I will try my best to explain. I will quote other things to do it.
There are many Christian denominations and churches: Catholic, Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, and so on. Being a member of one doesn't determine whether a person is a Christian.
The real issue is whether the person individually has Jesus Christ living inside of him or her...if they actually have a personal relationship with God.
In the Gospel of John, we are told, "to all who received him [referring to Jesus], to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."1 Why do we have to become children of God? Because until then, God is distant. We may know he's there. We may know we are supposed to worship him. We may even know that in times of need, he's the one to pray to. But there is a distance we are aware of, and it is because of our sin.
Now, as long as we live and breathe, guess what, we're going to sin. We're going to do things our way instead of God's way. But our sin need not remain a barrier between us and God. Here's how.
The Bible says that there is a penalty for sin, and it might be greater than you'd expect. The penalty for sin is death. It's not just the penalty for sins like murder. It's God's judgment against any and all sins. The Bible says, "For the wages of sin is death..."2 So that we would not have to die eternally separated from God because of our sin, Jesus died in our place. He fully paid for our sin. And offers us complete forgiveness. Not temporary forgiveness. Even for the sins we will commit in the future, we can have his forgiveness now, because Jesus died for all of our sin. We can immediately begin a close, personal relationship with him, that barrier of sin being gone. It isn't that we become perfect and no longer sin. But we become forgiven when we see that Jesus died for our sin, in our place.
"Yet now God in his gracious kindness declares us not guilty. He has done this through Christ Jesus, who has freed us by taking away our sins. For God sent Jesus to take the punishment for our sins and to satisfy God's anger against us. We are made right with God when we believe that Jesus shed his blood, sacrificing his life for us."3
When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, God declares us "not guilty" and he says that we are now "made right with God." Our relationship with God has begun in a real way, where we no longer know God is "out there," but instead we know that he lives inside of us. We have God's forgiveness, a relationship with him. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."4
-from the every student forums.
1. The Magisterium
The term “magisterium” refers to the official teaching body of the Roman Catholic Church. Dr. Horrell explains,
“Usually, it’s related to… the large house of cardinals and the leading theologians in the movement; but finally, that all comes under, of course, the pope himself.”
Besides providing a trusted, unified voice to guide Catholics, this body also allows the church to make official pronouncements on contemporary issues which Scripture might not directly address.
Although there is no equivalent to the magisterium for Protestants, it’s possible to compare Catholic and Protestant views of the role of tradition.
2. Tradition
While Protestants don’t view tradition as equal in authority with the Scriptures, the Roman Catholic Church has a different perspective—one which clearly distinguishes itself from Protestant churches. As Dr. Horrell notes:
“The issue of Sola Scriptura…versus ‘Scripture plus tradition’ is perhaps the fundamental difference between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism…(what) you’re talking about it’s a hermeneutic, a way of doing theology.”
While Protestants only view the Scriptures as authoritative, the Catholic Catechism clearly states that Church:
“…does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.”
3. Salvation and Grace
Protestants often express the idea that salvation is by faith alone, through grace alone, in Christ alone. This assertion views justification as specific point upon which God declares that you are righteous—a point where you enter into the Christian life.
In contrast, the Roman Catholic Church views justification as a process, dependent on the grace you receive by participating in the Church—which is seen as a repository of saving grace. Dr. Svigel explains the Catholic perspective:
“Grace is treated almost as if it’s a substance, something that can be dispensed through various avenues of change and means… You’re saved by grace, but how you receive that grace and what that grace does and whether it’s a one-time entrance into the Christian life or if it’s a constant movement toward salvation—that’s really the big difference between Protestantism and the Roman Catholic Church.”
4. The Eucharist
When it comes to the Eucharist, which most Protestants call ‘The Lord’s Supper,” or “Communion,” the Roman Catholic Church holds to the doctrine of transubstantiation—the idea that the edible ritual elements used during the mass literally become the body and blood of Christ. Dr. Svigel explains:
“At the moment that the priest says, ‘This is my body,’ the invisible, unperceivable essence that…you couldn’t see (with) an electron microscope, (is) there in a miracle. It contains the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ. And that becomes the spiritual and physical nourishment. As you partake of it, it becomes part of you, transforms you, and makes you more and more righteous.”
In contrast, some Protestants, like Lutherans, hold to perspective called consubstantiation, where Jesus’ body and blood are seen as coexisting with the bread and the wine. Martin Luther likened this to the idea of a red-hot iron in a fire—united, but not changed. Dr. Bock says:
“I like to call it ‘the over, under, around and through’ view. Jesus Christ surrounds the elements. He’s spiritually present, but he’s not in the elements themselves; the elements don’t become the body and blood of Christ.”
Still, other Protestants hold to the memorial view—the idea that you’re commemorating Jesus’ death. In this understanding, the elements are symbols which remain ontologically unaffected by the ritual.
5. Justification
As previously discussed, protestants view justification as the moment God declares that a guilty person is righteous because of what Christ has done. Sanctification, then, is the process of being made more righteous throughout your life.
However, Dr. Horrell notes that Catholics view justification as both a point and a process:
“What the Roman Catholic rejects is that there is an imputed righteousness of Christ to us at the moment of salvation, that we are counted as fully righteous in the sight of God”
6. Priesthood of All Believers
Rather than a vertical structure, Protestants see the church as having a horizontal structure. Dr. Svigel contrasts the role of the Catholic priest with the Protestant idea of the priesthood of all believers:
“That which was reserved just for the magisterium, the ability to bind and loose to forgive and withhold forgiveness through the sacraments and through penance and such, that was just the role of the priest. From Luther on, we have the ability to confess our sins to one another, pronounce forgiveness as the scripture says.”
7. Veneration of the Saints and the Virgin Mary
Roman Catholics see veneration, not as praying to the Saints and the Virgin Mary, but as praying through them. This is seen as similar to asking a brother or sister in Christ to pray for you. Dr. Svigel adds that departed saints are also “able to spill over their overabundance of grace to us.”
Furthermore, Dr. Horrell notes that the Virgin Mary is seen as “the mother of our Lord, and therefore she is the mother of his body, and his body is the church, so she is the mother of the church. He is the creator of all things. So she is the mother of angels. She is the mother of humanity, as is sometimes said.”
Moreover, the Catholic Church has also called her the Queen of Heaven. Historically, Mary was given a less prominent position in Protestantism as a reaction to this emphasis in the Catholic Church. There is no equivalent to this kind of veneration in Protestantism, as Protestants emphasize direct access to God.
Conclusion
While both Protestants and Catholics agree on many essentials of the historic Christian faith, there are key issues which continue to distinguish their beliefs and practices.
- 7 Key Differences Between Protestant and Catholic Doctrine By Mikel Del Rosario
The term"Christian” gets used to cover a wide range of different beliefs, all claiming to be based on the teaching of Jesus Christ. Christianity.net.au represents what is called"evangelical” Christianity. We think it is Christianity as Jesus and his original followers taught and practiced it. But Catholics see Catholicism as"true” Christianity.
Catholics and evangelicals believe a lot of the same things but the differences are very important.
Let’s start with some of the similarities. Both groups believe that there is only one God, who is three-in-one (“Trinity”): Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And both agree that Jesus is God the Son in human flesh.
They also agree that God is rightly angry with people for not treating him or other people as they should. After we die God will bring everybody back to life and then judge them, and the judgement we deserve is to be punished forever because of the way we’ve lived. But both Catholics and evangelicals believe that Jesus came to earth to sort out that problem by paying the punishment for us when he died on the Cross, and by coming back to life two days later.
Those are some of the similarities. One of the most important disagreements is about how we can actually be accepted by God. Evangelicals believe that if someone has faith in Jesus - if they trust him with their lives and follow him - then they are made totally acceptable to God because of Jesus’ death (Romans 3:23-26). The Bible says that this happens"apart from works” (Romans 4:6). In other words, it doesn’t depend on how good a life we live but only on our trust in Jesus. If we follow Jesus, we are guaranteed a place in Heaven when we die (Luke 23:43). Catholics, on the other hand, believe that our acceptance by God does depend partly on the life that we’ve lived. If we’re not good enough, we won’t make it to Heaven.
Another big difference is that evangelicals believe that it’s in the Bible that God speaks to us to tell us about himself and how he wants us to live. Catholics believe that he also speaks through the teachings of the Catholic church and the Pope. But Jesus said that only the Bible is the word of God, not the additional teachings of religious leaders (Mark 7:1-13).
-christianity.net article
Sorry to quote articles. I hope this helped. One thng I want to say is that Catholics believe that Jesus is in the Eucharist. And, that is a difference inbetween Catholics and Lutherans. And I myself am Catholic.
I don't mean to start an arguement. If you have anymore questions just ask. :) LLM
links: https://christianity.net.au/questions/what_is_the_difference_between_catholics_and_christians
https://www.everystudent.com/forum/difference.html
https://voice.dts.edu/article/7-key-differences-between-protestant-and-catholic-doctrine-del-rosario-mikel/
Note: I gave credit so ths is NOT plagerisom.
