Y'all don't know the difference between a primairy, secondary or tertiary issue, do you?

I think I set up a list here to help people out, just to be helpful.

Explained very basically, primary issues determine faith, secondary issues determine fellowship structure, and tertiary issues determine personal conscience.

To be a Christian, you must believe all primary issues doctrine.

To be a Baptist, an Anglican, a Presbyterian, or what-have-you, you must make a decision on what you believe on the secondary issues and pick a church from there.

Tertiary issues are for your own personal beliefs and should not effect your ability to fellowship with other believers. for example, if you're against Christians having tattoos, you should be able to be in fellowship with Christians who have tattoos, and vice versa.

PRIMARY ISSUES (Core, Gospel-Defining Doctrines)

Denial of these places a belief system outside historic Christianity.

- The existence of one, eternal God

- God as Creator of all things

- God’s sovereignty

- God’s holiness

- God’s love and justice

- The Trinity (one God in three Persons)

- The incarnation (God became flesh in Jesus Christ)

- The virgin birth

- The sinlessness of Jesus

- The divinity of Christ

- The humanity of Christ

- The atoning death of Christ

- Substitutionary sacrifice for sin

- The bodily resurrection of Jesus

- The ascension of Christ

- Christ as the only mediator between God and humanity

- Salvation by grace alone

- Salvation through faith alone

- Salvation through Christ alone

-The necessity of repentance

- The forgiveness of sins

- The new birth / regeneration

- The indwelling of the Holy Spirit

- The authority of Scripture

- The truthfulness of Scripture

- The reality of sin

- The fallen nature of humanity

- The return of Christ

- The final judgment

- The resurrection of the dead

- Eternal life

- Eternal separation from God (hell)

SECONDARY ISSUES (Church-Defining & Denominational Doctrines)

Serious theological matters that shape how churches function.

- Number of sacraments

- Meaning of baptism

- Timing of baptism

- Mode of baptism

- Meaning of the Lord’s Supper

- Frequency of communion

- Episcopal church structure

- Presbyterian structure

- Congregational structure

- Apostolic succession

- Role of creeds and confessions

- Authority of church councils

- Predestination

- Election

- Free will

- Perseverance of the saints

- Assurance of salvation

- Possibility of apostasy

- Continuation vs. cessation of gifts

-Tongues

- Prophecy

- Healing

- Miracles today

- Women pastors, Women elders or Women deacons

- Complementarianism vs. egalitarianism

- Instant versus Progressive sanctification

- Entire sanctification

- Role of spiritual disciplines

- Role of church tradition

- Biblical canon differences

- interpretation authority

TERTIARY ISSUES (Disputable Matters & Christian Liberty)

Important to individuals, but never worth division.

- Pre-tribulation versus Post-tribulation rapture

- Amillennialism versus Premillennialism versus Postmillennialism

- Symbolic vs. literal Revelation

- Worship music style

- Use of instruments

- Liturgical vs. non-liturgical worship

- Raising hands in worship

- Use of incense

- Church architecture preferences

- Alcohol use

- Smoking

- Tattoos

- Piercings

- Fasting methods

- Dress standards

- Jewelry

- Makeup

- Sabbath on Saturday vs. Sunday

- Frequency of fasting

- Church calendar observance

- Political participation

- Christian nationalism vs. separation

- Environmental activism levels

- Media consumption

- Entertainment choices

- Social media use

- Homeschooling vs. public school

- Parenting styles

- Dating vs. courtship

- Gay Marriage

- Transgender Acceptance