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Biblical Christianity
Key Person or Founder, Date, Location:
Jesus Christ. Founded about AD 30-33, in the Judean province of Palestine (Israel today), under Roman Empire. Followers of Jesus Christ became known as Christians.
Key Writings:
The Bible, written originally in Hebrew and Aramaic (Old Testament), and Greek (New Testament).
Who is God?:
The one God is Triune (one God in three persons, not three gods.): Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Often the title “God” designates the first person, God the Father. God is a spiritual being without a physical body. He is personal and involved with people. He created the universe out of nothing. He is eternal, changeless, holy, loving, and perfect.
Who is Jesus?:
Jesus is God, the second person of the Trinity. As God the Son, He has always existed and was never created. He is fully God and fully man (the two natures joined, not mixed). As the second person of the Trinity, He is coequal with God the Father and the Holy Spirit. In becoming a man, He was begotten through the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus is the only way to the Father, salvation, and eternal life. He died on the cross according to God’s plan, as the full sacrifice and payment for our sins. He rose from the dead on the third day, spiritually and physically immortal. For the next 40 days, He was seen by more than 500 eye-witnesses. His wounds were touched and He ate meals. He physically ascended to Heaven. Jesus will come again visibly and physically at the end of the world to establish God’s kingdom and judge the world.
Who is the Holy Spirit?:
The Holy Spirit is God, the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is a person, not a force or energy field. He comforts, grieves, reproves, convicts, guides, teaches, and fills Christians. He is not the Father, nor is He the Son, Jesus Christ.
How to be Saved:
Salvation is by God’s grace, not by an individual’s good works. Salvation must be received by faith. People must believe in their hearts that Jesus died for their sins and physically rose again, which is the assurance of forgiveness and resurrection of the body. This is God’s loving plan to forgive sinful people.
What Happens after Death?:
Believers go to be with Jesus. After death, all people await the final judgment. Both saved and lost people will be resurrected. Those who are saved will live with Jesus in Heaven. Those who are lost will suffer the torment of eternal separation from God (Hell). Jesus’ bodily resurrection guarantees believers that they, too, will be resurrected and receive new immortal bodies.
Other Facts, Beliefs, or Practices:
Group worship, usually in churches. No secret rites. Baptism and Lord’s Supper (Communion). Active voluntary missionary efforts. Aid to those in need: the poor, widows, orphans, and downtrodden. Christians believe that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah promised to Israel in the Old Testament (Tanakh). Jesus said His followers would be known by their love for one another.
“Christian” Cults:
Jehovah’s Witnesses (Watchtower & Tract Society)
Mormonism (Latter-day Saints)
Seventh-day Adventism
Jehovah’s Witnesses (Watchtower & Tract Society):
Founder: Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916), later Joseph F. Rutherford (1869-1942). Began 1879 Pennsylvania. Headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
Writings: All Watchtower publications, including the Bible (New World Translation only), Reasoning from the Scriptures, What Does the Bible Really Teach? Watchtower and Awake! magazines.
God: One-person God, called Jehovah. No Trinity. Jesus is the first thing Jehovah created.
Jesus: Jesus is not God. Before He lived on Earth, He was Michael the Archangel. Jehovah made the universe through Him. On Earth, He was a man who lived a perfect life. After dying on a stake (not a cross), He was resurrected in spirit; His body was destroyed. Jesus is not coming again; He “returned” invisibly in 1914 in spirit. Very soon, He and the angels will destroy all non-Jehovah’s Witnesses.
Holy Spirit: Impersonal “holy spirit” is not God, but rather an invisible, active force from Jehovah.
Salvation: Be baptized as Jehovah’s Witnesses. Most followers must earn everlasting life on Earth by “door-to-door work.” Salvation in Heaven is limited to 144,000 “anointed ones.” This number is already reached.
Death: The 144,000 live as spirits in Heaven. The rest of the righteous, the “great crowd”, live on Earth, and must obey God perfectly for 1,000 years or be annihilated.
Beliefs/Other: Also known as the International Bible Students Association. Meet in ‘Kingdom Halls” instead of churches. Active members encouraged to distribute literature door-to-door. Once a year, Lord’s Evening Meal (communion); only “anointed ones” may partake. Do not observe holidays or birthdays. Forbidden to vote, salute the flag, work in the military, or accept blood transfusions.
Mormonism (Latter-day Saints):
Founder: Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844) organized what is now the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (LDS) in 1830 near Rochester, New York. Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Writings: The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price, plus the Bible (King James Version only or Smith’s “inspired version”) which is seen as less reliable. Authoritative teachings of Mormon prophets and other LDS “general authorities.” Ensign and Liahona magazines.
God: God the Father was once a man, but “progressed” to godhood. He has a physical body, as does his wife (Heavenly Mother). No Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are three separate gods. Worthy members may one day become “exalted” to godhood themselves.
Jesus: Jesus is a separate god from the Father (Elohim). He was created as a spirit child by the Father and Mother in Heaven, and is the “elder brother” of all men and spirit beings (including Lucifer). His body was created though sexual union between Elohim and Mary. Jesus was married. His death on the cross does not provide full atonement for all sin, but does provide everyone with resurrection.
Holy Spirit: The “holy spirit” is different from the “Holy Ghost.” The “holy spirit” is not God, but is an influence or electricity-like emanation from God (“light of Christ”).
Salvation: Resurrected by grace, but saved (exalted to godhood) by works, including faithfulness to church leaders, Mormon baptism, tithing, ordination, marriage, and secret temple rituals. No eternal life without Mormon worship.
Death: Eventually, nearly everyone goes to one of three separate heavenly “kingdoms”, with some achieving godhood. Apostates and murderers go to “outer darkness”.
Beliefs/Other: Secret temple “endowment” rituals and “celestial marriage” available only to members in good standing. Baptism on behalf of the dead. “Word of Wisdom” prohibits tobacco, alcohol, and caffeine drinks. Two-year missionary commitment encouraged. Tithing essential. Door-to-door proselytizing. Extensive social networks. People of African ancestry denied full access to Mormon priesthood and privileges until 1978.
Seventh-day Adventism:
Founder: Primary organizers: James (1821-1881) and Ellen (1827-1915) White, Joseph Bates (1792-1872). Incorporated in 1863 in Michigan. Headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Writings: The Bible, including Adventist paraphrase The Clear Word. Over 600 published titles by Ellen White, including The Desire of Ages and The Great Controversy. Sabbath School Bible Study Guide; SDA Bible Commentary. Adventist Review, numerous other magazines.
God: God is compromised of a unity of three coeternal persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are one in motive and purpose, but not substance. God the Father is generally understood to possess a physical body. Both trinitarianism and anti-trinitarianism are believed in the church today.
Jesus: Ellen White says God the Father exalted Jesus to be His Son, thus provoking Lucifer’s jealousy and a war in Heaven. Jesus is our example to prove we can live sinlessly. His sacrifice on the cross did not complete the atonement; since 1844 He has been applying His blood in Heaven in an ongoing “Investigate Judgment” after which He will return. Also identified as Michael the Archangel; most Adventist founders denied Jesus’ diety.
Holy Spirit: Originally thought to be a force or power from God, today the Holy Spirit is understood to be the third person of the Godhead.
Salvation: Salvation by grace through faith, but maintained by commandment-keeping and repentance. Seventh-day(Saturday) Sabbath observance is the sign of the seal of God. Sunday worship is the mark of the beast. Satan is the scapegoat to be punished in the lake of fire for the sins of the saved.
Death: Humans have no immaterial spirit, so at death the body goes into the ground and the breath goes to God. Nothing remains except in God’s memory. At judgment, the lake of fire annihilates the wicked.
Beliefs/Other: The SDA Church considers itself to be God’s one, special remnant church. Old Testament clean/unclean meat laws observed. SDA “health message” includes abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine and advocates veganism. Traditionalist SDAs believe wearing jewelry is sinful. Proselytizing programs includes “Revelation seminars”, health outreach.
I will talk about other “Christian” cults in another blog, I decided to just compare Biblical Christianity with the most well-known “Christian” cults today.
God bless!
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