The Lutheran Difference Reformation Anniversary Edition

1233 Pages·2016·4.78 MB·English

by  Edward Engelbrecht

THE LUTHERAN DIFFERENCE

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First edition copyright 2010.
Text derived from The Lutheran Difference Bible study series.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations from the ESV Bible® (The Holy Bible, English Standard
Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used
by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.
NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights
reserved.
Quotations marked KJV are from the King James or Authorized Version of the Bible.
The quotations from the Lutheran Confessions in this publication are from Concordia: The Lutheran
Confessions, second edition; edited by Paul McCain, et al., copyright © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.
All rights reserved. Brackets from Concordia.
Quotations marked AE are from Luther’s Works, American Edition: volumes 1–30 © 1955–76 Concordia
Publishing House; volumes 31–54 © 1957–86 Augsburg Fortress. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Hymn texts with the abbreviation LSB are from Lutheran Service Book, copyright © 2006 Concordia
Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data The Lutheran difference.
p. cm.
Edited by Edward A. Engelbrecht Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-7586-2670-7
1. Lutheran Church—Doctrines. 2. Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod—Doctrines. 3. Lutheran
1. Lutheran Church—Doctrines. 2. Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod—Doctrines. 3. Lutheran
Church—Apologetic works. 4. Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod—Apologetic works. I. Engelbrecht,
Edward. II. Title.
BX8065.3.L86 2010
230’.41—dc22
2010029475
C
ONTENTS
LIST OF COMPARISONS
PREFACES
ABBREVIATIONS
OVERVIEW OF CHRISTIAN DENOMINATIONS
OVERVIEW OF THE LUTHERAN CONFESSIONS
I BELIEVE ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES
1 God’s Word
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • And God Said … (Proclamation) • Now That’s Inspired!
(Inspiration) • God’s Pen Is Mightier Than All! (Authority) • You Have My Word on It!
(Inerrancy) • The Word and the Word Made Flesh (Christ-centered) • Lutheran Summary of God’s
Word
2 Law and Gospel
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • God’s Word: The Law • God’s Word: The Gospel •
Distinguishing Law and Gospel • Applying Law and Gospel • Law, Gospel, and Justification •
Law, Gospel, and Sanctification • Lutheran Summary of Law and Gospel
I BELIEVE IN ONE GOD, FATHER, ALMIGHTY
3 God the Father
Engaging This Topic • Changing Views of God • The Unique Teaching of Jesus • Our Father •
Lutheran Facts • The Lord Is One! • God of Promise • Our Maker • Our Provider • Our Preserver
and Protector • The Mission of God • Lutheran Summary of God the Father
4 Creation
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • Creator and Creation • Creation Out of Nothing • Creation
in Six Days • Creation That Is Orderly and Distinct • Creation Fallen from the Creator • Creation
and the Gospel • Lutheran Summary of Creation
5 Angels and Demons
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • Angels and Their Beginning • Who and What Are Angels?
• Ranks and Numbers of Angels • Good and Evil Angels (Demons) • What Do Evil Angels Do? •
The Fall and Original Sin • What Do Good Angels Do? • Lutheran Summary of Angels and
Demons
6 Marriage and Family
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • Foundation in Creation • Unique and Distinct • Biblical
Intimacy • Exercising Faith and Love • More than Romance • Leaving a Legacy • Homosexuality
and Biblical Teaching • Lutheran Summary of Marriage and Family
I BELIEVE IN ONE LORD JESUS CHRIST
7 God the Son
Engaging This Topic • Humility and Faith • Lutheran Facts • Eternal God and Promised Messiah •
God Became Flesh • Sinless Savior • Sin-Bearer • Theology of the Cross • Risen Savior, Living
Lord • Head of the Church and Coming King • Lutheran Summary of God the Son
8 Justification and Sanctification
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • The Curse and the Cure • Stumbling Stone and
Cornerstone • Just Words • Creeds, Deeds, and Needs • Dying to Live • Holy, Wholly, Holy •
Lutheran Summary of Justification and Sanctification
9 Predestination
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • Chosen from Eternity • For Jesus’ Sake • Not a Dark
Cloud • By Grace Alone • Predestination by Lamplight • Lutheran Summary of Predestination
I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
10 The Holy Spirit
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • The Spirit Speaks • The Spirit of God • Life-giving Spirit •
The Spirit of Holiness • Baptized with the Spirit • The Fruit and Gifts of the Spirit • Church, Unity,
and Fellowship • Lutheran Summary of the Holy Spirit
11 Daily Prayer
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • Our Father Is Holy • God’s Reign • Our Daily Bread •
Forgiveness • God’s Protection • Amen • Lutheran Summary of Daily Prayer
12 Baptism
Engaging This Topic • The Headwaters of Baptism • A New Covenant • Lutheran Facts • What Is
Baptism? • What Baptism Bestows • What Baptism Does • Why Baptize Infants? • Living the New
Life • Lutheran Summary of Baptism
13 Confession
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • Repent! • Absolution • Keys of the Kingdom • Not Guilty •
The Kindest Way to Handle Accusations • Lutheran Summary of Confession
14 The Lord’s Supper
Engaging This Topic • Excommunicated by the Pope • Covert Calvinists • The Agende
Controversy • The Ecumenical Movement • Lutheran Facts • An Ancient Meal • Miracle of
Miracles • Given for You • Fellowship Divine • Communion Means Union • Prepare the Way •
Close Communion • The Fight for the Church Keys
15 Priesthood and Ministry
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • Baptism and Priesthood • The Priesthood at Worship • The
Priesthood in the World • The Office of the Holy Ministry • Qualities and Tasks • Call and
Ordination • Lutheran Summary of Priesthood and Ministry
16 Vocation
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • Called to Be Christ’s • Redeemed into Service • Ruler of
the Realms • Ordered by Design • The Great Dance • God at Work • Lutheran Summary of
Vocation
17 Worship
Engaging This Topic • Lutheran Facts • The God We Worship • The People Who Worship • The
Way of the Church • Elements of Christian Worship • When Scripture Is Silent • The Bible in
Worship • The Psalms in Worship • Lutheran Summary of Worship
18 End Times
Engaging This Topic • Prophecy Buffs • Lutheran Facts • The Mysterious Veil • Recognize the
Signs • Love His Appearing • The Millennial Reign • Judgment Day • Heaven or Hell? • Lutheran
Summary of the End Times
BERGENDOFF’S CHURCH OF THE LUTHERAN REFORMATION
1 Rediscovery of the Gospel
Introduction • Luther’s Early Life and Education • In the Erfurt Monastery • Lecturer at the
University of Wittenberg • Righteousness by Faith • The Ninetyfive Theses • Excommunication
from Rome
2 Steps toward Reform
The Bible for Everyone • A Pleasant Rebellion • Visitation in the Parishes • The “Loci” and the
Catechisms • From Worms to Augsburg •
3 Breakup of Church and State
Problems of the Empire • Formation of Alliances • The Victory of Charles and the Interim •
Lutheran Victories at Passau and Augsburg
4 The Church Anew, beyond Germany
Bohemia • Hungary • Poland • Riga, Latvia, Estonia • Denmark • Norway and Iceland • Sweden •
Finland
5 The Constitution of the Lutheran Church
Melanchthon • Corpus Doctrinae • The Book of Concord and Its Acceptance
6 The Appeal to Arms
The Thirty Years’ War • Gustavus Adolphus • Devastation and Peace • Lutheran Lands
7 The Universal Priesthood and Pietism
Devotional Literature • Spener and Franke • Pietism in Germany • Pietism in Denmark, Norway,
Iceland • Sweden and Finland • Pietism in Eastern Europe • Zinzendorf • Radical Pietism • Fruits
of Pietism
8 New Ideas of Man and Society
Rationalism and Biblical Faith • The Enlightenment in Denmark • The Enlightenment in Norway
and Iceland • The Enlightenment in Sweden • The Enlightenment in Finland
9 Mission and Migration
Roman Catholic and Protestant Missions • Swedish Missions—Lappland and on the Delaware •
Lutheran Migration to North America • Danish Missions in India and West Indies • Eastern Europe
—Hungary • Austria • Prussia • Poland • Russian Lands • A Missionary Church
10 The Quest for Freedom
Introduction • The Prussian Union • Opposition to Union • Württemberg • Bavaria • Lay
Movements • The Danish Church • The Church in Sweden • The Church in Norway and Iceland •
The Church in Finland
11 New Plantings on Five Continents
The Missionary Movement • Scandinavian Missions • The American Field—The General Synod •
Loehe’s Missionaries and the Missouri Synod • The Iowa Synod • The Buffalo Synod • Norwegian
Synods • The Augustana Synod and Danish Synods • Finnish and Icelandic Synods • The Slovak
Synod • Americanization and Movements toward Unity • American Overseas Missions • South
America • Australia • Mission and Unity
12 The Shaking of the Foundations
Years of Crises • The Church and Hitler • Dietrich Bonhoeffer • Lutherans on Eastern Borders •
Lutherans in Baltic Lands • The Scandinavian Churches • Mergers in American Lutheranism •
American Lutheran Conferences • The National Lutheran Council • Lutherans in Asia • Lutherans
in Africa • Lutherans in South America • Lutherans in Australia
13 Global Lutheran Fellowships
The General Lutheran Conference • The Evangelical Federation • The Lutheran World Convention
• The Lutheran World Federation • The VELKD and the EKD • Minority Churches in the East •
Scandinavian Churches • Further Mergers in the USA • Autonomy and Fellowship
14 Ecumenical Efforts and the Future Lutheran Church
National Christian Councils and the World Council of Churches • Confessions and Ecumenicity •
Lutherans and Vatican Council II (1962–65) • Late Twentieth Century Movements and Mergers •
Confessional Renewal • Epilogue
GLOSSARY
SCRIPTURE INDEX