Zowada Blog

10-24-11

The Central Issues and the Peripheral Issues.

“I will emphasize what the Bible emphasizes and I will deemphasize what the Bible deemphasizes.” – Dennis McCallum.

Too many times within Christianity do we find a peripheral issue over emphasized within the church. I whole heartedly agree that every piece of doctrine carries importance within living out the life Jesus calls us to live. However as Jesus prepares to leave the earth does He stop to give us further guidance towards the role of women within church leadership or does He challenge all believers to preach the gospel? Do we find the apostle Paul addressing the love and the authority of Christ in His letters or pondering pointless theological questions such as the statistical size of the new earth.

The sobering and heart breaking reality looking back on my own life is that I have broken fellowship with men and women who I am called to love over peripheral issues, side issues. Love is a central issue to the Christian life taking infinite precedence over my views on eschatology. Do not misunderstand me here. If you have read any of my blog pots you will probably understand I am rather dogmatic and highly confrontational in many ways. I carry strong theological viewpoints upon women leadership in the church, upon end times, upon the use of spiritual gifts. However I am quite willing to lay these theological views at the way side in order to maintain fellowship with the Christians around me and pursue the central issues in life such as the preeminence and deity of Jesus Christ.

Love…

We should debate the questionable Christian issues such as soteriology. However when is the last time you saw two men debating Calvinism/Arminianism who prayed before hand and left the discussion in fellowship? What good is theological ‘superiority’ if we have lost sight of love! Was it not the theological giant, Paul the apostle, who said, “If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith to move mountains yet have not love I am nothing (1 Cor. 13:2).” Obviously even the most competent of Biblical scholars, Paul, knew that there are some issues which carry ultimate precedence.

… not Compromise.

Unfortunately due to drastically differening views upon Biblical interpretation we find ourselves forced to define and many times shorten our list of nonnegotiables. Shortening a list of nonnegotiables does not mean claiming truth is relative nor does it mean personal compromise. Quite the opposite in fact. For when we are unwilling to let the smaller issues slide we find our selves compromising one of the most central issues of all, unity in the body of Christ.

What does Jesus emphasize?