Essential and Peripheral Doctrine

     Within the Christian faith, there are several things that are critical components to true doctrine. These components compose true, saving faith, and one cannot be a true Christian without believing in them. There are less essential points of belief, however, that are not required components of saving faith. These are referred to as peripheral doctrines; they are important, but some variance of belief can be allowed within the church without compromising essential truth. 

     This distinction is important to understand because, without it, we could easily place our trust in a false gospel. If we believe less than primary doctrine or attempt to make some peripheral doctrines essential, we compose a detrimental falsity that could be damning. With that said, may we praise God because He has given us all that we need for salvation already and has made it clear to us what is required. Beyond this, He has provided His rich Word to show us more than the minimums of Himself. We should not stop learning at the primary doctrines, but He has given us a simple gospel to share with the world. 

Essential Doctrines:

     The doctrines that we consider “essential” as Christians are the doctrines that must be trusted in for salvation. They shape scripture’s story of redemption and explain the miraculous purpose of the person and work of Jesus Christ. What is required for salvation is to repent of our sin and have faith in Christ and what He did for us. This is the gospel, and it will be explained more below. The doctrines that surround the gospel, though, are still essential because they explain truths about who God is. If we do not correctly grasp who God is and what He has done, we cannot believe in the true, saving gospel. The following concepts are written simply and succinctly; many resources can be found on each of these concepts individually. There are other names for portions of these concepts as well, but the following summaries give a simple explanation of the essential doctrines of the Christian faith.

The Deity of Christ:

     Jesus Christ, who is God and who is the Son of God, is eternally begotten of the Father and not created by Him. Jesus IS God (John 1:1-14; John 10:30).* Christ’s deity is critical because it allows Jesus Christ, who was fully God and fully man (referred to as the hypostatic union), to have lived a perfect life and to have been the ultimate sacrifice for mankind. Some religions believe that Jesus was a prophet, or even just an upright man who was a good example. He is the perfect example, but this is because He lived a human life without sin and was thus the perfect sacrifice to bear the punishment of our sins on the cross. Christ’s deity must not be overlooked; if this doctrine is not true, Christ would not have the power to save, and we would be left without atonement for our sins and still stuck in eternal separation from God.

Monotheism:

     Though some may think this goes without saying, understanding that God is the one and only God is definitely essential. God is exclusive; no other gods can exist beside him. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). If He was not the only God, He would cease to truly be who He is; His exclusivity is part of His nature. Thus, He is the only One deserving of worship. Anything we put before Him in our hearts and lives becomes an idol. 

The Sinfulness of Man:

     The logical step before a person can receive the gift of salvation is realizing that they are in need of salvation. If one has no need for a savior, why would the gift of salvation matter? We must first realize that we are indeed sinful, our hearts are wicked, and that without God’s intervention we would never seek Him on our own accord. Our sin is deserving of death (Romans 6:23) Romans 3:11-12 reads, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” We are born into sin (Ephesians 2:3) and we are unable to overcome it by ourselves. Our hearts are completely depraved before God saves us and changes our heart’s desires. We need a miracle–intentional, free, and divine salvation. 

The Gospel: The Person and Work of Jesus Christ

     The gospel in a nutshell is this: Jesus was fully God and fully man, was miraculously born from a virgin, lived a perfect life without sin despite being tempted, died an unlawful death on the cross taking our punishment for sin upon himself, was buried, and rose again (resurrected) miraculously in 3 days (1 Corinthians 15:3-6). He promised that He will return again to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:1). Repenting of our sin and believing in these truths about the person and work of Christ are the requirements for salvation. 

Salvation: by Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone

     We just covered the basics of the gospel, but one thing that is espe

cially worth mentioning is that we must remember daily that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. God has shown us immense mercy and grace, and His gift of salvation to those who believe is an astounding gift. Many people will say that they deserve heaven because they’re a “good person” or have “lived a good life.” This is not found anywhere in scripture. Our good deeds are only good because God makes them so, and they are the evidence of our faith, not the cause of it. There is no other way to heaven but through Christ. There is no amount of action or love on our part that can earn us a ticket to heaven. Salvation is a gift, and it is given by the grace of God alone, and we receive it through faith alone by trusting in Christ alone. 

Peripheral Doctrine:

     If the “essential and peripheral” framework is used, then by default, the doctrines that are not essential fall into the peripheral category. Christians divide doctrines into many different categories and types of frameworks; some prefer to identify them into primary, secondary, and tertiary doctrines, for example. Some may say that the secondary doctrines would not change whether a person is saved, but they may be significant enough to divide a congregation over (thus where many of the different denominations originated). Rather than taking a hard stance on what doctrines are deserving of division in the minds of some, this article attempts to summarize the essential concepts of the Christian faith. Plenty of further conversations can be had on the vast number of peripheral topics, but we need frequent reminders of the basic truths that have saving power. Someone who is becoming a Christian needs to understand certain things about God (essential doctrines), but they do not need to have a defined stance on infant baptism, for example. Plenty of things can be discussed and learned throughout the process of sanctification and the pursuit to defend truth. So, though specific doctrines will not be mentioned here, I think the concept of peripheral doctrines is important to discuss. Knowing what is a primary issue and what is not is extremely helpful with informing you where to especially stand firm on a point of doctrine and where to give grace to your brothers and sisters in Christ. 

* All scripture in this article is referenced from the English Standard Version (ESV) translation.