What is the difference between Christians and Protestants? (traditions, Gospel, Jehovah's Witness)

[Romila]

I mean there are so many churches:
from Pentecosts, Baptists, Presbyterian and from the Presbyterian church there is one that is reformed Presbyterian, Adventist, Jehovah's Witness, Assemblies, and the list goes on and on and on...

I mean why?

And why do catholics consider them christians just because they believe in Jesus?

christians are what?
Protestants are what?

I am confused doesn't it mean the same thing, mean NOT belonging to the catholic institutions?

[hljc]

This came from the Reformation of the Church were errors in teaching and authority were exposed and some nations broke away where this Protestants mean `to Protest the established church`, but still believe there is still, One Lord , one Baptism , one faith among the whole churches of Christ...... But during the 1700s and later with in the Catholic Church they adopted and made changes with a Catholic Reformation of doctrines as we have it today..... But some churches still hold the general title of Protestant, and even some churches can fall into hatred of others which is a false divisions and Not from the Living God Son Lord Jesus Christ who can remove Jesus blessing for the heart of divisions error....

[Mightyqueen801]

There is already a thread with this same subject ongoing.

[Mike555]

Originally Posted by Romila

I mean there are so many churches:
from Pentecosts, Baptists, Presbyterian and from the Presbyterian church there is one that is reformed Presbyterian, Adventist, Jehovah's Witness, Assemblies, and the list goes on and on and on...

I mean why?

And why do catholics consider them christians just because they believe in Jesus?

christians are what?
Protestants are what?

I am confused doesn't it mean the same thing, mean NOT belonging to the catholic institutions?

Quite simply, the issue is this. ANYONE who having heard the gospel has understood that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (which means that He is God), that He came into the world in the likeness of man and that He died on the cross for our sins and rose again, and understanding that has placed his faith alone, that is, his trust - his confidence in Christ alone for his eternal salvation, is eternally saved regardless of what denomination he belongs to.

And regardless of denomination, if he has NOT received Jesus Christ as his personal Savior, he is NOT saved.

There are those who belong to the Roman Catholic Church who are saved and Roman Catholics who are not saved. There are those who belong to Protestant denominations who are saved and others who belong to those same Protestant denominations who are not saved.

It is not a matter of which institutional church or which denomination you belong to. And by the way, denominations are not sanctioned by the word of God. Each institutional church group is supposed to stand on its own. The issue is your personal relationship with Christ.

Now in terms of the universal church as opposed to the institutional church, every believer in Jesus Christ during this present dispensation which we call the church-age is 'CHURCH,' and therefore called Christian. That is, he is distinquished from believers of any other dispensation in human history. He is a new creation (2 Cor 5:17), a new spiritual species by virtue of having been placed into union with Jesus Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit which is not the ritual of water baptism (1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:26-27).

The true church is a living organism composed of those who have believed and those who will believe on Christ between the day of Pentecost and the pre-tribulational rapture of the church.

A Jewish believer during the age of Israel belonged to, and was true Israel. A Gentile believer during the age of Israel remained a Gentile. But during the church-age, a believer, whether Jew or Gentile is seen by God as neither Jew or Gentile, but as Church - a new creation.

Therefore, during this dispensation, if you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ you are church and are a Christian.

[LookinForMayberry]

Originally Posted by Romila

I am confused doesn't it mean the same thing, mean NOT belonging to the catholic institutions?

It appears you are confused. Protestants and Catholics are both Christians. Catholic was the only church until the 15th century, and was just a word for the church. Then, as people started getting more finite in their beliefs -- thinking for themselves, so to speak, they started splitting hairs about what they believed. That's when the splinter faiths appeared, and each called themselves something different. Until the emergence of the LDS, the emergants were called Protestants because they "protested" the tyranny of the Catholics.

[revrandy]

Originally Posted by LookinForMayberry

It appears you are confused. Protestants and Catholics are both Christians. Catholic was the only church until the 15th century, and was just a word for the church.

Not quite. Other churches have existed since the early days including the Greek Orthodox Church, The Church at Antioch. The council of Nicea did a great job of splitting eastern and western churches and that was long before the 1500's.

Also are you referring to the Roman Catholic Church? There are multiple catholic churches, not just the one of the Roman Rite.

[Julian658]

Protestants define themselves by rejecting Catholic traditions.

Otherwise, they are both Christians.

There are other differences such as the Vatican which is a country in itself within the city of Rome.

The other one is the Apostolic Succession, however the Episcopalians have it. Nevertheless, the Episcopalians are very much like the Catholics.