Essentially Essential Essentials?

[vangelicmonk]

I have a question to throw out there. What makes an essential doctrine essential? What are the essentials? Why should we hold to these tighter than the distinctives? What seperates an essential from a distinctive? I have my view on these, but I don't have the time to get into it just yet. I will be back to put in my two cents.

Please be clear in what is essential to Christianity as a whole in orthodoxy between what you would consider to be essential to your denomination or theology.

[sparkyman481]

I have a question to throw out there. What makes an essential doctrine essential? What are the essentials? Why should we hold to these tighter than the distinctives? What seperates an essential from a distinctive? I have my view on these, but I don't have the time to get into it just yet. I will be back to put in my two cents.

Please be clear in what is essential to Christianity as a whole in orthodoxy between what you would consider to be essential to your denomination or theology.

Essential: Col 1:27-28 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:

Essential: 1Ti 4:10 For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those that believe.


Essential: Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:


There are no denominations in Christ
Rom 12:4 For as we have many members in one body,and all members have not the same office:

Rom 12:5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
1Co 10:17 For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

1Co 12:20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.

Eph 2:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

Eph 4:4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;

Col 3:15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

[holo]

I believe it's essential that we don't define, conclude, limit and divide our relationship with God into "essentials" and "distinctives". In God's eyes, we're not SDA's or protestants or calvinists or even christians. We're children. We just tend to treat each other much worse than God would ever do.

Unless you have some sort of "essential doctrine" on your best friend, and unless you compile a creed to define your relationship with him, I really can't see why you would do that with God. It's amazing how we will just enjoy relationships with each others without analyzing them to death, while simultaneously trying to fit God -GOD- into a box, and the box in our minds, and then in other people's minds too.

[Stinker]

I think these few things are essential to Christianity:

1. That Christ died for our sins, that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead on the 3rd day. (1Cor.15:3-4)

2. That He saves us, not on the basis of deeds which we do in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by His washing of regeneration to our souls, and His renewing of our souls by His Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5)

[vangelicmonk]

I think these are clearly taught in scripture and are essential to theology, scripture, and the Gospel. Moreover, I think these have been taught through out history in the church, creeds, and catachisms.

I am slowly doing research on it, but I don't think these that I list would be denied by any faith except those fringe and heretical groups which are essentially outside of orthodoxy. Some may disagree that things on the list should be essential, but I doubt that anyone would deny anything on the list as Biblically True. If so let me know. Modalism is Heretical, so that doesn't count.


The Trinity,
Christs full humanity and diety,
scriptures prefection and inspiration,
Christs Return, Christs Death, buril and ressurection,
our ressurection,
man is fallen in sin and sinfulness,
salvation by faith through grace,
Baptism, God is creator,
The church/Body of Christ,
existence of angels, Demons, the Devil, Heaven, Hell;
The attributes of God,
the Virgin Birth,
Miracles,
Sin,
and the act of prayer and communion

Now we may disagree over the "specifics/distinctives" or details of these things, but as long as they do not deny them in essence then it doesn't go against the essential. For example one my believe in Baptismal regeneration and another may believe in baptism as a symbol, but they both believe in the need of the believer to be baptised. However, if one states that the trinity is modal, then that goes against the essence of the essential and is unorthodox. I think these things are endorsed and taught by every branch of of the body of Christ, but many cults and psuedo Christian groups go against or deny in essence these essentials. They are the main and plain teaching of scripture and to take one out is like taking out a part of a frame for a building and having that building fall apart. They are the skeleton of the the church.