Lutheranism Is Biblical, Right?

Growing up Catholic I thought Lutherans were just less intense Catholics. Maybe they were less committed to their faith. Woo, boy! That was completely wrong, and Lutherans will make sure you know it. In fact, despite the many comparisons between Catholicism and Lutheranism, Lutherans want to be distinct and separate from Catholicism. And with good reason… But, even understanding that Lutheranism is not “Catholicism Light,” I still questioned whether or not Lutheranism is biblical.

Quick History Of Lutheranism

While many American families celebrate Halloween on October 31, I (and other nerds) remember Reformation Day. Martin Luther, a German monk, is best known for nailing his “95 Theses” to a church door on October 31, 1517.

Luther’s “95 Theses” addressed issues he had with the Catholic Church. Among the rebukes he offered were his questioning of papal authority and his rejection of selling indulgences. His bold move to oppose the powerful and controlling Catholic Church began the Protestant Reformation.

By 1519, those who opposed Luther and his followers began referring to the reformers as “Lutherans.” Despite opposition and persecution from the Catholic Church, Protestantism grew. Martin Luther started a movement that would not and could not be stopped.

By 2017, Lutheranism grew to approximately 80 million members worldwide. They are the third largest protestant group behind Anglicanism and Pentecostalism.

I applaud Martin Luther for his criticism of the Catholic Church, but as I have studied Lutheranism, I believe he did not step far away enough.

Three Lutheran Churches

As with everything in our modern-day culture, Lutheranism has a conservative side and a liberal side. It is a bit of a house divided. In the United States there are three primary Lutheran groups: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), and the Missouri Synod Lutherans (LCMS).

ELCA

ELCA is the most liberal of these three groups of Lutherans, reporting 3.3 million members as recently as 2020. This branch teaches that the Bible is not always accurate and trustworthy. These churches will have communion with multiple denominations, though not all. The ELCA allows individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ to be full members of the church. Additionally, congregations may choose to hold same-sex weddings and ordain ministers who are LGBTQ+ at their own discretion. Finally, the ELCA has ordained women from its inception.

Quick Note: I believe it is important to note that the ELCA appears to give individual churches the ability to decide how to approach who they will ordain, marry, and accept into membership. That said, it is likely that ELCA churches may vary significantly from one another.

WELS

WELS is the most conservative group on the list, and as of 2020, reports having 349,014 members. They are similar to LCMS in many ways, such as in their view of Scripture’s sufficiency. WELS and LCMS also agree on a stance of not ordaining women to be ministers. However, WELS does not allow women to be officers in the church while LCMS does allow for that.

WELS does not consider ELCA or LCMS to be true Lutheranism.

LCMS

LCMS is the most traditional branch of the three groups, and claims approximately 2 million members. These churches still view LGBTQ+ lifestyles as sin. They will not ordain women, and see the Bible as true and inerrant. Being somewhat in the middle of the liberal/conservative spectrum (though, still quite conservative), LCMS allows women to hold any office that does not involve pastoral duties.

For The Sake Of Today

As I examine Lutheranism, I have to acknowledge these three groups vary quite a bit. So, we are going to toss aside the ELCA because I don’t need to know any more than what has already been stated to know whether or not that Lutheranism is biblical. It’s not.  You can read about females in pastoral ministry HERE.

I’m also going to ignore WELS today. For one, it is significantly smaller than the other two groups. Not to mention, it is more of a hyper-conservative splinter group rather than a representative sampling of average American Lutherans.

We will move ahead with an overview of LCMS. Its size, conservativism, and traditional beliefs make it a better candidate for making the case that Lutheranism is biblical. But let’s see about that.

Evidence That Lutheranism Is Biblical

1. The Bible

Lutheranism teaches the authority of Scripture. Lutherans believe the Bible is the only authority to determine doctrine (2 Timothy 3:16). This is in complete contradiction to the Catholic Church which teaches that doctrine comes from the Pope, tradition, and the church, also.

2. Trinity

Lutheranism teaches the biblical truth of the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is one God in three persons (1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 10:30; Matthew 28:19; Matthew 3:16-17).

3. Born Sinful

The Lutheran Church teaches that we are born in a fallen state. In other words, we are born sinners in need of salvation (Ephesians 2:3; Romans 5:12; John 3:3).

4. Good Works And Salvation

Lutherans believe that Christians should do good works because they are a natural outpouring of a Christian’s praise and thankfulness. Christian good works are an evidence of faith.

“What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.”

James 2:14-17

Those goods works, however, are not a means to salvation, according to Lutheranism. Again, we see biblical teaching in the Lutheran Church.

“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

Ephesians 2:8-9

5. Purgatory

You won’t find purgatory in the Bible, and Lutherans are removed far enough from Catholicism to agree. When we die, there is no holding place while we wait to be moved into Heaven. We die and are judged. Full stop.

“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:”

Hebrews 9:27

6. Saints and Mary

Unlike Catholicism, Lutheranism does not teach that Christians should pray to saints to intervene on our behalf. There is no biblical support for that action, and Lutherans believe that the only one we need to intervene for us is Jesus Christ.

As for Mary, Lutheranism rejects the idea that she should be seen as having any hand in our redemption. Mary was Jesus’ mother, but she was not a co-redeemer.

This list makes a strong case for Lutheranism. The Lutheran Church is clearly separate from Catholicism on many important matters. It teaches salvation through grace that is only available through Jesus Christ. No works required. Amen, right? The Lutheran Church also rejects unbiblical teachings like purgatory and praying to saints.

Meanwhile, Lutherans maintain that the Bible is our doctrinal authority, we’re born with a sin nature, and they accept the mystery of the Trinity. So, I must be saying that Lutheranism is biblical…

Evidence That Lutheranism May Not Be Biblical

For me, the biggest red flags are found in what is arguably the most important part of the Lutheran tradition. The Sacraments. Catholicism claims seven distinct sacraments that, essentially, are works Catholics must complete to get to Heaven. Lutheranism, however, only kept two sacraments: Baptism and Lord’s Supper.

As a Baptist, I embrace both baptism and Lord’s Supper. Though, we see these as ordinances through which we worship. That difference between sacrament and ordinance is ultimately from where the trouble stems. Lutheranism applies more importance to these acts than the Bible teaches we should.

1. Baptism

We see baptism in the Bible before Jesus’ ministry, during His time on Earth, and after He rejoins the Father in Heaven. Jesus, before ascending, instructs His followers to baptize in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19). My point? Baptism is a thing. Let’s do it. But let’s do it right.

Infants

Lutheranism teaches to baptize infants. Infants have a sin nature like the rest of us, therefore, I can understand why someone might wish to wash away the original sin of our precious children. We love them and want them to be saved. But those infants cannot comprehend God, salvation, or sin. They haven’t even mastered object permanence yet! So, how can they declare a faith in the Lord?

Lutheranism uses Matthew 28:19 to justify infant baptism. The claim is that when Jesus said to make “disciples of all the nations, baptizing them…” infants were included in “nations.” Any amount of scholarly research will lead you to a dead end in that trail of thinking. Infancy is a stage of development, not a people group associated with a particular region or historical background. It’s a real stretch to pull out that verse to support infant baptism.

No Baptism, No Salvation

The Lutheran Church is vocal about how no man can be saved by works. Our salvation is by grace alone through Christ alone. Except… Lutheranism also teaches that baptism is “necessary for salvation.” Teachings clarify that infants receive faith and forgiveness via baptism. That sounds like works, and it doesn’t line up with Scripture. The relationship between salvation and baptism in the Bible is baptism happening after coming to faith.

If we are truly saved by faith alone, then the baptism in which we participate can only be an obedient and outward display of a change that God has already done in us. Otherwise, it is a work that we must complete in order to receive that saving faith. Parents having a minister sprinkle their baby in order to have God give that baby faith can only be described as works and unbiblical.

*Please note that LCMS clarifies that baptism is not “absolutely” necessary for salvation. I’ll add that this statement clarifies nothing and only creates more confusion about what the Lutheran Church really believes about baptism because most sources insist baptism us necessary to be saved.

2. The Lord’s Supper

“This do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19b). So we do. Many churches around the world participate in the Lord’s Supper. We read the account of the Last Supper, spend some time in prayer, seeking forgiveness to keep short accounts with Him, and we eat and drink in remembrance of Him. The bread is bread. The wine is wine (or juice is juice). The Lutheran Church, on the other hand, took a bit of Catholicism with it on this issue.

Consubstantiation

Catholicism teaches transubstantiation. This means that the bread and wine, although in appearance are unchanged, have actually become completely and literally the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Lutheranism rejects this.

Instead, Lutherans believe in consubstantiation. This is the belief that the bread and wine are bread and wine, but they are also spiritually the body and blood of Christ. Although a hot take, I’m going to say it’s a wrong take, too.

First, Christ frequently spoke in metaphors. He wasn’t really a vine, door, or shepherd, was He? The references to his broken body and blood were allusions to his sacrifice on the cross.

Second, the meal in question was the Passover meal. Passover is a highly symbolic meal in which nearly everything has a special meaning. The expectation would have been metaphorical and symbolic language.

Forgiveness

I mentioned praying for forgiveness earlier when discussing the Lord’s Supper. However, now I ought to clarify that I do not mean to say that forgiveness is given through the Lord’s Supper. The Bible instructs us to examine ourselves before partaking in the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:28), especially regarding any sin between ourselves and a brother or sister in the Lord. We are not to take it “unworthily” (1 Corinthians 11:27).

As I examine myself, I may find sins that need to be dealt with or people to whom I should apologize. Here’s the thing, though, I could do that earlier in the week at home. I could and should be asking for forgiveness whenever the need arises. And God offers that forgiveness freely.

The Lord’s Supper is worship. It celebrates our Lord and Savior, and it memorializes Christ’s sacrifice.

However, Lutheranism views the Lord’s Supper a little differently. Like Lutheran Baptism, the Lord’s Supper is a “means of grace.” According to the Lutheran Church, grace can only be received through God’s Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. Can you see how high this elevates these two sacraments? It nearly equates two acts we perform, as believers, with the Bible.

Though they call it grace in this context, the Lutheran Church means forgiveness. God forgives our sins if we partake in the Lutheran Lord’s Supper. This begs the question, what if I don’t? The implied response is that we cannot be forgiven. There is, of course, also the implication that only Lutherans are saved because only they are able to receive this special grace through their (seemingly) works-based system.

Final Thought

Lutheranism is biblical, right? There are seemingly all kinds of Lutherans and all kinds of Lutheran churches and associations. Here’s the good news. I think you can find a biblical Lutheran church. The bad news? I think the odds of finding one are lessening as we speak. Maybe you are a Lutheran or friends with one and still wondering if Lutheranism is biblical, but you aren’t sure what conclusion to draw. Here’s my suggestion.

Approach each Lutheran church and person you know with the same standard. The Bible. You might find a Lutheran church that holds strong to biblical beliefs and loosely to the sacraments.

I’ll finish with this. You’re more likely to know a Lutheran who truly knows Jesus than to find a Lutheran church that does not teach unbiblical sacraments. I’m in an area filled with Lutheran churches, and there are many wonderful people in them. Only God knows their hearts, but you and I can discern unbiblical teachings when we see them. Don’t be afraid to lovingly sound the alarm if God opens that door. And don’t let knowing a believer in an unbiblical church give a pass to that church with false teachings. The Lutheran Church, it seems, has at least a couple false teachings Christians should avoid.

What do you say? Did I miss something crucial?

Would you say Lutheranism is biblical?

Image courtesy of Matt Meilner via Unsplash.