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Appreciated, GreekOrthodox. I actually already have a copy of the Lutheran Confessions published by Concordia, which includes both the small and large catechisms. I'll look into a Lutheran hymnal and may try thet catch the pastor at the parish here one day when I have the time.

Christ requires it of us. It was one of His first commandments to what would become the Church, and it identifies us with His death, burial, and resurrection. If you're asking if it's a means by which Christ saves us, I'm currently studying this myself, but many of the early Christians believed...

If Christ hadn't died, we would all be lost. God could not claim to be righteousness if He wasn't just, if He didn't punish sin. As such, He gave us the Law, an opportunity to show that we could be righteous and not require punishment for our sin. But the Law served only to condemn because we...

Can someone tell me why the gift of tongues is so focused upon in charismatic groups, when Paul goes into detail explaining that God gives to different people different gifts, and he even asks rhetorically "Not all speak in tongues, do they?". When I quoted this to a Pentecostal friend of mine...

So, let me preface this by saying that I'm still a young Christian (saved roughly a year ago), so I'm anything but an expert on theology. But simply through exploring different sources in this short time, and doing my daily Bible reading, I'm becoming somewhat convinced that Confessional...

If you mean a church that is traditional on moral issues, traditional in music, and traditional in overall layout, yes.

If you read the Old Testament, and at times the New Testament as well, you see a lot of weeping over the lost, over sin, etc. This is a subject I haven't heard commented on much from my own pastors, though my current pastor weeps much, but in listening to pastors online I've heard them treat...

Growing up I didn't hear much about the Creeds. I learned about them myself, and then ironically the first time I heard them mentioned in the Pulpit was attending my current church, which is Independent Baptist (Picture an Independent Baptist pastor reciting a creed. I was shocked, too, but in a...

Unfortunately you'll find hostility on both sides among laity.

To add, doesn't the New Testament advise Christians to be "full of grace"?

Believe it or not I thought so as well, but I realized a problem with that. Leviticus 12 outlines the offering for purification after childbirth as being only one pigeon/turtledove, and a lamb. The sin offering is two turtledoves, as Mary offered. Edit: Nevermind, I just reread the prescription...

Thanks for the answers, guys! These really help me understand it better. The Catholic I was speaking with actually covered their perception of it by saying Mary was almost equal with Christ, which is a huge problem for anyone I think. I'm glad to see that the doctrine as taught by the actual...

For those that don't know what the Immaculate Conception is, it's a Catholic doctrine that Mary was conceived, born, and lived a sinless life. Ignoring the implications this has for whether or not Christ's work was actually necessary, I wonder why Catholics now see this as essential dogma. I...

In regards to the discussion on the first page; Jonaitis raises a good point, that not all Baptists interpret Baptism as a mere symbol. And Baptist and Reformed isn't contradictory, either... There's a longstanding tradition of Reformed Baptists. Baptist theology cares more about the method of...

I agree, honestly. I like that Baptists practice immersion, which mirrors Christ's baptism, but I agree that we've forgotten what Baptism stands for. I don't think it's a problem with Baptists by virtue of being Baptists, there are some who believe in baptismal regeneration, but not many. I...

Noone being holy isn't a Protestant thing, it's a Christian thing. Christ got the Apostles to confess His divinity by saying "Why do you call me good when noone is good except the Father?" by this we do not mean there haven't been wonderful saints who have lived wonderfully close to Christ's...

It's called the Reformation because of Luther's original intention. He never wanted to leave the Roman church outright, he merely wanted it to adopt the faith alone through grace alone approach and purge itself of the corruption in the church government, like how the church was selling...

In the eyes of God, no. Christ has justified us and imputed His righteousness us in the Father's eyes. However in the sense that we have, in our flesh, committed actions contrary to God's commandments, absolutely.

I general, peace and a subtle happiness. Of course, I don't have this feeling so much over having the Holy Spirit as feeling the Holy Spirit is content with me. When I feel I have sinned, I feel very uncomfortable with the thought of the Holy Spirit being in me until I repent.

I lift my hands in private sometimes, but not in church as I'm kind of awkward in public. Plenty of other people do it though, and I think it's fine. Raising hands isn't even half of what David did in worship, he danced and everything else, and God was pleased with him. I think raising hands is...