When I use the word Protestant, I do not mean it in denominational sense, rather in that The Protestants during The Reformation affirmed and proclaimed that salvation was found by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. When I use the word Protestant, I mean a Christian believer who trusts and believes Jesus Christ has made the total propitiation and sacrifice for all sin, and that faith in Him equals and results in eternal life (John 6:40). The word Protestant as it is used in this post means a Christian who believes Jesus Christ is God and has made all the necessary sacrifice for sin, and believes that the Holy Bible alone is what we base our theology, doctrine, and practices on. When I use the word Protestant or Protestantism, I mean so in this sense, not to reference denominations ranging from Anglican to Presbyterian to Lutheran to Evangelical to Methodist and beyond, which fastly slipping away from Gospel as written in the New Testament and promoting destructive heresies (2 Peter 2:1) and doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1). Hhh
I have had these two paintings for some time. The one of the left is Christ and His Disciples in Upperroom, the one on right is Catholic painting of a giant Christ carrying a cross with a little Benedictine monk chasing after him. I felt these two paintings capture best the major differences between Protestantism and Catholicism. The Protestant painting has Jesus smiling, and eating with his followers, Immanuel (God with us), and his hands are open, to receive you to a banquet and spend time with you. In contrast, the Catholic painting shows Jesus frowning and gripping a cross and walking away from a follower who must chase him who is elusive, and is unable to ever attain him. Protestantism states the Gospel, "confess Jesus is Son of God, and God lives in you and you live in God," (1 John 4:15), while Catholicism states a never ending pennetinal chase after an aloof, indifferent, and giant Christ who is always wandering afar and must be pursued like a stag. Other subtitlites that you see in both paintings, in Protestant painting there are no nimbus or halos, everyone looks normal and approachable, even Christ Jesus, and the background has real columns and blue sky in the window ports, while in contrast the Catholic painting has Christ giant, like from some folklore, and the painting is covered in gold and he has a halo or nimbus which often was associated with pagan god, Sol Invictus or the sun god. Thus, the two paintings potray the differences, Protestantism is Scriptural belief and relating to Jesus and Godhead, while Catholicism mixes paganisms, and has never ending chasing of Christ through the sacraments and sacrifices of priests, and saints. In the Protestant painting, Jesus is calling them friend (John 15:15-17), and is eating with His people and disciples, just as God ate with Moses and the Elders (Exodus 24:9-17). In the Catholic painting, Christ is depicted bas severe, a matry you can never get close to or know.
There has been a major impetus to convince people that Protestantism and Catholicism have much in common. For several years now, many Protestants have been accepting Catholics and even adopting doctrines of the Romanite Church. As if smoke was covering a mirror, many seem convinced that unity is possible, and that in time the Protestant Churches and Roman Catholic Church will be one once more. If people had even rudimentary education on how we Protestants differ from Catholics in theology, doctrine, and belief, the ecumenical zeal would be all but exstinct. Inspired by scholar R.C. Sproul, I have thus endeavored to give a comparsion of what Protestants and Catholics believe from Christology to Soteriology (how we are saved) to Fide (faith) and Pennace (works).
I. Christology: Who Christ Is
Protestant View: Christ is Son of God, the Messiah (Christ) named Jesus who died for sins of mankind on cross, rose from dead, ascended into heaven and will come back on clouds of heaven. Jesus Christ is God, and is part of Godhead or Trinity, of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christ created all things (John 1:3), and He came in a body (flesh) to make propitiation and atonement for our sins. Jesus Christ is God (Colossians 2:9, Titus 2:13, John 17:20-21, John 1:1-17), and One with Father and Holy Spirit who are God, One God in Three Persons, Blessed Trinity.
Catholic View: Christ is the Son of God, the Christus named Jesus of Nazerath who died for sins of mankind on a cross, rose from dead, ascended into heaven and will come back on clouds of Heaven. Christ is God, and is part of Godhead or Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christ is the Second Adam and Mary the Virgin the Second Eve, Christ is Redeemer and Mary Redeematrix. Mary is crowned in heaven by the Trinity in most Catholic paitings. So Catholics really believe in a Quadrinity (though they refuse to admit it verbally, though believe it and practice it).
Verdict: Protestants believe in Christ according to what the Scriptures say, the 66 Books of Old and New Testaments. Catholics add Mary, as a fourth redeemer and goddess whom they call Theotokios and Redeematrix. Mary is believed to atone for sins with Christ, in Nazareth, there is Crucifix of Christ and Mary crucified on the other side of Christ on the cross. While Catholics will deny adamantly that they don't worship Mary, nor consider her a goddess, Catholic doctrine and Catechism, and teaching does place her as deity (see Catholic Catechism pgs. 900-999).
II. Soteriology: How One is Saved
Protestant View: Salvation is achieved and gained by grace (God's unmerited favor) of Christ dying for our sins on the cross, and by faith in Jesus Christ as Lord, i.e. Believe in Jesus Christ and you are saved (John 6:40, John 3:16, Romans 10:9-10). Christ Jesus has made the all sufficient sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10), and you need only believe in Him and have eternal life (Romans 10:9-10). Salvation is achieved “by confessing Jesus as LORD God and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead.” (Romans 10:9). Salvation is therefore achieved for certain for anyone who confesses and believes in Jesus Christ according to theology and doctrine of the Holy Bible. Baptism is mentioned as important (Mark 16:16), and is how one can express “confessing Jesus as Lord,” (Romans 10:9) before witnesses, declaring your allegiance to Jesus and His Church; that you are adopted into the household of God by faith.
Catholic: Salvation is achieved by Grace (which can be lost), Baptism, then maintained through Sacraments of Confession, Absolution, The Eucharist, and Penance (doing acts of contrition that gain the forgiveness of sins). Salvation is not achieved by faith alone, but by faith, baptism, and sacraments of Confession, Absolution, and penance; but even then almost every Catholic is destined to go to Purgatory to atone for more of their sins and work their way to Paradise. Salvation is never known for sure, and only hope of salvation is maintained by religious acts of piety, purging (confession), and pennace (self abasment, flaggelation, donating money via indulgences and etc). In addition to this, Catholics believe in calling up the dead saints and Mary to pray for them and help them on their salvic journey (called Cults of Saints, Cult of Virgin Mary, and Necromancy). Note: Purgatory was invented from extra biblical books in Apocryphal, and is not found in 66 Books of the Bible.
Verdict: Salvation in Protestant sense is Biblical and how Jesus Christ said we are saved by Him (John 3:16-18, John 6:40, John 10:27-30). The Catholic View is works based salvation, and leads to what Paul says cuts people off from Christ and grace, "How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?" (Hebrews 10:29). Salvation is simple, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast," (Ephesians 2:8-9), “ Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved,” (Romans 10:9-10), and "And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”" (Acts 16:31). There is nothing about praying to dead saints, consulting the Madonna, or penance, purgatory, and etc.; all of these are invenitons of Medieval Catholicism and that survive in Modern Catholicism.
III: Sacros Christi: Christ's Sacrifice
Protestant View: Jesus Christ made a sacrifice of himself and died on cross once, for all time, for all sin at culimination of the ages (Hebrews 9:24-29). Jesus Christ has paid for all sin, and anyone who believes in Him and confesses Him as LORD is forgiven of sin and has eternal life. Jesus' sacrifice was in 33 A.D., but the power of His sacrifice is for all ages.
Catholic View: Jesus Christ must be sacrificed daily for our sins in form of the Mass & Eucharist (Transubstantiation) and is ever on the cross and on the throne at same time. In addition, the Treasury of Merits stipulates that Mary the Madonna, and the Saints contribute sacrifices (sacros) for sin, and this is added to Christ's treasury of merit; i.e. Christ's sacrifice wasn’t enough.
Verdict: The Protestant view of Christ's sacrifice is Biblical and accurate with the eyewitnesses accounts of the Apsotles, including John the Apostle who was at the cross when Jesus died for sins of world. The Catholic View is strange and mystical doctrine that has no basis in Scripture and is actually contradict by Apostle Peter, "Christ died once for all time" (1 Peter), the author of Hebrews, "" (Hebrews 9:24-29), and the Apsotle Paul, "" ().
IV. Mariology: Who is Mary?
Protestant View: Mary was a virgin in Nazareth who was an ordinary woman chosen by God the Trinity to carry and give birth to Jesus Christ, the Son of God. She was a sinner (Luke 1:), and was simply servant and handmaiden of LORD. Nothing in Scripture attests to anything beyond a humble young virgin girl whom God chose to give birth to God in flesh (John 1:14, Luke) and raise Him until adulthood.
Catholic View: Mary was Virgin in Nazareth who was chosen by God to carry and give birth to Jesus Christ. She is the "Queen of Heaven," crowned by Trinity as a goddess, her title being same as Ashteroth or Ishtar that Prophet Jeremiah confronted (Jeremiah 44) and bears remarkable likeness to Bablyon the Harlot (Isaiah 57, and Revelation 17, Revelation 18). Catholics believe Mary is Redeematrix, meaning she redeemed mankind with Jesus, is the Second Eve, is the Theotokios, and is whom Catholics may pray to and plead with to go to Jesus on their behalf, even though Scripture states, "For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the Son of Man Christ Jesus," (1 Timothy 2:5).
Verdict: Mary was a Hebrew woman chosen by God because she was humble, normal, and not perfect. As she said, "God has shown favor upon his handmaiden. I delight in God my savioe." (). The Catholic Mary is really Artemis or Ashteroth reborn through appartiions that appeared near Lyon, Gaudalope, Tours, and beyond that seduced people into worshipping her as Mary. After all, the appartions appeared near water sources, and Ashteroth/Ishtar, Artemis was known in Greece as blesser of waters, and water spirits are akin to her.
V. Authority: What Governs and Guides The Church
Protestant View: The only authority over a Christian's life is:
1. LORD God Holy Trinity of Father, Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit and
2. the 66 Books of Holy Bible that contain His teachings and those of His apostles.
What is necessary to believe theologically, doxologically, soteriological, Christological, and beyond is found in Holy Scriptures, this is called Sole Scriptura, by Scripture Alone is our authority and tester for all things spiritual, doctrinally, and beyond.
Two authorities, God and what He said, The Word of God and The words of God.
Catholic: The authorities over a Catholic's life are:
1. The Pope
2. The Cardinals,
3. The Magisterium (interpreting board and council for interpreting Scripture for Catholics),
4. Canon Law (80+ books on Catholic belief and doctrine which often contradict),
5. Catholic Catechism (2000pg book on Catholic belief that all Catholics must have),
6. Council of Trent, (Transubstantiation)
7. Vatican I Council,
8. Vatican II Council,
9. All 21 Ecumenical Councils, including Vatican I and II
10. Holy Tradition (Stations of Cross, Sacred Heart, and etc),
11. the Holy Scriptures plus Apochpyral,
12. The Virgin Mary (Madonna),
13. The Cult of the Saints, in theory,
14. God the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
"And Lord said, unless you have faith like that of child you will not enter heaven." ().
Verdict: Protestants believe in Word of God, Jesus Christ being sole authority over a Christian's life, and that words of God written in Holy Bible are God breathed and useful for teaching, correcting, and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).. Catholics have such dense amount of authorities about being Catholic that no one Catholic can easily practice like another; this chaos alone should prove that Catholicism is in error, "God is not a Spirit of confusion." ().
VI. Communion: The Lord's Supper
Protestant View: Protestants believe the Wine and Bread at the Communion are symbolic of Christ's body broken for us and His blood of New Covenant poured out at Calvary when He died for sins of world on the cross. Communion is a remembrance of Chris'ts death uintil He comes (2 Corinthinas), though some denominations claim a spiritual awareness and sense of Christ's presence (Brucer); regardless of which view, total symbolism or symbolism with spiritual awareness, the point is there an agreement that bread does not become Christ's literal body, and the wine does not become his literal blood; but rather are a remember that this actually happened when Christ's body was broken on cross and His blood poured out for our sins.
Catholic View: Catholics believe in Transubstantion, that the Priest (Sacros Priest) offers the Elements (bread and wine) with a magical latin sentence, and can turn the bread into Christ's actual body, and the wine into his actual blood. Catholic doxology claims that the Eucharist (Communion) is a Sacrament, a sacrifice and necessary to participate in to atone for sin; thus every good Catholic must attend Mass and partake of Host, and Eucharist to receive remission; again this is connected to other sacraments such as Baptism, Confession, and Absolution.
Verdict: The Protestant View is Scriptural, it bases its idea of the Lord's Supper from Gospel of Luke, 2 Corinthinas, and more. The idea is Jesus is telling the Apostles what Passover really means, and that He is creating a New Covenant that is ratified by His blood on cross on Good Friday, 33 A.D. The Catholic View is a strange pagan and cannabilistic ceremony that elevates the priest to a Levite Position, of making sacrifice for sin, when Jesus Chrtist is the High Priest and there is no need of Levites, and Sacros priests, "" (Hebrews 9), "" (Hebrews 7), "He is mediator of betrer covenant," (), "" (Hebrews 10 whole chapter).
VII. Grace: Unmerited Favor vs Magical Flavor
Protestant View: Believe Grace is unmerited Favor of God (Acts 15:10-11, Ephesians 2:8-9), that while we were still sinners Christ died for us and while we were still enemies of God He reoncicled us through his death (Romans 5 verses). Grace is unmerited favor, a disposition God now has towards us and all we must do is believe in Christ Jesus and receive the Grace by faith.
Catholic View: Believe Grace is a substance or entity (being) that comes from Christ upon Water Baptism, and can either be built up or destroyed by Mortal Sins. This grace can be lost, and requires pennace to rectifiy any wrongs towards it.
Verdict: Protestant Grace is biblical view of Grace (Acts 15. Ephesians 4:1-18). Catholic Grace sounds both mystical and New Age, even like a doctrine from Scientology.
VIII. Faith: Trust in God
Protestant View: Believe Faith is to trust God's promsies, to believe in Jesus and receive his grace. See Philippians 3:9 . Faith is trust, placing our trust in Jesus Christ and his sacrifice alone to atone for us and give us eternal life.
Catholic View: Believe faith is the foundation, root, and beginning of salvation, but it isn't sufficient to be saved, Confesison, Absolution, Eucharist, and penance are needed as other planks of faith.
Verdict: The Protestant View again is the Biblical View of Faith. The Catholic View is a works based compliation of deeds with belief to be saved; a corruption as the Apostle Paul says, "faith not by works," (), and "if you believe doing works of law will save you, then you are cut off from Christ," (Galatians 5:4).
This is only a smapling of how Protestants and Catholics differ. It is no minor issue we disagree on, say what bread type to use in Communion, or weither to use Greek or Latin. The issue is in fudemnetals, and for people to claim Roman Catholics are Christian is a misnomer. Ever noticed Catholics won't call themselves Christian? Ever wonder why Catholic who is Born Again and become Protestant says they got saved then, not when they were in Catholic church? It was no small issue that Martin Luther was addressing in The Reformation, the Indulgences were only tip of iceburg, what Luther really discovered and what is being obscured by ecumenists, is that Luther discovered faith in Jesus Christ and His grace alone saves us (Acrts 15, John 6:40, John 3:16).
Upon closer inspection it becomes abundantly clear that Protestantism and Catholicism have very little in common. In fact, Catholcisim really is not a church, but a cult akin to Mormonism (The Church of Latter Day-Saints), Scientologists (Church of Scientology), Jehovah Witnesses, Christian Scientists, and others that are not Christian but believe totally different doctrines than taught by Christ and His Disciples in the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments. The Roman Catholics have nothing in common with us Christians, they do not believe same things about Christ, Atonement, the Communion, or any aspect of Christian life. There is absolutely no way that unity can be attained between Protestants and Catholics, because we do not even believe the same about the essentials of salvation, and who Christ is.
I urge every Protestant brother and sisters in Christ to lay hold of their Catholic statues, paintings, books, and more; and destroy them. Have nothing to do with Bablyon Hartlot's Church, for that is true identity of Catholic Church, "she is city that sets on seven hills, her kingdom rules kings" (Revelation 17). Indeed, Rome sits on seven hills, the seat of Vatican and Roman Catholic Church's leadership, and kings were ruled by her kingdom from early Middle Ages to the late 20th century! Have nothing to do with Catholcisim, it is a false gospel, "" (Galatians 1:8-9), "" (2 Corinthians 11:2-16) that seeks to steal your simple and pure dcevotion to Christ! Beware of igts priests that would have you forbid marriage, "" (), put on form of fgodliness," " () and etc.
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