What is the difference between Baptist and Lutherans?

Answer 1

Both of these religions worship the same God, believe in the same God and sing hymns of praises, teach from The Bible, etc. The primary differences are in how these things are taught. There are differences in the manner in which Holy Communion is offered, too ... the Baptists use Grape Juice and the Lutheran's use actual wine, both of which are acceptable in the Christian community at large. The dogma's of these churches are different, too. The worship service of a Lutheran parish is usually filled with many "rituals" and sung liturgies, whereas the Baptist parish service appears lots less formal and without all the "bells and smells" of a liturgical service. In essence:

For Lutherans baptism is a means of grace and the mode of application is not important, but is usually delivered by the sprinkling of water. There is no proper age for baptism, as the work in baptism is seen to be God's, thus infants are baptized as soon as possible. The only necessities for a valid baptism are "water and the Word;" and baptisms must be performed in the trinitarian formula (in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.) Adults previously 'unbaptized' also receive this. Godparents make a vow to spiritually nurture a baptized infant in his faith until he "affirms" a role in his own faith in the vows of his confirmation. Baptism itself in likened to adoption, where God claims the child. For Baptists, baptism is a testimony of a preceding act of repentance and the acceptance of Christ as a personal Saviour. It is administered by full immersion as symbolic of the total washing away of sins. Only persons of an age to decide this for themselves and make a personal decision can be considered saved. If you had been baptized in a Lutheran Church as a baby you would be considered unbaptized in a Baptist context.

Another difference is the official doctrine of what the bread and wine represent in Communion. Lutherans hold to the idea that the elements actually are the body and blood of Christ (although not going as far as the Transubstantiation of the Roman Catholic church). Baptists regard them as a symbolic representation of the body and blood. Lutherans have a stricter code of interpretation of the Bible based on the distinction of "Law and Gospel" and do not allow for personal revelations on salvific matters, while some Baptists tend to stress a more experiential relationship on matters of faith. As a historic and confessional Church, Lutherans are liturgical in worship and follow the order of the Mass. Baptists tend to be less formal in worship style. Lutherans are also sacramentarian in theology and worship. This accounts for many of the differences in belief and worship. Both Baptism and Holy Communion are, for Lutherans, sacraments and means of grace working towards sanctification and justification and hold a high place in worship. Baptists also observe the sacraments, but tend to be more commemorative than sacramentarian.

Answer 2

Lutheran vs Baptist

The Christian community, though centered in salvation through Jesus Christ, has been divided into sub-sects, with some differences in their teachings, dogma and ceremonial celebrations. Two of the most commonly misconstrued sects would be the Lutheran and the Baptist Churches. As mentioned, both religions believe in and worship the same God, refer to the same Bible and hold communal gatherings to celebrate their faith. The principal dissimilarity is their dogmas and preaching/teaching methods. There are differences in their ceremonies, too, particularly in the manner in which Holy Communion is administered and the over-all formality of the worship service. The following comparison would affirm that Lutherans are more sacramentarian in theology and worship, while the Baptists are best described as experiential and commemorative.

The Lutheran Church or Lutheranism is founded on the theology of Martin Luther during the 16th century. Its initial purpose is to reform Christianity with the teaching of justification by grace through faith alone. They believe that humans are saved from their sins by God's grace alone (Sola Gratia), through faith alone (Sola Fide). Orthodox Lutheran theology holds that God made the world, including humanity, perfect, holy and sinless. For Lutherans, original sin is the "chief sin, a root and fountainhead of all actual sins.' By God's grace, made known and effective in the person and work of Jesus Christ, a person is forgiven and given eternal salvation. Faith receives the gift of salvation rather than causes salvation. Lutherans also believe in the Holy Trinity, wherein the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. As far as the Sacraments are concerned, they value these as means of grace working towardssanctification and justification. Baptism for Lutherans is a means of grace and the mode of application is not important, but is usually delivered by the sprinkling of water. There is no proper age for baptism and the only necessities for a valid baptism are "water and the Word.' In Holy Communion, they believe that bread and wine actually are the body and blood of Christ. They are accustomed to using real wine instead of substitutes or just bread alone. In addition, their communal celebration strictly follows the order of Mass and is usually observed with many "rituals" and sung liturgies.

The Baptist Church, on the other hand, can be traced back to 1609 with the initiatives of English Separatist, John Smyth. One of the sect's primary campaigns is to reject baptism of infants and instead, institute it only in believing adults. Salvation for Baptists is through faith alone and they recognize Scripture alone as the rule of faith and practice. Baptists believe that faith is a matter between God and the individual (religious freedom). To them it means the advocacy of absolute liberty of conscience. Their dogma could be summed up through an acrostic acronym of BAPTIST. B- Biblical authority, A- autonomy of the local church, P- priesthood of all believers, T- two ordinances: believer's baptisms and the Lord's Supper, I '" individual soul liberty, S- separation of Church and State, and T- two offices of the church: pastor-elder and deacon. In contrast to Lutheran belief, Baptists view Baptism as a testimony of a preceding act of repentance and the acceptance of Christ as a personal Savior. It is administered by full immersion as symbolic of the total washing away of sins. Only persons of an age to decide this for themselves and make a personal decision can be considered saved, thus the term believer's baptism. In Holy Communion, they regard the bread and wine only as a symbolic representation of the body and blood. Substitutes are therefore acceptable; grape juice instead of wine, for instance. Their worship services, however, are less formal and more interactive than that of Lutheran services.

1) Both Lutheran and Baptist churches believe in the same God, pertain to the same Bible and hold communal gatherings.

2) Lutherans believe in the teaching of justification by faith alone just like Baptists.

3) In contrast to Lutheran belief, Baptists view Baptism as a testimony of a preceding act of repentance and the acceptance of Christ as a personal Savior.

4) For Lutherans, there is no proper age to be baptized. For Baptists, the person has to be of age.

5) In Baptism, bread and wine are considered as symbolic representations of the body and blood. On the other hand, in Lutheran, these are known as the body and blood of Christ.