Know What You Believe

Emeritus Rev. Dennis Brech

THIS CHURCH OR THAT CHURCH – THAT IS THE QUESTION.

I have served as pastor in the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod (LCMS) for nearly 50 years and over that time I have been amazed at the lack of understanding about church denominations and other world influences around them.

If Christian denominations were flavors of ice cream, would I be Lutheran simply because I preferred that flavor? Or is there something more? Many people contend that different denominations are not really a big deal - that all Christian churches essentially teach the same thing. Is that true? Ultimately Lutheran concern about right doctrine is concern about justification, the doctrine upon which the church stands or falls. This teaching – that Christians are declared righteous and just on account of Christ’s suffering and death, entirely by grace and received by faith - forms the center and core of all church doctrine.

My intention over the next several months will be to help us understand what this means as I put before you in simplified fashion a look at denominations in the religious “flavors” found around us today.

This months discussion will be about the REFORMED Historians typically mark the beginning of the Reformation in 1517 when Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses. Luther was far from the only reformer, however.

HISTORY The history of the Reformed churches begins when Ulrich Zwingli (1484-1531), a Swiss pastor whose work reforming the church began in 1522., convinced the Christians of Zurich to abandon the compulsory Lenten fast. While Zwingli shared many theological under¬standings with Luther, he also differed on a few key points, most significantly, the Lord’s Supper. In 1531, Zwingli died in battle defending his Reformed teachings against an alliance of Roman Catholic states.

The next major name in Reformed theology is John Calvin (1509-1564), a French reformer.

Calvin’s extensive writings moderated some of Zwingli’s teaching, but he could not reach agreement with Lutheran doctrines of predestination and the Lord’s Supper. Most Reformed churches trace their theological heritage to Calvin.

Half a century later, when a Dutch professor named Jacob Arminius (1560-1609) sought to further moderate some Reformed teachings, in particular predestination, the Reformed church met in Dort. This meeting, called the Synod of Dort, formulated the five points of Calvin¬ism, summarized in the acronym TULIP (listed below). The Synod of Dort officially condemned Arminianism, though some churches that claim a Reformed heritage teach Arminian doctrines.

CONFESSIONAL DOCUMENTS Classic Reformed teaching holds to the Scriptures and the three ecumenical creeds. Many Reformed churches also use the Heidelberg Catechism and the Westminster Confession to further guide their teaching (similar to the LCMS’ use of the Book of Concord and Luther’s Small Catechism).

KEY BELIEFS > Zwingli denied Christ’s physical presence in the Lord’s Supper; Calvin and later Reformed theologians acknowledge a spiritual presence of Christ, but still deny His physical presence in the Supper.

> Reformed churches teach double predestination, that if God predestined some to salvation, He therefore predestined others to damnation.

WE CONFESS Lutherans teach that in the Lord’s Supper, Christ gives us His body to eat and His blood to drink (1 COR. 11:23-27). As for double predestination, the Scriptures indeed teach that God predestines for salvation (ROM. 8:28-30), but they also teach that God desires all to be saved (1 TIM. 2:3-4). While it might defy rational human thought, Lutheran doctrine affirms both single predestination and God’s desire that all would be saved. How this works out in the secret counsel of God is not ours to explain. Lutherans teach that people are damned as the just punishment for their sins.

As for the teachings of TULIP, Lutherans agree with total depravity, which we call original sin, and Unconditional election.

However, the Scriptures and Lutheran doctrine differ from TULIP regarding the remaining points. Christ is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world not just the elect (1 JOHN 2:2) and as Isaiah prophesied, on Him would be laid the iniquity of us all (ISAIAH 53:6). As for irresistible grace, Lutherans reject the distinction between the inward working of the Holy Spirit and His work in the Means of Grace. Finally, Lutherans do not maintain that once you are saved, you are always saved. The unrepentant, hardened heart can lose salvation.

IN SUMMARY - THE FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM FIVE POINTS OF CALVINISM (TULIP): TOTAL DEPRAVITY Man’s entire nature has been thoroughly corrupted by sin.

UNCONDITIONAL ELECTION God elects a person without any consideration of that person’s deeds or future faith. It is entirely God’s choosing.

LIMITED ATONEMENT Christ only died for the sins of the elect.

IRRESISTIBLE GIACE The human will cannot resist God’s grace, just as it cannot accept it.

PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS The saints cannot fall away from faith in Christ.