In this video, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey offers a reply to how Christians should disagree about secondary matters.
I think all Christians would agree that there are primary theological issues over which we have to agree, and that then we might go on to say there are secondary theological issues—maybe even tertiary theological issues. Which as a way of saying, some theological issues are more important than others. It’s not a way of saying some biblical truths are more important than others. All biblical truths are true and therefore important, but there is a sense that some are absolutely foundational, absolutely binding, absolutely necessary for salvation. And then there are other truths that are not quite so prominent, not quite so clear, perhaps at times, and not quite so vital.
Primary theological issues tend to divide Christians—if we don’t agree about them—and should divide Christians. Secondary theological issues may divide, but should not be divisive in the same fundamental sort of way. And of course, it is always a difficulty to decide what are primary issues and what are secondary issues.
And so, we as Christians in discussing these things, need to always keep going back to the Scriptures to try to see clearly what are the primary issues that the Scripture wants to communicate to us, and what are issues that still may be vital but are not as critical foundational issues for Christians. But the only way to deal with that is to keep studying the Word together, to keep trying to see from the Word what God would have us believe, whether it’s about primary issues or secondary issues.
One example of secondary issues would be the division of Protestant churches into denominations. Most of us in our denominations don’t look at other denominations and say, “Those people aren’t Christians at all.” And yet the differences have been important enough that we are not in the same denomination, in the same federation, or collection of churches. And there’s something always sad about separation among genuine Christians. And the only way to approach that is to continue to study, to continue to seek the leadership of Christ through His Word. Our hope and prayer should be that we can overcome some of those and more visibly express the unity of Christians with one another.