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"In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity."

Discussion in 'Other Christian Denominations' started by Peggy, Feb 4, 2010.

  1. Peggy

    Peggy New Member

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    So what are "the essentials" of the Christian faith?

    Can we agree on them? Can they be defined? Can we then treat with charity those who disagree with us on the "non-essentials"?
     
  2. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    #2 Johnv, Feb 4, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 4, 2010
  3. JMSR

    JMSR New Member

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    Deity of Christ, Salvation by Grace, Resurrection.

    I'm kind of torn about how the doctrine of the Trinity affects Christ's deity.
     
  4. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    The ecumenical creeds.
     
  5. Peggy

    Peggy New Member

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    Can we agree on the essentials?

    I would say:
    Diety of Christ.
    The Trinity.
    The Virgin Birth.
    The inerrancy/infallibility of the Bible.
    Salvation by Grace.
    The death and resurrection of Jesus as atonement for our sins.
     
  6. BobRyan

    BobRyan Well-Known Member

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    Agreed.

    I think the Trinity is important.

    also - accepting the Bible as the Word of God (not just slices and snippets of it)
     
  7. BobRyan

    BobRyan Well-Known Member

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    yes - that is a good list as well.
     
  8. JMSR

    JMSR New Member

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    I'm trinity all the way. I'm wondering though if you can logically believe Christ was fully God and fully man, and that salvation is by His grace alone that we are saved, without being trinitarian. The problem is that non-trinitarians are either full blown cults or teach some brand of works salvation, so it's hard to gauge. If a person really believes that Christ alone can save you from your sins and that he paid the price and it was paid once and for all, but chooses to describe Christ as a manifestation of the Father, does that make them lost? I don't know.

    1 John 2:23 - No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also
     
  9. FR7 Baptist

    FR7 Baptist Active Member

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    I agree with you.
     
  10. JMSR

    JMSR New Member

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    There are a lot of things that are TRUE. Does that make them necessary?
     
  11. rbell

    rbell Active Member

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    Which ones?
     
  12. webdog

    webdog Active Member
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    I grew up thinking it was...

    No card playing
    Women cannot wear pants
    KJVO
    Dancing is evil
    alcohol is satan's poison
    roadrunner and coyote could not be watched as they depicted violence (seriously)
    a picture of darth vader hanging on the wall was a support of satan (again, seriously)
    spiritual leader = spiritual dictator
    must be in the church building each time the doors are open
    ...ah, to be free from such legalism today :)
     
  13. billwald

    billwald New Member

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    Apostles Creed
    Nicene Creed
    Athanasian Creed

    From approx 400 AD through the Reformation they were considered the minimum belief to claim being a Christian. The Anabaptists rejected the creeds and on this basis and others the Catholics, Lutherans, and Calvinists agreed that it was OK to kill Anabaptists. The traditional Christian denominations still accept the creeds as the bottom line.
     
  14. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    Yes they are lost, because if they deny the Trinity, where does that leave Jesus?

    It means that Jesus is one of these:
    1. Another god or a lower god, as the JWs believe
    2. A being not that different than men (just one of the Father's spirit children, as we all are) as the Mormons believe
    3. Jesus is the Father and Holy Spirit, as modalists believe

    Iow, denying the Trinity is rejecting the true nature of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. So they are not believing in the biblical Jesus. This is one reason it is so important for Christians to understand the significance of the trinity.
     
    #14 Marcia, Feb 5, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Feb 5, 2010
  15. annsni

    annsni Well-Known Member
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    Atheist Christopher Hitchens has it well summed up:

    "I would say that if you don’t believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ and Messiah, and that he rose again from the dead and by his sacrifice our sins are forgiven, you’re really not in any meaningful sense a Christian."
     
  16. Alive in Christ

    Alive in Christ New Member

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    Unless I missed it, I'm suprised that nobody...on a BAPTIST board...has yet mentioned...


    Justification through faith alone.
     
  17. JMSR

    JMSR New Member

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    I see what your saying and I do believe in the trinity and think its very important. I'm gearing this more towards modalism. I guess when you think about it, it's really claiming Christ was created. They of course would deny that but what they believe. Eternal as the Father doesn't equal Christ eternal.
     
  18. Marcia

    Marcia Active Member

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    Well, modalism either denies Jesus as the real unique Son of God by subsuming him into the Father, or subsumes the Father into the person of Jesus Christ. They believe in only one Person, not three, so two have to go.
     
  19. FriendofSpurgeon

    FriendofSpurgeon Well-Known Member
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    I think we went to the same church ...:laugh:
     
  20. Revmitchell

    Revmitchell Well-Known Member
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    I could also add to that list what they called "canned" back ground music to sing with.
     
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