Essential Truth

Posted by Nathanael Szobody on

I am not sold on the “essentials and non-essentials” language that is often used in theological discussion. I agree that there are essential truths that the body must remain unified on. However, at what point can we say that a truth is not an essential one? If it is truth is it not eternal, the character of God, his very expression, Christ himself, the Word, regardless of its position in our systematic?

This is not to say that any truth is grounds for division; on the contrary! When we get down to defining what is essential truth, it is often stated to be a teaching on which one’s salvation depends. That is, if one holds to a truth one is saved, if one does not hold to this truth, one is not in Christ. Our measure, then, is whether one is in a relationship with Christ. The other scripture basis for division is if one is living in immorality and is unrepented, i.e., not submitted in love to the body of Christ. Again, the basis is the state of one’s relationship. At this point all truth that one expounds is considered to be as good as non-truth for it comes from a heart that is hardened, in which the Truth does not dwell at all.

Therefore I do not see a way of drawing a line in our doctrine between essential and non-essential doctrine, for the line is not based on the technicalities of one’s dogmatics, but on the status of his relationship with Christ.

If I were to argue that beyond this all truth is equally important and essential, I might (and prefer to) argue that we should be equally gracious to those of various theological persuations as long as they exhibit the humility and love consistent with their holding fast to the head through whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. For in Christ alone is truth. So if they are in Christ the truth that they do not know and express is a part of the righteousness that is credited to them by faith. And the falsehood which they blindly consider to be truth is the sin partaken of by Adam and Eve since their belief in the lie of Satan and is also covered in the blood of Christ by his grace.

Nathanael Szobody

https://paradoxicalmusings.com/author/admin/

Husband, father, and working for Christ's kingdom in Chad.

Comments ( 2 )

  1. Dad
    John told us to not even say "hello" with hospitality to someone who comes along not having "the doctrine of Christ"; whereas Paul told us to say hello with all hospitality to someone who can't eat bacon with their eggs at the table with us, even though all meats are clean by the cross. Huh...sounds like there are some things essentiel and not so essentiel, though they both touch Christ, the cross, and the professing "brother".
  2. Nathanael
    It sounds like someone who preaches a gospel other than the "doctrine of Christ" is one who not only has not been given saving faith, but is in the business of wrecking others' as well. This use of doctrine as a test seems to me to be a means of indicating that this particular person is not in Christ and is in fact attempting to destroy him. Is the condemnation that John instructs the church to make not based then on the status of this person's relationship--the doctrine being the obvious indicator--not only between the person and God, but also subsequently the ramifications of that relationship on the local body? If this is the case, then essential doctrine are those teachings which must be held as true by those who teach them in order for them to even be accepted as a part of Christ at all. This is the point I was attempting to make in the first part of paragraph 2. So then it would still come back to the status of one's relationship as the arbiter of what is essential for one to participate in the body.

    Also; perhaps it would help if I clarified that the context out of which these thoughts developed was a discussion on differences in doctrine among Christians who are already known and accepted according to scriptural guidlines as being, in fact, saved.

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