Catholic and Protestant split

Here are some fundamental differences that explain the visible differences:

 Area

Protestant  -- slogan was the "three onlies"

Catholic  -- rejected those "three onlies."

Authority

Bible only

Bible, plus:

1) Tradition, including
a.  Natural law
b.  Experiences,
     such as visions

2) Pope's Teachings

How to be Saved

Faith only

Faith, plus its results

Man’s and God’s part

Grace only
(Grace defined as God’s attitude)

Grace (defined as something we get to help us become worthy)

Explanation:

Rather than “Bible only,” the Roman Catholic Church asserted that church authority is based on three things: on the Bible, on tradition (which would include beliefs based on visions and on natural philosophy), and on the teaching authority of the church, including the necessity for the pope to be the head of the church.  

Luther wanted the church to return to the Bible's teaching about "justification by grace through faith" (that is, even though we do not deserve it, God pronounces us not guilty). The Bible says, "by grace are you saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works." (Paul, writing in Ephesians 2:10).

But in 1529, the Catholic Church said “if anyone says people are saved by faith alone, without works, let him be accursed.”  The controversy has to do with the relationship between faith and good works. Luther taught that grace is God’s attitude by which he pronounces us righteous because of Jesus’ death on the cross; by faith, we are saved, and because we have new life, we will do good works.  The Catholic teaching is that grace is given to us so that we may grow and do good works and so be more likely to be saved.

In 1999 some Christians and Catholics wrote that there is no longer any difference between them on the point of justification.  The actual words of their statement are “Together we confess: by grace alone, in faith in Christ’s saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works.”  However, other Christians feel that it is premature to sign this paper, since Catholics have not changed their definition of the meaning of grace and the place of good works. There are still Catholic customs that are thought to gain merit.

The reformers translated the worship service into the language of the people, but the Roman Catholic church continued to hold worship in Latin until Vatican Council II in the 1960's approved use of the local language. 

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