Unity or Heresy, Part 12: Conclusion Part 2
As this begins to wind down, I am finishing this series with a long conclusion about what each denomination believes. Last week I started in with that which is the primary work and nature of Christ. For those, you cannot turn away from them and still be Christian as they are blatantly expressed in Scripture. We will then discuss the nature of God in today’s post. Again, we cannot turn away from these and still be considered Christian because they are expressly part of the Christian faith.
Almost everything below is taken directly from the denominational websites. If you feel that something is incorrect, I will challenge you to go to your denominational website and check it our yourself.
I am going to color code these again this week. RED means that it is blatant heresy and needs to be corrected. ORANGE means that it is a dangerous area because it will either mean that there is inconsistency in the denomination or that they do not proclaim it out loud.
This will be long post. I am sorry for that. Just think, in 2-3 more weeks, this series will be over and we can do a nice fluff piece on puppies or something. Let’s dig in.
Galatians 1:8-9 – But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
The Gospel is about the death, burial and resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Galatians 1:8-9)
Roman Catholic – “But I would not believe in the Gospel, had not the authority of the Catholic Church already moved me,” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 119). “Those who, through no fault of their own, do not know the Gospel of Christ or his Church, but who nevertheless seek God with a sincere heart, and, moved by grace, try in their actions to do his will as they know it through the dictates of their conscience – those too may achieve eternal salvation,” (CCC, 847). “The liturgical feasts dedicated to the Mother of God and Marian prayer, such as the rosary, an “epitome of the whole Gospel,” express this devotion to the Virgin Mary,” (CCC, 971).
Eastern Orthodox – The Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The original Christian Gospel begins with—love.
Mormon – “Ordinances are basic to the gospel. Now, what is the gospel of which we speak? It is the power of God unto salvation; it is the code of laws and commandments which help us to become perfect, and the ordinances which constitute the entrance requirements” (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p.502, 12 President).
Jehovah’s Witness – “Let the honest-hearted person compare the kind of preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom done by the religious systems of Christendom during all the centuries with that done by Jehovah’s Witnesses since the end of World War I in 1918. They are not one and the same kind. That of Jehovah’s Witnesses is really “gospel,” or “good news,” as of God’s heavenly kingdom that was established by the enthronement of his Son Jesus Christ at the end of the Gentile Times in 1914.” (Watchtower, 5/1/1981, p.17)
7th Day Adventist – The biggest concern with SDA is their Clear Word Bible. Many people mistakenly believe that they believe that Jesus is a created angel, more specifically, Michael the Arc Angel. But they hold a slightly different view than others in that they believe Michael is the Old Testament manifestation of pre-incarnate Jesus. While incorrect in comparison, they still hold to the deity of Christ and the Gospel message of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.
Christian Science – “…thus losing the divine power which heals the sick and sinning, — they were to be brought back through great tribulation, to be renamed in Christian Science and led to deny material sense, or mind in matter, even as the gospel teaches,” (S&H, p. 309).
Anglican/Episcopalian – “In him you have brought us out of error into truth, out of sin into righteousness, out of death into life” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 368).
Pentecostal/Charismatic – The saving gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. We obey the gospel (II Thessalonians 1:8; I Peter 4:17) by repentance (death to sin), water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (burial), and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (resurrection). (See I Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 2:4, 37-39; Romans 6:3-4.)
Holiness/Holy – “Our eternal hope is based on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Assemblies of God – The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare: His sinless life, His substitutionary work on the cross, His bodily resurrection from the dead.
Disciples of Christ – Disciples embrace the broad meaning of the term “Salvation” to include notions of deliverance from all threats of life, both now and hereafter. This explains their passion and unwavering quest for social, political, and economic justice.
Quaker – They are harder to define as they do not believe in a fixed creed but rather in seeking God within ourselves. Some, but not all, view Jesus as nonessential. Feelings take precedence over Scripture for testing doctrine.
Foursquare Gospel – We believe that Christ died for all of us while we were still sinners; He took the punishment for our sin. With His own blood, He purchased salvation and redemption for all who believe in Him (John 3:16; Isaiah 53:5; Titus 2:14).
Salvation Army – We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by His suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.
Christian Reform – As the Christ, Jesus fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies about a Messiah who would redeem God’s people. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus are grounded in historical fact.
Full Gospel – The saving gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. We obey the gospel (II Thessalonians 1:8; I Peter 4:17) by repentance (death to sin), water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (burial), and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (resurrection). (See I Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 2:4, 37-39; Romans 6:3-4.)
Apostolic – The saving gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose again. We obey the gospel (II Thessalonians 1:8; I Peter 4:17) by repentance (death to sin), water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ (burial), and receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (resurrection). (See I Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 2:4, 37-39; Romans 6:3-4.)
Mennonite – In his suffering, he loved his enemies and did not resist them with violence, thus giving us an example to follow. In the shedding of his blood on the cross, Jesus offered up his life to the Father, bore the sins of all, and reconciled us to God. God then raised him from the dead, thereby conquering death and disarming the powers of sin and evil.
Brethren – We hold the New Testament as the record of the life, ministry, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and of the beginnings of the life and thought of the Christian church.
Nazarene – We believe in Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Triune Godhead; that He was eternally one with the Father; that He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and was born of the Virgin Mary, so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say the Godhead and manhood, are thus united in one Person very God and very man, the God-man. We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and that He truly arose from the dead and took again His body, together with all things appertaining to the perfection of man’s nature, wherewith He ascended into heaven and is there engaged in intercession for us.
Church of God – That Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.
Church of Christ – We believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, the manifestation of God in flesh, who lived, suffered, and died for all mankind; whom we own as our only Leader, Witness and Commander.
United Church of Christ – There is no description of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Presbyterian – http://www.pcaac.org/what-we-believe/the-good-news/
Lutheran – God is born, God dies, God rises.
Methodist – Perhaps best of all, we believe in Jesus as Savior, as the one through whom God has freed us of our sin and has given us the gift of whole life, eternal life, and salvation. We speak of this gift as the atonement, our “at-oneness” or reconciliation with God. We believe that in ways we cannot fully explain, God has done this through the mystery of Jesus’ self-giving sacrifice on the cross and his victory over sin and death in the Resurrection.
Baptist – Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. …He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of men from sin.
Evangelical/Non-Denominational – varies
Isaiah 43:10 – “You are My witnesses”— this is the LORD’s declaration— “and My servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe Me and understand that I am He. No god was formed before Me, and there will be none after Me.
There is only one God (Exodus 20:1-3, Isaiah 43:10, Isaiah 44:6-8)
Roman Catholic – “Thus, in the words of the Athanasian Creed: ‘the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God.’ In this Trinity of Persons the Son is begotten of the Father by an eternal generation, and the Holy Spirit proceeds by an eternal procession from the Father and the Son. Yet, notwithstanding this difference as to origin, the Persons are co-eternal and co-equal: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent.
Eastern Orthodox – We believe and confess that God the “ineffable, inconceivable, incomprehensible, ever-existing God”
Mormon – “And they (the Gods) said: Let there be light: and there was light (Book of Abraham 4:3).
Jehovah’s Witness – There is one God in one person, Make Sure of All Things, p. 188.
7th Day Adventist – There is one God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Christian Science – The unity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is Life, Truth, and Love. Jesus, the Messiah, is divine, not a deity.
Anglican/Episcopalian – “There is only one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or suffering; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible.
Pentecostal/Charismatic – There is one God
Holiness/Holy – We believe there is but one living and true God, everlasting, of infinite power, wisdom and goodness; Maker and Preserver of all things, both visible and invisible.
Assemblies of God – “The terms ‘Trinity’ and ‘persons’ as related to the Godhead, while not found in the Scriptures, are words in harmony with Scripture, … We therefore may speak with propriety of the Lord our God who is One Lord
Disciples of Christ – Unlike most other churches, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) does not have an official doctrine or creed we can refer to when someone asks, “What do you believe?” (http://www.northchristianchurch.com/pages/beliefs.html)
Quaker – Nonetheless, because we believe that God is singular, we believe that worshipping Him in Spirit and in Truth will ultimately lead to similar revelations among us all (http://www.conservativefriend.org/whatdowebelieve.htm)
Foursquare Gospel – We believe that there is but one true and living God;
Salvation Army – We believe that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship.
Christian Reform – A quick look at the structure of the Apostles’ Creed reveals one of the bedrock truths of the Christian faith: the Trinity. The creed is divided into three parts: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All Christians believe that the Bible reveals one God in three “persons.” In other words, God is a perfect community of love.
Full Gospel – varies
Apostolic – There is one eternal God, the Creator of all things, who exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Mennonite – We worship the one holy and loving God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit eternally.
Brethren – In the name of God, we declare and confess before men that we believe in the only true God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; that these three are one–the Father in the Son, the Son in the Father, and the Holy Ghost equal in essence or being with both; that this triune God created the heavens and the earth and all that in them is, visible as well as invisible, and furthermore sustains, governs, protects, and supports the same.
Nazarene – We believe in one God-the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Church of God – In one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Church of Christ – We believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, the manifestation of God in flesh, who lived, suffered, and died for all mankind; whom we own as our only Leader, Witness and Commander.
United Church of Christ– We believe in the triune God: Creator, resurrected Christ, the sole Head of the church, and the Holy Spirit, who guides and brings about the creative and redemptive work of God in the world.
Presbyterian – The God of the Bible is the one and only true God.
Lutheran – “We worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity”
Methodist – From early in our Judaic roots we’ve affirmed that God is one and indivisible, yet God is revealed in three distinct ways.
Baptist – There is one and only one living and true God
Evangelical/Non-Denominational – varies
Matthew 28:19 – Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
boyradd 