Core Beliefs

[cjbauere]

On the inside page of a bulletin from a local nondenominational Christian Church, listed under “Core Beliefs,” I read:

“Regard our people not as the only Christians, but as Christians only, and seek oneness with all believers in matters essential to the Christian faith. (Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 2:17)”

I have read this statement many, many times before on similar bulletins. However, I have yet to find or have been told, what these “essential” matters are. It is obvious by the statement “and seek oneness with all believers” that there are serious differences. Can anyone enlighten me?

 

[Syele]

While the IS disagreement on what parts of it mean… it is pretty well accepted as core beliefs:

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father.
Through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation
he came down from heaven:
by the power of the Holy Spirit
he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son.
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen

 

[Proletarian]

On the inside page of a bulletin from a local nondenominational Christian Church, listed under “Core Beliefs,” I read:

“Regard our people not as the only Christians, but as Christians only, and seek oneness with all believers in matters essential to the Christian faith. (Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 2:17)”

I have read this statement many, many times before on similar bulletins. However, I have yet to find or have been told, what these “essential” matters are. It is obvious by the statement “and seek oneness with all believers” that there are serious differences. Can anyone enlighten me?

Perhaps they are referring to the “five solas” of Protestantism?

By grace alone
By faith alone
By Scripture alone
In Christ alone
Glory to God alone

Just a guess.

 

[ALLFORHIM]

I agree with both posters.

 

[cjbauere]

Perhaps they are referring to the “five solas” of Protestantism?

By grace alone
By faith alone
By Scripture alone
In Christ alone
Glory to God alone

Just a guess.

You may be right, but shouldn’t “By Scripture alone” really read “By My interpretation of Scripture alone,” since in the Protestant tradition my interpretation of scripture is just a true as yours?

 

[b_justb]

cjbauere:

On the inside page of a bulletin from a local nondenominational Christian Church, listed under “Core Beliefs,” I read:

“Regard our people not as the only Christians, but as Christians only, and seek oneness with all believers in matters essential to the Christian faith. (Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 2:17)”

I have read this statement many, many times before on similar bulletins. However, I have yet to find or have been told, what these “essential” matters are. It is obvious by the statement “and seek oneness with all believers” that there are serious differences. Can anyone enlighten me?

Acts 11:25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul; 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church, and taught a large company of people; and in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians.

1 Peter 2:17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

When I was in various faith communities that had similar verbiage it was taken to speak of the core belief in Jesus. That He is the Son of God and God the Son. That he is the Savior, born of the Virgin. That belief in Him is the cornerstone, if not the only stone, of Salvation. Some communities also placed baptism and the Great Commission into the Core beliefs column.

I don’t think it’s fair to assert that if the Core Beliefs include Sola Scriptura that it means what the individual personally interprets it to mean. I think it’s more fair to say that the people that place Sola Scriptura into their core belief believe that it is the Scriptures that have the needed information for people concerning their salvation as well as the final authority on peoples beliefs and actions. It doesn’t matter if we see different meanings in various passages, what is important is that we both agree that the Holy Spirit is at work in the believer and that is revealed in the pages of Scripture.

As a Catholic I think it’s important that we do not vilify our non-Catholic Brothers in Christ.

 

[cjbauere]

I don’t think it’s fair to assert that if the Core Beliefs include Sola Scriptura that it means what the individual personally interprets it to mean. I think it’s more fair to say that the people that place Sola Scriptura into their core belief believe that it is the Scriptures that have the needed information for people concerning their salvation as well as the final authority on peoples beliefs and actions. It doesn’t matter if we see different meanings in various passages, what is important is that we both agree that the Holy Spirit is at work in the believer and that is revealed in the pages of Scripture.

As a Catholic I think it’s important that we do not vilify our non-Catholic Brothers in Christ.

I meant no disrespect, but said it only to drive home a point. I believe you are correct when you say “people that place Sola Scriptura into their core belief believe that it is the Scriptures that have the needed information for people concerning their salvation as well as the final authority on peoples beliefs and actions.” However, In the end those beliefs and actions are based on personal interpretation, resulting in a, my interpreted truth versus your interpreted truth.

And, it does matter if we see different meanings in various passages, it can mean the difference between whether an unborn baby lives or dies, or whether two people of the same sex can morally marry, for example.

 

[b_justb]

I meant no disrespect, but said it only to drive home a point. I believe you are correct when you say “people that place Sola Scriptura into their core belief believe that it is the Scriptures that have the needed information for people concerning their salvation as well as the final authority on peoples beliefs and actions.” However, In the end those beliefs and actions are based on personal interpretation, resulting in a, my interpreted truth versus your interpreted truth.

And, it does matter if we see different meanings in various passages, it can mean the difference between whether an unborn baby lives or dies, or whether two people of the same sex can morally marry, for example.

I am Catholic and I agree there definitely needs to be an authority on matters of faith. I used to have a link on all the biblical verses that the Church’s Magisterium has placed an official interpretation on. The link is no long is active, of course, grrrrrr … But it was very few. I think a dozen or so is all. That’s not very many. This means that when we Catholics read and study Scripture we are left to our own personal ideas about them. I think what we do is view Scripture through the lens of the Church and her teachings and apply them in that way. We might rely on what Church Fathers or Church Doctors have said about various passages, but those people, as great and spirit filled as they are, did not put forth official church teachings on the Scriptures they commented on. I find the advantage in looking at Scripture with a Catholic mindset is that there is so much historic documentation from all sorts of holy people with various charisms that we can rely on for insight into the passages, even if those ideas are not decreed as infallible dogma.

The difference in these charisms is the way I think Protestants feel about the various denominations. I think Protestantism in general view their various communities as Christian but with a different view that, while not their own, is still in the faith and Christian. Catholics might call that a Charism, where Protestants call it a Denomination. When Catholics point out the differences in Protestant Denominations and call it disunity, the Protestants are bewildered at such an odd argument because all of the Protestants proclaim One Christ as Savior and in that (a, or even the, core belief) there is no disunity.