The Three Ecumenical Creeds: A creed expresses what the church believes to be the truth of Scripture. The three of these ecumenical creeds—the Apostles’ Creed,
Nicene Creed, and Athanasian Creed
The Augsburg Confession: The Augsburg Confession (Confessio Augustana in Latin) is one of the most important documents to come out of the Reformation. It is also the foremost confession of faith for the Lutheran Church.
The Small Catechism: The Small Catechism has served as the basic instruction book for the church bearing the name of the great Reformer, Martin Luther. Its staying power goes beyond love for tradition. The Catechism directs us to clear passages from God’s Word. It distinguishes carefully between the two chief teachings of the Bible: the Law and the Gospel. It also points to the only source for spiritual life, the Means of Grace: the Word and Sacraments.
The Book of Concord: The Christian Book of Concord contains documents in which Christians from the fourth to the 16th century A.D. explained what they believed and taught on the basis of the Holy Scriptures.
What We Believe, Teach & Confess: ELS Doctrinal statements are useful because they organize particular teachings of the Bible and assist in teaching those timeless truths of God’s Word. As Lutherans, we subscribe to the Lutheran Confessions contained in the Book of Concord originally published in 1580, because they are a correct exposition of Scripture.