Lutheran vs. Presbyterian / Reformed
A side-by-side comparison of Lutheran and Presbyterian / Reformed 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.
Presbyterian / Reformed
The Reformed tradition follows the teaching of John Calvin, Huldrych Zwingli and their heirs, and Presbyterian churches are its best-known family. It stresses the sovereignty of God, the authority of Scripture, and government by elders (presbyters).
At a glance
Where they differ: Can a saved person fall away?; Predestination and free will; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Style of worship.
Varies within one or both: Church government; Clergy and women in ministry; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
Where they agree: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; The Trinity; How a person is saved; Baptism; Sacraments or ordinances; Mary and the saints; Death, purgatory and hell; Day of worship.
Side by side
| Question | Lutheran | Presbyterian / Reformed |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Scripture alone is the supreme authority. Confessions such as the Westminster Confession are subordinate standards that summarize its teaching. |
| 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 Westminster Confession says the Apocrypha is not inspired and has no authority in the church. |
| The TrinityAgree | Holds the Nicene, Apostles’ and Athanasian Creeds. One God in three persons. | One God in three persons, as defined at Nicaea and Constantinople and restated in the Reformed confessions. |
| 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. | Justification by grace alone through faith alone, with salvation entirely God’s work from election to glory. Good works are the fruit and evidence of faith. |
| Can a saved person fall away?Differ | 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. | No. The “perseverance of the saints” holds that those whom God has truly chosen will be kept in faith to the end, though they may stumble seriously. |
| 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. | God unconditionally chose those he would save before the foundation of the world, which is the classic Calvinist position. Its five points are often summarized by the acronym TULIP. |
| BaptismAgree | A means of grace in which God gives forgiveness and faith. Infants are baptized, and the mode is usually pouring or sprinkling. | A sign and seal of God’s covenant promise. Infants of believers are baptized, generally by sprinkling or pouring, and baptism is not thought to save automatically. |
| 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. | Christ is truly present, but spiritually, through the Holy Spirit, for those who receive by faith. It is a sign and seal, not a change in the elements. |
| Sacraments or ordinancesAgree | Two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Some Lutherans also count absolution (confession). | Two sacraments, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. |
| 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. | Governed by elders. Each congregation is led by a session of elders, which belongs to a presbytery, then a regional synod and a national General Assembly. |
| Clergy and women in ministryVaries | Varies. The ELCA ordains women and the LCMS does not. Pastors may marry. | Varies. The PC(USA) ordains women as pastors and elders, while the PCA and other conservative bodies reserve those offices for men. |
| 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 the mother of Jesus, and saints are remembered as examples. Prayer is directed to God alone. |
| Death, purgatory and hellAgree | Purgatory is rejected. Believers who die are with Christ and await the resurrection, and unbelievers face eternal separation from God. | Purgatory is rejected. Believers pass at once into Christ’s presence and await the resurrection. The unsaved face eternal punishment. |
| Style of worshipDiffer | Usually liturgical, using a set order with hymns, readings, a sermon and communion. Many congregations also use contemporary services. | Centered on the preaching of the Word. Worship is more sober than in Catholic or Lutheran churches and traditionally uses hymns and psalms, with some congregations now using contemporary music. |
| The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries | The Spirit works through Word and sacrament. Gifts are honored, but ecstatic gifts are not emphasized, and a charismatic movement exists within Lutheranism. | The Spirit gives gifts to the church. Traditionally, many Reformed teachers held that miraculous gifts ended with the apostles (cessationism), while others, including charismatic Presbyterians, disagree. |
| Day of worshipAgree | Sunday. | Sunday, called the Lord’s Day. Some Reformed churches apply the Sabbath commandment to Sunday strictly. |
| Best known for | Justification by faith, the Small Catechism, congregational hymn singing and Luther’s translation of the Bible into German. | The sovereignty of God, careful doctrine, government by elders and a long history of education and biblical scholarship. |
“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
- What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
- Free Will, Predestination, and Divine Sovereignty
- What Does the Bible Say About Worship?
- 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
- Baptism
- Catholic Church
- Eastern Orthodox Church
- What Does the Bible Say About Heaven?
- What Does the Bible Say About Hell?
- What Does the Bible Say About Judgment Day?
- Sabbath
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