Gradualism is the slow progressive logically consistent movement from one idea to another. It is morally neutral in the sense that it can be used for good or evil. When used for good, it is progressive in the sense of enabling mankind to live increasingly more closely aligned with God. When used for evil, it is regressive in the sense that mankind is increasingly disconnected from alignment with God.

Over the past 250 years, gradualism has been used regressively to disconnect society from Christian norms in education, economics, public policy, and social ethics. According to the redoubtable Dutch theologian Abraham Kuyper, the most recent catalyst for this regressive use of gradualism was the eighteenth-century French Enlightenment. This was a failed experiment seeking to build a secular society. The experiment was short-lived and ended in massive chaos and death.

Despite its brevity, this experiment had a lasting influence on Western civilization. One of the shibboleth’s of the Enlightenment was “no God, no master.”⁽¹⁾ This was the battle cry of humanism, that is, mankind assuming the role of god. Consequently, over the past quarter millennium, humanism has increasingly disconnected the civilizations of the Western world from God. During the nineteenth century, education was secularized by disconnecting knowledge and wisdom from Scripture. In the early part of the twentieth century, judicial rulings were disconnected from Scripture. In the 1930s, debt-based Keynesian economics decoupled economics from scriptural norms. And in the 1960s, social ethics began to disconnect from biblical norms beginning with abortion, then no-fault divorce, legalized homosexuality, and homosexual marriage. Now in the twenty-first century, gender dysphoria is being normalized. Since the eighteenth-century French Enlightenment, gradualism has served as a tool to enable these sinful practices to gain acceptance contrary to biblical standards.

Notwithstanding gradualism being used for evil, over the past two thousand years the Holy Spirit has used gradualism for good by progressively illuminating truth to the New Testament (NT) ekklesia (this is a transliteration of a Greek word commonly translated church). The divine use of gradualism was to progressively illuminate the foundational truths of Christianity.

For example, the book of Acts reveals a progressively maturing understanding of the significance that Jesus was both Lord and Christ. Beginning with the events on the Day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2, the Holy Spirit began illuminating the implications of the axiomatic truth (certain truth) that Jesus is both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). At that time, the newly birthed ekklesia did not profoundly understand the meaning and consequences of this truth. The first fifteen chapters of the book of Acts document a gradual understanding of the good news that emanated from this truth. Notwithstanding the illumination process, there was still some confusion about how to embrace the good news and who could embrace it. This led to the first formal council of the leaders of the New Testament ekklesia.

At this council (Acts 15) there was considerable debate regarding acceptance of Gentiles into the New Testament ekklesia. And if so, on what basis? Would they be required to be circumcised and obey the Mosaic law? The conclusion of the council was unanimous. Salvation from the penalty of sin of death for Jews and Gentiles alike was based on “the grace of the Lord Jesus”⁽²⁾ but, for Gentiles, there were four stipulations: abstinence from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood (Acts 15:20). Notwithstanding the stipulations, the conclusion of the council was progress in understanding who could receive the good news and how.

The apostle Paul was at the council and agreed with the unanimous decision. Christian soteriology was Gentile inclusive but did not require circumcision or obedience to the Mosaic law. However, the four stipulations were perhaps intended to be strong suggestions, but they were congruent with the Mosaic law.

In time, the ekklesia, perhaps under the apostle Paul's leadership, eliminated the four stipulations. He wrote that the good news of salvation was based solely on the grace of Christ without stipulations. Here are some of his words:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel—not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:6–9 ESV)

Furthermore, in Galatians 2, Paul reaffirmed that salvation was not an event but a process of sovereign grace. Gentiles were saved by the grace of Christ without circumcision, without obedience to the Mosaic law, and without the four stipulations of the first council of the New Testament ekklesia. Over time, Paul’s understanding of the gospel progressed to a clear position.

In contrast, the apostle Peter vacillated in front of the Judaizers—Jews who wanted stipulations on Gentiles. While in Antioch, Peter associated with Gentiles until Judaizers arrived, then he wavered.⁽³⁾ Paul called him on it.

But Paul also had challenges in progressing to a pure gospel. On his apostolic mission after the council, he met Timothy and wanted him to become a traveling companion; however, Timothy was a Greek. Therefore, to satisfy the Jews, Paul circumcised Timothy.⁽⁴⁾ Clearly, according to the ruling of the council, this was not required.

Though there was confusion and inconsistency around the council’s ruling, the matter was eventually settled. Gradually the verdict of the first council of the ekklesia was amended; the four stipulations were dropped. Salvifically, Gentiles were included in the New Testament ekklesia but were not required to be circumcised or obey the law of Moses or comply with the four stipulations. Peter’s view of salvation based solely on the grace of Christ as stated at the council was eventually normalized.⁽⁵⁾ This is the position of the orthodox church today.

The process of clarifying Christian soteriology based solely on the grace of Christ was progressive. The Holy Spirit used gradualism (incrementalism) as a process to increase divine illumination to help the New Testament ekklesia align with sound theology.

When used for good, gradualism is a tool of alignment with God; it is a tool of transformation. The first New Testament ekklesia experienced how gradualism facilitated good. This illustrates how paradigm shifts are accomplished through multiple steps of gradual change.

When used for evil, gradualism is euphemistically called progressivism; but it is really not progressive. Rather, it is regressively disconnecting all aspects of society from the source of life. Gradualism for evil moves toward chaos and death.

Therefore, embrace gradualism as a tool of transformation for good—a tool of alignment with Scripture that facilitates order and life. This is the only sound understanding of progressivism.

To this end, one is wise to engage godly spiritual fathers and mothers in the process. Many times, it is these mature men and women who help us see reality more clearly, understand it more correctly, draw better conclusions, and make wiser choices. May we all have grace to enjoy the fruit of gradualism for good—true progressivism—by being humble, submitted, and teachable to godly spiritual parents.