Pentecostal / Catholic Similarities?

[Melodeonist]

So I was talking to a classmate who is a Pentecostal. We got on the subject of faith, and we talked about the similarities and differences of our faiths. We didn’t really talk about faith that long (probably a few minutes at most), but from what he said it sounded similar. One major difference he said was that they don’t pray to Saints and Mary.

One thing that he mentioned is that they believe that the Holy-Spirit resides in each of us. I told him that Catholics also believe this. Was I correct here, or incorrect about this belief?

What are the main differences between Catholic and Pentecostal other than that one is Protestant and the other is the original church?

 

[ltwin]

What are the main differences between Catholic and Pentecostal other than that one is Protestant and the other is the original church?

As a starting point, I’ll post excerpts to the Statement of Fundamental Truths–the confessional statement of the Assemblies of God (AG). The AG is the largest Pentecostal denomination in the world, and its beliefs are pretty representative of mainstream Pentecostalism. You can read the whole thing here. Let me know if you have any questions.

1. The Scriptures Inspired
The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.

**2. The One True God
**The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

*The Adorable Godhead

• a. Terms Defined
  The terms “Trinity” and “persons” as related to the Godhead, while not found in the Scriptures, are words in harmony with Scripture, whereby we may convey to others our immediate understanding of the doctrine of Christ respecting the Being of God, as distinguished from “gods many and lords many.” We therefore may speak with propriety of the Lord our God who is One Lord, as a trinity or as one Being of three persons, and still be absolutely scriptural.

**4. The Fall of Man
**Man was created good and upright; for God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God.

**5. The Salvation of Man
**Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

*Conditions to Salvation
*Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life.

*The Evidence of Salvation
*The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit.
The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness.

**6. The Ordinances of the Church
**Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded by the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Saviour and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life.

*Holy Communion
*The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements --bread and the fruit of the vine-- is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4), a memorial of his suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26), and a prophecy of His second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26), and is enjoined on all believers “till He come!”

**7. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
**All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry.

This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth.

With the baptism in the Holy Spirit come such experiences as:

an overflowing fullness of the Spirit, John 7:37-39, Acts 4:8
a deepened reverence for God, Acts 2:43, Hebrews 12:28
an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work, Acts 2:42
and a more active love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost, Mark 16:20

**8. The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit
**The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance.

The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues, but is different in purpose and use.

**9. Sanctification
**Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God.

The Scriptures teach a life of “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.”

By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy, for I am holy.”

Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by the faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit.

**10. The Church and its Mission
**The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven.

**11. The Ministry
**A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the fourfold purpose of leading the Church in:

Evangelization of the world.
Worship of God.
Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son.
Meeting human need with ministries of love and compassion.

**12. Divine Healing
**Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers.

 

[ltwin]

One major difference he said was that they don’t pray to Saints and Mary.

Correct.

One thing that he mentioned is that they believe that the Holy-Spirit resides in each of us. I told him that Catholics also believe this. Was I correct here, or incorrect about this belief

He’s probably referring to our doctrine of baptism in the Holy Spirit (numbers 7 & 8 above). You might say this is our defining contribution to Christian theology.

 

[adamhovey1988]

Pentecostal is a pretty vague word. Trinitarian Pentecostals or oneness?

 

[FabiusMaximus]

So I was talking to a classmate who is a Pentecostal. We got on the subject of faith, and we talked about the similarities and differences of our faiths. We didn’t really talk about faith that long (probably a few minutes at most), but from what he said it sounded similar. One major difference he said was that they don’t pray to Saints and Mary.

One thing that he mentioned is that they believe that the Holy-Spirit resides in each of us. I told him that Catholics also believe this. Was I correct here, or incorrect about this belief?

What are the main differences between Catholic and Pentecostal other than that one is Protestant and the other is the original church?

It’s hard to know where to begin, really. Itwin posted an excellent statement of faith that is a good summary.

But I think the defining component of Pentecostalism, as Itwin also mentioned, is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and the charismatic gifts. Speaking in tongues and interpreting tongues is something that’s encouraged, as long as it’s done in an orderly way. A lot of Pentecostals who have had experience speaking in tongues will also privately pray in tongues as well. If you’re ever at a Pentecostal worship service, listen to some of the people around you and you’ll be able to here them pray privately in tongues.

Also, the worship service isn’t liturgical in any sense. It’s entirely different from a Catholic Mass. Depending on the church you attend, it can generally start with a portion of “worship and praise” were songs are sung in praise of God, followed perhaps by a brief prayer or some announcements, and then the “homily” - that is, the pastor’s sermon.

Also, I’m not sure about the church Itwin attends, but in the churches I’ve grown up in, Communion was a once a month thing. And Pentecostals reject the doctrine of the real presence, they believe that Holy Communion is purely symbolic (though extremely important).

Also, try to ask your friend what kind of denomination he attends. If he attends the Assemblies of God, he’s Trinitarian. If he’s from the United Pentecostal Church, he’ll more than likely be a Oneness (who believes that Jesus is all three persons of the Trinity, because they reject the Trinity, even their baptism is conducted in a different formula). Pentecostalism is move of a theological movement than an organization, and there is great variability.

 

[Melodeonist]

Thanks for the replies! I don’t know what type of Pentecostal he is, but I did mention the Trinity, and I could be wrong, but I think he said that they believe in the trinity. Would that make him a Trinitarian?

 

[FabiusMaximus]

Thanks for the replies! I don’t know what type of Pentecostal he is, but I did mention the Trinity, and I could be wrong, but I think he said that they believe in the trinity. Would that make him a Trinitarian?

If he says he believes in the Trinity that’s probably sufficient.

The Oneness absolutely, explicitly reject the Trinity and they’ll come and say it openly. I guess the easiest way to find out for sure is to ask if he baptizes in the Trinitarian formula or “in the name of Jesus.”

 

[mattp0625]

The similarities do not go much further than the basics of Christianity.

 

[ltwin]

Also, I’m not sure about the church Itwin attends, but in the churches I’ve grown up in, Communion was a once a month thing.

It depends on the church. Some do it more than others. Also, individual Pentecostals can have communion on their own in their own homes if they feel so inclined.

And Pentecostals reject the doctrine of the real presence, they believe that Holy Communion is purely symbolic (though extremely important).

This is true, but it is important not to assume that Pentecostals are simple memorialists. Many prominent Pentecostal leaders have emphasized that Christ is present in a special way through the power of the Holy Spirit and the faith of the believer.

Oral Roberts wrote in How to Find Your Point of Contact With God the following:

I know of no act greater than the Communion for causing Christ to come personally to you. As a matter of fact, it is the purpose of the Communion for Christ to reveal himself to you. It is in your act of worship and faith that you discern His body and He is clearly outlined in your thoughts and vision. I believe the entire Communion act can be a point of contact for the releasing of your faith . . .

 

[Peebo]

As a one time Pentecostal many decades ago I can attest that there were many wonderful Christ filled Christians…as a Catholic of many decades I have to say that nothing comes close to the fullness…the authority…the traditions…the history…the holiness…the sacraments…the liturgy…the living Jesus Christ present body blood soul and divinity in the Eucharist…the sense of the real presence of God as you enter a Catholic Church…absolutely nothing can compare to that.

 

[Lenten_ashes]

They aren’t very similar at all, imo.

They are good Christians who strive for holiness, though.

 

[PJM]

So I was talking to a classmate who is a Pentecostal. We got on the subject of faith, and we talked about the similarities and differences of our faiths. We didn’t really talk about faith that long (probably a few minutes at most), but from what he said it sounded similar. One major difference he said was that they don’t pray to Saints and Mary.

One thing that he mentioned is that they believe that the Holy-Spirit resides in each of us. I told him that Catholics also believe this. Was I correct here, or incorrect about this belief?

What are the main differences between Catholic and Pentecostal other than that one is Protestant and the other is the original church?

It is POSSIBLE, BUT not assured.

TRUTH has to be singular per defined issue. Pope Benedict XVI taught:

“There CANNOT [my emphasis] be your truth and MY truth or there would be NO Truth.”

So the question seems to be:

CAN [is it possible, and if so on what conditions] the Holy Spirit give support to faiths that contradict those expounded by Jesus and the Bible.

Pentecostals quite often are Christian Fundamentalist who are NOT shy about condemning Catholicism…

So is it possible? Perhaps on an individual basis. Certainly NOT even close to a fullness of grace as is available in the One True Chruch and Faith of Jesus; His Catholic Church.
Amen!

Easter Blessings,

Patrick

 

[FabiusMaximus]

It depends on the church. Some do it more than others. Also, individual Pentecostals can have communion on their own in their own homes if they feel so inclined.

This is true, but it is important not to assume that Pentecostals are simple memorialists. Many prominent Pentecostal leaders have emphasized that Christ is present in a special way through the power of the Holy Spirit and the faith of the believer.

Oral Roberts wrote in How to Find Your Point of Contact With God the following:

It still sounds like memorialism for me, but just that you can have some kind of spiritual experience out of it. The point is that Pentecostals generally don’t believe in any sort of a real presence like Catholics do.

 

[ltwin]

It still sounds like memorialism for me, but just that you can have some kind of spiritual experience out of it.

Not just having a spiritual experience, but that Holy Communion is a special means of fellowship with Christ and a means of being physically healed. I would describe this as more in line with a spiritual presence model than memorialism.