✦ Doctrine & Confession
Calvary Lutheran Church holds without reservation to the inerrancy of Holy Scripture and the Lutheran confessions contained in the Book of Concord (1580), as a member congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Our Confessional Foundation
Apostles' · Nicene · Athanasian
1530 — The First Lutheran Confession
1529 — For Children and Adults
1580 — The Lutheran Confessions
2 Timothy 3:16
"All Scripture is breathed out by God..."
We confess that the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired, inerrant Word of God — given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and without error in everything they teach. Scripture is the only norm and judge of all doctrine. We reject all higher-critical methods that undermine the authority or reliability of the Bible.
Matthew 28:19
"...in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — of one divine essence, co-equal and co-eternal. This is the God revealed in Holy Scripture and confessed in the three Ecumenical Creeds: the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
Genesis 1:1
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."
God created all things in six natural days, as recorded in Genesis. We affirm the historicity of the creation account and reject the theories of evolution and theistic evolution, which contradict the divinely-inspired account. All that exists owes its origin to God's creative word alone.
Romans 3:23
"...for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Adam and Eve, our first parents, fell into sin and lost their original righteousness. Because of this fall, all people conceived in the natural way are, by nature, enemies of God — spiritually dead, unable to turn to God or please him by their own efforts. Original sin and actual sin alike separate us from a holy God and bring us under his righteous judgment.
John 1:14
"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..."
We confess that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who became man — true God and true man in one Person. He lived a perfect life in our place, suffered and died on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, rose bodily from the dead on the third day, ascended into heaven, and will come again to judge the living and the dead.
Ephesians 2:8–9
"For by grace you have been saved through faith..."
This is the article on which the church stands or falls. We are justified — declared righteous before God — not by our works, merits, or efforts, but by grace alone (sola gratia) through faith alone (sola fide) in Jesus Christ alone (solus Christus). Faith itself is a gift of the Holy Spirit, not something we produce within ourselves.
Romans 10:17
"...faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
God works salvation through the Gospel proclaimed in Word and Sacrament. Holy Baptism — including the baptism of infants — works the forgiveness of sins and creates saving faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the Lord's Supper, the true body and blood of Christ are truly present and distributed under bread and wine to all who commune. We neither reject the Sacraments nor exalt them above the Word.
1 Timothy 3:1–7
"...if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task."
The holy Christian Church is the assembly of all believers in whom the Holy Spirit works through the Word and Sacraments. The public office of ministry — preaching the Word and administering the Sacraments — is held by men ordained to that calling, in accordance with Holy Scripture and the Lutheran confessional tradition. We affirm the entire Book of Concord (1580) as a faithful exposition of Scripture.
Genesis 2:24
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife..."
We confess that marriage is the lifelong covenant union between one man and one woman, as instituted by God at creation and affirmed by Christ. Sexual union outside of this covenant — including premarital relations, adultery, and homosexual conduct — is contrary to God's will and holy law. We also proclaim, with equal emphasis, that Christ's blood covers all sin, and that repentance brings full forgiveness and restoration.
John 5:28–29
"...all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out..."
We confess that at death, the soul passes immediately to be with God (the righteous) or to face judgment (the unrighteous). We reject soul sleep and annihilationism. At the Last Day, Christ will return visibly and bodily, the dead will be bodily resurrected, and all will appear before him for final judgment. The righteous will enter eternal life; the wicked will suffer eternal condemnation. We also reject millennial teachings that anticipate a visible earthly reign of Christ before the Last Day.
✦ Questions?
Whether you have questions about our beliefs, are seeking a church home, or would like to speak with our pastor, we invite you to reach out.