Sarah Mitchell
Lutheranism and Catholicism are two branches of Christianity with several key differences in their beliefs and practices. Both religions follow the same 27 books in the New Testament but have different versions of the Old Testament. Lutherans, who use Protestant Bibles, observe 39 books in the Old Testament, while Catholics have 46. They also differ in their views on the authority of Scripture, the role of the Pope, the nature and number of sacraments, and how individuals achieve salvation.
| Characteristics | Lutherans | Catholics |
|---|---|---|
| Authority of Scripture | Scripture alone has authority | Pope, Church, and certain traditions of the church also have authority |
| Doctrine of justification | A person is saved by God's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone | Faith must be accompanied by "work" or "love" active within a Christian |
| Role of Mary and saints | It is not proper or scriptural to offer prayers to saints or to view Mary as a "mediator" between God and humans | Saints are prayed to and Mary is viewed as a "mediator" |
| Number of sacraments | 2 or 3 | 7 |
| Transubstantiation | Rejected | Accepted |
| Church governance | Individual churches should be governed locally | Centralized authority |
| Purgatory | Rejected | Accepted |
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What You'll Learn
Authority of Scripture
Lutherans and Catholics share the Bible as their holy text. However, they differ in their views on the authority of Scripture.
Lutherans believe that Scripture alone holds the authority to determine doctrine. This is one of the defining principles that sets Lutheranism apart from Catholicism. For Lutherans, the Bible contains everything a person needs to know to achieve salvation. They believe that Scripture is the one necessary guide to truth, and that all doctrine must be based on Scripture. This means that Lutherans do not give authority to pronouncements by the Pope or follow their declarations. They do not believe that the Pope has any divine authority, and that Christians do not need to submit to the Pope's authority to be "true" members of the Church.
On the other hand, Catholics believe in three sources of authority within the Church: Scripture, tradition, and magisterium. Tradition refers to understandings and teachings handed down since the time of the Apostles. Catholics also believe that the Pope, as Christ's vicar on earth, has the power to free a person of their sins.
The differences in the views on the authority of Scripture between Lutherans and Catholics can be traced back to the teachings of Martin Luther, a German friar and Bible scholar, who challenged the Catholic Church's teachings during the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Luther rejected the idea that the Pope's teachings carried the same weight as the Bible and argued that there was no scriptural support for certain Catholic doctrines, such as purgatory.
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Doctrine of justification
Lutheranism and Catholicism differ in their doctrines of justification, which is a key theological difference between the two Christian denominations.
The doctrine of justification refers to how a person is saved or granted salvation. Lutherans believe that a person is saved by God's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. This is often referred to as "Sola Fide" and "Sola Gratia", meaning that faith is the sole attribute that receives the acquittal of sins, and that this acquittal is not earned through works but is given purely by God's grace. Lutherans believe that faith alone saves, but that this faith is never alone, as it inspires good works.
In contrast, the Catholic Church holds that faith must be accompanied or "infused with" works or "love" in order to save. Catholics typically use the term justification to refer to becoming a just person, which involves works and love. Catholics also believe that individuals must confess their sins in the presence of a priest to receive forgiveness for mortal sins.
Lutherans reject the Catholic doctrine of purgatory, a place of cleansing where believers go after death before entering heaven. Instead, Lutherans believe that the dead go directly to either heaven or hell, and that there is no scriptural support for purgatory.
Lutherans also reject the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, which teaches that during the Sacrament of the Altar (Communion), the bread and wine are permanently changed into the body and blood of Christ. Lutherans believe that Christ's body and blood are truly present in the bread and wine, but they do not accept the philosophical explanation of transubstantiation, as it changes the plain and simple meanings of God's Word in Scripture.
These differences in the doctrine of justification between Lutherans and Catholics stem from their differing views on the authority of Scripture. Lutherans believe that Scripture alone holds authority in determining doctrine, while Catholics give authority to Scripture, tradition, and the magisterium, including the Pope. Luther, a Bible scholar, strongly believed that all doctrine must be based on Scripture and that the teachings of the Pope do not carry the same weight as the Bible.
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Role of Mary and saints
One of the major differences between Lutherans and Catholics is their respective views on the role of Mary and the saints. Lutherans reject the Catholic practice of praying to saints and do not consider it proper or scriptural. They also do not believe in viewing Mary as a "mediator" between God and humans, a role that Catholics assign to her.
Lutherans believe that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin and that she was chosen by God to give birth to Jesus, but they do not pray to her or seek her intercession. They see Christ as the sole mediator between God and humanity, and while they recognize the authority of ordained ministers for confession and the forgiveness of sins, they do not invoke the saints in heaven to pray for them.
Catholics, on the other hand, have a deep devotion to Mary and the saints. They believe that Mary was conceived without sin (Immaculate Conception) and that she was assumed bodily into heaven (Assumption of Mary). Catholics often pray to Mary and seek her intercession, and they may also pray to various saints who are seen as having specific areas of patronage or expertise.
The Catholic Church teaches that the saints in heaven form what is known as the "Communion of Saints," and they are believed to be able to intercede for those on earth. Catholics may have a particular devotion to a specific saint or turn to saints associated with certain causes or needs. While Catholics do not worship the saints, they venerate them and ask for their prayers and intercession.
In summary, the role of Mary and the saints is a significant point of divergence between Lutherans and Catholics. Lutherans emphasize Christ as the sole mediator and do not view Mary or the saints as having a role in intercession, while Catholics have a more expansive view of Mary's role and actively seek the intercession of Mary and the saints.
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Number and nature of sacraments
The number and nature of sacraments are key differences between Lutherans and Roman Catholics. Roman Catholics speak of seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Lutherans, on the other hand, recognise only two sacraments: Baptism and the Lord's Supper (Communion). Some Lutherans acknowledge a third sacrament, the Sacrament of the Altar (Communion), where Christ's body and blood are believed to be truly present in the bread and wine of the Lord's Supper. However, they do not accept the Roman Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, which holds that the elements are permanently changed from bread and wine to body and blood.
Lutherans view sacraments as valid aids to faith, but they do not see them as essential for salvation. Instead, Lutherans believe that salvation is achieved through faith alone, by God's grace alone, in Christ alone. This is a significant departure from Catholic doctrine, which holds that faith must be accompanied by good works or "love" within a Christian.
Lutherans also have a different perspective on the sacrament of Baptism. While Catholics view Baptism as the forgiveness of sins and a crucial step towards salvation, Lutherans see it as giving an individual the faith necessary for salvation, rather than the actual forgiving of sins. Additionally, Lutherans practice both infant baptism and the baptism of believing adults, and they accept the validity of baptisms from other Christian denominations, making re-baptism unnecessary.
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Church governance
Lutherans and Catholics differ in their views on church governance. Lutherans believe that individual churches should be governed locally, not by a centralized authority, as in the Roman Catholic Church. Lutherans give sole authority to the Scriptures, whereas Catholics believe in three sources of authority: Scripture, tradition, and magisterium. The Catholic Church asserts that the Pope is Christ's vicar on earth, while Lutherans reject this notion, arguing that the Pope does not have divine authority and that Christians do not need to submit to his rule.
While many Lutheran branches have bishops, their role differs from that of Catholic bishops, who exercise a higher level of control over congregations. Lutherans emphasize the importance of hearing the Word of God and place their faith in the Scriptures as the sole guide to truth. This belief in the authority of Scripture is a defining principle that sets Lutheranism apart from Catholicism.
The differences in church governance between Lutherans and Catholics stem from their contrasting views on doctrinal authority. Luther, a German friar and scholar, initiated the Protestant Reformation by challenging the Catholic Church's teachings. He believed that the Church's doctrines should be based solely on Scripture and that the Pope's teachings did not carry the same weight as the Bible. This led to a split from the Catholic Church and the establishment of Lutheranism as a distinct branch of Christianity.
Today, Lutheran churches use the three Christian creeds: the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. These ancient professions of faith summarize basic Lutheran beliefs, which continue to emphasize local governance and the authority of Scripture within the church.
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Frequently asked questions
Lutherans believe that Scripture alone has the authority to determine doctrine. Catholics, on the other hand, believe that in addition to Scripture, the Pope, the church, and certain church traditions also have authority.
Lutherans believe that a person is saved by God's grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Catholics, however, believe that salvation requires faith and good works.
Lutherans do not believe it is proper to pray to saints or to view Mary as a mediator between God and humans. Catholics, on the other hand, often pray to saints and view them as intermediaries.
