| Number of Members | 77,000,000[1] | 300,000 |
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| How does one get saved? | Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, and be baptized. | Sola fide: Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection alone to save you.[2][3] |
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| Who gets saved? | Those who God chooses to call and who don't resist Him will be saved and no one else. | Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved.[4][5] |
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| Can one lose his salvation? | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. | Eternal security: No, once a Christian is saved, he is always saved.[6] |
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| Who gets baptized and why? | The unsaved, typically as infants, get baptized as the first sacrament of Christian initiation, cleansing them of all sins. | Saved people get baptized as a public demonstration of their new lives.[7] |
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| How should baptism be done? | Baptism should be by pouring water on the head. | Baptism should be by immersion.[7] |
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| When does one receive the Holy Spirit? | The Holy Spirit is received at the moment of salvation. | The Holy Spirit is received at the moment of salvation.[2][3] |
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| 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.[2][3] |
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| What is the human nature? | Bondage of the will: Human nature is corrupt, naturally inclined to evil, and incapable of choosing God on his own. | Total depravity: Human nature is corrupt, naturally inclined to evil, and incapable of choosing God on his own.[8] |
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| Are we guilty of Adam's original sin? | Federalism: Yes, Adam represented all of the human race, and all are guilty of his sin. | |
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| 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. |
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| Can Christians become sinless in this earthly life? | No, although Christians can and should sin less, they can never become sinless in this life. | No, although Christians can and should sin less, they can never become sinless in this life.[9] |
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| Do the elements of communion become the body and blood of Christ? | Sacramental union: No, the elements do not become the body and blood of Christ, but Christ's body and blood are non-physically joined to the elements. | No, the elements merely symbolically represent the body and blood of Christ. |
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| Can one be baptized of behalf of someone who has died? | No, the dead cannot be baptized. | No, the dead cannot be baptized. |
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| 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.[10][11][12] | Once Christians leave their sinful bodies, nothing else is needed to receive glorified, sinless bodies.[13][14] |
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| Did Mary ever sin? | Most believe that, yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. |
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| What spiritual gifts are available today? | Most believe cessationism: Spiritual gifts used for serving are available today, while gifts used as signs have ceased.[15] | Continuationism: All spiritual gifts are still available to believers.[16] |
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| What framework has God used in dealing with man? | | Dispensationalism: God acts differently with humanity in seven different periods of history. |
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| What is the gift of tongues? | The gift of tongues is the ability to speak foreign human languages without knowing how.[17][18] | Speaking in tongues is sometimes unintelligible and sometimes foreign human languages.[19] |
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| What are the requirements for clergy? | Varies widely | |
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| How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | The church has two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. | The church has two ordinances: Baptism and Holy Communion. |
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| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | General sinfulness should be confessed to a priest. This is usually done as a group during a service. | Confession should be made directly to God, but confession to another believer is beneficial for some sins.[20] |
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| How should a church be structured? | Varies widely | |
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| What day of the week should Christians worship? | Christians worship on Sunday. | Christians worship on Sunday. |
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| 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. | Sola scriptura: The Bible is the only infallible source of God's revelation, sufficient for all faith and practice.[21] |
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| How was the Bible written? | Varies widely[22][23] | Verbal plenary inspiration: The Bible was written by men who had every word supernaturaly inspired by God.[24][25][2][3] |
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| 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. |
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| Was the Bible written inerrantly? | Varies widely[26][27] | Yes, the Bible was written without any error.[24][25][2][3] |
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| Who can speak with God's authority today? | The church as a whole speaks with God's authority at ecumenical councils.[28] | Nobody today can speak for God. |
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| How was the earth created? | Varies widely | Creationism: The earth was spoken into existence by God. |
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| What is marriage? | Varies widely[29][30][31] | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.[32][33] |
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| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[34][35] | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[36] |
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| When is divorce permissible? | Divorce is permissible for adultery or desertion.[37][38] | Divorce is permissible for adultery or desertion.[39][33] |
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| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | The innocent party to the adultery may remarry. | Yes, a Christian may freely remarry after divorce.[33] |
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| When does a fetus become human? | Most have no established doctrine. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod believes life begins at conception.[40][41][42] | Humanity begins at conception.[43] |
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| Is contraception permissible? | Yes, contraceptives are permissible.[34][44] | Yes, contraceptives are permissible.[45] |
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| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. |
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| Should women cover their heads? | No, head coverings are no longer required due to cultural changes.[46][47][48] | No, head coverings are no longer required due to cultural changes.[49][50] |
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| Should Christians drink alcohol? | Yes, drinking alcohol is fine as long as one does not get drunk. | Yes, drinking alcohol is fine as long as one does not get drunk.[51][52] |
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| Should Christians fight in wars? | Yes, Christians should fight in just wars.[53][54] | Yes, Christians can fight in just wars. |
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| How should Christians musically worship God? | | Any style of worship music is acceptable. |
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| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[55][56] | |
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| Who can be demon-possessed? | | Demons can possess unbelievers but not Christians. |
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| Do icons glorify God? | | No, icons violate the Second Commandment against graven images. |
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| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | Christians immediately go to heaven when they die.[10] | Christians immediately go to heaven when they die.[57] |
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| When does the Tribulation happen? | | Futurism: The Tribulation will happen at a time in the future which no man knows the time of.[58] |
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| When will the church be raptured? | | Pretribulationism rapture: The church will be raptured sometime before the Tribulation.[58] |
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| When is the millennial reign of Christ happen? | | Premillennialism: The millennial reign of Christ will be the 1,000 years immediately after the Tribulation.[59] |
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