Lutheranism is a branch of Christianity that is based on the teachings of the German reformer, Martin Luther. Though he was born into the Catholic faith, Luther came to believe that the Catholic Church’s teachings were not in agreement with his own interpretations of the Biblical Gospel.
Luther felt that some practices within the Roman Catholic Church were actually leading people away from God, and had no real connection to the lessons contained within the Holy Bible. As he challenged the Catholic Church’s doctrines and practices, Martin Luther’s efforts launched the Protestant Reformation, the religious movement that began in Europe during the 16th Century.
Due to these differences in beliefs about theology, practices and doctrines, the Protestant denomination officially broke away from the Catholic Church. But later, divisions among Protestants grew, and those Protestants who agreed with Luther’s teachings became known as “Lutherans.” During the 16th Century, the monarchs of Denmark-Norway and Sweden adopted Lutheranism as their religion and helped its popularity spread in various regions of Europe.
As time passed, thousands of people came to support Luther’s movement. Like him, they believed the Catholic Church’s teachings were straying from the core lessons found in the Bible, and many more individuals began referring to themselves as “Lutherans.” Though Luther originally protested to using his name for the movement, he later consented. He felt this was merely a label to identify those who believed in the Gospel and its teachings.
One of Martin Luther’s most important teachings is that the Bible is the Word of God, and the only reliable guide for finding faith and putting it into practice. Today, many Lutherans still see the Bible as the only source of divinely revealed knowledge, and millions of people belong to Lutheran churches, which are present on all the world’s populated continents. With the Bible as their guide, Lutherans continue to live their faith as build upon Martin Luther’s work and progress.