What do Lutherans believe about the Bible?
Lutherans accept the Bible as the "authoritative source and norm" of the church's proclamation, its faith,
and its life. Lutherans believe that "Jesus Christ is the Word of God incarnate, through whom everything
was made and through whose life, death, and resurrection God fashions a new creation." Lutherans
understand that "the proclamation of God's message to us as both Law and Gospel is the Word of God,
revealing judgment and mercy through word and deed, beginning with the Word in creation, continuing in the
history of Israel, and centering in all its fullness in the person and work of Jesus Christ." Lutherans
further understand that "the canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of
God. Inspired by God's Spirit speaking through their authors, they record and announce God's revelation
centering in Jesus Christ. Through them God's Spirit speaks to us to create and sustain Christian faith
and fellowship for service in the world." (Quotations from the Constitution of the ELCA, chapter 2.)
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How do Lutherans worship?
Lutheran worship centers on God's activity through the public proclamation of the Word and administration
of the Sacraments. At the same time, worship is "liturgy"-that is, literally, "work of the people." In
other words, worship is participatory rather than a spectator event. Worldwide, there is significant
diversity in worship liturgies, practices and styles among Lutherans. Words like "high-church" and "formal"
may be used to describe some Lutheran worship styles, while words like "low-key" and "informal" may better
describe some others. Generally speaking, Lutherans have kept those components of worship which date back
to the earliest centuries of the Christian church. Usually, Lutherans follow the church calendar and
observe the seasons and celebrations of the church year (Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and
Pentecost). Lutheran worship generally includes opportunity for reflection and confession, the
pronouncement of God's forgiveness in Jesus Christ, the singing of "psalms, hymns and other spiritual
songs," the reading of scripture passages, a sermon, the recitation of the Nicene or Apostles' Creed, the
receiving of tithes and offerings, prayers for the community and the world, and the celebration of the
Sacraments (Baptism and the Lord's Supper).
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Are there different kinds of Lutheran Churches?
Yes. Even within a certain association of congregations, one will encounter much diversity in thought
and expression. The largest association of Lutheran congregations in the U.S.A. is called the
"Evangelical Lutheran Church in America" (ELCA) with about five million members in, roughly, ten
thousand congregations. Other associations of Lutheran congregations (denominations) are, for example,
"The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod" (LCMS), and the "Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod" (WELS).
Most Lutheran churches around the world (including the ELCA) belong to the Lutheran World Federation
(LWF), an association of Lutheran denominations worldwide.
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What are the Lutheran Confessions?
These are a set of documents contained in a small tome called the Book of Concord. These documents
bear witness to the evangelical (i.e., Lutheran) understanding of the catholic (universal) faith. The
central document is called the Augsburg Confession. Other documents are the Apology to the Augsburg
Confession, The Smalcald Articles, On The Power and Primacy of the Pope, The Small Catechism, the Large
Catechism, and the Formula of Concord.
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What is the Augsburg Confession?
This central document was presented in Augsburg, Germany, to the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, on June 25, 1530.
(Incidentally, Luther did not write the Augsburg Confession, nor was he present in Augsburg when it was
presented.) The twenty-eight articles of the Augsburg Confession delineate the evangelical understanding
of the Gospel and the Christian Church. In matters pertaining to Christian belief and practice, Lutheran's
believe that the Augsburg Confession represents a faithful and accurate interpretation of the Holy Scripture.
At certain points in the Augsburg Confession, the evangelical position is in agreement with the Roman
Catholic position. At other points, the evangelical position is (and remains) at odds with the
official Roman Catholic position.
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Do Lutherans worship Martin Luther?
No. Lutherans worship God revealed in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. One can guess what Luther might have
thought about the fact that today millions of Christians identify themselves using his name. Luther himself once
said, "I ask that people do not make reference to my name. Let them call themselves Christians, not
Lutherans. What is Luther? After all, this gospel teaching is not mine. Neither was I crucified for
anyone. In 1 Corinthians 3, St. Paul does not allow Christians to call themselves "Pauline" or
"Petrine" but only "Christian." How then should I-the poor, stinking bag of maggots that I am-come to
have people call the children of Christ by my wretched name? Let it not be so, my dear friends.
Rather, let us abolish all partisan names and call ourselves Christians, after him whose teaching we hold."
(From A Sincere Admonition from Martin Luther to All Christians, 1522).
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What about the relationship between Lutherans and Roman Catholics today?
In many places, the relationship between Lutherans and Roman Catholics have warmed considerably. Many Lutheran
congregations work closely with Roman Catholic congregations in common ministry, and many of these even
hold an occasional join worship service. Many Roman Catholics have noted how they feel at home at
worship in Lutheran congregations and many Lutherans share this sentiment about Roman Catholic worship.
Furthermore, scholars and other officials from Lutheran and Roman Catholic circles have been in close
dialogue over the past decades, especially since the Roman Catholic church's Second Vatican Council in
the early 1960's. In 1999, some Lutherans and Roman Catholics signed a "Joint Declaration on the
Doctrine of Justification." This document highlighted agreement between Lutherans and Roman Catholics in
regard to the understanding that Christians are "justified by faith apart from the works of the law."
On the other hand, a Roman Catholic appendix to the document underscored a number of central issues upon
which there is still substantial disagreement.
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