Our Purpose

The Saint Timothy Society formed in 2007 in order to promote faithfulness and excellence in teaching, instruction, research, scholarship and publication in and for Lutheran Seminaries in the United States and abroad. The society intends to do this by encouraging and advocating the historic doctrine, practice and moral standards of the Word of God and the Book of Concord of 1580, the propagation of the Christian faith and life, education, information and outreach directed to the public consistent with these purposes.

The society takes as its organizing basis the words of Scripture, where the Apostle Paul exhorts all Christians to be of one mind, that of Christ, in order to serve and love others in all truth and humility (Philippians 2:2-8; 1 Corinthians 2:16). The Word of God reveals the mind and truth of Our Lord which forms and compels the doctrine and practice required of a Christian organization (Psalm 119:105; Galatians 1:6-8; 1st Timothy 4:15-16) and also requires that all things be done decently and in good order (1 Corinthians 14:40).

The society acknowledges and accepts all the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God, and all the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church contained in the Book of Concord of 1580, to be a true and genuine exposition of the doctrines of the Bible; hence, no doctrine shall be taught or tolerated in this organization which is in any degree at variance with the following symbols of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, viz.,

1) the three Ecumenical Creeds (the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Athanasian Creed);
2) the Unaltered Augsburg Confession;
3) the Apology of the Augsburg Confession;
4) the Smalcald Articles;
5) the Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope or Tractatus);
6) the Small Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther;
7) the Large Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther;
8) the Formula of Concord (Epitome and Solid Declaration).

According to this norm of doctrine and faith, all controversies which may arise in this organization shall be decided and adjusted.