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Justification by faith alone
- Lutherans believe in justification by faith alone, emphasizing that salvation results from God’s grace received through trust in Jesus Christ. They recognize two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, affirm the priesthood of all believers, and distinguish between the Law and the Gospel.
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Nov 2, 2017 · Luther’s action in 1517 launched several varieties of Protestantism, including the tradition that took his name. Here are nine things you should know about Lutheranism. 1. Lutheranism is a tradition within Christianity that began in the Protestant Reformation.
Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Protestant Reformation. [1]
- ‘Lutheran’ as Insult
- Justification by Grace Through Faith For Christ’s Sake
- Law and Gospel
- Means of Grace
- Theology of The Cross
- Saint and Sinner
- Vocation
- Contextual Theology
The word “Lutheran” actually began as an insult used by Luther’s opponents. Luther later tried to discourage his supporters from calling themselves Lutherans since they really follow Jesus Christ, not Martin Luther. “What is Luther?” he once wrote. “After all, the teaching is not mine. Neither was I crucified for anyone.” It was the gospel message ...
This, for Lutherans, is the heart of the gospel. Stated concisely in the fourth article of the Augsburg Confession, it’s so central that it has been called “the article by which the church stands or falls.” Both Lutherans and Roman Catholics believed God’s grace was essential for salvation, but they had different understandings of the way grace wor...
Lutherans have a distinctive way of reading the Scriptures, based on Luther’s insight that God’s word comes to us in two forms—law and gospel. The law as command tells people what they should do. The gospel as promise tells us what God in Christ has already done for us. God’s law functions in several ways: It structures human life by protecting and...
The Augsburg Confessiondescribes word and sacrament as the “means of grace.” The word “means” refers to how things actually happen. We refer to different means of communication, means of transportation, etc. By calling word and sacrament means of grace, we are saying: “This is how and where grace happens.” When the good news is preached, when someo...
The theology of the cross refers not just to the events of Good Friday.It also refers to a cross-centered approach to theology that stands in opposition to a “theology of glory” focused on the power and majesty of God abstracted from God’s action in history. A theology of glory looks up and says, “God’s in heaven and all’s well with the world.” A t...
Luther described Christians as “simultaneously saint and sinner.” Some religious traditions distinguish between “saints,” who obey God’s will, and “sinners,” who disobey. Lutherans cling to a both/and understanding of Christian identity that redefines the word “saint”: a saint is a forgiven sinner. Our dual identity as saints and sinners reminds us...
The term “vocation” literally means “calling.” Until Luther’s time it was used primarily to refer to those with a special religious calling to be a priest, monk or nun. Luther expanded the idea to include all Christians. First, Luther affirmed that all Christians are priests. This “priesthood of all believers” doesn’t mean that we each have an indi...
The Greek word diakonos, often translated in the New Testament as “minister” or “servant,” can also refer to a waiter. This image reminds us how essential it is for the food to reach the hungry diners at the table. No matter how exquisite the chef or the food, it’s no good if the meal stays in the kitchen. Similarly, the church needs to deliver the...
Aug 1, 2023 · Lutheranism is a Protestant Christian denomination rooted in the teachings of Martin Luther. It emphasizes justification by grace through faith, the authority of Scripture, and the sacraments. Because of its history and influence, many people want to learn more about what Lutherans believe.
Jan 4, 2022 · The Lutheran church teaches that all men have some measure of freedom of the will—which is ironic considering Luther comes to the opposite conclusion in one of his most famous books, The Bondage of the Will. Lutherans also believe that, without God’s grace and help, given by the Holy Spirit, man is incapable of fearing or believing in God.
Lutheranism is one of the five major strands of Protestantism. It is rooted in the teachings of the 16th-century theologian Martin Luther. Lutheranism’s tenets—at odds with many aspects of Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy —include the rejection of the hierarchical split between clergy and laity, in favor of Scripture as the ...
Nov 16, 2015 · Lutheran. Lutherans teach that, since Adam and Eve fell into sin (Genesis 3), all people are “brought forth in iniquity” and conceived in sin (Psalm 51:5). Forgiveness is a gift of God that is obtained by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
