Or, What the church looks like, now and in the future.
Based on how different Christian faiths view the Apostles’ Creed
In this final installment, we examine the final 4 statements of the Apostles Creed, and include some additions that the creed doesn’t address, but account for many of the real differences between the Catholic church and the protestant faiths.
Article 9. I believe in a holy catholic church: the communion of saints:
- Catholic church. Universal church. The body of christ as it reaches around the world. This has a counterpart in the local church, both identifications are important.
- The Communion of saints. A basic description of what church is, and indicating that it’s essential to spiritual living.
- Offices of authority. for Catholic, the priest. For most protestants, the pastor and deacon.
Let the divergence begin.
Church governments range from formal hierarchy to autonomous congregations.
Catholic view: More than just gathering together. The church is key to administering sacraments, the means to grace and securing faith. The church itself is considered a sacrament and therefore has salvation power. In worship service, prayers are offered to Mary, saints, and angels. Little mention of the spirit.
Traditional Christianity leans toward considering the church as an establishment by Jesus, led by, empowered by the spirit, but spiritual gifts ceased. The church is where discipleship, evangelism take place. Pentecostal leaning. The same, but the belief is that spiritual gifts continue. Though the witness of the spirit is the internal sign of salvation, without gifts there is no external evidence.
Local vs Universal Church
- Local church. limits worship to others in the local body. Visitors are welcome, but sacraments, or ordinances, are particularly Limited to local members only.
- Universal church. Open to visiting believers, and including them in sacraments.
Statements of Faith on the church
- ABA (American Baptist Association): The church is established by Jesus.
- Administered, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.
- Continues in the local, visible church.
There are two divine offices. Pastor and deacon.
- SBC (Southern Baptist Convention): An autonomous local gathering of believers.
- Sharing in faith and fellowship.
- Observing the ordances and laws of christ.
- Exercising gifts, in expanding the gospel around the world.
- All believers are accountable to christ,
- ordained officers are pastors and deacons.
- AG (Assemblies of God): The body of Christ, inhabited by the spirit, fulfilling the Great Commission.
- Evangelizing.
- Spirit powered, with accompanying spiritual signs.
- Honoring the Father and son.
- Led by divinely called ministers to lead 4 ways. 1 evangelizing world. 2 worship of God. 3 building body of saints. 4 meetings human need with compassion.
- WCM (Wesleyan Congregational Methodist): The church was founded by Jesus on the day of Pentecost, by the indwelling of the spirit.
- A body of believers. Universal.
- Made of true believers everywhere.
- Local church is not necessarily a true church.
- Those accepting orthodox doctrines are in, those rejecting it are out.
Catholic: more than a mere institution and certainly not a necessary evil. The church is an essential dimension and aspect of spiritual life. Believers are part of the living body of Christ. As for Saints, they are models for faith in daily life. Not worshipped. Prayed to, since prayer is not worship. Angels are also Prayed to since prayer is not worship. Prayers are made for those who have died. Those on their journey to heaven.
Article 10. The forgiveness of sins:
Salvation issues are in the undercurrents here.
Catholic. Believers are forgiven through grace, the price of Jesus that he paid on the cross. However, activity in the sacraments, prayer, devotions, confessions, etc secure graces for forgiveness after the initial baptism. salvation is lost if these works are not maintained.
Protestant. Forgiveness comes through Christ alone. No works on the part of the believer.
Article 11. The resurrection of the body:
All Christianity can probably agree that we will be raised to a glorified body. There may be different interpretations of what those bodies will look like.
Article 12. And the life everlasting. Amen.
I think all Christians will agree to this. If there is any disagreement, it’s in the interpretation of what heaven is like, or if the lake of fire is really forever, or what happens there.
Other areas of doctrine.
Authority of where belief comes from is a huge part of the differences. Namely, what is considered holy writing, or a holy source? For Protestants, it’s the bible alone. When in doubt, open it and see if the teaching is in there, or if the practice being done is consistent with scripture.
For Catholics the bible is only one part of a three-pronged authority. Tradition and the spoken teachings of the hierarchy of priests (also known as the Magisterium), also count. The bible may take a back seat to authority if outweighed by tradition and the Magisterium.
In general, tradition means how people have customarily interpreted scripture through the ages to mean, not what it might say. It also allows social custom to flavor the church.
The Magisterium is considered authoritative since it claims to be direct oral teaching descending from Jesus to the apostles, down through the popes to today.
Another issue is how the faiths view the issue of man and Sin.
- ABA: Man is created in the image of God.
- Innocent until he fell in voluntary sin.
- Sin passed to all humanity. Original sin.
- SBC: Made in God’s image, male and female.
- Innocent, given free will, chose to sin and passed sinh nature to those who follow.
- Under condemnation.
- Except for the grace of God, a man can’t be reconciled.
- AG: Created perfect, but fell voluntarily into sin.
- Spiritual and physical sin separates from God.
- Sin against Christ is to sin against God and deny the existence of God.
- WCM: Created perfect, in gods image.
- Corrupted after the fall.
- Needs grace for redemption.
Catholic: Adam introduced original sin, all who follow after him are born with a sinful nature.
- Sin nature is only removed by baptism.
- Grace is the free, unmerited gift from god.
- Sharing in inspiration to do his will.
- Man is the unity of body and soul.
- Body is physical matter, created by God, and therefore good.
- Matter remains good until someone misuses it by the sin nature.
- Sins are forgiven initially in Baptism, and ongoing in the Sacrament of Penance.
BaptismAndTheLordsSupper
The only two sacraments, or ordinances the protestant faiths recognize.
- ABA: Baptism is the emersion of repentant believers, administered by local church authority.
- In the name of the father, son, holy spirit.
- Lord’s supper is restricted to believers in the local church only.
- SBC: Emersion of the believer in water.
- In the name of the father, son, holy spirit. Symbolizes death to sin, and raised to walk a new life. Testimony of being raised on last day
- Lord’s supper. An act of obedience.
- Memorializing the death of Christ, and anticipating his second coming.
- AG: Baptism is by emersion in water.
- Believers are entitled to and should expect baptism by the Holy Spirit, the normal experience of the early church.
- With it comes the power and gifts to serve. Distinct and after the new birth.
- The Holy Spirit baptism comes an overflowing fullness of the spirit.
- A deepened reverence for God.
- intensified holiness, dedication to God. A more active love for Christ.
- Initial evidence is tongues. Same as a gift of tongues, but different in purpose.
- WCM: Baptism. Testimony to the inner work of salvation.
- Emersion, sprinkling, or pouring. Doesn’t save, but is a symbol of cleansing from sin.
- Child baptism is a dedication and does not take the place of believer baptism.
- Tongues. An actual language, unknown to the speaker but known to the listener.
- to evangelize. Reject the idea of prayer language, ecstatic utterance, or indwelling of the spirit.
- Communion. The symbol of Christ’s payment of sin. Open to all believers.
Catholic: Baptism. The rite of becoming Christian. Required for salvation whether by water, blood, or desire.
- Eucarist. Communion. Bread and wine become the substance of the body and blood of Christ.
- Once consumed. Remains the living body and blood until absorbed by the body in around 20 minutes.
- Actual molecules of bread and wine remain bread and wine, accidentally or by appearance.
- Worshipped, since it’s considered the substance of Christ. Not symbolic.
- When the “bread” portion of the Eucharist is placed in a monstrance for viewing, Catholics worship this.
- To properly administer, it must be by a catholic priest.
- Protestant ministers don’t have the authority to properly bless and transform it into body and blood.
- Claiming eucharist is symbolic, or spiritual means your not catholic. your protestant.
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Thanks to the recorded comments from J Vernon McGee. His ministry and daily bible study lives on through Through the Bible Ministries (ttb.org)
NASB.
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