What is Lutheran
Way back in the 1500's, shortly after Christopher Columbus was taking his first Caribbean cruise, a monk named Martin Luther started reading the Bible.
Instead of a God of anger, wrath, and punishment, he read about a God who was full of forgiveness, grace, and healing. Instead of incessantly doing more and more to try to make this God happy with all sorts of ridiculous acts of religiosity, Luther discovered faith - the simple trust that a child has in a loving parent. Instead of searching for the voice of God in everything from nature to the petty arguments that Christians have waged over the centuries, Luther heard the clear voice of God in the 66 books we have come to call the Bible today. Instead of lingering doubts about whether God really loved him, Luther discovered the comforting certainty that comes from knowing Christ as Savior.
These simple truths that Luther learned almost 500 years ago are what the Lutheran church still teaches today:
Sola Gratia - Latin for Grace Alone!
Sola Fide - Latin for Faith Alone!
Sola Scriptura - Latin for Scripture Alone!
Solus Christus - Latin for Christ Alone!
At St. John's, we're still reading the Scriptures and clinging to the wonderful treasures that Luther enjoyed so long ago. For more information on our denomination and the details of our beliefs, see the pamphlets located in the sidebar. These publications are from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod's "What About?" Series.
