All That Matters And What Matters Most

Recently I read an article written by Dr. Albert Mohler, president of Southern Seminary. The name of the article was “A Call for Theological Triage and Christian Maturity.” To me it gave some needed perspective for us as Free Will Baptists.

He expanded on an observation he made from a recent visit to an emergency room that, “...alerted [him] to an intellectual tool that is more helpful in fulfilling our theological responsibility.” When the emergency room was overwhelmed with patients he observed, “the medical personnel [had] a ‘practiced discipline’ known as triage--a process that allows trained personnel to make a quick evaluation of relative medical urgency.” In other words, they determined which patients needed to be rushed to surgery and which patients needed attention, but the attention they needed was less than urgent.

I believe that there is an application for us as Free Will Baptists that can be drawn from this analogy. There are first-level issues that need immediate attention. There are second-order doctrines that are not on the same level of importance as the cardinal doctrines of Christian faith. There are even third-order issues that exists within the context of church life and the broader culture.

Many Christians err when they treat secondary and/or third-tiered doctrines as first-order issues. A person’s view on eschatology should not be a test of faith or fellowship. When we examine such issues, they are not on the level with the doctrine of the Trinity, the atonement of Jesus Christ, the virgin birth, or evangelization as it relates to the exclusive work of Christ on the cross. The previously mentioned issues are not of first-order importance.

However, among many well-meaning evangelicals another error is more common. That is when people simply ignore these issues, or treat them with less than full seriousness. “We are charged to embrace and to teach the comprehensive truthfulness of the Christian faith as revealed in the Holy Scriptures.” says Mohler. He continues: “There are no insignificant doctrines revealed in the Bible, but there is an essential foundation of truth that undergirds the entire system of biblical truth.” Secondary classification does not equal unimportance. In fact, the import of secondary issues will affect the integrity of primary doctrines and practices.

For example, is evangelism more important than whether a church sprinkles, pours, or immerses? Certainly, but the mode of baptism is still very important. And it is certainly important whether we baptize true believers instead of babies. That the same is true within our own context. We should unite in denominational outreach on every level. But that should not mean that we are obligated to forfeit, ignore, or hide our beliefs on secondary issues to do so.

The challenge before us is to avoid the two extremes. We must evaluate the issues. We must be wise in our evaluations of doctrinal issues and treat them in accordance with their importance. But we must always be conscious that there is a integrated system of doctrine and practice found in the Bible. I believe that all Scripture is given by inspiration. I believe that all Scripture is profitable. I believe that all Scripture is interrelated and unified, whether they are primary or secondary in nature.

We live in a day where there are spurious doctrines, issues, and ideas that threaten our culture, our individual well-being, and the church. There is widespread theological turmoil in secondary matters that could eventually threaten the integrity of foundational (first-order) matters of Christian faith and focus. Mature, thinking Christians must rise to the challenge of addressing them all, but in proper order and with the proper level of  weightiness. This will take humility, discipline, wisdom, spiritual guidance, and intellectual honesty. But it must be done. We must unite on first order issues and be willing to come to the discussion table on all others in a spirit of love for truth and the unity of the faith. But talk we must.

Let’s unite together around the cardinal doctrines, but let us never be guilty of thinking that other issues don’t matter. They do.