The formal and authoritative creedal statement of the Lutheran Church.
The confession was commissioned by John the Elector of Saxony in response to the summons of the diet at Augsburg (June 1530) by Emperor Charles V in the hope of some reconciliation between the Protestants and the Catholics. Written largely by Melanchthon, with contributions by various other Protestant leaders (including Luther), it was—despite its rather irenic wording—rejected by the emperor. The Catholic party condemned 13 of the 28 articles presented, accepted 9 and approved 6 with qualifications, and in turn issued their own Confutation. Instructed by emperor to conform to the Confutation, the Protestants chose, instead, to respond with a reply (or apology) by Melanchthon, which they affixed to the Confession, and which the emperor rejected.
Of the 28 articles, the first 21 delineate the Lutheran distinctive, while the remainder deal with abuses in the pre-Reformation Church. The Confession forms the central document in the Book of Concord.
Resources:
L. Thompson, The Unaltered Augsburg Confession, A.D. 1530. Translation and historical notes. Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 2005. Pdf 
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