What is Orthodoxy, and other questions

What does it mean to be orthodox? I don’t really mean part of the Eastern Orthodox churches that came from the Great Schism many centuries ago. What does it mean to be inside of the big tent of acceptable Christian theology?

As a start we know that to be inside of orthodoxy there must be some core things affirmed that are essential to the gospel

The Gospel: An Outline 

1. Jesus preexisted with the Father, 

2. took on human flesh, fulfilling God’s promises to David, 

3. died for sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 

4. was buried, 

5. was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 

6. appeared to many, 

7. is seated at the right hand of God as Lord, and 

8. will come again as judge.

By this we know that there are certain groups who fall outside of this definition of the gospel such as Mormonism and Jehovah's Witness’ who deny key elements of Christ’s divinity and what His work on the cross accomplished. In most parts of the Church these are considered first-tier issues. These are undeniable elements of calling yourself a follower of Christ. Roger Olson makes this point in his book about the variety of Chrisitan beliefs when he says, “If “Christianity” is compatible with any and every truth claim, it is meaningless. It would then be indistinguishable from, say, Buddhism or atheism. Truly it would be chaotic, shapeless and devoid of identity. Christian thinkers and leaders have always recognized this and have sought to identify a core of essential Christian beliefs that all mature, capable Christians must affirm in order to be considered truly Christian. There must be a distinguishing border between what is Chrisitan and what is not. If there is no line, then Christianity means nothing as Olson points out. 

But what about those other pesky issues that seem really important as well? This is where things can get really messy. Across the board there are doctrines held dear by many Christians that seem to come into regular conflict. Some of these are things like, are the gifts of the Holy Spirit still in operation, women in ministry, Arminianism vs Calvinism, creation and age of the earth, what do the end times look like, and the list can go on and on.

So how do we handle these issues? 

The question we must ask is, does this particular issue strike at the core of not just the gospel, but it's very foundation. I can look at the Calvinism vs Arminianism debate and see well-made arguments on both sides, and also can understand the possibility of weaknesses in my own position. But in that I am still able to be in fellowship, be encouraged and grow with my brothers and sisters who hold to strong reformed doctrine. There are many pastors and theologians who are ardent Calvinists that I very much appreciate, and I have no issue listening to their sermons or reading their books.

We then have a different category of issues. These are those that strike at not just the core of Chrisitan belief, but the foundation of them. In our day and age, we know that this primary issue is that of sexuality and marriage. Why is this issue so different? We don’t see the difference between man and women, or what marriage is listed directly in any creed or explanation of the gospel. But, in everything that is foundational to that core belief is how God has established them. All throughout Scripture God likens His relationship with His people (physical Israel in the OT, and the Church in the NT) to marriage. He has the groom, and the Church as His Bride. We see in Scripture and in nature how God has instilled different aspects of who He is into both men and women. As a general note, I see both men and women fully equal in the image of God. That being said, there does seem to be general temperamental differences between men and women that do come into play. Men are just as capable as women to be nurturing, though it seems women tend to generally be more predisposed towards this characteristic. The term “motherly instinct” is something seen around the world regardless of culture, so there's something there. 

So, when I hear someone say that “faithful Christians can disagree on sexuality and marriage”, the question that I have heard posed that I will ask is, faithful to what? We can have our disagreements on a whole litany of issues. But when it comes to something as foundational as sexuality and marriage, that is treading into waters that go deep to the heart of the foundations of how God has created all things. Because of this, I see the question of sexuality and marriage within the Church to be something that if not grounded in the classic Christian consensus as something that puts a person outside of Christian orthodoxy. How I interact with a person on this issue then is greatly dependent if they “are a Christian” or if they are not. 

For those who are not followers of Jesus you will receive the same love and mercy that Christ showed to all He interacted with in need of a savior, one to redeem the broken lostness all of us were in before Christ. For when we come to Christ, He is our new identity, and source of fulfillment. As we follow and become more like Him, whatever it was we made our concept of who we are should fade away, be it who we are attracted to, the color of our skin or even our favorite hobby.

For those who profess to be followers of Christ, that is a different conversation. No cultural context, or “new understanding” can work its way around the clear distinctions found in the Word. I pray, just as I pray for myself that the light of Christ and the conviction of the Holy Spirit would open our eyes to His way and truth. Holding convictions from Scripture is not unloving. It is truly unloving to say we follow the One who leads us into all truth, but then not do so. His transforming work is effectual to all areas of our life.

May we all have the grace, peace and wisdom of Christ as we move forward.