Replies

Luther identified Seven Marks of the Church:

“Thank God,” Luther wrote in the Smalcald Articles, “a seven-year-old child knows what the church is, namely, holy believers and sheep who hear the voice of their Shepherd.” So children pray, “I believe in one holy Christian church.”

Luther stressed that the certain mark of a Christian congregation is wherever the pure Gospel is being preached (LW 39:305). The true marks by which a person can find the church are:

(1) the Word of God,
(2) Baptism,
(3) Lord’s Supper,
(4) Keys or Absolution,
(5) called ministers,
(6) prayer and worship, and
(7) the sacred cross or suffering

1. The Holy Word of God

“Now, wherever you hear or see this word preached, believed, professed, and lived, do not doubt that the true ecclesia sancta catholica, “a Christian holy people” must be there, even though their number is very small.”

2. Holy Baptism

God’s people or the Christian holy people are recognized by the holy sacrament of baptism, wherever it is taught, believed, and administered correctly according to Christ’s ordinance. That too is a public sign and a precious, holy possession by which God’s people are sanctified.

3. Holy Communion

God’s people, or Christian holy people, are recognized by the holy sacrament of the altar, wherever it is rightly administered, believed, and received, according to Christ’s institution. This too is a public sign and a precious, holy possession left behind by Christ by which his people are sanctified so that they also exercise themselves in faith and openly confess that they are Christian, just as they do with the word and with baptism.

4. The Office of the Keys

God’s people or holy Christians are recognized by the office of the keys exercised publicly That is, as Christ decrees in Matthew 18:15-20,
if a Christian sins, he should be reproved; and if he does not mend his ways, he should be bound in his sin and cast out. If he does mend his ways, he should be absolved. That is the office of the keys.

5. The Holy Ministry

Fifth, the church is recognized externally by the fact that it consecrates or calls ministers, or has offices that it is to administer. There must be bishops, pastors, or preachers, who publicly and privately give, administer, and use the aforementioned four things or holy possessions in behalf of and in the name of the church, or rather by reason of their institution by Christ.

6. Prayer, Public Praise, and Thanksgiving

Where you see and hear the Lord’s Prayer prayed and taught; or psalms or other spiritual songs sung, in accordance with the word of God and the true faith; also the creed, the Ten Commandments, and the catechism used in public, you may rest assured that a holy Christian people of God are present.

7. The Holy Cross

The holy Christian people are externally recognized by the holy possession of the sacred cross. They must endure every misfortune and persecution, all kinds of trials and evil from the devil, the world, and the flesh (as the Lord’s Prayer indicates) by inward sadness, timidity, fear, outward poverty, contempt, illness, and weakness, in order to become like their head, Christ. And the only reason they must suffer is that they steadfastly adhere to Christ and God’s word, enduring this for the sake of Christ, Matthew 5 [:11], “Blessed are you when men persecute you on my account.”