By Joshua Stevens, Faith Contributor, Valley Ag Voice
Do Protestants have an infallible list of doctrines that one must agree on to be saved? If not, does this mean one shouldn’t be Protestant? Popular Catholic apologist, Trent Horn posited, “And so my thesis in the video was Protestants do not agree on the essentials of the Christian faith, or Protestants cannot answer the question what are the essentials of the Christian faith? Now, I’ll give you that a single Protestant can make an answer from his own judgment. So, that’s why even at the beginning of the video, I did qualify with uniformly” (Horn, 2022).
Horn would go on to state, “Well, in one sense, nearly all of them, except for the Salvation Army, agree you need to be baptized. So, there is agreement there. They just disagree about the reason for it. But that’s why I narrowed it in the video to say, well, does baptism guarantee infants who die before the age of reason go to heaven? There you will get significant differences. And I do believe that is an essential question.”
From Horn’s perspective, a diversity of opinion on these issues could be the reason why Sola Scriptura is a subpar methodology for authority in the lives of believers. However, his argument seems to fall short in a few key areas. For example, if someone were to point out that both Catholics and Orthodox Christians affirm holy tradition but differ in essential areas — such as which tradition is authoritative or the filioque — and then conclude from those differences that tradition is incapable of providing believers with the essentials of salvation, this would be a hasty and imprudent judgment. This is because tradition does not guarantee that everyone will agree with it.
Horn’s argument that unity in belief is essential for an infallible authority fails on two levels. First, it fails because his own belief in holy tradition does not meet the standard he’s set. Secondly, he is attacking Sola Scriptura for something it does not claim to do. Protestants agree that Sola Scriptura is the ultimate standard by which we should live our lives, not that we will agree on every issue — even important ones.
Horn will use infant baptism and other dogmas to claim that these are “essential.” However, neither Catholicism nor Orthodoxy nor Protestantism in whole has a readily available list of all essential doctrines. There are certainly many pillars of the faith which Protestants and Christians generally agree on, but no totally exhaustive list is available. Horn is making a request to other beliefs that his own is unable to answer. To this point, Horn doesn’t say, “This is an essential doctrine to the Catholic church,” but uses his own reasoning for why this would be an essential doctrine.
This isn’t to say that the questions he raises are unimportant or not worth discussing. Surely, they are, however, to say they must be essential seems to be using a loose definition of the word. Does Horn mean to say if someone holds the wrong view of infant baptism they are in mortal sin? How far does someone have to go to not be in mortal sin on the issue? Can they believe that infant baptism is done as a dedication rather than imputing grace or salvation?
Presumably, what he means is if someone believes wrongly it could endanger the souls of the children. However, this is not how he articulates the question. Horn would concede later in his discussion that using a stricter usage of the word could be beneficial.
Horn’s original point could be addressed by saying that a Protestant should affirm the five Solas, or perhaps just two — sola fide and sola scriptura. Even something as basic as affirming the Apostles’ Creed could be considered sufficient to be called a Christian.
However, the main issue with the question is that it reduces a complex issue, salvation, and attempts to reduce it to a checklist of beliefs or actions. This is not how Scripture presents salvation, nor how the earliest Christians understood it, and we shouldn’t treat it this way either.
Salvation and what it means to be saved shouldn’t be left up to the writings of any individual or council. It is a deeply personal and intricate development in someone’s life that must be worked through with the Spirit’s calling and surrounded by a local body of believers to guide them in truth.
Will you pray with me?
Dear Lord, thank you for the season that is upon us, the changing of colors, and bringing together of friends and family. Thank you for the opportunity you have given each of us to be a reflection of your work in the world and an example of Christ to others. As we enter into the holiday season, we ask that you will guide in in truth and love, that we may forgive those who have wronged us and give us the strength to ask for forgiveness from those whom we have wronged. Let us seek after you in all we do, to know your will and earnestly contend for it. In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.
References
Horn, T. (2022, June 8). DIALOGUE: Can Protestants Agree on Essential Doctrine.
