Protestant’s Question

The most typical and apparent religious errors are related to a lack of understanding of the origin of beliefs. The Protestant beliefs all originate from the concepts of just a few men. Today many Protestant Christians would like to say and do say that they follow just the bible. In reality they follow the teachings of these few men or variations of their teachings.
If you believe that you are saved by a belief in Jesus, a mental acceptance of Jesus you are believing what these early protesters conceived as truth. You can select verses that support this idea. You can also study all scripture and come to an entirely different conclusion regarding salvation. That conclusion would have you doing all God said in relation to salvation and then living your life in accordance with God’s commands. The latter is as straightforward as Jesus being the Son of God. Coming to the truth in this matter is no more difficult than loving the truth more than what you have been taught or more than some wonderful feeling you had when you accepted Jesus. Life is not about what you were taught or some feeling you had or have but it is about the truth.

Evolution of Protestant Churches

Of course these churches had their beginnings with Martin Luther (1483-1546), a Catholic priest. The fire had been lit earlier by such men as John Wycliffe (1320-1384), John Huss (1373-1415) and Savonarola (1452-1498). Huss and Savonarola were like Martin Luther Catholic priests. Their fight was against the corruption within the Catholic Church and Martin Luther would begin to see a basic reforming of Catholicism was needed. His protest would eventually become known as a new church, the Lutheran Church. The chart below shows how “protest” churches have arisen since Luther.

The note at the top of the chart indicates the RESTORATION movement is not included. This movement claims that the church has been in existence since it was established on the day of Pentecost after Jesus death. Due to the falling away, Christianity became many different organizations beginning with Catholicism. Then much later along came the Protestant churches. Restoring the original church really consisted of no more than living by the principles of the New Testament, of the New Testament church. The reforming – Reformation Movement – was a changing of the Catholic Church, which itself looked nothing like the church defined by the Holy Spirit. So the Protestant churches address the corruption within the Catholic church but maintained some of their beliefs and practices as well as creating new doctrine. The protestant movement fails because it was trying to reform Catholicism and that assumed Catholicism was in some way, at some time valid. Roman Catholicism was never authentic.
Whereas the Restoration movement is not a new beginning at all but simply just following FIRST principles. Simply stated people were saved and added to the church in the New Testament beginning in Acts 2 and if people do the same things today, there will be the same result. Amazingly, neither Catholicism or Protestantism do the things presented so simply in the Conversions of the New Testament.

The Fundamental Errors of Protestantism – see links below

> Total Inherited Depravity and all the associated doctrines
> Martin Luther’s doctrine of “by faith alone” or justification by faith only
> Failure to see the Church of the New Testament as independent local churches

Also see “Churches” for additional helpful information.

There are of course other ways they differ from the Church of the New Testament but these are the ones really behind keeping people from being truly successful in life (achieving heaven). You can summarize Protestantism by simply saying they placed their faith in men and not in God. The problem can also be stated as believing one can follow Christ without following His doctrine, but 2 John 1.9 should clarify that idea.

2 John 1:9

9 Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

Look at the following section that contains some video’s and how to obtain a deeper appreciation regarding the origins of Catholicism (and other religions) and what can easily be understood about the church. Go to this link: “Getting To The Truth.”