Son of Man -- Dec 4th Sermon

 

Greetings! Isaiah and Matthew are the books that this sermon comes from.

the Bible’s sole interest is in Isaiah’s message, which is summed up in the meaning of his name: “Yahweh is salvation.”

Isaiah’s book is a vision in that it reveals, through symbols and reasoned thought, a God-centered way of seeing and living. It offers everyone the true alternative to the false appearances of this world. https://www.esv.org/Isaiah+11/

Isaiah 11:1-10

English Standard Version

The Righteous Reign of the Branch

11 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse,

    and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.

2 And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,

    the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,

    the Spirit of counsel and might,

    the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.

3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.

He shall not judge by what his eyes see,

    or decide disputes by what his ears hear,

4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor,

    and decide with equity for the meek of the earth;

and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

5 Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist,

    and faithfulness the belt of his loins.

A shoot is coming out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. The Holy Spirit will rest upon this stump, this branch from Jesse’s roots. He will be filled with the Spirit of God, wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge and fear of the Lord. He will judge with righteousness and fairness. The rod of his mouth, the Word of God, he’ll use to strike the earth and kill the wicked. He will wear a belt of righteousness and faithfulness. 

So Jesse is the father of David. However, there will be a prophet coming to the earth, who is both the root and offspring of David. How is that possible? There is only one person who fits that description. It is the  God Man, Christ Jesus. Look at what he says in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 22:16
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

We see from Jesus’ baptism that the Holy Spirit came to rest on Him in the form of a dove. Matthew 3:16-17 English Standard Version 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

This is where we see this Spirit of might, wisdom, counsel, understanding and the fear of the Lord rest fully and permanently on Christ.  John tells us that the Spirit of God’s presence in Jesus is unlimited, infinite: John 3:34 For he whom God has sent utters the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure.

Christ indeed is full of the Spirit without measure. Even though we can constantly grow in the fruits of the Spirit according to Galatians 5:23, we will not be fully pure on this side of heaven. Yet we can look to the Son of David, who is the Root of David. We can look to Christ, and trust that when God sees us, he sees us not clothed in our own purity, but in the purity of Jesus. We are clothed in the purity of the one who came from Heaven, and became a Son of Man.  Now why do I keep mentioning this title “Son of Man?” It’s what Jesus called Himself more than anything else. But where did Jesus get this from? It’s not in the reading, but I’d like to quote from Daniel 7: Daniel 7:13-14 English Standard Version 13 “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. 14 And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Only an eternal king can have an eternal kingdom.  This is where Jesus got this title. This was totally him, in heaven. Daniel saw a vision of Christ before His earthly ministry! So here’s the thing about prophecy in the Bible. Every prophecy has elements of both future and history.  During Daniel’s vision, did he also see what’s going to happen at the end of all things? It’s highly possible.  But why does all this matter? What does this have to do with what you’re going through? Let's at one phrase again....

 he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth,

    and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Well, when we read verse  5, we see the wrath of Christ. And had we not been given the gift of salvation by faith through grace, we would be the ones Christ would strike with the rod of his mouth. We were the ones who would’ve been killed by the breath of his lips. 

Gospel – Since Jesus is both a Lion and a Lamb, we experience his tenderness, gentleness and love displayed on the cross for us. 

But speaking of prophecy, we can speak about Isaiah’s prophecy again.  It seems like the last half of Isaiah chapter 11 mentions something very interesting. I believe it’s talking about the end times:

6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

    and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

    and a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze;

    their young shall lie down together;

    and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

    and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

9 They shall not hurt or destroy

    in all my holy mountain;

for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord

    as the waters cover the sea.

10 In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

We see wolves with lambs, leopards with goats, calves and lions, all eating together, grass, in fact. A child will play with a cobra; a weaned child or a toddler will put his hand on an adder’s den. The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And the root of Jesse, who is also the stump of Jesse, would be a signal for the nations, and all would inquire of the root of Jesse. His resting place will be glorious. 

So this is obviously talking about the end times here. There’s no way my kid is getting close to a cobra or an adder! Forget it! All eating grass, too. That doesn’t sound like something happening today. But we can rest in the fact that one day, even the natural order will be at peace. Will lions eat grass in the future? This powerful creature eating grass. Well, Job has something interesting to say about that!  Job 40:15-24 Amplified Bible (AMP)

“Behold now, Behemoth, which I created as well as you; He eats grass like an ox. See now, his strength is in his loins And his power is in the muscles and sinews of his belly. He sways his tail like a cedar; The tendons of his thighs are twisted and knit together [like a rope]. His bones are tubes of bronze; His limbs are like bars of iron. “He is the first [in magnitude and power] of the works of God; [Only] He who made him can bring near His sword [to master him].  

    I don’t know all the details, but since human beings won’t kill each other in the end times, maybe animals won’t kill and eat each other either? I mean, if the earth is full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea, then that makes sense. And all I know is that it wasn’t until after Noah’s flood that God gave people permission to kill and eat animals.  This was in Genesis 9. What I’m trying to say is that the Son of Man, Christ Jesus, will make everything right when he comes again. That’s right! He already came, 2,000 years ago, to put sin and death to death, permanently. 

Look at our planet. People are killing each other. The earth is vomiting out its inhabitants through earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, volcanoes, landslides, etc. The atmosphere is polluted with diseases, many of which are man made. Asteroids hit our planet, creating devastation.  Romans 8:22 talks about the creation itself crying out for the Sons of God to be revealed. All of this is because of our sin. Adam and Eve caused us to inherit sin, but we also sin on our own, every day.  However, the Son of Man came just for that. For the revealing of His people. The Son of God became a Son of Man, so mankind could be restored as God’s children. And what an incredible first Advent Jesus had! 

Okay we are fast forwarding from the book of Isaiah, written 700 or 800 years before Christ, we’re fast forwarding that 400 year period after Malachi where the Greeks and Romans invaded Israel,  and we’re fast forwarding past the nativity. By the time we reach Matthew 21 in our text, our Son of Man, Christ Jesus, is entering Jerusalem for the first time. 

In light of Irenaeus’s assertion (c. A.D. 175) that Matthew composed his Gospel while Peter and Paul were still living (Irenaeus, Against Heresies 3.1.1), it is traditionally dated to the late 50s or early 60s.

Purpose, Occasion, and Background

Matthew crafted his account to demonstrate Jesus’ messianic identity, his inheritance of the Davidic kingship over Israel, and his fulfillment of the promise made to his ancestor Abraham (Matt. 1:1) to be a blessing to all the nations (Gen. 12:1–3).

Matthew 21:1-11

English Standard Version

The Triumphal Entry

21 Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” 4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your king is coming to you,humble, and mounted on a donkey,

    on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” 6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” 10 And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

We see Christ entering Jerusalem. His disciples placed Jesus on a donkey. Prophecy about this from the book of Zechariah was fulfilled. People cut branches from trees and spread them on the road in front of Jesus. All around him, people were saying, Hosanna, or Glory to God. 

Now what’s happening in Matthew? Christ is entering the city in the complete opposite way that Alexander the Great did and Pompeii did centuries before Jesus was born. The former came with chariots, war horses, war elephants, slaves, and great fanfare. But Jesus does the complete opposite. He comes in humility. And what could be more humble than the Son of God becoming a Son of Man. Could you imagine Ceasar or Alexander or Napoleon coming in such a humble manner? They say power corrupts, but if the one in power has an incorruptible nature….That is our Savior. Within a week, the entire city would turn against Jesus, as we have turned away from him countless times. But, within a week, Christ secured our salvation, forgiveness and eternal life (Forgive them father, for they know not what they do). If he prayed for the Roman soldiers who were crucifying Him, how much more does Jesus love and forgive you and I?. 

He loves us more than words can ever express, but the Apostle Paul comes close I believe, when he says his desire is for us to know the love of Christ that goes beyond our human ability to understand.

Romans 8:38 (NET)
For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers,Romans 8:39 (NET)
nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So in closing, look to the Son of Man, who is also the Son of God. Nothing in this entire universe, not even death or demons separate us from the Love God has for us. Go in peace. And now may the words of our mouths and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in thy sight, oh Lord Jesus. Amen.

Read More

Theologica Prolegomena with Dr. Leins "Atonement Theories"

 Greetings! 

     English is a Germanic language, and so in German, atonement, or at-one-ment.  My colleague CV will be discussing several different atonement theories throughout the ages. 

CV: there are two categories: Pre-Reformation and Post-Reformation. For our Pre-Reformation theory we will discuss the Ransom Theory, then Christus Victor, and then substitution.  In Post-Reformation, the penal substitution theory became prominent. There is another view which is more controversial which we will study later. 

RANSOM THEORY -- One of the oldest theories. There are several scriptures that support this theory.  

CHRISTUS VICTOR -- The idea that there is this dramatic, epic battle going on across the cosmos. In this battle, we have Christ as the protagonist and Satan as the antagonist. We were deceived, and the death and resurrection of Jesus is the crux point (Ephesians 6).

The greatest critique of this view is that it is incomplete. How does it bring us back to union with God? Some say the cosmic battle robs us of our responsibility. 

MORAL INFLUENCE THEORY -- Proposed by Peter of Abelard. The love of God is giving up his Son so Christ could show us what real love looks like. Peter says that Christ died as an example for us to live in service to one another. Instead of satisfying God's wrath, it was to show us how to love. 

MOSAIC OF THE ATONEMENT THEORY - A mosaic is when you have small pieces of art that are sealed together to make a larger, grand picture. Also, when you look at a diamond, you see different facets of the diamond based on the reflection. All of the theories make up a part of the bigger picture.

I find the Mosaic of the Atonement view to be the most convincing and is what I subscribe to.  https://www.amazon.com/Mosaic-Atonement-Integrated-Approach-Christs/dp/0310097649/ref=asc_df_0310097649/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=380078040892&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11348695856935481718&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1027067&hvtargid=pla-814342551741&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=79069991898&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=380078040892&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11348695856935481718&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1027067&hvtargid=pla-814342551741

Read More

Theologica Prolegomena "Sacraments"

 1 Corinthians 3:21-23 (NASB 2020)

New American Standard Bible

21 So then, no one is to be boasting in people. For all things belong to you, 22 whether Paul or Apollos or [a]Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come; all things belong to you, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ belongs to God.

Greetings! My classmates in my class are presenting papers and the first topic is Luther's theology of baptism. My classmate RB says he used these resources: The Holy and Blessed Sacrament of Baptism. The next source is on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church. Luther is presenting his theology of the Gospel, his sola fide, and he is applying it to his works now. Also, Luther wrote back to Catholic priests who wrote to him because they wanted Luther's perspective on the Anabaptists, who were rebaptizing adults. This was around 1521. The Anabaptists kind of were the first Christians to argue that baptism was purely symbolic--they believed that one had to make a confession of faith before believing. By 1529, Luther comprised his Large and Small Catechisms. 

Verses that are revelant to our study are: Mark 16:16, what Luther called the Word of Promise. 

Mark 16:16

New American Standard Bible

16 The one who has believed and has been baptized will be saved; but the one who has not believed will be condemned.

Then there is 1 Peter: 1 Peter 3:21-22

New American Standard Bible

21 Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God [a]for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.

Word of Command: Matthew 28:19

Matthew 28:19-20

New American Standard Bible

19 [a]Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to [b]follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you [c]always, to the end of the age.

Titus 3:5-10

Titus 3:5-7

New American Standard Bible

5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He richly poured out upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs [a]according to the hope of eternal life.

Romans 6

In Baptism, the old creature is drowned, and the new creature is born. 

WHAT WAS THE CONTEXT OF LUTHER'S DAY?  Luther would've recieved a theology of the sacraments from Augustine and Aquinas, also Peter Lombard and some others. Augustine is who gave the church their definition of a sacrament. He strongly believed in original sin, and baptism was a way of ameliorating original sin. 

WHAT IS THE SIGN AND WHAT IS THE SIGNIFIER?

The sign is the water. The signifier is the Word spoken about the water. The sacraments are a visual word. 

WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF LEX OPERE OPERATO -- Grace being conveyed in a sacrament by the mere performance of the action. This was a Roman Catholic concept and the sacraments did not carry any vivacious faith. They eventual either became magical or mechanical. Luther said faith was not necessarily required for the sacrament.  Luther wanted to stress the validity of the sacrament in and of itself when speaking to the Anabaptists. 

BAPTISM IS A CONTINUAL SACRAMENT IN SOMEONE'S LIFE, NOT A ONE TIME EVENT -- Dying and rising daily is something that the sacrament of baptism gives us. 

Dr. Leins -- read the liturgical writings of the Reformers and the Early Church Fathers. Interestly, these rituals were self-contained exorcism rites. 

NEXT PRESENTER --- MB ON THE LORD'S SUPPER 

Thesis: Christ is truly present in the bread and wine. Sacrament comes from the Latin sacramentum, which is an oath or a promise. Early Christians swore an oath to let go of their old beliefs. Sacraments are visible, tangible means of grace, in other words, grace and forgiveness are actually given in the Lord's Supper and in Baptism. Luther renounced the Catholic view of transubstantiation; rather, he thought it should remain a mystery. Luther also disagreed with neo-pagan philosophy being implemented to explain what was going on in the Lord's Supper. Luther called Zwingli a sacramentarian; Luther himself was a sacramentalist--meaning they believed that Christ was literally in the Sacrament.  The Lutheran position today is literal. 

MARGBURG COLLOQUY -- Every time Zwingli asked Luther a question, Luther would go back to the words of institution from Christ, i.e. this is my Body. Lutherans reject transubstantiation because Paul maintained that the bread and wine remain bread and wine while the presence of Christ, his body and blood, literally dwelled in the bread and wine.   

Zwingli did not see a need for a sacramental union -- the miraculous union of body and blood to bread and wine in the Eucharist.  Now Christ is 100 percent man and God. The Eucharist is 100 percent bread, wine, blood and body. "The sacrament is a sign of a grace that has already been given"- Zwingli. He saw the literal view as a return to Judaism; i.e. rituals save. Zwingli quoted John 6:63 to justify a "spiritual" Eucharist. Zwingli also drew upon logic, reason and math to justify his position. Zwingli said Christ's body is in heaven, so his physical person cannot be in every communion at one time. Yet is Christ truly the door? Is Christ truly the Vine? Yes he is both! Nowadays, there has been a degeneration of meaning in the Lord's Supper. But even though many churches do not believe the Eucharist is a means of grace, they are still receiving God's grace whenever they partake!

TRUE PRESENCE OF CHRIST IN THE EARLY FATHERS

Irenaeus speaks of the true presence of Christ. Clement of Alexandria, Athanasius, etc. Church Fathers point back to manna, and to the passover lamb. Revelation calls him the Lamb of God...and worshippers truly ate the Lamb, and ate real bread in the manna. 

KG's PRESENTATION

Righteousness of God 

Atonement - at-one-ment. 

Hosea and Ephesians 5 -- marriage as a metaphor for our union with Christ. If we are Christ's bride, and we recieve his righteousness, we don't have to worry about issues of assurance. 

NEXT PRESENTATION -- AOG ON SOLUS CHRISTUS -- Theology of the Cross versus Theology of Glory. 

Dali Lama - to see a thing as it is. Luther also says that a theologian of the cross calls a thing what it is. 

1 Corinthians 2:2

For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  

The real heart of the dispute over the papacy and indulgences was really all about Christ. The issue was that it was Christ AND, not Solus Christus. We begin to see how prevalent the theology of glory is in today's churches. 

NEXT PRESENTER -- LW on Predestination

It is a doctrine of comfort. We should study it because it is often a little known and highly misunderstood doctrine. Deuteronomy 7:6-8, 9:4-6, God chose the people and guaranteed their inheritance, nothing to do with their righteousness. In Deut. 14, he calls the people is treasured possession. Now in the New Testament, Matthew 7:23, 1 Peter 1:1-2, Romans 8:28-39, Ephesians 1:3-14. 

Election has everything to do with believers, and nothing to do with unbelievers -- CFW Walther. 

NEXT PRESENTER --- BJ--CLOSED COMMUNION -- This has been the practice of the early church for thousands of years. First there was private instruction, then people would hear the Word, and then once they were catechized, they would transition from catachumens to full-fledged members of the church. An Early Defense of Faith breaks down who was and wasn't privileged to recieve the sacrament. This was written by Justin Martyr. 

AN ORTHODOX (BIBLICAL) VIEW OF SCRIPTURE SUPPORTS CLOSED COMMUNION

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul talks about physical illness and death being potential judgments for people who practice the Lord's Supper without discretion. Francis Pieper writes about who should be led to the altar. Only as such believe the Words of Institution received the true Presence of Christ and the forgiveness of sins. 

1 Corinthians 10:14-22

New American Standard Bible

14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise people; you then, judge what I say. 16 Is the cup of blessing which we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is the bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Since there is one loaf, we who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf. 18 Look at the people of Israel; are those who eat the sacrifices not partners in the altar? 19 What do I mean then? That food sacrificed to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? 20 No, but I say that things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God; and I do not want you to become partners with demons. 21 You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? We are not stronger than He, are we?

Please check us out!! https://www.wittenbergproject.com/, projwittenberg@gmail.com, https://www.facebook.com/WittenbergProject, https://www.youtube.com/@WittenbergProject

Read More

"Justification" Theologica Prolegomena Class

 Greetings! 

     AA is one of our classmates and will be presenting a white paper on justification. I remember a quote from Martin Luther which stated that "justification is the chief doctrine upon which the Church stands or falls." I believe I concur with this statement. 

     So it's after 8pm on the East Coast. I'm chilaxin, vibin, coolin, tryna get through this Theologica Prolegomena. So far so good. I appreciate my man AA writing on justification. 

AA: basically, Martin Luther constantly emphasizes that justification is all about comfort and assurance. It is definitely monergistic.  AA quotes some theological articles on the topic. But why justification?

WHY SHOULD I CARE? WHY SHOULD ANYONE CARE? 

     In the Smalcald Articles, Luther makes it clear that justification must be the centerpiece of our theology because justification is the doctrine that explains most clearly how we find our assurance and comfort. But what is justification? And how do we tie this term into other terms such as sanctification

             JUSTIFICATION VERSUS SANCTIFICATION 

     We are so used to justification just being seen as a legal declaration, a legal positioning. Can we use marriage as a metaphor? Legally speaking, there was a change in the relationship between my wife and I (I DEFINITELY married up, haha).  But there was also a tangible shift in reality concerning how we related to life and each other. Through faith as St Peter says, we receive a new, different clean heart. Although sin is not completely dead, God will not hold it against us -- Martin Luther. 

There is truth in justification being a legal, forensic declaration.  But also, we can allude to marriage again. More than just what is reflected on paper, I have a real, and sincere relationship with my wife. We are genuinely connected to each other. Before being married I was single.  My wife Chi was single. But now, we've been recreated as a couple. We are something that has never existed before in the world. 

AT THIS POINT AA FINISHES HIS PRESENTATION.....

        I thought it was a great presentation.  One of the questions that was asked was what passages of scripture was AA looking to in order to discuss justification. He stated that Romans 5 and Galatians were the main ones.  So let's look at Romans 5: 

Romans 5 New American Standard Bible 5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God. 

So, please meditate on this passage of scripture, which clearly lays out justification. Now, we will focus on the last half of class, where Dr. Leins quotes from his article on Anfectung and Absolution.

Dr. Leins was at a Bible class overseas and was preaching on Confession & Absolution.  Now, Dr. Leins laid the foundation for Confession & Absolution by discussing the importance of Law & Gospel and their proper distinction being preached in every sermon.  The right proclamation of the Law will be driven to the Gospel. I'm reminded of the show "Outlaw God," by Steven Paulson. He says that preachers are both hitmen and midwives in every sermon. 

Dr. Leins tells a story about his time in a remote place doing missions work. In this place, people had regular encounters with demons and with witchcraft.  After receiving the Word of Christ, one person in the congregation shouted at Dr. Leins, stating that he could not forgive sins. "You cannot forgive sins" said the man. But it was simply a misunderstanding or a lack of understanding of the Office of the Keys.  Dr. Leins showed them scripture, and told them that this practice was done since the beginning of the church. Matthew 18 is a good example.  

Matthew 16:19

I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.”

I believe the passage in Matthew 16:19 also ties into this passage: 

Matthew 6:10

Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.

The point of all of this, the Office of the Keys, Confession & Absolution, all tie back to forgiveness. Forgiveness is what we need to give and also receive.  But what is the significance of the phrasing in this passage? It comes from the Hebraic concept of future events already being done in past tense.  And speaking of past, present and future events, 

Now we have moved to the topic of church plants, and corporate worship...the goal is to have worship on earth that reflects the worship in scripture...on earth as it is in heaven. 

Now, Dr. Leins is talking about the uniqueness of the call and response of Lutheran Divine Service. His action, our response, over and over. 

Why does the pastor read the Gospels in the center of the sanctuary? It represents the Word becoming flesh, the Word coming among us. That's what all of this is about. Christ Jesus. More soon!! 

Read More

Theologica Prolegomena Class -- Anfectung & Absolution

 Greetings all,

      This is a discussion from my seminary class with Dr. Leins, Theologica Prolegomena. We're talking about a German word called "Anfectung." It's a word that's difficult to translate into English. Then we have "Anfectungen," the plural. Our wounds, sins, scars, trials and tribulations. When we as believers go through tribulations, sometimes we can doubt and question the Lord. But can we really stop? The answer will give us an idea of what Anfectung means.  Men and women across the ages have dealt with Anfectungen. But I mean, how can we actually deal with our own fallenness? One way is through Phariseeism. In the minds of the Pharisees, they considered themselves morally superior to everyone they were around. 

     HOW CAN WE STAY AWAY FROM BEING PHARISEES? 

In some way, all of us will be hypocritical on some points.  However, we must be careful not to make our sins bigger than God, or his ability to forgive. 

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ANFECTUNG AND ANFECTUNGEN?

I believe that Anfectung and Anfectungen would be things we would focus on if we focused on the Law. For example, Christ's Sermon on the Mount is a prime example of Law in the New Testament.  Christ called us to impossible standards; which is the point. We need Him. 

STAY CLOSE TO THE GOSPEL

Oftentimes, the gospel is what is void in some churches. Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

The gospel is one of the means of grace that Luther and Lutherans esteem so highly.  

WHAT ARE THE MEANS OF GRACE?

They are those external sacraments which God uses to provide forgiveness for our sins and grace for living. We need to know that God is local, he is in our midst every Sunday, through Word and Sacrament. 

GOD's WORK THROUGH THE WORD

Matthew 4:4

But He answered and said, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 7:24

The Two Foundations

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts on them, will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.

1. Matthew 8:8
   But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed.

   
   
2. Matthew 8:16
   Now when evening came, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill.

More to come!!

     

Read More