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Catholic vs. Seventh-day Adventist

A side-by-side comparison of Catholic and Seventh-day Adventist teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.

Catholic

The Catholic Church is the largest Christian body, led by the pope as bishop of Rome and organized around the seven sacraments. It traces its line of bishops to the apostles and teaches that Scripture and Sacred Tradition together carry God’s revelation.

More about Catholic Christianity

Seventh-day Adventist

The Seventh-day Adventist Church grew out of the Millerite expectation of Christ’s return in the 1840s and was formally organized in 1863. It worships on the seventh day, Saturday, and holds distinctive teaching on the state of the dead and the end times.

At a glance

Where they differ: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; How a person is saved; Baptism; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Mary and the saints; Death, purgatory and hell; Style of worship; Day of worship.

Varies within one or both: Clergy and women in ministry.

Where they agree: The Trinity; Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.

Side by side

Question	Catholic	Seventh-day Adventist
Authority: Scripture and traditionDiffer	Scripture and Sacred Tradition together form one deposit of faith. The Magisterium, the teaching office of the pope and bishops, interprets both authoritatively.	The Bible alone is the standard for doctrine. Adventists also honor the writings of Ellen G. White as a prophetic gift, but hold them to be subject to Scripture.
Books of the BibleDiffer	73 books: the 66 Protestant books plus seven deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees) and additions to Esther and Daniel.	66 books.
The TrinityAgree	One God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Spirit is said to proceed from the Father and the Son (the filioque clause added to the Nicene Creed in the West).	One God in three co-eternal persons. Some early Adventists were not Trinitarian, but the church has affirmed the doctrine since the 20th century.
How a person is savedDiffer	Salvation is God’s gift, received through faith and baptism. The believer cooperates with grace through works of love, and the sacraments are the ordinary channels of that grace. Justification is understood as a real inner renewal, not only a declaration.	Saved by grace through faith in Christ. Adventists teach that obedience, including keeping the Ten Commandments, is the fruit of salvation and not its cause.
Can a saved person fall away?Agree	Yes. A person can lose the grace of God through mortal sin, and it is restored through repentance and the sacrament of reconciliation (confession).	Yes. Salvation can be lost by rejecting God, but no one is lost who continues to trust in Christ.
Predestination and free willAgree	God knows and wills the salvation of the elect, and human free will genuinely cooperates with grace. The church condemns the view that God predestines anyone to damnation.	Arminian in outlook. God desires all to be saved, and each person chooses whether to respond.
BaptismDiffer	A sacrament that cleanses original sin and begins new life in Christ. Infants are baptized, usually by pouring water, and adults are baptized after instruction.	Baptism by immersion, given after instruction and a public profession of faith. It marks membership in the church.
Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Differ	The Eucharist. Bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation), and the whole Christ is truly present under their appearance.	Observed quarterly, in a service that includes foot washing as an act of humility. The bread and grape juice are symbols.
Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer	Seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders and marriage.	Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The church’s own statement treats foot washing as part of the Lord’s Supper service, and some Adventists describe it as a third ordinance.
Church governmentDiffer	Governed by bishops in communion with the pope, who is the successor of Peter and holds universal authority. Priests serve under bishops.	A representative system of local churches, regional conferences and a General Conference. Delegates make decisions for the world church.
Clergy and women in ministryVaries	Priests and bishops must be men, and priests in the Latin Church are celibate. Women serve as religious sisters, teachers and lay leaders, but not as ordained clergy.	Women serve as pastors and elders in many regions, but ordaining women as pastors has been disputed at the level of the world church.
Mary and the saintsDiffer	Mary is honored as Mother of God, and Catholics pray to her and the saints to intercede. Catholic teaching includes the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption and Mary’s perpetual virginity.	Mary is honored as Jesus’ mother. Adventists do not pray to saints and teach that the dead are unconscious until the resurrection.
Death, purgatory and hellDiffer	Those who die in grace but are not fully purified go through purgatory before heaven. The living pray for the dead. Hell is eternal separation from God.	The dead are unconscious until the resurrection (sometimes called “soul sleep”). The wicked are ultimately destroyed rather than tormented forever, which is the doctrine of conditional immortality.
Style of worshipDiffer	Highly liturgical. The Mass follows a set order, with readings, a homily and the Eucharist at the center. Worship uses vestments, incense and candles on many occasions.	A Sabbath school and a worship service on Saturday. The service is built around preaching, hymns and prayer.
The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsAgree	The Spirit works through the sacraments, and the church recognizes gifts (charisms) of healing and prophecy. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal, begun in 1967, welcomes tongues, but it is not the norm.	Spiritual gifts are believed to continue, and the church holds that the gift of prophecy was shown in Ellen G. White. Tongues are understood as real human languages.
Day of worshipDiffer	Sunday, the day of the resurrection. Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days.	Saturday, the seventh day. Adventists keep the biblical Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset and consider it a lasting commandment.
Best known for	Papal authority, the seven sacraments, the Mass, Marian devotion and a worldwide network of schools, hospitals and charities.	Saturday Sabbath, a health message that includes vegetarian eating, a large system of schools and hospitals, and the expectation of Christ’s soon return.

“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.

Catholic vs. Seventh-day Adventist

Catholic

Seventh-day Adventist

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