Plain meaningsof the churchy words

These are the same definitions that open when you tap an underlined word in a teaching.

A

Absolution

The forgiveness of sins spoken to a repentant person by a pastor, in Christ's name and by his command: "I forgive you all your sins." Lutherans receive it as Christ's own word. Read more: Confession and Absolution

Alien righteousness

The righteousness that is Christ's own, not ours. It does not live in us, yet God counts it as ours, so that we are held righteous before him as if we had kept the law ourselves. Luther called it "alien" because it comes from outside us. Read more: Faith Alone

Apocrypha

Jewish writings from between the Testaments (such as Sirach and Maccabees). Lutherans call them useful reading but not Scripture.

Apology

Melanchthon's defence of the Augsburg Confession (1531). Here "apology" means a defence, not an expression of regret.

Augsburg Confession

The main Lutheran statement of faith, presented to Emperor Charles V at Augsburg in 1530.

Augustine · 354–430

Bishop of Hippo, whose anti-Pelagian writings shaped Western theology.

B

Book of Concord

The collection of Lutheran confessional writings published in 1580: the three ecumenical creeds, the Augsburg Confession, its Apology, the Smalcald Articles, Luther's two Catechisms, and the Formula of Concord.

C

C. F. W. Walther · 1811–1887

German-born pastor in St Louis, first president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and of Concordia Seminary. His lectures on The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel are his best-known work.

Canon

The list of books that make up the Bible: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New.

Catechumen

A person being taught the faith before Baptism.

Chrismation

In Orthodox churches, an anointing with oil given right after Baptism.

Christology

The teaching about the person of Christ and how his divine and human natures relate. Read more: The Lord’s Supper

Church Fathers

Respected teachers of the early church, from the first centuries to about AD 600.

Citation codes

Short labels for the Lutheran Confessions. AC is the Augsburg Confession (1530), Ap is Melanchthon’s defence of it (1531), SA the Smalcald Articles (1537), SC and LC Luther’s Small and Large Catechisms (1529), and FC the Formula of Concord (1577), whose short form is the Epitome (Ep) and whose longer form is the Solid Declaration (SD). A number after the code points to the Article, then the paragraph: “AC V 2” is Article V, paragraph 2. All are collected in the Book of Concord.

Closed communion

The practice of giving the Lord's Supper only to those who share the congregation's confession of faith and have examined themselves. Lutherans see it as pastoral care for the guest. Read more: The Lord’s Supper

Communicant

A person who receives the Lord's Supper.

Communion

Another name for the Lord's Supper, as in “receiving Communion” (1 Cor. 10:16). The “communion of saints” in the Creed is a wider idea: the fellowship of all believers in Christ.

Confession

Two meanings on this site. (1) Telling God our sins. (2) A formal statement of what a church believes. "The Lutheran Confessions" are the statements gathered in the Book of Concord.

Consubstantiation

A label sometimes used for the Lutheran view. Lutherans reject it, because it suggests a mixing of substances that they do not teach. Read more: The Lord’s Supper

Contrition

Sorrow and terror in the conscience over sin. It is the first part of repentance, and faith in the Gospel is the second. Read more: Confession and Absolution

Council of Trent

The Roman Catholic council (1545-1563) that answered the Reformation.

Covenant

A binding promise from God. The Old Testament covenant with Abraham was marked by circumcision, and Lutherans see Baptism as the sign of entry into God's people now. Read more: Baptism

D

David Hollaz · 1648–1713

A Pomeranian pastor and teacher whose Examen theologicum acroamaticum (1707) is called the last of the great Lutheran systems of doctrine.

David Scaer

Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod theologian, professor emeritus at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne. He wrote volumes of the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics series, including those on Baptism and on Law and Gospel and the Means of Grace.

Didache

A short Christian manual from the first century or early second.

Divine Service

The Lutheran name for the Sunday service. It stresses that God serves us first with his Word and sacraments, and we respond with prayer and praise.

Dogmatics

Systematic books on Christian doctrine, and the men who wrote them.

E

Ecumenical creeds

The Apostles', Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, which the whole church historically confesses.

Efficacious

Effective: it actually does what it says. Used of God's Word.

Election

God's choice, before the world began and in Christ, of those who will be saved. It comes from his grace and Christ's merit, and it is not earned by anything in the person. Read more: Election

Enthusiasm

Luther's name for the belief that God speaks to you directly, apart from his Word and sacraments. It does not mean excitement. Read more: The Means of Grace

Epiclesis

In Orthodox worship, the prayer asking the Holy Spirit to change the bread and wine.

Eucharist

The early church's name for the Lord's Supper. It comes from the Greek word for "thanksgiving".

Evangelical

On this site, a Christian from the Protestant tradition that emphasises personal faith, conversion and the Bible, including most non-denominational churches. Lutherans use the word too, in an older sense meaning "of the Gospel".

Ex opere operato

Latin for "by the work performed": the Roman teaching that a sacrament gives grace by the act itself, unless the person blocks it. Lutherans say the gift is received only by faith. Read more: The Means of Grace

Extra nos

Latin for "outside us": the idea that salvation and the righteousness we need come from outside ourselves, in Christ. Read more: Faith Alone

F

Foreknowledge

God's knowing everything beforehand. The Formula of Concord distinguishes it from predestination: God knows who will be lost, but he does not cause it. Read more: Election

Formula of Concord

The 1577 document that settled disputes among Lutherans after Luther's death.

Francis Pieper · 1852–1931

Walther's student and successor at Concordia Seminary, St Louis, and president of the Missouri Synod 1899-1911. He wrote Christian Dogmatics.

G

George Gerberding · 1847–1927

American Lutheran pastor and seminary professor. His The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church (1887) was written for ordinary readers.

Gnostics

Early teachers who despised the physical world and said salvation was secret knowledge.

Gospel

The good news that Christ lived, died and rose for sinners, and that God forgives for his sake. In the narrow sense it is God's promise, as distinct from his commands. Read more: Law and Gospel

H

Hidden God / revealed God

Luther's distinction. The revealed God is the God we know in Christ and the Gospel. Whatever God is doing beyond that is hidden from us, and we are told not to pry. Read more: Election

Host

The consecrated bread of the Roman Catholic Mass.

Huldrych Zwingli · 1484–1531

Swiss Reformer in Zurich (1484–1531). Reformed churches descend from his work and Calvin’s. He disagreed with Luther about the Lord’s Supper at Marburg in 1529.

I

Incarnation

God the Son becoming human in Jesus Christ. Read more: The Means of Grace

Indulgence

Rome's grant that reduces the punishment still owed for forgiven sins. Read more: Confession and Absolution

J

Johann Andreas Quenstedt · 1617–1688

Professor at Wittenberg and a nephew of Gerhard. He wrote the Theologia didactico-polemica.

Johann Gerhard · 1582–1637

Lutheran theologian at Jena and author of the Theological Commonplaces, the great Lutheran system of doctrine.

John Calvin · 1509–1564

French-born Reformer in Geneva (1509–1564) whose teaching is the root of the Reformed and Presbyterian churches. Baptist churches share much of its theology.

John Stephenson

Lutheran theologian who has taught at Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St Catharines, Ontario. He wrote the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics volume on the Lord's Supper.

Jordan Cooper

A Lutheran pastor in the American Association of Lutheran Churches and author of The Great Divide: A Lutheran Evaluation of Reformed Theology (2015).

Justification

The act in which God, as judge, declares a sinner who believes in Christ to be righteous. It consists in the forgiveness of sins and not counting them against him, and it is given freely for Christ's sake. It is a courtroom word, not a description of how good a person has become. Read more: Faith Alone

L

Large Catechism

Luther’s longer book on the same teaching, written in 1529 for pastors and teachers.

Lateran IV

The council of 1215 that first made transubstantiation official Roman teaching.

Law and Gospel

Two ways God speaks in the Bible. The Law tells us what to do and shows our sin. The Gospel tells us what Christ has done and gives forgiveness. Read more: Law and Gospel

M

Marburg

The 1529 meeting where Luther and Zwingli agreed on almost everything except the Lord's Supper.

Martin Chemnitz · 1522–1586

Lutheran pastor and theologian in Braunschweig, called "the Second Martin". He helped write the Formula of Concord and wrote the Examination of the Council of Trent, a point-by-point answer to Rome.

Martin Luther · 1483–1546

The German monk and Wittenberg professor whose teaching began the Reformation. He wrote the Small and Large Catechisms and the Smalcald Articles.

Mass

The Roman Catholic worship service centred on the Lord's Supper. Lutherans reject the Mass as a sacrifice that the church offers.

Means of grace

The ways God has chosen to deliver forgiveness and faith: the Gospel spoken and read, Baptism, the Lord's Supper and Absolution. Each is a promise of Christ attached to something you can hear, touch or taste. Read more: The Means of Grace

Monergism

"One working": the teaching that God alone brings a person to faith. A person who is spiritually dead contributes nothing. Read more: Election

Mystery

In Eastern Orthodox use, a sacrament. In 1 Cor. 4:1, the things of God that Christians are stewards of.

N

Norma normans / norma normata

Latin for "the norm that norms" (Scripture) and "the norm that is normed" (the creeds and Confessions, which are tested by Scripture). Read more: Scripture Alone

Notitia, assensus, fiducia

Three parts of faith in the older books: knowing the facts (notitia), agreeing they are true (assensus), and trusting Christ for yourself (fiducia). Only the third justifies. Read more: Faith Alone

Novatians

An early sect that refused to restore Christians who had fallen away. The church condemned them.

O

Office of the Keys

The authority Christ gave his church to forgive the sins of the repentant and to withhold forgiveness from those who refuse to repent (John 20:21-23). Read more: Confession and Absolution

Original sin

The sinful condition every person is born with, inherited from Adam. Read more: Baptism

P

Pelagius / Pelagianism

A fifth-century teacher who held that people can take the first step toward God by their own power. The church rejected this. Read more: Election

Penance

In Roman Catholic teaching, the sacrament in which sins are confessed to a priest, and acts are done to make up for sin. Read more: Confession and Absolution

Philip Melanchthon · 1497–1560

Luther's colleague at Wittenberg and the chief author of the Augsburg Confession and its Apology.

Predestination

Another word for election: God's eternal choosing of his children for eternal life. The Formula of Concord applies it only to the saved. It places the cause of damnation in sin and in the human will that rejects the Gospel, and not in any choice of God. Read more: Election

Propitiation

Christ's sacrifice by which God's anger against sin is satisfied, so that sinners are forgiven (1 John 2:2). Read more: Faith Alone

Purgatory

Rome's teaching of a place of cleansing after death for those who are saved but not yet fully purified. Read more: Confession and Absolution

R

Real presence

The teaching that in the Lord's Supper Christ's actual body and blood are given with the bread and wine, because he said so. It is not only a symbol or a memory. Read more: The Lord’s Supper

Reformed

The Protestant tradition that follows John Calvin, including Presbyterian churches. Baptist churches share much of its theology.

Regeneration

Being born again: God giving a person spiritual life and faith. Lutherans teach that he does this through the Word and Baptism. In infants it is through Baptism; in adults, through the Word and Baptism. The older books often use it together with "conversion", and the Formula of Concord notes that the word is sometimes used narrowly (for justification) and sometimes widely (for the renewal that follows). Read more: Baptism

Rite

A set, ceremonial act of the church, such as Baptism or confirmation. On this site it is simply another word for "ceremony". It does not mean the act earns anything.

S

Sacrament

A holy rite that God commanded and to which he attached a promise of grace. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession names three that fit this: Baptism, the Lord's Supper and Absolution. Later Lutheran teachers also required an earthly element (water, bread, wine), so they counted strictly only Baptism and the Supper. The Apology says the number matters less than using what Christ commanded. Read more: The Means of Grace

Sacramentarian

The Reformation-era name for those who deny that Christ's body and blood are really present in the Supper. Read more: The Lord’s Supper

Simul iustus et peccator

Luther's Latin phrase for "at once righteous and a sinner": the believer is counted righteous in Christ while he still struggles with sin. Read more: Faith Alone

Smalcald Articles

Luther's summary of Lutheran teaching, written in 1537.

Small Catechism

Luther’s short book of basic Christian teaching, written in 1529 for the home: the Ten Commandments, the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, Baptism, Confession and the Lord’s Supper.

Sola fide

Latin for "faith alone": the teaching that sinners are justified by faith and not by their works. Read more: Faith Alone

Sola scriptura

Latin for "Scripture alone": the teaching that the Bible alone is the final rule by which every teaching is tested. Read more: Scripture Alone

Synergism

"Working together": the teaching that a person cooperates with God in coming to faith. Lutherans reject this. Read more: Election

T

Testament

A last will. Jesus called the cup "the new testament in my blood", because a will names an inheritance and hands it over after the testator's death.

Theosis

Orthodox word for being made to share in God's life.

Transubstantiation

Rome's teaching that the bread and wine become Christ's body and blood and no longer remain bread and wine, explained with Aristotle's idea of substance. Lutherans reject it. Read more: The Lord’s Supper

V

Vocation

A person's calling in daily life: the duties of home, work, church and citizenship, through which God serves others. Read more: Faith Alone

W

Words of institution

The words Christ spoke when he began the Lord's Supper: "Take and eat, this is my body… Drink of it, all of you, this is my blood" (Matt. 26:26-28). Lutherans rest the whole teaching on them. Read more: The Lord’s Supper