Luther’s Theology Copyright 2002 NOBTS, Lloyd A. Harsch & Rex D. Butler Luther rediscovered Christ-centered faith & salvation vs. church-centered approach

Defined the Protestant Evangelical principles –Sola gratia: Grace alone –Sola fides: Faith alone –Sola scriptura: Scripture alone Luther’s Theology

God’s grace in Christ alone saves the person, not works or efforts. The sinner receives the righteousness of Christ when he or she trusts in God=s promise in the Gospel. The person is justified by faith alone not by participation in the Church and the sacraments. The two sacraments (baptism and the Lord=s Supper which Christ ordained) visibly proclaim the Word of God and are activities which the Holy Spirit uses to strengthen and make real the person=s relationship with Christ. Grace alone – not works

Justification by faith alone for salvation. Luther and other evangelical Christians rejected the Catholic view that humans actually become righteous or justified by partaking of the sacraments (and cooperating with the “grace” in them) so that they can earn merits and thus meet God’s standard. Faith alone – not sacraments

Sola Scriptura. The authority for faith and practice rests in the Scriptures alone not in the Church’s traditions. Reformers focused on proclamation of God’s word, the centrality of Christ and personal belief in his work in history (His life, death and resurrection) Sought to recover the biblical views of the Apostle Paul and often relied on Augustine’s framework of interpretation. Scripture alone – not traditions

Priesthood of the believer is the basis –Not hierarchical where the priest mediated or dispensed grace on God’s behalf (sacerdotal agency) –Every believer has a direct relationship with and access to God through Christ and also has a responsibility to minister to other Christians in the life of the church –Holy Spirit enables the individual believers to understand and interpret God’s word –Therefore, Protestants involve laymen as well as clergy in the government and work of the church –Only their respective functions (call) differ among saints in the fellowship of sharing the work of Christ in the world Protestant View of Church

The Church as the communion of the saints –The Protestant leaders, like Luther and Calvin, held to Augustine’s concept that the church of Jesus Christ is made up of the elect, those who really believe in the Gospel –Since God’s election and genuine faith are hidden matters in the person’s heart, this true universal fellowship is invisible –The visible churches embraced everyone in a territory and contained both saved and the lost, the wheat and tares, until the Judgment. –Magistrates act as emergency bishops appointing superintendents, calling synods (councils of ministers) to order church life. Protestant View of Church

A truly “evangelical” church, which focused on the need to believe the Gospel (euanggelion), existed where: –Word of God is correctly proclaimed –Sacraments are properly administered –Discipline for godly living is practiced Marks of Evangelical Church

Baptism –Infant baptism was retained to incorporate children into the church for their instruction in the Christian faith –Baptism was essential since the Holy Spirit came upon the child (or person) at that point to deal with their sin problem –The Reformed saw baptism as the external sign of the Holy Spirit’s work and thus important but not essential for salvation Luther’s View of Sacraments

Lord’s Supper –Consubstantiation, real bodily presence, not a sacrifice with transubstantiation –This belief was essential. –Proclaimed Word and the Supper were channels of grace because only through these means would the Holy Spirit bring the real presence of Christ into the believer’s life –Lutherans, therefore, continued a more elaborate liturgy along the Catholic patterns of worship Luther’s View of Sacraments

Focus on justification to the neglect of sanctification Inward, passive receiving of faith separated from outward, active obedience Problem Areas for Luther’s Followers

Spread of “Evangelical” (Lutheran) Churches Holy Roman Empire (Germany) Principalities/States Scandinavian Kingdoms: Denmark, Sweden Baltic region: Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Prussia Central and Eastern Europe: Areas with ethnic German speaking populations (Bohemia, Silesia, Poland-Lithuania Commonwealth, Hungary) had Evangelical churches but not as official state sponsored churches