Key Difference – Lutheran vs Christian
Christianity is one of the most important religions of the world with more than 2 billion followers spread in all parts of the world. It is a religion that is based upon the premise of Jesus Christ being the son of God and his sacrifice for the redemption or salvation of the mankind. While the majority of Christians are members of the Roman Catholic Church, there are many other churches and denominations in Christianity. One such church is the Lutheran Church that has similarities with the Roman Catholic Church but still exists as a separate denomination within the fold of Christianity. There are differences in beliefs and doctrines as well as practices between an ordinary Christian and a Lutheran that will be talked about in this article.
Who is a Lutheran?
A Lutheran is a Christian who believes in the teachings of Martin Luther, a German monk who worked to reform the church from within but was driven out of the Church. In 1521, Martin Luther pinned his 95 Theses to reform the church from within as he felt that many of the practices and dogma such as the practice of indulgence were inconsistent with the Holy Bible. As expected, he was vehemently opposed by the church and the clergy. This forced his followers to set up their own Church later on that came to be known as Lutheran Church. Martin Luther is considered as the father of the reformist movement in Christianity and the first Lutherans are believed to be the oldest of all Protestants.
Who is a Christian?
When we talk in terms of Christian alone without any suffixes or prefixes, we mean a person who is a follower of Roman Catholic Church and believes in Papal supremacy or authority. There are more than a billion people who can be termed Christian as per this definition which constitutes a vast majority of people professing Christianity though having different denominations and churches. A Roman catholic does not recognize other denominations and considers only Roman Catholic Church as the true Church of Jesus Christ.
If you are a Roman Catholic, you believe that Roman Catholic Church is the only true church that was founded by Jesus Christ himself and that Pope is the successor of Saint Peter. A Christian in this sense is also a believer of the principle of Trinity with the existence of God the father, God the son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. The relation between these three can be understood by looking at The Shield of Trinity.
A catholic Christian differs from all others in the sense that he identifies Pope as the authority to decipher scriptures and a link between God and the faithful. Papal primacy is the distinguishing feature of Christianity in the narrow sense of the term.
What is the difference between Lutheran and Christian?
Definitions of Lutheran and Christian:
Lutheran: A Lutheran is a Christian who believes in the teachings of Martin Luther.
Christian: A christian is a person who is a follower of Roman Catholic Church and believes in Papal supremacy or authority.
Characteristics of Lutheran and Christian:
Nature:
Lutheran: A Lutheran is as much a Christian as a Catholic Christian.
Christian: Catholics consider themselves to be true Christians.
Branch:
Lutheran: Lutheran is a separate Church or denomination within the fold of Christianity.
Christian: This captures all the branches such as Lutherans.
Image Courtesy:
1. First Lutheran Church in Louisville By Nyttend (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
2. “StJohnsAshfield StainedGlass GoodShepherd Portrait” by Stained glass: Alfred Handel, d. 1946[2], photo:Toby Hudson – Own work. [CC BY-SA 3.0] via Commons
Catholics are not Christian.
They’re CATHOLICS.
If you look at the words of the Lutheran confession “Augsburg Confession” you clearly see that the effort by the men the Roman Church called “Lutherans” (the name stuck) were attempting a conservative reformation of the Church based on the very clear words of Scripture alone. The idea of the “Primacy of the Pope” as the “Vicar of Christ” who alone has the authority to interpret scripture is fallacious to the fullest extent of the word. After all, 2 Timothy 2:15 says to ALL believers “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Furthermore, 1 Timothy 2:5-6 says, “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time.”
The Roman Church is in direct violation of the Word of God. a small proof of this is when they met at the council of Trent in 1544 where, among other things, they addressed the issue of Justification. The following is a list of some of the canons the Roman Church holds to this day, followed by some of the scriptures which clearly refute them.
1.CANON 9: “If any one saith, that by faith alone the impious is justified; in such wise as to mean, that nothing else is required to co-operate in order to the obtaining the grace of Justification, and that it is not in any way necessary, that he be prepared and disposed by the movement of his own will; let him be ANATHEMA (CURSED by GOD).”
Srcipture CLEARLY states otherwise.
1.”because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin,” (Rom. 3:20).
2.”being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus,” (Rom. 3:24).
3.”For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law,” (Rom. 3:28).
4.”For what does the Scripture say? ‘ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,” (Rom. 4:3).
5.”Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Rom. 5:1).
6.”For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God,” (Eph. 2:8).
7.”He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,” (Titus 3:5).
2.CANON 12: “If any one shall say that justifying faith is nothing else than confidence in the divine mercy pardoning sins for Christ’s sake, or that it is that confidence alone by which we are justified…let him be accursed”
1.”But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,” (John 1:12).
2.”For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law,” (Rom. 3:28).
3.”For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,'” (Rom. 4:3).
4.”Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself,” (Heb. 7:25–27).
5.”For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day,” (2 Tim. 1:12).
3.Canon 14: “If any one saith, that man is truly absolved from his sins and justified, because that he assuredly believed himself absolved and justified; or, that no one is truly justified but he who believes himself justified; and that, by this faith alone, absolution and justification are effected; let him be anathema.” 1.”For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,'” (Rom. 4:3).
2.”Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Rom. 5:1).
4.Canon 24: “If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema.”
1.”You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? 2 This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? ” (Gal. 3:1-3).
2.” It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law,” (Gal. 5:1-3).
6.Canon 30: “If any one saith, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema.”
1.”Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” (Rom. 5:1).
2.” When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross,” (Col. 2:13-14).
Credit for the list goes to Matt Slick, President and Founder of the Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry.
To say the Roman Church as it exists today is the Church founded by Christ is absurd. God does not contradict Himself however, men who place themselves in the house of God to be worshipped as “God on Earth” do.
“To make war against the Pope is to make war against God, seeing the Pope is God, and God is the Pope.” -Moreri’s History. (Louis Moréri (25 March 1643 – 10 July 1680) was a French priest and encyclopedist.)
“The leader of the Catholic church is defined by the faith as the Vicar of Jesus Christ (and is accepted as such by believers). The Pope is considered the man on earth who takes the place of the Second Person of the omnipotent God of the Trinity.” (John Paul II, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, p. 3, 1994).
Why here are Roman Catholics listed as the only Christians? Christians are all those who accept Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God the Father, who came to earth to die on the cross, be buried and be risen the third day. There are many denominations of Christians! Thank You.
I DO NOT CARE ABOUT ALL THESE NAMES FOR ALL OF THESE THINGS . THE ONLY THING I CARE ABOUT IN ALL THIS IS THE FATHER ,SON AND HOLY GHOST. YOU ALL CAN TITLE YOUR FAITH ANY NAME YOU WANT .I BELIEVE IN JESUS AND THAT ALL I NEED TO KNOW.