This is our pastor’s newsletter article for April, 2015. It follows last month’s article, “How We Got the Old Testament,” which you can read by clicking here. ——— The Early Church Last month, we looked at how we got the Old Testament. The Church met in council to state which books were Scripture because three traditions […]
Church and Scripture; Scripture and Church
October 2, 2012 by
This is the article that our pastor wrote for the October 4th edition of the Stone County Gazette. The Apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). Based on Scripture being so valuable in our life of faith, […]
The Didache, Lesson 1: Introduction
December 31, 2011 by
The Didache: Lesson 1, Introduction January 1, 2012 “Didache” (pronounced: dih-dah-KAY) is the Greek word for “doctrine” or “teaching” (as a noun). It has two titles: “The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles,” followed by “The Lord’s teaching to the Gentiles by the Twelve Apostles.” Today, many Christians, including Lutherans, view the Bible as the final […]
Forgotten, Unknown, or Ignored New Testament Bible Passages
December 17, 2011 by
This Sunday, we are having a “onesie” Bible study for adult Sunday School. Since we are having no Sunday School on Christmas day, and we are starting a new study on January 1st, a one-study lesson seemed the way to go. In this lesson, we look at a few Bible passages many of our Protestant […]
Sola Scriptura in All Its Glory!
August 22, 2011 by
This is an article I wrote for the September 1st, 2011 edition of the Stone County Gazette. ——— “Sola Scriptura” literally says “scripture alone.” It’s a shortened statement Martin Luther used during the Reformation. But as with all sound bites, we lose much when a sound bite replaces the truth it originally promoted. Today, Sola […]
How to Read the Bible
May 23, 2011 by
Jesus said, “You pore over the Scriptures because you suppose that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” (John 5:39-40). People often pass by those words of Jesus without a second thought. In those words, Jesus is […]
The Forgotten Battle of Spiritual Warfare
March 21, 2011 by
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens. (Ephesians 6:12) Martin Luther ends his Large Catechism with these words: “They [the contents of the Large Catechism] must all certainly help […]
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 […]
