Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT) is an independent mission agency, founded in 1964, and is the only Lutheran organization totally devoted to the specialized ministry of Bible translation, literacy and Scripture use. The LBT ministry is supported by the prayers and contributions of fellow Christians and is not subsidized by any church body or sponsoring group. LBT desires all people to hear and have access to God’s Word in a language they easily understand.
LBT acknowledges and accepts all the canonical books of the Bible as the verbally inspired and inerrant Word of God, the only source and norm of faith and life. It also acknowledges and accepts all the confessional books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church contained in the Book of Concord of 1580 to be a true and genuine exposition of the doctrine of the Bible. This statement is irrevocable.
We believe that the Bible, verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit, is
absolutely inerrant and the only authoritative rule and norm in doctrine
and life.
We believe that there is one God and that there are eternally existent
in the one divine essence three persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
We believe in the personality of Satan and that unregenerate man is in
bondage to him.
We believe that the entire universe was created by God; and that God
made man sinless, in His own image.
We believe that since the fall of Adam all men everywhere are born in
sin and thus by nature are evil and corrupt, without fear or love of
God, spiritually blind and dead in sin, unable to do anything to please
God or save themselves, enemies of God worthy of nothing but everlasting
wrath and punishment of God.
We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man and Savior of the
world, that He made complete satisfaction to God for the sins of all men
by His substitutionary and atoning life, and death on the cross, that
whoever believes in Him has everlasting life; but those who are without
Christ are without God and without hope.
We believe in the virgin birth of Christ, in His mercies, in His sinless
human nature and life, in His death, in His bodily resurrection, in His
ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal and imminent
return in power and glory.
We believe in the baptism of infants as well as adults.
We believe that the Lord's Supper, along with Baptism and the Gospel, is
a means of grace and forgiveness. We believe the words of Jesus: “Take
eat; this is my body… Drink ye all of it, For this is my blood “
(Matthew 26:26-28). Not only bread and wine, but also the body and
blood of Jesus are truly present in the Lord's Supper.
We believe that God has established, through His Word and Holy Spirit,
a unique fellowship of believers on earth, the holy Christian Church.
We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose almighty
grace sinners are brought all the benefits of Christ's atoning work and
by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life and to
be a functioning part of Christ's Church.
We believe in the resurrection of all believers in Christ unto everlasting
life and blessedness in heaven and the resurrection of unbelievers unto
everlasting punishment in hell.
We believe that it is the responsibility of every believer to proclaim
the Good News of Jesus Christ to every creature--that no one is exempt--
that every believer must deny himself and take up his cross daily and
lay down his life, if necessary, that the Gospel may be proclaimed in
every land and in every tongue.
We believe that participation in and conduct of services of worship,
with or without the celebration of Holy Communion, shall be governed
by the principles set forth in the Holy Scripture (Rom. 16:17,
I Cor. 11:23-29, Eph. 4:3-6, and 11 Tim. 4: 2-4) and our Lutheran
confessional commitment. As Lutheran Bible Translators we have a unique
opportunity to declare to all with whom we associate, in whatever area of
the world God may call us to work, our deep respect for the Word of God
and our complete submission to the total truth of Holy Scripture. We will
therefore refrain from participating in those worship and sacramental
rites whereby we may compromise our position of loyalty to God's truth.
