By Brady Finnern
A pastor once told me, “Interpreting the Bible through the Book of Concord is like the first time you put glasses on as a child: Oh, I didn’t see that before!” Lutherans affirm the Book of Concord because it is in accord with the Word of God. It helps us to see the fullness of God’s grace in Christ throughout Scripture with clarity.
The last document in the Book of Concord, the Formula of Concord, is a treasure for us as Lutherans. After Luther’s death in 1546, the Lutheran reformers began infighting about theological topics like conversion, the real presence in the Sacrament, the necessity of good works and the third use of the Law. Yet the Lord worked through these controversies, by His Word, to help the church bring clarity to God’s people.
We invite you to join us in reading through the Formula of Concord (and related writings) in the coming year — just a few pages a week! Each 2025 print issue of LW will include an introduction to that month’s readings.
Read the Formula of Concord with us in 2025!
Note on the readings: There are two parts to the Formula of Concord. We will be primarily reading the Epitome (“Ep”), the first and shorter part. Page numbers refer to the Reader’s Edition of the Book of Concord (CPH 2006), but you can use the section and line numbers to follow along in any edition.
