What are the essentials of the genuine Christian faith?

[Leonhard]

Don't forget the community of saints!

[37818]

Don't forget the community of saints!

Essentials are truths without which we would not have the gospel and salvation the gospel brings. The community of the saints (all of God's saved) is diverse being divided over secondary issues, over issues not essential to the truth of the gospel message and salvation the genuine gospel of God's Christ brings.

[JonathanL]

Essentials are truths without which we would not have the gospel and salvation the gospel brings. The community of the saints (all of God's saved) is diverse being divided over secondary issues, over issues not essential to the truth of the gospel message and salvation the genuine gospel of God's Christ brings.

I'm not quite sure how the fact that the community of the saints being divided over secondary issues is anything other than a non-sequitur.

Whatever one might think of the fact that there are diverse opinions amongs the saved, according to your own criteria that essentials are "truths without which we would not have the gospel and the salvation the gospel brings", it is undeniable that the existence of the community of saints is such an essential, because without the community of saints the New Testament wouldn't have been written in the first place.

[37818]

I'm not quite sure how the fact that the community of the saints being divided over secondary issues is anything other than a non-sequitur.

Whatever one might think of the fact that there are diverse opinions amongs the saved, according to your own criteria that essentials are "truths without which we would not have the gospel and the salvation the gospel brings", it is undeniable that the existence of the community of saints is such an essential, because without the community of saints the New Testament wouldn't have been written in the first place.

The authority is the New Testament over the community of the saints, not the other way around.

[JonathanL]

The authority is the New Testament over the community of the saints, not the other way around.

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that it what members of the community of the saints that wrote the New Testament in the first place.

[37818]

That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that it what members of the community of the saints that wrote the New Testament in the first place.

Only in accordance to: ". . . holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Spirit." -- 2 Peter 1:21.
So it is the community of saints who are under the authority of the NT in it being God's word.

[JonathanL]

Only in accordance to: ". . . holy men of God spake [as they were] moved by the Holy Spirit." -- 2 Peter 1:21.
So it is the community of saints who are under the authority of the NT in it being God's word.

Regardless, you wouldn't have the text of the NT if it weren't for those saints who wrote it down, and those who preserved it.

[Rushing Jaws]

I'm missing the context of the OP so at the risk of being totally off base, I'll respond...

What I view as the essentials are:

• God exists as a Trinity
• He is Creator and Sustainer of all that is seen and unseen.
• Jesus Christ was incarnate as fully God and fully man.
• Jesus Christ paid for my sins by His sacrifice on the cross (aka Substitutionary Atonement)
• On the third day, He was bodily Resurrected from grave. He later ascended to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God.
• The Bible is God's revelation to man. It is inerrant in the original manuscripts. It is His only written revelation and needs no addition.

I think that's all I would consider essential.

## Except that the Apostles seem to have thought there was more to Christianity than that. Some of those bullets are found only in the Fathers. Inerrancy in the original manuscripts is Warfield's doctrine, not the NT's; and the NT does not even consider the topic of inerrancy, let alone its extent or location.

I would be very surprised to find someone who believed all and only the NT. But that is going OTT...

[hedrick]

Lists like that remind me of the early 20th Cent Fundamentalist controversy. The contents of the lists are even fairly similar. There are plenty of Christians today who would still advocate that approach, but the Presbyterian Church (in which many of the battles were fought) rejected it. I would go with a traditional definition of Christian as one who accepts Christ as Lord and Savior. I note that this is not primarily a statement of belief, though some beliefs are implied. It's a statement that one is a follower of Jesus. I'd probably also include the shema. And I would reject annotations, e.g. he isn't really Savior unless you believe in penal substitution, or he isn't really Lord unless you accept double predestination.

[Paula]

Lists like that remind me of the early 20th Cent Fundamentalist controversy. The contents of the lists are even fairly similar. There are plenty of Christians today who would still advocate that approach, but the Presbyterian Church (in which many of the battles were fought) rejected it. I would go with a traditional definition of Christian as one who accepts Christ as Lord and Savior. I note that this is not primarily a statement of belief, though some beliefs are implied. It's a statement that one is a follower of Jesus. I'd probably also include the shema. And I would reject annotations, e.g. he isn't really Savior unless you believe in penal substitution, or he isn't really Lord unless you accept double predestination.

But what about those who say they follow Jesus but that He isn't God?

I agree that we shouldn't exclude Christians over secondary issues. However, we need to be able to determine who qualifies as a Christian. Mormons and Jehovahs Witnesses, after all, say they are Christians too. Now a list or a creed isn't completely perfect but it's a useful tool in confronting heresy.

[seer]

When the pastor of the church I was attending in the late 90s retired we had two different interim pastors sent from the UCC (United Church of Christ (Congregational)) headquarters. Neither of them believed in the physical resurrection of Christ or in the Divinity of Christ - were they Christian? I think not.

[37818]

But what about those who say they follow Jesus but that He isn't God?

I agree that we shouldn't exclude Christians over secondary issues. However, we need to be able to determine who qualifies as a Christian. Mormons and Jehovahs Witnesses, after all, say they are Christians too. Now a list or a creed isn't completely perfect but it's a useful tool in confronting heresy.

I hold the view that the essentials of the Christian faith are matters of salvation. The secondary issues are not. Mere ignorance of an essential of the faith can be, by way of ignorance a secondary issue.

Would you identify some of what you understand as essential.

[Paula]

I hold the view that the essentials of the Christian faith are matters of salvation. The secondary issues are not.Mere ignorance of an essential of the faith can be, by way of ignorance a secondary issue.

Would you identify some of what you understand as essential.

As far as ignorance goes, I think people who are genuinely ignorant of core doctrines will be treated like those who have never heard of Jesus. However, this would only be to a certain point because if you become a Christian it should naturally follow that you'd want to know about the Christian worldview.

The following list outlines what I think the core doctrines of the Christian faith are:

1)Monotheism: There is only one God and this God is good, personal, distinct from the universe, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, eternal (and probably a few more).
2)The Trinity: God is one entity but three persons--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
3)The Deity of Jesus: Jesus is fully God, the second person of the Trinity.
4)The Incarnation and the Virgin Birth
5)Hypostatic Union: Jesus is fully God and fully man.
6)The Resurrection: Jesus was crucified and rose physically from the dead into a glorified state.
7)The Ascension: Jesus later ascended into Heaven.
8)The Holy Spirit indwelling the Church: When Jesus ascended into Heaven He left the Holy Spirit to be active in the Church.
9)Corrupt Humanity: Humanity is sinful and needs redemption.
10)Justified by faith: Salvation is only through faith in Jesus.
11)The Second Coming: Jesus will be coming back for the final judgement (this doesn't require any particular eschatology, just that God is going to end the world as it is at some point in the future and that Jesus will come back for this).
12)Glory or Separation: The ultimate destination of humanity is either resurrection into glory with Jesus or separation from God.

[37818]

Hi Paula,

So do you think one must first believe in the virgin birth and know God is a Trinity of persons before one can receive salvation? I hold that one whom God has saved (Eph 2:8):would have little or no problem belivining those truths. So one can have an ignorance of those two truths an God can still save a person.

[tabibito]

As far as ignorance goes, I think people who are genuinely ignorant of core doctrines will be treated like those who have never heard of Jesus. However, this would only be to a certain point because if you become a Christian it should naturally follow that you'd want to know about the Christian worldview.

The following list outlines what I think the core doctrines of the Christian faith are:

There is a difference between core doctrines and essential doctrines.

1)Monotheism: Not essential - commitment to God alone - to the exclusion of all others - is enough.
2)The Trinity: Essential.
3)The Deity of Jesus: Essential.
4)The Incarnation and the Virgin Birth Incarnation - essential.
5)Hypostatic Union: Not essential.
6)The Resurrection: Essential.
7)The Ascension: Essential.
8)The Holy Spirit indwelling the Church: Essential.
9)Corrupt Humanity: Not Essential.
10)Justified by faith alone: Incorrect. Romans 2:13, 3:24, 5:9, [Galatians 3:11 - depending on interpretation], Titus 3:7, James 2:24 - among others.
11)The Second Coming: Essential.
12)Glory or Separation: Not essential.