What Divides Catholics and Protestants?

What are the main differences between Catholics and Protestants? That's just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of Core Christianity. Well, happy Friday to you. This is Bill Meyer, along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. We are so thankful that you have joined us. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Our phone lines are open right now, and you can call us for the next 25 minutes or so with your question. Here's the number.

Make a note of this for future reference. It's 833-THE-CORE, 833-THE-CORE, or 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter accounts.

You can watch us live on YouTube and send us a message that way through our YouTube channel. And you can always email us your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com. First up today, let's go to Blake, who's calling in from Wood River, Illinois. Blake, what's your question for Adriel? My question was Proverbs chapter 8. It talks about a feminine deity, and I was confused because, you know, I have a Bible study and I just want to make sure I teach the people right, and it says that this individual was by God, was next to God, and so I just want to know who was that, and why is it explaining she and her?

Why is it using those words? Hey, Blake, I love that you're digging into the scriptures and teaching Bible studies. Proverbs chapter 8 talks about wisdom, and of course in Proverbs, I mean, Proverbs is a part of the wisdom literature. You have these beautiful pictures of what wisdom looks like. I mean, you know, throughout the book of Proverbs, wisdom is this very important theme, and here in Proverbs chapter 8, wisdom is personified as this woman, Lady Wisdom. We read in verse 22, the Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.

Ages ago I was set up at the first, before the beginning of the earth, when there were no depths, I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water. So wisdom being there at the very beginning, at the creation. Now in the very next chapter, you have kind of this contrast with, if you have wisdom personified as this woman in Proverbs chapter 8, and also in chapter 9, you have Lady Folly in Proverbs chapter 9, verses 13 and following.

The woman, Folly, is loud, she is seductive, and knows nothing. So what we have here is what you see in the wisdom literature, this sort of poetic language, personification. So I don't think that we have to say it's literally a person, it's just talking about the importance of wisdom, and ultimately the wisdom of God in creating the whole world. There have been some people throughout the history of the church who have tried to make a real close tie between wisdom as it's personified in Proverbs chapter 8, and Christ, the eternal word of the Father. We got to be careful if we draw too close of a tie there though, because the section I just read in Proverbs chapter 8 talks about wisdom as itself almost being a part of the creation of the Lord, part of the creation of the Lord, possess me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old. This was actually one of the texts of scripture that many of the ancient church fathers debated about, as there were discussions about the identity of Jesus Christ. And we know that Christ, the eternal word of the Father, was uncreated.

He always was, he's eternal. But in another sense, I think we do want to see Christ here in Proverbs chapter 8, insofar as the New Testament tells us very clearly, 1 Corinthians chapter 1 verse 30, you are in Christ who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that it is written, let the one who boasts boast in the Lord. So I would say, you know, just taking this as what it is, wisdom literature, personification of wisdom, and not necessarily feeling like you need to teach that this is specifically a person that is being defined here. Thank you so much for your question and hope that that encourages you and helps you as you continue to teach this. And Blake, thanks so much for listening to Core Christianity. We appreciate the fact that you're a regular listener and that you're digging into God's word on a regular basis and then teaching it to others. That is so exciting to us. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Here we are just about a week away from Halloween. And it seems like every year at this time, we start getting a lot of calls about Satan and demons and what kind of power does Satan have in our lives?

Well, we have a wonderful free resource we'd like to tell you about today. Yeah. And, you know, we do get a lot of these kinds of questions, Bill, you know. And so people are oftentimes, when they think about spiritual warfare, when they think about the devil, they're not approaching this from what the scriptures teach.

It's more of a sort of cultural, the stuff that you hear through media, that kind of a thing. So that's why we think it's really important to go back to the Bible to understand what the scriptures have to say about this. And so we have this resource called Can the Devil Read My Mind? It's a 70-page booklet that gives you just a thorough understanding of what the Bible says about Satan, demons, about spiritual warfare.

And it's yours for free. It's a free resource over at corechristianity.com. And, Adriel, this book also has some, I guess, practical ideas on how we can protect ourselves from satanic influence.

Yeah. One of the things I love, I mean, the third chapter of this booklet is titled Resisting the Devil. That's something that we're called to do as Christians. The New Testament says, resist the devil and he will flee. And so if you want some some just practical information, encouragement as to how to do that in your walk with the Lord, get a hold of this resource.

Again, it's called Can the Devil Read My Mind? Once again, it's absolutely free. You can download it by going to our website at corechristianity.com forward slash offers. That's corechristianity.com forward slash offers. And you can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833-843-2673.

That's 833-the-core. Well, let's go to Terri calling in from Millington, Tennessee. Terri, what's your question for Pastor Adriel?

Hi. I have a question about Bitcoin and cryptocurrency. I understand that they are good investments right now because they're projected to go up so much. But I wonder if it's scriptural to invest in cryptocurrency because of the one world government that's coming under the end of Christ and the one world economic system. Yeah, we were just talking about wisdom there and I think that this is a wisdom issue. I don't know that I would say it's, you know, scriptural or not scriptural in terms of thinking about how you're going to invest your resources. I wouldn't say, you know, on the basis of some passages in the New Testament where it talks about a world currency that, well, if you invest in something like cryptocurrency, then maybe you're contributing to that.

That's just speculation. I think, you know, this is a wisdom issue. You have to think through what does it look like to be a good steward of the money that God has given to me. Let me tell you one thing, friends, that you can never be worried about investing in because you're always going to get a great return. That's God's kingdom. Jesus said, right, lay up treasure for yourself, not where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up treasures for yourself that are really going to be enduring. And that's what it looks like when we invest in God's kingdom. And so this is a wisdom thing, Terry, I would say, as you think about the resources that God has given to you and what wise investments are, and you pray about that, you know, that's how you make these kinds of decisions. But with all of that in mind, just encouraging you to invest in the things that are eternal ultimately in the kingdom of Christ and those things which further the advancement of the gospel. So God bless you and appreciate your question.

Thanks so much, Terry. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. We'd love to get your question on the Bible or the Christian life doctrine, theology, how your Christian walk may intersect with today's cultural issues. Anything is open. You can give us a call right now.

833-THE-CORE is the number. Here's a question we received from one of our listeners named Melissa. Calling just to pretty much know the big differences from Catholic religion and Christian religion. Both my parents are Catholic, but I'm not quite sure how I would identify myself, either Christian or Catholic. So I just really want to know what the main differences are.

Thank you so much. Yeah, hey, Melissa, that's a great question and a question that I know a lot of people have, and there are some significant differences. You know, I have friends who are Roman Catholic who I love, who I appreciate chatting with them about the things of the Lord, and many who I believe, you know, they have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. And in terms of some of the similarities, you know, when we talk about things like the doctrine of God, the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, the incarnation, there's a lot of similarity there and stuff that we can be grateful for. But then there are also some significant differences between the theology of the Roman Catholic Church and what Protestant Christians, you know, from the time of the Reformation have generally held to and believed and embraced.

And those differences really extended to almost, I mean, just about everything else. You think of ecclesiology, that is church government, how the church is to be governed. You know, the Roman Catholic Church believes in the Pope, this sort of universal bishop or pastor over the entire church on earth who can even speak for God at certain points. And so this one sort of central figure, whereas in Protestant theology, you know, it's not the Pope or any man on earth who is the head of the church, it's Jesus Christ.

Jesus is the head of the church, the apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians chapter 12. So you have some of those differences with regard to church government, with regard to ecclesiology, you have differences with regard to worship. As a result of that, you think of what the worship service looks like, piety, what it looks like to grow in the Christian life. And you also, and this is probably one of the biggest differences, have a significant difference between how these two traditions, if you will, understand doctrines like the doctrine of soteriology, the doctrine of salvation, how is an individual right with God.

And this was especially one of the big sticking points during the time of the Reformation with men like Martin Luther and John Calvin. That question, how can I be right with God? What does it mean to be justified in the sight of a holy God? And in Protestant theology, historically, you know, justification is an act of God, this definitive act of God whereby he accepts us as righteous in his sight, not for anything that we do, not because we are inherently righteous, but solely because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, which is given to us, imputed to us, and received by faith alone.

It's a gift. The Apostle Paul in Romans chapter 4 talks about God not justifying the righteous, but sinners. We're sinners when we're justified. And in Catholic theology, justification as this part of soteriology, the doctrine of salvation is defined very differently. It's not a definitive act, this one-time thing where we're justified.

Rather, it's this process of inward renewal that starts at an individual's baptism, and it's something that an individual can also lose. You can be in Catholic theology justified and then lose your justification if you commit what they refer to as a mortal sin. You kind of go back and forth between the status of justified and not justified, whereas I would say, and historically Protestants would say, well, no, you're either justified or you aren't.

And if you're justified solely by the grace of God, you will also be sanctified by the Spirit of God, because the Spirit of God is working in you. And so those are some of the big differences that Catholics and Protestants have had since the time of the Reformation. And the important thing, and this was big during the time of the Reformation, is searching the scriptures. The Bible, the Word of God is our ultimate authority, and there's a tendency for all Christians and all traditions to drift from the Word of God. And so we need to continually go back to the Bible. And that's what I want to encourage you to do, Melissa, is to open up the scriptures, to be in a church where the Bible is faithfully taught, where the pastor gets up, he opens up the Word of God, and he teaches from the text. He's expositing God's Word, because that's what we need more than anything.

We need to hear the voice of the living God through his Word, and I pray that you will commit to doing that as you find a church, and as you grow in your own faith. Thanks. Great explanation, Adriel. But we have Pope Francis on line three. Yeah, I wish, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah, if he's listening. That would be a fascinating conversation.

If he's listening, 833-843-2673, Pope Francis. Yeah, no, I appreciate that question. And like I said, I have some dear friends who are Roman Catholic, and we talk about some of these differences. I think it's good. You can have healthy, charitable dialogue where you're respectful.

And being honest about the differences, not minimizing them, but going back to the biblical text. Amen. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. One of the ways you can engage with our program is through our YouTube channel. It's really cool. You can actually watch Adriel live in the studio during the show every day at 11 30 a.m. Pacific, which translates into 12 30 Mountain, 1 30 Central or 2 30 Eastern Time for that half hour. You can go to our YouTube channel, check out what Adriel is doing in the studio.

And you can also send us a question that way. In fact, we got one from Laureen, who's watching on YouTube right now. She says, Thank you for the show. It helps us draw closer to God. What does Jesus mean when he said we are the salt of the earth? How are we to be salt?

Hey, Laureen, thank you for that question. So this comes from the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, Chapter five in verse 13. Jesus said, You are the salt of the earth. But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?

It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. And you are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a stand and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. I think this this entire section helps us to understand this idea of being the salt of the earth a little bit better.

You know, I think it refers to the positive impact that the Church of Jesus Christ is going to have on the world around it. Salt, you know, in the ancient world, what it was used for, it was used to spice things up to make them better. I happen to like salt on my food, right?

It makes things better. It was also used for a number of other reasons. You think of medicinal reasons, you think of preserving food, for example, where you didn't have refrigeration like we do today.

You'd use salt to preserve things like meat. And so the Church, insofar as she's filled with the Holy Spirit proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, loving our neighbors, even our enemies, as Christ calls us to here in the same Sermon on the Mount, we're called to have that kind of impact on society, preserving it, bringing healing, making it better. It's not a sort of culture war, you know, us, you know, against them fighting against each other. No, we're to have a positive impact through the proclamation of the Gospel and through acts of charity, loving our neighbors. And historically, the Church has done just that, not always.

I mean, there are times where we've done better than other times. I think of during some of the ancient plagues that struck the Roman Empire, the Church, Christians were known by society because they were going out of their way to care for those who were sick. They were loving even those who were dying of the plague. And as a result, many were coming to faith and others were saying, wow, look at their good works and doing what verse 16 says, giving glory to the Father who is in heaven. And so we are, I mean, it's part of our identity as Christians, salt and light in this world, and Christ calls us to live as such. Thanks for that question.

Amen. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Let's go to Frank in Abilene, Kansas. Frank, what's your question for Adriel? So I got a pastor who tells me that I must speak in songs to have a salvation experience, because Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, you must be born of water and spirit, and the Greek for spirit right there is G1100, which is a naturally unacquired language, so what's your thoughts on that?

Yeah, a couple of things. Well, Frank, can I just follow up with you? Is this the pastor of the Church that you're a member at, or just some pastor online? No, he's a pastor that I go to the church, she's my friend, but I don't agree with him.

Yeah, yeah, me neither, I don't agree with him either. I think you should keep him as a friend, maybe find a different church, because the reality is, brother, that is just a gross misinterpretation of scripture, even of the, you know, the Greek language as well, I would say. A passage of scripture that makes it absolutely clear that not every believer is in a speaking tongue, and this is just saying, like, I know that there's a debate on whether or not the gift of tongues is a gift that the Lord is giving today. I happen to believe that it was a gift primarily associated with the days of the apostles, the early advancement of the Christian church, the gospel, but Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 makes it absolutely clear that even there, even assuming that the gift of tongues is around, the reality is not every Christian has the same gift. Paul says at the end of 1 Corinthians chapter 12, are all apostles, are all prophets, are all teachers, do all work miracles, do all possess gifts of healing, do all speak with tongues?

This is a rhetorical question, and he expects that the answer is no, of course not, because we're different parts of the body. The body is only healthy, local churches are only healthy, because each of us are gifted in different ways. We don't all have the same gift. You imagine a church that was just full of preachers, and that was the only gift that everybody had?

That would be a pretty unhealthy church. We're gifted in unique ways, in different ways, as members of the body of Christ, and when we come together we use our particular gifts for the building up of the whole. And so Paul right there in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 makes it absolutely clear that not every Christian would have the gift of tongues. But the other issue here is really adding to it sounds like the gospel, because the gospel says you're forgiven solely on the basis of Christ's work for you and by faith.

It's not, hey, you're forgiven if you do these things like speak in tongues. The book of Galatians is about this. You know, there were a group of Jewish believers who were saying, okay, if you really want to be a Christian, if you really want to be justified, yeah, that's great, you accepted Jesus, you have faith in him, but you also need to start following the ceremonial law. Otherwise you're not a part of the church.

You need to actually go and get circumcised like, you know, God told Abraham in Genesis chapter 17, you need to start obeying these food laws, so on and so forth. And Paul in the book of Galatians gives us one of the sternest warnings, rebukes, to that church in particular saying, look, this is not the gospel. This is a corruption of the gospel. They might call it a gospel, but it's adding to the gospel something else.

And so whether people are adding the ceremonial law or you need to speak in tongues, that's a problem. That's a corruption of the true gospel. And so I would say, brother, you know, we need to be in churches where the gospel is understood, where, I mean, we can get other things wrong, but let's not get the gospel wrong. And if our church is getting the gospel wrong, the most fundamental thing, the most basic thing, that's going to have horrible, horrible repercussions on our lives, because the message of the gospel is the most important thing for the Christian church. It is the treasure of the Christian church, and we're called to uphold it.

It's where we get our life from. And so the Bible is very clear about what the gospel is, and it's also very clear about the fact that not every believer, even if we assume that the gift of tongues was for today, that not every believer would have that gift. And so on the basis of those two things, I think that you shouldn't feel, you shouldn't feel bad about the fact that you don't speak in tongues. And you also shouldn't feel like, well, I must not be a Christian, I must not be saved, because this hasn't happened. The question for you is, have you turned to Christ, turned from your sin, turned to Jesus Christ and laid hold of him by faith? If you say Jesus is Lord in your heart, truly, I mean, Paul says in 1 Corinthians, you can't do that except by the Holy Spirit. So that's a sign that you have the Holy Spirit and continue to grow in your understanding of God's word and in a solid gospel preaching church.

God bless, Frank. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Here's an email we received, Adriel, from Selah. She says, how is the devil influencing us? Can he hear our thoughts?

Yeah, I don't think he can hear our thoughts. The devil is not omnipresent. I mean, there are demons out there that attack us as believers.

One of the things C.S. Lewis in his little book on spiritual warfare, the Screwtape letter says, he says this, and I think it's so good. He says, it's not always what the devil puts into our minds, it's what he keeps out of our minds.

And I think what he means by that is just the truth of God's word. We're really concerned a lot of times about those temptations that the devil is sending our way. Maybe sometimes they're from evil spirits, from fallen angels. A lot of times it just comes from us, our own sinful hearts.

James talks about this in the beginning of his epistle. Each person is drawn away when they're led astray, drawn away by their own sinful inclinations. Those temptations a lot of times rise up from within us and we want to blame those temptations on the devil. And so what we need more than anything is to fill our minds and our hearts with the truth of God's word, with what Christ has said in scripture, with faithful Bible teaching, prayer, you know, praying, committing ourselves to prayer, to Christian community. That's the stuff that the devil wants to keep out of our minds and that's oftentimes where he has the greatest victory. And again, just to plug the resource that we have and we've been offering for free over at corechristianity.com, because it's speaking to this very question, can the devil read my mind?

Get a hold of this resource, brothers and sisters. And what a great time we've been able to have together, you know, just talking about the Word of God, some of the differences between Christian traditions. But at the end of the day, getting back to the gospel again and again and again, what is that? It's not what we do. It's not whether or not we speak in tongues. It's what Christ did for us. Thanks for listening to Core Christianity. To request your copy of today's special offer, visit us at corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833, the core. When you contact us, please let us know how you've been encouraged by this program and be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's Word together.