Triage Tirade

This isn’t really a tirade, but I was intrigued by the title.  Here are some continuing thoughts from last week’s triage post. 

Imagine two different stings of pearls.  The first has each pearl individually knotted in order to preserve the strand if the necklace breaks.  It allows for a single pearl to be taken off and examined.  The second has more pearls and is knotted only on the ends.  If there is a break in the strand, they can all go.   

Some Christians’ doctrines are individually knotted for protection and to preserve an essential order.  They allow for a doctrine to be taken out and considered more closely if needed.  Other Christians incorporate more doctrines but only have them knotted on the ends.  Each doctrine is of equal importance which puts the entirety at risk if broken.  

That’s an insightful analogy.  Thanks again, Nate. 

I learned later that the theological triage ideas came from Al Mohler, so I looked up the article for clearer understanding and found these helpful comments too:

“Christians across a vast denominational range can stand together on the first-order doctrines and recognize each other as authentic Christians, while understanding that the existence of second-order disagreements prevents the closeness of fellowship we would otherwise enjoy… Many of the most heated disagreements among serious believers take place at the second-order level, for these issues frame our understanding of the church and its ordering by the Word of God.

“The mark of true liberalism is the refusal to admit that first-order theological issues even exist. Liberals treat first-order doctrines as if they were merely third-order in importance, and doctrinal ambiguity is the inevitable result.  Fundamentalism, on the other hand, tends toward the opposite error. The misjudgment of true fundamentalism is the belief that all disagreements concern first-order doctrines. Thus, third-order issues are raised to a first-order importance, and Christians are wrongly and harmfully divided.”

So let’s practice the three level triage.  I’ll give a list of doctrines; you place them on the triage: Women pastors, resurrection, authority of Scripture, version of Scripture, role of Israel, Trinity, style of music, justification by faith, placement of rapture, mode of baptism, remarriage, deity and humanity of Jesus Christ, sign gifts, order of service. 

Have fun on your triage.