The Preface to the Book of Concord, Part 1

In the preface to the Book of Concord the compilers stated that all the writings contained in “this Christian confession, based as it is on the witness of the unalterable truth of the divine Word.” In other words, what follows is a clear and proper understanding of Scriptures and not their opinions.

While the Book of Concord was intended to bring the splintered Lutherans back to unity, Concord means agreement by the way, it had the further goal of protecting against such fracturing in the future. They wished “to warn and, as far as we might, to secure our posterity in the future against doctrine that is impure, false, and contrary to the Word of God.” And later, “that a pure declaration of the truth might be transmitted to our posterity.” They believed that this common confession would help guard against conflict.

The following statement shows that the Book of Concord was not the opinion of one or two people. “Therefore this Christian agreement is called and also is the unanimous and concordant confession not only of a few of our theologians but generally of each and every minister and schoolmaster in our lands and territories.” In other words, this book defines what it means to be Lutheran. If you agree with what it says you're Lutheran, if you don’t you’re not. Every Lutheran denomination since this was written has at least given lip service to this idea.

Just exactly what are the Lutheran Confessions?

My aim in these writings is to offer some context and understanding to people who know little or nothing about the Lutheran Reformation and the documents upon which Lutheranism is founded.

During his lifetime Martin Luther was the one person who gave the Reformation in Germany a face. It was to Luther that others looked for direction and unity. When there was conflict, whether religious or otherwise, Luther was the first choice to negotiate peace. In fact, this was Luther’s role right up to the end. He died in the city of Mansfeld after settling a dispute between the owner of a cooper mine and the local Count who wanted to bring the industry under tighter control.

After Luther died the Lutheran movement began to split apart. For several years Lutheran theologians and political leaders in Lutheran areas worked to find common ground for unity. Finally in 1580 they succeeded in gathering together what they believed to be the foundational documents of Lutheranism and wrote The Formula of Concord as a sort of summation of those documents. The included documents in order of inclusion were:

·         The Three Chief Articles. (The three ancient creeds accepted by all Christians, the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed)

·         The Augsburg Confession of 1530

·         The Apology of the Augsburg Confession (1531)

·         The Smalcald Articles of Martin Luther (1537)

·         Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope (1537)

·         The Small Catechism of Martin Luther (1529)

·         The Large Catechism of Martin Luther (1529)

·         The Formula of Concord (1577)