Despite their strong belief in the same God through the salvation of Jesus Christ’s sacrificial death and resurrection, the Christian community has been segregated into sub-divisions.
With specific disparities in their doctrines, tenets, ideologies, and ritualistic commemorations, especially according to how the Holy Sacrament is conducted and the general convention of the church services.
The two most frequently misapprehended sub-divisions, which fall within the framework of one of the prime divisions of Protestantism, would be the Lutherans and the Baptists.
Key Takeaways
- Lutheran churches trace their origins to the Protestant Reformation and the teachings of Martin Luther, emphasizing salvation by faith alone.
- Baptist churches are a diverse group of Protestant denominations, united by the belief in believer’s baptism, by full immersion.
- Key differences between these denominations include baptism practices, church governance, and some theological beliefs, such as the nature of communion and the role of faith and work in salvation.
Lutheran vs Baptist
Lutheranism originated from Martin Luther’s teachings, which emphasize the doctrine of justification by faith alone and the authority of the Bible and sacraments of baptism and communion. Baptists believe in autonomy and individual freedom of conscience, emphasizing personal conversion and immersion.
The Lutherans consider the theological doctrine of the Sacramental union in their ideologies and services, whereas the Baptists are deemed more commemorative, pragmatic, and observational.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of comparison | Lutheran | Baptist |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Lutherans are considered the prime branch of Protestantism in Christianity, for Martin Luther created them around the 16th century to prevent harmful practices from happening in churches. | On the other hand, The Baptist Church was instituted in the 16th century with the leadership of John Smyth, an English Dissenter. |
| Baptism | Lutherans consider baptism for adults as well as infants. | Baptists consider baptism only among believers or adults. |
| Bread and wine | The bread and wine in the last supper are considered the blood and body of Christ. | The bread and wine in the last supper are the symbolic representation of the blood and body of Christ. |
| Mode of baptism | The mode of baptism in Lutherans is by sprinkling or pouring water. | The mode of baptism for Baptists is by immersion. |
| Rejected practices | Lutherans are considered to have rejected only a few practices of the Roman Catholic Church. | Baptists are said to reject the full authority of the Roman Catholic Church. |
What is Lutheran?
Lutheranism is a branch of Christianity that recognizes the teachings of Martin Luther during the 16th-century reforms. Martin Luther composed 95 theses in 1517 and tried to persuade the public through his work to help him alter the Church practices.
This was mainly a result of the corruption in those churches. Lutheranism is considered one of the five branches of Protestantism.
The name Lutheran was created by Martin Luther’s opponents. Lutherans who preached Lutheranism believed in Jesus Christ and the Holy Trinity.
The primary objective was to adopt Christianity with the theory of justification by faith. They additionally believe that human beings can be free from their sins only by the grace of God.
They also believe in exemplifying that the bread and wine in the last supper are the blood and body of the almighty god.
Lutheranism is not a single entity but is regulated by national or autonomous churches.
Internationally, there are 140 Lutheran churches, and among these, 138 are said to be loosely connected to the Lutheran World Federation, founded in 1947. At the onset of the 21st century, there were approximately 65 million Lutherans globally, making Lutheranism the second-largest branch of Protestantism.
What is Baptist?
Baptists are a vital branch of Protestantism who believe that only the believers of Baptism can be baptized and not by sprinkling or pouring water but by immersion which has a fundamental principle of washing away sins.
Baptists also do not form a single entity and mostly cohere with congregational churches. Baptists can be traced back to 1609.
Baptism is rejected among infants but can be instituted in adults. Baptists believe faith is between individuals and god, which likewise means advocating liberty.
Baptists consider the bread and wine in the last supper as only a symbolic representation of the blood and body of Christ. Baptists’ worship services are considered more interactive and less formal than Lutheran churches.
There were two kinds of Baptists in early life i.e., the particular and general Baptists. The general Baptists mainly comprised the English separatists, and the particular Baptists constituted the non-separatists.
Both of them were Congregationalists and shared the convictions of nature. Salvation for all the Baptists is achieved only through faith. Baptists are considered a testimony to the acceptance of Christ as their saviour.
Main Differences Between Lutheran and Baptist
- Lutherans are said to be a branch of Protestants in Christianity who follows the theology of Martin Luther to prevent corruption from occurring in other churches. On the other hand, The Baptists are also a branch of Protestants instituted in the 16th century under the leadership of John Smyth, an English Dissenter.
- Lutheranism can be instituted for infants and adults as this is considered an activity of grace. Baptists can institute baptism only to adults who believe in baptism since they are old enough to decide for themselves.
- For Lutherans, the blood and body of Jesus Christ are derived from the bread and wine in the last supper. For Baptists, the blood and body of Jesus Christ have only been considered a symbolic representation of the bread and wine in the last supper.
- The ritual of either sprinkling or pouring water can baptize Lutherans. Baptists can be baptized by immersion, as this means washing away the sins of a human.
- Lutherans are said to have denied only meagre practices of the Roman Catholic Church, and Lutheran churches are more structured. Baptists are said to have denied the full authority of the Roman Catholic Church, and Baptist churches are unstructured.
- https://digitalcommons.luthersem.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=phd_theses
- https://www.gc.uofn.edu/index.php/gc/article/view/56
Last Updated : 11 June, 2023
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