Denomination |
Organization Infallible |
Leaders Infallible |
Individual Infallible |
Unaided Personal Interpretation |
Bible All-Sufficient |
Bible Corrupted |
Continuing revelation |
Doctrinal Development |
Written Extra-biblical Authority |
Unwritten Extra-biblical Authority |
Catholic |
Yes |
Yes: Pope and successors |
No |
No: Organiz Needed |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Fathers, Tradition |
none |
Mormon |
Yes |
Yes: Joseph Smith and successors |
Yes: HS guides |
No: HS needed |
No |
Yes (BoM not corrupted) |
Yes |
Yes |
Book of Mormon |
HS confirms feelings |
Jehovah's Witness |
Yes |
Yes: Governing Body |
Yes: HS guides |
No: Organiz needed |
Yes |
Yes, except for NWT |
Yes |
Yes |
Watchtower |
HS confirms feelings |
Seventh-day Adventist |
Yes |
Yes: Ellen White |
No |
No: HS needed |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
White's 10,000 pages |
HS confirms feelings |
Pentecostal & Calvinistic |
Indirectly through HS guiding leaders |
Yes: Pastor/ Prophets |
Yes: HS guides |
No: HS needed |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
No |
Creeds, catechisms, statements of faith |
HS confirms feelings |
Calvinistic non-Pentecostal |
Indirectly through HS guiding to that church |
Yes: but in no way different from non-leaders |
Yes: HS guides |
No: HS needed |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Creeds, catechisms, statements of faith |
HS confirms feelings |
Wesleyan- Armenian |
Indirectly through HS guiding to that church |
Yes: All leaders have "entire sanctification" |
Yes: "entire sanctification" |
No: HS needed |
Yes |
No |
No |
No |
Creeds, catechisms, statements of faith |
HS confirms feelings |
Truth |
No 1 Tim 4:1 OT captivity, crucifixion |
No Gal 2:10 Lam 2:14 Jer 29:8 |
No Col 2:18 Ezek 13:1-7 |
Yes Eph 3:3 |
Yes 1 Pe 1:3 |
No 1 Peter 1:23 |
No Jude 3 |
No Gal 1:6 |
None 1 Cor 4:6 |
None Mt 7:21 |
by Steve Rudd