In 1627, German Lutheran Theologian Rupertus Meldenius penned a tract on Christian Unity. In it, he writes, “In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity.”1 These words provide a framework for how believers respond to one another when we disagree. Meldinius’ words echo the Scriptures, calling believers to maintain unity over primary matters and not quarrel over secondary issues. Our temptation is to believe that all doctrines are of equal weight and significance. Doctrinal distinctions can be applied as one would engage in the practice of triage.

The origin of the word “triage” is French and means “to sort.” ² The definition of the word is as follows: the sorting and allocation of treatment to patients, especially battle and disaster victims, according to a system of priorities designed to maximize the number of survivors. The sorting of patients (as in an emergency room) according to the urgency of their need for care ³ When applied to theology in the local church in relation to cooperation in the kingdom of God, it addresses what we should prioritize in gospel ministry. In his article, “A Call for Theological Triage and Christian Maturity, Al Mohler links the idea of medical triage to theological triage. He writes, “The same discipline that brings order to the hectic arena of the Emergency Room can also offer great assistance to Christians defending truth in the present age…A discipline of theological triage would require Christians to determine a scale of theological urgency corresponding to the medical world’s framework for medical priority.” ⁴

It is essential to develop a framework to filter theological issues. Al Mohler and Gavin Ortlund define at least four categories that help us understand theological triage. In other words, when an issue is presented to us, we must decide which category it fits into.

The first category, is regarded a primary category for first rank issues. These are doctrines considered essential to the gospel. They are worth fighting for because the integrity of the faith could be compromised if they are breached. Many consider doctrine in these categories to be fault-line beliefs. They mark a solid line between orthodoxy and non-orthodox belief systems. Some doctrines that are first rank are as follows: Substitutionary atonement, Trinity, the deity of Christ, the humanity of Christ, the authority of Scripture, and justification by faith. These are examples of first-rank doctrines that must be defended and maintained to establish clarity of the gospel. Cooperation with other believers and fellowship with local churches holding first-rank doctrine is essential to Kingdom work.

The second category is reserved for secondary theological matters. Gavin Ortlund describes these as, “Doctrines that are urgent for the health and practice of the church, such that Christians commonly divide denominationally over them…”⁵ Believers may be divided into local assemblies or denominations by these differences. Some examples of secondary doctrine could be Church Governance, the Role of Women in Ministry, modes of Baptism, or approaches to communion. The exercise of the difference in secondary matters does lead to each local church worshipping differently. Cooperation between believers is vital at this level. Churches can still do many things together, even though they will do church differently. For example, churches can participate in area-wide revivals that hold to the same primary doctrines but may have difficulty with a joint class on baptism or church membership.

The third category is tertiary. These are matters two times removed from what is essential to the gospel’s integrity. They are less significant than the secondary matters of theological agreement. For example, in Category 1, the authority of the Scriptures is an essential or first-rank issue. We must defend the inerrancy of Scripture at all costs. However, in this third category, the way we view the specifics of the Book of Revelation is tertiary. Believers can disagree on views of the tribulation and millennium while still going to the same church and remaining in close fellowship with one another.

The last category is called the adiaphora category. This is a word which means “things indifferent.”⁶ These are practices that are neither commanded nor forbidden in Scriptures. An example of a fourth-rank issue is the musical instrumentation in a worship service. These may be relevant and intellectually stimulating, but not theologically important.

These categories can act as filters to theological triage and cooperation frameworks. Not every hill is a hill to die on, but some are worth the struggle.

1. https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/essentials-unity-non-essentials-liberty-all-things/ ↩
2. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/triage ↩
3. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/triage ↩
4. https://albertmohler.com/2004/05/20/a-call-for-theological-triage-and-christian-maturity-2 ↩
5. Gavin Ortlund, Finding the Right Hills to Die On (The Gospel Coalition) (pp. 12-14). Crossway. Kindle Edition. ↩
6. Gavin Ortlund. Finding the Right Hills to Die On (The Gospel Coalition) (pp. 19-20). Crossway. Kindle Edition. ↩