Frequently Asked Questions: Why Are There

Different Types of Christians?

One of the most frequent questions I am asked by people is why there are so many
different types of Christians. What is a Protestant, a Baptist, a Catholic, or Charismatic?
What do those labels mean, and how can I know if a belief is truly Christian? What are
the essential elements that comprise Christian belief? Let’s tackle those questions briefly.

When Jesus ascended to heaven, He left behind one church. But soon there were
disagreements about things like circumcision or what food Christians could eat. In some
cases, Christians could agree to disagree, but other times it was clear that certain beliefs
were no longer Christian. It is the same today. On many issues, such as worship, spiritual
gifts, and church government, Christians disagree but still call each other Christian
brothers and sisters. But some issues are so central to Christian belief that they cannot be
compromised.

Mostly, what defines Christian belief is about Jesus. Christians disagree about many
things, but they all agree about who Jesus is, what He did, and what His death and
resurrection means for us. Two-thousand years ago, some people denied Jesus had a
physical body or said His death did not pay for all our sins. Peter, John, and Paul rejected
these so-called Christians. Today, some of the same issues are around. That is why
Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses are not Christian, even though they also read the
Bible. These religions do not believe Jesus is the One True God.

A good rule to use to determine Christian belief was created very early in Christian
history, as early as the middle of the second century. This confession is called the
Apostle’s Creed, and it is the basis for many denominational statements of beliefs,
including that of our own church:

I believe in God, the Father almighty,

creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
 and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Finally, it’s important to note that what a person believes doesn’t make them a
Christian. It’s who you believe in. To be a Christian, a correct knowledge about Jesus is
not enough—we must have a correct relationship with Jesus!

Basic Christian Labels

Paul was clear that there is only one body of Christian believers and God doesn’t care
about denominational divisions, but definitions to some basic Christian labels are below.
Not that labels matter to God, but New Hope International Church is a protestant,
evangelical, charismatic, non-denominational church.

– Evangelical: Believes people must make a conscious decision to be “born again.”

A conversion experience is necessary for salvation, and people are not born
Christians.
– Pentecostal: Believes that the gift of “speaking in tongues” is given to people
today.
– Charismatic: Not only believes in speaking in tongues, but also all of the
miraculous gifts of the Spirit, such as healing and prophesy.
– Catholic: Today’s Catholic church is descended from the ancient Roman church
established by Peter and Paul. For more than a thousand years, nearly all
Christians were part of the Catholic church, except for Christians outside of
Western Europe.
– Protestant: In 1517, the Catholic priest Martin Luther protested against wrong
teachings in the Catholic church. This resulted in many different, independent
churches. As a result, all Christians today are either Catholic (Western), Orthodox
(Eastern), or Protestant (descended from Luther’s protest, like our church).
– Denominations: There are many different types of Protestant churches. Some are
in denominations, such as Anglican (Episcopalian, in the United States), Baptist,
Lutheran, Methodist, and Presbyterian. Denominations are formed based on
common beliefs about worship or church government, for example. Other
churches independent of denominations are called non-denominational churches.