Essential Doctrine - Theological

Posted: Sun Jun 18, 2006 7:40 pm Post subject: Essential Doctrine

Our pastor's current sermon series is "What We Believe." One of my favorite quotes is "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; and in all things, love." which I hear the Moravians originated.

So the question is? What are the essentials of Christianity?
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For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 1:6

Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 20 Location: Wichita

If you start with the Apostle's Creed and the following 9 areas, there's a start for essential materials (some of these 9 items overlap with the Apostle's Creed):

Inerrency of Scripture
The Trinity
The Deity of Christ
The Holy Spirit
The Virgin Birth
Baptism
Assurance of Salvation
Resurrection
Spiritual Gifts

You will notice that some of the characteristics division items of certain congregations (eg. music or "holiness" standards) are not listed here. They are key pratices of those denominations, but not essential to Christianity.

We tend to include certain social issues in the list of essentials as well, but we sometimes would do well to follow the general slogan of the Restoration Movement, "Speak where the Bible speaks, be silent where the Bible is silent."

We sometimes take for granted where our brothers and sisters stand on certain issues and need to be loving and compassionate in our correcting of others.

Paul[/list]
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O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Cor 15:55-57)

Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 11:29 pm Post subject:

I agree with most of your list, but I'm not sure that I would agree that all of those are "essential."

So I think I would pare your list down to:
The Diety of Christ
The Father, Son & Holy Spirit
The Virgin Birth
Jesus Death and Resurrection
and of course, if Scripture isn't inerrent, than all of the above is in doubt, so we would have to include that.

For instance, spiritual gifts in general may be an essential doctrine, but some of the specific teachings about spiritual gifts cause dissention in the church (i.e., that some of the "special" spiritual gifts are either no longer active or that those same spiritual gifts are an essential sign of salvation, neither of which I personally believe to be true) and I think we need to give others latitude on their interpretations about them until it comes to the place of messing with one's assurance of salvation.

Actually, even the assurance of salvation is questioned in many churches, with convincing Scriptural evidence. So that may also be classified as a non-essential.

Baptism may also be included in the non-essentials. Many churches don't baptize as we do, but are the believers in those churches any less saved? There is also the question that if a person accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior and dies before they can be baptized, would they still be saved? I think they would but many other Christians would say no.

I would also include that many people saw Jesus after his resurrection as an essential. In fact, I think all the essentials would pretty much be included in reading Matthew Chapter 1 and 1 Corinthians Chapter 15.

Does anyone else have any input?
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For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 1:6

Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 20 Location: Wichita

Matthew 1???? The first 2/3 of that chapter is the lineage.

Based on your statement, here is what you are saying the essentials are:

1--Jesus was from the lineage of Abraham
2--Mary was pregnant before she married Joseph, who was going to put her away secretly.
3--Joseph was told not to put Mary away by an angel
4--Mary had the Child and Joseph called Him Jesus
5--Christ died for our sins, was buried and was resurrected from the dead
6--Jesus will deliver the "Kingdom of God the Father" when He destroys all His enemies, the last of which is Death.
7--The corruptible will put on incorruptibility and the mortal will put on immortality
8--Jesus Christ gives us the victory over death.

I don't disagree with most of that list, although parts of it are frivolous.
I believe a stronger case can be made for the following Scriputral sets as the essential doctrines:

John 1:1-5
John 1:14,
Luke 2:4-14,
Luke 2:49,
John 3:16-17,
Matthew 28:19-20,
Romans 3:23-24;
Romans 6,
Romans 5:8,
2Corinthians 5:17,
John 14:6,
John 14:26,
Acts 8:36-38
_________________
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Cor 15:55-57)

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 12:38 pm Post subject:

Well, I didn't actually mean that everything in those two chapers are essential, only that those two chapter contain all the essentials IMHO.

Of course you make a good point in that the John passages show the divinity of Christ much better.
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For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 1:6

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 6:32 pm Post subject:

When we talk about what we believe and why we believe it, the list can get long. However, as I read from the original question, "what is essential". All these things on the list are great to seek but as I read scripture the only ting needed is a belief in Jesus. Without that at the very foundation you have no road to God the Father. All the other stuff will add to your walk but without Christ it all for not. Essential - basic, indispensable, necessary

John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me.
(NAS)
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GW's Thoughts

Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 20 Location: Wichita

Then why do we put so much emphasis on baptism by immersion, belief in the Trinity, etc.???
_________________
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Cor 15:55-57)

Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2006 8:18 pm Post subject:

I think WE put so much emphasis on those things, but I don't see that God does. Greg cut straight to the heart of the matter. Really, the only essential things are the divinity of Christ, His sacrifice for our sins, and His resurrection as a forerunner for us. When Nathan did the Cult buster exercise, it appeared the main criteria for a culthood is a denial of Jesus as both God and man and salvation through Him and Him alone.

If baptism by immersion was essential to God, don't you think He would have made it clear exactly how we were to do it? After all, He was pretty specific in the Old Testament about how He wanted things done.
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For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 1:6

Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 9:59 pm Post subject:

Again these things are very important to our walk in the faith of the Lord. Baptism most generally comes in most cases so close of our accept of Christ that it has become part of the convertion in many peoples mind. I might also add that many churches require it for membership as we (ACC) does. That doesn't mean God requires it as well. We most also remember God's word doesn't say one thing then another. Baptism, the Holy Trinity, virgin birth and Son of God are all very important to a Christian walk. But I must say, as I already stated. It is Jesus Christ plus nothing.
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GW's Thoughts

Posted: Wed Jun 28, 2006 10:21 pm Post subject:

I think you are absolutely, Greg. It is faith in Jesus alone that is essential.
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For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 1:6

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 5:38 am Post subject:

Inerrancy of Scripture
The Trinity
The Deity of Christ
The Holy Spirit
The Virgin Birth
Baptism
Assurance of Salvation
Resurrection
Spiritual Gifts

Setting a side the essential of knowing Jesus as Lord of your life. All things in the list make for a well round view of a Christian walk. Given the world we live in today, is there any difference basically in it than when the books of the Bible were first taught? Question‘s; How can something written so long ago still be relevant today? Is there anything from that list that would be key for your understanding scripture ?
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GW's Thoughts

Posted: Tue Aug 01, 2006 10:31 am Post subject:

While cultures change, people don't. We are still the same as they were 2000 years ago. Still fighting the inherent sin that resides in our flesh. To me, the inerrency of Scripture is the key. If you believe the Bible, beginning to end, you see that people haven't really changed at all. If you disbelieve any of the Bible, the rest is unreliable, also. After all, how can one decide 2-4 thousand years later, what parts are true and what parts aren't? If you believe that God wrote it through various people, and that it is all true, you don't have that problem.

Shelley
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For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. -- Philippians 1:6