Introduction
We can choose to agree on essentials and disagree on nonessentials. In essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity. Have you said either one of these things regarding a particular doctrine? I know that I have.
Currently, I am taking our church through the book of Revelation. Some disagree with my ‘non-literal’ approach to the apocalypse. Yet, in eschatology, there is room for disagreement while staying in the realm of orthodoxy. But is this true of every doctrine? Can there be slight disagreement, and it really not matter, so long as we agree on ‘essential things?’
What about Christology?
I no longer say those things that are mentioned above. Well, I do, to a certain extent, but not without clarification. For instance, I was having a conversation the other day with a neighbor. She had suggested a resource to me that dealt with the ‘end times.’ Her suggestion led to a discussion about differing views, which ended with, “These things are nonessential. As long as we agree on the main things, that is all that matters.” However, I could not allow the conversation to end without clarification on what the ‘main things’ are.
We believe that it is essential to our faith, to affirm that Jesus died, was buried, and was raised from the dead. Right? But what Jesus are we talking about? I have had discussions with Mormons that affirmed this much. Yet, they do not believe in the Jesus from Scripture. Recently, I had a conversation with someone who denied that Jesus was truly human. But that did not matter (to them) since we agreed on the main gospel.
Reader, it does matter. Not all paths lead to the final destination. What we believe about Christ does matter. In fact, I argue that to misunderstand the person of Christ, is to get the entire gospel wrong. To either misunderstand his divinity or to misunderstand his humanity is to fall outside the realm of orthodoxy and to forfeit the profession of faith.
Thinking biblically about Christ is crucial to our salvation. Yet, what I have found, is that, to some, it is more important to be sincere in your faith than it is to be biblical. But this is not so. Over and over again, we are shown that what we believe about God really does matter. I am sure that Uzzah was sincere when he tried to stabilize the Ark of the Covenant, but he had misunderstood the God who had said not to touch it. As a result, he lost his life. Similarly, no matter how sincere we might be, we cannot afford to misinterpret the person of Christ.
A Lesson from Anselm
One of my favorite theologians is Anselm. Probably because he deals with matters concerning Christology, the person, and the work of Christ. In his work, “Cur Deus Homo,” Anselm wrestles with a person named Boso. Boso is a curious fellow who does not quite understand the person of Christ aright. Therefore, through a series of questions and answers, Anselm shows what it is to think of Jesus correctly, and why it matters.
If I were to modernize the conversation between Anselm and Boso, it would go something like this:
BOSO: Why does it matter what we believe regarding Jesus?
ANSELM: Why would it matter if I inconsistently described your wife or children? It would matter because you love them. We strive to describe accurately those whom we love. It is the same with Jesus. In fact, it was love that drove the best theologians like Athanasius to ask: “How can we best describe the Savior we love?”
BOSO: Well, how did they describe him?
ANSELM: There is not enough space to contain their description of Christ. But the guiding principle was that if we describe Christ in a way that is inconsistent with his being qualified to be our Savior, our description must be flawed.
Why Does it Matter?
And so, you get the point. Imagine another conversation where two people are discussing Philippians 2:6-7, which says, “That though he existed in the form of God…Christ emptied himself.” Suppose someone were to say, “It means Jesus became a man for a time and then went back to being God afterward.” “No,” says another, “He only emptied himself of his divine attributes, and then he took them up again.” “Surely,” says another, “He mixed humanity with ‘His deity – isn’t that how he was able to do miracles?”
Do we realize, however, that if at any point He ceased to be all that He is as God, the cosmos would disintegrate—for He is the One who upholds the universe by the word of His power (Heb. 1:3)? If He were a mixture of deity and humanity, then He would not be truly or fully human, and therefore would no longer be one of us and able to act as our representative and substitute. At this point, he would be unable to save sinners. This is why Hebrews emphasizes that Christ possesses a humanity identical to ours, apart from sin.
Conclusion
As we conclude, consider the words taken from the Chalcedonian Creed:
We, then, following the holy fathers, all with one consent teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the same perfect in Godhead and also perfect in manhood; truly God and truly man, of a rational soul and body; coessential with the Father according to the Godhead, and consubstantial with us according to the manhood; in all things like unto us, without sin.1
We teach men to confess. Confess what? Who Christ truly is. There is more to the story than just, “let’s just agree on essentials.” We must define what the essentials are. Like the conversation I had a while back, this person sincerely believed that Jesus is God and that he died and was resurrected. But by denying that He was truly human, they had missed the gospel entirely. And so, let me say again, to misunderstand Jesus, his person and his work, is to get the entire gospel wrong. So, then, dear reader, “All with one consent, teach men to confess one and the same Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.” The faith that rests upon Christ is the faith that understands Him correctly.
Ryan is the pastor at Osceola First Baptist Church, Osceola, Missouri. He is the husband to Cheyenna, and father to Lynnlee, Maelee, and Elijah. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Christian Ministry from Spurgeon College; a Master of Theological Studies from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and is currently enrolled in the MDiv program at MBTS.
Ryan loves theology, specifically systematic theology. He loves spending time with his family, his church, and he enjoys time recreationally outside; hunting, golfing, and yard work. His favorite authors are Sinclair Ferguson, R.C. Sproul, the Puritans, and many systematic theologians.
