Delve into the Christian label and the defining characteristics of Catholic and evangelical faiths in doctrine and practice.
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Catholicism and evangelical Christianity are both labeled as Christian faiths in America and around the world, but they have distinct beliefs and practices.
Catholics follow a structured system led by the Pope, emphasizing Tradition alongside Scripture, while evangelicals prioritize a personal relationship with Jesus and the Bible as the sole authority. Below, we explore key differences:
Authority
Catholics
Catholics believe in the authority of both the Bible and Sacred Tradition, interpreted by the Church’s Magisterium (Pope and bishops). Catholic Bibles follow the Greek Septuagint (LXX) tradition and has 7 additional Old Testament books referred to as Deuterocanonical books. In the past, Catholics used the Latin version of the Bible in which priests were trained to interpret the Bible for their members. According to the National Catholic Register, the most common version used by American Catholics in modern times is the New American Bible (NAB) in their Mass Service readings.
Evangelicals
Evangelicals adhere to “sola scriptura,” meaning the Bible is the ultimate authority, with no additional traditions and/or any person of authority holding equal weight. In the 16th century, Protestant Reformers removed the extra 7 books from the Old Testament because it is believed they didn’t fit consistent theology. They called them “Apocrypha,” which means “hidden” or “unknown”. According to FaithTeams.com, the best selling Bible version in recent years is the New International Version (NIV) with the King James Version (KJV) being the most used.
Evangelicals uphold the Bible as the sole authority, using 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV): “All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” To further distinguish differences between Catholics, Evangelicals may cite Matthew 15:9 (NIV), referring to Catholic traditions: “They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men,” to caution against traditions not found in Scripture.
Salvation
Catholics
Catholics teach that salvation involves faith, good works, and participation in sacraments like baptism and the Eucharist. Baptism in Catholic Churches can be in the form of sprinkling.
Evangelists
Evangelists emphasize salvation by grace through faith alone, without requiring works or specific sacraments for salvation.
Evangelicals stress salvation by grace through faith, citing Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV): “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast,” and Romans 10:9 (NIV): “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Baptism in Evangelical Churches are mostly by full submersion, adhering to the concept of being completely buried as the Bible describes the concept of baptism.
Church Structure
Catholics
Catholics have a hierarchical structure with the Pope as the supreme leader, supported by bishops and priests. Higher ranked Catholic leaders may appoint and send lower ranked leaders to the gatherings of their choosing. Historically, Popes have shifted their dogma based on what the Pope decrees, often conflicting with one another.
Evangelicals
Often have decentralized structures, with local churches being independent or part of loose associations, without a central figure like the Pope. Typically each Church will have one to two head Pastors responsible for “feeding” the flock and to assist the entirety of the local congregation in the faith. Evangelical Christian gatherings tend to focus on God calling some to be teachers, evangelists, pastors, prophets, and apostles. Most charismatic type gatherings focus more on prophets and apostles where less charismatic groups find the other three more common. Evangelicals may have a board of deacons to rely on prayer to elect a head pastoral team as the candidate may feel led by God to go. Although there are 5 callings generally recognized as God qualifying directly, there are only 2 offices being the Overseer (aka head Pastor) and Deacons, in which they must qualify for.
Evangelicals point to New Testament models like Acts 15:22-23 (NIV): “Then the Apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. With them they sent the following letter: The Apostles and elders, your brothers, to the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings,” showing a collaborative approach rather than a hierarchy.
Bishop
The Greek word episkopos translates to “Bishop”, also called “Elders” and “Overseer”, and are the superintendents of the congregation. This is an office and is not someone qualified directly by God, but qualified based on life experience as outlined in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.
Deacon
The Greek word diakonos translates to “minister” 20 times, “servant” 8 times, and “deacon” 3 times. They tend to the needs of each member of the congregation, including an important focus on caring for the elderly and widows. Deacons in American Churches in modern times range from house visits to gathering service tasks to even serving as the Church board, depending on the congregation size and needs. This office requires a specific qualification. In a society in time where a man was permitted to have more than one wife, office holders were only permitted to have one wife, so to be free to care for multiple others.
Mary and Saints
Catholics
Catholics venerate Mary and the Saints, seeking their intercession in prayer. Catholics believe Mary can intercede to Jesus on their behalf, thinking she still has some sort of authority and/or controlling influence over Him. They believe that since Mary is alive in Christ, she will hear them more understandably than Jesus.
Evangelicals
Evangelicals do not venerate Mary or Saints, believing in direct prayer to God through Jesus Christ, seeing veneration as idolatrous. Leviticus 19:31 Prohibits Israelites from seeking guidance from ghosts or departed spirits. Evangelicals do not see the point in praying around the direct access to God’s ear by going to anyone else beyond the name of Jesus to speak to The Father. While Catholics believe Mary intercedes for them, evangelicals believes the Holy Spirit intercedes for them according to Romans 8:27: “And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” (NIV)
Evangelicals argue for Jesus as the sole mediator, using 1 Timothy 2:5 (NIV): “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,” and Exodus 20:3-5 (NIV): “You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God…” to avoid idolatry.
Priesthood
Catholics
Catholics have a distinct priestly class, with priests being celibate and performing sacraments. Catholics believe the Pope is the Vicar of Christ. This belief means that the Pope is the head of the Church and that the Pope is the human representative and/or substitute of Jesus on earth. In addition, Catholics practice confessional, where members confess their sins to a priest.
Evangelicals
Evangelicals believe in the “priesthood of all believers,” where every Christian can approach God directly, without a separate priestly class. Evangelicals believe you should follow no man as scripture states and that any believer can be Christ-like (aka Christian). They recognize Church office holders are permitted to marry per 1 Timothy 3. Many protestants feel that depriving leadership of the physical needs marriage provides, provides a higher temptation that leads toward the many sexual scandals in the Catholic Church. However, that does not mean to say that sexual scandals of married Church leadership does not occur in protestant congregations.
Evangelicals highlight the priesthood of all believers with 1 Peter 2:9 (NIV): “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light,” and Hebrews 4:16 (NIV): “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” They believe in confessing their sins to one another, not primarily a priest, but mainly to God alone.
Liturgy and Sacraments
Catholics
Catholics follow a standardized liturgy and recognize seven sacraments, such as baptism, confirmation, and marriage, as channels of grace.
Evangelicals
Evangelicals vary in liturgy, with some having simple services and others more structured, typically recognizing only baptism and the Lord’s Supper as sacraments, often seen as symbolic yet necessary.
Evangelicals focus on simplicity, citing Luke 22:19-20 (NIV): “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you,'” emphasizing the Lord’s Supper as a memorial. He said to do this in remembrance, not in acceptance.
Proper Evangelical Response
“Christian” Label
There are obvious foundational differences between Catholics and Evangelicals. However, Catholics identify as “Christian” and “Catholics” alike. While many evangelicals may not agree this label should be shared, there are other ways of responding to our differences other than historical wars of the past. Here are some suggestions:
Love One Another
Evangelical Christians are called to love everyone, including the lost, confused, backslidden, and those holding to different faiths. It is important to remember that if you get angered by differences, make sure not to sin over it (Ephesians 4:26). God has created us and transformed us into our new spiritual nature with the help of the Holy Spirit. We are not to remain in the flesh and see outside of faith and the spiritual realm. Trust and know that God will save those who are in error, who hears and accepts the truth when presented in love, if they are truly seeking Him. You will not be in a position of planting seed of truth and spirit while in sinful anger. If you feel you can debate with others in love and hope for their salvation, and God has prepared the way, then that would be proper. Remember, it’s not your words that save the lost, it’s His seed. Remain in your calling and don’t let your love wax cold. The greatest commandment of all is to love one another. To love your neighbor as yourself. That is being Christ-like.
Remain In Truth
Hold steadfast to your faith, regardless if nobody else is following the way, truth, and life. Straight an narrow is the path to glory, and it’s so easy to let emotions such as distain and disgust knock you off to the wider path that leads toward destruction. Do not let anyone else get you emotionally and/or spiritually side-tracked. You are called to gather with like-minded believers weekly and daily if possible. This encouragement from one another should suffice from your frustrations with others. Do not forsake the gathering, as commanded by God, with any excuse. God provides gifts to others to minister to your needs to help you remain in the truth. It is important to be as noble as the Bereans to search scripture to see if what others say is true, but it’s also important to stick to the true scripture and not another gospel. Remaining outside of your gathering increases the chances of you not being able to do the good works that have resulted from your salvation. It’s important to note that just because others claim to be of Christian faith, does not mean it is so. Do not gather with those that have a faith other than what is in scripture and do not be obsessed with these differences. Know your calling from God and remain in it. For a person doesn’t go to Church to be a Christian, but one gathers with other believers for that encouragement to remain in the truth because he/she is a Christian.
Pray
If you’re dealing with someone claiming to be Christian, but not holding to foundational truths of scripture, pray for them. If you are indeed a child of The King of Kings, you know you have direct access to Him and He can do all things that we can’t. Believe He will do His work with those who are truly seeking Him. Others may persecute you for believing in Jesus in accordance to scripture, even by those claiming to be Christian. Your flesh may want to either take fight or flight. My suggestion is to get on your knees and fight like a man. Let God go before you in all your battles. This warfare is spiritual in nature, recognize that. For this is truly how a Christian walks and sees his/her place in the world.
Be Bold
You may feel like this is something you should also feel passive about. It’s the easier thing to do. It’s the safest thing to do. But it’s not what we are called to do. We are called to proclaim the truth. It’s ok to say “I disagree” and “don’t believe in that”. Reflecting back on when Jesus was being persecuted and beaten along the way to being crucified, the men of strongest faith were denying the truth of knowing Jesus. Do not be ashamed of your faith when confronted by others. Study and show yourself approved. Attend the gathering of believers as often as you will and always try to be spiritually prepared to handle all interactions in a way God would approve, not what makes you feel is best for you. For that is truly a Christian response.
Self-Examine
Wouldn’t it be odd to say others aren’t Christian while you’re not being Christ-like yourself? First examine your fruits to see if you’re actually in the faith. You can do so according to 2 Corinthians 13:5:
So what are you looking for when you’re testing yourself? If Jesus is in you, He has sent the Holy Spirit to be with you until He returns. Scripture is pretty clear on if your faith has produced good fruit or bad fruit in Galatians 5:13-26:
Do not be deceived. You are either living in a dying flesh or you are alive with the Holy Spirit. You’re not saved by your goodness, your goodness comes as a result of your salvation as evidenced by having the Holy Spirit and repenting from your sin. Repentance is when you view your sins differently. To be Christ-like, aka a Christian, doesn’t mean you’re going around literally walking on water and flying on clouds. It means your heart and mind has been transformed by the Holy Spirit that Christ has sent us, to dwell within us, with a desire to obey His commands and think differently about of our sins from desire to distain.
If you have not yet truly sought God or perhaps you have are not yet convinced you have found Him, it’s because the Bible says the devil IMMEDIATELY tries to snatch away the Word that was planted inside of you, so it will not grow. This will keep you in darkness. Do not let yourself, label yourself as Christian, if the evidence is not quite there. Don’t worry so much about the condition of others until you’ve dealt with your own condition. The label of being “Christian” isn’t the most important factor. It’s just a label. Make it your reality if you have not yet done so. If you have self-examined and failed the test, I invite you to watch this video to help you understand the process and become born again.
