Catholic vs. Pentecostal
A side-by-side comparison of Catholic and Pentecostal 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.
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism began in the early 1900s, notably at the Azusa Street revival in Los Angeles. It teaches that the gifts of the Holy Spirit described in Acts and 1 Corinthians, including tongues and healing, are active today. It is among the fastest-growing Christian movements.
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; Mary and the saints; Death, purgatory and hell; Style of worship; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
Varies within one or both: Church government; Clergy and women in ministry.
Where they agree: The Trinity; Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; Day of worship.
Side by side
| Question | Catholic | Pentecostal |
|---|---|---|
| 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 is the inspired and final authority. Believers also expect the Holy Spirit to guide them personally, always tested against 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). | Most Pentecostals, including the Assemblies of God, are Trinitarian. A smaller “Oneness” wing rejects the doctrine and teaches that Father, Son and Spirit are modes of one person. |
| 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, usually with an emphasis on new birth and a personal experience of conversion. It is often followed by a distinct experience called baptism in the Holy Spirit. |
| 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). | Most classical Pentecostal bodies, such as the Assemblies of God, hold that a believer can forfeit salvation, though some Pentecostals teach eternal security. |
| 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. | Generally Arminian: Christ died for all, and each person can accept or refuse. A small number of Reformed Pentecostals hold to election. |
| 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. | Believer’s baptism by immersion, as an act of obedience and a public witness. Baptism is distinguished from baptism in the Holy Spirit. |
| 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. | An ordinance in memory of Christ’s death. It is often marked with a sense of God’s presence and healing. |
| Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer | Seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders and marriage. | Two ordinances, water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Some Pentecostal groups add foot washing. |
| Church governmentVaries | Governed by bishops in communion with the pope, who is the successor of Peter and holds universal authority. Priests serve under bishops. | Varies. The Assemblies of God combines congregational and presbyterian features, and the Church of God in Christ has bishops. |
| 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. | Varies. The Assemblies of God ordains women, and some other Pentecostal bodies reserve pastoral office for men. |
| 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 the mother of Jesus. Pentecostals do not pray to her or the saints. |
| 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. | Believers go directly into Christ’s presence at death. Pentecostals hold to a literal heaven and hell and expect the return of Christ. |
| 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. | Expressive and Spirit-led, with lively music, spontaneous prayer, testimony and an openness to prophecy, tongues and healing. |
| The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsDiffer | 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. | All the gifts of the Spirit continue today. Most teach baptism in the Holy Spirit as a separate experience after conversion, and many teach speaking in tongues as the initial sign of it. |
| Day of worshipAgree | Sunday, the day of the resurrection. Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days. | Sunday. |
| Best known for | Papal authority, the seven sacraments, the Mass, Marian devotion and a worldwide network of schools, hospitals and charities. | Speaking in tongues, healing, lively worship and rapid growth in Latin America, Africa and Asia. |
“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.
Learn more on this site
- The Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture
- The Reliability of Scripture
- The Canon
- Textual Variants and "Lost Books" (Gnostic Gospels, Apocrypha)
- What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
- Grace
- Justification
- Baptism
- Catholic Church
- Eastern Orthodox Church
- What Does the Bible Say About Heaven?
- What Does the Bible Say About Hell?
- What Does the Bible Say About Judgment Day?
- What Does the Bible Say About Worship?
- What Does the Bible Say About Spiritual Gifts?
- The Trinity
- The Deity of Christ
- Free Will, Predestination, and Divine Sovereignty
- Sabbath
More comparisons
Catholic
Pentecostal
- Eastern Orthodox vs. Pentecostal
- Lutheran vs. Pentecostal
- Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Pentecostal
- Anglican / Episcopal vs. Pentecostal
- Methodist vs. Pentecostal
- Baptist vs. Pentecostal
- Anabaptist / Mennonite vs. Pentecostal
- Pentecostal vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Pentecostal vs. Church of Christ
- Pentecostal vs. Non-denominational