Question: I am doing your Bible study Revelation, and in there you talk about essential and non-essential truths. I am puzzled with this concept, and I am asking if you could please enlighten me a bit.

Answer: The difference between an “essential” and “non-essential” truth in the context of Scripture is this. An essential truth is one that is essential for the truth about God and His relationship to us through Jesus Christ. For example, an essential truth is that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing creator of the universe who made men and women in His image. Belief in that statement (or one like it) is essential for us to understand who God is and who we are.

In the same category, a non-essential truth is that God created the universe in six literal 24-hour days. That statement is not essential to God’s character or His relationship to us through Christ, but some people would say it is true. However, other people who believe the essential truth about God stated above may believe that God created the universe in six ages rather than six days. Can both of these statements be true? Probably not, but belief in them is not essential to understanding God as the creator of the universe, and it is not essential in terms of His relationship to us through Christ.

Here’s another example. The Bible says that the only way to have a personal relationship with God—in other words, the only way to be saved—is through faith in Jesus Christ. That is an essential truth. A non-essential truth might be something like this: God chooses those who receive Christ before they receive Him (a belief called “election”). That may be true, but it isn’t essential that we take that truth as “gospel” in order to be saved.

This principle comes in to play in a large way in the study of Bible prophecy. It is absolutely true that Jesus is coming back to earth in what is known as the Second Coming. What is not essential is when He is returning.

We encourage people to have fewer essential truths—based on their study of God’s Word—and more non-essential truths. The body of Christ is filled with many different people who have many different opinions in non-essential areas. If we’re going to get along, we need to live by the phrase uttered by John Wesley:

In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.

What Wesley is saying is that when it comes to the essentials, there can be no compromise. We must be in agreement. But in the non-essential truths, we must be generous. And overall, our attitudes must be driven by love for one another.