What exactly do all Christians agree on?

[FollowHisSteps]

I'm curious what Catholics, Protestants, and all various denominations of Christianity actually agree upon or if there is anything at all that they do agree on?

There are heirarchies of belief
1. God is the creator
2. Jesus is the messiah the bringer of salvation
3. Sin is our failure and reason for judgement
4. Scripture is one of the highest authorities we have to guide us
5. Judgement will come
6. Baptism is an important rite of faith
7. Breaking of bread is foundational to remembering Christs sacrifice
8. Forgiveness is through the cross
9. We should obey and follow Jesus
10. Love and forgiveness are our highest ethics
11. Righteousness and justice matter and should be followed
12. Our enemy is Satan

There are many implication differences and practices and beliefs as to what qualifies as
a believer and what does not. The centrality of scripture and its reading and dwelling on
is a foundational practise across all branches. Some are much closer in doctrinal statements,
where organisation is the only difference.

Individual members of denominations may agree 100% with others though they attend different
fellowships, so though on the surface there maybe historical gaps, spiritually there may be none.

 

[Locoponydirtman]

We disagree on almost everything else, and at highest priority never put to a vote matters of insignificant options, such as color of carpet in the nursery, or whether or not to have a peanuts themed Christmas play put on by the children or if a guitar player should be added to the worship song service. These things cause great catastrophic wars.

 

[stonesoffire]

Without doctrine you have nothing. Gods word is doctrine.

The faith necessary to receive the grace of God comes from hearing and hearing the word of God.

All Christians in order to be Christians must believe that Jesus is God. The deity of Christ is an essential doctrine.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Yes, I agree as to the deity of Jesus. The very reason I posted to Pom.

I was born again when Holy Spirit asked me a simple question, which way I would go. The Word spoke.

No doctrine preached nor did I understand much more than Jesus is our Saviour from sin and we must repent.

No one there but me and Him.

The doctrine of the finished work of the Cross is most important IMO. And we rest (put our faith wholly in His blood offering) alone. To add anything of men’s work will taint what is Holy.

This is our unity. If not this, there will be none. The knowledge of Jesus unites.

 

[notuptome]

Yes, I agree as to the deity of Jesus. The very reason I posted to Pom.

I was born again when Holy Spirit asked me a simple question, which way I would go. The Word spoke.

No doctrine preached nor did I understand much more than Jesus is our Saviour from sin and we must repent.

No one there but me and Him.

The doctrine of the finished work of the Cross is most important IMO. And we rest (put our faith wholly in His blood offering) alone. To add anything of men’s work will taint what is Holy.

This is our unity. If not this, there will be none. The knowledge of Jesus unites.

If you did not comprehend the doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ you would not have received Him as Savior. The Holy Spirit only acts through the scriptures.

Salvation is always a one on one transaction. The sinner at the feet of the Savior. It is as personal as anything can be.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[stonesoffire]

If you did not comprehend the doctrine of the deity of Jesus Christ you would not have received Him as Savior. The Holy Spirit only acts through the scriptures.

Salvation is always a one on one transaction. The sinner at the feet of the Savior. It is as personal as anything can be.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

Roger, I was raised in a believing home. The deity of Jesus was never an issued raised and the church I grew up in was a salvation by the blood church.

I never knew it to be an issue until I came to the forums. But, it was my family member then getting involved in the JW’s sect that I began to search for truth. It’s plainly written what is antichrist. Why this is denied? Makes no sense.

 

[Smooth]

Scripture is one of the highest authorities we have to guide us.

One of the highest?

 

[stonesoffire]

Your comment though that Holy Spirit only works through the scriptures may be true after conversion, but I can’t agree before. I know better.

 

[stonesoffire]

One of the highest?

Stuck his foot in mouth.

 

[garee]

I was born again when Holy Spirit asked me a simple question, which way I would go. The Word spoke.

Great way of saying that.

As always he must as our first love us hearing His voice do the first works to give us ears to hear that which he finishes to the end.

Philippians 2:12-14 King James Version (KJV)Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Made me think of Jacob wrestling which way would he go? The Spirit took him down pinned him changed his mind gave a Jacob the deciver a new born again name to reflect the change ... a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee. . . the Christian nation.


And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed Genesis 32;24-28


Genesis 35:9-11 King James Version (KJV)And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him. And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins;

 

[FollowHisSteps]

Scripture is one of the highest authorities we have to guide us

Across all the denominations scripture is a base authority.
Some put theology on a par, or traditions, or teachers, or prophets or leaders.

I personally put scripture at the top, but talking about the body, this is not so.
Some traditions would like to exclude certain books from scripture, and others simply
ignore certain teachings. So this is for me the best generalised comment I could think
of. God bless you all

 

[garee]

pomeranian said:
I'm curious what Catholics, Protestants, and all various denominations of Christianity actually agree upon or if there is anything at all that they do agree on?

I would think all Christians, as apologist would defend the faith of Christ that works in us as it is written.... which like a double edged sword defends us.

Some make that to no effect by the oral traditions of the fathers or leaders. Although the scriptures informs us there must be heresies (denominations) among us of matters of opinion of what we think the scriptures, God's interpretation are informing us those who believe not are those who make the grace of Christ without effect doing despite to it. It would be considered a damnable or one we could judge after in a hope of brining peace in the end. .

1 Corinthians 11:19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in "damnable" heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

Catholisicim is one. . . or the mother of those who make the grace of God without effect. .... .

They say for instance . Mary the queen of heaven (same as the non believing Jew different name) ...is the only person that received the "fullness of grace" by giving birth to the corrupted flesh of the Son of man, Jesus. . To the rest of mankind an unknown remnant that one must work out according to their own flesh. . . . offering up any suffering to include pinching a finger in the door or a wooden splinter.. they experience as partial unknown payment .And after leaving this realm under the Sun they must continual to suffer for a unknow amount of time or what kind of suffering.

If they deny the grace of God or do despite to its a person can try the spirits to see if they are or not..

 

[Magenta]

There is a God. Do we all agree on this? Good

 

[Lanolin]

Jesus is Lord. Mary was his mother and almighty God his Father.

Also he died on the cross and rose again the third day.

I think thats it. Everything else christians seem to have different beliefs over this and that.

 

[Locoponydirtman]

I don't understand all this making a decision stuff.
Either you believe or you do not believe. You don't make a decision to believe something. making a decision to believe something is convincing yourself of something.
That's weird you're going to make a decision to believe something? That sounds like some kind of mysticism, I have made a decision to believe in a thing therefore it is.

 

[Nehemiah6]

There is a God. Do we all agree on this? Good

Yes and No. The one true God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but not all Christians agree that each one is a distinct divine Person within the Godhead. But Jesus Himself has revealed this to us in Matthew 28:19.

 

[GracethroughfaithinChrist]

I'm curious what Catholics, Protestants, and all various denominations of Christianity actually agree upon or if there is anything at all that they do agree on?

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

 

[Dino246]

While I haven't seen any bad answers, what I see is things on which Christians should agree... not necessarily things on which Christians do agree.

Because the OP includes Catholics, we don't agree on the authority (or extent) of Scripture. That's going to eliminate a lot of issues from the table. We also won't agree on the exclusivity of Christ, the nature of the Church, or the role of so-called sacraments.

Also, the OP didn't specify whether "Christians" means "those who are actually Christian" or simply "those who believe themselves to be Christian"; that forces a lot of other issues off the table.

Maybe we need to start with a definition of "Christian"... but can we even agree on that?