Why am I, as a Christian homeschool blogger/mama addressing this issue today? Could this be seen as divisive (perhaps)? My family has recently become more connected to Catholics in the area, both in instruction and in friendship. I want to emphasize that we as Christians, Protestants and Catholics alike, share a rich Catholic history and heritage. This cannot be ignored. At the same time, I want my children to be catechized in our own faith and Reformed Protestant beliefs and the differences we have from other beliefs, to include present-day Catholicism. So over the next couple of blog posts, I seek to emphasize how we are enriching our children and at the same time respecting and understanding the Catholic faith.

Reformed Protestant Christians hold to a number of theological and doctrinal beliefs that have their roots in Catholicism. By recognizing and respecting the rich Catholic tradition, Protestants can appreciate the shared heritage that has shaped Christianity as a whole. This respectful approach honors the common roots and acknowledges the foundational developments in theology, liturgy, and practice that both traditions have inherited. I believe it is helpful for Reformed Protestants to approach doctrinal disagreements with Catholics respectfully because Catholic history is also Protestant history. While I, as a Reformed Protestant certainly have doctrinal disagreements with Catholics, it’s important to approach these respectfully as our history is unified. In a future post, I will line up my Reformed beliefs and provide some free printable posters (The Five Solas, TULIP), while I believe in Truth (Sola Scriptura) before Unity, but today, I believe we can come together and respect and cherish our shared history.

Church history

The early disciples and apostles played a crucial role in spreading the Gospel and laying the foundation of the Christian Church, which later evolved into what we know today as the Catholic Church. After Jesus’ resurrection, He commanded His disciples to spread His teachings to all nations, a directive known as the Great Commission.

In the Book of Matthew, Jesus gave the Great Commission to His disciples with these words:

“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.'” (Matthew 28:18-20, ESV)

This mission gained momentum during Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended upon the apostles, empowering them to preach boldly.

“When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4, ESV)

Peter emerged as a leader, delivering a sermon that led to the conversion of about 3,000 people recorded in Acts 2:14-41. His efforts were instrumental in extending the Gospel to the Gentiles, particularly through his encounter with Cornelius (Acts 10).

The early church grew rapidly while spreading of the Gospel in Jerusalem despite facing persecution. The martyrdom of Stephen, as recorded in Acts 7, led to a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem. As a result, believers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, and they continued to preach the Gospel wherever they went. This scattering played a crucial role in spreading Christianity beyond Jerusalem.

Establishing and spreading the Gospel

Another pivotal figure was Saul turned Paul, initially a Jewish persecutor of Christians, who converted after an encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. Paul became a tireless missionary, establishing churches throughout the Roman Empire and writing many New Testament epistles that addressed theological issues and provided guidance on Christian living. Key churches were established, including in Antioch, which became a significant center for early Christianity and the base for Paul and Barnabas’s missionary work. Paul’s missionary journeys took him across Asia Minor, Greece, and eventually to Rome, where he founded numerous churches in cities like Ephesus, Philippi, Corinth, and Thessalonica. According to tradition, other apostles also spread the Gospel far and wide, with Thomas believed to have traveled to India and Andrew preaching around the Black Sea.

As the early church expanded, it faced the challenge of preserving and standardizing Christian teaching. This led to the formulation of creeds, with the Apostles’ Creed emerging as a foundational statement of Christian belief. Early Christians also faced persecution from Roman authorities, but the church continued to grow, often flourishing underground. Many early Christians, including apostles like Peter and Paul, were martyred for their faith, which only strengthened the resolve of the believers.

The Apostles’ Creed, a statement of Christian faith, developed gradually from the teachings and oral traditions of the apostles, with its origins dating back to the 2nd century for baptismal rites in the Roman Church. By the 4th century, the Old Roman Creed emerged, closely resembling the modern Apostles’ Creed. This Creed evolved over time, taking its near final form by the early 5th century, serving as a concise summary of apostolic teachings and a declaration of faith for converts.

The Early Church

The early church also confronted internal disputes over theological issues, such as the Arian controversy, which questioned the divinity of Jesus Christ. To address this and seek unity, Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. Bishops from across the Christian world gathered to resolve these disputes. The council produced the Nicene Creed, affirming the full divinity of Jesus Christ and establishing a foundational Christian doctrine that has endured across centuries.

By the time of the Apostles’ Creed and the Council of Nicaea, Christianity had spread extensively throughout the Roman Empire. The early church had developed a robust theological foundation that would guide it through subsequent centuries, firmly establishing the faith and its teachings. These developments are the foundation of the Catholic Church, which is the continuation of the apostolic tradition. The Catholic Church holds that its leadership, particularly the Pope as the successor of Peter, and its teachings are directly linked to the early apostles’ work and the theological foundations laid during the early councils. Therefore, the efforts and teachings of the early disciples and apostles are the cornerstone of Christianity.

Reformed Protestants acknowledge these facts about Christian, therefore Catholic, history, especially the early Church’s role in preserving and spreading the Christian faith. They appreciate the contributions of early Church Fathers and theologians like Augustine of Hippo, Athanasius of Alexandria, and Jerome, whose work on the Vulgate Bible was crucial for Christian doctrine. The Councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon are also respected for defining key Christian beliefs. Additionally, Reformed Protestants value the cultural and educational contributions of Catholics throughout history, such as the founding of medieval universities, the preservation of classical texts by monks, and the artistic masterpieces of the Renaissance by many artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci.

What Reformed Protestants Believe, based from the historic Catholic Faith:

1. Trinitarian Doctrine: Reformed Protestants, like Catholics, affirm the doctrine of the Trinity—belief in one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. Authority of Scripture: While emphasizing Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone), Reformed Protestants still regard the Bible as divinely inspired and authoritative, much like Catholics.
3. Creeds: Both Catholics and Reformed Protestants affirm the Apostles & Nicene Creeds, which outlines core Christian beliefs about God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
4. Sacraments (in a modified form): Reformed Protestants recognize two sacraments — Baptism and the Lord’s Supper — as a means of displaying God’s grace, similar to Catholics, though they understand them differently.
5. Ethical Teachings: There is often overlap in ethical teachings such as the importance of Biblical gender roles, Biblical marriage, right to life, love, justice, and care for others.

Disagreements

Reformed Protestants have several key disagreements with the current Catholic Church, stemming from theological, doctrinal, and practical issues. One major difference is the authority of Scripture versus Tradition; Reformed Protestants emphasize “Sola Scriptura,” believing that the Bible alone is the ultimate authority in matters of faith, while the Catholic Church holds that both Scripture and sacred Tradition, along with the teaching authority of the Church (the Magisterium), are essential.

Another significant disagreement is over justification by faith; Reformed Protestants adhere to “Sola Fide,” the belief that justification is by faith alone, whereas the Catholic Church teaches that faith must be accompanied by good works and the sacraments for one to be justified.

Additionally, Reformed Protestants reject the authority of the Pope, viewing him as a fallible human leader and they do not accept papal infallibility or his supreme authority over the universal Church, which is a central tenet of Catholicism.

Furthermore, Reformed Protestants are uncomfortable and skeptical of several Catholic practices, such as the veneration of relics, the belief in extensive miracles performed by saints, the extensive use of sacraments beyond baptism and communion, and the phenomenon of incorrupt saints whose bodies are said to be miraculously preserved after death. These elements are seen by Protestants as diverging from what they view as Biblical Christianity.

While Reformed Protestants have distinct theological differences from Catholicism, they recognize shared beliefs and values rooted in a deep and valuable Christian tradition and history. They also acknowledge and appreciate positive contributions that Catholics have made to preserving Christian texts, the spreading of the Gospel, positively influencing society and culture, and growing the broader Christian community throughout history.