Nobody likes labels. We don't either. We refuse to be pigeonholed; we abhor being placed into any category. Labels are simplistic, we say, they are too broad or too narrow, they exclude or include. We want people to take us as individuals.
It'd be great if we could just call ourselves "Christians" and that be enough. But what if a label has meaning? What if it can be tied to something specific and concrete?
We are "Lutherans." Yes, it's a label. Yes, we are also Chrisitians, too. But "Lutheran" is more specific. This label helps the world know just how Christ-centered we are in everything we teach and preach. The name Lutheran refers to a person, congregation, or church body who unconditionally holds to the teachings contained within the Book of Concord, first published in 1580. The Book of Concord clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is the center of everything! It's no replacement for the bible, of course. But it does insure that we interpret God's word rightly. A Lutheran is someone who declares that these specific documents (the Book of Concord) rightly confesses the truth of the Scriptures.
It’s that simple! if you want to know what a Lutheran believes; if you want to know what that label means, you go to the Book of Concord. If you want to know if someone is using the label properly, you evaluate what they believe, teach, and confess according to the Book of Concord.
Finally, a Lutheran is not someone who worships Martin Luther. He was great guy and all -- check him out on Wikipedia, sometime. Read all about the Protostant Reformation, too.
A Lutheran is not someone who subscribes to every word that flowed from Luther’s pen. In fact, during the Reformation, Lutherans were given this label by their opponents as an insult, accusing them of following Luther like a cult. But Luther, like John the Baptist, was not an object of worship. He was a voice, a bony finger pointing to Jesus, and Him alone for salvation.
Luther would have prefered that we be known only as ‘Christians,’ but in a sinful world, simply bearing the name ‘Christian,’ while sufficient for salvation, is insufficient to accurately tell others how you separate truth from error.
Lutherans must call themselves something to distinguish their confession from all the other confessions around them; they could’ve called themselves ‘Concordians’ or ‘Wittenbergers’ or literally anything else, and the content behind that label would’ve been exactly the same, but they didn’t. Instead of dumping the label given as an insult, they owned it, and we still OWN it!
Sadly, like the label Baptist or Methodist or any other Chrisitan denominational label, not all Lutherans are the same, these days. Many have abandoned the plain Word of the Bible and the Book of Concord and it's teachings. Many Lutheran denominations embrace the ways of the culture around us rather than adhere to God's Word alone.
At St. John, we are a part of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). Yes, it's another label. But, as we've established, sometimes that's necesary. Check out the core beliefs of the LCMS here.
It'd be great if we could just call ourselves "Christians" and that be enough. But what if a label has meaning? What if it can be tied to something specific and concrete?
We are "Lutherans." Yes, it's a label. Yes, we are also Chrisitians, too. But "Lutheran" is more specific. This label helps the world know just how Christ-centered we are in everything we teach and preach. The name Lutheran refers to a person, congregation, or church body who unconditionally holds to the teachings contained within the Book of Concord, first published in 1580. The Book of Concord clearly teaches that Jesus Christ is the center of everything! It's no replacement for the bible, of course. But it does insure that we interpret God's word rightly. A Lutheran is someone who declares that these specific documents (the Book of Concord) rightly confesses the truth of the Scriptures.
It’s that simple! if you want to know what a Lutheran believes; if you want to know what that label means, you go to the Book of Concord. If you want to know if someone is using the label properly, you evaluate what they believe, teach, and confess according to the Book of Concord.
Finally, a Lutheran is not someone who worships Martin Luther. He was great guy and all -- check him out on Wikipedia, sometime. Read all about the Protostant Reformation, too.
A Lutheran is not someone who subscribes to every word that flowed from Luther’s pen. In fact, during the Reformation, Lutherans were given this label by their opponents as an insult, accusing them of following Luther like a cult. But Luther, like John the Baptist, was not an object of worship. He was a voice, a bony finger pointing to Jesus, and Him alone for salvation.
Luther would have prefered that we be known only as ‘Christians,’ but in a sinful world, simply bearing the name ‘Christian,’ while sufficient for salvation, is insufficient to accurately tell others how you separate truth from error.
Lutherans must call themselves something to distinguish their confession from all the other confessions around them; they could’ve called themselves ‘Concordians’ or ‘Wittenbergers’ or literally anything else, and the content behind that label would’ve been exactly the same, but they didn’t. Instead of dumping the label given as an insult, they owned it, and we still OWN it!
Sadly, like the label Baptist or Methodist or any other Chrisitan denominational label, not all Lutherans are the same, these days. Many have abandoned the plain Word of the Bible and the Book of Concord and it's teachings. Many Lutheran denominations embrace the ways of the culture around us rather than adhere to God's Word alone.
At St. John, we are a part of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS). Yes, it's another label. But, as we've established, sometimes that's necesary. Check out the core beliefs of the LCMS here.