How do you discern what is an essential element of our Christian faith, as opposed to something that not everyone agrees on and in the end, does not really define the faith? Christians are agreed on some points which become non-negotiables. Typically, these points are documented in a couple of the old creeds.

For example, The Apostles' Creed, which is a foundational statement of Christian belief, was developed over time, with its earliest known form appearing around the 2nd century. All Christians essentially hold to this creed. Another common statement is the Nicene Creed which affirms core Christian doctrines, including:

The Father:

Belief in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.

The Son:

Belief in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten not made, of one being with the Father.

The Holy Spirit:

Belief in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son.

The Church:

Belief in one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church.

Salvation:

A confession of one baptism for the forgiveness of sins and the expectation of the resurrection of the dead.

A point we would like you to appreciate is how very important it is, to be "catholic." We discuss this in some detail in this episode of A Plain Answer. Participants: Dr. John Vance, Dan Elmendorf