The Reformed Church. And most of its affiliates. The Presbyterian Church has several affiliates that are true to form.
What distinguishes a "Protestant?"
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I think you will find it is just the opposite. The RCC wants nothing to do with people interpreting the Bible for themselves.
Many Reformed and Presbyterians are strongly Bible believing. One would observe also that among many Reformed and Presbyterians, sometimes the deference is also to systematic theology rather than to appeals to Scripture itself.
No, that's EXACTLY the RCC's position. It itself points to just it itself individually as the sole, authoritative (even infallible and unaccountable) interpreter. Others MAY do whatever they like but ONLY self can do this authoritatively and correctly. Luther and Calvin both repudiated self so designating self. It is a Protestant belief that the Bible was given to US, not any one individual person, sect, cult or denomination... the Holy Spirit was given to US, not any one individual person, sect, cult or denomination. WE are the church, not self.
When individual Protestants echo what the RCC says, it is REPUDIATING one of the hallmarks of Protestantism and simply returning to Rome.
The problem with this silly (and very unprotestant claim) is that it's impossible. The Bible never lists the content thereof. How do WE (the Church) know what is and is not the Bible? Tradition. If you reject Tradition, you don't have any Bible. Unless you can quote a verse from a Book that God audibly says is "The Bible" that has a verse that lists all the books of the Bible. And you can't.
MY view....
I think the most important marks of Protestantism are...
1. Sola Gratia - Solus Christus - Sola Fide. In justification (narrow or initial) Jesus is the Savior. Jesus - not self, not now or ever, not 100% or 0.001% It is the repudiation of Pelagianism and synergism in this matter. The repudiation of Jesus only as a possibility-maker, door-opener, teacher, inspiration, example but as THE SAVIOR. It's not Jesus and me, it's just Jesus for there is no other name under heaven by which any may be saved (and that includes our own name). The RCC and Luther and Calvin all agreed THIS was the major issue of the Reformation.
2. Ecclesiology. The church is the whole corpus of all believers, the "one holy catholic church - the community of believers." All believers, past and present. The church is not one specific denomination (whether the RCC or LDS or any other). Protestants have nothing against congregations or denominations (nearly all Protestants are in such) BUT no geopolitical, economic, legal denominational entity is The Church in any sense. The RCC insists that IT (as a denomination) IS THE Church (at least in fullness). And on this is based all its egotistical, individual claims of self for self. Protestants say, "It's not Jesus and ME, it's Jesus and WE." The church is not some denomination we must identify, it's US.... all of us.... together... as one family, one oikos.... one body... with Jesus as the head (He never resigned).
3. Epistemology. Protestants look to the objective, written, inspired WORDS on the page of the Bible as the norma normans for the evaluation of dogmas ("Sola Scriptura") - rejecting that if self says self alone is infallible/unaccountable, thus self alone is... if self speaks, ergo God is speaking. Protestants reject the idea that the Norm/Rule is simply the views of self, so if self agrees with self then self is right. Some hold that this was actually the "deal breaker" in the Reformation. the one thing the RCC could not permit. Note: Protestantism does NOT reject the role of Tradition - only that such is under Scripture not equal to it or above it (as the RCC insists). And Protestantism does NOT say that the individual PERSON is the interpreter rather than and individual DENOMINATION. Protestantism embraces accountability..... whereas the RCC itself exempted one, itself. When a Protestant does the same thing, they are repudiating Protestantism.
- Josiah
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CoreIssue
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The Presbyterian Church is apostate.
Trying to sneak in your theology here I see. Especially Calvinism.
What is the Reformed Church, and what do they believe?
Reformed theology is a body of doctrine that is taught by many different churches, including Presbyterian and some Baptist churches. This body of doctrine reflects the teachings of the Protestant reformers Ulrich Zwingli and John Calvin and is also referred to as Calvinism. The Synod of Dort (1618) was called to answer the teachings of Arminianism and summarized Calvinist doctrine in five points: 1) Total Depravity of Man, 2) Unconditional Election, 3) Limited Atonement, 4) Irresistible Grace, 5) Perseverance of the Saints. These five points are often referred to by the acronym “TULIP.”
There are various varieties of Presbyterian; some do stick a lot more closely to the Bible than others.
CoreIssue
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CoreIssue
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You mean where they have a history of Catholics and Protestants hating and killing each other?
I lived in Scotland for a year in the 70s. Great Britain was apostate even then. The center of life is the pub. They have a lot.
There are huge numbers of local churches in Northern Ireland; good to check them out.
CoreIssue
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Interesting list; I think you'll find that there is a very great deal of variety there.
Do you not know that "Dominionism" is basically Presbyterian? (Dominion theology (also known as dominionism) is a group of Christian political ideologies that seek to institute a nation governed by Christians based on their personal understandings of biblical law.)
Only one PCUSA is questionable. PCA remains true to form. Smaller true to form bodies follow.
- American Presbyterian Church - Orthodox, Presbyterian
- Christian Presbyterian Church - Orthodox, Korean-Presbyterian
- Covenant Presbyterian Church.
- Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church - Orthodox, Presbyterian
CoreIssue
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CoreIssue
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CoreIssue
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With your belief in Free Will, you are much closer to Catholicism. Do you know Luther's main work disproved Free Will? He called the book "The Bondage of the Will".
Luther and the Calvinists went overboard by denying the existence of free will as well as the existence of the conscience, and postulating that the unsaved are unremittingly evil. They were simply following the Catholic St Augustine.
Something else which is totally ignored so as to persist in this false doctrine is what John said about Christ: In him was life; and the life was the light of men... That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. (John 1:4,9).
This is God, telling us through John, that every human being receives a measure of the light of Christ when he or she is born. So in what sense do humans have light? Paul explains this is Romans 2.
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
13 For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.
14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:
15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another,
16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
What is "the law written in their hearts"? Is it not the Ten Commandments, which work through the conscience, so that even unsaved Gentiles can discern right from wrong, and do what is right?
Furthermore God has revealed Himself in His creation, which leaves all men without excuse: Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Rom 1:19,20)
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