What it is to be a Lutheran
Introduction
Lutherans receive their name from a medieval monk who was excommunicated by the Roman Papacy for his insistence that salvation in Christ cannot be bought or sold, but is a free gift from God. The name "Lutheran" was a derogatory term given to Luther and his followers by the followers of the Pope, even though these "Lutherans" referred to themselves merely as catholic "evangelicals."
Never intending to rift the Church, Lutherans both then and now seek to call all Christians to base their faith and teachings on the Word of God, not on the opinions of humans. The authentic teachings of the ancient, holy, Christian and Apostolic Church are always the same in every time and place, which is why the writings of the Apostles that are found in the New Testament remain the sole rule and guide for what all faithful churches must believe, teach and confess. There is one Truth, and Christ calls all people to unity in that Truth, which is his Word.
In 1580, the followers of Luther finalized a catalogue of those universal Christian beliefs which had come to light in their debates against Rome, titling the publication "The Book of Concord" (or, "The Book of Harmony.") Seeking to do nothing other than repeat God's Word in the midst of the heated propaganda of Rome's accusations against them, these "Confessions" remain today a truly "catholic" ("universal") and "evangelical" ("Gospel-centered") heritage for those who seek to believe what the ancient churches believed and taught. To Lutherans, the Book of Concord is not inspired, but it is a clear and right "speaking again" before men of that perfect inspiration revealed to us in Holy Scripture.
Bible or Confessions?
Lutherans confess that, "The Word of God is and should remain the sole rule and norm of all doctrine," (FC SD, Rule and Norm, 9). What the Bible asserts, God asserts. What the Bible commands, God commands. The authority of the Scriptures is complete, certain and final. The Scriptures are accepted by the Lutheran Confessions as the actual, verbally perfect Word of God. The Lutheran Confessions urge us to believe the Scriptures for "they will not lie to you" (LC, V, 76) and cannot be "false and deceitful" (FC SD, VII, 96). The Bible is God's "pure, infallible, and unalterable Word" (Preface to the BoC).
The Lutheran Confessions are then a "basis, rule, and norm indicating how all doctrines should be judged" only because they are "in conformity with the Word of God" (FC SD, RN). Because the Confessions only repeat the written Word of God in a new age and context, they serve as a touchstone for testing all teachings in our own context to see whether they are in line with the Bible. They do not replace the Scriptures. They point us back to the Scriptures more and more.
The Gospel?
The Lutheran Reformation began as the sincere expression of concern that the false and misleading teachings of Rome were obscuring the glory and merit of Jesus Christ, and thus stealing faith from devout Christian consciences. As the Book of Concord says:
"Human beings have not kept the law of God, but have transgressed it. Their corrupted human nature, thoughts, words and deeds battle against the law. For this reason they are subject to God's wrath, to death and all temporal afflictions, and to the punishment of the fires of hell. As a result, the Gospel, in this strict sense, teaches what people should believe, namely, that they receive from God the forgiveness of sins; that is, that the Son of God, our Lord Christ, has taken upon himself the curse of the law and borne it, atoned and paid for all our sins; that through him alone we are restored to God's grace, obtain the forgiveness of sins through faith and are delivered from death and all the punishments of our sins and are saved eternally .... It is good news, joyous news, that God does not want to punish sin but to forgive it for Christ's sake (FC SD, V, 20)."
More?
You can read the Book of Concord online for free by following this link, or buy yourself a beautiful Reader's Edition from Australian Church Resources.
Lutherans receive their name from a medieval monk who was excommunicated by the Roman Papacy for his insistence that salvation in Christ cannot be bought or sold, but is a free gift from God. The name "Lutheran" was a derogatory term given to Luther and his followers by the followers of the Pope, even though these "Lutherans" referred to themselves merely as catholic "evangelicals."
Never intending to rift the Church, Lutherans both then and now seek to call all Christians to base their faith and teachings on the Word of God, not on the opinions of humans. The authentic teachings of the ancient, holy, Christian and Apostolic Church are always the same in every time and place, which is why the writings of the Apostles that are found in the New Testament remain the sole rule and guide for what all faithful churches must believe, teach and confess. There is one Truth, and Christ calls all people to unity in that Truth, which is his Word.
In 1580, the followers of Luther finalized a catalogue of those universal Christian beliefs which had come to light in their debates against Rome, titling the publication "The Book of Concord" (or, "The Book of Harmony.") Seeking to do nothing other than repeat God's Word in the midst of the heated propaganda of Rome's accusations against them, these "Confessions" remain today a truly "catholic" ("universal") and "evangelical" ("Gospel-centered") heritage for those who seek to believe what the ancient churches believed and taught. To Lutherans, the Book of Concord is not inspired, but it is a clear and right "speaking again" before men of that perfect inspiration revealed to us in Holy Scripture.
Bible or Confessions?
Lutherans confess that, "The Word of God is and should remain the sole rule and norm of all doctrine," (FC SD, Rule and Norm, 9). What the Bible asserts, God asserts. What the Bible commands, God commands. The authority of the Scriptures is complete, certain and final. The Scriptures are accepted by the Lutheran Confessions as the actual, verbally perfect Word of God. The Lutheran Confessions urge us to believe the Scriptures for "they will not lie to you" (LC, V, 76) and cannot be "false and deceitful" (FC SD, VII, 96). The Bible is God's "pure, infallible, and unalterable Word" (Preface to the BoC).
The Lutheran Confessions are then a "basis, rule, and norm indicating how all doctrines should be judged" only because they are "in conformity with the Word of God" (FC SD, RN). Because the Confessions only repeat the written Word of God in a new age and context, they serve as a touchstone for testing all teachings in our own context to see whether they are in line with the Bible. They do not replace the Scriptures. They point us back to the Scriptures more and more.
The Gospel?
The Lutheran Reformation began as the sincere expression of concern that the false and misleading teachings of Rome were obscuring the glory and merit of Jesus Christ, and thus stealing faith from devout Christian consciences. As the Book of Concord says:
"Human beings have not kept the law of God, but have transgressed it. Their corrupted human nature, thoughts, words and deeds battle against the law. For this reason they are subject to God's wrath, to death and all temporal afflictions, and to the punishment of the fires of hell. As a result, the Gospel, in this strict sense, teaches what people should believe, namely, that they receive from God the forgiveness of sins; that is, that the Son of God, our Lord Christ, has taken upon himself the curse of the law and borne it, atoned and paid for all our sins; that through him alone we are restored to God's grace, obtain the forgiveness of sins through faith and are delivered from death and all the punishments of our sins and are saved eternally .... It is good news, joyous news, that God does not want to punish sin but to forgive it for Christ's sake (FC SD, V, 20)."
More?
You can read the Book of Concord online for free by following this link, or buy yourself a beautiful Reader's Edition from Australian Church Resources.