Paul wrote to the saints in Christ Jesus who were at Philippi:
God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. (1:8-11).
He loves these people and longs for their purity. And because Paul and Timothy and the disciples in Philippi–and you and me and all who follow Jesus–are members of one body in Christ, we must desire unity. And here’s an even more apparent reason to long for unity:
Jesus prayed for you, and He asked His Father for all who believe in Him [i.e., Jesus] to be one just as the Father and the Son are one. Jesus in us and the Father in Jesus, perfectly one. (See John 17).
Why is Jesus praying for our unity? So that the world may know that the Father sent the Son and that the Father loves us even as He loves Jesus.
As Christ’s Body (the Church), we have to strive for purity and unity so that we can accurately portray God and His Love. This is only possible by God’s power; so let’s rely on Him as we look at the relative importance of theological issues using the following filter:
1) Absolutes define the core beliefs of the Christian faith
2) Convictions, while not core beliefs, may have significant impact on the health and effectiveness of the church
3) Opinions are less-clear issues that generally are not worth dividing over
4) Questions are currently unsettled issues
These categories can be best visualized as concentric circles, similar to those on a dart board, with the absolutes as the “bull’s-eye.”
Where an issue falls within these categories should be determined by weighing the cumulative force of at least seven considerations:
- Biblical Clarity
- Relevance to the Character of God
- Relevance to the Essence of the Gospel
- Biblical Frequency and Significance (How often in Scripture it is taught and what weight Scripture places upon it)
- Effect on Other Doctrines
- Consensus among Christians (Past and Present)
- Effect on Personal and Church Life
(*Note: This is from the ESV Study Bible; see the section on Bible Doctrine for further discussion. This is a framework created by men; it’s a good one, and it’s designed to help Christians know God through His Word. But it’s not prescribed by the Word Itself.)
God has given each of His children His Spirit. The Holy Spirit searches the depths of God and helps us to understand (and even to have) the mind of Christ! So as we seek God and mature spiritually, let’s diligently ask the Teacher what relative importance He intends for us to place on each theological issue. (See 1 Corinthians 2)
Another helpful filter: Does this increase my affections for Jesus Christ? When the answer is no, do not proceed.
rlowenfield
