What do Christians agree on?

[Tayla]

What do Christians agree on?

The things all Christians have in common:

1. Believe Nicene Creed
2. Accept the canon of scripture (with minor variations)
3. Believe the Trinity
4. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God
5. Believe there are spiritual beings both good and bad
6. Believe sin separates us from God and that Jesus was incarnated, died, and was resurrected to provide a way for us to restore our fellowship with God.

Am I missing anything?

 

[SpiritSong]

Our Methodist Hymnal has several versions of the Creed in it. I recall that one is called the Apostle's Creed. I don't know if the Nicene and the Apostle's Creeds are one and the same or not. I know one of our Creeds says that Jesus Descended into hell at one point, (after being buried). Our other Creeds do not say this.

 

[SpiritSong]

Apostles' Creed - Wikipedia

Here is some info on the Apostle's Creed.

 

[SpiritSong]

Nicene Creed - Wikipedia

And here is info on the Nicene Creed.

 

[SpiritSong]

Usually, in my church, Methodist, we recite the Apostle's Creed every Sunday. If that helps any?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

What do Christians agree on?

The things all Christians have in common:

1. Believe Nicene Creed
2. Accept the canon of scripture (with minor variations)
3. Believe the Trinity
4. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God
5. Believe there are spiritual beings both good and bad
6. Believe sin separates us from God and that Jesus was incarnated, died, and was resurrected to provide a way for us to restore our fellowship with God.

Am I missing anything?

I don't know that the Nicene Creed is something that ALL Christians believe, or is seen to be needed, in its fullest sense. There are those Christians in the Restorationist Movement who fully push the motto, "No Creed but the Bible."

Just sayin' ...I like your list, though.

Also, how about adding that we all believe that Jesus has to be "Lord" of our lives. Do you think that might need to be added? I can't imagine a Christian who says, "Jesus is my Savior, but I only have to do what I want to do."

 

[W2L]

What do christians disagree on? Is that list longer than the one in the OP?

 

[Anto9us]

Apostles' Creed and Nicene Creed are the top two

yes, one version says "He descended into hell..."

there are several more creeds in back of Methodist Hymnal
and about a year ago the young people WROTE THEIR OWN CREED
it was printed in the bulletin and we said it instead of Apostles one time;
they did very well

but there is sometimes little on which Christians agree

 

[Anto9us]

there is a forum here called NO CREED BUT CHRIST

yet CF policy is that Nicene Creed is the norm for belief here

 

[Anto9us]

i say what we disagree on is a bigger list -- end times views, OSAS vs OSnAS, Calvinism vs Arminianism, Catholics--Orthodox--Protestants, whether the charismaton gifts have "ceased"...

but now pretty much we just argue on message boards,
rather than burn each other at the stake

 

[St_Worm2]

i say what we disagree on is a bigger list -- end times views, OSAS vs OSnAS, Calvinism vs Arminianism, Catholics--Orthodox--Protestants, whether the charismaton gifts have "ceased"...

but now pretty much we just argue on message boards,
rather than burn each other at the stake

Hi Anto9us, while the list of disagreements may exceed in length the "list" of agreements given in the OP, I own and regularly use/recommend the Catechism of the Catholic Church (as a concise theology that does a great job of explaining most of the Christian faith anyway ) even though I am Reformed (a Calvinist). And while it's true that our "disagreements" about certain aspects of the Christian faith are hardly harmonizable, as I read through their VERY excellent and detailed Catechism, I find that conservative Protestants actually stand in perfect harmony with about 85-90% of what it teaches. So what we hold in common with one another actually exceeds what we differ on, IMHO anyway.

It just 'seems' like we disagree on more things than we agree on because the differences are all we ever seem to talk about around here

Yours and His,
David
p.s. - on the flip-side (so to speak), I had an ongoing email discussion with an EO priest (a forum friend) concerning salvation/the faith to see where we believe the same things and where we differ .. and why. The first thing I gave my friend to consider from the Protestant/Reformed side was the Shorter Catechism (which is in Q & A form) from our Confession (The Westminster Confession of Faith). He agreed with all of it, save two minor points which were not divisive.

I won't post the entire thing here, but in case anyone is interested, this is how it begins (and if you click on one of the "proof text" numbers below, or the link above, you will be taken to the entire Catechism):

WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM
WITH PROOF TEXTS​

Q. 1. What is the chief end of man?
A. Man’s chief end is to glorify God,[1] and to enjoy him forever.[2]

 

[~Anastasia~]

What do Christians agree on?

The things all Christians have in common:

1. Believe Nicene Creed
2. Accept the canon of scripture (with minor variations)
3. Believe the Trinity
4. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God
5. Believe there are spiritual beings both good and bad
6. Believe sin separates us from God and that Jesus was incarnated, died, and was resurrected to provide a way for us to restore our fellowship with God.

Am I missing anything?

The Nicene Creed was intended as the doctrinal/dogmatic "fence" that defined essential Christian beliefs at that time. I believe every part of it is true.

However ... there are various departures from it by some denominations - even some that might not acknowledge it. It's not for me to say if they are Christian or not as in "will God save them?" That's NOT my judgement to make.

Some deny the Virgin birth, based on translation issues. There are non-Trinitarians who are very serious about Christ. Many don't accept the real meaning of "I believe in one baptism for the forgiveness of sins" - that means baptism actually DOES something. I've even heard rumors from more modern scholars in some seminaries claiming the Resurrection didn't happen. (CF doesn't require a sacramental understanding regarding baptism, but they do enforce Trinitarianism.)

Anyway.

Sadly, it's really hard to pin down beliefs we ALL share, even if some if then might have only a small percentage of those who disagree.

As to what some might possibly disagree on - nearly everything, depending on who you want to count as Christian for the purpose of inquiry.

 

[dreadnought]

What do Christians agree on?

The things all Christians have in common:

1. Believe Nicene Creed
2. Accept the canon of scripture (with minor variations)
3. Believe the Trinity
4. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God
5. Believe there are spiritual beings both good and bad
6. Believe sin separates us from God and that Jesus was incarnated, died, and was resurrected to provide a way for us to restore our fellowship with God.

Am I missing anything?

You will find a lot of disagreement between liberals and conservatives. I believe one thing we all SHOULD agree on is that we should obey the God and Jesus when they are directly quoted.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Hi Anto9us, while the list of disagreements may exceed in length the "list" of agreements given in the OP, I own and regularly use/recommend the Catechism of the Catholic Church (as a concise theology that does a great job of explaining most of the Christian faith anyway ) even though I am Reformed (a Calvinist). And while it's true that our "disagreements" about certain aspects of the Christian faith are hardly harmonizable, as I read through their VERY excellent and detailed Catechism, I find that conservative Protestants actually stand in perfect harmony with about 85-90% of what it teaches. So what we hold in common with one another actually exceeds what we differ on, IMHO anyway.

It just 'seems' like we disagree on more things than we agree on because the differences are all we ever seem to talk about around here

Yours and His,
David

Ah, your assessment is much more optimistic (and no less accurate!) than mine.

I just wanted to acknowledge that. I was approaching it as "what do ALL Christians agree on?"

However, it's very true that almost all of us agree on a great deal. And if we take care in nderstanding each other in the words we use (for example, Orthodox use the word "salvation" to include a process including conversion, sanctification, through glorification, while Protestants mostly agree on the process but use "salvation" as we might speak of "conversion") ... then we often agree more than we might think we do.

God to see you, as always, my brother.

 

[St_Worm2]

...if we take care in understanding each other in the words we use (for example, Orthodox use the word "salvation" to include a process including conversion, sanctification, through glorification, while Protestants mostly agree on the process but use "salvation" as we might speak of "conversion") ... then we often agree more than we might think we do.

God to see you, as always, my brother.

Hey sister, that was the very first thing that, from the outset, my EO friend and I were determined to resolve, IOW, the differences in how we understand the various words/terms we use to describe certain aspects of our two faiths.

In fact, we are still looking at the word "grace", and what the EO and Protestants mean by it (the scope of the meaning of that particular word seems to be FAR greater among you EO than among us Protestants .. VERY interesting stuff )

 

[Anto9us]

StWorm2 -- the Catechism in THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER (Episcopal) is also very thorough, and one of the few places in Protestantism where prayer for the dead is affirmed...

Generally, I find Question and Answer catechisms very good,
whether Catholic, Reformed, Anglican or whatever

 

[BNR32FAN]

What do Christians agree on?

The things all Christians have in common:

1. Believe Nicene Creed
2. Accept the canon of scripture (with minor variations)
3. Believe the Trinity
4. The Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible word of God
5. Believe there are spiritual beings both good and bad
6. Believe sin separates us from God and that Jesus was incarnated, died, and was resurrected to provide a way for us to restore our fellowship with God.

Am I missing anything?

I think they actually only agree on numbers 4,5,&6. The addition of the Filioque began a disagreement in the Nicene Creed, there are disagreements about the cannon. The Hebrew Bible or Septuagint. Many Christians also disagree about the Trinity.

 

[St_Worm2]

Many Christians also disagree about the Trinity.

Individual Christians may choose to deny the doctrine of the Trinity, but there is no church or denomination existing within the pale of Christian orthodoxy that does (e.g
EOC, OCC, RCC, Protestants, Lutherans, Baptists, etc.).

 

[~Anastasia~]

Hey sister, that was the very first thing that, from the outset, my EO friend and I were determined to resolve, IOW, the differences in how we understand the various words/terms we use to describe certain aspects of our two faiths.

In fact, we are still looking at the word "grace", and what the EO and Protestants mean by it (the scope of the meaning of that particular word seems to be FAR greater among you EO than among us Protestants .. VERY interesting stuff )

I may have lost track of that conversation, if it's ongoing in TT? I should remember to have a look. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[Tayla]

Also, how about adding that we all believe that Jesus has to be "Lord" of our lives.

Yes, a good addition.