What's a Lutheran?

Q1: Are Lutherans Catholic or Protestant?

Lutherans are Christians. Lutheranism began in the 1500s when Martin Luther called the Church back to the Scriptures and the gospel. We do not follow the Pope, but we also do not see ourselves as inventing something new. Instead, Lutheranism is a continuation of the ancient, apostolic faith—centered on Christ and His Word.

Q2: Do Lutherans believe you can earn heaven by being good?

No. The Bible is clear: “All have sinned” (Romans 3:23) and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Our best efforts cannot erase sin. Salvation is God’s free gift, given through Christ’s death and resurrection. We do not climb up to God—He came down to us in Jesus.

Q3: What do Lutherans believe about Jesus?

Jesus Christ is both true God and true man, the only Savior of the world. He took our sin upon Himself, died in our place, and rose again to defeat death. He is not just a teacher or example—He is the Son of God who gives us forgiveness and eternal life.

Q4: Why do Lutherans baptize babies?

Because baptism is God’s promise, not our decision. The Bible calls baptism a “washing of rebirth” (Titus 3:5). Children are sinners too (Psalm 51:5), and Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me” (Mark 10:14). In baptism, God gives even infants forgiveness, faith, and the Holy Spirit.

Q5: Is Communion just symbolic for Lutherans?

No. Jesus said, “This is my body… this is my blood” (Matthew 26:26–28). Lutherans take Him at His word. In the Lord’s Supper, Christ gives His real body and blood with the bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins. This is not just a reminder—it is Jesus giving Himself to us.

Q6: Do Lutherans pray to Mary or the saints?

No. We honor Mary and the saints as faithful examples, but Scripture says there is “one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). We do not need other mediators because Christ is enough. The saints point us to Him, not away from Him.   (Hebrews 7:22-28)

Q7: What role do good works have in Lutheranism?

Good works do not save us, but they matter. They are the fruit of faith. A living tree naturally bears fruit, and a living faith naturally serves others. As James says, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). We do not do good works to earn God’s love—we do them because we already have His love in Christ.

Q8: Do Lutherans believe in the Bible?

Yes. The Scriptures are God’s Word, inspired and without error (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is not outdated or man-made—it is God’s living voice to us today. It teaches us the Law, which shows our sin, and the Gospel, which shows us our Savior.

Q9: Why do Lutherans use hymns and liturgy instead of only modern worship?

Because worship is not about entertaining us—it is about God serving us with His gifts. The liturgy is filled with Scripture and keeps Christ at the center. Hymns teach and confess the faith, often drawing directly from the Bible. We sing not just what feels good but what is true and lasting.

Q10: Do Lutherans believe in confessing sins to a pastor?

Yes. We confess our sins to God directly, but we also value confession and absolution. Jesus told His apostles, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven” (John 20:23). When the pastor speaks absolution, it is not his forgiveness—it is Christ’s forgiveness by his own authority, given personally to you.

Q11: What do Lutherans believe about the end times?

We believe Jesus will return visibly and gloriously to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:11). We do not speculate about dates, signs, or secret raptures. Our hope is not in escaping hardship but in Christ’s promise: “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19).

Q12: Do Lutherans believe in free will?

In everyday things—yes. We can choose a job, what to eat, or how to spend our time. But when it comes to faith, Scripture says we are bound by sin (John 8:34; Romans 8:7). Only the Holy Spirit can free our will and bring us to trust in Christ. Faith itself is a gift.

Q13: Why are Lutherans named after Martin Luther?

Opponents gave us that name, but we do not worship Luther. We confess the same gospel he did: that sinners are justified by faith apart from works. The name simply marks us as people who cling to Christ alone, as Luther did.

Q14: Do Lutherans believe in the Trinity?

Yes. We confess one God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This is not a human invention but God’s own self-revelation. The Trinity is at the heart of the Christian faith—without it, there is no gospel.

Q15: What do Lutherans believe about the Church?

The true Church is not a building or a denomination. It is all believers in Christ, gathered around the preaching of the pure gospel and the right administration of the Sacraments. Where Christ’s Word and gifts are, there His Church is also.

Q16: Do Lutherans believe babies are sinful?

Yes. We are all born with original sin (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12). That does not mean babies commit outward sins like adults, but they share the fallen nature. This is why they too need the saving work of Christ, given through baptism and the Word.

Q17: Do Lutherans believe once you are saved, you can never fall away?

Scripture warns that it is possible to fall from faith (Hebrews 6:4–6; 2 Peter 2:20–22). But God is faithful, and He preserves us through His Word and Sacraments. We do not live in fear, but in trust that He who began a good work in us will bring it to completion (Philippians 1:6).

Q18: Why do Lutherans still read the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds?

Because they are faithful summaries of Scripture. The creeds unite us with Christians across the centuries in confessing the triune God and the gospel of Christ. They are not above Scripture, but they echo it and help guard us from false teaching.

Q19: Do Lutherans believe in predestination?

Yes, but carefully. We believe God chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4–5). This teaching is meant to comfort believers, assuring us that our salvation rests in God’s hands, not ours. But we reject the idea that God predestines anyone to damnation. If a person is lost, it is because of their own rejection of Christ.

Q20: What is the heart of Lutheranism?

The gospel: that Christ died for sinners, rose again, and gives us His righteousness as a free gift. Everything we teach—baptism, Communion, confession, Scripture, preaching—flows from this one truth: “The righteous shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). Lutheranism is about comfort for troubled consciences and certainty in Christ.