What is Central?
Here’s a list (not mine) of “100 items that people disagree about in the churches of Christ.” Most of the items are akin to “arguing about the colour of the carpet”. A few examples:
37. use of symbols such as the cross
38. use of steeples and stained glass windows
39. use of the term Sunday School
40. passing of the collection baskets
41. eating in the church building
53. use of choirs, choruses, quartets, solos, etc.
84. applauding in the assembly
92. bussing children to services
100. a name for the church
Other issues are better left to the authority of the civil authorities. Why would a church argue about 3. inflicting capital punishment? Does the church have any authority in this area? I hope not! Each member may have opinions on this but it is part of their civic life, not church life.
Then there are areas that pertain to the polity of each local church. For example:
23. who selects and appoints elders
25. tenure of elders
Each congregation is free to set their own policies in such matters. There is no right or wrong way to do it but each church should have a way to do it.
Then there are items that come straight from our fallen selves. The following are remnants of a less enlightened age but they have fallen Adam imprint all over them.
48. preacher officiating for a mixed marriage
56. integration of races
69. benevolence to fellow-disciples only
77. women wearing shorts and slacks
78. women wearing slacks to church services
79. girls leading prayer in family devotionals
80. girls leading prayer in youth devotionals
90. women working outside the home
We’d like to think that we’ve moved beyond these things but, sadly, we haven’t completely.
There are also many items where there may be a fair mount of debate and disagreement among people. None of these, I would say, have only one possible answer but they are important to discuss. Examples:
13. work of the Holy Spirit
14. baptism of the Holy Spirit
22. authority of elders
44. divorce for any cause
45. remarriage of a divorced person
46. preacher officiating at a wedding of a divorced person
63. the six days of creation being literal days
These, and others like them, are debatable. But none of those issues should become a matter of division. I know that I would not want to join a church where any of these are considered “central”. If your ministry is built on any of these you can count me out.
And then there are those few items that really are central. Those things that make us distinctly Christian. From that list I would name particularly the Trinity (#16) and the bodily resurrection (#94). Without these we become gnostic and there is no Gospel.
Caveat 1: The issue of Abortion (#88) is huge and, for better and for worse, is largely the purview of the civil authorities. No church should advocate for it (that some do is a scandal) and all churches should have such a culture of LIFE that the very idea would be anathema. I wish!
Caveat 2: I should say that I very much disagree with the poster’s most basic premise that the local church is optional for the believer.
