Today there is a return to spirituality. More and more people are thinking about the intangible component of our lives. In the article we will talk about who Protestants are. This is a separate direction of Christianity, or a sect, as some believe.
We will also touch on the issue of different trends in Protestantism. Information about the situation of supporters of this movement in modern Russia will be of interest. Read on and you will find out the answers to these and many other questions.
In the sixteenth century in Western Europe there was a separation of a significant part of believers from the Roman Catholic Church. This event in historiography is called “reformation”. Thus, Protestants are a part of Christians who disagree with Catholic principles of worship and some issues of theology.
The Middle Ages in Western Europe turned out to be a period when society became completely dependent not so much on secular rulers as on the church.
Almost no issue was resolved without the participation of a priest, be it a wedding or everyday problems.
Weaving more and more into social life, the Catholic holy fathers accumulated untold wealth. The flashy luxury and double standards practiced by the monks turned society away from them. Discontent grew due to the fact that many issues were prohibited or resolved with the forced intervention of priests.
It was in this situation that Martin Luther had the opportunity to be heard. This is a German theologian and priest. As a member of the Augustinian order, he constantly observed the corruption of the Catholic clergy. One day, he said, an insight came about the true path of a devout Christian.
The result was the Ninety-Five Theses, which Luther nailed to the church door in Wittenberg in 1517, and a campaign against the sale of indulgences.
The basis of Protestantism is the principle of “sola fide” (only through faith). It says that no one in the world can help a person to be saved except himself. Thus, the institution of priests, the sale of indulgences, and the desire for enrichment and power on the part of church ministers are rejected.
Difference from Catholics and Orthodox
Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants belong to one religion - Christianity. However, in the process of historical and social development Several splits occurred. The first was in 1054, when the Orthodox Church separated from the Roman Catholic Church. Later, in the sixteenth century, during the Reformation, a completely separate movement appeared - Protestantism.
Let's see how different the principles are in these churches. And also why former Protestants more often convert to Orthodoxy.
So, as two fairly ancient movements, Catholics and Orthodox believe that their church is true. Protestants have diverse views. Some movements even deny the need to belong to any religion.
Among Orthodox priests allowed to marry once, monks are prohibited from marrying. Among Catholics of the Latin tradition, everyone takes a vow of celibacy. Protestants are allowed to marry; they do not recognize celibacy at all.
Also, the latter have absolutely no institution of monasticism, unlike the first two directions.
In addition, Protestants do not touch upon the issue of “filioque,” which is the cornerstone of the dispute between Catholics and Orthodox. They also do not have purgatory, and the Virgin Mary is perceived as the standard of the perfect woman.
Of the seven generally accepted sacraments, Protestants recognize only baptism and communion. There is no confession and the worship of icons is not accepted.
Protestantism in Russia
Although the Russian Federation is an Orthodox country, other faiths are also common here. In particular, there are Catholics and Protestants, Jews and Buddhists, supporters of various spiritual movements and philosophical worldviews.
According to statistics, there are about three million Protestants in Russia who attend more than ten thousand parishes. Of these communities, less than half are officially registered with the Ministry of Justice.
Pentecostals are considered the largest movement in Russian Protestantism. They and their reformed offshoot (neo-Pentecostals) have over one and a half million followers.
However, over time, some convert to the traditional Russian faith. Friends and acquaintances tell Protestants about Orthodoxy, sometimes they read specialized literature. Judging by the reviews of those who “returned to the fold” of their native church, they feel relieved, having ceased to be mistaken.
To other currents common in the territory Russian Federation, include Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, Minnonites, Lutherans, Evangelical Christians, Methodists and many others.
Next we will talk in more detail about the most widespread directions of Protestantism in Russia. We will also touch on some denominations that, by definition, are on the border between a sect and a Protestant church.
Calvinists
The most rational Protestants are Calvinists. This direction formed in the mid-sixteenth century in Switzerland. The young French preacher and theologian, John Calvin, decided to continue and deepen the reform ideas of Martin Luther.
He declared that not only should things be removed from churches that were contrary to the Holy Scriptures, but also those things that were not even mentioned in the Bible. That is, according to Calvinism, the house of prayer should contain only what is prescribed in the holy book.
Thus, there are some differences in doctrine held by Protestants and Orthodox Christians. The first consider any gathering of people in the name of the Lord to be a church; they deny the majority of saints, Christian symbols and the Mother of God.
In addition, they believe that a person accepts faith personally and through sober judgment. Therefore, the rite of baptism occurs only in adulthood.
The Orthodox are the complete opposite of Protestants in the above-mentioned points. In addition, they adhere to the belief that the Bible can only be interpreted by a specially trained person. Protestants believe that everyone does this to the best of their abilities and spiritual development.
Lutherans
In fact, Lutherans are the continuators of the true aspirations of Martin Luther. It was after their performance in the city of Speyer that the movement began to be called the “Protestant Church.”
The term "Lutherans" appeared in the sixteenth century during the polemics of Catholic theologians and priests with Luther. This is how they called the followers of the father of the Reformation in a derogatory manner. Lutherans call themselves “Evangelical Christians.”
Thus, Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians strive to achieve the salvation of their souls, but each has different methods. The differences, in principle, are based only on the interpretation of Holy Scripture.
With his Ninety-Five Theses, Martin Luther proved the inconsistency of the entire institution of priests and many of the traditions that Catholics adhere to. According to him, these innovations relate more to the material and secular sphere of life than to the spiritual. This means they should be abandoned.
In addition, Lutheranism is based on the belief that Jesus Christ, with his death on Calvary, atoned for all the sins of mankind, including the original sins. All you need to live a happy life is to believe this good news.
Lutherans are also of the opinion that any priest is the same layman, but more professional in terms of preaching. Therefore, a chalice is used to give communion to all people.
Today, more than eighty-five million people are Lutherans. But they do not represent unity. There are separate associations and denominations based on historical and geographical principles.
In the Russian Federation, the most popular in this environment is the Lutheran Hour Ministry society.
Baptists
It is often jokingly said that Baptists are English Protestants. But there is also a grain of truth in this statement. After all, this movement emerged precisely from among the Puritans of Great Britain.
In fact, Baptistism is the next stage of development (as some believe) or simply an offshoot of Calvinism. The term itself comes from the ancient Greek word for baptism. The main idea of this direction is expressed in the name.
Baptists believe that only a person who, in adulthood, came to the idea of renouncing sinful actions and sincerely accepted faith into his heart can be considered a true believer.
Many Protestants in Russia agree with similar thoughts. Despite the fact that the majority are Pentecostals, which we will talk about later, some of their views completely coincide.
To briefly express the basics of the practice of church life, Protestant Baptists are confident in the inerrancy of the authority of the Bible in all situations. They adhere to the ideas of a universal priesthood and congregation, that is, each community is independent and independent.
The presbyter does not have any real power, he simply reads sermons and teachings. All issues are resolved at general meetings and church councils. The service includes a sermon, singing hymns to the accompaniment of instrumental music, as well as impromptu prayers.
Today in Russia Baptists, like Adventists, call themselves evangelical Christians, and their churches - houses of prayer.
Pentecostals
The most numerous Protestants in Russia are Pentecostals. This current entered our country from Western Europe through Finland at the beginning of the twentieth century.
The first Pentecostal, or, as he was then called, “Oneness,” was Thomas Barratt. He came in 1911 from Norway to St. Petersburg. Here the preacher declared himself a follower of evangelical Christians in the apostolic spirit, and began to rebaptize everyone.
The basis of Pentecostal faith and practice is the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They also recognize the rite of passage with the help of water. But the experiences that a person experiences when the Spirit descends on him are considered by this Protestant movement to be the most correct. They say that the state that the baptized person experiences is equivalent to the feelings of the apostles who received initiation from Jesus Christ himself on the fiftieth day after his resurrection.
Therefore, they name their church in honor of the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, or Trinity (Pentecost). Followers believe that the initiate in this way receives one of the Divine gifts. He gains the word of wisdom, healing, miracles, prophecy, the ability to speak in foreign languages or discern spirits.
In the Russian Federation today, three of the Pentecostals are considered the most influential Protestant associations. They are part of the Assembly of God.
Mennonites
Mennoniteism is one of the most interesting branches of Protestantism. These Protestant Christians were the first to proclaim pacifism as part of their creed. The denomination arose in the thirties of the sixteenth century in the Netherlands.
Menno Simons is considered the founder. Initially, he abandoned Catholicism and adopted the principles of Anabaptism. But after some time he significantly deepened certain features of this doctrine.
So, Mennonites believe that the kingdom of God on earth will come only with the assistance of all people, when they establish a common true church. The Bible is the unquestioned authority, and the Trinity is the only thing that has holiness. Only adults can be baptized after they have made a firm and sincere decision.
But the most important distinguishing feature of Mennonites is considered to be their refusal military service, army oath and litigation. In this way, supporters of this movement bring to humanity the desire for peace and non-violence.
The Protestant denomination came to the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine the Great. Then she invited part of the community to move from the Baltic states to Novorossia, the Volga region and the Caucasus. This turn of events was simply a gift for the Mennonites, as they were persecuted in Western Europe. Therefore, there were two waves of forced migration to the east.
Today in the Russian Federation this movement has actually united with the Baptists.
Adventists
Like any devout Christian, a Protestant believes in the second coming of the Messiah. It was on this event that the Adventist philosophy (from the Latin word “advent”) was originally built.
A former United States Army captain, Miller became a Baptist in 1831 and later published a book about the certain coming of Jesus Christ on March 21, 1843. But it turned out that no one showed up. Then an adjustment was made for the inaccuracy of the translation, and the Messiah was expected in the spring of 1844. When the second time did not come true, a period of depression began among believers, which in historiography is called the “Great Disappointment.”
After this, the Millerite movement splits into a number of separate denominations. Seventh-day Adventists are considered the most organized and popular. They are centrally managed and strategically developed in several countries.
In the Russian Empire, this movement appeared through the Mennonites. The first communities were formed on the Crimean Peninsula and the Volga region.
Because of their refusal to take up arms and take the oath, they were persecuted in the Soviet Union. But at the end of the seventies of the twentieth century there was a restoration of the movement. And in 1990, at the first congress of Adventists, the Russian Union was adopted.
Protestants or sectarians
Today there is no doubt that Protestants are one of the equal branches of Christianity, with their own creed, principles, principles of behavior and worship.
However, there are some churches that are very similar in organization to Protestants, but, in fact, are not. The latter, for example, include Jehovah's Witnesses.
But in view of the confusion and uncertainty of their teaching, as well as the contradiction of early statements with later ones, this movement cannot be unambiguously attributed to any direction.
Jehovah's Witnesses do not perceive Christ, the Trinity, the cross, or icons. They consider the main and only God, whom they call Jehovah, like the medieval mystics. Some of their provisions echo Protestant ones. But such a coincidence does not make them supporters of this Christian movement.
Thus, in this article we have figured out who Protestants are, and also talked about the situation of different branches in Russia.
Good luck to you, dear readers!
One of the main modern trends in Christianity is Protestantism, a teaching that actually opposes the official Catholic Church, and today we intend to talk about this in more detail, having examined its main ideas, essence, principles, and philosophy of Protestantism, as one of the most widespread religious teachings in the world today.
Having emerged as an independent movement, Protestantism, together with Catholicism and Orthodoxy, became one of the three main directions in Christianity.
What is Reformation in Christianity?
Sometimes Protestantism is called the reformers, the movement of reformation, or even the revolutionaries of Christianity, for their ideas that man himself should be responsible for himself, and not the Church.
Protestant reformers believe that, after the split of Christianity into Catholics and Orthodoxy, the Christian Church turned into officials who moved away from the original teaching of the Apostles, but rather began to earn money from parishioners and increase its influence in society and on politicians.
The history of the emergence of Protestantism
It is believed that Protestantism appeared in Europe in the 16th century as opposition to the Roman Catholic Church. The teachings of Protestants are sometimes called the Reformation, since Protestants decided that Catholics had moved away from the principles of true Christianity, based on the teachings of the apostles.
The emergence of Protestantism is associated with Martin Luther, born in Saxony. And it is he who is considered the initiator of the Reformation, who opposed the sale of indulgences by the Roman Catholic Church. By the way, it has already been cancelled, perhaps thanks to him.
Indulgence among Catholics
In the modern Catholic Church, it is accepted that one can be freed from sins if one repents during the sacrament of confession. But during the Renaissance or Renaissance, sometimes indulgences were simply given out for money.
Seeing what the Catholics had come to, Martin Luther began to openly oppose this, and also argued that Christianity needed to be urgently and significantly reformed.Principles of Protestantism and the Protestant Faith
Religious principles in Protestantism are expressed as the theology or statement of faith of the Reformation, that is, the transformation of Catholic Christianity. These principles include the following:
- God's Word is found only in the Bible and therefore the Bible is the only source and document for a believer;
- No matter what actions a person does - forgiveness can only be earned by faith, but not by money;
- Salvation in Protestantism is generally viewed as God's grace is not the merit of man, but a gift from God for the sake of Jesus Christ and for the people living on earth. And salvation, according to the Bible, is the deliverance of a person from his sins and, accordingly, from grave consequences, namely from death and hell. And it says that salvation is possible because of the manifestation of God's love for man;
- The Church cannot even be a mediator between God and man. And the only mediator is Christ. And therefore salvation is possible not through faith in the church, but through faith in Jesus and in God directly;
- One can only worship God, since salvation comes only through him. Therefore, just as a person believes in the atonement of sins through Jesus, so faith in God is also salvation;
- Any believer can and has the right to expound and interpret the word of God.
Basic ideas of Protestantism
All the main ideas of Protestantism began with Martin Luther, when he began to oppose the indulgences of the Roman Catholic Church, when remission of sins was sold for money and for each crime there was a fee or price.Himself Martin Luther argued that forgiveness of sins is not performed by the Pope, but by God. Also in Protestantism, the idea that the Bible is the only source of the teachings of Christianity is seriously affirmed.
As a result, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church, which led to a split in the Church into Catholics and Protestants ( Lutherans) and contributed to the emergence of many wars on religious grounds.
Supporters or followers of Martin Luther began to be called Protestants, after they came to his defense. This happened after the Speyer Reichstag (the highest legislative authority of the Roman Church) declared Martin Luther a heretic.
The Essence of Protestantism
At its core, the teachings of Protestantism are based, like Orthodoxy and Catholics, on faith in One God, as well as on the Bible as the only source of the teachings of Christianity.
Protestants recognize the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and his death for human sins. They also have faith in the resurrection of Jesus after his death.
And they are waiting for the messiah or the return of Christ in the flesh in the future. Lutherans in the 20th century even managed to achieve a ban on teaching Charles Darwin's theory in some US states, as “anti-divine”.
Philosophy of Protestantism
The philosophy of Protestantism is based on the reformation of Roman Catholicism, which is considered to have departed from the true teachings of the Bible.
In addition, the Catholic Church in the West owned up to 1/3 of the cultivated land, where the labor of serfs, that is, practically slaves, was used. And Protestantism emphasizes personal responsibility to God and society, and also does not approve of slavery.
In England, Lutherans even demanded the destruction of the Papal system of power. Thus, the famous Lutheran John Wycliffe argued that the Roman Church after the schism moved away from the true teaching. And he said that Jesus Christ, and not the Pope, is the head of the church and the authority for the believer is the Bible, not the Church.
Supporters of Protestantism
The Lutheran Reformation was supported by peasants, who were practically ruined by church tithes, as well as artisans, subject to excessive taxes.
Protestantism rejects all the decisions of the Pope and all his decrees, claiming that the Holy Teaching or the Bible alone is sufficient. At one time, Martin Luther even publicly burned one of the papal decrees.
Naturally, soon after the discontent towards large church business with a turnover of tens, if not hundreds of billions of dollars a year, persecution of Protestants began, and although Martin Luther himself was not harmed, still two Protestant monks were burned. The philosophy of the Lutherans was already used in their own way by the masses in their knightly and peasant wars.
Later, Martin Luther wrote two books for Protestant supporters: one for pastors, which tells how to preach correctly, and the other for ordinary believers, which outlined the Ten Commandments, the Creed and the Lord's Prayer.
Directions in Protestantism
One of the well-known trends in Lutheranism is Evangelicalism- this includes Mennonites And Baptists. This is how the Gospels are known in Russia Baptists, Pentecostals And Prokhanovites.The basic principles of Evangelicalism include the affirmation of the Bible as the only statement of God, as well as active missionary activity.
Also among the directions in Protestantism can be attributed fundamentalism, Liberalism And Dialectical theology. All of them are based on the Bible - as the only teaching from God.
Features of the teachings of Protestantism
Protestants have common ideas with other traditions of Christianity, such as the One God, the Trinity, Heaven and Hell, and also recognize the sacraments of Baptism and Communion.
But on the other hand, there is no tradition of prayers for the dead and prayers to the saints, as is the case with Catholics or Orthodox Christians.
Any premises can be used for Protestant worship services, and it is based on preaching, prayer and psalm singing.
Number of Protestants
Protestantism is considered the second largest in the number of believers in Christianity and has up to 800 million people. Protestantism is widespread in 92 countries around the world.
Conclusion
Needless to say, Martin Luther managed to spread his teaching, which he had always dreamed of. And perhaps Protestants went deeper, towards the personal freedom of each person, in contrast to the more traditional church and commercial Christianity.
And yet, God still appears as something external to man. And for some reason everyone passes by the main thing - by God, and “God is Love,” as Jesus Christ said.After all, if God is Love, then it is invisible, it can only be felt, it simply exists. I Am is that I Am. Love is being itself, it is love for everyone, it really is something that even Protestants should not forget about with their desire to reform only the external part of this teaching, in fact, just like love for nature and everything else.
I hope for further meetings on our portal of Training and Self-Development, where we have already written not only about the philosophy, essence, ideas of the Protestant Church and Protestants, but also about other types of Christianity, for example, you can or about.
Portal:Christianity
Scripture is declared to be the sole source of doctrine. The Bible was translated into national languages, its study and application in own life has become an important task for every believer. The attitude towards the Holy Tradition is ambiguous - from rejection, on the one hand, to acceptance and veneration, but, in any case, with a reservation - Tradition (as, indeed, any other doctrinal opinions, including your own) is authoritative, since it is based on Scripture , and to the extent that it is based on Scripture. It is this reservation (and not the desire to simplify and cheapen the cult) that is the key to the refusal of a number of Protestant churches and denominations from this or that teaching or practice.
Protestants teach that original sin corrupted human nature. Therefore, a person, although he remains fully capable of good deeds, cannot be saved by his own merits, but only by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
Organization
Every Christian, being chosen and baptized, receives “dedication” to communicate with God, the right to preach and perform divine services without intermediaries (the Church and the clergy). In Protestantism, the dogmatic distinction between priest and layman is thus removed, and the church hierarchy is simplified. Confession and absolution are not sacraments, but repentance directly before God is very important. Celibacy, as well as compulsory marriage for priests and pastors, are not regulated in any way. Protestantism also rejected the authority of the Pope and abandoned the idea of monasticism as a special field of salvation. The principle of universal priesthood laid the foundation for the democratic structure of communities (equality of laity and clergy, election, accountability, etc.).
In practice, priests and pastors usually undergo special training and are professionals. Hierarchy, in one form or another (formally or informally), exists at least to maintain order. Monasteries may also exist in the form of communes.
Rituals
Protestantism limited the number of Sacraments, leaving only Baptism and Communion. In addition, Protestants do not see much meaning in prayers for the dead, prayers to saints and numerous holidays in their honor. At the same time, respect for saints is respectful - as examples of righteous life and good teachers. The veneration of relics is generally not practiced as being inconsistent with Scripture. The attitude towards the veneration of images is ambiguous: from rejection as idolatry, to the teaching that the honor given to the image goes back to the prototype (determined by the acceptance or non-acceptance of the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils).
Protestant houses of worship, as a rule, are free from magnificent decoration, images and statues, which, however, is not an end in itself, and stems from the belief that such decoration is not necessary. A church building can be any structure that is leased or purchased on equal terms with secular organizations. Protestant worship centers on preaching, prayer, and the singing of psalms and hymns in national languages. Some churches, for example, Lutheran, pay a lot of attention to the sacrament, admission to which may require confirmation.
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Main article: History of Protestantism
The original forms of Protestantism were Lutheranism, Zwinglianism, Calvinism, Anabaptism, Mennoniteism, and Anglicanism. Subsequently, a number of other movements emerged - Baptists, Adventists, Methodists, Quakers, Pentecostals, the Salvation Army and a number of others. The formation of most of these movements took place under the sign of “religious revivalism” (revivalism), a return to the ideals of early Christianity and the Reformation. All differ from Old or Liturgical Protestantism in their preference for free preaching and active evangelistic missionary activity.
Theology
The theology of Protestantism went through a number of stages in its development. This is the orthodox theology of the 16th century. (Martin Luther, J. Calvin, F. Melanchthon), non-Protestant or liberal theology of the 18th-19th centuries. (F. Schleiermacher, E. Troeltsch, A. Harnack), “theology of crisis”, or dialectical theology that appeared after the First World War (K. Barth, P. Tillich, R. Bultmann), radical, or “new” theology, which spread after the Second World War (D. Bonhoeffer).
The final formation of Protestant theology occurred by the middle of the 17th century, and is set out in the following religious documents of the Reformation:
- Heidelberg Catechism 1563 (Germany)
- Book of Concord 1580 (Germany)
- Canons of the Synod of Dort 1618-1619 (Dordrecht, Netherlands)
- Westminster Confession of Faith 1643-1649 (Westminster Abbey, London, UK).
A characteristic feature of classical Protestant theology is a very strict attitude towards what is considered essential - faith, sacraments, salvation, doctrine of the church, and a less strict attitude towards the external, ritual side of church life (adiaphora), which often gives rise to a wide variety of forms while maintaining rigor teachings.
Later movements often develop their own teachings, which are only partially correlated with the classical theological heritage. For example, Adventists accept the prophecies of Helen White. Pentecostals, unlike other Christians, pay very significant attention to “speaking in other tongues” (glossolalia), considering this a sign of the “Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”
Spread of Protestantism
Currently, Protestantism is most widespread in the Scandinavian countries, the USA, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Canada, and Switzerland. The United States is rightfully considered the world center of Protestantism, where the headquarters of Baptists, Pentecostals, Adventists and some other Protestant churches and denominations are located. Modern Protestantism is characterized by a desire for integration, which was expressed in the creation in 1948 of the World Council of Churches.
Protestantism is one of the few religions rapidly spreading throughout the world these days. To date, 15-20% of the population of Brazil, 15-20% of the population of Chile, about 20% of the population of South Korea have adopted Protestantism. According to Sabri Khizmetli, a member of the Eurasian Islamic Council of Kazakhstan, over 500 thousand Muslims in Central Asia have converted to Protestantism over the past 15 years.
Relations with other faiths, intra-church discussions and atheistic views
From the Orthodox and Catholics
Protestantism has been debated by other Christians since its inception.
The main points of disagreement or criticism of Protestantism on the part of Orthodox and Catholics. Arguments of Protestantism supporters are highlighted italics.
Creed
Orthodox and Catholics consider the most fundamental flaw of Protestant doctrine to be the denial of the role of Sacred Tradition, which it has in Orthodoxy and Catholicism. In their opinion, thanks to the Holy Tradition, the Holy Fathers selected (from many dubious apocryphal books) a list (canon) of inspired books of the New Testament. In other words, Protestants use a set of canons, but deny the traditions according to which they were adopted. Protestants themselves deny the role of Holy Tradition in the formation of the canon, believing that it was formed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
The teaching of Protestantism that only faith and the grace of God is sufficient for salvation is rejected by Catholics and Orthodox Christians.
Organization
According to many Orthodox and Catholics, Protestantism does not have an unbroken apostolic succession. The absence of apostolic succession is not recognized by Protestants themselves; for example, the Anglican Church and the Lutheran churches of all Scandinavian states have apostolic succession, since the churches in these countries were formed through the complete separation of local dioceses (together with bishops, priests and flocks) from the RCC. According to many Protestants, apostolic succession in itself is optional or mandatory, but not the only condition of the Church of God - there are cases when Orthodox bishops became schismatics and created their own churches (for example, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyiv Patriarchate).
Protestants do not recognize the acts of the Ecumenical Councils. De facto All Protestants recognize the decisions of the first two first Ecumenical Councils: the First Nicaea and the First Constantinople ( Mormons and Jehovah's Witnesses those who do not recognize them are not considered Christians by Protestants).
Most Protestants reject monasticism, icons, and the veneration of saints. Lutherans and Anglicans have monasteries; these confessions also do not deny saints and icons, but there is no veneration of icons in the form that is characteristic of Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Reformed Protestants deny monasticism and icons.
Lifestyle, ethics and morality
According to critics, the absence of rites and rituals reveals the Protestant religion as inferior, flawed and unstable, leads Protestantism to endless fragmentation into many denominations, and the spirit of rationalism to complete atheism (which developed precisely in predominantly Protestant countries. Protestant rational collectivism neglects obedience to God and is expressed in sinful and shameful people-pleasing, for example: Protestants in Western Europe marry homosexuals, allow abortion, drugs, euthanasia (suicide), etc.
These phenomena are now increasingly becoming the norm in developed countries The West is exerting an increasingly strong corrupting influence on church life in those countries (there is even a corresponding term for these manifestations - “secularization of the Church”). There are more and more such “Protestant” churches in Western society every year. However, this is already marginal Protestantism, which has nothing in common either with classical Protestantism or with Christianity in general. “By their fruits you will know them.” Nowadays, even some classical Protestant churches are marginalized, for example, the Lutheran Church of Sweden (which, as mentioned above, has apostolic succession) approves of same-sex marriage. The Protestant churches of the CIS and Baltic states are much more conservative in these matters; modern Western trends have affected them to a lesser extent.
Atheistic view
Protestant churches are also often criticized by atheists and representatives of traditional faiths for obsessive self-promotion and proselytism. Although proselytism is condemned by the World Council of Churches, in practice, missionaries of some Protestant churches actively promote their beliefs among representatives of traditional faiths. For example, the already mentioned pastor of the New Generation Church A.S. Ledyaev, while formally tolerant of the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, in his sermons and speeches regularly harshly criticizes Orthodoxy, often stooping to banal attacks on the Orthodox Church; He also repeatedly called himself an apostle and called for building a society where every area of life would be led by people of a certain confession; During the voting for the best figures of Latvia, he invited residents of other countries to vote for himself. Naturally, such behavior of a famous Protestant pastor inevitably becomes the object of countercriticism. A representative of another current of Protestantism, Baptist Tom Karl Wheeler, in his book “Pseudo-Christianity,” points out that “the creeds of such large ecumenical groups as liberal Protestantism in the World Council of Churches, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox (Russian and Greek) churches contradict the basic fundamental doctrines of the Holy Scriptures,” thereby actually equating the named Christian churches (including Protestant ones, which are part of the WCC) to pseudo-Christian religious organizations.
Mass “evangelization” or crusades, conducted by some famous Protestant ministers, notably the American preacher Benny Hinn.
Consistent critics of the proselytizing methods of Protestants and Protestantism in general are A. I. Osipov (Russian theologian) and A. L. Dvorkin (anti-cultist, sectologist, activist).
From human rights organizations
Currently, it is mainly conservative Protestant churches (including the New Generation Church) that are being criticized by human rights societies that prohibit
How many Protestants? Protestantism ranks second among world movements of Christianity in terms of the number of followers after Catholics (over 600 million people; according to some sources, about 800 million people). In 92 countries, Protestantism is the largest Christian denomination, in 49 of them Protestants make up the majority of the population. In Russia, Protestants make up about 1% of the population (1.5 million people).
Where did the term come from? The term “Protestants” arose in Germany at the Speyer Reichstag of 1529, at which it was proposed to reverse the decision of the previous Reichstag that princes and so-called. Imperial cities have the right to choose their religion until the convening of a pan-German council. Supporters of the Reformation did not agree with this and, having drawn up a protest document, left the meeting. Those who signed the protest began to be called Protestants. Subsequently, this term began to be applied to all followers of the Reformation.
What do Protestants believe? Protestantism is based on five “onlys”:
- a person is saved by faith alone (“by faith alone”, sola fide)
- one should believe in only one Mediator between God and man - Christ (“only Christ”, solus Christus);
- a person gains faith in Him only through the mercy of God (“grace alone,” sola gratia);
- a person does good deeds only by the grace of God and only for God, therefore all the glory should belong to Him (“Glory to God alone,” soli Deo gloria);
- The only authority in matters of faith is the Holy Scriptures (“Scripture alone,” sola Scriptura).
Who are considered Protestants? Protestantism, having emerged as a combination of different movements, was never united. Its largest movements include Lutheranism, Calvinism and Anglicanism, which are commonly called “classical” Protestantism or the first wave of the Reformation. Other independent denominations that arose in the 17th-19th centuries are associated with them. (second wave of the Reformation), which differ from each other in dogma, cult and organization: Baptists, Quakers, Mennonites, Methodists, Adventists, etc. Pentecostalism, which appeared in the twentieth century, is classified as the third wave of the Reformation.
And who is not included? Jehovah's Witnesses, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days (Mormons), the Christian Science Society, the Church of Christ (Boston Movement), which are genetically related to Protestantism, but in their ideological development have gone far beyond its framework (as well as Christianity in general), are usually classified as new religious movements.
How to deal with confessions, when did they arise and what do they believe in? Let's look at the history of Protestantism one by one. Having spoken in 1517 in Wittenberg with 95 theses against indulgences, Luther laid the foundation for the process of the Reformation and a new confession - Lutheranism. Subsequently, Luther's teaching on justification by faith, which became the cornerstone of Protestantism as a whole, caused a wide resonance in society and condemnation from the papacy; in 1521, Luther was excommunicated by a papal bull. Luther's special attitude to Scripture (his great contribution to culture was his translation of the Bible into German), especially the New Testament texts as the main authority, was the reason for calling his followers Evangelical Christians (later this term became synonymous with the word “Lutherans”).
The second major center of the Reformation arose in Switzerland among the followers of the Zurich priest Ulrich Zwingli. Zwingli's doctrine had common features with Lutheranism - reliance on Scripture, sharp criticism of scholastic theology, the principles of “justification by faith” and “universal priesthood” (denial of the ordained priesthood as a mediator for human salvation, the priesthood of all believers). The main difference was a more rationalistic interpretation of the Eucharist and a more consistent criticism of church rituals. From the mid-1530s. the development of reformation ideas and their implementation in Switzerland are associated with the name of John Calvin and his activities in Geneva. The followers of Calvin and Zwingli began to be called Calvinists. The main provisions of Calvin's teaching are the doctrine of predestination to salvation and the inextricable connection between the state and the church.
The third major movement of Protestantism, Anglicanism, emerged during the reformation changes in the Church of England, initiated by King Henry VIII. Parliament in 1529–1536 adopted a number of documents that formed a national church independent from Rome, subordinate to the king from 1534. The main ideologist of the English Reformation was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer. The implementation of the Reformation “from above”, the compromise nature of the reforms (a combination of the provisions of the Catholic Church and Calvin), the preservation of the church hierarchy with the apostolic succession of ordinations allow Anglicanism to be considered the most moderate Protestant movement. Anglicanism is ideologically divided into the so-called. the high church (which advocates the preservation of pre-Reformation worship), the low church (close to Calvinists), and the broad church (which advocates Christian unity and distances itself from doctrinal disputes). The Church of England is called Episcopalian, usually outside the UK.
From the second half XVI V. Differences in Protestant theory and practice gave rise to the formation of various currents in the Reformation movement. In Calvinism, there was a division based on the principle of organizing communities into Presbyterians (governed by an elective consistory headed by an elder) and Congregationalists (who proclaimed the complete autonomy of communities). Communities that, unlike Presbyterians, recognize episcopacy, and unlike Congregationalists, centralized government, began to be called Reformed. Puritans appeared in England, advocating purification Church of England from the Catholic heritage in the spirit of Calvin's ideas. The Spanish theologian Miguel Servetus, who polemicized with Calvin, became one of the first preachers of Unitarianism, a doctrine that rejects the dogma of the Trinity and the God-manhood of Jesus Christ. In the second half of the 16th century. Unitarianism spread to Poland, Lithuania, and Hungary in the 17th century. - in England, in the 19th century. - in the USA.
The Reformation found broad support from all layers of European society; representatives of the lower classes were given the opportunity to express social protest with an appeal to the biblical commandments. In Germany and Swiss Zurich, Anabaptists began actively preaching about the establishment of social justice in society, whose doctrinal features included the requirement to baptize only adults and not take up arms. Subjected to severe persecution from both Catholics and “classical” Protestants, the Anabaptists fled to Holland, England, the Czech Republic, Moravia (Hutterites), and later to North America. Some Anabaptists merged with the followers of the so-called. Moravian Church (followers of Jan Hus, a preacher who lived in the 15th century) and in the 18th century. formed the Herrnhuter community. The most famous Anabaptist denomination is Mennoniteism (1530), named after its founder, the Dutch priest Menno Simons, whose followers emigrated as a sign of social protest. From the Mennonites in the second half of the 17th century. The Amish separated. Influenced by the ideas of the Anabaptists and Mennonites in the mid-17th century. Quakerism appeared in England, distinguished by the doctrine of the “inner light,” unusual for the 17th century. social ethics(denial of social hierarchy, slavery, torture, death penalty, uncompromising pacifism, religious tolerance).
For Protestant theology of the 17th–18th centuries. The characteristic idea is that the church should consist only of consciously converted people who have experienced a personal encounter with Christ and active repentance. In “classical” Protestantism, the exponents of this idea were the Pietists (from the word pietas - “piety”) in Lutheranism and the Arminians (who proclaimed free will) in Calvinism. At the end of the 17th century. In Germany, the closed community of Dankers emerged from the Pietists into a separate denomination.
In 1609, in Holland, from a group of English Puritans, a community of followers of John Smith was formed - Baptists, who borrowed the Anabaptist doctrine of adult baptism. Subsequently, the Baptists were divided into “general” and “private” ones. In 1639, Baptistism appeared in North America and is now the largest Protestant denomination in the United States. The followers of Baptistism are famous preachers and writers: Charles Spurgeon (1834–1892), Martin Luther King, Billy Graham (born 1918).
The main feature of Methodism, which arose from Anglicanism in Great Britain in the beginning. XVIII century, is the doctrine of “sanctification”: a person’s free conversion to Christ takes place in two stages: first, God sanctifies a person with the righteousness of Christ (“justifying grace”), then gives him the gift of holiness (“sanctifying grace”). Methodism quickly spread, primarily in the USA and in English-speaking countries, thanks to its unique forms of preaching - mass open-air services, the institute of itinerant preachers, home groups, as well as annual conferences of all ministers. In 1865, the Salvation Army, which is international, appeared in Great Britain on the basis of Methodism. charitable organization. The Church of the Nazarene (1895) and the Wesleyan Church (1968) also emerged from Methodism, reproaching Methodism for excessive doctrinal liberalism.
Reformation processes also affected Orthodox Russia. In the XVII–XVIII centuries. among the Russians the so-called spiritual Christianity - Christovers (Khlysty), Doukhobors, Molokans, whose doctrine was partly similar to Protestant (in particular, the denial of icons, veneration of saints, rejection of ritual, etc.).
The Plymouth Brethren (Darbist) denomination, which appeared in Great Britain in the 1820s. from Anglicanism, adheres to the doctrine according to which the history of mankind is divided into sections. periods, in each of which the law of God characteristic of it operates (dispensationalism). In the 1840s. There was a split into “open” and “closed” Darbists.
Adventism began in the 1830s. in the USA based on the interpretation of biblical texts about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and the possibility of its accurate calculation. In 1863, the organization of the largest movement in Adventism was created - the Seventh-day Adventist Church. During World War I, reformist Adventists emerged, dissatisfied with the Adventists' partial abandonment of pacifism. Seventh-day Adventists are distinguished by their denial of the immortality of the soul and eternal torment (sinners will simply be destroyed during the Last Judgment), reverence of the Sabbath as the “seventh day” of service to God, recognition of the restoration of the gift of prophecy and visions through the founder of the church Ellen White, as well as a number of dietary prohibitions and regulations healthy lifestyle (“sanitary reform”).
A distinctive feature of the New Apostolic Church, which arose in the second half of the 19th century. in the UK, community-based so-called. Irvingians (a community that broke away from the Presbyterians) is the cult of “apostles” - church leaders, whose word is the same doctrinal authority as the Bible.
In the 19th century There has been a tendency towards the unification of Protestant churches. In the English-speaking world, this was facilitated by the so-called. Revivalism is a movement that called Christians to repentance and personal conversion. The result was the emergence of the Disciples of Christ (Church of Christ), the so-called. Evangelicals and United Churches. The Disciples of Christ (Church of Christ) appeared in the early 1830s. in the USA from Presbyterianism. This denomination included Protestants who proclaimed a complete rejection of any dogmas, symbols and institutions not specified in the New Testament. The disciples of Christ allow differences of opinion even on such important issues, like the Trinity, considering that this and many other dogmas are not accurately explained in Scripture. Evangelicals, who appeared in the United States in the 19th century, preach non-denominational personal conversion, “being born again” through the special action of God, changing the believer’s heart, faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and active missionary work. The conservative wing of the evangelicals created dispensationalism, the liberal wing created social evangelism (changing social reality in order to bring it closer to the Kingdom of God). Fundamentalism arose on the basis of evangelicalism (named after the series of brochures “Fundamentals” published in 1910–1915). Fundamentalists insisted on the absolute reliability of general Christian dogmas and a literalist reading of the Bible. T.N. Neo-evangelicalism emerged in the 1940s, bringing together those who criticized liberal evangelicals for their moral relativism and fundamentalism for their closed nature, and advocated active evangelism through modern means. Neo-evangelicalism gave birth to the so-called in the USA. megachurches are church organizations in which there is a “center” (the main church led by a leader who develops a style of worship and preaching, manuals for Sunday schools and social work, etc.) and “branches” (numerous church communities located in direct and strict subordination to the “center”).
In the middle of the XIX – beginning. XX centuries so-called appeared united churches as a result of the merger of different Protestant denominations - Lutherans, Anglicans, Reformed, Presbyterians, Methodists, Baptists, Quakers, etc. In most cases, the merger was voluntary, sometimes imposed by the state. The unifying basis of these churches is their historical involvement in the Reformation and doctrinal affinity. IN late XIX V. the so-called free churches are Protestant communities that exist independently of state Protestant churches.
Development of the theology of Protestantism in the 20th century. characterized by ideas that the mystical gifts of the ancient church should be returned to the church and that Christianity should be adapted to non-European cultures. So, at the beginning of the 20th century. from the Methodist group “Holiness Movement”, Pentecostalism was formed, which is characterized by the exclusive role in the church of the Holy Spirit, the gift of glossolalia (pronouncing specific sounds reminiscent of unknown languages during prayer), etc. In the 1960s–70s. Pentecostalism received a new impetus for development due to representatives of Christian denominations using Pentecostal practices. Under the influence of the so-called Pentecostalism in the 20th century. Distinctive Asian and African churches emerged, distinguished by a combination of Christian and pagan practices.
Oksana Kuropatkina
How did the separations happen?
The Orthodox Church has preserved intact the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to the apostles. But the Lord Himself warned His disciples that from among those who would be with them there would appear people who would want to distort the truth and muddy it with their own inventions: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.(Matt. 7:15).
And the apostles also warned about this. For example, the Apostle Peter wrote: you will have false teachers who will introduce destructive heresies and, denying the Lord who bought them, will bring upon themselves quick destruction. And many will follow their depravity, and through them the path of truth will be reproached... Having left the straight path, they have gone astray... the darkness of eternal darkness is prepared for them(2 Pet. 2, 1-2, 15, 17).
Heresy is understood as a lie that a person follows consciously. The path that Jesus Christ opened requires dedication and effort from a person so that it becomes clear whether he really entered this path with firm intention and love for the truth. It is not enough to just call yourself a Christian; you must prove with your deeds, words and thoughts, with your whole life, that you are a Christian. He who loves the truth, for its sake, is ready to renounce all lies in his thoughts and his life, so that the truth may enter into him, cleanse and sanctify him.
But not everyone embarks on this path with pure intentions. And their subsequent life in the Church reveals their bad mood. And those who love themselves more than God fall away from the Church.
There is a sin of action - when a person violates the commandments of God by deed, and there is a sin of mind - when a person prefers his lie to the Divine truth. The second is called heresy. And among those who called themselves different times Christians identified both people devoted to the sin of action and people devoted to the sin of mind. Both people resist God. Either person, if he has made a firm choice in favor of sin, cannot remain in the Church and falls away from it. Thus, throughout history, everyone who chose sin left the Orthodox Church.
The Apostle John spoke about them: They left us, but they were not ours: for if they were ours, they would have remained with us; but they came out, and through this it was revealed that not all of us(1 Jn. 2 , 19).
Their fate is unenviable, because the Scripture says that those who surrender heresies... will not inherit the Kingdom of God(Gal. 5 , 20-21).
Precisely because a person is free, he can always make a choice and use freedom either for good, by choosing the path to God, or for evil, by choosing sin. This is the reason that false teachers arose and those who believed them more than Christ and His Church arose.
When heretics appeared, introducing lies, the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church began to explain to them their errors and called on them to abandon fiction and turn to the truth. Some, convinced by their words, were corrected, but not all. And about those who persisted in lies, the Church pronounced its judgment, testifying that they were not true followers of Christ and members of the community of the faithful founded by Him. This is how the apostolic council was fulfilled: After the first and second admonition, turn away from the heretic, knowing that such a one has become corrupted and sins, being self-condemned(Tit. 3 , 10-11).
There have been many such people in history. The most widespread and numerous of the communities they founded that have survived to this day are the Monophysite Eastern Churches (they arose in the 5th century), the Roman Catholic Church (which fell away from the Ecumenical Orthodox Church in the 11th century) and Churches that call themselves Protestant. Today we will look at how the path of Protestantism differs from the path of the Orthodox Church.
Protestantism
If any branch breaks off from a tree, then, having lost contact with the vital juices, it will inevitably begin to dry out, lose its leaves, become fragile and easily break at the first onslaught.
The same is evident in the life of all communities that separated from the Orthodox Church. Just as a broken branch cannot retain its leaves, so those who are separated from true church unity can no longer maintain their inner unity. This happens because, having left God’s family, they lose touch with the life-giving and saving power of the Holy Spirit, and that sinful desire to resist the truth and put themselves above others, which led them to fall away from the Church, continues to operate among those who have fallen away, turning already against them and leading to ever new internal divisions.
So, in the 11th century, the Local Roman Church separated from the Orthodox Church, and at the beginning of the 16th century, a significant part of the people already separated from it, following the ideas of the former Catholic priest Luther and his like-minded people. They formed their own communities, which they began to consider as the “Church”. This movement is collectively called Protestants, and their separation itself is called the Reformation.
In turn, Protestants also did not maintain internal unity, but began to divide even more into different currents and directions, each of which claimed that it was the real Church of Jesus Christ. They continue to divide to this day, and now there are already more than twenty thousand of them in the world.
Each of their directions has its own peculiarities of doctrine, which would take a long time to describe, and here we will limit ourselves to analyzing only the main features that are characteristic of all Protestant nominations and which distinguish them from the Orthodox Church.
The main reason for the emergence of Protestantism was a protest against the teachings and religious practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) notes, indeed, “many misconceptions have crept into the Roman Church. Luther would have done well if, having rejected the errors of the Latins, he had replaced these errors with the true teaching of the Holy Church of Christ; but he replaced them with his own errors; Some of Rome’s very important errors were fully followed, and some were strengthened.” “The Protestants rebelled against the ugly power and divinity of the popes; but since they acted on the impulse of passions, drowning in depravity, and not with the direct goal of striving for the holy Truth, they did not turn out to be worthy to see it.”
They abandoned the erroneous idea that the Pope is the head of the Church, but retained the Catholic error that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son.
Scripture
Protestants formulated the principle: “Scripture only,” which means that they recognize only the Bible as its authority, and they reject the Holy Tradition of the Church.
And in this they contradict themselves, because the Holy Scripture itself points to the need to honor the Holy Tradition coming from the apostles: stand and keep the traditions that you were taught either by word or by our message(2 Thess. 2 , 15), writes the Apostle Paul.
If a person writes some text and distributes it to different people, and then asks them to explain how they understood it, then it will probably turn out that someone understood the text correctly, and someone incorrectly, putting their own meaning into these words. It is known that any text has possible different options understanding. They may be true, or they may be wrong. The same is true with the text of Holy Scripture, if we tear it away from Holy Tradition. Indeed, Protestants think that Scripture should be understood the way anyone wants. But this approach cannot help to find the truth.
Here is how Saint Nicholas of Japan wrote about this: “Japanese Protestants sometimes come to me and ask me to explain some passage of Holy Scripture. “But you have your own missionary teachers—ask them,” I tell them. “What do they answer?” - “We asked them, they say: understand as you know; but I need to know the true thought of God, and not my personal opinion”... It’s not like that with us, everything is light and reliable, clear and solid - because we are apart from the Sacred We also accept the Holy Tradition from the Scriptures, and the Holy Tradition is the living, uninterrupted voice... of our Church from the time of Christ and His Apostles to this day, which will be until the end of the world. The whole of Holy Scripture is based on it.”
The Apostle Peter himself testifies that no prophecy in Scripture can be resolved by oneself, for prophecy was never pronounced by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit(2 Pet. 1 , 20-21). Accordingly, only holy fathers, moved by the same Holy Spirit, can reveal to man true understanding Words of God.
Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition form one inseparable whole, and have been so from the very beginning.
Not in writing, but orally, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to the apostles how to understand the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament (Luke 24:27), and they taught the same thing orally to the first Orthodox Christians. Protestants want to imitate the early apostolic communities in their structure, but in the early years the early Christians had no New Testament scriptures at all, and everything was passed on from mouth to mouth, like tradition.
The Bible was given by God for the Orthodox Church; it was in accordance with the Holy Tradition that the Orthodox Church at its Councils approved the composition of the Bible; it was the Orthodox Church, long before the appearance of Protestants, that lovingly preserved the Holy Scriptures in its communities.
Protestants, using the Bible, which was not written by them, not collected by them, not preserved by them, reject the Holy Tradition, and thereby close to themselves the true understanding of the Word of God. Therefore, they often argue about the Bible and often come up with their own, human traditions that have no connection either with the apostles or with the Holy Spirit, and fall, according to the word of the apostle, into empty deception, according to human tradition..., and not according to Christ(Col. 2:8).
Sacraments
Protestants rejected the priesthood and sacred rites, not believing that God could act through them, and even if they left something similar, then only the name, believing that these were only symbols and reminders of those left in the past historical events, and not a holy reality in itself. Instead of bishops and priests, they got themselves pastors who have no connection with the apostles, no succession of grace, as in the Orthodox Church, where every bishop and priest has the blessing of God, which can be traced from our days to Jesus Christ Himself. The Protestant pastor is only a speaker and administrator of the life of the community.
As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) says, “Luther... passionately rejecting the lawless power of the popes, rejected the legal one, rejected the episcopal rank itself, the consecration itself, despite the fact that the establishment of both belonged to the apostles themselves... rejected the Sacrament of Confession, although all Holy Scripture testifies that it is impossible to receive remission of sins without confessing them.” Protestants also rejected other sacred rites.
Veneration of the Virgin Mary and saints
The Most Holy Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the human race of the Lord Jesus Christ, prophetically said: from now on all generations will please Me(OK. 1 , 48). This was said about the true followers of Christ - Orthodox Christians. And indeed, from then until now, from generation to generation, all Orthodox Christians have venerated the Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin Mary. But Protestants do not want to honor and please her, contrary to Scripture.
The Virgin Mary, like all saints, that is, people who have followed the path of salvation opened by Christ to the end, have united with God and are always in harmony with Him.
The Mother of God and all the saints became the closest and most beloved friends of God. Even a person, if his beloved friend asks him for something, will definitely try to fulfill it, and God also willingly listens and quickly fulfills the requests of the saints. It is known that even during his earthly life, when they asked, He certainly responded. So, for example, at the request of the Mother, He helped the poor newlyweds and performed a miracle at the feast to save them from shame (John 2:1-11).
Scripture reports that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for with Him all are alive(Luke 20:38). Therefore, after death, people do not disappear without a trace, but their living souls are maintained by God, and those who are holy retain the opportunity to communicate with Him. And Scripture directly says that departed saints turn to God with requests and He hears them (see: Rev. 6:9-10). Therefore, Orthodox Christians revere Holy Virgin Mary and other saints and turn to them with requests that they intercede before God for us. Experience shows that many healings, deliverances from death and other help are received by those who resort to their prayerful intercession.
For example, in 1395, the great Mongol commander Tamerlane with a huge army went to Russia to capture and destroy its cities, including the capital, Moscow. The Russians did not have enough strength to resist such an army. Orthodox residents of Moscow began to earnestly ask the Most Holy Theotokos to pray to God to save them from the impending disaster. And so, one morning Tamerlane unexpectedly announced to his military leaders that they needed to turn the army around and go back. And when asked about the reason, he answered that at night in a dream he saw great mountain, on top of which stood a beautiful shining woman who ordered him to leave the Russian lands. And, although Tamerlane was not Orthodox Christian, out of fear and respect for the holiness and spiritual power of the appeared Virgin Mary, he submitted to Her.
Prayers for the dead
Those Orthodox Christians who during their lifetime were unable to overcome sin and become saints do not disappear after death either, but they themselves need our prayers. Therefore, the Orthodox Church prays for the dead, believing that through these prayers the Lord sends relief for the posthumous fate of our deceased loved ones. But Protestants do not want to admit this either, and refuse to pray for the dead.
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The Lord Jesus Christ, speaking about his followers, said: the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days(Mark 2:20).
The Lord Jesus Christ was taken away from His disciples the first time on Wednesday, when Judas betrayed Him and the villains captured Him to take Him to trial, and the second time on Friday, when the villains crucified Him on the Cross. Therefore, in fulfillment of the words of the Savior, Orthodox Christians have observed fasting every Wednesday and Friday since ancient times, abstaining for the sake of the Lord from eating animal products, as well as from various types of entertainment.
The Lord Jesus Christ fasted for forty days and nights (see: Matt. 4:2), setting an example for His disciples (see: John 13:15). And the apostles, as the Bible says, with worshiped the Lord and fasted(Acts 13:2). Therefore, Orthodox Christians, in addition to one-day fasts, also have multi-day fasts, of which the main one is Lent.
Protestants deny fasting and fasting days.
Sacred images
Anyone who wants to worship the true God should not worship false gods, which are either invented by people or by those spirits who have fallen away from God and become evil. These evil spirits often appeared to people in order to mislead them and distract them from worshiping the true God to worship themselves.
However, having commanded the construction of the temple, the Lord, even in these ancient times, also commanded that images of cherubim be made in it (see: Ex. 25, 18-22) - spirits who remained faithful to God and became holy angels. Therefore, from the very first times, Orthodox Christians made sacred images of saints united with the Lord. In the ancients underground catacombs, where in the 2nd-3rd centuries Christians persecuted by pagans gathered for prayer and sacred rites, they depicted the Virgin Mary, the apostles, and scenes from the Gospel. These ancient sacred images have survived to this day. In the same way, in modern churches of the Orthodox Church there are the same sacred images, icons. When looking at them, it is easier for a person to ascend in soul to prototype, concentrate your efforts on prayer appeal to him. After such prayers in front of holy icons, God often sends help to people, and miraculous healings often occur. In particular, Orthodox Christians prayed for deliverance from Tamerlane’s army in 1395 at one of the icons of the Mother of God - the Vladimir icon.
However, Protestants, due to their error, reject the veneration of sacred images, not understanding the difference between them and between idols. This stems from their erroneous understanding of the Bible, as well as from the corresponding spiritual mood - after all, only someone who does not understand the difference between a holy and an evil spirit can fail to notice the fundamental difference between the image of a saint and the image of an evil spirit.
Other differences
Protestants believe that if a person recognizes Jesus Christ as God and Savior, then he already becomes saved and holy, and no special works are needed for this. And Orthodox Christians, following the Apostle James, believe that Faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself(James 2 , 17). And the Savior Himself said: Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven(Matt. 7:21). This means, according to Orthodox Christians, that it is necessary to fulfill the commandments that express the will of the Father, and thus prove one’s faith by deeds.
Also, Protestants do not have monasticism or monasteries, but Orthodox Christians do. The monks work zealously to fulfill all the commandments of Christ. And in addition, they take three additional vows for the sake of God: a vow of celibacy, a vow of non-covetousness (not having their own property) and a vow of obedience to a spiritual leader. In this they imitate the Apostle Paul, who was celibate, non-covetous and completely obedient to the Lord. Monastic path is considered higher and more glorious than the path of a layman - a family man, but a layman can also be saved and become a saint. Among the apostles of Christ there were also married people, namely, the apostles Peter and Philip.
When Saint Nicholas of Japan was asked at the end of the 19th century why, although the Orthodox in Japan have only two missionaries, and the Protestants have six hundred, nevertheless, more Japanese converted to Orthodoxy than to Protestantism, he replied: “It’s not about the people, but in teaching. If a Japanese, before accepting Christianity, thoroughly studies it and compares it: in the Catholic mission he recognizes Catholicism, in the Protestant mission he recognizes Protestantism, we have our teaching, then, as far as I know, he always accepts Orthodoxy.<...>What is this? Yes, that in Orthodoxy the teaching of Christ is kept pure and whole; We didn’t add anything to it, like Catholics, and didn’t subtract anything, like Protestants.”
Indeed, Orthodox Christians are convinced, as Saint Theophan the Recluse says, of this immutable truth: “What God has revealed and what He has commanded, nothing should be added to it, nor anything taken away from it. This applies to Catholics and Protestants. Those are adding everything, but these are subtracting... The Catholics have muddied the apostolic tradition. The Protestants set out to correct the matter - and made it even worse. Catholics have one pope, but Protestants have one pope, no matter the Protestant.”
Therefore, everyone who is truly interested in the truth, and not in their own thoughts, both in past centuries and in our time, certainly finds a way into Orthodox Church, and often even without any effort from Orthodox Christians, God Himself leads such people to the truth. As an example, here are two stories that happened recently, the participants and witnesses of which are still alive.
US case
In the 1960s, in the American state of California, in the cities of Ben Lomon and Santa Barbara, a large group of young Protestants came to the conclusion that all the Protestant Churches they knew could not be the real Church, since they assumed that after the apostles the Church of Christ had disappeared , and it was supposedly revived only in the 16th century by Luther and other leaders of Protestantism. But such a thought contradicts the words of Christ that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church. And then these young people began to study the historical books of Christians, from the earliest antiquity, from the first century to the second, then to the third, and so on, tracing the continuous history of the Church founded by Christ and His apostles. And so, thanks to their many years of research, these young Americans themselves became convinced that such a Church is the Orthodox Church, although none of the Orthodox Christians communicated with them or instilled in them such thoughts, but the history of Christianity itself testified to them this truth. And then they came into contact with the Orthodox Church in 1974, all of them, more than two thousand people, accepted Orthodoxy.
Case in Benin
Another story happened in West Africa, in Benin. In this country there were no Orthodox Christians at all, most of the inhabitants were pagans, a few professed Islam, and some were Catholics or Protestants.
One of them, a man named Optat Bekhanzin, suffered a misfortune in 1969: his five-year-old son Eric became seriously ill and suffered from paralysis. Bekhanzin took his son to the hospital, but doctors said that the boy could not be cured. Then the grief-stricken father turned to his Protestant “Church” and began attending prayer meetings in the hope that God would heal his son. But these prayers were fruitless. After this, Optat gathered some close people at his home, persuading them to pray together to Jesus Christ for Eric’s healing. And after their prayer a miracle happened: the boy was healed; it strengthened the small community. Subsequently, more and more miraculous healings occurred through their prayers to God. Therefore, more and more people came to them - both Catholics and Protestants.
In 1975, the community decided to form itself as an independent church, and the believers decided to pray and fast intensely in order to find out the will of God. And at that moment, Eric Bekhanzin, who was already eleven years old, received a revelation: when asked what they should call their church community, God answered: “My Church is called the Orthodox Church.” This greatly surprised the Benin people, because none of them, including Eric himself, had ever heard of the existence of such a Church, and they did not even know the word “Orthodox.” However, they called their community the “Orthodox Church of Benin”, and only twelve years later were they able to meet Orthodox Christians. And when they learned about the real Orthodox Church, which has been called that way since ancient times and dates back to the apostles, they all together, consisting of more than 2,500 people, converted to the Orthodox Church. This is how the Lord responds to the requests of all who truly seek the path of holiness leading to the truth, and brings such a person to His Church.
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov). The concept of heresy and schism.
St. Hilarion. Christianity or Church.
Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Lutheranism.