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 Overview
With the universal Christian
Church,
The Lutheran Church—Missouri
Synod teaches and
responds to the love of the
Triune God: the Father,
creator of all that exists;
Jesus Christ, the Son, who
became human to suffer and
die for the sins of all
human beings and to rise to
life again in the ultimate
victory over death and
Satan; and the Holy Spirit,
who creates faith through
God's Word and Sacraments.
The three persons of the
Trinity are coequal and
coeternal, one God.
Being "Lutheran,"
our congregations accept and
teach Bible-based teachings
of
Martin Luther that
inspired the reformation of
the Christian Church in the
16th century. The teaching
of Luther and the reformers
can be summarized in three
short phrases: Grace
alone, Faith alone,
Scripture alone.
Grace alone
God loves the people of the
world, even though they are
sinful, rebel against Him
and do not deserve His love.
He sent Jesus, His Son, to
love the unlovable and save
the ungodly.
Faith alone
By His suffering and death
as the substitute for all
people of all time, Jesus
purchased and won
forgiveness and eternal life
for them. Those who hear
this Good News and believe
it have the eternal life
that it offers. God creates
faith in Christ and gives
people forgiveness through
Him.
Scripture alone
The
Bible is God's inerrant
and infallible Word, in
which He reveals His Law and
His
Gospel of salvation in
Jesus Christ. It is the sole
rule and norm for Christian
doctrine.
Who is Jesus?
For more than 2,000 years
people have asked the
question, "Who
is Jesus?". We were not
present when Jesus lived on
this earth, but in the Bible
we have the record of his
birth, life, death on the
cross, and resurrection.
Study of the Bible, God's
Word, will enable you to
seek out the answer to this
age-old question.
What does "Synod"
mean?
The word "Synod" in The
Lutheran Church--Missouri
Synod comes from Greek words
that mean "walking
together." The term has rich
meaning in our church body,
because congregations
voluntarily choose to belong
to the Synod. Though diverse
in their service, these
congregations hold to a
shared confession of Jesus
Christ as taught in Holy
Scripture and the
Lutheran Confessions
which they believe are a
correct interpretation and
presentation of Biblical
doctrine. Contained in
The Book of Concord: The
Confessions of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church,
these statements of belief
were put into writing by
church leaders during the
16th century. The simplest
of these is
Luther's Small Catechism.
The
Augsburg Confession
gives more detail on what
Lutherans believe. Read an
article from the May
2004 Lutheran Witness
about what a "Synod" is.
Study Resources
The Synod's
Commission on Theology and
Church Relations
provides study documents and
statements of theological
issues. Answers to
theological questions may be
found on the
Frequently Asked Questions
web site.
The
Christian Cyclopedia has
served thousands of
students, church
professionals, and lay
persons as a one-volume
compendium of historical and
theological data, ranging
from ancient figures to
contemporary events.
In addition, a series of
downloadable
pamphlets offer insight
on variety of doctrinal
topics, moral issues and
concerns in the church. We
also invite you to learn
more about specific
worship practices of the
Synod.
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