A Caution
This page is designed for people who know some theology, but are not familiar with the Lutheran Church. There are a lot of well-worn theological terms and concepts employed here, which this page assumes the reader understands. For those without sufficient background, the importance of much of what is said here may be lost, or worse yet, completely misunderstood.
In General . . .
A Quick summary of What Lutherans Believe and Teach
The Holy Trinity
Lutherans confess the Doctrine of the Trinity, as do all true Christian churches namely, that there is one God, who is worshipped in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, each person being distinct from the other two, and each person being fully God.
Jesus Christ, the one and only Savior of all who believe
Lutherans confess that the Son of God became a true human being. This teaching is called the Incarnation. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He became human in order to deliver us from sin, death and hell, by dying for us. That Jesus’ death on the cross takes away the sins of the world is called the Atonement. After atoning for our sins, Jesus rose bodily from the dead and forty days later was exalted to the right hand of God. He is now reigning over things all as Lord. He will return on the Last Day, to judge the living and the dead, and to usher in a new heaven and earth.
Faith Alone, Grace Alone
Lutherans believe that individual human beings are forgiven by God, given the Holy Spirit, and promised eternal life when they believe that Jesus is their Savior. By “faith alone” we mean that a human being contributes nothing to what Christ has done for him or her, but merely accepts forgiveness, life and salvation from God as a gift. There is no sense in which a human being merits God’s love or His favor. By “grace alone” we mean that God saves us because it is in God’s nature to do such a thing, and not because of any inherent value or worthiness within us.
Scripture Alone
Lutherans believe that the Church has both the authority and the duty to speak for God, and in effect to say “Thus says the Lord.” This authority is strictly limited, however, to what Scripture itself clearly teaches. The authority of the Church to govern itself, or to establish patterns of worship and practice, is a matter of Christian freedom, but must be exercised consistent with Scripture.
Catholic, but not Roman Catholic
Lutherans believe, as the Nicene Creed states, that there is “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church” on earth. The word “catholic” means “universal,” and is often translated “Christian”. It means that there is only one Church throughout the world, the Church established by Christ through His apostles, and will be only one Church until Christ returns. Lutherans are not followers of Martin Luther, and do not consider Luther a prophet in any way. He was a reformer of a Church that was much in need of reforming. Lutherans believe that they are as much the inheritors of the traditions, doctrines, practices and history of the ancient and medieval church as the Roman Catholics are, and might more accurately be called “Evangelical Catholics”. But history has bestowed on us a different title, which we now bear proudly! Even so, although Lutherans and Roman Catholics split from each other in the first quarter of the sixteenth century, there is nevertheless still only one Church and both Lutherans and Roman Catholics are still in it. The same can be said for other church bodies that are built on the apostles’ teachings in the New Testament, and that confess the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Atonement, and which look to Jesus’ return.
More Specifically . . .
Explore some of the differences and similarities between Lutherans and other kinds of Christians
Explore certain other issues debated among Christians which cross Denominational lines
A Deeper Look
The official teachings of the Lutheran Church are contained in the The Book of Concord, which was published in 1580.