pursueharmony-blog

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Protestant vs Catholicism 👼🏻🙏🏻

Bible

Protestants - “Sola Skriptura” Scripture based solely. 

Catholics - Bounded by scripture and tradition

Unity vs Diversity

Protestants - Over 500 different denominations

Catholics - Pride themselves on being all-embracing and the only true church worldwide.

Pope

Protestant -  Protestants are not open at all to papal primacy

Catholic - Pope is appointed by Jesus to teach and guide 

Eucharist

Catholic - Only for people that have been through their communion, and the wine is only for those having completed their confirmation. It is literally the body and blood of Christ. 

Protestant- anyone that is baptized can receive the Eucharist. The Eucharist is used as a ritual to commemorate Jesus's death and resurrection. 

Sacraments (rituals)

Catholic  - baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, matrimony, penance, holy orders and extreme unction

Protestant -  baptism and the Eucharist

Marian dogmas and worshiping saints

Catholics - Mar is the Queen of Heaven, she is a virgin and conceived Jesus through Immaculate Conception. They also pay to various Saints which are created as such once they have passed by the Catholic Church. There are over 4000.

Protestant - Mary should not be idolized and saints are not a thing. 

Celibacy

Catholics - Celibacy is mandatory for priests and should be followed by by common folk until they wed.

Protestants - Priests are allowed to marry and have sex. Waiting until marriage is still a popular belief, however.

[pursueharmony-blog]

Presbyterian 👼🏻🙏🏻

Do they have a leader?

Each local church is governed by a body of elected elders usually called the session or consistory, though other terms, such as church board, may apply.  

Which bible do they use?

Mainly the NIV and NRSV 

How do they view the bible?

Scripture is extremely important to Presbyterians as they seek to apply its message to the world. They understand that some passages were written for certain contexts and they must interpret them and understand them for how the world works today.  The Bible is God’s self-revelation, or God’s self-communication.

What is Genesis to them? 

Presbyterians Allow Flexibility On Creation Story

How do they view the Old Testament?

God revealed who God is to the people of Israel in the Old Testament (the Hebrew Scriptures) and supremely to the people of the church in the New Testament—in the person of Jesus Christ.

How do they look at the gospels? 

The gospel is the message of good news centered on Jesus Christ. It is worth dying for, and must be proclaimed to all nations. 

How do they view Jesus’ Parables? 

Parables are a method used by Jesus, a method of story telling, to deliver messages. 

Did they consider Jesus the Son of God?

God is the one divine reality whom we know as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Trinity is the basis for understanding who God is. The three persons are one God

How do they imagine Jesus would have looked like?

What is their afterlife? 

There is Heaven eternal

How do they define Life Eternal? 

The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their graves, till the resurrection

What is the message of Jesus primarily about? 

Creating a world where justice, peace and love rule and evil is no more.

What is the Kingdom of God?

What was the resurrection? 

He died, was buried and was resurrected by God. For Christians, this resurrection is God’s most amazing miracle and proof that Jesus was indeed divine.

Who is Mary?

Mary was the mother of Jesus. Other than that, shes not really paid attention to.

How do they pray? 

When you pray you are calling out to God for help

What does God care about the most? 

Gods wants to save the world. If people believe, they will be saved. God took the initiative in communicating with humanity and in calling people into a relationship of love and obedience.

How do they view people of other faiths?

Once they die, they are sealed in their imperfection, and they are in a state of condemnation, and they are permanently separated from Christ, never again to know peace and rest.

[pursueharmony-blog]

Lutheran👼🏻🙏🏻

Do they have a leader?

Archbishop  Musa Panti Filibus is the Lutheran World Federations head 

Which bible do they use?

Old and New Testaments are the only divinely inspired books. 

How do they view the bible?

Scripture alone is the formal principle of the faith. 

What is Genesis to them?3

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod believes, teaches and confesses that Adam and Eve were real historic individuals and that the Genesis account of Creation is true and factual, not merely a 'myth' or a 'story' made up to explain the origin of all things.

How do they view the Old Testament?

Both the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God (Heb.1:1), authored by the one and same Holy Spirit. No one can discard either one without incurring the wrath of God. Essentially the two are the same in that they both contain the same moral law and the same Gospel message that sinners are saved alone by grace in His Son, the Messiah, who was to come.

How do they look at the gospels?

The Gospels are everything. There is nothings contradictory or false within them. 

How do they view Jesus’ Parables?

The parables Jesus told were designed to bring great treasure as well as great questions.  

Did they consider Jesus the Son of God?

Jesus was the son of God. They are two people, and the Holy Spirit was from both of them, but is not them. 

How do they imagine Jesus would have looked like?

What is their afterlife?

Followers believe they will go to heaven if they accept Jesus as their savior

How do they define Life Eternal?

Lutherans follow the basic idea of "grace alone," which means they get to heaven solely by God's grace. There is nothing a person can do to earn his way to heaven. Heaven is a free gift from God, but no one deserves this gift, as everyone is a sinner.

Anyone who hasn't accepted Jesus as his savior and who doesn't believe that the Lord saved them from their sins will go to hell. In hell, a person suffers eternal damnation in the presence of the Devil.

A person goes straight to heaven or hell. 

 Judgment Day is the day when Jesus will return to Earth, and everyone who hasn't died will go to heaven or hell. When a person dies, his spirit leaves the body and goes to either heaven or hell. At the same time, the body is left behind. On Judgment Day, the bodies of Lutherans will be resurrected and reunited with their souls in heaven. It is the responsibility of the living to care for the deceased's body until this occurs.

What is the message of Jesus primarily about?

Under God’s reign, the walls that separate us one from another are demolished. We are to love God and to love our neighbor; and how we love our neighbor is indicative of how we love God.  

What is the Kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God (or of heaven) is the gracious rule in the heart of Christ the King.

l) kingdom of power – in this God rules all creation with His almighty power, 

2) kingdom of grace – this being the church on earth, consisting of each one who believes with Christ ruling the human heart, 

3) kingdom of glory – being above or heaven where all the dead in Christ await the final day.

What was the resurrection?

Jesus came back in the same body as he was resurrected, and we shall too. 

Who is Mary?

Mary is the Theotokos; the God-bearer. Mary remained a virgin for eternity. She is without all sins, for she has conceived and borne the Lord Jesus. Mother Mary, like us, was born in sin of sinful parents, but the Holy Spirit covered her, sanctified and purified her so that this child was born of flesh and blood, but not with sinful flesh and blood. The Holy Spirit permitted the Virgin Mary to remain a true, natural human being of flesh and blood, just as we. However, he warded off sin from her flesh and blood so that she became the mother of a pure child, not poisoned by sin as we are. For in that moment when she conceived, she was a holy mother filled with the Holy Spirit and her fruit is a holy pure fruit, at once God and truly man, in one person

How do they pray?

A prayer is the response of the redeemed child of God to his heavenly Father. You can pray in a thousand tongues and a thousand ways. But, most of all, do not stop praying, for they pray by the Spirit of Christ who has broughtus to faith in their Father.

Sometimes they lift their arms up to heavan. They believe prayer is lifting up their heart and/or mind to God. Sincere, devout prayer alone is genuine prayer.I want your heart to be stirred and guided concerning the thoughts which ought to be comprehended in the Lord’s Prayer. 

What does God care about the most?

God wants to point us to the truth that we are saved from our sin and eternal death by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ

How do they view people of other faiths?

Only followers of Christ can go to Heaven. 

[pursueharmony-blog]

Wesleyan👼🏻🙏🏻

Do they have a leader?

Dr. Wayne Schmidt General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church

Which bible do they use?

NIV Women's or Men's Devotional Bible. Couples can read the NIV Couples' Devotional Bible. Families can read from the Family Worship Bible. There is also a Wesley Bible. 

How do they view the bible?

1. Scriptural language should be used to explain or describe scriptural ideas; it should become dominant in our use of language. 2. The literal meaning of the text should be used first, unless it seems to contradict other texts or implies an absurdity. “In cases where two bibli- 36 Part I Biblical Holiness cal texts appeared to contradict each other, [Wesley] stressed that the more obscure text should be understood in light of the clearer one.”2 3. A text should be interpreted in light of its context. 4. Scripture interprets itself, and each individual text should be interpreted in light of the whole. 5. Commandments should always be seen as covered promises. In other words, whatever we are commanded to do God will enable us to do through grace. 6. Biblical writers employ literary devices at times that need to be discerned if an appropriate meaning of the text is to be ascertained. 7. The earliest text available should be sought, as well as the best translation.3

What is Genesis to them?

While many Wesleyans would profess a six-day creation, it is not necessary for acceptance into the Wesleyan Church.

How do they view the Old Testament?

They believe that the books of the Old and New Testaments constitute the Holy Scriptures. They are the inspired and infallibly written Word of God, fully inerrant in their original manuscripts and superior to all human authority, and have been transmitted to the present without corruption of any essential doctrine. They believe that they contain all things necessary to salvation; so that whatever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. Both in the Old and New Testaments life is offered to mankind ultimately through Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man. The New Testament teaches Christians how to fulfill the moral principles of the Old Testament, calling for loving obedience to God made possible by the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit.

How do they look at the gospels?

None of the gospels is more favored than another, while the interest in Revelation is not disproportionate to the rest of the NT. By lives of holiness and through works of love as well as in the preaching of the Gospel, they declare, “The Word became flesh and lived for a while among us” (Jn 1:14). That is the Wesleyan way, and it reflects our way of understanding the NT.

How do they view Jesus’ Parables?

As you depend on the Holy Spirit for illumination and ways to apply the truths Jesus taught in parables, you will grow in wisdom and holiness.

Did they consider Jesus the Son of God?

They believe in the one living and true God, both holy and loving, eternal, unlimited in power, wisdom, and goodness, the Creator and Preserver of all things. Within this unity there are three persons of one essential nature, power, and eternity-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, truly God and truly man. 

How do they imagine Jesus would have looked like?

What is their afterlife?

They believe in the bodily resurrection from the dead of all mankind of the just unto the resurrection of life, and of the unjust unto the resurrection of damnation. The resurrection of the righteous dead will occur at Christ's Second Coming, and the resurrection of the wicked will occur at a later time. The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of the resurrection of those who are in Christ. The raised body will be a spiritual body, but the person will be whole and identifiable. They believe that the Scriptures reveal God as the Judge of all mankind and the acts of His judgment are based on His omniscience and eternal justice. His administration of judgment will culminate in the final meeting of mankind before His throne of great majesty and power, where records will be examined and final rewards and punishments will be administered.

How do they define Life Eternal?

We believe there is a conscious personal existence after death. The final destiny of each person is determined by God’s grace and that person’s response. How we have responded will be evident in the moral character resulting from our personal and willful choices, not from God’s arbitrary decree. Those who choose the salvation God provides through Jesus will live forever in Heaven with its eternal glory, experiencing the blessed presence of Christ. Those who neglect this great salvation will spend eternity in hell, experiencing everlasting misery and separation from God 

What is the Kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God has a king, and this king is Jesus.

The kingdom of God has a king who rules.

The kingdom of God has a distinct people.

The kingdom of God has a law.

The kingdom of God has a land.

What was the resurrection?

Jesus rose on the third day. Whether it was literal and in the same body is not specified. 

Who is Mary?

Mary is not free of sin. She was the mother of Christ, and a virgin when she birthed him, but did not remain a virgin for the rest of her life. She is not the mother of God, but rather of Jesus’s earthly body. 

How do they pray?

Prayer is not about requests, it is to create changes within. You are also intended to pray to possible have god help you and act in the world. 

What does God care about the most?

The two great commandments are to love the Lord our God with all the heart, and our neighbors as ourselves, summarize the divine law as it is revealed in the Scriptures. All men should order all their individual, social, and political acts as to give to God entire and absolute obedience, and to assure to all men the enjoyment of every natural right, as well as to promote the fulfillment of each in the possession and exercise of such rights.

How do they view people of other faiths?

There is intrinsic value in every person. Biblical unity becomes all the more important and beautiful in the light of the wide-ranging differences in personalities, cultures, races, languages, talents, and perspectives. Finding unity and mutual love in Christ eliminates devaluation and deprivation of life to one another.

[pursueharmony-blog]

Baptists 👼🏻🙏🏻

“Baptists” is very broad as all of their different organizations are self governing. Because of this, the following may not be overly accurate for EVERY baptist church. 

Do they have a leader?

Baptists believe in the autonomy and authority of the Local church, that each individual Baptist church is independent from all other human authority and also from all other churches as well. Baptists believe in the authority of the Bible plus faith plus nothing - that the Bible alone is a sufficient basis for all faith and practice.

Which bible do they use?

Two different perspectives found;

The King James Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the church.  (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; Psa. 12:6-7)

OR

Because the Baptists have no overarching ruler, there is no set rule on which bible to use. These, however, are most likely preferred. 

Conservative to Evangelical: English Standard Version (ESV), NIV, HCSB (if you went to Dallas Theological Seminary)

Moderate to Scholarly: NRSV, RSV

Moderate to Gender-inclusively liberal: TNIV

Super-traditional: King James Version. Maybe New King James, if they're feeling special.

Conservative but Scholarly: The Amplified Bible.

When the Preacher wants to make a point: NLT, "The Message"

How do they view the bible?

Basically Baptists have considered the Bible as authoritative for faith and practice because of its very nature. Baptists have insisted that the divine nature of the Bible is the basis of its authority. No other writing compares to the Bible. The Bible stands alone among all other writings in that it is uniquely from God and about God.

What is Genesis to them?

Because the believe that the Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and, therefore, are the final authority for faith and life, it is assumed that they believe genesis to be a historical fact. 

How do they view the Old Testament?

The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man.

How do they look at the gospels?

Baptist individuals, churches and other organizations strive to apply the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to all of life.

How do they view Jesus’ Parables?

No information found

Did they consider Jesus the Son of God?

They believe in the trinity. Therefore God is the Father, God is the Son and God is the Holy Spirit. 

How do they imagine Jesus would have looked like?

What is their afterlife?

They believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. They believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. Baptists teach that the Bible knows nothing of Purgatory.

How do they define Life Eternal?

Refer to above answer ^

What is the message of Jesus primarily about?

Jesus came to deliver us from sin and show us a better path. 

What is the Kingdom of God?

One way the bible of the Kingdom of God is within the context of the general sovereignty or rule that God has over the entire universe. Simply put, this means that God is the absolute ruler of all that is. The bible also describe the rule and reign that Jesus has in the hearts and lives of those who have come to know Him as Lord and Savior. Scripture also presents the Kingdom of God both as being a present reality and something which will come to fruition at an appointed time in the future

What was the resurrection?

They believe that Jesus physically rose from the dead. (Specifically southern baptists believe this)

Who is Mary?

They believe that Mary has nothing to do with salvation other than giving birth to the one who gives us salvation. Mary was a virgin when she had Jesus, but as a married woman she did not remain a virgin her whole life. She was not without sin. Mary is not the mother of God. 

How do they pray?

Baptist prayers are usually extemporaneous, and the minister or a member of the congregation may lead the corporate prayer. Baptist worship services often close inprayer, and many recite the "sinners prayer," a prayer asking God to forgive sins and accepting Christ as savior, as a group at the end of the sermon.

What does God care about the most?

God cares they they share His message of love and salvation with each person.

How do they view people of other faiths?

Most Baptists support religious freedom and respect the expressions of faith of others.

[pursueharmony-blog]

Roman Catholics 👼🏻🙏🏻

Do they have a leader? 

In Matthew 16:18, it is said the Christ’s intent is to pass on the authority he has over the Catholic Church to Peter, and the apostles. Christ tells Peter, the first Pope, that he is the rock on which he will build His church. Christ intended it to be so (Matthew 28:19-20) Christ sent His apostles out into the world with authority to teach and heal (Luke 9:1-2) and to forgive sins (John 20:23). In the Catholic Church, they believe bishops have this God-given authority. Currently, the Pope is Pope Francis.  

Which bible do they use?

Books of the New Testament, Alba House

Contemporary English Version - New Testament, First Edition, American Bible Society

Contemporary English Version - Book of Psalms, American Bible Society

Contemporary English Version - Book of Proverbs, American Bible Society

The Grail Psalter (Inclusive Language Version), G.I.A. Publications

New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)

New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, National Council of Churches

The Psalms, Alba House

The Psalms (New International Version) - St. Joseph Catholic Edition, Catholic Book Publishing Company

The Psalms - St. Joseph New Catholic Version, Catholic Book Publishing Company

Revised Psalms of the New American Bible (1991)

So You May Believe, A Translation of the Four Gospels, Alba House

Good News Translation (Today's English Version, Second Edition), American Bible Society

Translation for Early Youth, A Translation of the New Testament for Children, Contemporary English Version, American Bible Society

How do they view the bible?

The Catholic Church “does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the Holy Scriptures alone” (Catechism of the Catholic Church [CCC] no. 82 Dei Verbum 9). 

What is Genesis to them?

Catholics are at liberty to believe that creation took a few days or a much longer period, according to how they see the evidence, and subject to any future judgment of the Church (Pius XII’s 1950 encyclical Humani Generis 36–37).

How do they view the Old Testament?

Catholics view the old testament as a source for important concepts such as hierarchy, sacred time and sacramental things. They believe it teaches us about our origins; the origins of the human race and of the true religion. 

How do they look at the gospels?

The Catholic Church believes that the four Gospels are the most important part of the written tradition handed on by the twelve apostles in virtue of their personal knowledge of Jesus acquired during their instruction by him in the course of his earthly mission.

How do they view Jesus’ Parables?

A short story based on a familiar life experience used to teach a spiritual lesson. Jesus used the parable many times in his public ministry. "Why do you teach them in parables?" his disciples asked him. "Because," he replied, "the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven are revealed to you, but they are not revealed to them" (Matthew 13:10-11).

Did they consider Jesus the Son of God?

Jesus is God

How do they imagine Jesus would have looked like?

What is their afterlife?

At the moment of death, the soul departs the body. The soul never ceases to exist once it is created. Immediately upon death, the soul is judged by the Lord, either to eternal life or eternal damnation to hell. Those going to hell do so immediately, those granted eternal life further judging transpires. If the soul was truly holy, they go straight to heaven and are “saints”. For those who still have some sin attached to them, they are sent to purgatory. Purgatory is seen as a blessing as you know you’re bound for heaven, but you get to purge your soul of sin that would have limited your vision and enjoyment of God in heaven. Once the end of the world arrives, there will be a resurrection of the bodies and your bodies and soul will be rejoined. You will experience either eternal happiness or suffering in both your body and soul.

How do they define Life Eternal?

As Pope Benedict XVI said, “Eternal life’ is life itself, real life, which can also be lived in the present age and is no longer challenged by physical death. This is the point: to seize ‘life’ here and now, real life that can no longer be destroyed by anything or anyone.”

What is the message of Jesus primarily about?

It is a message of love and redemption, salvation and hope. Salvation, our call to holiness and eternal life. 

What is the Kingdom of God?

Admittedly, the term “kingdom of God” is somewhat complex: it spans the Old and New Testaments, and it refers to several things at once. But at its core, the kingdom is fundamentally about salvation.

What was the resurrection?

The Resurrection of Jesus is the crowning truth of our faith in Christ, a faith believed and lived as the central truth by the first Christian community; handed on as fundamental by Tradition; established by the documents of the New Testament; and preached as an essential part of the Paschal mystery along with the cross.

Who is Mary?

Mary is the link between our broken humanity and the boundless divinity present in the triune God. When we pray the rosary, or bow our heads during the creed, we are honoring our mother, and the mother of our Lord. Although she is not God, she has earned our respect and devotion.

How do they pray?

Praying in the Catholic practice has a necessary underlying foundation. You must have a love for God, desire to do His will and an opennes to change your life. There are four types of prayer; Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Supplication is the most common as it is asking for a favour. Adoration is adoring God for what He is. Contrition is expressing sorrow for your sins. Thanksgiving is thanking Him for all he does for us. 

They believe praying the hoyl rosary will scourge the devil. 

Prayer can be done vocally, in meditation style and in a contemplative manner. 

What does God care about the most?

Follow life. Ask the Holy Spirit to awaken His pure and holy desires within your heart and ask Him to help you navigate them toward His greater purposes that lead to life and fulfillment. 

(Jeremiah 29:11 )“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

How do they view people of other faiths?

Our attitude toward other religions should be to accept and honor whatever is good in them—as judged against the full Revelation of God in Jesus Christ—while identifying what is evil or erroneous and seeking out of love to bring their adherents into the full light of the Gospel.

[pursueharmony-blog]

Reference for Denominations

Here will be a list of denominations I will examine. Ill come back to this list and add a check mark once the denomination has been studied. Listed will also be a general criteria of how I will study them and their key differences. 

Denominations:

Roman Catholic ✓

Baptists  ✓

Wesleyan ✓

Lutheran ✓

Presbyterian ✓ 

Pentecostal

Anglican/Episcopalian

Mormon/Latter-Day Saints

Church of Christ

Nondenominational

Congregational/United Church of Christ

Jehovah’s Witness

Assemblies of God

Evangelical

Church of God

Seventh-Day Adventist

Orthodox (Eastern)

Holiness/Holy

Church of the Nazarene

Disciples of Christ

Church of the Brethren

Mennonite

Reformed/Dutch Reform

Apostolic/New Apostolic

Quaker

Christian Science

Full Gospel

Independent Christian Church

Foursquare Gospel

Fundamentalist

Born Again

Salvation Army

Moravian

Southern Baptists

Methodists

Calvary

Vineyard

Anabaptists

Amish

Christian and Missionary alliance 

Study template:

Do they have a leader?

Which bible do they use?

How do they view the bible?

What is Genesis to them? 

How do they view the Old Testament?

How do they look at the gospels? 

How do they view Jesus’ Parables? 

Did they consider Jesus the Son of God?

How do they imagine Jesus would have looked like?

What is their afterlife? 

How do they define Life Eternal? 

What is the message of Jesus primarily about? 

What is the Kingdom of God?

What was the resurrection? 

Who is Mary?

How do they pray? 

What does God care about the most? 

How do they view people of other faiths?

[pursueharmony-blog]

Christianity, God, and my Overall Confusion

What kind of bread am I. Am I even bread? Some people hate bread.. do I? Everything is so confusing. 

Just to be clear, bread means religion to me. Specifically, ‘Christianity’. I already know that I “believe” in what Kadampa Buddhism teaches,  but I also don’t think Buddhism is my religion. It’s more of a community that keeps me honest and keeps me good. Teaches me how to love others and be a positive contribution to my community. 

I think my beliefs align most with Christianity, and Christianity is one of the most accessible religions where I live. Because of that, I want to examine what denominations of Christianity exist, and see which suits me the most. 

I think ill make a text post about every denomination i research (obviously i wont do them all as there are too many! but ill do many) and then maybe Ill choose one i align myself with the most when i’m done? I’m not sure. I want one that lets me read either the NRSV or the ESV, that I know. 

So stay tuned!