Sermon Central
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Al Mohler's Theological "triaging"
Contributed by Dr. Larry Petton on Nov 11, 2024 (message contributor)
Many readers will be familiar with Al Mohler’s helpful analogy of “theological triage” in which he speaks of first-order, second-order, and third-order doctrines. (Note - this is a theological statement about the Bible, not a clear biblical statement from Scripture. It is one author trying to find a way to build better unity within the Body of Christ).
First-order doctrines according to Mohler are the core claims of Christianity that define true faith from counterfeit faith; think the Trinity, the incarnation, substitutionary atonement, and bodily resurrection.
Second-order doctrines lead to different denominational traditions: think baptism, church polity, miraculous spiritual gifts, gender roles in marriage, etc.
Third-order doctrines are those theological opinions that honest Christians can disagree about and yet still be a part of the same church or group of churches; think the millennium, the extent of the atonement, and the age of the earth......or even if we live on a flat earth or not.
Theological triage doesn’t solve every dispute. We might disagree over whether the age of the earth or gender roles is second-order or third-order. Nevertheless, it’s a useful tool for helping to determine the difference between wonky doctrine and damnable heresy.
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