Believe!

[heisenburg]

To my dear Protestant Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

While I understand each denomination has different teachings, I was wondering if you can help me with something. Often I hear protestants say something to the effect of “all you have to do is believe. Look at John 3:16, or Romans 10!”

So it got me thinking. Does protestantism actually teach that all that is required is to believe and believe alone? Or is this really a fringe, but vocal group of protestants.

In Christ

 

[IesusDeus]

It is the doctrine of “Sola Fide” = “Faith Alone” (“belief alone”).

I think that most protestants support “Sola Fide”.

Do a google search with “Sola Fide”.
The Wikipedia entry is not a bad start:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sola_fide

The Catholic View:
catholic.com/thisrock/1997/9710chap.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/2003/0303sbs.asp
catholic.com/thisrock/1994/9402vbv.asp

 

[kedera]

Yes and No. Some Protestants believe that all you have to have is faith. I am Southern Baptist (considering conversion) and even in my Church, some believe this, but not all. Some actually believe that all you have to do is “accept” Christ. I put it in quotations, as there is even some debate on what that means:shrug:

I personally believe that, faith is primary, as true works of faith, can only come from faith. Two sides of the same coin really. Honestly, what logical sense does it make to say that you believe and accept Christ, but your life doesn’t also reflect that faith?

Some of the time I think that it is really just a question of semantics. Most Protestants, that I am aware of at least, do not think that works are not important, it’s just that the two are considered one. That’s saying that…If you really believe, your actions would show it.

I don’t know if that makes any sense the way I explained, but…i tried.

 

[heisenburg]

Thanks…
I am aware there is the dogma known as Sola Fide, but this is taken to mean so many different things by so many people. I I am jsut wondering to what level this is held by protestantism…

Some believe in something closer to sola prima, and not sola fide, (if you don’t have faith, nothing else matters)

Others take it to an extreme and say all you have to do is beleive, and if you do nothing else matters. you don’t have to do works, you don’t even have to go to church.

So, i guess I am trying to see what the general protestant belief is. Is it more in line with Sola Prima, or Faith Exclusively. I know there are many varying understandings, but there should be some consensus on this

In Christ

 

[kedera]

Thanks…
I am aware there is the dogma known as Sola Fide, but this is taken to mean so many different things by so many people. I I am jsut wondering to what level this is held by protestantism…

Some believe in something closer to sola prima, and not sola fide, (if you don’t have faith, nothing else matters)

Others take it to an extreme and say all you have to do is beleive, and if you do nothing else matters. you don’t have to do works, you don’t even have to go to church.

So, i guess I am trying to see what the general protestant belief is. Is it more in line with Sola Prima, or Faith Exclusively. I know there are many varying understandings, but there should be some consensus on this

In Christ

I guess a better way to explain myself, would be to say that if you don’t have faith then the rest…not valid?..for lack of a better word. So, yes, Sola Prima, the way you describe it is what I believe, as well as many other Protestants, if I understand correctly.

If you want a consensus…GOOD LUCK! Like I was saying, even Protestants w/in a specific church don’t always agree. I guess if they did there would only be one Protestant denomination:shrug: