Lutheran Church is the true church of Jesus Christ which was established in first century by the apostles, was in progress and development until Reformation, was reformed by Martin Luther and his followers, and abides in present.
Since there are a lot of religious organizations calling itself as “lutheran”, but reformed more within centuries, and even mixed with other doctrines like Calvinists or Charismatic, which cannot be true Lutheran, we call our self as “Old Lutheran” which means Original, or Orthodox, Lutheran doctrine.
Bases of our Belief:
- We believe in The Holy Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God Holy Spirit;
- We believe that everything that exists was created by God;
- We believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Holy Trinity, who came in the flesh.
- We believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to atone for sin, and rose from the dead in accordance with the Scriptures;
- We believe that Jesus will come again;
- We believe in One Holy, catholic, and Apostolic Church;
- We believe baptism washes away original sin;
- We believe in the resurrection of the dead;
- We believe in the one historic Apostles Creed; Nicene Creed can be used also but only as adiaphora;
- We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God;
- We believe that the Bible should be read in the common language that is understood by the people;
- We believe in the universal priesthood of believers, where ordination is a blessings and not additional grace;
- We believe that the liturgy of the church should be conducted in the common language that is understood by the people;
- We believe that faith and works are required of us by God (because we do what we believe);
- We believe that good deals can be only a fruit of faith, but any amount of it will not give the Salvation. Salvation comes only by God’s grace through Jesus Christ;
- We are not believe in the Saints;
- We believe in the Two Sacraments of the Church: Baptism and Holy Eucharist;
- We believe that Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick, Absolution (Confession, Reconciliation, Repentance), Marriage and Ordination are rituals of the Church, but not Sacraments;
- We believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist – that the bread and wine are the Body and Blood of Christ;
- We believe that everybody must receive the Holy Eucharist in both Body and Blood of Jesus Christ;
- We believe that celibacy is adiaphora;
- We don’t believe in the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
- We believe that marriage is a ritual, and divorce and remarriage are realities;
- We believe contraception is a personal decision, but abortion is the unforgivable sin;
- We against same sex marriage, and against homosexuality. In IOLC not allowed homosexual clergy and women Ordination;
- We believe that the church cannot compel anyone to believe anything and that it is not the role of the church to impose “faith” on anyone, in and out of the church;
- We believe the role of the clergy is to guide morality and faith by being examples, not by being authoritarians – the clergy serves the church, they do not impose their will on it.
Doctrinal documents
- The short and large catechisms of Martin Luther;
- 3 historical Creeds;
- Augsburg Confession;
- Apology of the Augsburg Confession;
- Smalcald Articles;
- Canons of the 7 Ecumenical Councils.
All other questions which not included to the followed documents is adiaphora for the Orthodox Lutheranism and excluded from the doctrine of the IELC.
