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본질적인 것과 비본질적인 것 Essentials and Non Essentials

Summary: 질적인 것과 비본질적인 것 언급하는 소이는 사람들 간에 할 수만 있으면 서로 의견을통일하여 단합을 이루고 살아가자는 사람들의 염원 때문이다 어떻게 보면서로의 차이를 대강대강 적당한 선에서 서로 덮고 넘어가면서 평화를 유지하자는 조심스런 마음의 표현이다 그러나 서로 원만한관계를 유지하며 존중하며 예의를 지켜가던 사람들 간에도어떤 사소한일에서 결례를 하는 경우 이제까지의 평화스런 관계에 금이 가고 오해가 발생하는 것이 인간관계에서의 상례이다 더구나 사람과 하나님의 관계에서는 본질과 비본질을 구분할 수 없다 아무리 사소한 부분일지라도 절대적인 거룩한 실체가 되시는 그분 앞에서는 그것이 절대적인 것이 될 수밖에 없기 때문이다 홉니와 비느하스가 허락받지 않은 불을 제사에 드리다가 또한 웃사가 언약궤를 수레로 운반하던 중 손을 대다급사하게 된 사건 등을 보면 하나님 앞에서는 어떤 절차나 내용에중요성의 경중이 있을 수 없다 그런고로 교회와 예배와 신앙의 길에서 본질과 비본질을 운위하는것은 인간적인 사고 방식에서 나온 즉 사람 본위의편의주의에서 나온 발상에 불과하다 아래의 글은 그런고로 이런 관점을 염두에 두고 읽어야 할 글이다 Essentials and Non Essentials http www reclaimingthemind org blog 2010 10 evangelicals we can and we must distinguish between essentials and non essentials better WeEvangelicals talk a lot aboutessentials and non essentials Rightly so We talk about distinguishing between those areas in our faith those doctrines which are central or cardinal doctrines and those which are not so important However we often have trouble when someone asks us to define distinguish and defend this whole essentials non essentials distinction Evangelicals We can and we must distinguish between essentials and non essentials better Draw our circles too tightly and we slip intofundamentalism Draw our circles too wide andweslip intoliberalism I have written on this many times but I am going to attempt to be somewhat comprehensive here That means long article forthcoming But I think that this exercise is representative of a pressing issue in Christian discipleship So put on your seat belt It is going to get bumpy At the Credo House of Theology our headquarters in Edmond Oklahoma right when you walk in the front door you will see written on the wall in Latin the words in necessariis unitas in dubiis libertas in omnibus caritas Translated into English this means In essentials unity in non essentials liberty in all things charity This phrase often wrongly attributed to Augustine comes from an otherwise obscure German Lutheran theologian of the early seventeenth century named Rupertus Meldenius It has served as a place holder for a sort ofEvangelical credo statement of faith hense it is the first thing you see at the Credo house It expresses the idea of orthodoxy and grace existing together It reminds us that there are essential Christian beliefs and there are those matters of lesser importance I remember hearing a pastor once say concerning doctrine You are either one hundred percent right or one hundred percent wrong There is no in between and there are no gray areas God is not confused or unsure Why should we be While this might be true concerning God for us things are different For now we see in a mirror dimly 1 Cor 13 12 Paul spoke about those things that are of first importance protois emphasis mine Christ spoke about straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel Matt 23 24 and the weightier things of the law Matt 23 23 The very existence of creeds and pithy statements of faith in the Bible evidence the assumption that there are many issues that are of first importance Here are a few examples of biblical creeds and succinct statements of faith Deut 6 4 Hear O Israel the LORD is our God the LORDalone 1 Cor 12 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says Jesus be cursed and no one can say Jesusis Lord except by the Holy Spirit 1 Cor 15 3 7 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures that he was buried that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and that he appeared to Cephas then to the twelve Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time most of whom are still alive though some have fallen asleep Then he appeared to James then to all the apostles Phil 2 6 11 who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even death on a cross Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father 1 Tim 3 16 Great indeed we confess is the mystery of our religion He was manifested in the flesh vindicated in the Spirit seen by angels preached among the nations believed on in the world taken up in glory Heb 6 1 2 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God with instruction about ablutions the laying on of hands the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment 1 John 4 2 By this you know the Spirit of God every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God As I said thisis one of the things that should distinguish us as Evangelicals We are those who unite around those things that we believe are the weightiest the things that are the most important while we should give liberty in the non essentials I often tell people that there are some things that I believe that I would die for there are some things that I believe that I would lose an arm for there are some things that I believe that I would lose a finger for and then there are some things that I believethat I would not evenget a manicure for Like in all areas of life we need to learn to choose our battles carefully But in order to do this we must first come to know the difference between essentials and non essentials But as the criticism goes it is not that easy to distinguish between essentials and non essentials More importantly for now many Evangelicals have simply never been exposed to this and thereforepractice their theology in a much morelegalistic way believing every conviction that they have to be representative of a hill upon whichthey should die Here I want to elaborate upon and expand the discussion a little bit While we need to distinguish between essentials and non essentials we also need to recognize that there are different types of essentials Along with this goes my belief that there are different ways to break fellowship based on our beliefs In other words not all essentials are equal Some are essential to the very foundation of Christianity but some are only essential to a particular denomination or expression This will require different types of breaks in fellowship Let me start with a chart then I will briefly break it down click on chart to enlarge Essential for salvation Theseare the most essential doctrines of all essentials This includes what every Christian should always be willing to die for In essence if someone does not believe the doctrines that are essential for salvation they are not saved What I include Belief in God there is no such thing as an atheistic Christian Issues pertaining to the person and work of Christ Belief in Christ s deity and humanity 1 John 4 2 3 Rom 10 9 Belief that you are a sinner in need of God s mercy 1 John 1 10 Belief that Christ died on thecross and rose bodily from the grave 1 Cor 15 3 4 Belief that faith in Christ is necessary John 3 16 As with all of them I am sure that there are someancillary matters that could be included but this gives you the key doctrines Without these you simply don t have any sense of what it means to be a Christian present Essential for historic Christian orthodoxy These include beliefs essential for salvation but are broader in that they express what has been believed by the historic Christian church for the last two thousand years no matter what tradition Thisis expressed by the Vincentian Canon 434 A D that which has been believed everywhere always and by all The exception of fringe movements has never been valid for this canon It is simply asking What have all Christianseverywhere always believed Some of what I include The doctrine of the Trinity as expressed at Nicea The doctrine of the Hypostatic Union Christ is fully man and fully God as expressed at Chalcedon The belief in the future second coming of Christ A belief in the inspiration and authority of Scripture A belief in eternal punishment for the wicked A belief in God s transcendence his metaphysical distinction from the universe Belief that Christ is the only way to the Father To be sure some of these doctrines develop but their development is only in relation to their seed form which preexisted their more mature expression For more on this see here Essential for traditional orthodoxy Again these will necessarily include all of those from the two previous categories but add some distinctives of their own Essentials here will include all of those that are foundational to one of the three main Christian traditions Protestantism Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism These are beliefs that distinguish one tradition from the next but are not absolutely essential from the broader Christian worldview expressed above Some Protestant distinctives would include General belief in the major pronouncements of the first seven ecumenical councils 325 787 AD Belief in the necessity for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Beliefthat justification isthrough faith alone on the basis of Christ alone Belief that Scripturealone has ultimate authority on all matters of faith and practice The canon of Scripture made up of 66 books excluding the Deuterocanonical books Some Roman Catholic distinctives that would include Belief in transubstantiation the bread and wine turn into the actual body and blood of Christ Beliefthat justification isthrough faith and works Belief that both Scripture and unwritten tradition have ultimate authority as they are interpreted by the Magisterium Belief in the authority of twenty one ecumenical councils Belief that the Pope is the infallible vicar of Christ Belief in the Marian dogmas Belief that the canon includes the Deuterocanonical books SomeEastern Orthodoxdistinctives that would include Belief in the infallibility of the first seven ecumenical councils 325 787 AD Belief that the liturgy of the Church is part of the Gospel Rejection of substitutionary atonement and the imputation of Adam s sin Salvation by grace through faith as God works these out through our unification with Him theosis Traditional inclusion of the Deuterocanonical book although there is some debate about this Essential for denominational orthodoxy This will be similar to the above but one step down in importance dealing as it does with the particular and peculiar denominational expressions by the various Protestant traditions Some examples Credo baptism i e Baptism is only for believers Baptists Infant baptism Presbyterians Methodists Anglicans Unconditional election Reformed and Presbyterians Arminian theology Methodists Nazarenes Belief in the continuation of the Charismatic gifts Pentecostals Church of God Important but not essential These are those beliefs that do not describe any particular tradition necessarily They are important but not that important Some examples Beliefs about particulars in the creation debate Belief whether the books of Jonah and Job are historical accounts Beliefs about the inerrancy of Scripture Beliefs about the authorship of 2 Peter Belief about particular end time schemes i e premillennial amillennial post millennial The order of books in the canon Which translation of the Bible to use from the pulpit Which Gospel was written first How often one should celebrate the Lord s supper Whether or not Christtaught inGreek or Aramaic Not Important These are beliefs that people have concerning Christian doctrine that are not important for any expression and do not affect Christian devotion or spirituality Some examples The date of Christ s birth Christmas What kind of music to play at church Whether to use real wine or grape juice at communion Whether to hold Saturday night services Whether or not John the Baptist was an Essene Pure speculation That is just what these are speculation We just don t know one way or another nor does it matter Some examples Did Adam have a belly button yes they did it would just look funny otherwise Belief in the eternal destiny of pets except I know my dog Rocky is going to heaven What was God doing before creation decrees Will there be meat to eat in heaven we can all hope Will there be sex in heaven we can all hope more How long was it before Adam and Eve fell didn t I just write on this So far my purpose has been to stimulate a deeper level of thought about the difference between essentials and non essentials Really I just want to convince you that there are essentials and non essentials Now take a deep breath let s move on and talk about the criteria which makes a doctrine essential Four Tests So far so good I can hear the objections This all sounds really nice But who decides what are essential doctrines and non essential doctrines The Pope Your local church pastor The SBC Al Mohler Didn t Al Mohler just anathmatize yoga Or is it my private interpretation of the Scripture Alas with such a question the divisions start all over In essentials unity Sounds nice but impractical I don t think we have to be so pessimistic about this I actually think that there arecertain criteria that most thoughtful people can agree constitutes the foundation of our faith the essentials I have them narrowed to four in no certain order It is important to note that I am persuaded that all four must be present for a doctrine to be considered essential These criteria would pertain to the first two circles 1 Essential for salvation and 2 Essential for historic Christian orthodoxy 1 Historicity Does the doctrine have universal historical representation This first criteria is one of historical agreement This is a form of consensual faith consensus fidelium This criteria of universal consensus follows the canon of Saint Vincent of Lerins mentioned above quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus that which was believed everywhere always by everyone In other words an essential cannot be something new like the doctrine of the Rapture Neither can it be something that haslackedhistoric unity by Christians across time like theperpetual virginity of Mary As well it cannot have limited geographic representation like certain Eastern liturgy The question here is Have all Christians of all timeeverywhere believed it 2 Explicitly Historical Does the history of the church confess their centrality This is like the first but differs in an important way Here we are saying that if the history of the church has not confessed this as a central issue then it is not For example the history of the church may confess that the Christian worldview includes a firm confession of a belief in the historicity of the Flood narrative but it has never been a part of the central teachings to the degree that a denial of such is a damnable offense When combined with the first criteria the exception cannot define the rule The point here is that we take seriously God s work in the history of the Church through the Holy Spirit If the church has universally believed that a certain doctrine is both true and central to the Christian faith that doctrine deserves serious consideration as being among the essentials 3 Biblical Clarity Perspicuity Is the doctrine represented clearly in Scripture One of the principles that the Reformers sought to communicate is that of the perspicuity clarity of Scripture The Reformers did not believe that all of the Scripture was clear a misunderstanding of the doctrine of perspicuity but that all that is essential for salvation is clear In short if something in Scripture is obscure then it is not essential Augustine even held to such a principle stating that one must not build doctrines on obscure passages On Christian Doctrine For example one should not build essential doctrine on what the keys to the kingdom of heaven Matt 16 19 are or what it means to be baptized for the dead 1 Cor 15 29 Unfortunately both the Catholics and the Mormons have done just that If a passage is obscure no essential doctrine can be derived from it 4 Explicitly Biblical Does any passage of Scripture explicitly teach that a certain doctrine is essential The Scriptures speak about a great many things but they are often explicit regarding that which is of essential importance For example Paul says to the Corinthians For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures that he was buried that he was raisedon the third day in accordance with the Scriptures 1 Cor 15 3 4 emphasis mine The of first importance tells us that Christ s death and resurrection for our sins from Paul s perspective are essential components of Christianity Without such according to Paul there is no Christianity 1 Cor 15 12ff As well the Gospel of John speaks about the importance of faith Whoever believes in him is not condemned but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God s one and only Son John 3 18 Again these four criteria I propose must all be present I think I am committed to this If one or more is lacking concerning a particular doctrine I believe that it is not possible for one to legitimatelyargue for its core necessity As well all four feed off each other and are somewhatself regulating In other words if someone doubts whether something is clear in Scripture all he or she has to do is look to history If something is not clear in the Scripture we will not find that it passes the test of historicity This is why it is of vital importance that Christians not only be good exegetes but also good historians Conclusion For some of you this is the first time you have been exposed to this way of thinking I pray that you consider the major points ofwhat I am saying even if you do not agree with the details I am not an ecumenicist but I don t think that we should have ill will or break fellowship with people unnecessarily I believe that we have the right and obligation to define what it means to be Christian But I don t think we should overdefine it to the point where our circle of fellowship is so small that it only includes you and those two I hope that thinking through these things will make both our unity and diversity more meaningful and less reactionary Most of all I pray that this type of thinking will present a renewed conviction for both grace and truth If you enjoyed this post make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed By C Michael Patton in Evangelicalism Prolegomena on October 8 2010 Ref Korean 통합측 글 http blog daum net 7gnak 14900306 질적인 것과 비본질적인 것 언급하는 소이는 사람들 간에 할 수만 있으면 서로 의견을통일하여 단합을 이루고 살아가자는 사람들의 염원 때문이다 어떻게 보면서로의 차이를 대강대강 적당한 선에서 서로 덮고 넘어가면서 평화를 유지하자는 조심스런 마음의 표현이다 그러나 서로 원만한관계를 유지하며 존중하며 예의를 지켜가던 사람들 간에도어떤 사소한일에서 결례를 하는 경우 이제까지의 평화스런 관계에 금이 가고 오해가 발생하는 것이 인간관계에서의 상례이다 더구나 사람과 하나님의 관계에서는 본질과 비본질을 구분할 수 없다 아무리 사소한 부분일지라도 절대적인 거룩한 실체가 되시는 그분 앞에서는 그것이 절대적인 것이 될 수밖에 없기 때문이다 홉니와 비느하스가 허락받지 않은 불을 제사에 드리다가 또한 웃사가 언약궤를 수레로 운반하던 중 손을 대다급사하게 된 사건 등을 보면 하나님 앞에서는 어떤 절차나 내용에중요성의 경중이 있을 수 없다 그런고로 교회와 예배와 신앙의 길에서 본질과 비본질을 운위하는것은 인간적인 사고 방식에서 나온 즉 사람 본위의편의주의에서 나온 발상에 불과하다 아래의 글은 그런고로 이런 관점을 염두에 두고 읽어야 할 글이다 Essentials and Non Essentials http www reclaimingthemind org blog 2010 10 evangelicals we can and we must distinguish between essentials and non essentials better WeEvangelicals talk a lot aboutessentials and non essentials Rightly so We talk about distinguishing between those areas in our faith those doctrines which are central or cardinal doctrines and those which are not so important However we often have trouble when someone asks us to define distinguish and defend this whole essentials non essentials distinction Evangelicals We can and we must distinguish between essentials and non essentials better Draw our circles too tightly and we slip intofundamentalism Draw our circles too wide andweslip intoliberalism I have written on this many times but I am going to attempt to be somewhat comprehensive here That means long article forthcoming But I think that this exercise is representative of a pressing issue in Christian discipleship So put on your seat belt It is going to get bumpy At the Credo House of Theology our headquarters in Edmond Oklahoma right when you walk in the front door you will see written on the wall in Latin the words in necessariis unitas in dubiis libertas in omnibus caritas Translated into English this means In essentials unity in non essentials liberty in all things charity This phrase often wrongly attributed to Augustine comes from an otherwise obscure German Lutheran theologian of the early seventeenth century named Rupertus Meldenius It has served as a place holder for a sort ofEvangelical credo statement of faith hense it is the first thing you see at the Credo house It expresses the idea of orthodoxy and grace existing together It reminds us that there are essential Christian beliefs and there are those matters of lesser importance I remember hearing a pastor once say concerning doctrine You are either one hundred percent right or one hundred percent wrong There is no in between and there are no gray areas God is not confused or unsure Why should we be While this might be true concerning God for us things are different For now we see in a mirror dimly 1 Cor 13 12 Paul spoke about those things that are of first importance protois emphasis mine Christ spoke about straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel Matt 23 24 and the weightier things of the law Matt 23 23 The very existence of creeds and pithy statements of faith in the Bible evidence the assumption that there are many issues that are of first importance Here are a few examples of biblical creeds and succinct statements of faith Deut 6 4 Hear O Israel the LORD is our God the LORDalone 1 Cor 12 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says Jesus be cursed and no one can say Jesusis Lord except by the Holy Spirit 1 Cor 15 3 7 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures that he was buried that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures and that he appeared to Cephas then to the twelve Then he appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time most of whom are still alive though some have fallen asleep Then he appeared to James then to all the apostles Phil 2 6 11 who though he was in the form of God did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped but emptied himself taking the form of a servant being born in the likeness of men And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even death on a cross Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father 1 Tim 3 16 Great indeed we confess is the mystery of our religion He was manifested in the flesh vindicated in the Spirit seen by angels preached among the nations believed on in the world taken up in glory Heb 6 1 2 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God with instruction about ablutions the laying on of hands the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment 1 John 4 2 By this you know the Spirit of God every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God As I said thisis one of the things that should distinguish us as Evangelicals We are those who unite around those things that we believe are the weightiest the things that are the most important while we should give liberty in the non essentials I often tell people that there are some things that I believe that I would die for there are some things that I believe that I would lose an arm for there are some things that I believe that I would lose a finger for and then there are some things that I believethat I would not evenget a manicure for Like in all areas of life we need to learn to choose our battles carefully But in order to do this we must first come to know the difference between essentials and non essentials But as the criticism goes it is not that easy to distinguish between essentials and non essentials More importantly for now many Evangelicals have simply never been exposed to this and thereforepractice their theology in a much morelegalistic way believing every conviction that they have to be representative of a hill upon whichthey should die Here I want to elaborate upon and expand the discussion a little bit While we need to distinguish between essentials and non essentials we also need to recognize that there are different types of essentials Along with this goes my belief that there are different ways to break fellowship based on our beliefs In other words not all essentials are equal Some are essential to the very foundation of Christianity but some are only essential to a particular denomination or expression This will require different types of breaks in fellowship Let me start with a chart then I will briefly break it down click on chart to enlarge Essential for salvation Theseare the most essential doctrines of all essentials This includes what every Christian should always be willing to die for In essence if someone does not believe the doctrines that are essential for salvation they are not saved What I include Belief in God there is no such thing as an atheistic Christian Issues pertaining to the person and work of Christ Belief in Christ s deity and humanity 1 John 4 2 3 Rom 10 9 Belief that you are a sinner in need of God s mercy 1 John 1 10 Belief that Christ died on thecross and rose bodily from the grave 1 Cor 15 3 4 Belief that faith in Christ is necessary John 3 16 As with all of them I am sure that there are someancillary matters that could be included but this gives you the key doctrines Without these you simply don t have any sense of what it means to be a Christian present Essential for historic Christian orthodoxy These include beliefs essential for salvation but are broader in that they express what has been believed by the historic Christian church for the last two thousand years no matter what tradition Thisis expressed by the Vincentian Canon 434 A D that which has been believed everywhere always and by all The exception of fringe movements has never been valid for this canon It is simply asking What have all Christianseverywhere always believed Some of what I include The doctrine of the Trinity as expressed at Nicea The doctrine of the Hypostatic Union Christ is fully man and fully God as expressed at Chalcedon The belief in the future second coming of Christ A belief in the inspiration and authority of Scripture A belief in eternal punishment for the wicked A belief in God s transcendence his metaphysical distinction from the universe Belief that Christ is the only way to the Father To be sure some of these doctrines develop but their development is only in relation to their seed form which preexisted their more mature expression For more on this see here Essential for traditional orthodoxy Again these will necessarily include all of those from the two previous categories but add some distinctives of their own Essentials here will include all of those that are foundational to one of the three main Christian traditions Protestantism Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism These are beliefs that distinguish one tradition from the next but are not absolutely essential from the broader Christian worldview expressed above Some Protestant distinctives would include General belief in the major pronouncements of the first seven ecumenical councils 325 787 AD Belief in the necessity for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ Beliefthat justification isthrough faith alone on the basis of Christ alone Belief that Scripturealone has ultimate authority on all matters of faith and practice The canon of Scripture made up of 66 books excluding the Deuterocanonical books Some Roman Catholic distinctives that would include Belief in transubstantiation the bread and wine turn into the actual body and blood of Christ Beliefthat justification isthrough faith and works Belief that both Scripture and unwritten tradition have ultimate authority as they are interpreted by the Magisterium Belief in the authority of twenty one ecumenical councils Belief that the Pope is the infallible vicar of Christ Belief in the Marian dogmas Belief that the canon includes the Deuterocanonical books SomeEastern Orthodoxdistinctives that would include Belief in the infallibility of the first seven ecumenical councils 325 787 AD Belief that the liturgy of the Church is part of the Gospel Rejection of substitutionary atonement and the imputation of Adam s sin Salvation by grace through faith as God works these out through our unification with Him theosis Traditional inclusion of the Deuterocanonical book although there is some debate about this Essential for denominational orthodoxy This will be similar to the above but one step down in importance dealing as it does with the particular and peculiar denominational expressions by the various Protestant traditions Some examples Credo baptism i e Baptism is only for believers Baptists Infant baptism Presbyterians Methodists Anglicans Unconditional election Reformed and Presbyterians Arminian theology Methodists Nazarenes Belief in the continuation of the Charismatic gifts Pentecostals Church of God Important but not essential These are those beliefs that do not describe any particular tradition necessarily They are important but not that important Some examples Beliefs about particulars in the creation debate Belief whether the books of Jonah and Job are historical accounts Beliefs about the inerrancy of Scripture Beliefs about the authorship of 2 Peter Belief about particular end time schemes i e premillennial amillennial post millennial The order of books in the canon Which translation of the Bible to use from the pulpit Which Gospel was written first How often one should celebrate the Lord s supper Whether or not Christtaught inGreek or Aramaic Not Important These are beliefs that people have concerning Christian doctrine that are not important for any expression and do not affect Christian devotion or spirituality Some examples The date of Christ s birth Christmas What kind of music to play at church Whether to use real wine or grape juice at communion Whether to hold Saturday night services Whether or not John the Baptist was an Essene Pure speculation That is just what these are speculation We just don t know one way or another nor does it matter Some examples Did Adam have a belly button yes they did it would just look funny otherwise Belief in the eternal destiny of pets except I know my dog Rocky is going to heaven What was God doing before creation decrees Will there be meat to eat in heaven we can all hope Will there be sex in heaven we can all hope more How long was it before Adam and Eve fell didn t I just write on this So far my purpose has been to stimulate a deeper level of thought about the difference between essentials and non essentials Really I just want to convince you that there are essentials and non essentials Now take a deep breath let s move on and talk about the criteria which makes a doctrine essential Four Tests So far so good I can hear the objections This all sounds really nice But who decides what are essential doctrines and non essential doctrines The Pope Your local church pastor The SBC Al Mohler Didn t Al Mohler just anathmatize yoga Or is it my private interpretation of the Scripture Alas with such a question the divisions start all over In essentials unity Sounds nice but impractical I don t think we have to be so pessimistic about this I actually think that there arecertain criteria that most thoughtful people can agree constitutes the foundation of our faith the essentials I have them narrowed to four in no certain order It is important to note that I am persuaded that all four must be present for a doctrine to be considered essential These criteria would pertain to the first two circles 1 Essential for salvation and 2 Essential for historic Christian orthodoxy 1 Historicity Does the doctrine have universal historical representation This first criteria is one of historical agreement This is a form of consensual faith consensus fidelium This criteria of universal consensus follows the canon of Saint Vincent of Lerins mentioned above quod ubique quod semper quod ab omnibus that which was believed everywhere always by everyone In other words an essential cannot be something new like the doctrine of the Rapture Neither can it be something that haslackedhistoric unity by Christians across time like theperpetual virginity of Mary As well it cannot have limited geographic representation like certain Eastern liturgy The question here is Have all Christians of all timeeverywhere believed it 2 Explicitly Historical Does the history of the church confess their centrality This is like the first but differs in an important way Here we are saying that if the history of the church has not confessed this as a central issue then it is not For example the history of the church may confess that the Christian worldview includes a firm confession of a belief in the historicity of the Flood narrative but it has never been a part of the central teachings to the degree that a denial of such is a damnable offense When combined with the first criteria the exception cannot define the rule The point here is that we take seriously God s work in the history of the Church through the Holy Spirit If the church has universally believed that a certain doctrine is both true and central to the Christian faith that doctrine deserves serious consideration as being among the essentials 3 Biblical Clarity Perspicuity Is the doctrine represented clearly in Scripture One of the principles that the Reformers sought to communicate is that of the perspicuity clarity of Scripture The Reformers did not believe that all of the Scripture was clear a misunderstanding of the doctrine of perspicuity but that all that is essential for salvation is clear In short if something in Scripture is obscure then it is not essential Augustine even held to such a principle stating that one must not build doctrines on obscure passages On Christian Doctrine For example one should not build essential doctrine on what the keys to the kingdom of heaven Matt 16 19 are or what it means to be baptized for the dead 1 Cor 15 29 Unfortunately both the Catholics and the Mormons have done just that If a passage is obscure no essential doctrine can be derived from it 4 Explicitly Biblical Does any passage of Scripture explicitly teach that a certain doctrine is essential The Scriptures speak about a great many things but they are often explicit regarding that which is of essential importance For example Paul says to the Corinthians For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures that he was buried that he was raisedon the third day in accordance with the Scriptures 1 Cor 15 3 4 emphasis mine The of first importance tells us that Christ s death and resurrection for our sins from Paul s perspective are essential components of Christianity Without such according to Paul there is no Christianity 1 Cor 15 12ff As well the Gospel of John speaks about the importance of faith Whoever believes in him is not condemned but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God s one and only Son John 3 18 Again these four criteria I propose must all be present I think I am committed to this If one or more is lacking concerning a particular doctrine I believe that it is not possible for one to legitimatelyargue for its core necessity As well all four feed off each other and are somewhatself regulating In other words if someone doubts whether something is clear in Scripture all he or she has to do is look to history If something is not clear in the Scripture we will not find that it passes the test of historicity This is why it is of vital importance that Christians not only be good exegetes but also good historians Conclusion For some of you this is the first time you have been exposed to this way of thinking I pray that you consider the major points ofwhat I am saying even if you do not agree with the details I am not an ecumenicist but I don t think that we should have ill will or break fellowship with people unnecessarily I believe that we have the right and obligation to define what it means to be Christian But I don t think we should overdefine it to the point where our circle of fellowship is so small that it only includes you and those two I hope that thinking through these things will make both our unity and diversity more meaningful and less reactionary Most of all I pray that this type of thinking will present a renewed conviction for both grace and truth If you enjoyed this post make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed By C Michael Patton in Evangelicalism Prolegomena on October 8 2010 Ref Korean 통합측 글 http blog daum net 7gnak 14900306

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