Number of Members | 77,000,000[1] | 210,000,000[2] |
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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, and be baptized.[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. |
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Can one lose his salvation? | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. | Yes, a Christian can lose his salvation by apostasy. |
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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. | The unsaved, typically as infants, get baptized as the first sacrament of Christian initiation, cleansing them of all sins. |
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How should baptism be done? | Baptism should be by pouring water on the head. | Baptism should be by triple immersion. |
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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 chrismation, generally immediately after baptism. |
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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. |
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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. | Human nature is intrinsically good but is wounded and incapable of choosing God in our fallen environment.[4][5] |
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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. | No, we are not guilty of Adam's sin, nor did we inherit a sinful nature from him, but we did inherit the consequences.[6] |
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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. | Yes, Christian perfection is possible. |
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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. | Metousiosis: Yes, the bread and the wine change in essence into 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.[7][8][9] | There is no purgatory, but Christians will continue in theosis after death.[10] |
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Did Mary ever sin? | Most believe that, yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. | Mary was prone to sin like anyone else, but no, through her own free will she still never did. |
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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.[11] | Continuationism: All spiritual gifts are still available to believers. |
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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.[12][13] | Speaking in tongues is sometimes unintelligible and sometimes foreign human languages.[14][15] |
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What are the requirements for clergy? | Varies widely | Priests must be men over 30 ordained by bishops. |
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How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | The church has two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. | The church has seven sacraments: Baptism, Chrism, Holy Eucharist, Confession, Ordination, Marriage, and Holy Unction.[16] |
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Who can take communion? | | Only members of the church can participate in Holy Communion.[17] |
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Should communion bread be leavened? | | Leavened bread should be used in 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 to God before a priest.[18] |
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How should a church be structured? | Varies widely | Episcopal: Churches should be governed by the bishop in that episcopacy, who in turn is governed by a patriarch of an autocephalous church. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is first among equals. |
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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. | Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition have equal authority and comprise one finished deposit of faith. |
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How was the Bible written? | Varies widely[19][20] | Verbal plenary inspiration: The Bible was written by men who had every word supernaturaly inspired by God.[21] |
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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 76 canonical books of the Bible: 39 protocanonical books, 10 deuterocanonical books, and 27 New Testament books. |
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Was the Bible written inerrantly? | Varies widely[22][23] | No, the Bible was written inerrantly on matters of salvation but may contain errors in other matters.[24][25] |
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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.[26] | The church as a whole speaks with God's authority at ecumenical councils. |
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How was the Bible preserved? | | Verbal plenary preservation: God has supernaturally preserved every word of the Bible.[27] |
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How was the earth created? | Varies widely | No established doctrine |
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What is marriage? | Varies widely[28][29][30] | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman. |
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Is sex permissible outside marriage? | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[31][32] | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible. |
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When is divorce permissible? | Divorce is permissible for adultery or desertion.[33][34] | Divorce is permissible for adultery, abuse, or abandonment.[35][36] |
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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 remarry a second or third time for human weakness.[36] |
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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.[37][38][39] | Humanity begins at conception.[40] |
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Is contraception permissible? | Yes, contraceptives are permissible.[31][41] | Most believe that yes, contraceptives are permissible.[42][43] |
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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.[44][45][46] | Varies widely |
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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. |
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Should Christians fight in wars? | Yes, Christians should fight in just wars.[47][48] | Yes, Christians can fight in just wars.[49][50][51] |
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Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[52][53] | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone. |
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Do icons glorify God? | | Yes, icons are holy and should be venerated.[54] |
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Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | Christians immediately go to heaven when they die.[7] | After death, souls sit conscious in an Intermediate State, with a foretaste of heaven for Christians.[55] |
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When will the church be raptured? | | The church will not be raptured at any point. |
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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. |
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