Holy Spirit is fully divine; works through Word and Sacrament
Lutheranism affirms the full divinity and personhood of the Holy Spirit as the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son (Filioque), as the Western church tradition holds, a position retained by Lutheranism. The Spirit's primary work is to create and sustain saving faith in human hearts through the external means of Word and Sacrament.
A distinctive emphasis in Lutheran pneumatology is the strict linkage of the Spirit's saving work to the 'means of grace' — the proclaimed Gospel and the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Luther polemicized against the 'Schwärmer' (enthusiasts) who claimed direct spiritual inspiration apart from the external Word, insisting that the Spirit does not bypass Scripture and sacrament. This does not deny the Spirit's general work in creation and preservation, but grounds saving grace specifically in the instituted means.
Key Distinctions
- Personhood:
- third divine person, coequal with Father and Son
- Spiritual gifts view:
- cessationist generally; some Lutheran bodies are charismatic-friendly
- Spirit baptism:
- given at Baptism; no distinct second-blessing experience
Scripture References
Sources
- Augsburg Confession, Articles I and V (1530)
- Luther's Large Catechism, Creed, Third Article (1529)
- Smalcald Articles, Part III, Article VIII (1536)