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NASB | Romans 15:5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 15:5 Now may the God who gives endurance and who supplies encouragement grant that you be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, |
Bible Question: Does "to be of the same mind" mean that Christians must agree on everything? |
Bible Answer: Christians need not divide over secondary issues. Hank: Your Question: Does "to be of the same mind" mean that Christians must agree on everything? My answer: We Christians can unite only around the essentials of the historic Christian faith (i.e. the essential doctrines of the Bible). But we need not divide over secondary issues. By "secondary issues" I do not mean that certain issues are unimportant, but merely that they are secondary when compared to the essential doctrines of the Bible. The essentials include: the plenary inspiration and inerrancy of the Scriptures; the triune Godhead composed of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; the virgin birth and Deity of Christ, the necessity and efficacy of His atoning work; Christ's bodily resurrection and ascension; His imminent coming for His Church and His visible return to the earth; the everlasting felicity of the redeemed; and the everlasting punishment of the lost. Examples of secondary issues are: the mode of baptism, infant baptism, Eternal Security vs Eternal Insecurity, whether to use musical instruments in the church, cessation of the gifts of the Spirit vs non-cessation, and Calvinism vs Arminianism. Following is an example of the practical application of not dividing over secondary issues: "The ministry of [the Christian Research Institute] (CRI) is concerned with responding to heretical attacks on, and aberrant distortions of, the Christian faith. Consequently, CRI takes no dogmatic stand on *controversial theological issues on which Christians can and do hold different views without denying or seriously distorting the essential doctrines of the Bible*. One such area of controversy is the set of issues including predestination, election, the extent of the atonement, and "eternal security." "The president and most of the staff of CRI adhere to a kind of modified, moderate Calvinism, accepting eternal security while questioning the doctrines of unconditional election and "limited atonement." However, we encourage Christians to study the issues and make up their own minds. " "CRI does take a strong stand against heretical, extremist variations of these views: for instance, the hyper-Arminian belief that God does not know all things, or the hyper-Calvinist notion that evangelism and prayer are superfluous because everything is already preordained. We urge Christians to avoid such heretical extremes, while recognizing that genuine Christians do disagree over such issues as predestination and eternal security" (http://www.equip.org/free/DA180.htm). |