Lutheranism

====Baptism====
[[Image:LutheranBaptism.JPG|thumb|Lutherans practice [[infant baptism]].|alt=]]
Lutherans hold that [[Luther's Small Catechism#IV. THE SACRAMENT OF HOLY BAPTISM,|Baptism]] is a saving work of God,<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Pet.%203:21;&version=49; 1 Pet. 3:21], Mueller, J.T., ''Christian Dogmatics''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. pp. 491–496, section "The Doctrine of Baptism", part 4. "Baptism a True Means of Grace", and Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 87, Part XXIII. "Baptism", paragraph 118.</ref> mandated and instituted by Jesus Christ.<ref>Martin Luther, ''Small Catechism'' [http://www.projectwittenberg.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/luther/little.book/book-4.txt 4]</ref> Baptism is a "[[Means of Grace#Lutheran theology|means of grace]]" through which God creates and strengthens "saving faith" as the "washing of regeneration"<ref>{{bibleverse||Titus|3:5|KJV}}</ref> in which infants and adults are reborn.<ref>{{bibleverse||John|3:3–7|KJV}}</ref> Since the creation of faith is exclusively God's work, it does not depend on the actions of the one baptized, whether infant or adult. Even though baptized infants cannot articulate that faith, Lutherans believe that it is present all the same.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2607 |title=Baptism and Its Purpose |publisher=[[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] |access-date=24 February 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206220443/http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=2607 |archive-date=6 February 2009 }}</ref>

It is faith alone that receives these divine gifts, so Lutherans confess that baptism "works forgiveness of sins, delivers from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare".<ref>{{cite book |first=Martin |last=Luther |author-link=Martin Luther |chapter=The Sacrament of Holy Baptism |chapter-url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.html#baptism |title=Luther's Small Catechism |year=2009 |orig-year=1529 |isbn=978-0-89279-043-2 |title-link=Luther's Small Catechism |publisher=Evangelical Lutheran Synod |access-date=10 March 2009 |archive-date=20 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080920070231/http://www.bookofconcord.org/smallcatechism.html#baptism |url-status=dead }}</ref> Lutherans hold fast to the Scripture cited in 1 Peter 3:21, "Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ."<ref>1 Peter 3:21</ref> Therefore, Lutherans administer Baptism to both infants<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mat.%2019:14;&version=31; Mat. 19:14], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Act%202:38-39;&version=47; Acts 2:38–39], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 90, Part XXIII. "Baptism", paragraph 122.</ref> and adults.<ref>[http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Cor.%201:14;&version=31; 1 Cor. 1:14], Engelder, T.E.W., ''[https://archive.org/details/MN41551ucmf_1 Popular Symbolics]''. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934. p. 90, Part XXIII. "Baptism", paragraph 122.</ref> In the special section on [[infant baptism]] in his ''Large Catechism'', Luther argues that infant baptism is God-pleasing because persons so baptized were reborn and [[Sanctification#Lutheranism|sanctified]] by the Holy Spirit.<ref>{{cite book |first=Martin |last=Luther |author-link=Martin Luther |chapter=Of Infant Baptism |chapter-url=http://www.bookofconcord.org/largecatechism/6_baptism.html |year=2009 |orig-year=1529 |title=Luther's Large Catechism |isbn=978-1-4264-3861-5 |title-link=Luther's Large Catechism |access-date=10 March 2009 |archive-date=13 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080613061118/http://bookofconcord.org/largecatechism/6_baptism.html |url-status=dead }}[http://bookofconcord.org/lc-6-baptism.php#para6 Luther's Large Catechism – Holy Baptism] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223161712/http://www.bookofconcord.org/lc-6-baptism.php#para6 |date=23 February 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://bookofconcord.org/augsburgconfession.php#article9.1|title=Augsburg Confession – Book of Concord|access-date=5 March 2015}}</ref>