What is the difference between what Lutheran's believe and what Catholic's believe??

Answer 1

Let’s see, some of the striking differences coming from a Lutheran perspective:

Authority of the Bible:
RCC- Accept the Bible as the source of truth interpreted in the light of tradition.
Lutheran- Accept the Bible as the sole source of truth. The Holy Spirit interprets scripture and scripture interprets scripture.

Sacraments:
RCC- Celebrate seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Eucharist, Marriage, Orders and Anointing of the Sick.
Lutheran- Celebrate two sacraments (means of Grace): Eucharist and Baptism.

Eucharist:
RCC- Believe in Real Presence that the consecrated bread and wine turns into the body and blood of Christ
Lutheran- Believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The consecrated elements (bread and wine) is the bread and the wine and the ACTUAL Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. People really need to stop confusing the Lutheran belief on the Eucharist with the other Protestants (excluding the Anglicans and some Presbyterians).

Church Government:
RCC- College of Bishops shares authority with the Pope as the head of the College (called collegiality). Ultimately, the Pope is the visible head on earth of the Roman Catholic Church.
Lutheran- Congregational form of church government. I would like to point out that the Lutheran Church gets its Apostolic Succession through the Bishops of the Church of Sweden (Svenska kyrkan). See Gustavus Vasa 1527 and Pope Clement VII's decree on the Swedish Bishops.

The Priesthood:
RCC- Restricted to males who are forbidden to marry. From what I understand, there are some exceptions to this ruling if a married priest converts to Roman Catholicism, since they would have to divorce to remain celibate.
Lutheran- Ministers are allowed to marry. It can be pointed out that some Liberal Synods ordain women as ministers. It has to be pointed out that ordaining women is contrary to Scriptures and not a Confessional Lutheran belief.

The Virgin Mother:
RCC- Teach that the Virgin Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of her son Jesus Christ. They teach and believe that the Virgin Mary was born with out original sin (Immaculate Conception) and at the point of conception she was redeemed (full of grace, see Luke 2). Some Roman Catholics pray to Mary and over emphasis her role and claim she is a Co-Redempterix.
Lutheran- The Virgin Mary being a "Perpetual Virgin" is not taught in the Lutheran Church as cannon law. It is not discouraged if members believe she continued as a virgin after Jesus' birth. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and Co-Redempterix is not confessed or affirmed by the Lutheran Church.

Faith/Forgiveness of Sins/Means of Grace:
RCC- Faith not only can come by the Word and the sacraments, but Icons can be a visual representation of the Gospel.
Lutheran- Faith comes by the hearing of the Word and the receiving of the sacraments.

Papal Authority:
RCC- The Roman Catholic Church claims the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, has primacy of honor (universal immediate jurisdiction) and infallibility on matters of Christian living and faith. They claim the Pope is the direct successor of St. Peter (the first Pope).
Lutheran- Because Lutherans affirm Apostolic Succession, the Popes before the Reformation are considered first among equals. They do not affirm primacy of honor, infallibility and the title of Vicar of Christ.


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Katie O and Kristen L.-Please see my notes on the Eucharist. You will find that both your assertions are false when it comes to explaining the Lutheran side.

Ron- Lutherans believe in the Confession of Sins. As it is not a sacrament, we practice Public and Private Confession. To be honest, it is an integral part of the Liturgy of "Word and Sacrament" in Worship.

Shaybani_yusuf-
Just because you drag Dr. Martin Luther down and slander his name does not diminish the facts of what the Lutheran Church teaches and believes. To be honest, your comments don't even attempt to answer the asker's question! They are just un-germane rants. But I dug this up just for you to help you understand Dr. Luther's views on the Jews a little better:
"Luther did not have a rabid hatred for Jews nor do I know of any incident when he fomented a riot in which Jews were killed or a synagogue burned.

In fact, early in his career as a reformer Luther had written in a rather sympathetic way about the Jews and had chastised European Christians for their treatment of the Jews. Please read Luther's That Jesus was Born a Jew (1523). In his lectures on the Psalms (Ps 14:7) he wrote, "The fury of some Christians (if they are to be called Christians) is damnable. They imagine that they are doing God a service when they persecute the Jew most hatefully, think everything evil of them, and insult them with extreme arrogance and contempt amid their pitiable misfortunes, whereas, according top the example of the Psalm and of Paul (Romans 9:1), a man ought to be most heartily sorry for them and continually pray for them. . .By the example of this cruelty they are, as it were, repelling Jews from Christianity, whereas, they ought to attract them by all manner of gentleness, patience, pleading and care" (What Luther Says, vol. 2, p. 683).

At the end of his life, however, Luther did write a rather harsh work against the Jews which is not consistent with his earlier writings, On the Jews and Their Lies (1543). Luther's harsh comments toward the Jews were not racially motivated, but were directed against people who were opposing the message of salvation by God's grace through faith in Jesus. His opposition to the errors of the Catholic Church of his day was equally forceful and much more extensive.

We do not defend Luther's suggestions for dealing with the Jews in his work, On the Jews and Their Lies. None of his followers put his suggestions into practice. In fact, this writing was pretty much ignored until the 20th century.

In the context of the 16th century Luther was comparatively mild. In the Middle Ages it was not unusual for theologians to publish defenses of the Christian faith over against the teachings of Judaism in rather strong language. Even the "enlightened" humanist Erasmus wrote extensively against the Jews. We try to understand Luther's writings in the historical context. We do NOT endorse or excuse or condone his suggestions for the treatment of the Jews.

For more information on this subject you may wish to read Martin Luther and the Jewish People by Neelak Tjernagel (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1985) and The Fabricated Luther: The Rise and Fall of the Shirer Myth by Uwe Siemon-Netto (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1995)."

Answer 2

There are 7 basic differences. First, Lutherans do not believe in confession. They say none should be called Father except God, and only God can forgive.

Second, they believe in praying to Mary and others so they can ask Jesus to help or forgive them. Lutherans believe you can go straight to Jesus.

Third, Catholics believe in praying to saints and etc. Lutherans do not.

Fourth, the Bibles are not exactly the same. Catholics have shortened some Books while they have lengthened others.

Fifth, The Pope makes declarations on a variety of things, Lutherans believe they can believe each as they believe in Jesus.

Sixth, Catholics believe in purgatory (a place where the dead go to wait upon the Lord) Lutherans believe you go to heaven right after you die.

Seventh, Catholics believe in praying for the dead to pray them out of hell. Lutherans believe when you die, your fate is sealed.

There are many more differences, but these at the "big" ones.

Answer 3

There are lots of differences, one of the biggest is that Lutherans believe communion is symbolic and Catholics believe it's literally the body and blood of Jesus. Catholics have one centralized authority, too, the Vatican with the pope as the head. Lutherans have synods and some are independent.

Answer 4

The Real Presence of the Body Blood Soul and Divinity of Jesus. The Holy Eucharist.
The number of Holy Sacraments.
The Letters of the One Holy Bible.
Authority in the Church established by Jesus Christ
The infallibility of the Church
The Ministry of Saint Peter
The Institution of Holy Orders
Apostolic Succession
Bible Alone, Biblical or not?
Tradition Condemned
Faith Alone Biblical or not?
Grace Alone.
Good Works
Judgment According to Deeds
Assurance of Salvation

Answer 5

"What separates us as believers in Christ is much less than what unites us." (Pope John XXIII)

Almost all important doctrine is completely agreed upon between Catholic Christians and other Christians.

Here is the joint declaration of justification by Catholics (1999), Lutherans (1999), and Methodists (2006):

By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping us and calling us to good works.

There are many minor doctrine issues and some major cultural traditional differences which, I believe, do not matter that much.

A Catholic worships and follows Christ in the tradition of Catholicism which, among other things, recognizes that Christ made Peter the leader of His new Church and Pope Benedict XVI is Peter's direct successor.

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

Lutheran church leaders are allowed to marry or be women, while catholic priests are only unmarried men. Lutherans see the Eucharist as a symbol, while Catholics believe it is truly the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Answer 7

Lutheran believes no pope and no mary and no statue of figures. I think these are the differences. Catholics keep all those for their faith in Christianity.

Answer 8

Catholics take leadership from the pope. Lutheran's decided they did not want to follow the Pope because they believed the Catholic church was corrupt.

Answer 9

Lutherans do not recognize the authority of the Pope.

Answer 10

Lutheran is just a smaller Christian denomination. it has the same platform of the Catholic faith, and wasn't even meant to have been a seperate sect of the Catholic church, but they don't believe in the Eucharist.

Answer 11

Lutherans believe in salvation by grace through faith alone. (Ephesians 2:8-9)