Theological Triage How to Wisely Disagree with Fellow Believers

This article was originally published in French at TPSG.

Picture two people arriving at a hospital emergency room at the same time. One is a twenty-two-year-old woman who has sliced open her thumb. The other is an eighty-three-year-old man experiencing chest pains. Which one will medical personnel attend to first? Obviously, the elderly man displaying the symptoms of a heart attack. To accord every patient in the ER the same level of importance would be foolish.

This also holds true in the realm of theology. Certain doctrines are of paramount importance. Humanly speaking, the very survival of the Church depends on defending them. These include the doctrines of the virgin birth, the Trinity, the bodily resurrection of Christ, penal substitution, the exclusivity of the gospel, and a small handful of others. A study of the historical creeds and confessions indicate the heresies believers have battled throughout Church history.

These are the doctrines that separate the orthodox from the heterodox – that is, that distinguish true believers from those outside the historic Christian faith, such as Arians, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the like.

These primary doctrines represent that which we should continue to fight for today. They are the essential elements of the gospel for which Paul contended in Galatians 1:8: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.”

Paul does not mince words – he curses those who propagate false doctrine! Yet the question arises as to what our disposition should be towards those with whom we disagree on secondary issues. Especially when we consider that conservative evangelical scholars come to different conclusions on these doctrines. These are men and women who hold to the inerrancy of Scripture, who loves Jesus, and who are experts in the fields of biblical theology, systematic theology, historical theology, Hebrew and Greek and more. It stands to reason, therefore, that if they disagree on these matters, that I should hold to my convictions with a certain amount of humility.

I’m not suggesting we be ambivalent about what we believe. I am passionate about God’s Word and the primary and secondary doctrines which I hold dear. But, as one of my seminary professors once put it, “Marry core doctrines; date secondary ones.”

So, how are we to hold to secondary doctrines? Do we separate over them? Or can we fellowship with those we disagree with? Certain believers consider that those who do not hold to their particular interpretation are liberal. Yet many who throw the term around may be using it inappropriately to discredit their opponent. So, what is liberalism?

Theological liberalism is “The attempt to adapt religious ideas to modern culture and ways of thinking while simultaneously rejecting any conviction that God has revealed Himself to human beings in time through scripture with any kind of reliability or accuracy.”[1] Simply put, a theological liberal is someone who rejects the authority and inerrancy of Scripture.

And while the term may be useful when correctly applied, too often believers slap the label on anyone they dislike. Christians have lost the ability to disagree graciously, without impugning motives or accusing the other of compromising the faith. Debate doesn’t have to be as vitriolic as it has become. Moreover, in the Internet age, evangelicals seem to have forgotten that the person on the receiving end of their biting remark is not a disembodied avatar. That’s a brother or sister in Christ. That is someone we are going to spend eternity with.

As Bob Goff wisely put it: “The way we treat people we disagree with most is a report card on what we’ve learned about love.”

The Apostle Paul similarly exhorted the church at Philippi in Philippians 4. After addressing the issue of divisions in the Church, he writes, “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” (v. 5). Motivated by Christ’s eminent return, therefore, we ought to manage our differences with grace.

Not only should we grow in gentleness toward those we disagree with, we should also develop the maturity to dialogue with and learn from them. Rather than looking at those of another tradition with fear and suspicion, let us see them as fellow saints and pilgrims. Because if we only learn from those of our theological tradition, we run the risk of living our Christian life in an echo chamber.

I am so thankful for the ministries of The Gospel Coalition, The Village Church, Nine Marks, The Charles Simeon Trust, and the podcasts, YouTube channels, and other resources associated with these and other likeminded ministries. I receive the majority of my online nourishment from such trusted reformed sites. But, on occasion, I make an effort to read blogs and listen to podcasts outside of my theological tradition. I do so, of course, while exercising discernment. What about you? Whom have you learned from outside of your own camp? If you’ve found a particular resource helpful and insightful, I’d love to hear about it.

[1] https://www.monergism.com/topics/bad-theology/liberal-theology