Ask the Pastor: Non-proverbial proverbs and Lutherans compared to Baptists
by the Rev. Walter Snyder
Religion Columnist
     Q: What Bible verse says "Cleanliness is next to Godliness"?
     A: This is a "folk proverb," not a Biblical proverb. While cleanliness and Godliness both occur
throughout the pages of Scripture, they are never paired. I think it may have been invented by
someone's mother, trying to get her children to stop wallowing in the mud.
     There are other examples of folk proverbs being thought of as part of Scripture. Probably the
most common is the thinking of many people that, "God helps those who help themselves." This is
not only non-Biblical, it is anti-Biblical in its fullest expression. Scripture instead tells us that God
helps the helpless. Those who think that they are able to help themselves in matters of faith and
salvation are speaking the same language as did many of the Pharisees in Jesus' time.
     Q: Could you compare Lutheran beliefs to Baptist beliefs?
     A: This is something that I can only do in part. It is not only because I am more familiar with
Lutheran teaching than with Baptist, but also because there are many varieties of teaching which are
included under the heading of Baptist. Without going into great detail, these generally fall into one of
two camps. One follows the general teachings of Arminius and is essentially "freewill" Baptist. The
other party echoes the teachings of Calvin and is generally double-predestinarian. However, since
Baptist affiliation is so strongly voluntary, what might be a generality for a group is not always specific
for an individual congregation or Baptist churchgoer.
     There are also factions and differences among many Lutherans. With both Lutherans and
Baptists, the differences within the two groups may be almost as numerous as are the differences
between the two groups. Since I'm in The Lutheran Church---Missouri Synod, my answers are from
our understanding of the Church and Christian doctrine.
     A few differences are quite pronounced. Lutherans are sacramental. Thus, we believe in
baptismal regeneration and practice infant baptism, rather than the "believer's baptism" normally
used by Baptists. We believe that the forgiveness of sins pronounced by our pastors in Christ's stead is
as valid and certain as if Christ himself stood speaking the words. We also believe that the very body
and blood of Christ are really present under bread and wine in Holy Communion.
     As a rule, we are liturgical. We tend to follow the ancient liturgies (orders of service) of the
Christian Church, shaped from its earliest days and rooted even in Old Testament worship.
     We preach (and try to practice) the freedom of the Gospel, rather than emphasizing rules.
We believe it is not possible without faith to truly obey God, and that no works, no matter how
good, have any impact upon our salvation. Thus, we tend to not say, "Thou shalt not," do something
unless the Bible says, "Thou shalt not," and unless we can see clearly that the prohibition is valid
under the New Testament and not only part of the Old Covenant.
     We do not teach any form of "once saved, always saved." Instead, we heed the warnings in
Scripture that speak of the risk of losing our faith and being lost eternally.
     Our pastors are trained and certified by our church and are normally called to "full time"
positions. We are not usually involved in other work in order to feed ourselves and our families but
are free for whatever spiritual needs our members have that need our attention. We believe that God
calls pastors through action of his church in order to forgive sins and that when they speak God's
Word of forgiveness to penitent sinners, it is as valid and certain as if Christ himself were speaking.
     To Ask the Pastor, please write Ask the Pastor, PO Box 12, Emma, MO, 65327 or send
email to askthepastor@aol.com. I look forward to hearing from you.
     Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of
the book "What Do Lutherans Believe."