| a.k.a. | | Episcopal |
|---|
| Number of Members | 2,000,000 | 80,000,000[1] |
|---|
| How does one get saved? | Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, and be baptized. | Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection to save you, be baptized, and participate in the Eucharist. |
|---|
| Who gets saved? | Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved. | Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved. |
|---|
| Can one lose his salvation? | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. |
|---|
| Who gets baptized and why? | The believing but unsaved get baptized as part of their salvation. | The unsaved, typically as infants, get baptized as the first sacrament of Christian initiation, cleansing them of all sins. |
|---|
| How should baptism be done? | Baptism should be by immersion. | Baptism should be by pouring water on the head. |
|---|
| When does one receive the Holy Spirit? | The Holy Spirit is received at baptism. | The Holy Spirit is received at baptism. |
|---|
| What is the trinity? | The Trinity is God existing as one god in three equal, eternal, cosubstantial persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. | The Trinity is God existing as one god in three equal, eternal, cosubstantial persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. |
|---|
| What is the human nature? | Most believe human nature tends to sin, but it's not depraved. | Total depravity: Human nature is corrupt, naturally inclined to evil, and incapable of choosing God on his own. |
|---|
| Are we guilty of Adam's original sin? | No, we are not guilty of Adam's sin, nor did we inherit a sinful nature from him, but we did inherit the consequences.[2][3][4][5] | No, we are not guilty of Adam's sin, but we did inherit the consequences and a corrupt human nature from him, causing us all to sin. |
|---|
| Are Christians required to keep the Old Testament ceremonial laws? | No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus. | No, the ceremonial laws of Judaism were fulfilled and done away with by Jesus. |
|---|
| Can Christians become sinless in this earthly life? | | No, although Christians can and should sin less, they can never become sinless in this life. |
|---|
| Do the elements of communion become the body and blood of Christ? | No, the elements merely symbolically represent the body and blood of Christ. | Consubstantiation: No, the elements do not become the body and blood of Christ, but Christ's body and blood are present alongside them. |
|---|
| Can one be baptized of behalf of someone who has died? | No, the dead cannot be baptized. | No, the dead cannot be baptized. |
|---|
| What happens if a saved person dies without being perfect? | Once Christians leave their sinful bodies, nothing else is needed to receive glorified, sinless bodies. | There is no purgatory, but Christians may need to be purified after death in some way.[6][7] |
|---|
| Did Mary ever sin? | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. | No established doctrine |
|---|
| What spiritual gifts are available today? | Cessationism: Spiritual gifts used for serving are available today, while gifts used as signs have ceased.[8] | Continuationism: All spiritual gifts are still available to believers.[9][10] |
|---|
| What framework has God used in dealing with man? | | Covenant theology: God acts either within the covenant of works or the covenant of grace. |
|---|
| What is the gift of tongues? | | Varies widely |
|---|
| What are the requirements for clergy? | | Priests must be unmarried men over 25 ordained by bishops. |
|---|
| How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | The church has two ordinances: Baptism and Holy Communion.[11] | The church has two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion.[12] |
|---|
| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | Confession should be made directly to God, but confession to another believer is beneficial for some sins.[13] | General sinfulness should be confessed to a priest. This is usually done as a group during a service.[14] |
|---|
| How should a church be structured? | Congregationalist: Every church congregation should be independent and governed by its members. | Episcopal: Churches should be governed by the bishop in that diocese, who in turn is governed by a primate of an autonomous province. The Archbishop of Canterbury is first among equals and is appointed by the King of England. |
|---|
| What day of the week should Christians worship? | Christians worship on Sunday. | Christians worship on Sunday. |
|---|
| How does God's revelation come to us today? | Sola scriptura: The Bible is the only infallible source of God's revelation, sufficient for all faith and practice. | Prima scriptura: There are many sources of God's revelation, although none can contradict the Bible. |
|---|
| How was the Bible written? | Verbal plenary inspiration: The Bible was written by men who had every word supernaturaly inspired by God. | Dynamic inspiration: God inspired the thoughts of the human authors, but the words were chosen by the authors. |
|---|
| How many books are in the Bible? | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books, but the Apocrypha is regularly used for examples of life and instruction of manners. |
|---|
| Was the Bible written inerrantly? | Yes, the Bible was written without any error. | No, the Bible is not inerrant in any respect.[15] |
|---|
| Who can speak with God's authority today? | Nobody today can speak for God. | |
|---|
| How was the earth created? | Creationism: The earth was spoken into existence by God. | The earth was formed by gravity pulling dust together, which ultimately came from the Big Bang. |
|---|
| What is marriage? | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.[16][17] | Varies widely |
|---|
| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[18][19] | Varies widely |
|---|
| When is divorce permissible? | Most believe divorce is only permissible for adultery.[20][21] | Most believe divorce is only permissible for adultery.[22] |
|---|
| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | | Yes, a Christian may freely remarry after divorce.[23][24][25] |
|---|
| When does a fetus become human? | Humanity begins at conception. | Humanity begins at conception.[26] |
|---|
| Is contraception permissible? | Yes, contraceptives are permissible. | Yes, contraceptives are permissible.[27][28] |
|---|
| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. |
|---|
| Should women cover their heads? | Most believe no, women's long hair is enough of a covering. | No, head coverings are no longer required due to cultural changes. |
|---|
| Should Christians drink alcohol? | Most believe no, alcohol should be totally avoided. | Yes, drinking alcohol is fine as long as one does not get drunk.[29] |
|---|
| Should Christians fight in wars? | | Most believe that yes, Christians should fight in just wars.[30][31][32] |
|---|
| How should Christians musically worship God? | Worship should be a cappella. | Any style of worship music is acceptable. |
|---|
| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | | Varies widely[33][34] |
|---|
| Who can be demon-possessed? | | Generally that demons can possess anyone.[35][36][37][38] |
|---|
| Do icons glorify God? | | Yes, icons can be an aid to worship, but they are not used in liturgy.[39][40] |
|---|
| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | Christians immediately go to heaven when they die. | No established doctrine[7] |
|---|
| When does the Tribulation happen? | | Preterism: The Tribulation happened in the 7th decade during the First Jewish–Roman War. |
|---|
| When will the church be raptured? | | The church will not be raptured at any point. |
|---|
| When is the millennial reign of Christ happen? | | Amillennialism: The millennial reign of Christ is an indefinite period of time beginning on the day of Pentecost and ending at His Second Coming. |
|---|