Direct Answer
They saw the faith as a plain set of basics that could not be negotiated, and they allowed room on wording beyond those basics. Teachers and bishops carried a higher expectation than other believers.
Support from the Message
- The non-negotiable matters included one God the Father Almighty, His Son Jesus Christ, Christ's death for us, His resurrection, the resurrection of the flesh and judgment day. - David Bercot says most of their battles dealt with these basic things and involved no complicated theology. - Being undogmatic did not mean they stood for nothing, as some assumed when he raised the topic. - They were not "spiritual policemen" waiting to grab someone over how a thing was phrased. - A believer who held the Apostles' Creed was fine, while a teacher with something far off would be talked to.
Discussion Follow-up
Which beliefs does your church treat as essential, and which are only matters of wording? How would you tell the difference?