The Thin Edge of the (Theological) Wedge

Keep the main thing, the main thing.

I have been a Christian for over thirty years, have been in full time ministry for over twenty years, and have been in holy orders for sixteen years and this quote from the Rev’d John Newton resonates with me more than ever:

“I have been thirty years forming my own views; and in the course of time, some of my hills have sunk, and some of my valleys have risen, but how unreasonable within me to expect all this should take place in another person; and that in the course of a year or two”.

As I look back on thirty years of the Christian life, this has certainly been my experience. For example my views have changed when it comes to eschatology. For many years when it came to the Millennial reign of Christ I interpreted Revelation 20 through the prism of Amillennialism (or more accurately ‘Realised Millennialism’). Until I completed watching a series of talks by Bishop Julian Dobbs from the Anglican Diocese of the Living Word which (to cut a long story short), began the shrinking of my Amill hill and the rising of my Historic Premill valley.

I came to faith in the diocese of Sydney, Australia, which is a conservative Reformed Evangelical Diocese, of which I am very thankful to God for. The diocese is known for its strong complimentarian views pertaining to the role of men and women in life and ministry. This was all I knew. For most of my Christian life I held to this view (though a softer version) but over time and very cautiously my Complimentarian hill has sunk a little and my egalitarian view has risen a little.

In my view what both these examples have in common is that they are ‘Second order issues’ - issues that are important but nevertheless authentic biblical fellowship and Christian unity can still be maintained when there is disagreement¹. Thus I have friends who are fellow Anglican clergy in the diocese in which I serve and outwith the diocese, fellow priests who don’t agree with the historic premill position (“No worries brothers, I look forward to seeing you at the millennial reign of Christ!”) and who hold to a strong complimentarian view, but this does not abbrogate our fellowship nor our unity because we are are united when it comes to ‘First Order Issues’.

What are first order issues?

These are issues pertaining to doctrine and practice where Scripture allows no deviation, key doctrines such as the person and work of Christ (i.e. his hypostatic union, the virgin birth, the atonement, his resurrection, the authority of the Holy Scripture; justification². These issues are first order, because the Christian faith is defined by these doctrines. For example if a person believes in a God who is without wrath who brings human beings without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the work of Christ without a cross, then this person although welcome at church is not a Christian because they are denying the substance of Christianity; the Holiness of God, the sinfulness of humanity, God judging sinners, and the atonement.

But here is where things get tricky;

Where does one draw the line between theological error and false teaching?

A helpful definition of theological error is:

"a deviation from the truth of God’s Word. Unlike false teaching, an error can sometimes be unintentional or a result of misunderstanding rather than a deliberate distortion of doctrine”..

An example of this in the incident with St Peter withdrawing from Gentile Christians, refusing to share a meal with them due his fear of the Judaisers. (see Galataians 2:11-14) and St Paul called him out on it.

The results of error can range from minor theological errors (which can be corrected through faithful teaching, and guidance) to persistent theological error (which leads to doctrinal confusion and division/schism.)

Then we have false teaching, which is:

"the deliberate spread of incorrect or deceptive teachings that contradict core Christian beliefs. False teachers often twist the Bible’s message to suit their own agenda, leading others away from the truth of Christ”.

The New Testament has numerous warnings about false teachers, St Peter’s warning in his second epistle (2 Peter 2:1), St Paul’s warning to the Ephesians elders in Acts 20; his pastoral epistles of 1 & 2 Timothy, his epistle to Titus.

The results of false teaching are never positive, it undermines the authority of and confidence in God’s Word Written, leads Christians away from the faith, and because false teachers tend to stay within the church, it divides Christians.

I think the difference between the two is a very thin edge of the wedge.

So how we do deal with the thin edge of the wedge?

Actually a better question for me to ask, a more appropriate question for me to ask is:

So how do I deal with the thin edge of the wedge?

My humble suggestion is first of all, to be very cognisant of first order issues. To keep the main thing the main thing.

Secondly, be mindful that theological formation takes time, if people are in error, often the error(s) are formed over a long period of time, thus the process of highlighting those errors and correcting those errors often takes time. Patience is required. As John Newton said:

“I have been thirty years forming my own views; and in the course of time, some of my hills have sunk, and some of my valleys have risen, but how unreasonable within me to expect all this should take place in another person; and that in the course of a year or two”.

Thirdly, get to know your flock. I believe the only way one can navigate that ‘thin edge of the wedge’, to discern whether one has unintentionally misunderstood Biblical doctrine or deliberate denied or distorted Biblical doctrine is through conversation and time. I remember years ago when I was a youth pastor in Falkirk (Scotland) I was talking with one of the elders of the Kirk (who was the same age as my Father) and we already had established a good relationship and I asked him about his walk with the Lord. He responded by saying, “I just hope I have done enough good things for God so that when I die I will go to heaven”. He was not preaching salvation through Christ plus works, nor was he denying that salvation is through faith alone in Christ alone by grace alone. He was just a Christian man who misunderstood what grace is in the true Biblical sense of the world. When I highlighted to him those wonderful words of assurance from God’s Word, (which the Book of Common Prayer refers as “the comforting words”.) He was indeed comforted.

As an Anglican Priest, my role is to shepherd the flock, feed the flock and to also guard and protect the flock. Thus if there is a person under my care who I believe is in theological error, who does not believe what the Holy Scripture deems to be first order issues unintentionally or due to misunderstanding then the error must be highlighted and by God’s grace corrected. This is consistent with what the Bishop exhorted me to do, when I was ordained as a Priest:

As the Lord’s messenger, proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Seek the lost, announce God’s justice, warn and correct those in error.

and also with what my Bishop asked of me:

Will you be ready, both in your public and private ministry, to oppose and set aside teaching that is contrary to God’s word?

My response was: “I will by God’s grace”.

Of course I must be gentle and point this out with love and in humility. St Paul’s words in his second epistle are very apt at this point:

⁴ And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth,

2 Tim. 2:24-25

Although there is a thin edge of the wedge between theological error and false teaching, the goal is the same, repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.

In short, be kind, be clear on defining and delineating between first and second order issues³, be patient, be gentle, trust in the sovereignty of our Heavenly Father and keep the main thing the main thing.

1. Examples of second order issues are (Infant Baptist/Believer Baptism; Church polity, style of music in church, chalice vs. cups for Holy Communion) For example, one of my closest friends is a Free Church of Scotland minster. He believes and practices a form of church governance where they have elders and no Bishops, Priests or Deacons. He is a 5-point Calvinist where I hold to a milder form. He holds to the view that Sunday is the Sabbath, where as I don’t. But we still have fellowship and are united because we share the same first order issues.

2. Justification is the most salient issue, how it is that sinners are reconciled to a Holy God?Faith in Christ alone or faith in Christ plus works? For the sake of argument, both answers could be simultaneously wrong, but both answers cannot be simultaneously correct.

3. For failing to do so will lead to either theological liberalism or theological legalism.