The Essential/Non-Essential Doctrine Debacle

Introduction

With few exceptions, the modern, so-called conservative, evangelical church refuses to obey the Scripture. Instead, it appears bent on distorting and disobeying the LORD’s Book—all the while hiding behind the charade of what it carelessly terms “fellowship”. This sham is maintained in spite of systemic doctrinal ignorance and/or innate doctrinal divisions within those "assemblies".

One of the most efficient engines of spiritual destruction in this context is the adherence to the hellish and irresponsible lie of maintaining a distinction between the so-called “essential” and “non-essential” doctrines of the Bible. The modern church, like the Lord's parable of the white-washed tombs, hides its corruption of the Word of God by dividing it into two portions: the "essentials" (that which must be believed) and the "non-essentials" (that which is everything else).

The result is like salt that has lost its savor: it is good for nothing and can only be discarded. (Mat 5.13)

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate from the Scriptures the thoroughly unbiblical and self-destructive nature of this pernicious contamination. The artificial and hellish distinction of “essential” and “non-essential” doctrine is one of the forms of leaven that has infected the modern church and rendered it entirely useless to the Lord Christ, His work and His people.

As long as the modern "church" holds to this terrible distinction, it is a nothing more than a waste of the planet's resources at best, and an efficient engine of spiritual destruction at worst.

The series is presented in eight chapters:

1. The Modern Charade of "Fellowship"
2. The Unity of God and His Word
3. Unity is the Current and Future Relationship of God and His People
4. Unity of the New Covenant
5. Fellowship is a State, not a Command
6. Unity is the Command that Produces Fellowship
7. Disunity is Sometimes Needed to Purify the Assembly
8. The Biblical Christian in the Age of the Unbiblical "Church"
9. Concluding Thoughts
10. Addendum: A Biblical Rebuttal of Greg Koukl, “Perfected in Unity” Youtube Video