Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage (The Gospel Coalition)

by D.A. Carson

Ortlund usefully develops four tiers in his theological-triage system: (1) doctrines that are essential to the gospel; (2) doctrines that are urgent for the health and practice of the church, such that Christians commonly divide denominationally over them; (3) doctrines that are important for one branch of theology or another, but not such that they should lead to separation; (4) doctrines that are unimportant to gospel witness and ministry collaboration.

Anyone who has witnessed firsthand the destructive consequences of loveless zeal in the church will understand how such a spirit can serve Satan’s purposes. Christians are well capable of “devouring” one another (Gal. 5:15).

Much doctrinal separatism stems from finding our identity in our theological distinctives when we should be finding it in the gospel.

If our identity is riding on our differences with other believers, we will tend to major in the study of differences. We may even find ourselves looking for faults in others in order to define ourselves.