The Wittenberg Trail
Your Path to the Authentic, Historic & Catholic Faith
Martin Luther
"The church is the assembly of all believers among whom the Gospel is preached in it purity and the holy sacraments are administered."
Word & Sacrament
Network
Wittenberg Trail
Bookstore
Evangelical Liturgical Lutheran
Congregations
The Book of Concord - The Lutheran
Confessions
Lutheran Online - Law & Gospel for
the Internet Generation
Roman
Catholic Theology
"The most important and vexing issue which has confronted Lutheran and Roman Catholic relations and discussions since the time of the Reformation is the doctrine of justification. It remains the major status controversiae separating western Christendom for over four and a half centuries.
The debate and contention through the centuries over the doctrine of justification has not been confirmed to differences in the exegesis of a few Bible passages pertaining to the doctrine or to formulations of the doctrine, but to a fundamentally different understanding and conviction concerning the nature of the Gospel and the mission of the Church.
...From the very first the Lutheran doctrine of justification has been reduced to the following classical summary formulation: a sinner (1) is justified (saved) (2) by grace, (3) for Christ's sake, (4) through faith (5)." (Preus)
Lutherans
believe that wherever the Word of God is preached there
will be real Christians. Therefore, the Church is invisible
and there are real Christians in all churches and
denominations (please see The Distinction Between Orthodox and
Heterodox Churches).
Many people who are on the
Wittenberg Trail
are
also exploring Roman Catholicism and are curious about
Roman Catholic theology and how it is different from
Lutheran theology. Here are a variety of articles and
videos that will help the reader understand some of the
differences between Roman Catholic and Lutheran beliefs.
Differences Between Lutherans and Roman
Catholics
Do Lutherans and Roman Catholics Agree on
Justification?
The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of
the Pope
C.F.W. Walther, Justification and the
Joint Declaration
Which Doctrines are Necessary for
Unity?
Repentance: Roman Catholicism, American
Evangelicalism & Lutheranism
A Letter Explaining the Differences
between Roman Catholicism and
Lutheranism
A Brief Analysis of the 1992 Catechism of
the Catholic Church
The Teachings of Pope John Paul
II
The
Lutheran Understanding of the Papacy
The Beginnings of the Papacy in the Early
Church (a
response to Roman Catholic apologist Stephen K. Ray and
his book
Upon This Rock: St. Peter and the Primacy of Rome in
Scripture and the Early Church.)
The Problems of Sacred Tradition and
Papal Primacy
The Lutheran Understanding of Rome's teaching called
"Anonymous Christianity"
What is the Roman Catholic Teaching of
"Anonymous Christianity"?
The
Lutheran Understanding of Mary
What Do Lutherans Believe About the
Virgin Mary?
The
following blog has great articles that highlight the major
differences between Lutheran and Roman Catholic
theology:
Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions
Blog
The
Shape of Sola Scriptura addresses
all the major arguments used by Roman Catholic apologists.
It is the best place to start for an evaluation of the
claims of the Roman Catholic Church.
The
Examination of the Council of Trent
by Martin Chemnitz is the best refutation of the Roman
Catholic teachings concerning Scripture, the Canon and the
early Church Fathers.
It is highly recommended, especially for those considering
the claims of the Roman Catholic Church, to read
both
The Shape of Sola Scriptura and
The Examination of the Council of
Trent.
Visit
The Wittenberg Trail Online Community
What
does "catholic" mean?
Rev.
Ernie Lassman, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in
Seattle, WA, posted this video on both his
church website and
on YouTube.
Do
Lutheran's pray to Mary?
Rev.
Ernie Lassman, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in
Seattle, WA, posted this video on both his
church website and
on YouTube.
Why
should we not pray to Mary, the saints or the
dead?
Rev.
Ernie Lassman, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in
Seattle, WA, posted this video on both his
church website and
on YouTube.
Here
are several videos that address the Roman Catholic concept
of "Anonymous Christianity"
Video Interview with Monsignor Lorenzo
Albacete
Monsignor Albacete is a professor of theology at St.
Joseph's Seminary in New York and was a friend of John Paul
II. He was president of the Pontifical Catholic University
of Puerto Rico and served as associate professor of
theology at the John Paul II Institute for Studies in
Marriage & Family.
In this video, Monsignor Albacete teaches that:
1. A person does not have to believe that Jesus is the Son
of God to go to Heaven.
2. Buddhist's can be saved and go to Heaven and faster than
Christians.
3. Atheist's can be saved and go to Heaven and faster than
Christians.
4. The "heart" is all that is important. Just follow your
conscience and you will go to Heaven.
Larry
King Live Interview - Catholics Do Not Believe Jesus Only
Larry King Live Interview - Catholic Teaching on Anonymous
Christianity
4 Interviews with Roman Catholic Priests (all on the
following video):
Interview
#1:
Roman Catholic Priest who is also a Hindu and who teaches
that Hindus go to Heaven.
Interview
#2:
Roman Catholic Priest who teaches that Muslim's worship the
same God as Christians and go to Heaven. He also believes
that people who reject Jesus Christ are not lost and will
go to Heaven.
Interview
#3:
Roman Catholic Priest who teaches that we can't be certain
if we will go to Heaven. He also teaches that
non-Christians are saved by the blood of Jesus and will go
to Heaven.
Interview
#4:
Roman Catholic Priest who teaches that living a good life
is all that is necessary to go to Heaven. He teaches that
there are many ways to go to Heaven and that Jesus is only
one way, not the only way, to Heaven. He teaches that
non-Christians also go to Heaven.
