Lutheran vs. Seventh-day Adventist
A side-by-side comparison of Lutheran and Seventh-day Adventist teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.
Lutheran
Lutheranism grew from Martin Luther’s reforming work in Germany from 1517. It is built on justification by grace through faith and the authority of Scripture, while keeping a liturgical form of worship and a strong view of the sacraments.
Seventh-day Adventist
The Seventh-day Adventist Church grew out of the Millerite expectation of Christ’s return in the 1840s and was formally organized in 1863. It worships on the seventh day, Saturday, and holds distinctive teaching on the state of the dead and the end times.
At a glance
Where they differ: Predestination and free will; Baptism; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Sacraments or ordinances; Death, purgatory and hell; Style of worship; Day of worship.
Varies within one or both: Church government; Clergy and women in ministry.
Where they agree: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Can a saved person fall away?; Mary and the saints; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
Side by side
| Question | Lutheran | Seventh-day Adventist |
|---|---|---|
| Authority: Scripture and traditionAgree | Scripture alone is the final norm for doctrine. The Book of Concord (the Lutheran confessions) is held as a faithful statement of what Scripture teaches. | The Bible alone is the standard for doctrine. Adventists also honor the writings of Ellen G. White as a prophetic gift, but hold them to be subject to Scripture. |
| Books of the BibleAgree | 66 books. The Apocrypha is not part of the canon, though Luther held that it is useful and good to read. | 66 books. |
| The TrinityAgree | Holds the Nicene, Apostles’ and Athanasian Creeds. One God in three persons. | One God in three co-eternal persons. Some early Adventists were not Trinitarian, but the church has affirmed the doctrine since the 20th century. |
| How a person is savedAgree | Justification by grace alone through faith alone. God declares the sinner righteous for Christ’s sake, and good works follow as the fruit of faith rather than a condition of it. | Saved by grace through faith in Christ. Adventists teach that obedience, including keeping the Ten Commandments, is the fruit of salvation and not its cause. |
| Can a saved person fall away?Agree | Yes. Lutherans teach that a believer can fall from faith by rejecting it, while holding that God is faithful and works to keep his people in the faith. | Yes. Salvation can be lost by rejecting God, but no one is lost who continues to trust in Christ. |
| Predestination and free willDiffer | God elects believers in Christ by grace alone, but Lutherans do not teach that he predestines anyone to damnation. Why some believe and others do not is left as a mystery. | Arminian in outlook. God desires all to be saved, and each person chooses whether to respond. |
| BaptismDiffer | A means of grace in which God gives forgiveness and faith. Infants are baptized, and the mode is usually pouring or sprinkling. | Baptism by immersion, given after instruction and a public profession of faith. It marks membership in the church. |
| Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Differ | Christ’s body and blood are truly present “in, with and under” the bread and wine (sacramental union). The elements stay bread and wine. | Observed quarterly, in a service that includes foot washing as an act of humility. The bread and grape juice are symbols. |
| Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer | Two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Some Lutherans also count absolution (confession). | Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The church’s own statement treats foot washing as part of the Lord’s Supper service, and some Adventists describe it as a third ordinance. |
| Church governmentVaries | Varies. Some Lutheran bodies have bishops, including the Church of Sweden and the ELCA, which has a presiding bishop and synod bishops. Others do not, and the LCMS is led by a president and district presidents. | A representative system of local churches, regional conferences and a General Conference. Delegates make decisions for the world church. |
| Clergy and women in ministryVaries | Varies. The ELCA ordains women and the LCMS does not. Pastors may marry. | Women serve as pastors and elders in many regions, but ordaining women as pastors has been disputed at the level of the world church. |
| Mary and the saintsAgree | Mary is honored as the mother of the Lord and the saints as examples of faith. Lutherans do not pray to them, since Christ is the only mediator. | Mary is honored as Jesus’ mother. Adventists do not pray to saints and teach that the dead are unconscious until the resurrection. |
| Death, purgatory and hellDiffer | Purgatory is rejected. Believers who die are with Christ and await the resurrection, and unbelievers face eternal separation from God. | The dead are unconscious until the resurrection (sometimes called “soul sleep”). The wicked are ultimately destroyed rather than tormented forever, which is the doctrine of conditional immortality. |
| Style of worshipDiffer | Usually liturgical, using a set order with hymns, readings, a sermon and communion. Many congregations also use contemporary services. | A Sabbath school and a worship service on Saturday. The service is built around preaching, hymns and prayer. |
| The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsAgree | The Spirit works through Word and sacrament. Gifts are honored, but ecstatic gifts are not emphasized, and a charismatic movement exists within Lutheranism. | Spiritual gifts are believed to continue, and the church holds that the gift of prophecy was shown in Ellen G. White. Tongues are understood as real human languages. |
| Day of worshipDiffer | Sunday. | Saturday, the seventh day. Adventists keep the biblical Sabbath from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset and consider it a lasting commandment. |
| Best known for | Justification by faith, the Small Catechism, congregational hymn singing and Luther’s translation of the Bible into German. | Saturday Sabbath, a health message that includes vegetarian eating, a large system of schools and hospitals, and the expectation of Christ’s soon return. |
“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.
Learn more on this site
- Free Will, Predestination, and Divine Sovereignty
- Baptism
- What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
- What Does the Bible Say About Heaven?
- What Does the Bible Say About Hell?
- What Does the Bible Say About Judgment Day?
- What Does the Bible Say About Worship?
- Sabbath
- The Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture
- The Reliability of Scripture
- The Canon
- Textual Variants and "Lost Books" (Gnostic Gospels, Apocrypha)
- The Trinity
- The Deity of Christ
- Grace
- Justification
- Catholic Church
- Eastern Orthodox Church
- What Does the Bible Say About Spiritual Gifts?
More comparisons
Lutheran
Seventh-day Adventist
- Catholic vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Eastern Orthodox vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Presbyterian / Reformed vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Anglican / Episcopal vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Methodist vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Baptist vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Anabaptist / Mennonite vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Pentecostal vs. Seventh-day Adventist
- Seventh-day Adventist vs. Church of Christ
- Seventh-day Adventist vs. Non-denominational