| a.k.a. | | |
|---|
| Number of Members | 52,000,000[1] | 350,000[2] |
|---|
| How does one get saved? | Repent of your sins, believe in Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, and be baptized.[3][4][5] | 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. | 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. | Eternal security: No, once a Christian is saved, he is always saved. |
|---|
| Who gets baptized and why? | The believing but unsaved get baptized as part of their salvation. | Saved people get baptized as a public demonstration of their new lives. |
|---|
| How should baptism be done? | Baptism should be by triple immersion. | Baptism should be by immersion. |
|---|
| When does one receive the Holy Spirit? | The Holy Spirit is received at baptism. | 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. | Most believe 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? | Human nature is corrupt and naturally inclined to evil.[6] | Humans have a יֵצֶר הַרַע (yetzer hara)—an inclination to do evil—and, upon reaching 12 for girls and 13 for boys, develop a יֵצֶר הַטוֹב (yetzer hatov)—a weaker inclination to do good. |
|---|
| 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][7] | 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? | Yes, all Old Testament laws are binding on Christians. | Yes, Messianic Jews should follow the Torah, although Gentile Christians are not required to. |
|---|
| Can Christians become sinless in this earthly life? | Yes, Christian perfection is possible. | 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? | Yes, the bread and the wine change into the body and blood of Christ in an unknown way.[8][9] | No, the elements merely symbolically represent the body and blood of Christ. |
|---|
| 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.[10] | Once Christians leave their sinful bodies, nothing else is needed to receive glorified, sinless bodies. |
|---|
| Did Mary ever sin? | Mary was prone to sin like anyone else, but no, through her own free will she still never did. | Yes, Mary sinned like all other humans except Jesus. |
|---|
| How many church ordinances/sacraments are there? | The church has seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Holy Eucharist, Unction of the Sick, Matrimony, and Priesthood.[11][12][13] | Messianic Jews should practice Immersion.[14][15][16][17][18] |
|---|
| To whom do Christians need to confess their sins? | Sins must be privately confessed to a priest within 40 days.[19][20][21][22] | Confession should be made directly to God, but confession to another believer is beneficial for some sins.[23][24] |
|---|
| How should a church be structured? | Episcopal: Churches should be governed by the bishop in that eparchy, who in turn is governed by a patriarch of an autocephalous church. | Congregationalist: Every church congregation should be independent and governed by its members. |
|---|
| What day of the week should Christians worship? | Christians worship on Sunday, although the Sabbath should be observed on Saturday. | Messianic Jews observe Shabbat on Saturday. |
|---|
| How does God's revelation come to us today? | Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition have equal authority and comprise one finished deposit of faith.[25] | Prima scriptura: There are many sources of God's revelation, although none can contradict the Bible.[26] |
|---|
| How many books are in the Bible? | Varies widely | There are 66 canonical books of the Bible: 39 Old Testament books and 27 New Testament books. |
|---|
| How was the earth created? | Generally creationism: The earth was spoken into existence by God. | |
|---|
| What is marriage? | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.[27][28][29] | Marriage is a covenant before God between one man and one woman.[30] |
|---|
| Is sex permissible outside marriage? | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible. | No, sex outside of marriage is not permissible.[31] |
|---|
| When is divorce permissible? | Divorce is seldomly permissible upon investigation by a clergical committee, usually instigated by infidelity.[32] | Divorce is permissible for adultery, abuse, or abandonment.[33] |
|---|
| May a Christian remarry while his former spouse is still alive? | The innocent party to the adultery may remarry.[34] | Yes, a Messianic Jew may freely remarry after a divorce which was for a valid reason.[33] |
|---|
| When does a fetus become human? | Ranges from humanity beginning at fertilization to 40 days after conception[35][36][37][38] | Humanity begins at conception.[39][40] |
|---|
| Is contraception permissible? | Varies widely[37][41][42][43] | Yes, contraceptives are permissible as long as the couple eventually have at least two children.[44] |
|---|
| Are blood transfusions permissible? | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible.[45][46] | Yes, blood transfusions are permissible.[47][48] |
|---|
| Should women cover their heads? | | Varies widely[49][50][51] |
|---|
| Should Christians drink alcohol? | No, alcohol should be totally avoided aside from Eucharist.[52] | Yes, drinking alcohol is fine as long as one does not get drunk.[53] |
|---|
| Should Christians fight in wars? | Yes, Christians can fight in just wars.[54] | |
|---|
| Whom does the Holy Spirit come from? | The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone.[55] | |
|---|
| Where does a Christian's soul go after death? | After death, souls sit conscious in an Intermediate State, with Christians being with Christ.[56] | |
|---|
| When does the Tribulation happen? | Futurism: The Tribulation will happen at a time in the future which no man knows the time of.[57] | |
|---|
| 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. | |
|---|