The very word "Protestantism" comes from the Latin "protestans", which translates as "public proof". This Christian creed is famous for its liberality. According to its ideologists, a person should seek the meaning of one's existence not only in prayers, but also in serving the world around- and do it in the way he sees fit.
The history of the split
The Protestant movement began to sprout in XVIcentury during reformation of the catholic church. The first ideologists of Protestantism considered that Catholicism pays too much attention to the observance of dogmas, while forgetting about living original spirit of Christianity. In 1517, Martin Luther nailed papers to the church door. theses, in which condemned the sale of indulgences and called reform the church charter. This gave impetus to the formation of the Protestant movement in Europe.
Today, within Protestantism, there is many independent streams from Lutheranism to Calvinism. Some of these currents moved far enough away from the classical biblical heritage. Due to the diversity of existing branches today, Protestantism plays a large role in ecumenism movement. At present, Protestantism has become most widespread in Scandinavian countries, England, Germany, USA.
Don't make religion a cult
To date, within the Protestant organization there is no single central authority. According to Protestants, a complex bureaucratic system serves not religious purposes, but worldly ones. Therefore, you should try as much as possible "cultivate your garden" And avoid building a complex intrasystem hierarchy.
Within Protestantism Worship has been greatly simplified compared with the same Catholicism: it is characterized deliberate simplicity of services. Protestant prayer houses no decor, there no statues or decorations. This kind of house can be considered any building in which the congregation and the priest come to pray. Worship is built around sermons, prayers, and hymns. Prayers are usually read on local national languages.
Just believe
Protestants, like Catholics, believe in the trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. True, the quantity sacred ordinances in Protestantism is limited to only two - baptism and communion. It is important that the sacrament of baptism is performed in relation to a Protestant when they reach adulthood- so that he can be aware of the step he is taking. The main source of doctrine is considered Holy Bible which every believer can interpret as it sees fit.
In Protestantism there is no cult of the Virgin, And no pronounced worship of icons and saints. At the same time, saints are considered wise teachers whose example every good Protestant would do well to follow. Clergy and laity are not so strongly separated from each other - probably, it is precisely with this that the rejection of monasticism among Protestants is connected. Various rituals, be it marriage or confession, Protestants believe just a rite- after all, first of all, the meaning that each individual believer puts into them is important.
Man does not need an intermediary between him and God This is the fundamental idea of Protestantism. Martin Luther once wrote: God cannot and does not want to allow anyone to dominate the soul, except for himself. " Perhaps that is why Protestantism has become so widespread - after all, each of us wants our thoughts and prayers from our mouths poured immediately into God's ears.
It is not easy to answer this question. After all, Protestantism, like any religious movement, is very diverse. And is it possible in a short article to describe in detail the faith that left such a deep mark on the history of culture and religion? Protestantism is the faith of composers J.S. Bach and G.F. Handel, writers D. Defoe and K.S. Lewis, scientists I. Newton and R. Boyle, religious leaders M. Luther and J. Calvin, human rights activist M. L. King and the first laureate of the competition. Tchaikovsky Van Cliburn.
Protestantism has been and remains the subject of fierce controversy, rumors and gossip. Someone stigmatizes the Protestants, calling them heretics. Some extol their work ethic, claiming that it is thanks to Protestantism that Western countries have achieved economic prosperity. Someone considers Protestantism to be a flawed and oversimplified version of Christianity, and someone is sure that a truly evangelical simplicity lies behind a modest appearance.
It is unlikely that we will put an end to these disputes. But still, let's try to understand who the Protestants are.
Well, first of all, of course, we will be interested in:
Who are Protestants in terms of history?
Strictly speaking, the very term “Protestants” was applied to five German princes who protested against the sanctions adopted by the Catholic Church against Martin Luther, a doctor of theology, a monk who, while studying the Bible, came to the conclusion that the Church had apostatized from the teachings of Christ and the Apostles. . Martin Luther urged Christians to return to the Bible (which few people read in the 16th century) and believe as the ancient Christian Church believed.
Later, the name "Protestants" was assigned to all the followers of the German reformer. And also for all Christians who, in one way or another, proclaimed their fidelity to the Scriptures and the evangelical simplicity, which they saw as an image in the early apostolic church.
The "first wave" of Protestantism that arose in the 16th century is commonly referred to as Lutherans, Calvinists (Reformed churches), Arminians, Mennonites, Zwinglians, Presbyterians, Anglicans and Anabaptists.
In the 17th and 18th centuries, such currents as Baptists, Methodists, and Pietists appeared in the “second wave” Protestant movement.
The “third wave” of Protestantism that arose in the 19th and 20th centuries is commonly referred to as evangelical Christians (evangelists), the Salvation Army, Pentecostals and charismatics.
However, long before the 16th century, religious leaders and entire movements appeared in the Christian Church, aiming to return "to the roots." Such manifestations include the Waldensian movement in Europe and the God-loving movement in Russia. The fiery preachers of ideas that would later be called Protestant were the teachers of the early church Tertullian and St. Augustine, the preachers John Wyclif and Jan Hus (burned at the stake for his beliefs), and many others.
Therefore, even from the point of view of history, any Christian movement to the original source - the Bible, the faith of the Apostles, which the Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught them, can be called Protestantism.
However, this raises another question:
Who are Protestants in terms of theology?
A lot can be said here. And we must start with what Protestants consider the basis of their faith. This is, first of all, the Bible - the Books of Holy Scripture. It is the infallible written Word of God. It is uniquely, verbally, and completely inspired by the Holy Spirit and is unmistakably recorded in the original manuscripts. The Bible is the supreme and final authority on all matters it touches upon. In addition to the Bible, Protestants recognize the creeds generally accepted for all Christians: Apostolic, Chalcedonian, Nikeo-Tsaregradsky, Afanasievsky. Protestant theology does not contradict the theological decisions of the Ecumenical Councils.
The whole world knows the famous Five Theses of Protestantism:
1. Sola Scriptura - "Only by Scripture"
“We believe, teach and confess that the only and absolute rule and standard according to which all dogmas and all teachers should be judged are only the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments”
2. Sola fide - "Only by faith"
This is the doctrine of justification by faith alone, regardless of the performance of good works and any external sacraments. Protestants do not discount good works; but they deny their significance as a source or condition for the salvation of the soul, considering them to be the inevitable fruits of faith and evidence of forgiveness.
3. Sola gratia - "Only by grace"
This is the doctrine that salvation is grace, i.e. good gift from God to man. Man cannot merit salvation or participate in any way in his salvation. Although man accepts God's salvation by faith, all glory for man's salvation is to be given to God alone.
The Bible says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; not by works, so that no one can boast." (Eph.2:8,9)
4. Solus Christus - "Only Christ"
From the point of view of Protestants, Christ is the only mediator between God and man, and salvation is possible only through faith in Him.
Scripture states: "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim. 2:5)
Protestants traditionally deny the mediation of the Virgin Mary and other saints in the matter of salvation, and also teach that the church hierarchy cannot be an intermediary between God and people. All believers represent the "universal priesthood" and are in equal rights and in an equal position before God.
5. Soli Deo gloria - “Glory to God only”
This is the doctrine that a person should honor and worship only God, since salvation is granted only and solely through His will and actions. No man is entitled to equal glory and reverence with God.
The Internet project "Wikipedia" quite accurately defines the features of theology, which is traditionally shared by Protestants.
“Scripture is proclaimed to be the only source of doctrine. The Bible was translated into national languages, its study and application in one's own life became an important task for every believer. The attitude towards Holy Tradition is ambiguous - from rejection, on the one hand, to acceptance and reverence, but, in any case, with a reservation - Tradition (as, indeed, any other doctrinal opinions, including our own) is authoritative, since it is based on Scripture , and to the extent that it is based on Scripture. It is this reservation (and not the desire to simplify and cheapen the cult) that is the key to the refusal of a number of Protestant churches and denominations from one or another doctrine or practice.
Protestants teach that original sin corrupted human nature. Therefore, a person, although he remains fully capable of good deeds, cannot be saved by his own merits, but only by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
And although Protestant theology is not exhausted by this, nevertheless, according to these signs, it is customary to single out Protestants from among other Christians.
However, theology is theology, but many are interested in a very important question:
Who are Protestants in terms of public opinion?
Public opinion in Russia does not favor Protestants too much. It is believed that this is a Western movement, alien to Russian culture and the spirit of Russian religiosity. Many fanatical authors declare that Protestantism is a heresy that has no right to exist.
However, there are other opinions as well. Secular religious scholars give Protestantism very calm and not flashy assessments: “Protestantism is one of the three, along with Catholicism and Orthodoxy, the main directions of Christianity. It is a collection of numerous independent Churches and denominations, connected by their origin with the Reformation… Sharing the general Christian ideas about the existence of God, His trinity, about the immortality of the soul, Protestantism put forward three new principles: salvation by personal faith, the priesthood for believers, the exclusive authority of the Bible as the only source of dogma »
Encyclopedia "Round the World" defines Protestants as "Protestantism, a religious movement that includes all those Western denominations that do not go beyond the Christian tradition."
Encyclopedic Dictionary "History of the Fatherland from ancient times to the present day" calls Protestantism one of the main trends in Christianity.
People who are not alien to Russian culture and Russian Christian spirituality even tend to speak of Protestantism in a very flattering way.
So A.S. Pushkin in a letter to P.Ya. Chaadaev wrote that the unity of the Christian Church is in Christ and that is how the Protestants believe! Albeit indirectly, Pushkin recognized Protestantism as a truly Christian Church.
F.I. Tyutchev highly valued Protestantism, which was reflected in his poem “I love worship, Lutherans,” where the poet admires the faith that leads people on the road to God and encourages prayer:
I love worship, Lutherans
Their rite is strict, important and simple, -
These bare walls, this temple is empty
I understand high learning.
Don't you see? Gathered on the road
For the last time, Vera will have to:
She hasn't crossed the threshold yet.
But her house is already empty and worth a goal, -
She hasn't crossed the threshold yet.
The door hasn't closed behind her yet...
But the hour has come, it has struck ... Pray to God,
The last time you pray is now.
A.I. Solzhenitsyn in the story “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”, he portrays Alyoshka the Baptist as the bearer of true Russian religious spirituality. "If everyone in the world were like that, and Shukhov would be like that." And about the Orthodox, the main character Shukhov says that they “forgot which hand to be baptized with.”
And our contemporary, leading researcher at IMEMO RAS, Doctor of Science, orientalist I.V. Podberezsky writes: "Protestant Russia - what kind of nonsense?" - they asked ironically at the end of the last - the beginning of this century, at the height of the persecution of Protestants. And then the answer was given, the essence of which can be repeated now: "Protestant Russia is God-fearing, hard-working, non-drinking, non-lying and non-stealing." And this is not nonsense at all. And really, it’s worth getting to know her better.”
And although public opinion is not a criterion of truth, nor is the opinion of the majority (there was a time in the history of mankind when the majority considered the Earth to be flat, but this did not change the truth about the sphericity of our planet), nevertheless, many Russians find Protestantism a positive phenomenon. in Russian spiritual life.
And, although the opinion of people is very interesting and important, for sure many people want to know:
And who are Protestants from the point of view of God?
Of course, only God can answer this question. But since He left us His opinion in the Bible, then we can be bold and say that God likes people who protest! But they are not protesting in the general sense of the word ... Their protest is not a manifestation of a quarrelsome character. It is directed against sin, pride, sectarian disgust, ignorance, religious obscurantism. The early Christians were called "worldwide rebels" because they dared to search the Scriptures and prove their faith on the basis of the Scriptures. And the rebels are rebels, Protestants. The Apostle Paul believed that the Cross of Christ is a scandal for the unbelieving world. The unbelieving world is placed in an awkward position, God, the very thought of whose existence makes the lives of millions of sinners uncomfortable, suddenly showed his love for this world. He became a Man and died for their sins on the cross, and then resurrected and conquered sin and death. God suddenly demonstrated His love for them. Love, like the first spring shower, is ready to fall on the heads of the inhabitants, washing away sins, dragging garbage and fragments of a broken and worthless life with it. A huge scandal erupted. And Protestants love to talk about this scandal.
Yes, Protestants are people who are against it. Against the sluggish religious life, against evil deeds, against sin, against life contrary to Scripture! Protestants cannot imagine life without fidelity to Christ, without a heart burning in prayer! They protest against an empty life without meaning and God!
Maybe it's time for us all to join this protest?
P. Begichev
I.V. Podberezsky “Being a Protestant in Russia”, Blagovestnik, Moscow, 1996 the dead, and that this Christ is Jesus, whom I preach to you. And some of them believed and joined Paul and Silas, both of the Greeks who worship [God], a great multitude, and of noble women not a few. But the disbelieving Jews, having become jealous and taking from the square some worthless people, gathered in a crowd and revolted the city and, having approached the house of Jason, tried to bring them out to the people. Not finding them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers to the city leaders, shouting that these all-world troublemakers had come here too ... ”Bible. Acts 17:2-6 In the Russian synodal text of the Bible in the epistle to the Galatians 5:11, this expression is translated as "the temptation of the cross." The word "temptation" was translated from the Greek lexeme "skandalon", which became the basis of the Russian word "scandal".
PROTESTANTISM (from lat. protestans, genus n. protestantis - publicly proving), one of the main directions in Christianity. He broke away from Catholicism during the Reformation of the 16th century. It unites many independent movements, churches and sects (Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Church, Methodists, Baptists, Adventists, etc.)
In society, there is such a phenomenon as Protestant churches, or as they are often called in our country - "sects". Some people are fine with it, others are very negative about them. You can often hear that Protestant Baptists sacrifice babies, and Pentecostals turn off the lights in meetings.
In this article we want to provide you with information about Protestantism: to reveal the history of the emergence of the Protestant movement, the basic doctrinal principles of Protestantism, and touch on the reasons for the negative attitude towards it in society.
The Big Encyclopedic Dictionary reveals the meaning of the words "Sect", "Sectarianism", "Protestantism":
SECT (from Latin secta - teaching, direction, school) - a religious group, a community that broke away from the dominant church. In a figurative sense - a group of people who are closed in their narrow interests.
SECTANCY - religious, the designation of religious associations that are in opposition to one or another dominant religious trend. In history, social, national liberation movements often took the form of sectarianism. Some sects have acquired traits of fanaticism and extremism. A number of sects cease to exist, some turn into churches. Famous: Adventists, Baptists, Doukhobors, Molokans, Pentecostals, Khlysty, etc.
PROTESTANTISM (from lat. protestans, genus n. protestantis - publicly proving), one of the main trends in Christianity. He broke away from Catholicism during the Reformation of the 16th century. It unites many independent movements, churches and sects (Lutheranism, Calvinism, the Anglican Church, Methodists, Baptists, Adventists, etc.). Protestantism is characterized by the absence of a fundamental opposition of the clergy to the laity, the rejection of a complex church hierarchy, a simplified cult, the absence of monasticism, celibacy; in Protestantism there is no cult of the Virgin, saints, angels, icons, the number of sacraments is reduced to two (baptism and communion).
The main source of doctrine is Holy Scripture. Protestantism is spread mainly in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavian countries and Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Latvia, Estonia. Thus, Protestants are Christians who belong to one of several independent Christian churches.
They are Christians and, along with Catholics and Orthodox, share the fundamental principles of Christianity. For example, they all accept the Nicene Creed adopted by the first Council of the Church in 325, as well as the Nicene Constantinople Creed adopted by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 (See inset). They all believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in His divine essence and the coming coming. All three branches accept the Bible as the Word of God and agree that repentance and faith are necessary to have eternal life.
However, the views of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants differ on some issues. Protestants value the authority of the Bible above all else. Orthodox and Catholics, on the other hand, value their traditions more highly and believe that only the leaders of these Churches can interpret the Bible correctly. Despite their differences, all Christians agree with the prayer of Christ recorded in the Gospel of John (17:20-21): “I do not only pray for them, but also for those who believe in Me, according to their word, that they may all be one ... ".
HISTORY OF THE ORIGIN OF PROTESTANTS One of the first Protestant reformers was a priest, professor of theology Jan Hus, a Slav who lived on the territory of modern Czech Republic and became a martyr for the faith in 1415. Jan Hus taught that Scripture is more important than tradition. The Protestant Reformation spread throughout Europe in 1517 when another Catholic priest and professor of theology named Martin Luther called for a renewal of the Catholic Church. He said that when the Bible comes into conflict with church traditions, the Bible must be obeyed. Luther declared that the Church was wrong to sell the opportunity to go to heaven for money. He also believed that salvation comes through faith in Christ, and not through an attempt to "earn" eternal life by good deeds.
The Protestant Reformation is now spreading all over the world. As a result, such Churches as Lutheran, Anglican, Dutch Reformed, and later Baptist, Pentecostal and others, including Charismatic, were formed. According to Operation Peace, there are about 600 million Protestants, 900 million Catholics and 250 million Orthodox around the world.
At first glance, it may seem that Protestants appeared on the territory of the CIS only with the collapse of the USSR and came from America. In fact, Protestants first came to Russia during the time of Ivan the Terrible, and by 1590 they were even in Siberia. For a nine-year period (from 1992 to 2000), 11,192 Christian communities were registered on the territory of Ukraine, of which 5,772 (51.6%) are Orthodox and 3,755 (33.5%) are Protestant (According to the State Committee of Ukraine for Religious Affairs) .
Thus, Protestantism in Ukraine has long gone beyond the "group of individuals who are closed in their narrow interests", since more than a third of all churches in the country cannot be called a "sect". Protestant churches are officially registered by the state, they are open to everyone and do not hide their activities. Their main goal remains to convey to people the gospel of the Savior.
DOCTRINAL PRINCIPLES
CHURCH TRADITIONS Protestants have nothing against church traditions, except when those traditions are contrary to Scripture. They substantiate this primarily by the remark of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (15:3, 6): "... Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ... Thus you have eliminated the commandment of God by your tradition."
BAPTISM Protestants believe in the Bible's statement that baptism should only follow repentance (Acts 2:3) and believe that baptism without repentance is meaningless. Protestants do not support infant baptism, as the infant cannot repent because of his ignorance of good and evil. Jesus said, "Let the children go, and do not prevent them from coming to Me, for of such is the kingdom of heaven" (Matt. 19:14). Protestants rely on the fact that the Bible does not describe a single case of infant baptism, especially since even Jesus waited for his baptism up to 30 years.
ICONS Protestants believe that the ten commandments (Exodus 20:4) forbid the use of images for worship: "You shall not make for yourself an idol and no image of what is in heaven above, and what is on the earth below, and what is in the water below the earth." In the Book of Leviticus (26:1) it is written: “Do not make for yourselves idols and images, and do not set up pillars for yourself, and do not lay stones with images on your land to bow before them; for I am the Lord your God.” Therefore, Protestants do not use images for worship for fear that some people may worship these images instead of God.
PRAYERS TO THE SAINTS Protestants prefer to follow the instructions of Jesus, where He taught us to pray by saying: “Pray like this: Our Father who art in heaven!” (Mat. 6:9). In addition, there are no examples in Scripture where anyone prayed to Mary or the saints. They believe that the Bible forbids praying to people who have died, even to Christians who are in paradise, basing this on Deuteronomy (18:10-12), which says: "You shall not have ... the questioner of the dead." God condemned Saul for coming into contact with Saint Samuel after his death (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).
THE VIRGIN MARY Protestants believe that Mary was an excellent example of Christian obedience to God and that she remained a virgin until Jesus was born. The basis for this is the Gospel of Matthew (1:25), which says that Joseph, her husband, "did not know Her, until finally She gave birth to her firstborn Son", and other passages from the Bible, which speak of the brothers and sisters of Jesus ( Matthew 12:46, 13:55-56, Mark 3:31, John 2:12, 7:3). But they do not believe that Mary was without sin, because in Luke 1:47 she called God her Savior; if Mary had been without sin, she would not have needed a Savior.
THE CHURCH Protestants believe that there is only one true Church, but do not believe that it is part of any man-made organization. This true Church consists of all people who love God and serve Him through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, no matter what denomination they belong to.
CHURCH FATHERS Protestants respect and value the teachings of the Church Fathers (church leaders who lived after the apostles) when those teachings are in harmony with Scripture. This is based on the fact that often the Fathers of the Church do not agree with each other.
THE RELICES OF THE SAINTS Protestants do not believe that the relics of the saints contain any special power, because the Bible does not teach this. Protestants believe that there is no indication in the Bible that Christians should honor the bodies of the dead.
SUTANS AND THE TITLE "FATHER" Protestant ministers do not wear cassocks because neither Jesus nor the apostles wore any special clothing. There is no indication in the New Testament about this either. They are usually not called “father” because Jesus said in Matthew 23:9, “And call no one on earth your father...”, which, in their opinion, means that we should not declare who or by your spiritual master.
THE SIGN OF THE CROSS AND THE CROSS Protestants don't object to the sign of the cross, but since Scripture doesn't teach it, they don't teach it either. The Protestant and Catholic Churches, unlike the Orthodox, prefer to use a simple cross.
ICONOSTASIS Protestants and Catholics believe that the iconostasis symbolizes the veil separating people from the Holy of Holies in the Temple of Jerusalem. They believe that when God tore it in two at the time of Jesus' death (Matt. 27:51), He said that we are no longer separated from Him because of the blood He shed so that we could be forgiven.
PLACES OF WORSHIP Jesus said in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Protestants believe that worship is sanctified not by the place where the service is held, not by the building, but by the presence of Christ among the believers. The Bible also says that Christians are the temple of God, not buildings: "Don't you know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Cor. 3:16). The Bible shows that early Christians held services in many different places: at school (Acts 19:9), in Jewish synagogues (Acts 18:4, 26;19:8), in the Jewish temple (Acts 3:1) , and in private homes (Acts 2:46; 5:42; 18:7; Philip. 1:2; 18:7; Col. 4:15; Rom. 16:5 and 1 Cor. 16:19 ). Gospel services, according to the Bible, took place near the river (Acts 16:13), in the street crowd (Acts 2:14) and in the square (Acts 17:17). There is no evidence in the Bible that the early Christians held services in a church building.
REASONS FOR NEGATIVE ATTITUDE TO PROTESTANTS Officially, Orthodoxy came to the territory of present-day Ukraine in 988, when the rulers of Rus' introduced Orthodox Christianity as the state religion. Much earlier, the disciples of Christ came to the land of the Scythians in order to bring the good news of the Savior to the barbarian peoples. The most famous is the arrival in Kyiv of the disciple of Jesus - Andrew, who was popularly called "The First-Called". At that time, there was no division of Christianity into Roman and Byzantine, that is, into Catholic and Orthodox, and Andrei represented completely Protestant views - he preached, based only on the word of God; held meetings wherever possible (there were no churches yet); baptized only adults.
With the strengthening of the positions of the Orthodox Church in Rus', and then in Tsarist Russia, everything non-Orthodox passed into the rank of anti-state. At first this was due to wars in which Catholics fought against the Orthodox, and then to the strengthening of the power of the sovereign, since it is much easier to manage one religion than several. Protestants or "non-believers" were expelled to remote regions, and all who remained were hiding from persecution. The authorities and leadership of the Orthodox Church in every possible way encouraged the humiliation of the rights of other religions.
After 1917, the new government tried to completely get rid of the "opium for the people" by destroying churches and the physical destruction of believers. But after certain difficulties and discontent of the population, the power of the Soviets left only one church to exist - the Orthodox. And Protestants, along with Catholics, Greek Catholics, representatives of other denominations, are either serving time in camps or are hiding from power. Under such conditions, houses and basements became the only way to hold meetings of Protestants, and to protect from the eyes of "well-wishers" the lights were turned off. At the same time, in order to discriminate against anti-state religions, stories about the sacrifices of Baptists, the low cultural and educational level of Pentecostals, the witchcraft of charismatics, and more are spread in the press and among the people. Thus, a negative attitude towards everything non-Orthodox was subconsciously brought up in society for decades. And now it is very difficult for people to overcome these negative stereotypes and accept Protestants as Christians.
Now that you know the history of the Protestant movement, its basic doctrinal principles, and understand the reasons for the negative attitude towards Protestantism in society, you can decide for yourself whether or not to accept Protestants as Christians. But today says the following: Protestants are 3755 churches in Ukraine in 9 years!
Yes, they differ from the usual Orthodox Church in some matters, but the goal of the Orthodox, Catholics, and Protestants is the same - to preach the Gospel and lead people to Salvation. And Protestants are getting better at it lately. It is the Protestants who conduct mass evangelism and meetings, in which more and more people come to Jesus Christ. It is the Protestants who, through all kinds of media, tell people about the Savior.
By basing their ministry directly on the Bible, Protestants provide people with another path to Christ, a path to salvation. Fulfilling the commission of Jesus Christ, Protestants bring His Salvation closer!
Roman CAT
Christian newspaper "Word of Awakening" http://gazetasp.net/
Today there is a return to spirituality. More and more people are thinking about the intangible component of our lives. In the article we will talk about who the Protestants are. This is a separate direction of Christianity, or a sect, as some believe.
We will also touch on the issue of different currents in Protestantism. Information about the position of supporters of this trend in modern Russia will be of interest. Read on to find out the answers to these and many other questions.
In the sixteenth century in Western Europe there was a separation of a significant part of the faithful from the Roman Catholic Church. This event in historiography is called the "Reformation". Thus, Protestants are part of Christians who do not agree with the Catholic principles of worship and some issues of theology.
The Middle Ages in Western Europe turned out to be such a period when society fell into total dependence not so much on secular rulers as on the church.
Practically not a single issue was resolved without the participation of a priest, whether it was a wedding or domestic problems.
Weaving more and more into social life, the Catholic holy fathers accumulated untold wealth. The flashy luxury and double standards practiced by the monks turned society away from them. Dissatisfaction grew due to the fact that many issues were forbidden or resolved with the forced intervention of priests.
It was in this situation that the opportunity arose for Martin Luther to be heard. This is a German theologian and priest. As a member of the Augustinian order, he constantly observed the depravity of the Catholic clergy. One day, according to him, an insight came about the true path of an orthodox Christian.
The result was the Ninety-five Theses, which Luther nailed to the door of a church in Wittenberg in 1517, and a speech against the sale of indulgences.
The basis of Protestantism is the principle of "sola fide" (only with the help of faith). It says that no one in the world can help a person to be saved, except for himself. Thus, the institution of priests, the sale of indulgences, the desire for enrichment and power on the part of the ministers of the church are swept aside.
Difference from Catholics and Orthodox
Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants belong to one religion - Christianity. However, several splits occurred in the process of historical and social development. The first was in 1054, when the Orthodox Church separated from the Roman Catholic Church. Later, in the sixteenth century, in the process of the Reformation, a completely separate movement appeared - Protestantism.
Let's see how different the principles are in these churches. And also why former Protestants are more likely to convert to Orthodoxy.
So, as two fairly ancient currents, Catholics and Orthodox consider their own church to be true. Protestants have a variety of views. Some directions even deny the need to belong to any confession.
Among Orthodox priests, it is allowed to marry once, monks are forbidden to marry. Catholics of the Latin tradition all take a vow of celibacy. Protestants are allowed to marry, they do not recognize celibacy at all.
Also, the latter have absolutely no institution of monasticism, in contrast to the first two directions.
In addition, Protestants do not touch on the issue of "filioque", which is the cornerstone in the dispute between Catholics and Orthodox. They also lack purgatory, and the Virgin Mary is perceived as the standard of a perfect woman.
Of the seven generally accepted sacraments, Protestants recognize only baptism and communion. There is no confession and the veneration of icons is not accepted.
Protestantism in Russia
Although the Russian Federation is an Orthodox country, other faiths are also widespread here. In particular, there are Catholics and Protestants, Jews and Buddhists, supporters of various spiritual movements and philosophical worldview.
According to statistics, there are about three million Protestants in Russia who attend more than ten thousand parishes. Of these communities, less than half are officially registered with the Ministry of Justice.
Pentecostals are considered the largest movement in Russian Protestantism. They and their reformed offshoot (Neo-Pentecostals) have over a million and a half followers.
However, over time, some pass into the traditional Russian faith. Protestants are told about Orthodoxy by friends, acquaintances, sometimes they read special literature. Judging by the responses of those who "returned to the bosom" of their native church, they feel relieved, having ceased to be mistaken.
The rest of the currents spread on the territory of the Russian Federation include Seventh-day Adventists, Baptists, Minnonites, Lutherans, Evangelical Christians, Methodists and many others.
Next, we will talk in more detail about the most common areas of Protestantism in Russia. We will also touch on some denominations that, by definition, are on the verge between a sect and the Protestant church.
Calvinists
The most rational Protestants are Calvinists. This direction was formed in the middle of the sixteenth century in Switzerland. A young French preacher and theologian, John Calvin, decided to continue and deepen the reform ideas of Martin Luther.
He declared that not only things that were contrary to Scripture should be removed from churches, but also those things that were not even mentioned in the Bible. That is, according to Calvinism, in the house of prayer there should be only what is prescribed in the holy book.
Thus, there are some differences in doctrine held by Protestants and Orthodox. The first consider any gathering of people in the name of the Lord to be a church, they deny the majority of saints, Christian symbols and the Mother of God.
In addition, they believe that a person accepts faith personally and according to a sober judgment. Therefore, the rite of baptism occurs only in adulthood.
Orthodox are the exact opposite of Protestants in the above points. In addition, they hold the belief that only a specially trained person can interpret the Bible. Protestants, on the other hand, believe that everyone does this to the best of their abilities and spiritual development.
Lutherans
In fact, Lutherans are the followers of the true aspirations of Martin Luther. It was after their performance in the city of Speyer that the movement began to be called the "church of the Protestants."
The term "Lutherans" appeared in the sixteenth century during the controversy of Catholic theologians and priests with Luther. So they called the followers of the father of the Reformation in a pejorative manner. Lutherans call themselves "Evangelical Christians".
Thus, Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox strive to gain the salvation of the soul, but the methods are different for everyone. Differences, in principle, are based only on the interpretation of Holy Scripture.
With his Ninety-five Theses, Martin Luther proved the failure of the entire institution of priests and many of the traditions that Catholics adhere to. According to him, these innovations concern more the material and secular spheres of life than the spiritual. Hence, they should be abandoned.
In addition, Lutheranism is based on the belief that Jesus Christ, by his death on Golgotha, atoned for all the sins of mankind, including the original. All that is needed for a happy life is to believe in this good news.
Lutherans are also of the opinion that any priest is the same layman, but more professional in terms of preaching. Therefore, for communion of all people, a chalice is used.
Today, more than eighty-five million people are classified as Lutherans. But they do not represent unity. There are separate associations and denominations according to the historical and geographical principle.
In the Russian Federation, the most popular in this environment is the Lutheran Hour Ministry.
Baptists
It is often jokingly said that Baptists are English Protestants. But there is also a grain of truth in this statement. After all, this trend stood out precisely from the environment of the Puritans of Great Britain.
In fact, Baptism is the next stage of development (as some believe) or simply an offshoot of Calvinism. The term itself comes from the ancient Greek word for baptism. It is in the name that the main idea of this direction is expressed.
Baptists believe that only such a person can be considered a true believer who, in adulthood, has come to the idea of abandoning sinful deeds and sincerely accepted faith in his heart.
Many Protestants in Russia agree with similar thoughts. Despite the fact that the majority belong to the Pentecostals, which we will talk about later, some of their views are completely the same.
In a nutshell, Protestant Baptists are confident in the infallibility of the authority of the Bible in all situations. They adhere to the ideas of universal priesthood and congregation, that is, each community is independent and independent.
The presbyter has no real power, he just reads sermons and teachings. All issues are resolved at general meetings and church councils. The worship service includes a sermon, singing of hymns to the accompaniment of instrumental music, as well as impromptu prayers.
Today in Russia, Baptists, like Adventists, call themselves evangelical Christians and call their churches houses of prayer.
Pentecostals
The most numerous Protestants in Russia are Pentecostals. This current penetrated into our country from Western Europe through Finland at the beginning of the twentieth century.
Thomas Barratt was the first Pentecostal, or "oneness" as he was then called. He arrived in 1911 from Norway to St. Petersburg. Here the preacher declared himself a follower of evangelical Christians in the spirit of the apostles, and began to rebaptize everyone.
The basis of the Pentecostal faith and ritual is the baptism in the Holy Spirit. They also recognize the rite of passage with the help of water. But the experiences that a person experiences when the Spirit descends on him are considered by this Protestant movement to be the most correct. They say that the state that the baptized person experiences is equivalent to the sensations of the apostles, who received initiation from Jesus Christ himself on the fiftieth day after his resurrection.
Therefore, they name their church in honor of the day of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, or the Trinity (Pentecost). Followers believe that the initiate thus receives one of the Divine gifts. He gains the word of wisdom, healing, miracles, prophecy, the ability to speak in foreign languages or discern spirits.
In the Russian Federation today, three of the Pentecostals are considered the most influential Protestant associations. They are members of the Assembly of God.
Mennonites
Mennoniteism is one of the most interesting offshoots of Protestantism. These Protestant Christians were the first to proclaim pacifism as part of the creed. A denomination arose in the thirties of the sixteenth century in the Netherlands.
The founder is Menno Simons. Initially, he departed from Catholicism and adopted the principles of Anabaptism. But after a while, he significantly deepened the individual features of this dogma.
So, the Mennonites believe that the kingdom of God on earth will come only with the cooperation of all people, when they establish a common true church. The Bible is the unquestioned authority, and the Trinity is the only thing that has holiness. Only adults can be baptized after they have made a firm and sincere decision.
But the most important distinguishing feature of the Mennonites is the refusal of military service, the army oath and litigation. In this way, the supporters of this trend bring to humanity the desire for peace and non-violence.
The Protestant denomination came to the Russian Empire during the reign of Catherine the Great. Then she invited part of the community to move from the Baltic states to Novorossia, the Volga region and the Caucasus. This turn of events was just a gift for the Mennonites, as they were persecuted in Western Europe. Therefore, there were two waves of forced migration to the east.
Today in the Russian Federation this trend has actually united with the Baptists.
Adventists
Like any orthodox Christian, the Protestant believes in the second coming of the Messiah. It was on this event that the philosophy of Adventists (from the Latin word for “coming”) was originally built.
In 1831, former United States Army Captain Miller became a Baptist and later published a book on the imminent coming of Jesus Christ on March 21, 1843. But it turned out that no one showed up. Then an amendment was made for the inaccuracy of the translation, and the Messiah was expected in the spring of 1844. When the second time was not justified, there was a period of depression among believers, which in historiography is called the "Great Disappointment".
After that, the Millerite current breaks up into a number of separate denominations. The most organized and popular are Seventh-day Adventists. They are centrally managed and strategically developed in several countries.
In the Russian Empire, this trend appeared through the Mennonites. The first communities formed on the Crimean peninsula and the Volga region.
Because of their refusal to take up arms and take an oath, they were persecuted in the Soviet Union. But in the late seventies of the twentieth century there was a restoration of the movement. And in 1990, at the first congress of Adventists, the Russian Union was adopted.
Protestants or sectarians
Today there is no doubt that Protestants are one of the equal offshoots of Christianity, with their own doctrine, principles, principles of behavior and worship.
However, there are some churches that are very similar in organization to Protestant ones, but, in fact, they are not. The latter, for example, include Jehovah's Witnesses.
But in view of the confusion and uncertainty of their teaching, as well as the contradiction of earlier statements with later ones, this movement cannot be unambiguously attributed to any direction.
Jehovists do not perceive Christ, the Trinity, the cross, icons. They consider the main and only God, who is called Jehovah, like the medieval mystics. Some of their provisions have something in common with Protestant ones. But such a coincidence does not make them supporters of this Christian trend.
Thus, in this article, we have figured out who the Protestants are, and also talked about the situation of various branches in Russia.
Good luck, dear readers!
Although Protestants, like Catholics and Orthodox, belong to Christianity, there are still significant differences between them.
It is very difficult to give an unambiguous answer about who the Protestants are. This is due to the fact that any religion is very diverse and includes many different features. It is the same with Protestantism.
This religion has been the subject of fierce debate for a long time (to this day). Someone calls Protestants heretics, and someone considers them the standard of work ethics, because they are sure that it was thanks to this religion that many Western countries began economic development and achieved independence in this area. Some call Protestantism a very flawed religion and a kind of simplified version of Christianity.
That is why even today Protestantism is such a religion that is perceived as a kind of opposition to the accepted foundations of society. However, this does not prevent this religious trend from being among the world's leading religions, with a huge number of followers.
Protestant Religion
Protestantism represents one of the three religions inherent in Christianity. The development of this direction goes back to the distant past, when Martin Luther spoke about people's attitude to religion.
The basis of this direction is to simply believe in God and adhere to the provisions of the Holy Scriptures. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to attend church, go to monasteries or worship icons.
Religion consolidates its main position in that it is enough for a person to simply sincerely believe in God. It can be said that this direction ignores and rejects the main provisions of Catholics and Orthodox. It is unusual for Protestantism to worship "saints" and communicate with God through priests. They believe that the true value is faith in God. This religion focuses on the Holy Scriptures.
Protestantism denies all sacraments, with the exception of communion and baptism.
At that time, people did not imagine that in a few hundred years this religion would become one of the leading directions: Protestants proved their intentions year after year, which brought results. Protestantism is developing to this day, however, now this development is taking place in a much more peaceful way than several centuries ago.
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The meaning of the word "Protestant"
You should start with the fact that the meaning of the word "protestant" does not mean "protest" at all - it is simply a coincidence in the Russian language. In fact, this word expresses such a phrase as "publicly proving." At the level of world religions, Protestantism is one of the three currents of Christianity, along with Catholicism and Orthodoxy.
This term originated back in the distant sixteenth century, when several German princes revealed dissatisfaction with the sanctions applied to Martin Luther. It was a kind of protest against the ruling elite. Luther at that time urged all people to return to the basics of the Bible, which then few people read. By these actions, the monk called many people who became true followers of his ideas. At that time, one might say, there was a revolution in the field of religion. Many people began to separate from the familiar Roman Catholic Church, which created a turbulent environment. Since then, people who have decided to return to the Bible and the simplicity of their lifestyle have been called Protestants.
Persecution of Protestants
After that, the authorities began to persecute Protestants in every possible way, considering them heretics. Moreover, the persecution was carried out not only by the ruling elite, but also by local residents who did not understand how to exchange Catholicism for some incomprehensible movement that was not known. There were quite a few cases when Catholics mercilessly cracked down on Protestants right on the street. Protestants, in turn, also did not always use peaceful means in order to prove to the world their rightness and intentions.
Protestantism began to gain momentum widely around the world, and in a few years the new religious direction was known everywhere. In the sixteenth century, several large-scale protests against the Catholic Church swept through Europe. The followers of Protestantism ruthlessly smashed the Catholic churches. In particular, several such incidents occurred in the Netherlands. The government indiscriminately executed anyone who somehow took part in the growing war.
In a few years, more than two thousand Protestant conspirators were executed. And this is only in one country, similar events happened in other states. Despite this, the Protestants continued to actively support their religion, which led to new unrest and riots.
How do Protestants differ from Catholics?
Even then, people understood the difference between Catholics and Protestants. Even though Protestantism is a religion that for the most part was formed from the foundations of Catholicism, there are very significant differences between them.
- The main difference is the position about Christ. It is known that Catholics believe that Jesus sacrificed himself in order to atone for the guilt of all people. Protestants, on the other hand, believe that one such sacrifice is not enough, and that people are inherently sinful and capable of terrible things.
- Another important difference between Catholics and Protestants is that in Catholic churches the altar is open, while Protestants, who believe that sins need to be atoned for, are always closed, and no one can see the throne.
- Moreover, in Catholicism, communication with God takes place through an intermediary, which is the priest. In Protestantism, a person comes to church and communicates directly with God. It is known that Catholics have a representative on earth who has a connection with the Almighty - this is the Pope of Rome, who is in the Vatican. He is a pure and infallible person for believers.
- Protestants reject the Catholic notion of purgatory, they reject the meaning of icons, monasteries, and other positions important to Catholics. Protestants believe that a believing person can communicate and believe in God without this. That is why they have no distinction between a parishioner and a priest. However, this direction still has priests, but they can neither confess nor give communion to believers. He is responsible and subordinate to the Protestant community.
From all this it follows that the main difference between these two religious trends is that Protestants consider personal sincere faith in God sufficient for them to receive help.
Video about Protestants in Russia
How are Protestants different from Orthodox?
Despite the fact that these two religions are related to Christianity, there are quite significant differences between them.
The bottom line is that Protestants reject "saints." The Bible says that those who in ancient times belonged to the religious communities of Christians were called "saints." It is customary for Orthodox people to this day to address them. Protestants, on the other hand, reject this position and believe that they themselves are saints. This is the main difference. Orthodox believers always turn to the "saints" for help, pray before their icons and firmly believe in their help. Protestants deny all this.
This fact clearly demonstrates the difference between Protestants and Orthodox. For the Orthodox, these "saints" are an example for self-improvement and self-development. Protestants do not have such an instrument of communication with God.
How to become a Protestant?
This question is quite interesting, since it is impossible to unambiguously answer it. Protestants in Russia are the same believers as Catholics and Orthodox. The difference is only in the way they express this belief. So how do you become a Protestant? To do this, you will need to study the basic principles of Protestantism.
Orthodox people for the most part go to church, pray to the saints and communicate with God in every possible way. For Protestants, such actions are not common, they do not adhere to them.
Protestants don't go to church, they don't pray to all sorts of saints. They believe that for self-improvement and atonement for sins, it is enough to pray at home.
Also, one of the main provisions of this religious direction is the strict adherence to the Bible, which must be read.
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