Our Beliefs

 

The following is a brief introduction to our beliefs. You may also wish to check out our study resources page

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and the LCMS

Links for Further Information

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church is a congregation of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), a Christian church body of 2.5 million baptized members. The LCMS, with over 6,000 congregations, has 10 colleges and two seminaries, along with over 2,000 Lutheran elementary and high schools. With the universal Christian Church, the LCMS teaches and responds to the love of the Triune God: the Father, Creator of all that exists; JesusChrist, the Son, who became human to suffer and die for the sins of all human beings and to rise to life again in the ultimate victory over death and Satan; and the Holy Spirit, who creates faith through God’s Word and Sacraments. The three Persons of the Trinity are coequal and coeternal, one God. Being “Lutheran” The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod accepts and teaches the Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that inspired the Protestant Reformation of the Christian church in the 16th century. The teachings can be summed up in three phrases: Grace alone. Scripture alone. Faith alone. Grace alone God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him, and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and save the ungodly. Scripture alone The Bible is God’s inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine. Faith alone By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him. The Word “Synod” The word “synod” comes from the Greek words that mean “walking together.” LCMS congregations voluntarily choose to belong to the Synod. Diverse in their service, these congregations hold to a shared confession of Jesus Christ as taught in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. LCMS congregations are “Confessional” LCMS congregations believe that the Lutheran Confessions are the correct interpretation and presentation of Biblical doctrine. These statements of belief, or confessions, were put into writing by church leaders during the 16th century. The simplest of these is Luther’s Small Catechism. The confessions are contained in The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

www.lcms.org – The official website for the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod. www.bookofconcord.org – A site containing the complete Book of Concord (The official statements of Lutheran Belief) including Luther’s Small Catechism which is used for all confirmation classes at St. Paul’s .

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod:  What About? A series of 27 pamphlets, written by former Synod President A.L. Barry, that address doctrinal topics, moral issues and concerns in the church to help Christians grow in their understanding of these important questions.  (These are taken from the LCMS website, www.lcms.org)

Introduction	Christian Families
The Gospel	Angels
The Bible	Death and Dying
The Small Catechism	Pastors
The Ten Commandments	The New Millennium
The Apostles' Creed	Christian Stewardship
The Lord's Prayer	Fellowship in the Lord's Supper
Holy Baptism	The Difference Between the ELCA and the LCMS
Confession and Absolution	The Ordination of Women to the Pastoral Office
The Sacrament of the Altar	Homosexuality
Being a Lutheran	Abortion
Lutheran Worship	Living Together Without Marriage
The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod	Creation and Evolution
Telling the Good News about Jesus