GENERAL
    HISTORY
 The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod traces its origin to 750 Saxon immigrants who came to Missouri   in 1839 seeking freedom from religious rationalism in Germany. Under the leadership of a young pastor   named C. F.W. Walther, these German immigrants joined together with 12 pastors representing 15   congregations signed a constitution that established "The German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of   Missouri, Ohio and Other States."

 They were men of faith and conviction. Some were German immigrants who had come to the United   States to preserve their Lutheran confession of the faith, free from government intervention. They were   stirred for mission, especially to reach German immigrants, and, for some, the desire to bring the Gospel   to Native Americans.

 The first convention of the new synod was held in Chicago on April 25-May 6, 1847.

 The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, which remained largely German in its make-up and even in   language until the end of the First World War, grew dramatically during the latter part of the 19th and the  first half of the 20th centuries.

 Following a decade of soul-searching and controversy that resulted in the walkout of most faculty   members and students from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis and the eventual departure of slightly more   than 100,000 members (who formed the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches) in the early   1970s, the LCMS has reclaimed its historic confessional stance on the doctrine of the authority of Holy   Scripture as the inspired and inerrant Word of God.

    MEMBERSHIP
 2.6 million members in 6,145 congregations. (423 per congregation)

 According to 1994 statistics, the third largest grouping of Christians in the world is Lutheran, which as   of 1993 numbers 58.5 million  or 3 percent of the Christian population.

 The world's 59 million Lutherans belong to 250 different autonomous Lutheran churches around the   world. Not surprisingly, the largest numbers of Lutherans are to be found in Germany, the place where   the Lutheran tradition made its beginning during the early part of the 16th century. There are 14.7 million  Lutherans in Germany in 15 church bodies, 8.7 million in North America, 7.6 in Sweden, 4.6 in Finland,   4.5 in Denmark, 3.9 in Norway, and 2.4 million in Indonesia. There are 6.2 million Lutherans in Africa,   the place where the Lutheran Church is growing most rapidly today, and 4.6 million Lutherans in Asia.

 The 8.7 million Lutherans in North America belong to 21 different Lutheran bodies. The largest of these   at 5.2 million is the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church--Missouri   Synod, LCMS, which with 2,615,567 baptized members ranks as the second largest Lutheran church   body in North America and the 11th largest denomination in the USA. The Wisconsin Evangelical   Lutheran Synod (WELS) has 421,189 members and is the third largest Lutheran Church in the USA.

 The LCMS has congregations in all sections of the United States, but the heaviest concentration of its   membership continues to lie in the Midwest

    EDUCATION
 The Synod has 10 colleges, two seminaries, 62 high schools and the nation's largest Protestant elementary  school system with 1,786 elementary schools and preschools.
(What does their emphasis on children say about the priorities in their work?)

    CLERGY
 Congregations and schools are served by 8,389 pastors, 9,951 parochial school teachers and numerous   other full-time workers.

 While the Synod holds that the ordination of women to the office of pastor is contrary to the Scriptures,   approximately 45 percent of its full-time professional church workers are women.

    PUBLICATIONS
 Concordia Publishing House, whose Arch Book Series for children has sold more than 55 million copies,   is the nation's fourth-largest Protestant publisher.

 A pioneer in radio and television work, the Synod operates the world's oldest religious radio station,   KFUO, headquartered in St. Louis, Mo. Its program, "The Lutheran Hour," produced by the Synod's   International Lutheran Layman's League, has been aired in North America since 1930, and Lutheran Hour  programs are broadcast each week into more than 110 nations. Hispanic language broadcasts reach out to  this fastest-growing minority.

    MISSIONS
 The Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML), which came into being in 1942, serves as the   Synod's auxiliary for women and has been a leader in supporting missionary outreach in many areas.

 The Synod has a long history of reaching out to others. Black ministry, for example, has been a solid part   of the Synod for more than 100 years. In fact, most African Americans who are Lutheran are members of   the LCMS.

    ASSOCIATIONS
 It is a member of the International Lutheran Council, but it does not belong to the Lutheran World   Federation, to the National Council of Churches or to the World Council of Churches.

 Is in constant dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church to find a way to reunite with them.

    MISC.
 The word "Synod" in The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod comes from the Greek words that mean   "walking together." It has rich meaning in our church body, because the congregations voluntarily choose  to belong to the Synod. Diverse in their service, these congregations hold to a shared confession of Jesus   Christ as taught in Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.

DOCTRINE
    General
  The LCMS holds a strong pro-life position and supports efforts calling for constitutional protection of all  human life, including the unborn.

 With respect to the end of life, the LCMS believes that the Scriptures teach that Christians are always to   care for the dying, but never to aim to kill them. Therefore the LCMS strongly opposes euthanasia, but   also believes that when the body's ability to sustain itself is no longer possible, and when doctors   conclude that there is no hope for recovery, Christians may in good conscience forego the use of life   support systems.

 While rejecting homosexual behavior as contrary to God's will, the LCMS has also called for the   development of a plan for ministry to homosexuals and their families.

 Being "Lutheran," their congregations accept and teach Bible-based teachings of Martin Luther that   inspired the reformation of the Christian Church in the 16th century.  They are "confessional." in that they  hold to the Lutheran Confessions as the correct interpretation and presentation of Biblical doctrine. These  confessions of faith are contained in The Book of Concord.
What do you think about the use of the word 'correct'? Can any one denomination claim this?

 The teaching of Luther and the reformers can be summarized in three short phrases: Grace alone, Scripture alone, Faith alone.

Grace alone :  God loves the people of the world, even though they are sinful, rebel against Him   and do not deserve His love. He sent Jesus, His Son, to love the unlovable and  save the ungodly.

  Scripture alone : The Bible is God's inerrant and infallible Word, in which He reveals His Law and His Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ. It is the sole rule and norm for Christian doctrine.

  Faith alone :By His suffering and death as the substitute for all people of all time, Jesus purchased and won forgiveness and eternal life for them. Those who hear this Good News and believe it have the eternal life that it offers. God creates faith in Christ and gives people forgiveness through Him. When you hear or read terms like 'for all people' in reference to substitution and salvation what doctrine comes to mind?  (unlimited atonement)

 Reject the doctrine of Eternal Security of the Believer. The Christian can give up his right standing before God. When asked about this the LCMS pastor said 'We have many things in life that are given to us that we give up.' This is not an adequate answer to all the scripture which tells us that we are sealed/secure in our salvation. (We are sons and daughters of God. In our own biological  families we are united by blood, in the family of God we too are united by blood, the blood of JC. We can never stop being in the family of God.)

Short statement of faith

1. Strongly in the Word so that:
 •We believe personally the good news of the forgiveness of our sin through the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ and joyfully apply this Gospel message to our daily life.

 •The study of the Holy Scriptures is a high priority for us personally, for our families, for our congregations, for our districts and for our Synod

2. People sensitive and Christ centered so that:
 •We reflect the love of Christ in our lives as we care and show concern for those around us.

 •In response to the Gospel, our congregations extend care and compassion to hurting people, caring for their spiritual needs and for their physical needs

 •Our congregations are sensitive to the diversity of cultures and the variety of needs among their own membership and among the unchurched in their communities.

3. Reaching out boldly with the Gospel so that:
 •More people in our communities, our nation and throughout the world are drawn by the Holy Spirit tobelieve that Jesus Christ, God's Son, is their only savior from sin and their only hope for eternal life with God.

Notice anything wording here that was not in the ELCA statement? (It is personal in nature)

 •Our congregations reach out boldly with the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their communities, inviting others into their midst in order to receive the grace of God through Word and Sacrament.

 What is this saying about how salvation is appropriated? (This is talking about a physical way of receiving the grace of God thru the rites of baptism and communion. It seems Luther had something to say about the imposition of rites and salvation. Paul in Romans 3 said external rites are not a means to salvation. this is part of what confuses me about Lutheran doctrine.)

  •Our congregations and districts work together to bring the Gospel message to more and more people    throughout the United States across a wide variety of cultures.

What does this say about missions?

4. Faithful to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions so that:
 •We prize highly that which we as an Evangelical Lutheran church believe, teach and confess

 •We provide a bold witness to our Scriptural and Confessional faith, in both word and deed.

 •Our congregations are genuinely Gospel-centered, Word and Sacrament based, communities of faith.

5. Marked by peace and unity so that:
 •We build and strengthen the bond of peace and unity among us and by the grace of God overcome  divisions, acknowledge legitimate differences and eliminate roadblocks to the work of the Holy Spirit

 .•We as families, congregations, districts and as a Synod joyfully trust and support one another in our    common mission and ministry.

Generally speaking, What do you think so far? Are they truly Evangelical? Are the fundamentalist?

    Specific
 Adapted from A Week in the Life of The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, copyright 1996, Concordia   Publishing House.

Of the Holy Scriptures
 1. We teach that the Holy Scriptures differ from all other books in the world in that they are the Word of  God. They are the Word of God because the holy men of God who wrote the Scriptures wrote only that which the Holy Ghost communicated to them by inspiration, 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21. Since the Holy Scriptures are the Word of God, it goes without saying that they contain no errors or  contradictions, but that they are in all their parts and words the infallible truth, also in those parts  which treat of historical, geographical, and other secular matters, John 10:35.

What is their position on the authority of the Bible? (It is the word of God and inerrant, infallible)

 2. We furthermore teach regarding the Holy Scriptures that they are given by God to the Christian Church for the foundation of faith, Eph. 2:20. Hence the Holy Scriptures are the sole source from which all doctrines proclaimed in the Christian Church must be taken and therefore, too, the sole rule and norm by which all teachers and doctrines must be examined and judged.

 3. We reject the doctrine which under the name of science has gained wide popularity in the Church of  our day that Holy Scripture is not in all its parts the Word of God, but in part the Word of God and in  part the word of man and hence does, or at least, might contain error.

Of God
 1. On the basis of the Holy Scriptures we teach the Holy Trinity; that is, we teach that the one true God, Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4, is the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, three distinct persons, but of one and the same divine essence, equal in power, equal in eternity, equal in majesty, because each person possesses the one divine essence entire, Col. 2:9, Matt. 28:19.

     We hold that all teachers and communions that deny the doctrine of the Holy Trinity are outside the  pale of the Christian Church. The Triune God is the God who is gracious to man, John 3:16-18, 1 Cor. 12:3. Since the Fall, no man can believe in the "fatherhood" of God except he believe in the eternal Son  of God, who became man and reconciled us to God by His vicarious satisfaction, 1 John 2:23; John  14:6. Hence we warn against Unitarianism.

They say what is necessary for reconciliation with God? (Belief in God and His Son, JC)

Of Creation
 1. We teach that God has created heaven and earth, and that in the manner and in the space of time recorded in the Holy Scriptures, especially Gen. 1 and 2, namely, by His almighty creative word, and in six days. We reject every doctrine which denies or limits the work of creation as taught in Scripture. We accept God's own record with full confidence and confess with Luther's Catechism: "I believe that God has made me and all creatures."

Of Man and Sin
 1. We teach that the first man was not brutelike nor merely capable of intellectual development, but that God created man in His own image, Gen. 1:26, 27; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10, that is, in true knowledge of  God and in true righteousness and holiness and endowed with a truly scientific knowledge of nature, Gen. 2:19-23.

 2. We furthermore teach that sin came into the world by the fall of the first man, as described in  Gen. 3. By this Fall not only he himself, but also his natural offspring have lost the original knowledge, righteousness, and holiness, and thus all men are sinners already by birth, dead in sins, inclined to all evil, and subject to the wrath of God, Rom. 5:12, 18; Eph. 2:1-3. We teach also that men are unable, through any efforts of their own or by the aid of "culture and science," to reconcile themselves to God  and thus conquer death and damnation.

What type of headship of Christ do they believe? (Seminal as coming from the seed of Adam)

Of Redemption
 1. We teach that in the fullness of time the eternal Son of God was made through the operation of the  Holy Ghost, a human nature like unto ours, yet without sin, and receiving it unto His divine person. Jesus Christ is therefore "true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary," true God and true man in one undivided and indivisible person. The purpose of this  miraculous incarnation of the Son of God was that He might become the Mediator between God and  men, both fulfilling the divine Law and suffering and dying in the place of mankind.  In this manner God reconciled the whole sinful world unto Himself, Gal. 4:4, 5; 3:13; 2 Cor. 5:18, 19.

 Has God really reconciled the whole world to Himself?
 If this is true, what are the implications for man?
 If this is true and since we know that not all mankind is saved, what does this imply about God?

(No, God has not reconciled the whole world to Himself. If that were true than all would be saved 'universalism' since we are all now friends of God, that is what reconciled means. If this is true it means that God has failed and He ceases to be God.

 When the Bible says all, every, everyone or world what does it mean?

 All references in the Bible to all, every, world are not always specific to each and every person w/o disctinction.  Scripture often uses terms that are universal in form but can not  be interpreted as meaning 'all men' inclusively as 'everyone'. The phrase 'all men'   does not always mean everyone in the human race. (Murray) Often  'the world' is the world of the Elect.

READ: Romans 5:18 'So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men'

 The 'all men' in the first part of the text refers to who?  (everyone, it is inclusive.)
However, if we take the second 'all men' to be inclusive what would it be saying?  ( it would be saying that all men are justified.)

 Is that possible? (No.  Taken in it's normal sense, the second 'all men' is exclusive, particular.)

READ: 1 Corinthians 6:12 ' All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All  things are lawful     for me, but I will not be mastered by anything'

 Is Paul saying here that all things are lawful? (No, is murder lawful, rape, adultery...)
 Does that mean he can transgress the Law and it would be lawful?
 Can he blaspheme the Holy Spirit and that too would be lawful?     (May it never be! )

READ: Hebrews 2:9' But we do see Him who has been made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone'

 Of whom is the author speaking?

  -The many sons to be brought to glory (vs. 10)
  -The sanctified who with the sacrifice are all one. (vs. 11)
  -Those who are called brothers in Christ. (vs. 12)
  -The children which God had given to Him. (vs, 13)

 This is the context of this verse. Christ tasted death for every son to be brought to glory and for all the children whom God had given to Christ. There is no indication from the text (context) that the author meant 'everyone' as inclusive of all mankind. (Murray)

 What does all this mean about words such as All, Every, Everyone, World?

 (What this shows is that we can not quote a few verses with the words 'all', 'every' or 'world' in them and state that they are always to be taken in a universal sense. These are a few example of an exclusive sense to the words.)

Of Faith in Christ
 1. Since God has reconciled the whole world unto Himself through the vicarious life and death of His Son  and has commanded that the reconciliation effected by Christ be proclaimed to men in the Gospel, to  the end that they may believe it, 2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Rom. 1:5, therefore faith in Christ is the only way for  men to obtain personal reconciliation with God, that is, forgiveness of sins, as both the Old and the New Testament Scriptures testify, Acts 10:43; John 3:16-18, 36. By this faith in Christ, through which   men obtain the forgiveness of sins, is not meant any human effort to fulfill the Law of God after the       example of Christ, but faith in the Gospel, that is, in the forgiveness of sins, or justification, which was  fully earned for us by Christ and is offered by the Gospel. This faith justifies, not inasmuch as it is a  work of man, but inasmuch as it lays hold of the grace offered, the forgiveness of sins, Rom. 4:16.

What must we have to receive the forgiveness of sins? (Faith in the Gospel)
READ: Rom. 10:14

What is necessary for salvation?  (Faith through hearing the Gospel)
Can infants have this kind of faith? (No)

Of Conversion
 1. We teach that conversion consists in this, that a man, having learned from the Law of God that he is a  lost and condemned sinner, is brought to faith in the Gospel, which offers him forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation for the sake of Christ's vicarious satisfaction, Acts 11:21; Luke 24:46, 47; Acts 26:18.

 2. All men, since the Fall, are dead in sins, Eph. 2:1-3, and inclined only to evil, Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Rom. 8:7. For this reason, and particularly because men regard the Gospel of Christ, crucified for the sins of the  world, as foolishness, 1 Cor. 2:14, faith in the Gospel, or conversion to God, is neither wholly nor in  the least part the work of man, but the work of God's grace and almighty power alone, Phil. 1:29; Eph. 2:8; 1:19; -- Jer. 31:18. Hence Scripture call the faith of men, or his conversion, a raising from the dead, Eph. 1:20; Col. 2:12, a being born of God, John 1:12, 13, a new birth by the Gospel, 1 Pet,       1:23-25, a work of God like the creation of light at the creation of the world, 2 Cor. 4:6.

 3. We reject also the doctrine that man is able to decide for conversion through "powers imparted by  grace," since this doctrine presupposes that before conversion man still possesses spiritual powers by  which he can make the right use of such "powers imparted by grace."

Do they believe in Irresistible Grace? (No)

 4. On the other hand, we reject also the Calvinistic perversion of the doctrine of conversion, that is, the doctrine that God does not desire to convert and save all hearers of the Word, but only a portion of  them. Many hearers of the Word indeed remain unconverted and are not saved, not because God does not earnestly desire their conversion and salvation, but solely because they stubbornly resist the gracious operation of the Holy Ghost, as Scripture teaches, Acts 7:51; Matt. 23:37; Acts 13:46.

What do you think about this?
Can we 'frustrate' God's purposes? (no)
If we can, what is the implication about God? (He is not sovereign)

 5. As to the question why not all men are converted and saved, seeing that God's grace is universal and all men are equally and utterly corrupt, we confess that we cannot answer it. From Scripture we know  only this: A man owes his conversion and salvation, not to any lesser guilt or better conduct on his part, but solely to the grace of God. But any man's non-conversion is due to himself alone; it is the result of his obstinate resistance against the converting operation of the Holy Ghost. Hos. 13:9.

Of Justification
 1. Holy Scripture sums up all its teachings regarding the love of God to the world of sinners, regarding  the salvation wrought by Christ, and regarding faith in Christ as the only way to obtain salvation, in the article of justification. Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 4:25. "Therefore we  conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law," Rom. 3:28.

READ: Rom. 5:19;  2 Cor. 5:18-21, Rom. 4:24  What is the context? To whom is Paul speaking?  (Believers)

 2. We reject as apostasy from the Christian religion not only the doctrine of the Unitarians, who promise  the grace of God to men on the basis of their moral efforts; not only the gross work-doctrine of the papists, who expressly teach that good works are necessary to obtain justification.

Of the Means of Grace
 1. Although God is present and operates everywhere throughout all creation and the whole earth is  therefore full of the temporal bounties and blessings of God, Col. 1:17; Acts 17:28; 14:17, still we hold with Scripture that God offers and communicates to men the spiritual blessings purchased by Christ,  namely, the forgiveness of sins and the treasures and gifts connected therewith, only through the external means of grace ordained by Him. These means of grace are the Word of the Gospel, in every  form in which it is brought to man, and the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and of the Lord's Supper.

     The Word of the gospel promises and applies the grace of God, works faith and thus regenerates man,  and gives the Holy Ghost, Acts 20:24; Rom. 10:17; 1 Pet. 1:23; Gal. 3:2.

     Baptism, too, is applied for the remission of sins and is therefore a washing of regeneration and  renewing of the Holy Ghost, Acts 2:38; 22:16; Titus 3:5.

  Salvation is by Faith and forgiveness of sins is appropriated  (given) thru baptism. Infants can have this faith since it is a free gift. If we have to accept it as adults then it is a work.

(Basically, everyone who is baptized as an infant with the LCMS understanding of it, is saved, part of the Elect)

 (When asked about Rom. 10:9-10 and the need for PERSONAL belief and confession to be saved. The LCMS pastor responded 'We do not take this literally. It is a development in the life of the one baptized. He/she will one day get to the point where they can say that.  He also said that if we take that literally, then no mentally challenged or dumb  individual could ever be saved because he/she could never say the formula'. This is one time where it would behoove the LCMS to reread their doctrine of Scripture. This is literal and was meant to be taken literally. That is evident from the context. This text is a problem for those who espouse infant baptism.)

     Likewise the object of the Lord's Supper, that is, of the ministration of the real body and blood of  Christ, is none other than the communication and sealing of the forgiveness of sins, as the words  declare: "Given  for you," and: "Shed for you for the remission of sins," Luke 22:19, 20; Matt. 26:28.

 2. Since it is only through the external means ordained by Him that God has promised to communicate  the grace and salvation purchased by Christ, the Christian Church must not remain at home with the means of grace entrusted to it, but go into the whole world with the preaching of the Gospel and the administration of the Sacraments, Matt. 28:19, 20; Mark 16:15, 16.

Where is the HS in all of this? Is He associated with the Grace of God at all?

Of the Church
 1. We believe that there is one holy Christian Church on earth, the Head of which is Christ and which is gathered, preserved, and governed by Christ through the Gospel.

     The members of the Christian Church are the Christians, that is, all those who have despaired of their own righteousness before God and believe that God forgives their sins for Christ's sake. The Christian Church, in the proper sense of the term, is composed of believers only, Acts 5:14; 26:18; which means  that no person in whom the Holy Ghost has wrought faith in the Gospel, can be divested of his membership in the Christian Church; and, on the other hand, that no person in whose heart this faith  does not dwell can be invested with such membership.

What are they sating about salvation here and membership in the Church? (It can not be taken away)
Didn't they say earlier that they didn't hold to Eternal Security?

 (The way one leaves or is divested of the Church/Salvation is through willful choice. But since we did nothing to enter the Church, except be baptized as a baby, then can we or should we be able to get out of it on our own? There seems to be an inconsistency in the flow of their doctrine of Salvation.)

 2. The officers of the Church publicly administer their offices only by virtue of delegated powers, and  such administration remains under the supervision of the latter, Col. 4:17. Naturally all Christians have also the right and the duty to judge and decide matters of doctrine, not according to their own notions, of course, but according to the Word of God, 1 John 4:1; 1 Pet. 4:11.

Of the Election of Grace
 1. By the election of grace we mean this truth, that all those who by the grace of God alone, for Christ's  sake, through the means of grace, are brought to faith, are justified, sanctified, and preserved in faith here in time, that all these have already from eternity been endowed by God with faith, justification,  sanctification, and preservation in faith, and this for the same reason, namely, by grace alone, for Christ's sake, and by way of the means of grace. That this is the doctrine of the Holy Scripture is evident from Eph. 1:3-7; 2 Thess. 2:13, 14; Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:28-30; 2 Tim. 1:9; Matt. 24:22-24

 2.  But as earnestly as we maintain that there is an election of grace, or a predestination to salvation, so decidedly do we teach, on the other hand, that there is no election of wrath, or predestination to damnation. Scripture plainly reveals the truth that the love of God for the world of lost sinners is  universal, that is, that it embraces all men without exception, that Christ has fully reconciled all men  unto God, and that God earnestly desires to bring all men to faith, to preserve them therein, and thus to      save them, as Scripture testifies, 1 Tim. 2:4: "God will have all men to be saved and to come to the  knowledge of the truth.

 3. Christians can and should be assured of their eternal election. This is evident from the fact that Scripture addresses them as the chosen ones and comforts them with their election, Eph. 1:4; 2 Thess.2:13.

How can they be assured if they can choose to leave the Church and give up Salvation?
Does this make sense to you?

Of the Millennium
 1. With the Augsburg Confession (Art. XVII) we reject every type of millennialism, the opinions that  Christ will return visibly to this earth a thousand years before the end of the world and establish a dominion of the Church over the world; or that before the end of the world the Church is to enjoy a  season of special prosperity; or that before a general resurrection on Judgment Day a number of  departed Christians or martyrs are to be raised again to reign in glory in this world; or that before the  end of the world a universal conversion of the Jewish nation (of Israel according to the flesh) will take place.

     Over against this, Scripture clearly teaches, and we teach accordingly, that the kingdom of Christ on earth will remain under the cross until the end of the world, Act 14:22; John 16:33; 18:36; Luke 9:23; 14:27; 17:20-37; 2 Tim. 4:18; Heb. 12:28; Luke 18:8; that the second visible coming of the Lord will be His final advent, His coming to judge the quick and the dead, Matt. 24:29, 30; 25:31; 2 Tim. 4:1; 2  Thess. 2:8; Heb. 9:26-28; that there will be but one resurrection of the dead, John 5:28; 6:39, 40; that  the time of the Last Day is, and will remain, unknown, Matt. 24:42; 25:13; Mark 13:32, 37; Acts 1:7,  which would not be the case if the Last Day were to come a thousand years after the beginning of a  millennium; and that there will be no general conversion, a conversion en masse, of the Jewish nation, Rom. 11:7; 2 Cor. 3:14; Rom. 11:25; 1 Thess. 2:16.

Of the Antichrist
 1. As to the Antichrist we teach that the prophecies of the Holy Scriptures concerning the Antichrist, 2  Thess. 2:3-12; 1 John 2:18, have been fulfilled in the Pope of Rome and his dominion. All the features  of the Antichrist as drawn in these prophecies, including the most abominable and horrible ones, for  example, 1) that the Antichrist "as God sitteth in the temple of God," 2 Thess. 2:4 2)that he anathematizes  the very heart of the Gospel of Christ, that is, the doctrine of the forgiveness of sins by       grace alone, for Christ's sake alone, through faith alone, without any merit or worthiness in man (Rom.3:20-28; Gal. 2:16); 3) that he recognizes only those as members of the Christian Church who bow to  his authority; 4) and that, like a deluge, he had inundated the whole Church with his antichristian  doctrines till God revealed him through the Reformation -- these very features are the outstanding  characteristics of the Papacy.

WORSHIP
 In 1982 the Synod published a new hymnal, Lutheran Worship.
 Similar in many ways to the ELCA and even more similar to the Catholic Church.
 Communion is closed except to those who believe in consubstantiation and that there is literal forgiveness  of sin in the partaking of the sacrament. It is a means of grace. Communion is every Sunday
(The pastor of the LCMS church said that you can do church w/o communion)

GOVERNMENT
 Similar in many ways to the ELCA