| a.k.a. | | |
|---|
| Number of Members | 9,240,000[1] | 80,000,000[2][3] |
|---|
| 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. | Sola fide: Repent of your sins and believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection alone to save you. |
|---|
| Who gets saved? | Anyone who chooses by his own free will to believe and accept God's gift of grace will be saved.[4] | 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 unsaved, often as infants, get baptized as the first sacrament of Christian initiation, washing away their original sin. | Saved people and their infant children get baptized by as the first sacrament of Christian initiation, cleansing them of all sins. |
|---|
| How should baptism be done? | Baptism should be by sprinkling water on the head. | Baptism should be by sprinkling water on the head. |
|---|
| 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. |
|---|
| 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? | Total depravity: Human nature is corrupt, naturally inclined to evil, and incapable of choosing God on his own.[5][4] | 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, but we did inherit the consequences and a corrupt human nature from him, causing us all to sin.[6][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. | Yes, Christians can become evangelically perfect through sanctification. |
|---|
| Do the elements of communion become the body and blood of Christ? | No, the elements merely symbolically represent the body and blood of Christ. | No, the elements do not become the body and blood of Christ, but Christ is present in an unknown way. |
|---|
| 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. |
|---|
| 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.[7] |
|---|
| Did Mary ever sin? | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. |
|---|
| 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 are the requirements for clergy? | | Varies widely |
|---|
| How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | The church has three sacraments: Baptism, Holy Communion, and Holy Sealing.[8] | The church has two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion.[9] |
|---|
| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | No confession is necessary.[10][11] | Confession should be made directly to God, but confession to another believer is beneficial for some sins. A general confession of sinfulness is usually done as a group during a service. |
|---|
| 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.[12] | Connectionalism: Churches are governed by conferences of representatives. How respresentatives and pastors are chosen varies widely. |
|---|
| 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? | Prima scriptura: There are many sources of God's revelation, although none can contradict the Bible.[13][14] | Prima scriptura: There are many sources of God's revelation, although none can contradict the Bible. |
|---|
| How many books are in the Bible? | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books.[15][16] | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. |
|---|
| Was the Bible written inerrantly? | | No, the Bible is not inerrant in any respect.[17] |
|---|
| Who can speak with God's authority today? | The Chief Apostle proclaims revelations from God as binding doctrine.[18] | |
|---|
| How was the earth created? | | Generally that the earth was formed by gravity pulling dust together, which ultimately came from the Big Bang.[19] |
|---|
| What is marriage? | | Varies widely[20][21][22][23] |
|---|
| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | | Varies widely[20][21][22][23] |
|---|
| When is divorce permissible? | | Varies widely[24][25] |
|---|
| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | | Varies widely[24][25] |
|---|
| When does a fetus become human? | Humanity begins at fertilization.[26][27] | No established doctrine[28][29] |
|---|
| Is contraception permissible? | Yes, contraceptives are permissible as long as they work before fertilization.[30] | Yes, contraceptives are permissible. |
|---|
| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible.[31] | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible. |
|---|
| Should women cover their heads? | | No, head coverings are no longer required due to cultural changes.[32] |
|---|
| Should Christians drink alcohol? | | Most believe that yes, drinking alcohol is fine as long as one does not get drunk.[33][34] |
|---|
| Should Christians fight in wars? | | Most believe that no, Christians should never fight.[35][36] |
|---|
| How should Christians musically worship God? | Any style of worship music is acceptable.[37][38] | |
|---|
| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[39] | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.[40] |
|---|
| Who can be demon-possessed? | The extent to which demons can possess humans is a mystery.[41] | |
|---|
| Do icons glorify God? | No, icons violate the First Commandment against graven images.[42] | |
|---|
| 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.[43][44] | No established doctrine[45] |
|---|
| When does the Tribulation happen? | Futurism: The Tribulation will happen at a time in the future which no man knows the time of. | |
|---|
| 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.[46][47][48] | |
|---|
| When is the millennial reign of Christ happen? | Premillennialism: The millennial reign of Christ will be a long period immediately after the Tribulation.[49] | |
|---|