Protestantism is the second largest form of the
Christian Faith with more of 900 million adherents in the whole world, representing
40% of the whole Christian religion.
It officially started with the Reformation movement in
the XVI century by Martin Luther, John Calvin and Thomas Crammer and that developed
into a force that travelled to the whole world, and that has affected nations,
culture and politics wherever it has gone.
HOW MANY MOVEMENTS
Most people think that because the Reformation was
started by several of these men independently from each other, they all are
different Churches with opposite doctrinal beliefs and in enmity with one
another. But this is not the case at all.
Contrary to the idea that the Church that Jesus
founded, is a specific organization under an infallible human world leader;
Protestantism acknowledges the Church of Christ to be a community of believers,
organized under the instructions of Christ and his Apostles as expressed in the
New Testament. In fact, only Protestantism takes Scripture as the only
authoritarian Rule of Faith, while other non-protestant institutions, count as
source of Revelation, other fountains apart from Scripture.
This common authority (Bible) has permitted since
the XVI century, starting with Luther, Calvin and Crammer, together with many
others before them, and many others that came after, to have a common agreement
in all matters of salvific faith, and to have intercommunion between all their
members and ministry.
So even though there must be thousands of ‘protestant’
congregations in the world, they are not independent organizations proclaiming
to be the ‘one and only’ Church founded by Jesus, at all. They are independent
organizations, united under a common faith and ministry, and that together profess
the Trinitarian Faith of the Apostle’s Creed.
ARE THERE PROTESTANTS WHO ARE NOT
TRINITARIANS?
There are independent Christian groups from among
this great number of 35,000 denominations in the world, that do not profess the
Trinity as part of their faith, or fail in one way or another to the other
articles of belief in the Creed, but apart from the opinion of others, these
are not ‘protestant’ churches. They are what it is known as ‘sects’.
No Protestant Church has intercommunion with any
sect that do not profess the simple truths of the Gospel contained in the
Creed.
DO SOLA SCRIPTURA DENY THE TRADITION?
Contrary to popular misconceptions about the sources
of Revelation in Protestantism, it is thought that the reformed churches
totally interpret the Scripture as they imagine or desire, totally disregarding
historical Christianity. Well, that is wrong.
All Protestant Churches acknowledge the fact that
the Church has been founded by our Lord Jesus Christ, 2000 years ago,
approximately; and that it has subsisted since then all other the world, and
divided since the V century in separate groups, being one of them the
Protestant movement.
So all Protestant churches claim as their own, all
the Tradition of the first centuries when the Church was one, and later all
other traditions of all Trinitarian historical Churches up to our day.
When protestants interpret the Scripture, they do it
following rules of original language, culture, style of writing, and the common
teachings of the whole of Christianity, giving as it is done everywhere else,
considerably weight to the opinion of the whole undivided Church. The only
difference, is that the only source considered to be infallible and inspired by
God, is the Bible; while the writers of Christianity, are only seen as human, fallible
source of guidance.
WHY DO PROTESTANTS HAVE DIFFERENT FORMS
OF GOVERMENT
Another misconception is that because protestants
have different forms of government, they must be non-united.
But the truth is that Protestantism does not hold
any form of government described in the Bible, be mandatory in the NT. So, some
will maintain the historical Episcopacy, others the historical Presbyterial
government, and other a Congregational form of control over the community.
However, still, they all have as a duty the preservation of the sacraments, the
teaching of the Scripture and the spiritual direction of the community. These
different governments do not stop them from having intercommunion, so a Bishop
of the English Church, could also be admitted as a senior Presbyter or a Senior
Pastor or Overseer over any other congregation, while having very similar
duties. All members are free from every church to take sacraments from any
other Christian Church at any time.
Omar Flores.
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