| Number of Members | 9,240,000[1] | 77,000,000[2] |
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| How does one get saved? | Repent of your sins; believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection; be baptized, participate in communion, and be sealed by an apostle in faith; and don't die with any unconfessed mortal sins. | Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, and be baptized. |
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| Who gets saved? | Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved.[3] | Those who God chooses to call and who don't resist Him will be saved and no one else. |
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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, often as infants, get baptized as the first sacrament of Christian initiation, washing away their original sin. | 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 sprinkling water on the head. | Baptism should be by pouring water on the head. |
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| When does one receive the Holy Spirit? | The Holy Spirit is received at Holy Sealing. | The Holy Spirit is received at the moment of salvation. |
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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? | Total depravity: Human nature is corrupt, naturally inclined to evil, and incapable of choosing God on his own.[4][3] | Bondage of the will: Human nature is corrupt, naturally inclined to evil, and incapable of choosing God on his own. |
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| Are we guilty of Adam's original sin? | 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.[5][4] | 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. |
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| Do the elements of communion become the body and blood of Christ? | No, the elements merely symbolically represent 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. |
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| Can one be baptized of behalf of someone who has died? | Yes, a living person can be a proxy for the dead to be baptized, who then can accept or reject it in the afterlife. | 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. | Once Christians leave their sinful bodies, nothing else is needed to receive glorified, sinless bodies.[6][7][8] |
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| Did Mary ever sin? | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. | Most believe that, 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.[9] |
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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.[10][11] |
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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 three sacraments: Baptism, Holy Communion, and Holy Sealing.[12] | The church has two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. |
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| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | No confession is necessary.[13][14] | General sinfulness should be confessed to a priest. This is usually done as a group during a service. |
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| How should a church be structured? | Episcopal: Churches should be governed by the apostle in that church district, who in turn is governed by a district apostle, who is governed by the Chief Apostle.[15] | 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? | Prima scriptura: There are many sources of God's revelation, although none can contradict the Bible.[16][17] | Sola scriptura: The Bible is the only infallible source of God's revelation, sufficient for all faith and practice. |
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| How was the Bible written? | | Varies widely[18][19] |
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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.[20][21] | 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[22][23] |
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| Who can speak with God's authority today? | The Chief Apostle proclaims revelations from God as binding doctrine.[24] | The church as a whole speaks with God's authority at ecumenical councils.[25] |
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| How was the earth created? | | Varies widely |
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| What is marriage? | | Varies widely[26][27][28] |
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| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[29][30] |
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| When is divorce permissible? | | Divorce is permissible for adultery or desertion.[31][32] |
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| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | | The innocent party to the adultery may remarry. |
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| When does a fetus become human? | Humanity begins at fertilization.[33][34] | Most have no established doctrine. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod believes life begins at conception.[35][36][37] |
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| Is contraception permissible? | Yes, contraceptives are permissible as long as they work before fertilization.[38] | Yes, contraceptives are permissible.[29][39] |
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| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible.[40] | 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.[41][42][43] |
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| Should Christians drink alcohol? | | 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.[44][45] |
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| How should Christians musically worship God? | Any style of worship music is acceptable.[46][47] | |
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| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[48] | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[49][50] |
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| Who can be demon-possessed? | The extent to which demons can possess humans is a mystery.[51] | |
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| Do icons glorify God? | No, icons violate the First Commandment against graven images.[52] | |
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| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | After death, souls are conscious in the realm of the dead, with the dead in Christ in proximity of God.[53][54] | Christians immediately go to heaven when they die.[6] |
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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. | |
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| When will the church be raptured? | Partial pretribulationism rapture: An unknown part of the church known as the "bridal congregation" will be raptured sometime before the Tribulation.[55][56][57] | |
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| When is the millennial reign of Christ happen? | Premillennialism: The millennial reign of Christ will be a long period immediately after the Tribulation.[58] | |
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