Is That a Hill You’re Willing to Die On? Theological Triage for Everyday Christians

"It’s not a hill I’m willing to die on.” I feel like I say this a lot when it comes to varying biblical views. Everything from end times, women’s roles in the church, children and baptism... the list goes on.

In today’s world of social media, YouTube preachers, and polarised church debates, the word heretic gets thrown around far too often. And I'm tired of it. Not every disagreement should divide us. Let's agree on the core doctrines, learn some healthy debate on the secondary issues, add the odd poking of the fire to the less important and then sing combiyah on the rest? If only it were that simple.

What Are Core Doctrines?

Core doctrines are the beliefs that unite all true Christians.

The Apostles’ Creed is a great summary and something I hope we can all agree on (otherwise my point is lost here):

God is three in one—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus sinless life, death, and resurrection.

He will return someday and bring judgement & restoration + more core beliefs.

If we agree on these, we are brothers and sisters in Christ, even if we disagree on other theological matters.

What About all the Other Biblical Views?

There are countless biblical topics that Christians have understood differently for centuries:

The return of Christ (end times)

The gifts of the Spirit

Baptism and communion

The role of women in ministry

Church governance

Calvinism vs. Arminianism

to name a few. The list is long on topics and understandings of Scripture that we just can't all agree on.

Are these important? Absolutely. But they’re not always salvation issues. That’s where theological triage helps.

What Is Theological Triage?

Theological triage is like hospital triage. It’s a way to assess the urgency and importance of views.

• First-tier: Core gospel truths. Must agree (go read the Creed)

• Second-tier: Important, but Christians may differ. May affect church structure.

• Third-tier: Less central. We can differ and still worship together.

Gavin Ortland wrote a whole book on this idea (Finding the Right Hills to Die On) if you want to go a little deeper on this topic fleshing how to triage and also interact with each other on this.

So then, when can I say Heresy?

Heresy is when a teaching contradicts core doctrine. A good example is this: anyone telling you, that you must speak in tongues in order to be saved. That’s a “Jesus + something” gospel—and that’s false. Scripture is clear: salvation is through Jesus alone, not proven by a specific gift or experience. Not to mention nowhere in the Bible do we see that all Christians will receive tongues. It is a gift, given in accordance to when the Holy Spirit deems necessary. 1 Corinthians 12:11

To teach that you are only saved if you speak in tongues is heresy - as it is adding to God's word and leading people to believe that Jesus work on the cross was not enough.

How to Respond to Differing Views

When you hear someone label a fellow believer as a heretic, maybe.... pause.

Ask yourself:

• Does this challenge a core gospel truth?

• Or is this a secondary issue open for discussion?

  
  

If it's not a core gospel truth then recognise that you can land differently on this topic. I don't know who needs to hear this, but it's ok if we don’t share the same view on women preaching, or the timeline of Christ’s return. Let’s hold that with charity, not condemnation. We are still united through Christ and we are still brothers and sisters in the faith.

This is the Beauty of Theological Triage

Unity doesn’t mean uniformity. We can differ on secondary issues and still walk in love and truth.

Discipling your children, serving your church, sharing the gospel—all of these become harder when we turn every disagreement into division.

So next time you hear a hot take online or at Bible study, ask yourself: Is this really a hill worth dying on? And then choose to love as you go in for a debate.