Believe it or not, the Lutheran Confessions refer to the Apocrypha as “Scripture.” Yet, if you were to read through the Lutheran Confessions, you would find that they never even bother to list the books of the Bible. Why is that? Simply put, we did not have any argument with the Roman Catholic Church on […]
Lessons on the Didache
May 14, 2012 by
The Didache is the earliest, non-Biblical document in the New Testament Church. It was complied by the Church to teach adult, Gentile converts aspects of the Christian Faith. The date of the Didache is as early as the mid-50s AD, after the Gospel of Matthew was written and had circulated, but the other three Gospels […]
In Love, Jesus Chose You: John 15:9-17
May 14, 2012 by
All religions demand some form of obedience. Now that doesn’t mean that all religions are the same. For God has only revealed Christianity to be true. That’s because Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God. He is the One-and-Only of the Father. He not only reveals to us the Father’s love, but He […]
James, Lesson 2: Faith’s Response
May 14, 2012 by
James: Lesson 2 Book’s Theme and Faith’s Response Read James 1:9-11 – James tells the rich man to exalt in his humiliation. What is the source of this humiliation? – The poor man is to exalt in his exaltation. What is the source of his exaltation? – So what is James doing when […]
The Queen Mother: The Old Covenant
May 12, 2012 by
The Monarchy in the Old Covenant Even before Israel had kings, we find the Law of Moses anticipating that God’s people would become a monarchy like its neighbors: “When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, take possession of it, and settle in it. Then you will say, ‘I will […]
Acts 8:26-40: What is to keep me from being baptized?
May 6, 2012 by
An angel of the Lord sends Philip chasing after a chariot. A eunuch from Ethiopia is reading the Prophet Isaiah. He reads about Jesus but doesn’t know that. Then he comes to some water and is baptized. The Gospel is a messy business, isn’t it? We don’t like it messy. We prefer our life with God […]
A Short Study on the OT Office of “Queen Mother” to Begin
May 2, 2012 by
When recently meeting with the Altar Guild, one of our ladies had a devotion that included Proverbs 31. That’s the only chapter in the Bible written by a woman, the mother of King Lemuel. Beginning with Solomon, the Old Testament kings’ mothers held an official office: The Queen Mother. Yet, none of our women in […]
James, Lesson 1: Introduction and Theme
April 30, 2012 by
James: Lesson 1 Introduction and Theme Among the books of the New Testament, James has suffered much because it was one of the disputed books of the New Testament. It also suffered because of its content (for example, does it teach that works save us?). When Martin Luther was translating the Bible into German, he […]
Jesus, Still Flesh of Our Flesh and Bone of Our Bone: Luke 24:39-49
April 22, 2012 by
How do you know that something is true? That’s a crucial question these days, especially when truth looks as if it is becoming an endangered species. Sometimes, we think that science is the way to get to the truth. That’s why we often find the phrase, “Studies have shown” to be persuasive. Although you may […]
