Essential vs Non-Essential Doctrine

[Jim B]

Hi all.

I had posted this thread on another forum but feel that answers might be better suited to this one. Here is my problem:

I am preparing a series of messages for our church on Essential Doctrine. I thought it would be an easy study, but I am bogged down.

I am trying to separate the doctrines that are necessary for us to believe in order to be “Christian” from those that are marginal (non-essential). It seems believers spend a lot of energy fighting over the peripherals.

I have decided to limit my study only to those beliefs the New Testament expressly tells us are necessary. So far I have found only five:

1. Belief in the One True God.

Hebrews 11 6And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

John 5 19Jesus gave them this answer: "I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. 21For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it.
22Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father, who sent him. 24"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.


2. The Deity of Christ.
1 John 4:2-3: "This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world."

3. Salvation by Grace through Faith.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast" (Eph. 2:8-9, NIV).

"You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace" (Gal. 5:4).

"Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin" (Rom. 3:20).

4. The Resurrection of Christ.

"And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith" (1 Cor. 15:14).

"And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins" (1 Cor. 15:17).

5. The Gospel.

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!" (Gal. 1:8-9, NIV).

What do you think?

 

[eldermike]

I think you have chosen a large subject.
Without commenting on anything you have included; I would say that the Nature of man is the logical starting point in understanding essential doctrines. Otherwise we might think that God is who He says He is but we don't need a God because we are "good" without HIm. See my point? Who is man? that's essential to knowing Gods true nature and understanding His grace.

That's my contribution for now.
Mike

 

[cleaveun2him]

How about Christ's answer to the tenet's of faith....1. Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and all thy heart and all thy might. 2. Thou shall love thy neighbor as thy self.

Also, for me Christ's admonition during the last supper to do this in memory of me supports Eucharist.

 

[Jim B]

cleaveun2him wrote:

How about Christ's answer to the tenet's of faith....1. Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and all thy heart and all thy might. 2. Thou shall love thy neighbor as thy self.

Also, for me Christ's admonition during the last supper to do this in memory of me supports Eucharist.

Wouldn't loving God and others be included in #1?

This are important, I agree. But are they essential? Let’s take an aborigine in some remote part of the world devoid of the means of grace (a church). Can that person be a Christian without partaking of the Lord’s Supper or being baptized? What must he believe – essentially – in order to be a Christian?

 

[Lotar]

I can't imagine why someone in a remote part of the world wouldn't be able to be baptized or partake in communion.



<SPAN style="COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary
and became truly human.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son],
who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

 

[Jim B]

Lotar said:

I can't imagine why someone in a remote part of the world wouldn't be able to be baptized or partake in communion.

Surely, it would be more imaginable half a century ago than today, but I would still say it is conceivable. My brother is a missionary in Africa and there are still remote parts of that continent where believers exist without proper education in the fundamentals of Christianity, without adequate ministry, and some places without Bibles. Even in some of those areas where Bibles have been translated into their language, an overwhelming percentage of the people are illiterate. So, yes, I would say it is possible.

 

[Lotar]

How would they come to enough knowledge to be believers, yet not know what baptism and communion is? I just don't see a situation where that could happen.

 

[Jim B]

Lotar said:

How would they come to enough knowledge to be believers, yet not know what baptism and communion is? I just don't see a situation where that could happen.

Faith is a gift from God. It is not a learned doctrine. Baptism and communion are things that must be learned. It is possible, I believe, for a person to come to Christ through the testimony, witness or preaching of an uneducated person incapable of teaching those about the finer points of Christianity, like baptism or communion. An uneducated person can be saved but a faithless person cannot.

 

[Blackhawk]

I think you have chosen a large subject.
Without commenting on anything you have included; I would say that the Nature of man is the logical starting point in understanding essential doctrines. Otherwise we might think that God is who He says He is but we don't need a God because we are "good" without HIm. See my point? Who is man? that's essential to knowing Gods true nature and understanding His grace.

That's my contribution for now.
Mike

I would say God is the logical starting point (and ending point) to any discussion of theology. Otherwise a great post.

 

[Terri]

Hi Jim!

My faith is very simple. I believe that RO 10:9 is the only essential doctrine.

RO 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Now, I do believe that to confess that "Jesus is Lord" you must first know and believe that you deserve death and that Jesus' death on the cross which paid for ALL of your sins and in no way can be added to by us is the only way to escape that eternal death.

 

[eldermike]

Now, I do believe that to confess that "Jesus is Lord" you must first know and believe that you deserve death and that Jesus' death on the cross which paid for ALL of your sins and in no way can be added to by us is the only way to escape that eternal death.

That's what I meant, you must believe you deserve death.

You cannot get a person saved until you get them lost.

 

[orange]

You are right about essential and not essential points of view. I have thread about that question
"What is the Church of Christ". It is about the same your question. Read it , it will help you. God Bless you on Christ. You battle against the Devil by your this thread.
Orange in Christ

 

[good4u]

I dunno if this has been said or not since I didn't read all the posts but here is another essential doctrine:

THE RETURN OF CHRIST TO EARTH TO RULE ALL NATIONS!

Without this essential, Christianity is a dead religion, not a living faith setting us apart from all other religions.

 

[orange]

Hi all. I want to speak about our Faith to God, and about Churches.
Me must understand that it is different thing to be a son of God, member of spiritual Church, and to have spiritual knowledge. We can have wrong spiritual knowledge’s, but to have right Faith to God, and to Jesus.
This imagination that we have only correct, true knowledge about God, Bible, and that we must have only correct, true knowledge about Faith for to be saved it is very wrong and not Biblical. Bible teaches that we must have Faith in to few subjects, that is necessary, I will try to say.
1. Faith to the creator God.
2. Faith to the Jesus Christ as king of universe and head of spiritual Church.
3. Faith to your salvation.
4. Faith to the resurrection of Jesus Chris.
5. Faith to the name of Jesus Christ.
6. Faith to the eternal glorified life of sons of God.
7. Destruction of sinners.
8. Faith to the moral Law of God, (10 commandments of God).
Faith to have moral life. And love Christians as our brothers and sisters.
9. Faith to that that we must confess our sins to God and repent our sins.
10.Faith to the Bible as word of God and to the Gospel.
I think it is all.
So I say there is many other subjects that are truths, but they are not necessary for to be saved. It is right that when we have a correct knowledge’s about Word of God and when we are wiser then our life will be more blessed. And so every believer can understand many words, verses in Bible in wrong way, but when they not essential for the salvation the believer continues to be son of God and member of spiritual Church.
There are many questions that they are very interesting, but not essential.
For example,
1. To have resting in Saturday or in Sunday.
2. Eternal life is in spirit or in body.
3. We must eat meat or not.
4. Church must have democratic structure or not.
5. The Earth is spherical or flat.
And so on. You can see, if you would want that, in itself many of these type questions Not religious questions, but philosophical, scientific questions.
We must differ what is Church and what is spiritual servants of a Church.
Church it is all the believers of Christ. But many speak about church as a organization of a spiritual servants of the Church. Catholic Church, Protestant Church, Lutheran Church, Orthodox Church and so on. But these are not Churches in Biblical view; these are only theological Schools with big traditions of even 2000 years old. These theological Schools want to have answers in every spiritual question, this make them to do many wrongs. Beside that they enforce the members of their Churches to believe in their theological resolutions they maid. And who don’t want to believe them they think that they have a right to throw the believe of Christ, son of God from the Church, and so in 2000 years. Especially have a big sin in this question Catholic Church but Protestants also not innocent in this subject. Our enemy not Catholic Church or Protestant Church, our enemy is the World and all satanic forces. May many Christians are fooled by the Devil and they work for him, but they don’t understand it as in his time Catholic Church did.
Noting can separate us from God if we have a Faith to Jesus Christ.
I think we must give a little attention in many interesting questions and don’t persecute other Christians, our brothers and sisters, sons of God
for not essential subjects.
We Christians are very powerful, we can conquer all the world, God have given us every thing in the world.
God bless you
In the name of Christ

 

[Dark_Lite]

Especially have a big sin in this question Catholic Church

Hmm?

 

[LuxPerpetua]

[/font]

Hmm?

I think Orange is speaking against the division among believers both Protestant and Catholic, and how each theological branch thinks it has all of the correct answers to the mysteries and wonders of our SHARED faith in Christ as our salvation. Just my guess . . .

 

[Jim B]

Orange wrote

Bible teaches that we must have Faith in to few subjects, that is necessary, I will try to say.
1. Faith to the creator God.
2. Faith to the Jesus Christ as king of universe and head of spiritual Church.
3. Faith to your salvation.
4. Faith to the resurrection of Jesus Chris.
5. Faith to the name of Jesus Christ.
6. Faith to the eternal glorified life of sons of God.
7. Destruction of sinners.
8. Faith to the moral Law of God, (10 commandments of God).
Faith to have moral life. And love Christians as our brothers and sisters.
9. Faith to that that we must confess our sins to God and repent our sins.
10.Faith to the Bible as word of God and to the Gospel.

Thanx orange.

Just to make sure we are on track, are you saying that if a person does not believe each/all of your list of 10 items (above) they cannot be a Christian?

I do believe faith in God is necessary to be a Christian because Heb. 11.6 says that we MUST believe that He exists.

It is essential to salvation because the Bible says it is.

I do believe faith in Jesus Christ (excluding the “king of the universe” and “spiritual head of the church” part, which I do not believe are necessarily a part of faith in Christ – they are more nonessential doctrines about Christ) is necessary to be a Christian because Jesus said it was in John 8.24, “I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be (i.e., Messiah/Savior); you will indeed die in your sins."

It is essential to salvation because the Bible says it is.

I do believe faith in the Resurrection of Christ is necessary in order to be a Christian because 1 Cor. 15.14, 17 says it is, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. . . . And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”

It is essential to salvation because the Bible says it is.

You did (sort of) touch on the fact that one must believe in Salvation by Grace through Faith in order to be a Christian because Eph. 2.8-9 says so, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast."

It is essential to salvation because the Bible says it is.

However, you belief that one must believe in other thing like faith in the eternal glorified life of sons of God, the destruction of sinners, the moral Law of God, (10 commandments of God), the Bible as word of God. The Bible nowhere (to my knowledge, unless you can prove otherwise) say that belief in these things are essential to be a Christian.

I still believe, and feel the Bible supports me on this, that a person can be a Christian (i.e., saved) without believing in the glorification of saints, the destruction of sinners, the Ten Commandments, nor the inspiration of Scripture (of course you would have to believe the Bible to hold a biblical basis for these beliefs, but even faith in the inspiration of scripture is not among the required essentials necessary to be a Christian).

If you can support your belief that the things you mentioned in your list are essential and can show me where the Bible says they are essential, please post your references. Enquiring minds want to know.

Blessings,
Jim
\o/

 

[seebs]

This are important, I agree. But are they essential?

What does "this do, and thou shalt live." sound like to you? (Luke 10:27-28)

Sounds to me like Jesus said that that was simultaneously essential and sufficient.

 

[Jim B]

What does "this do, and thou shalt live." sound like to you? (Luke 10:27-28)

Sounds to me like Jesus said that that was simultaneously essential and sufficient.

I think this could be included under #1 Belief in the One True God.

 

[orange]

Dear friend you yourself with God's help can to know that what I said are essential. I have not time to write sorry. I wrote only example. May these points can be more than 10 or less.
I read Bible 10 time and The Gospel mayby 40-50 time. I dont want argue. I said only my opinion.
You have strange point of view about some subjects, be careful.
Orange in Christ