I remember visiting my grandparents’ Lutheran church when I was young. It was in the countryside in Minnesota. The church was a small, white building with a tall steeple. Inside, the seats were simple. The main decoration was a large wooden cross. When the pastor read from the Bible, the words sounded very serious and grand. Years later, I went to a Lutheran church in a big city. The Bible verses read there sounded much newer and more like how we talk. This showed me that things can be different even in the same church group. It made me ask a question that many people have: what bible do lutherans use?
This question seems simple, but the answer is not just one book. Some church groups have one official Bible. But Lutherans use a few different ones. The choice often comes down to which Lutheran church group, or synod, they are in. The story behind these choices is a fun trip into the past. It goes back to Martin Luther and his new ideas about the Bible.
To find the real answer to “Are All Bibles the Same?, we need to do more than just name some Bibles. We need to see why Lutherans pick the Bibles they do. We will look at the past, see the main Lutheran groups in the USA, and learn how their beliefs guide their choice of Bible. This guide will give you a clear and full answer.
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What is the Lutheran Understanding of the Bible’s Authority?
Before we talk about which Bible is used, we have to see how Lutherans view the Bible. This is the base for everything else. A key part of the Lutheran Reformation was the idea of “Sola Scriptura.” This is Latin for “Scripture Alone.”
This means that Lutherans think the Bible is the only guide for what to believe and how to live. It is the final word. It is more important than any church tradition or leader. Martin Luther pushed for this idea. He wanted to help normal people get the Bible so they could read it for themselves.
But Lutherans see this idea in a special way. They do not think the Bible is just a book of rules where every line is the same. Instead, they think the whole point of the Bible is to show us Jesus Christ. For Lutherans, Jesus is the “Word of God” in person. The Bible is the “Word of God” in writing because it brings Jesus to us. This means when Lutherans read the Bible, they always look for what it says about Jesus and how he saves us. This way of reading that focuses on Jesus is key to how they see the Bible.
What Bible Did Martin Luther Himself Use and Create?
To understand why Lutherans make their choices now, we have to go back to the start. The work Martin Luther did with the Bible was a big change.
How Did Luther’s Translation Change the World?
In 1521, Luther was hiding in a castle. There, he started a huge job. He put the New Testament into German from the first Greek text. He did it in just eleven weeks. A few years later, he and a team of experts finished the whole Bible.
This was not the first German Bible. But it was the first one put into German from the first Greek and Hebrew texts, not from Latin. More than that, Luther’s Bible was written very well. He did not just swap words. He wanted normal people, like a mother at home or a worker in a shop, to be able to read and know God’s Word.
Luther’s Bible was a huge hit. It helped make the German language more the same for everyone. It became a big part of German life. For many years, this German Bible was the main Bible for Lutherans all over the world. When German people moved to the United States, they brought their German Bibles. For a long time, the answer to what bible do lutherans use was easy: the German one. You can learn more about this great work at museums like the Lutherhaus Eisenach.
In the USA Today, What Bible Do Lutherans Use?
When German families started to speak English, they needed English Bibles. Today in the USA, there are a few main Lutheran church groups, or synods. The Bible they use often shows their main beliefs.
What Bible do Lutherans use in the ELCA?
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is the biggest Lutheran group in the United States. For the ELCA, the main Bible used for church services is the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV).
The NRSV came out in 1989. It was an update to the well-liked Revised Standard Version (RSV). It is known as a Bible made by many smart people from many church groups.
A key part of the NRSV is its use of words that include both men and women. For example, some old Bibles might say “brothers.” But the first Greek word could mean “brothers and sisters.” The NRSV will often use a word that includes everyone. You may find other Bibles, like the NIV, in ELCA churches for Bible study. But the NRSV is the one they use for their main Sunday service. You can learn about the ELCA’s church resources on their site, ELCA.org.
What Bible do Lutherans use in the LCMS?
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) is the second-biggest Lutheran group in the USA. For many years, the LCMS used the King James Version. Later they used the Revised Standard Version. But not long ago, the main Bible for the LCMS became the English Standard Version (ESV).
The ESV came out in 2001. Like the NRSV, it is also a newer form of the RSV. But the ESV was made with a different idea. It tries to be more word-for-word. It also uses an older style of gender words. For example, it often keeps the word “man” or “brothers” when the NRSV might use a word that includes all people.
The LCMS picked the ESV because they think its word-for-word way is closer to how the old texts were written. The main book maker for the LCMS, Concordia Publishing House, makes many books using the ESV. For a long time, the answer to what bible do lutherans use in the LCMS was the NIV from 1984. It is still used a lot. But the ESV is now the main choice. You can see ESV books at CPH.org.
In WELS churches, what bible do lutherans use for worship?
The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is another large Lutheran group that holds to older ways. WELS does not have one main Bible that all its churches must use. For much of its past, the King James Version (KJV) was the top choice.
But in the last few years, many WELS churches have wanted newer Bibles. One popular choice has been the Christian Standard Bible (CSB). But an even newer and good thing has been the Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV).
The EHV is a Bible made by Lutheran experts. Many were from WELS and a sister church group. The goal was to make a Bible that was easy to read and true to the old texts. It was made by people who knew a lot about Lutheran beliefs. It is a real “Lutheran” Bible. Today, if you ask what bible do lutherans use in a WELS church, you will likely hear KJV, CSB, or the EHV, which is used more and more.
Do Lutheran Bibles Include the Apocrypha?
One interesting way Lutheran Bibles are different from other Protestant Bibles is a group of books called the Apocrypha. These are old Jewish books. They were in the Greek Old Testament but not the Hebrew one.
Martin Luther had a clear view of these books. He did not think they were God’s Word in the same way as books like Genesis or Romans. But he did not throw them out. He said they were “useful and good to read.”
Because of this, Luther’s German Bible had these books. He put them in their own part between the Old and New Testaments. This way of doing things has kept going. Many Lutheran Bibles, especially study Bibles, will have the Apocrypha. The NRSV and ESV can both be bought with the Apocrypha. This is a key part of the answer to what bible do lutherans use. They do not see these books as God’s Word, but they do think they are important for history.
How Is the Bible Read and Understood in the Lutheran Tradition?
Just as important as which Bible they use is how Lutherans read it. They have a special way of reading the Bible that is key to their beliefs.
What is the Law and Gospel Distinction in Lutheran thought?
The main tool for a Lutheran reading the Bible is knowing the difference between Law and Gospel.
- The Law is any part of the Bible that tells us what to do. The Law shows us God’s perfect rules. When we read it, we see that we cannot keep the rules perfectly. So, the Law shows us our sin and that we need a savior. The Ten Commandments are a great example of the Law.
- The Gospel, on the other hand, is the good news. It is any part of the Bible that tells us what God has done for us. It is the promise of free forgiveness and life because of what Jesus did for us. John 3:16 is a great example of the Gospel.
Lutherans think you must know the difference between these two messages when you read the Bible. The Law shows us we need help. The Gospel gives us hope. The whole point of the Bible, for Lutherans, is to share this good news. So, to really know what bible do lutherans use, you also need to know how they use it.
Final Thoughts: Finding the Right Bible as a Lutheran
So, after our deep look, we can now give a clear answer to our question.
The answer to what bible do lutherans use is not just one book. The Bible they like best comes down to the Lutheran church group and its beliefs.
- The ELCA mainly uses the NRSV because it was made by experts and includes all people.
- The LCMS mainly uses the ESV because it is more word-for-word.
- The WELS uses a few Bibles, like the new Lutheran-made EHV.
What ties all Lutherans together is not which Bible they use, but why they use it. For Lutherans, the Bible is not just a history book or a rule book. It is the living Word of God with one main message: the good news that we are saved through Jesus Christ. No matter the version, their goal is to find the one that shares that message in the clearest way.
FAQ – What Bible Do Lutherans Use
Which Bible versions are commonly used in different Lutheran church groups in the USA?
The ELCA mainly uses the NRSV, the LCMS primarily uses the ESV, and WELS churches may use the EHV, CSB, or KJV, depending on the congregation.
How do Lutherans interpret the Bible’s authority and message?
Lutherans believe in ‘Sola Scriptura,’ meaning the Bible is their sole guide for belief and practice, and they focus on understanding how Jesus Christ is revealed in scripture as the core message.
What is the significance of the Apocrypha in Lutheran Bibles?
Lutherans include the Apocrypha in their Bibles because Martin Luther considered these books useful and good to read, even though he did not regard them as equal to God’s Word.
Why do Lutherans use different versions of the Bible?
Lutherans choose different Bible versions based on their beliefs and the emphasis of their church groups, aiming for clarity, accuracy, or inclusion of language that respects both men and women.
What is the main Bible version used by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)?
The ELCA primarily uses the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) for its main church services and Bible studies.
