u/Ph_Blade

So I come from a vaguely evangelical upbringing. In the past few months I have been convinced of Lutheranism. I am Lutheran now.

Unfortunately, I can't have a home church because the nearest church is very difficult to get to both financially and geographically. It does bother me that I can't be officially confirmed into the Lutheran church but it's not as big of a concern to me right now as baptism is.

I'm not baptized yet, this is the problem with "believer’s baptism". Since it's just a symbol and you need to decide on your own, you get situations like mine. Now that I am convinced of the power behind baptism I want to get baptized, but like I said there is no church near me.

In your opinion what should I do? I know that it's not the man that is the baptizer but Jesus, so if I get baptized in a baptist, reformed, or whatever church it doesn't become invalid just because they believe differently.

Is it better to delay it and wait until I can physically go to a Lutheran church in a few months? Or should I answer what The Holy Spirit has put in my heart, an urge to get baptized? Even if it's from a different tradition?

(Bonus question, can women baptize? I know that the LCMS and most conservative Lutheran bodies are against women's ordination, but does that have anything to do with baptism? Genuine question)

Hopefully there are knowledgeable people in this sub about this.

I know about the most popular and highly regarded translations of Augustine's confessions but they are not readily available to me. There are two translations that I have found and can easily get.

Rex Warner (Signet Classics)

R.S. Pine-Coffin (Penguin Classics)

Penguin Classics usually never go wrong in translations but from what I've read, the best penguin classics version isn't even the Pine-Coffin translation. I also know this specific translation has this "dead translation" stereotype but some people seem to like it so I don't know what to think.

I just want to know which of these would be better to get for a first time reader and what the differences even are.

I'm not looking for the "best" translation because we know that it's impossible to have a best translation, just which one is better in this context. Thank you.

For a while now I have been attracted to Lutheranism. I'm not gonna pretend to have an absurd amount of theological knowledge but from the little that I do know, I can't help but agree with Lutheranism the most, even out of all the protestant denominations.

I have been studying what I can about Lutheranism, and have been thinking about reading the books,confessions, and catechisms that are central to the Lutheran faith but it's difficult to get ahold of them where I'm from.

I have tried to find a church near me but it seems that I can't regularly attend a divine service in one, two, or even three years. It requires me moving and it's not a possibility for now. I also plan to deepen my theological knowledge in an academically, maybe pursuing this in the future would open up opportunities to join a physical church.

So for now I've been "attending" and watching services online, it's not ideal and I can't recieve communion with a church that believes in The Eucharist the way I do but it's all I can have for now. I'm not officially Lutheran, I haven't been confirmed into the church, and I probably won't be for the next few years. Can I still call myself Lutheran? Or should I stick with my old denomination's label despite not believing in it anymore or even call myself non-denominational?

What do Lutherans think about this? I know Lutheranism isn't as casual as evangelical Christianity where membership is simply believing so I don't know what to label myself for now.

For a while now I have been attracted to Lutheranism. I'm not gonna pretend to have an absurd amount of theological knowledge but from the little that I do know, I can't help but agree with Lutheranism the most, even out of all the protestant denominations.

I have been studying what I can about Lutheranism, and have been thinking about reading the books,confessions, and catechisms that are central to the Lutheran faith but it's difficult to get ahold of them where I'm from.

I have tried to find a church near me but it seems that I can't regularly attend a divine service in one, two, or even three years. It requires me moving and it's not a possibility for now. I also plan to deepen my theological knowledge in an academically, maybe pursuing this in the future would open up opportunities to join a physical church.

So for now I've been "attending" and watching services online, it's not ideal and I can't recieve communion with a church that believes in The Eucharist the way I do but it's all I can have for now. I'm not officially Lutheran, I haven't been confirmed into the church, and I probably won't be for the next few years. Can I still call myself Lutheran? Or should I stick with my old denomination's label despite not believing in it anymore or even call myself non-denominational?

What do Lutherans think about this? I know Lutheranism isn't as casual as evangelical Christianity where membership is simply believing so I don't know what to label myself for now.