Lesson 5: How to Use the Apocrypha and the Its Contents: A Re-education By Pr. Rich Futrell Jan 30, 2011 The Protestant Churches’ Rejection of the Apocrypha When some claim the Apocrypha is not biblical, they often cite many “proof texts” showing why we should reject the Apocrypha, such as, it teaches false doctrine. Ironically, […]
Epiphany 3
January 23, 2011 by
Intro Naaman, the Syrian, was the Commander in Chief of the armies of Aram. He was a decorated war hero with many victories under his belt. But he had a serious problem: he had an appalling skin disease, for which the Syrian doctors had no cure. So what happens? Naaman pays a house call on […]
The Apocrypha and Change within the Lutheran and Roman Churches
January 18, 2011 by
The Apocrypha and Change within the Lutheran and Roman Churches Lesson 4 By Pr. Rich Futrell Jan 23, 2011 Recap Last week, we learned how the early Church responded to three traditions on the Apocrypha and affirmed the Anagignoskomena and Deuterocanonical views as legitimate. The Church rejected the view that allowed someone to reject the […]
Epiphany 2: Wedding at Cana
January 16, 2011 by
Intro You never get a second chance to make a first impression. It’s the first minute that’s critical. That’s why we put on false fronts. That’s why we try to say the right words, so we won’t have to undo what we think cannot later be undone. We bring out the good wine first, because […]
The Apocrypha, Early Church Councils, and Martin Luther
January 13, 2011 by
The Apocrypha, Early Church Fathers and Councils, and Martin Luther Lesson 3 By Pr. Rich Futrell Jan 16, 2011 Recap Last week, we learned that the Apostolic Fathers quoted and referenced the Apocrypha, without distinction, in the same way they did the others part of the Old Testament. Hagiographa/Kethuvim To understand the distinction in […]
Epiphany
January 9, 2011 by
Intro Epiphany is God showing us His Son, Jesus–not just for the Jews–but as the Savior of the whole world. And so Epiphany becomes the Gentiles’ Christmas. Epiphany is God further revealing, unfolding, and unwrapping His earlier Christmas gift for all people. In God’s Christmas gift of His Son to us, we have received […]
The Apocrypha and the Apostolic Fathers
January 5, 2011 by
The Apocrypha and the Apostolic Fathers Lesson 2 By Pr. Rich Futrell Jan 9, 2011 Recap Last week, we saw how Jesus called one book of the Apocrypha “scripture” and how Jesus celebrated a festival in the Jewish liturgical church-year calendar that is only mentioned in the Apocrypha. We also saw how the New Testament […]
Christmas 2: Jesus’ Flight to Egypt
January 2, 2011 by
Intro It all happened so quickly: The trip to Bethlehem, the birth of Jesus, the angels, and the shepherds. Then after a year or so, the Magi visit. Like the shepherds before them, they fall to the ground to worship the infant Jesus, the Lord of all creation, the promised Messiah. But as we […]
Introduction to the Apocrypha
January 1, 2011 by
In our Adult Sunday School class, we’ve started a short study on the Apocrypha. Here is the first lesson. A Look into the Apocrypha (Deuterocanon, Anagignoskomena) Lesson 1: Introduction By Pr. Rich Futrell Jan 2, 2011 Meaning Apocrypha: “That which is hidden.” During 16th-century controversies about the biblical canon, the word acquired a negative connotation, […]
Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus
December 31, 2010 by
Intro Circumcision is not a pleasant experience. It is cutting off a piece of flesh from a male’s penis. That doesn’t sound like something smart to do. It sounds painful. It sounds foolish. But then, God says much that may sound foolish to our ears. God told Abraham to leave his country and go […]
