Protest Reformation Facts

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Difference #1 is over the question, "How is one saved and enter heaven?" The Catholics have stated that in order for one to enter heaven, you can not only be saved by faith, there has to be a nice mix of faith PLUS love and good works. Lutherans have argued that through faith and faith ALONE you are saved, "we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law" (Romans 3:28)

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Jesus' death is of infinite value and is sufficient for all but efficient for the elect only. Jesus didn't just make salvation possible (if "activated" by one's own contribution of faith). He actually redeemed and saved a people through His death

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Lutherans do not have the same regard for Saints and patron Saints as in the Roman Catholic Church. The Lutheran liturgical calendar does designate days of commemoration to believers who have gone before us as examples of Christian virtue and as people of faith. Lutherans pray in the example of the Saints and pray to be likened to them in faith. Lutherans do not, however, petition to the Saints for prayer, protection or blessing. However, in the Lutheran Confessions, "saints" are regarded as all those who truly believe and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and Saviour. Saints are all believers on earth and in heaven, both living and dead. The dead ones do not hold a higher "position" in the Church. So therefore, all the saved earn the title of "saint" when we believe and confess that Jesus is Lord.

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Reformed theology, whose greatest representative is John Calvin, joined the Lutherans in teaching the three solas of Protestantism. Sola Fide (Faith alone) means that we are never justified by works. Sola Gratia (Grace alone) means we can never do anything to merit God‟s acceptance. And Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone) means that no beliefs are necessary to accept unless they are in the Bible. At the center of Calvin‟s theology is "adoption," which means God elects to make some people his children by the grace of Christ. What is new tin Calvin‟s doctrine of predestination is that believers can and should know they are among the elect, predestined for salvation, so they can be certain even in this life that they are already saved for eternity. While Calvin taught that God predestines some people for damnation as well as salvation; later Calvinists incorporated this doctrine of "double predestination‟ into a system of eternal divine decrees.

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Since we are helpless and totally depraved, we need God to intervene. God doesn't sit on the sidelines and see who is worthy of being chosen, God chooses. And because of His choice, the "elect" live lives worthy of their calling

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This means more than the common understanding of the eternal security of the believer. God preserves all the elect so that not one of them is finally lost, but He also so works in them that they persevere in their faith. When they fall, they aren't utterly destroyed, they get back up. They bear fruit and have good works which testify to the genuineness of their professed faith. For those who fail to persevere, we are not the ultimate judge God is

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This means that every aspect of man is tainted by sin. No one is as evil as they can be, but evil affects every part of our being - mind, will, heart, etc. We do not seek after God, naturally. And apart from God's initiative, we cannot please God

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This point does not mean no one can resist God's grace. People do resist. But for all who have been elected, God will overcome their resistance and graciously save them. This captures the idea of regeneration preceding faith. Calvinists believe faith flows from a heart that has been regenerated. A dead heart can't believe. Faith is the sign of what happened behind the scenes in the internal workings of the heart

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sort of like a secret bible

apocrypha

John Calvin was born July 10, 1509 in Noyon, France. He went to Strasbourg until 1541. His stay there as a pastor to French refugees was so peaceful and happy that when in 1541 the Council of Geneva requested that he return to Geneva, he was emotionally torn. He wanted to stay in Strasbourg but felt a responsibility to return to Geneva. He did so and remained in Geneva until his death May 27, 1564. Those years were filled with lecturing, preaching, and the writing of commentaries, treatises, and various editions of the Institutes of the Christian Religion.

http://www.ccel.org/c/calvin/

Finally, at the local level of the town and village, the abuses continued. Some Church officials held several offices at once and lived off their income. The clergy had become lax, corrupt and immoral and the people began to take notice that the sacraments were shrouded in complacency and indifference. Something was dreadfully wrong.

http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture3c.html

First, it can be said that many devout Christians were finding the Church's growing emphasis on rituals unhelpful in their quest for personal salvation. Indeed, what we are witnessing is the shift from salvation of whole groups of people, to something more personal and individual. The sacraments had become forms of ritualized behavior that no longer "spoke" to the people of Europe. They had become devoid of meaning. And since more people were congregating in towns and cities, they could observe for themselves and more important, discuss their concerns with others

http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture3c.html

Second, the papacy had lost much of its spiritual influence over its people because of the increasing tendency toward secularization. In other words, popes and bishops were acting more like kings and princes than they were the spiritual guides of European men and women. And again, because so many people were now crowding into cities, the lavish homes and palaces of the Church were noticed by more and more people from all walks of life. The poor resented the wealth of the papacy and the very rich were jealous of that wealth. At the same time, the popes bought and sold high offices, and also sold indulgences. All of this led to the increasing wealth of the Church -- and this created new paths for abuses of every sort.

http://www.historyguide.org/earlymod/lecture3c.html

Introduction As Christians, the Lutheran faith is centered on the person and work of Jesus Christ. We believe that God is three in one, or triune. We believe that the Son of God became a human being to suffer and die for the sins of the world so that all who believe in Him will not perish but through His substitution for us on the cross we are given forgiveness and eternal life. Lutherans believe that salvation was made possible 100% by the work of Jesus Christ. This gives rise to the Lutheran phrase "Christ alone!". Lutherans believe that we are saved by God's mercy and forgiveness and not by works of righteousness to atone for our past or even by a personal action of deciding to follow Jesus. Rather, the work is entirely God's. This gives rise to the Lutheran phrase of "Grace alone!".

http://www.lutheran-resources.org/lutheran_beliefs.htm

Difference # 2 is over the answer to the question, "What is the highest authority in Christianity?" Roman Catholics have argued that it is the papacy (or at least the magisterium); Lutherans have argued that Christ is the only head of the Christian Church, his body; and holy Scripture is that authority by which all Christian doctrine must be judged.

http://www.orlutheran.com/html/differ.html

Lutheranism is one of the largest Protestant denominations today. According to the Lutheran World Federation, there are nearly 66 million Lutherans worldwide. Of these, 36 million live in Europe, 13 million in Africa, 8.4 million in North America, 7.3 million in Asia, and 1.1 million in Latin America.

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/denominations/lutheranism.htm

The Book of Concord contains the following Lutheran texts: The Three Ecumenical Creeds The Augsburg Confession The Defense of the Augsburg Confession The Large Catechism The Small Catechism The Smalcald Articles Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope The Epitome of the Formula of Concord The Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/denominations/lutheranism.htm

The Lutheran denomination is the oldest Protestant denomination. It was founded (not deliberately at first) by Martin Luther, the German monk and professor who famously posted 95 Theses against the practice of indulgences in 1517. Luther saw contradictions between the Bible and current church practice as well as corruption and abuses within the (Catholic) church, and initially hoped for reform, not schism. When that proved impossible, he continued to spread his teachings despite excommunication and threats to his life.

http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/denominations/lutheranism.htm

In 1374, Wycliffe received the crown living of Lutterworth in Leicestershire. Wycliffe argued that there was a great contrast between what the Church was and what it ought to be, and saw the necessity for reform.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORwycliffe.htm

The people who supported Wycliffe's ideas became known as Lollards.

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORwycliffe.htm

Wycliffe was extremely critical of some aspects of the Christian church. He argued that the wealth and land of the church should be given to the king for redistribution

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/NORwycliffe.htm

For example, at that time people believed that the Pope was infallible (incapable of error). However, Luther was convinced that Leo X was wrong to sell indulgences. Therefore, Luther argued, the Pope could not possibly be infallible.