time when people “will not tolerate sound doctrine,” preferring teachers who accommodate their passions.

Doctrine and Worship

Healthy teaching orders corporate worship: public Scripture reading (1 Timothy 4:13), hymnody that must be “in all respects an adornment” to sound doctrine (Titus 2:10), and an elder team that labors in doctrinal exposition (1 Timothy 5:17). The church’s doxology is guarded by its theology.

Doctrine and Ethics

Sound teaching invariably produces godliness (1 Timothy 6:3). Its counterfeit leads to ascetic legalism (1 Timothy 4:3), divisiveness (Titus 1:11), and moral collapse (2 Timothy 3:6-8). Teaching, therefore, is evaluated not only by orthodoxy but by the fruit it bears.

Continuity with Old Testament Revelation

Romans 15:4 and 2 Timothy 3:16 root Christian doctrine in the entirety of Scripture, establishing canonical unity. The apostolic “pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13) is continuous with the prophetic witness, climaxing in Christ.

Implications for Modern Ministry

1. Centrality of Scripture: Every teaching ministry must be text-driven, treating Scripture as breathed-out, sufficient, and final.
2. Qualified Teachers: Elders are measured by adherence to sound doctrine and ability to refute error (Titus 1:9).
3. Discernment: Believers must test every message, refusing man-made innovations.
4. Perseverance: Sound doctrine fortifies against cultural drift, sustaining hope until Christ’s return.

Summary

Strong’s 1319 encompasses God-given instruction that forms belief, nurtures holiness, and preserves the church from deception. Wherever Scripture is read, taught, and obeyed, διδασκαλία fulfills its ordained role of exalting Christ and equipping His people for every good work.

διδασκαλια διδασκαλία διδασκαλίᾳ διδασκαλιαις διδασκαλίαις διδασκαλιαν διδασκαλίαν διδασκαλιας διδασκαλίας didaskalia didaskalía didaskalíāi didaskaliais didaskalíais didaskalian didaskalían didaskalias didaskalíasInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts