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Thesis 1

We confess that the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God and the only rule and norm according

to which all teachings and teachers in the church are to be judged. The canonical Scriptures

are inspired by God and are therefore infallible. Even as God cannot lie, deceive, or err, the

Holy Scriptures cannot lie, deceive, or err. The Holy Scriptures are the only source of divine

doctrine. All of the church’s doctrine is to be drawn from the clear Scriptures. It must be

established by what the biblical text clearly means. It may not be established by what the

biblical text might mean.

Antithesis 1

We reject and condemn any teaching that would deny the inerrancy, inherent clarity, and

sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures or that would promote any authority over our teaching than

that of Scripture alone.

Thesis 2

We subscribe unconditionally to the Ecumenical Creeds: the Apostles’, the Nicene, and the

Athanasian creeds, because their doctrine is drawn from the Holy Scriptures and is in

complete agreement with God’s Word. We subscribe unconditionally to the doctrine of the

Lutheran Confessions as contained in the Book of Concord of 1580: the Unaltered Augsburg

Confession; the Apology of the Augsburg Confession; the Smalcald Articles, and the Treatise

on the Power and Primacy of the Pope; the Small and Large Catechisms of Martin Luther; and

the Formula of Concord. We subscribe to the Book of Concord because it is drawn from and is

faithful to the Holy Scriptures in all points of doctrine.

Antithesis 1

We reject and condemn any approach to the Lutheran Confessions that would deny their

relevance to the church today or their suitability to settle doctrinal disputes among us.

Thesis 3

We commend as useful for study and guidance the following:

Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States).

2. “Theses on Lay Preaching” of 1862 (Norwegian Synod).

3. “The Third Commandment and the Christian Sunday” of 1863 (Norwegian Synod).

4. “Absolution” of 1874 (Norwegian Synod).

5. “An Accounting” of 1884 (Norwegian Synod).

6. “Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod” of 1932 (Lutheran Church

Missouri Synod).

7. “Unity, Union, and Unionism” of 1936 (Little Norwegian Synod).

8. “A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles” of 1973 (Lutheran Church

Missouri Synod).

9. “The Evangelical Lutheran Synod: Character, History, Doctrine, Mission" of 1981

(Evangelical Lutheran Synod).

the Orthodox German Lutheran church from the time of Chemnitz on.

In response to certain movements and trends in the church today we make the following

confession:

Thesis 1

We confess that justification by grace alone through faith alone for Christ’s sake is the central

article of the Christian doctrine and may not be set aside to the periphery in favor of any other

article (Romans 3:21-28; Romans 4:5; Ephesians 2:8-10).

Antithesis 1

We reject and condemn any effort to replace justification with a doctrine of sanctification or

indwelling or recreation as the central article of the faith (Galatians 1:6-12).

Thesis 2

We confess that the Holy Spirit works graciously through the gospel and the sacraments of

Christ and we do not seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our lives apart from the external Word of

God (Psalm 119:105; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 1 John 4:1; SA III, VIII, 10). We follow

the historic liturgies of the church for the sake of the faithful proclamation of the gospel and the

right administration of Christ’s sacraments (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; 1 Corinthians

14:33,40).

Antithesis 1

We reject and condemn any reliance on extra-biblical revelations. We reject and condemn

the modern Charismatic Movement with its claim to “speaking in tongues” as the sign of

being “baptized in the Holy Spirit” as unscriptural and dangerous (John 3:5; 1 Corinthians

12:30-31; 1 Corinthians 13:8; 1 Corinthians 14:4).

Antithesis 2

We reject and condemn the replacement of the church’s historic liturgies and hymns with

forms that neglect the objective means of grace in favor of celebrating religious feelings

(Romans 10:8-9; Matthew 28: 18-20; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 20:21-23).

Thesis 3

We confess that the church is the gathering of believers among whom the gospel is preached

purely and the sacraments are administered rightly (AC VII) and that Christ has established in

and for His church a specific office whose incumbents are to preach the gospel and administer

His sacraments through which the Holy Spirit, where and when God pleases, works faith in

those who hear the gospel (Matthew 28:16-20; John 3:8; John 20:21; Titus 1:5; AC V).

Antithesis 1

We reject and condemn the formless doctrine of church and ministry that teaches that every

use of God’s Word “on behalf of believers” is the divinely instituted public ministry of the

word (1 Corinthians 4:1; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:1) and that every gathering of

Christians is to be regarded as church (Matthew 16:16-18 and Matthew 28:17-20; Acts

2:42).

Antithesis 2

We reject and condemn any teaching that would deny that Christ has entrusted this holy

office to the royal priesthood of the baptized or that would challenge the right of a Christian

congregation to choose its own pastor, though we affirm the duty of every congregation to

involve, when possible, the pastors of their fellowship in the call and installation of pastors.

(Matthew 7:15; 1 Corinthians 3:21-22; 1 John 4:1).

Antithesis 3

We reject and condemn the ordination of women and we deny that God calls women to

preach, teach, or administer the sacraments in the church (Jeremiah 23:21; 1 Corinthians

14: 34-37; 1 Timothy 2:11-14; AC XIV).

Thesis 4

We confess that the unity of the church is established by the Holy Spirit through the Word and

that false doctrine is the source of division. The church must uphold the truth of God’s Word

and must not tolerate false doctrine in her midst but must faithfully identify errorists, refute their

errors on the basis of God’s Word, and refuse to express church fellowship with them (Matthew

7:15; Romans 16:17-18; 2 John 10-11).

Antithesis 1

We reject and condemn religious unionism, that is, the expression of church fellowship with

persistent errorists (2 Corinthians 6:17).

Antithesis 2

We reject and condemn separatism, that is, the refusal to express church fellowship with

churches whose doctrine and practice is in agreement with God’s Word (1 Corinthians

12:13-14, 25; Ephesians 4:1-6).

† Saint Paul Lutheran Church Reverend Robert Lawson, Jr.

1418 Bear Valley Parkway Church Phone: 760-743-4440

Escondido, California 92027

† Wayfarer’s Chapel Lutheran Church Reverend Leslie Lanier

461 Third Street Church Phone: 805-524-2818

Fillmore, California 93015

† Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church Reverend Stephen Schmidt

PO Box 94 Cell Phone: 217-851-1029

Litchfield, Illinois 62056

† Saint Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church Reverend Karl J. Heck

113 WRM Drive Church Phone: 319-668-8961

PO Box 766

Williamsburg, Iowa 52361-0766

† First Evanger Lutheran Church Reverend Rolf D. Preus

405 Washington Church Phone: 701-788-2096

PO Box 477

Fertile, Minnesota 56540

† Grace Lutheran Church Reverend Rolf D. Preus

1221 Barette Street Church Phone: 701-788-2096

Crookston, Minnesota 56716

† First American Lutheran Church Reverend Rolf D. Preus

214 Third Avenue NE Church Phone: 701-788-2096

PO Box 541

Mayville, North Dakota 58257

† Reformation Lutheran Church Reverend Steven R. Brockdorf

4435 SE Tualatin Valley Highway Church Phone: 503-648-1393

Hillsboro, Oregon 97123

First American Lutheran Church, Mayville, ND

First Evanger Lutheran Church, Fertile, MN

Grace Lutheran Church, Crookston, MN

Saint Timothy Evangelical Lutheran Church, Williamsburg, IA

First American Lutheran Church, Mayville, ND

http://reformationchurch.org/ACLC.htm