Handy Guide to New Testament Greek

Order The Handy Guide to New Testament Greek here.

Douglas S. Huffman, The Handy Guide to New Testament Greek, Kregel Academic.112 pages. $11.95 at Christian Book Distributor. ISBN # 978-0-82542743-5.

One reviewer said, "Learning Greek is very difficult." That is the first problem - people who repeat that myth and the students who believe it.

Learning Greek, Latin, German, and other languages is quite simple, as long as the right method is used. I was taught the hard way, so I learned to introduce the languages the easy way.

The hard way starts with lists of grammar rules and new vocabulary. Those who teach languages enjoy those language, doubtless following an easy path for them in getting certified.

Roland Bainton, Yale church historian, used a different method, which I adopted. He oened a Greek New Testament to teach himself languages needed for his research, about 20 in all. He compared the Greek text of John to the text in Old Polish or any other language. 

John's Gospel is simple in grammatical structure and uses repetitive phrases.

I taught our son Martin in Latin (first) and Greek (second) with these simple rules:

1. Only the text can be open - no cheating with an English Bible open.

2. Translate what seems obvious and guess the rest.

3. Go easy on the grammar.

4. Use a pony (usually Lenski) at the last resort.

We went through the first four chapters of John laboriously, learning the basics of vocabulary and grammar. Then we began again at John 1:1, translating more rapidly. Repeating the first four chapters was a great speed up, re-enforcing the previous lessons learned.

This meant translating Latin and Greek within a few days, speed-translating later. I did the same in Greek with some others, at least in starting them out. 

The Handy Guides to New Testament Greek is an ideal companion for learning Greek.The book is small, easy to carry, and well organized.The cost is reasonable in this day of over-priced books.

I looked in vain for Lenski's name in the bibliography. I recently gave some Lenski volumes to a medical missionary (not a Lutheran). He was thrilled with the gift. 

I highly recommend this book for any New Testament Greek student - or for any pastor interested in keeping his skills in Greek. 

Here is the ordering page from Kregel Academic.

First Sunday in Lent. Invocavit, 2013. Matthew 4:1-11. The Human Nature of Christ

Invocavit Sunday, The First Sunday in Lent, 2013

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn #148   Lord Jesus Christ               3:61

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 146               Lamb of God                        3:62

The Human Nature of Christ

The Hymn # 153                 Stricken Smitten                  3:63

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 154     Alas and Did My Savior             3:14

KJV 2 Corinthians 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

KJV Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

First Sunday In Lent

Lord God, heavenly Father, inasmuch as the adversary doth continually afflict us, and as a roaring lion doth walk about, seeking to devour us: We beseech Thee for the sake of the suffering and death of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, to help us by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and to strengthen our hearts by Thy word, that our enemy may not prevail over us, but that we may evermore abide in Thy grace, and be preserved unto everlasting life; through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

The Human Nature of Christ

KJV Matthew 4:1 Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Luther’s initial point about this sermon is the corruption of practice in the church at his time. People were putting on a show about their fasting, and treating it as a good work to earn God’s favor. Thus they were rejecting the atonement of Christ and substitution their own parade of virtue, putting on a sad face, and impressing others. This lack of faith was more shameful than gluttony, and it is still reflected in the secular pietism of today. People brag they will not eat meat, but wear leather products from the same source, because “I just cannot give up my shoes and leather accessories.”

The Spirit led Jesus into the desert, called a “dry place” in the original text, but also properly called a wilderness, because the desert was and remains a wild  place, with many dangers from plants and animals alike.

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Christ in Matthew 9:15: “When the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then will they fast.” This kind of fasting Christ teaches us here while in the wilderness alone without anything to eat, and while he suffers his penury without murmuring. The first kind of fasting, one can end whenever he wills, and can satisfy it by food; but the other kind we must observe and bear until God himself changes it and satisfies us. Hence it is much more precious than the first, because it moves in greater faith.

As many people have observed, when all goes well, we take it for granted and expect things always to be the same. We are less productive. In sales we used to laugh at ourselves, going slack after a couple of good weeks, then working overtime to catch up. The postwar Baby Boom made every mainline denomination  feel successful, building new Sunday School space and larger worship areas. Fifty years later, they began to close down those larger areas to help pay the utilities.

The members who attend the most have experienced the drought of traditional Christian worship. They know what they have missed and do not take it for granted. Ministers who have missed the thrill of the bureaucracy get the chance to study the Word and the Confessions in a concentrated way, without worrying about which faction they will offend if they say this or that. That does not make life easier but more fruitful.

Once, when it rained every day for a long time in Columbus, I cut the rose blooms off the bushes, about one dozen a day. No matter how many I cut, I always had more the next day – because of the rain and the pruning. They went to neighborhood homes and the workplace, and produced an effect there, too. One woman got so many roses that her husband finally sent her roses at work, because he learned how much she enjoyed the free ones brought each day. That thrilled her, because her husband learned how to be more thoughtful from a positive experience.

Privation forced upon us, accepted in faith, make us more fruitful because we look for ways to turn bad experiences into something worthwhile. “What men meant for evil, God meant for good.”

KJV Genesis 50:19 And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

This is a constant theme in the New Testament, with the Human Nature of Christ subjected to the difficulties and trials of accepting His divine mission. This is especially emphasized in John’s Gospel, where we find the dual message of Jesus speaking and doing what God the Father commanded, but doing so willingly. Because of His Human Nature, He is the ultimate example for us, since everything He did led to the cross, but the cross redeemed mankind, bringing the blessings of the Gospel to millions upon millions.

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God, who was able to nourish Christ forty days without any food, can nourish also his Christians.

6. Secondly, this is written for our admonition, that we may in the light of this example also cheerfully suffer want and temptation for the service of God and the good of our neighbor, like Christ did for us, as often as necessity requires it; which is surely accomplished if we learn and confess God’s Word. Therefore this Gospel is sweet consolation and power against the unbelief and infamy of the stomach, to awaken and strengthen the conscience, that we may not be anxious about the nourishment of our bodies, but be assured that he can and will give us our daily bread.

2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

People do not accept hunger very well. On the cruise ship Victorious, people were given plenty of food, but under difficult circumstances. Ships came up and sent it to the waiting thousands. Lines were long and wait-times could be three hours. The result was food hoarding (as if they might starve?) and some fighting as well.

It was pointed out often that soldiers give up far more comforts than these vacationing tourists, but that is Luther’s point. When we volunteer to fast, it is less difficult than having it forced upon us. The sudden loss of comfort and security tempts our faith in God.

That should not lessen our admiration for soldiers who volunteer for duty and know they will face all these dangers. Even the superstar SEALs are mortal, feel the cold, the wounds, and the privation. A remarkable example of that is found in Lone Survivor, by Luttrell.

This verse shows us that Jesus fasted for 40 days and was famished, but there was no food to be found.

3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

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7. But as to how temptation takes place and how it is overcome, is all very beautifully pictured to us here in Christ. First, that he is led up into the wilderness, that is, he is left solitary and alone by God, angels and men, by all creatures. What kind of a temptation would it be, if we were not forsaken and stood not alone? It is, however, painful when we do not feel anything that presents its back to us; as for example, that I should support myself and have not a nickel, not a thread, not a twig, and I experience no help from others, and no advice is offered. That means to be led into the desert and to be left alone. There I am in the true school, and I learn what I am, how weak my faith is, how great and rare true faith is, and how deeply unbelief is entrenched in the hearts of all men. But whoever has his purse, cellar and fields full, is not yet led into the desert, neither is he left alone; therefore he is not conscious of temptation.

Luther did not find works contributing to salvation, and published against the entire, unified tradition of the Medieval Church. There was no alternative, except for such exceptions as Huss – burned at the stake for being a false teacher.

So he too was in the wilderness, alone, with a few voices saying to him, “Are you the only one right? And you, a young monk, dare to say that Holy Mother Church is wrong? The Holy Spirit chosen pope is wrong? The theologians are wrong? Your monastic superiors are wrong? We have worshiped falsehood for century upon century? Who are you to question Aquinas and Jerome, Ambrose and Jerome, the visions and teachings of our sainted leaders?”

Anyone who recognizes false teaching is led by the Spirit into the same desert, to remain year after year, decade after decade. For those who are new at this, it is the shock of hearing family and friends, classmates and fellow workers say, “You are wrong.” Or they slip silently away. Or they smirk as they repeat their falsehood in public, as if to say, “I am distancing myself from x.”

This forces us into more and more study, which is quite fruitful, just as Bunyan’s life in prison produced so many best-selling Christian classics, the most famous being Pilgrim’s Progress.

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10. Thirdly, behold how Christ resists this temptation of bread, and overcomes; he sees nothing but stones and what is uneatable, then he approaches and clings to the Word of God, strengthens himself by it and strikes the devil to the ground with it. This saying all Christians should lay hold of when they see that there is lack and want and everything has become stones, so that courage trembles, and they should say: What were it if the whole world were full of bread, still man does not live by bread alone, but more belongs to life, namely, the Word of God. The words, however, are so beautiful and powerful that we must not pass over them lightly, but carefully explain them.

11. These words Christ quotes from Deuteronomy 8:3, where Moses says: “Thy God humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by everything that proceedeth out of the mouth of Jehovah doth man live.”

That is as much as to say: Since God permits you to hunger and you still continue to live, you ought indeed to grasp the thought that God nourishes you without bread through his Word; for if you should live and sustain yourself by bread alone then you must continually be full of bread. But the Word, that nourishes us is, that he promises us and causes it to be published that he is our God and desires to be our God.

12. Thus now the meaning of Moses and of Christ is: Whoever has here God’s Word and believes, has both blessings; the first, where he is in want and has nothing, but must suffer hunger, that Word will sustain him, so that he will not die of hunger nor perish, just as well as if he had abundance to eat; for the Word he has in his heart nourishes and sustains him without eating and drinking. But has he little to eat, then a bite or slice of bread will feed and nourish him like a kingly meal; for not only bread but the Word of God also nourishes the body naturally, as it creates and upholds all things, Hebrews 1:3. The other blessing he will also enjoy, namely, that finally bread will surely be at hand, come whence it will, and should it rain from heaven like manna where none grows and none can grow. In these two thoughts every person can freely trust, namely, that he must in time of hunger receive bread or something to eat, or if not, then his hunger must become so moderate and bearable that it will nourish him even as well as bread does.

So many have said to me, “I need the bread more than the Word.” They do not choose those words, but make excuses for abandoning a clear confession of the truth, as if God is weak and the synod is strong. And yet we are all weak in this regard. As Luther said, it shows us how weak our faith is. While Jesus never doubted, we do. And those who fall away always have the chance to return to the Word of God.

However, making up reasons against the Word is that very process of blinding and hardening that the Scriptures warn us against in so many ways. Those are the same verses people would rather skip over – to see and not see, to hear and not hear, lest they understand and be saved.

5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

This temptation is a great one, as if to say to God, “I will believe in You and in Your gracious will, if You do things my way. Since God says in Isaiah 55, “My ways are not your ways and My thoughts are not your thoughts,” this is a constant problem.

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2013/02/luthers-sermon-first-sunday-in-lent.html

18. And this very appropriately follows the first temptation. For where the devil feels a heart trusts God in times of want and need, he soon ceases his temptation of bread and avarice and thinks: Wait, wilt thou be very spiritual and believing, I will assist you: He approaches and attacks on the other side, that we might believe where God has not commanded us to believe, nor wills that we should believe. For example, if God gave you bread in your homes, as he does yearly everywhere in the world, and you would not use it, but instead you would cause need and want yourselves, and say: Why, we are to believe God; I will not eat the bread, but will patiently wait until God sends me manna from heaven. See, that would be tempting God; for that is not believing where all is at hand that we need and should have. How can one believe that he will receive what he already has?

Luther also points out that this temptation is behind people taking unnecessary risks, as if God will protect them. There is a name for this, when people see so many surviving from risky behavior and do the same. I told a cab driver the same thing, “All the survivors think they can drive and talk on a phone. You don’t hear from the rest. Pull over or stop talking, now.”

8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

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24. For whom the devil cannot overcome with poverty, want, need and misery, he attacks with riches, favor, honor, pleasure, power and the like, and contends on both sides against us; yea, “he walketh about,” says St.

Peter in 1 Peter 5:8, so that if he cannot overthrow us either with suffering or love, that is, with the first temptation on the left or the third on the right, he retires to a higher and different method and attacks us with error, blindness and a false understanding of the Scripture. If he wins there, we fare ill on all sides and in all things; and whether one suffers poverty or has abundance, whether he fights or surrenders, all is lost. For when one is in error, neither patience in misfortune nor firmness in prosperity helps him; seeing that in both heretics are often powerful and the devil deliberately acts as if he were overcome in the first and last temptations, although he is not, if he has only won in the middle or second temptation. For he lets his own children suffer much and be patient, even at times to spurn the world; but never with a true and honest heart.

We see this constantly today, as the heretics brag about their riches as they boast about their false teaching. They have something new and different, each one says, and they alone have discovered this truth.

The latest, which is not new at all, is Emergent Church – trying hard to blend with current culture. So what do they say to be so appealing? They talk about themselves a lot, which is quite entertaining for the sheep. They deny the basic articles of the faith, ignore sin, and use “love” and “grace” in the wrong way. The worst heretics like to talk about God’s grace, including it in their title (Time of Grace, Grace Place, GracePoint) or the cross (CrossWalk, CrossRoads, CrossWays) while denying the Biblical message, It seems to work for a time, so they glory in it, fulfilling Satan’s temptation.

If there are officials in a supervisory capacity, they go along with it, because of the money and their own lack of faith.

11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

We should not overlook this verse. God’s angels took care of Jesus when no food was to be found. This is our example. Jesus indeed could have created what He needed, as Satan encouraged Him to do. But here He is an example of God providing, as God provides for us. Angels in human form and unseen angels provide for us and protect us.

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27. At last angels approached and served him. This must have taken place in a literal sense, that they appeared in a bodily form and gave him to eat and drink, and just as at a table, they ministered to all his wants. For the service is offered outwardly to his body, just like, no doubt, the devil, his tempter, also appeared in a bodily form, perhaps like an angel. For, seeing that he places him on the pinnacle of the temple and shows him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment, he must have been a higher being than a man, since he represents himself as a higher being, in that he offers him all the kingdoms of the world and permits himself to be worshiped. But he surely did not bear the form of the devil, for he desires to be beautiful when he lies and deceives, as St. Paul says of him in 2 Corinthians 11:14: “For even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light.”

28. This however is written for our comfort, that we may know that many angels minister also to us, where one devil attacks us; if we fight with a knightly spirit and firmly stand, God will not let us suffer want, the angels of heaven would sooner appear and be our bakers, waiters and cooks and minister to all our wants. This is not written for Christ’s sake for he does not need it. Did the angels serve him, then they may also serve us.

INVOCABIT

Temptation

"He shows, moreover, that it is customary in Scripture to call temptation and tribulation in this life a fire. As the furnace tests the vessels of the potter, so also tribulation tests unjust people."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, III, p. 254. 1 Corinthians 3:15.

Sins Against the Third Commandment

"The sins which militate against the Third Commandment are the profanation of the Sabbath through neglect and contempt of the ministry, through Judaic and superstitious observance of the Sabbath, or through a shifting of the ministry into the kingdom of this world. The faithfulness of those who teach is the virtue by which the ministers of the Church, aware of their modest skill in Christian doctrine, carefully and zealousy discharge and steadfastly protect all the duties of the faithful dispenser of the mysteries of God in teaching, debating, comforting and setting their hearers an example of true devotion and of all the virtues. The other extreme are faithlessness, heedless teaching or negligence in office, or deserting the ministry because of excessive anxiety or concern over one's own weakness."

David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith, (1568), trans., Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press, 1994. p. 71f.      

"Those, however, who set the time, place and measure, tempt God, and believe not that they are heard or that they have obtained what they asked; therefore, they also receive nothing."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 172.  

"So it is with all Christian; where faith is not continually kept in motion and exercised, it weakens and decreases, so that it must indeed vanish; and yet we do not see nor feel this weakness ourselves, except in times of need and temptation, when unbelief rages too strongly; and yet for that very reason faith must have temptations in which it may battle and grow."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 254.                 

"That temptation occurs before God's Word is heard; this after we hear the Word, namely thus: when we know that God has promised help in the time of any trouble, but are not content with it, go forward and will not abide His promise, but prescribe time, place, and manner for His help; and then if He does not come as we expect and desire, faith vanishes."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, I, p. 366.  

Faith Is Trust

"He who holds fast to the Word alone, trusts and abides in it, does not doubt that what the Word says will come to pass; he who does not dictate aim or time or means and ways, but resigns all freely to God's will and pleasure as to when, how, where, and by whom He will fulfill His Word; he, I say, has a true living faith which does not nor cannot tempt God."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, I, p. 367.  

Nature of Faith

"The second characteristic of faith is that it does not desire to know, nor first to be assured whether it is worthy of grace and will be heard, like the doubters, who grasp after God and tempt Him. Just as a blind man runs against a wall, so they also plunge against God, and would first gladly feel and be assured that he can not escape out of their hands."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 66.                 

Power of Faith

"Behold, so powerful is faith, to obtain all it wants of God, that God considers it done before the asking. Of this Isaiah says, 65:24: 'And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.' Not as though faith or we were worthy of it, but in order that he might show His unspeakable goodness and willing grace, thereby to stir us to believe in Him, and comfortingly look to Him for every good thing, with joyful and unwavering consciences, which do not stumble after Him nor tempt Him."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 69.  

[ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy] "This is spoken to all Christians, for every Christian must have temptations, trails, anxieties, adversities, sorrows, come what may. Therefore He mentions here no sorrow nor trial, He simply says they shall weep, lament, and be sorrowful, for the Christian has many persecutions. Some are suffering loss of goods; others there are whose character is suffering ignominy and scorn; some are drowned, others are burned; some are beheaded; one perishes in this manner, and another in that; it is therefore the lot of the Christian constantly to suffer misfor- tune, persecution, trials and adversity. This is the rod or fox tail with which they are punished. They dare not look for anything better as long as they are here. This is the court color by which the Christian is recognized,and if anyone wants to be a Christian, he dare not be ashamed of his court color or livery."   

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed. John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 79.  

Temptation Tests People

"When the Gospel begins to assert its influence, everybody wants to become a Christian. All seems well, and everybody is pleased. But when a wind or rainstorm of temptation comes on, people fall away in droves. Then sectaries arrive, as worms and bugs, gnawing and polluting the fruits of the Gospel, and so much false doctrine arises that few stay with the Gospel."   

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 37. John 4:46-54.              

Ash Wednesday, 2013

Ash Wednesday, 2011

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM Central Time

The Hymn #552                Abide with Me            2.11

The Order of Vespers                                                p. 41

The Psalmody               Psalm 1                        p. 123

The Lection                              Joel 2:12-19

Matthew 6:16-2

The Sermon Hymn # 17            O Worship the King     2.44

The Sermon – Repentance and Faith

The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer

The Collect for Grace                                       p. 45

The Hymn # 429      Lord, Thee I Love                  2.54

KJV Joel 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? 18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:

KJV Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Collect

Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst manifest Thyself, with the Holy Ghost, in the fullness of grace at the baptism of Thy dear Son, and with Thy voice didst direct us to Him who hath borne our sins, that we might receive grace and the remission of sins: Keep us, we beseech Thee, in the true faith; and inasmuch as we have been baptized in accordance with Thy command, and the example of Thy dear Son, we pray Thee to strengthen our faith by Thy Holy Spirit, and lead us to everlasting life and salvation, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen,

Repentance and Faith

Mankind has done so much to pay for sins, from endowing masses for eternity to building great cathedrals and institutions. Pagans have many forms of man-centered repentance, and Christianity gets corrupted by imitating them. Self-inflicted pain is a demonstration, not genuine contrition.

Strangely, the rationalism of man has enabled people to ignore the clear teaching of the Bible and turn to invented notions, man-made tradition, and novel ideas.

The most novel, coming from nominal Christians, is that faith does not matter, and yet trust in the Word is the constant emphasis of the Scriptures.

There is the reality of God’s wisdom uniquely revealed in the Word of God. That wisdom is so different from man’s knowledge, that Paul refers to it as the “mysteries of God.” These are not mystery stories and certainly not anything borrowed from pagans. The mysteries are those things known to us only through the work of the Holy Spirit in the Word.

Therefore, faith itself is not something man can conjure in his own mind, through intense thinking or an act of the will. God has shown that repeatedly – that faith comes by hearing the preached Word of God.

In the  preaching of the Gospel Word, the Holy Spirit enters the heart and man begins to trust in this way – “Yes, this is true. I believe this to be true of me.” As Luther often said, if we only think it applies to others, there is no faith. It is true for us as individuals. That happens to newborns, who also trust their parents, their mothers especially.

After months of hearing the parental voice, the baby sees that one face – or two faces – and smiles very early. The baby hears the voices and identifies with all those familiar things once masked by his warm, interior home.

Parents see that with siblings too. If they want the baby to smile, they have the older brother or sister do something. Big smiles – a special bond.

So when a baby is baptized and hears the Gospel Promises, the blessings of God are embraced and believed. That is why infant faith is the purest, because a baby does not measure and weigh what the great and wise might say, but has an uncomplicated trust, often spoken.

We see that in Christmas pageants and the way in which children understand the story of Christ. I debate with adults who question whether Jesus could consecrate His Body and His Blood. Children, when asked how, say, “He is God. God can do anything.”

That is such a simple confession of faith, yet many learned adults trip over and it becomes the stone of stumbling, the tripwire of their faith. From one doubt springs another until all the articles of faith are missing. They are left with “man is good. Man is ethical. I am good because I am ethical.” And yet the history of man says otherwise.

Repentance is always connected with faith, because the believing heart knows that there is a vast gulf between our pretensions and reality.

The first inkling of repentance is connected with faith, because someone must realize he cannot make himself good by his own efforts. Trusting that the God is gracious to us sinners is that beginning of repentance – not making a show of things, but realizing what the Gospel means.

"For the Word of God is the sanctuary above all sanctuaries, yea, the only one which we Christians know and have. For though we had the bones of all the saints or all holy and consecrated garments upon a heap, still that would help us nothing; for all that is a dead thing which can sanctify nobody. But God's Word is the treasure which sanctifies everything, and by which even all the saints themselves were sanctified. At whatever hour, then, God's Word is taught, preached, heard, read or meditated upon, there the person, day, and work are sanctified thereby, not because of the external work, but because of the Word, which makes saints of us all. Therefore I constantly say that all our life and work must be ordered according to God's Word, if it is to be God-pleasing or holy. Where this is done, this commandment is in force and being fulfilled."             Large Catechism, Preface, #91, Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, 1921, p. 607. Tappert, p. 377. 

God’s Word makes us into saints, because His Word alone makes us holy. Luther liked to say this because he grew up among people made holy by their robes, haircuts, vows, and solemn masses. His visit to Rome showed him how all the holiness was just a farce. The city of saints was especially corrupt and immoral, not a center of holiness.

The problem comes from making man’s institutions the heart of all holiness, when it is the Word of God that makes us holy. The Gospel moves the heart to believe anew and to realize the depth of forgiveness offered to each and every one of us.

So the center of repentance is faith in these Promises rather than in emotions, sorrows, and outward expressions.

And where is our treasure? We laugh about this among our friends and church members. Early in life we think about things we want to have, to acquire. Soon we learn that whatever we own, owns us. And later in life we think of presents as someone stopping by and taking something away.

When earthly treasures become more transitory to us, we see the value of the Gospel Treasure – a common term in the Book of Concord and in Luther. The treasure is forgiveness. This treasure is distributed to people by Holy Spirit, using the Means of Grace.

Isn’t that simple? The cross – or the atonement – is the treasure. God’s beloved Son has died for all of your sins. This forgiveness, called justification by faith, is the distribution of the treasure through Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, through teaching and preaching, through absolution and the “mutual consolation of the brothers.”

The last should be our common language. “I am sorry,” which leads to “That’s OK. Forget it. I have forgotten.” Mutual forgiveness is the necessary companion of love and friendship.

Those who believe the Gospel pass along the treasure each and every day. It begins with a forgiven and forgiving heart. That makes us patient with the errors and shortcomings of others, because we realize our own in the light of God’s grace. We are easily moved to be forgiving as life’s conflicts move through our lives from day to day, from the annoying customer service person to big crisis looming at the moment.

So that Gospel treasure makes everything better in two ways. It takes the away the burden from our hearts and also from others. It constantly moves back and forth between people, a blessing for all parties concerned.

Today someone mentioned the Hatfields and McCoys – their long-running warfare in West Virginia. I know one of them. She said the dispute went on so long and cost so many lives that they stopped counting who was wrong and had a peace meeting. Now they have joint reunions because the families are inter-married anyway.

Man could not settle the problem with guns, so forgiveness ended the warfare.

Quotations

"For the Word of God is the sanctuary above all sanctuaries, yea, the only one which we Christians know and have. For though we had the bones of all the saints or all holy and consecrated garments upon a heap, still that would help us nothing; for all that is a dead thing which can sanctify nobody. But God's Word is the treasure which sanctifies everything, and by which even all the saints themselves were sanctified. At whatever hour, then, God's Word is taught, preached, heard, read or meditated upon, there the person, day, and work are sanctified thereby, not because of the external work, but because of the Word, which makes saints of us all. Therefore I constantly say that all our life and work must be ordered according to God's Word, if it is to be God-pleasing or holy. Where this is done, this commandment is in force and being fulfilled."

            Large Catechism, Preface, #91, Third Commandment, Concordia Triglotta, 1921, p. 607. Tappert, p. 377. 

"For neither you nor I could ever know anything of Christ, or believe on Him, and obtain Him for our Lord, unless it were offered to us and granted to our hearts by the Holy Ghost through the preaching of the Gospel. The work is done and accomplished; for Christ has acquired and gained the treasure for us by His suffering, death, resurrection, etc. But if the work remained concealed so that no one knew of it, then it would be in vain and lost. That this treasure, therefore, might not lie buried, but be appropriated and enjoyed, God has caused the Word to go forth and be proclaimed, in which He gives the Holy Ghost to bring this treasure home and appropriate it to us. Therefore sanctifying is nothing else than bringing us to Christ to receive this good, to which could not attain ourselves."

            The Large Catechism, The Creed, Article III, #38, Concordia Triglotta, 1921, p. 689. Tappert, p. 415.      

Luther: "True, the enthusiasts confess that Christ died on the cross and saved us; but they repudiate that by which we obtain Him; that is, the means, the way, the bridge, the approach to Him they destroy...They lock up the treasure which they should place before us and lead me a fool's chase; they refuse to admit me to it; they refuse to transmit it; they deny me its possession and use." (III, 1692)

            The. Engelder, et al., Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 5.                    

"These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves. This faith is a gift of God, by which we truly learn to know Christ, our Redeemer, in the Word of the Gospel, and trust in Him, that for the sake of His obedience alone we have the forgiveness of sins by grace, are regarded as godly and righteous by God the Father, and are eternally saved."     Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III 10 Righteousness, Concordia Triglotta, 1921, p. 919.                 

"Early in the morning it rises, sits upon a twig and sings a song it has learned, while it knows not where to obtain its food, and yet it is not worried as to where to get its breakfast. Later, when it is hungry, it flies away and seeks a grain of corn, where God stored one away for it, of which it never thought while singing, when it had cause enough to be anxious about its food. Ay, shame on you now, that the little birds are more pious and believing than you; they are happy and sing with joy and know not whether they have anything to eat."

            Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed. John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 114. 

"These means are the true treasure of the church through which salvation in Christ is offered. They are the objective proclamation of faith which alone makes man's subjective faith possible (Augsburg Confession, Article V). The Formula of Concord (Solid Declaration, Article XI, 76) states expressly that God alone draws man to Christ and that he does this only through the means of grace."

Walter G. Tillmanns, "Means of Grace: Use of," The Encyclopedia of the Lutheran Church, 3 vols., Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1965, II, p. 1505.                

"It is a faithful saying that Christ has accomplished everything, has removed sin and overcome every enemy, so that through Him we are lords over all things. But the treasure lies yet in one pile; it is not yet distributed nor invested. Consequently, if we are to possess it, the Holy Spirit must come and teach our hearts to believe and say: I, too, am one of those who are to have this treasure. When we feel that God has thus helped us and given the treasure to us, everything goes well, and it cannot be otherwise than that man's heart rejoices in God and lifts itself up, saying: Dear Father, if it is Thy will to show toward me such great love and faithfulness, which I cannot fully fathom, then will I also love Thee with all my heart and be joyful, and cheerfully do what pleases Thee. Thus, the heart does not now look at God with evil eyes, does not imagine He will cast us into hell, as it did before the HS came...."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 279.

"Thus we see what a very splendid thing Baptism is. It snatches us from the jaws of the devil, makes us God's own, restrains and removes sin, and then daily strengthens the new man within us. It is and remains ever efficacious until we pass from this state of misery to eternal glory. For this reason everyone should consider his Baptism as his daily dress, to be worn constantly. Every day he should be found in the faith and its fruits, suppressing the old man, and growing up in the new; for if we want to be Christians, we must practice the work whereby we are Christians. But if anyone falls from baptismal grace, let him return to it. For as Christ, the Mercy Seat, does not withdraw from us or forbid us to come to Him again even though we sin, so all His treasures and gifts also remain with us."  

What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 61.      

"(3) Hollazius (ib.): 'The Word of God, as such, cannot be conceived of without the divine virtue, or the Holy Spirit, who is inseparable from His Word. For if the Holy Spirit could be separated from the Word of God, it would not be the Word of God or of the Spirit, but a word of man. Nor is there any other Word of God, which is in God, or with which the men of God have been inspired, than that which is given in the Scriptures or is preached or is treasured up in the human mind. But, as it cannot be denied that that is the divine will, counsel, mind, and the wisdom of God, so it cannot be destitute of the divine virtue or efficacy.'"

Heinrich Schmid, Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, trans., Charles A. Hay and Henry E. Jacobs, Philadelphia: United Lutheran Publication House, 1899, p. 505.

Roman Catholic Indulgences

"Indulgences are, in the Church, a true spiritual treasure laid open to all the faithful; all are permitted to draw therefrom, to pay their own debts and those of others."

            Rev. F. X. Schouppe, S.J., Purgatory, Illustrated by the Lives and Legends of the Saints, Rockford: Tan Books and Publishers, 1973 (1893), p. 195.

Lutheran church in Ethiopia severs relationship with ELCA - News Releases - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Lutheran church in Ethiopia severs relationship with ELCA - News Releases - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
February 7, 2013

Lutheran church in Ethiopia severs relationship with ELCA
13-8-MRC

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus is severing its relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Church of Sweden and “those churches who have openly accepted same-sex marriage.”
     The action for “all Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus departments and institutions (at every level) to implement this decision” was ratified at the denomination’s general assembly, which met Jan. 27-Feb. 2 in Addis Ababa. The denomination’s church council took action at its July 2012 meeting to initially sever these relationships.
     “The ELCA is very saddened by this decision,” said the Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla, executive director for ELCA Global Mission. “The ELCA and its predecessor church bodies have been walking with the people of Ethiopia for more than 50 years, and our sister church, the Church of Sweden, for more than 150 years. In this journey, we have learned from one another, we have deepened and extended the bonds of fellowship and partnership in the gospel.” Malpica Padilla was in Addis Ababa for meetings with program and ministry partners of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus.
     To ensure that the decisions by the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus are implemented, members of the denomination “will not receive Holy Communion from the leadership and pastors of the (ELCA and the Church of Sweden). The Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus will not distribute communion to these churches,” as stated in the minutes of the denomination’s July 2012 council meeting.
     “Representatives of these churches at national level or leaders at every level would not be invited to preach or speak at the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus congregations or other gatherings. They should not be invited for any spiritual ministries of this church,” stated the minutes, which also reflects that leaders and pastors of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus “at every level will not visit the synods, dioceses, congregations and national offices of churches that have accepted this practice without proper permission from the head office of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus.”
     While the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus is “closing the door to this partnership,” Malpica Padilla said that the ELCA and the Church of Sweden “are not locking the doors from our side. It is open for when you decide it is time to resume this journey together. It is my hope that in the near future, we will again walk together in Christian love. We will do this not because of doctrinal agreements or consensus, but because the gospel compels us to do so.”
      The ELCA has consistently kept its Lutheran companion churches informed about the ELCA’s process that led to the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly decisions, which included the adoption of a social statement on human sexuality, said Malpica Padilla.
      “We shared the study documents and invited their input,” he said. “When decisions were made, we wrote to (leaders of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus) expressing our commitment to not impose our actions and to respect the policy and practice of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus in the assignment of mission personnel,” he said.
     The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, said the actions of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus are “deeply troubling.”
      “Our own statement on human sexuality acknowledges that the position held by the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus is also held by members of the ELCA. We are not of one mind, but we are one in Christ, in faith and in baptism,” said Hanson, adding that the relationships between Lutherans in North America and in Ethiopia “has been sustained through periods of oppression, divisions within the Ethiopian church and in times of turmoil among Lutherans in North America. The action of the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus church diminishes our capacity together to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, to serve our neighbors and to care for the creation.
      “As the ELCA, we are always standing ready to open the door of conversation for the sake of reconciliation and our shared commitment to proclamation and service,” Hanson said. “Reconciliation is not an option. It is given in Christ, and we stand ready to engage with the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus on what this gift of reconciliation might mean for us now.”
- - -
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 4 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God's work. Our hands,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.

For information contact:
Melissa Ramirez Cooper
773-380-2956 or Melissa.RamirezCooper@ELCA.org
http://www.ELCA.org/news 

'via Blog this'

Quinquagesima Sunday - Holy Communion - Real Presence

Quinquagesima Sunday, 2013

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn # 195                 Christ Lay in Death’s                       1:46   

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 305:1-5               Soul Adorn Thyself             4:23

This Is My Body

The Hymn # 305:6-9                             Soul, Adorn Thyself             4:23

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #657               Beautiful Savior                    4:24   

The Epistle. 1 Corinthians 13

THOUGH I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

The Gospel. St. Luke 18. 31.

THEN Jesus took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: and they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken. And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging: and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou son of David. have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou son of David, have mercy on me. And Jesus stood. and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

Quinquagesima Sunday

Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst manifest Thyself, with the Holy Ghost, in the fullness of grace at the baptism of Thy dear Son, and with Thy voice didst direct us to Him who hath borne our sins, that we might receive grace and the remission of sins: Keep us, we beseech Thee, in the true faith; and inasmuch as we have been baptized in accordance with Thy command, and the example of Thy dear Son, we pray Thee to strengthen our faith by Thy Holy Spirit, and lead us to everlasting life and salvation, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

This Is My Body

KJV 1 Corinthians 11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

11:23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

The setting for the Words of Institution in Corinthians is the abuse of the Agape Meal, which was a human tradition built around the sacrament. The tradition itself was distorted by rude and selfish behavior, so Paul used the sacrament as the foundation for improving this behavior. We can find other situations where the problems moved Paul to cite the Gospel foundations, so we can be happy that the early Christians provided so many opportunities for correction.

We can see from this situation and others that he was not teaching them for the first time but reminding them of words that they probably memorized. Where writing was relatively rare and written materials were valuable, memory was the original e-book.

Memorizing has declined with the growth of printed materials, notes, minutes, and contracts. As someone said, printing did to memory what the stirrup did to horsemanship. (The ancient warriors rode into battle without stirrups, but now we hate to ride old sway-backed oat-burners without those stabilizers.)

11:23 For I have received of the Lord

Paul cited his apostolic authority at the beginning of each letter. In this phrase he is showing that the words following were taught by the risen Lord to him, directly. Paul did not learn about Holy Communion from the Twelve, but from the Son of God.

Abuse of the sacrament is abuse of God’s visible Word, and our practical application of Holy Communion must show respect for its divine origin. It is not a toy or a gimmick for making a point - such as the social activists serving the elements are garbage can lids to show “solidarity with the poor.” Or dressing as clowns, as many mainline ministers have done for the sacrament and for worship. Many of these gimmicks are offered up as something new when they are only repetitions of cliché left-wing posturing.

What God gives us directly is not to be despised and His own Word must be honored as His Word, not as man’s improvement upon it.

that which also I delivered unto you,

Paul the Apostle writes here that he taught exactly what he received from the risen Christ. We live in an era where the visiting expert is given the greatest possible honor. If he says so, it must be true.

This example is far greater, since Paul was an undisputed apostle, chosen by God for teaching the Gospel, and the Savior taught him directly. In last week’s epistle, where he alluded to his special vision and learning “My power is made perfect in weakness, to show that My grace is sufficient,”

This phrase is in complete harmony with Luther’s constant admonition that we take God’s Word for what it is, a direct revelation of God to us in the written Word, not something to be watered down, changed, sugar-coated, reversed, and explained in an appeal to human reason.

KJV Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

Thus the power of the Holy Spirit is always present when the Word is taught. In some, who listen to it with sincerity, it brings enlightenment and salvation. In others, who reject it obstinately, the Word brings blindness and hardness of heart. The Sword of the Spirit quotation from Hebrews should always be remembered. The Word of God is discerning and penetrating.

That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

This phrase locates the practice of Holy Communion in a specific moment of crisis, the Last Supper, and there is a play on words.

The noun tradition comes from the verb “to hand over.” Depending on context, hand over can mean to teach the same that was received or to betray. Judas identified Jesus in dark, when the authorities came to arrest him at night  - thus he handed Him over, or betrayed Him.

So this is the irony – that Jesus handed over the Sacrament of Forgiveness on the same night He was handed over (betrayed) to the authorities for His crucifixion.

This makes Holy Communion doubly solemn and important. Jesus gave Himself up to atone for our sins just when the disciples were at their weakest. Where man would rail against man’s weakness, God provided forgiveness and strength for the Shepherd’s wandering sheep.

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

One of our regular listeners asked me to explain this issue in detail. The language is similar to the Feeding of the Multitudes

KJV John 6:11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

Jesus multiplied the loaves and fish miraculously. Some would dispute this happening with the Lord’s Supper. To deny this in the Lord’s Supper is to deny it being possible with the Feeding of the Multitude.  The rationalists reject both, of course, starting with the Lord’s Supper or with the miraculous feeding.

Another part of the argument against Holy Communion is this command –

Take, eat: this is my body,

Although there may be a few exceptions, the only Protestants who teach the Real Presence are the orthodox Lutherans.

Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, and others make this a memorial meal, only done in remembrance of the Last Supper.

They say this – “Jesus spoke in Aramaic, a form of Hebrew. Aramaic has no word for is. Therefore, Jesus never said these words.”

That argument is based upon a false assumption and bad information. We only have one text of the New Testament, which is Greek. And Greek does have the word is.

Did Jesus speak only Aramaic? No. The universal language of the time was Greek, thanks to Alexander the Great. We have thousands of Greek New Testament manuscripts from the earliest times, but no Aramaic New Testament.

So the result of this argument is to say, among the strictest Evangelicals, the Scriptures are infallible, inerrant, and they believe in the plenary (complete) inspiration of the Holy Spirit in giving God’s Word to us – except for “is.” The Gospel writers and Paul were wrong in claiming that.

My Moline classmate recently said on Facebook, “I believe it is only symbolic because Jesus never used the word is.” Then He never said “I am the Good Shepherd” or “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”

So we can test this with other passages from Scripture. Did Paul indicate the Real Presence anywhere else.

KJV 1 Corinthians 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

This word communion is the term the unLutherans translations and paraphrases eliminate.

Notice how the Real Presence is taught in so few words. The cup of blessing (similar to the wine blessed at Jewish Sabbath meals) is communion with the blood of Christ. It is not merely wine. It is not just symbolic. It is wine that is also the blood of Christ through the power of the efficacious, consecrating Word.

[Mainline Protestants and Synodical Conference “Lutherans” deny the consecration. Mainline Protestants and the SynCons also teach UOJ. Rejecting the efficacy of the Word does not stop at one article of faith or another, but affects all aspects of the Christian faith. Luther consistently taught the Biblical concept of the divine efficacy of the Word.]

In the same verse –

The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

Jesus blessed the bread and broke it at the Feeding of the Multitude. He did not say at that time, “This is My Body.”

But here, Paul says bread broken (consecrated by the Word) is also communion with the body of Christ.

Old and New NIV 1 Corinthians 10:16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?

Likewise, the NIV and other unLutheran translations cannot abide 1 Peter 3:21, where another apostle teaches “Baptism now saves you.”

NIV 1 Peter 3:21 and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also-- not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

False doctrine is so powerful that it moves people to print and sell Bibles that do not say what the original text clearly teaches. Instead, words are removed and insert to create a message that fits the false doctrine.

That is also why the New NIV is being accepted and adopted by the left-wing denominations and WELS – because it teaches their favorite dogma – UOJ.

this do in remembrance of me.

The non-Lutherans have pixilated this verse. I used to see it carved on the altar in the Disciples of Christ Church in Moline. The words themselves are good, but they have been taken to mean only – in remembrance.

Most people realize that Jewish rituals are largely in remembrance. They involve both remembering and re-enacting. The seder meal remembers and re-enacts the Exodus, with people standing and ready to leave (ideally).

Actions drive home the meaning of the words. But memory does not mean only in memory in this text.

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

In Corinthians we do not have a specific verse that says – for forgiveness. Since the Lord’s death was and is for atonement, this is implied.

Forgiveness is explicit in the Gospels –

KJV Matthew 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

To argue against Holy Communion giving us forgiveness is to say that Matthew clashes with Paul, that Mark and Luke do the same, even though they say “shed for you.”

When a dogma goes looking for a text, that dogma finds only what it wants and discards the rest.

The Bible – in a sense – is One Word. Because we are weak and frail, prone to misunderstand, the Holy Spirit teaches us from many perspectives, but it is always One unified and coherent Word.

The Holy Spirit does not teach the Real Presence in one text, forget, and teach against it in another place.

We were discussing Spener and Pietism last night. A translator for WELS said to me, “Spener teaches this doctrine and that one. It is hard to pin him down because he wrote so much and took different positions.”

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

Holy Communion is giving the visible Word of God to people. To give it to mockers is to mock the Word of God. When someone mocked the institution of marriage, I offered a blessing but no communion. I followed that with a pastor visit on marriage as created by God’s Word and not to be despised.

Closed communion means giving the sacrament only to those who are well known to the pastor, normally to members only. This must be God-pleasing because it riles people up only where it is stated. In open communion churches, few non-members ever take the sacrament, even when invited. But when something is in the bulletin or put into practice – BOOM. People walk out and slam the doors.

Application

Holy Communion is a memorial meal and it is symbolic, but it also a sacrament where the grace of God is distributed through the Gospel Word and elements.

Why so many means?

Why do we have trophies, certificates, awards, monuments? We enjoy having physical reminders of reality, and there are often many of them for the same identical purpose – to honor veterans, civic leaders, founders of institutions.

We need forgiveness, and forgiveness is the power of the life of every Christian.

When we reflect upon communion, we can think about the the lost coin, the lost sheep, and the prodigal son.

God lavishes forgiveness and rejoices in repentance.

Faith in Christ is forgiveness. Believing in Him is salvation.

Holy Communion

"And just as the Word has been given in order to excite this faith, so the Sacrament has been instituted in order that the outward appearance meeting the eyes might move the heart to believe [and strengthen faith]. For through these, namely, through Word and Sacrament, the Holy Ghost works."

Apology Augsburg Confession, XXIV (XII), #70. The Mass. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 409. Tappert, p. 262. Heiser, p. 123.         

"Our adversaries have no testimonies and no command from Scripture for defending the application of the ceremony for liberating the souls of the dead, although from this they derive infinite revenue. Nor, indeed, is it a light sin to establish such services in the Church without the command of God and without the example of Scripture, and to apply to the dead the Lord's Supper, which was instituted for commemoration and preaching among the living [for the purpose of strengthening the faith of those who use the ceremony]. This is to violate the Second Commandment, by abusing God's name."

Apology Augsburg Confession, XXIV. #89. The Mass. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 413f. Tappert, p. 265f. Heiser, p. 124.     

"Whoever denies the Real Presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper must pervert the words of Institution where Christ the Lord, speaking of that which He gives His Christians to eat, says: 'This is My body,' and, speaking of that which He gives them to drink, says: 'This is My blood.' [Also 1 Corinthians 10:16]

Francis Pieper, The Difference between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 40. 1 Corinthians 10:16.

"If Reformed theology wishes to free itself from the confusion of self-contradiction and its other Christological errors, it must by all means eliminate its rationalistic principle that the finite is not capable of the infinite."

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1951, II, p. p. 275.                

"And all these are established by the words by which Christ has instituted it, and which every one who desires to be a Christian and go to the Sacrament should know. For it is not our intention to admit to it and to administer it to those who know not what they seek, or why they come."

Large Catechism, The Sacrament of the Altar. #2. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 753. Tappert, p. 447. Heiser, p. 210.         

"For it is not founded upon the holiness of men, but upon the Word of God. And as no saint upon earth, yea, no angel in heaven, can make bread and wine to be the body and blood of Christ, so also can no one change or alter it, even though it be misused. For the Word by which it became a Sacrament and was instituted does not become false because of the person or his unbelief. For He does not say: If you believe or are worthy you receive My body and blood, but: Take, eat and drink; this is My body and blood."

The Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar. #16-17. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 757. Tappert, p. 448. Heiser, p. 211.      

"On this account it is indeed called a food of souls, which nourishes and strengthens the new man. For by Baptism we are first born anew; but (as we said before) there still remains, besides, the old vicious nature of flesh and blood in man, and there are so many hindrances and temptations of the devil and of the world that we often become weary and faint, and sometimes also stumble."

The Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar. #23. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 757. Tappert, p. 449. Heiser, p. 211f.        

"Therefore it {communion}is given for a daily pasture and sustenance, that faith may refresh and strengthen itself so as not to fall back in such a battle, but become every stronger and stronger. For the new life must be so regulated that it continually increase and progress; but it must suffer much opposition. For the devil is such a furious enemy that when he sees that we oppose him and attack the old man, and that he cannot topple us over by force, he prowls and moves about on all sides, tries all devices, and does not desist, until he finally wearies us, so that we either renounce our faith or yield hands and feet and become listless or impatient. Now to this end the consolation is here given when the heart feels that the burden is becoming too heavy, that it may here obtain new power and refreshment."

The Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar. #24-27. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 759. Tappert, p. 449. Heiser, p. 211.  

"For here in the Sacrament you are to receive from the lips of Christ forgiveness of sin, which contains and brings with it the grace of God and the Spirit with all His gifts, protection, shelter, and power against death and the devil and all misfortune."

The Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar. #70. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 769. Tappert, p. 454. Heiser, p. 214.         

"Therefore, if you cannot feel it {the works of the flesh, Galatians 5:199ff. above}, at least believe the Scriptures; they will not lie to you, and they know your flesh better than you yourself...Yet, as we have said, if you are quite dead to all sensibility, still believe the Scriptures, which pronounce sentence upon you. And, in short, the less you feel your sins and infirmities, the more reason have you to go to the Sacrament to seek help and a remedy."

The Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar. #76-78. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 771. Tappert, p. 455. Heiser, p. 214.       

  

"Calvin was dissatisfied with Zwingli's interpretation of the Lord's Supper, but his own interpretation was also wrong. He said that a person desiring to receive the body and blood of Christ could not get it under the bread and wine, but must by his faith mount up to heaven, where the Holy Spirit would negotiate a way for feeding him with the body and blood of Christ. These are mere vagaries, which originated in Calvin's fancy. But an incident like this shows that men will not believe that God bears us poor sinners such great love that He is willing to come to us."

C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel, trans., W. H. T. Dau, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1928, p. 185.     

"Is the Lord's Supper the place to display my toleration, my Christian sympathy, or my fellowship with another Christian, when that is the very point in which most of all we differ; and in which the difference means for me everything--means for me, the reception of the Savior's atonement? Is this the point to be selected for the display of Christian union, when in fact it is the very point in which Christian union does not exist?"

Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: 1911, p. 905f.        

"For in Confession as in the Lord's Supper you have the additional advantage, that the Word is applied to your person alone. For in preaching it flies out into the whole congregation, and although it strikes you also, yet you are not so sure of it; but here it does not apply to anyone except you. Ought it not to fill your heart with joy to know a place where God is ready to speak to you personally? Yea, if we had a chance to hear an angel speak we would surely run to the ends of the earth."

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed. John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983 II, p. 199.     

"In addition there is this perversion, that whereas Christ instituted the use of His Supper for all who receive it, who take, eat, and drink, the papalist Mass transfers the use and benefit of the celebration of the Lord's Supper in our time to the onlookers, who do not communicate, yes, to those who are absent, and even to the dead."

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 498.       

"However, you will be sure as to whether the sacrament is efficacious in your heart, if you watch your conduct toward your neighbor. If you discover that the words and he symbol soften and move you to be friendly to your enemy, to take an interest in your neighbor's welfare, and to help him bear his suffering and affliction, then all is well. On the other hand, if you do not find it so, you continue uncertain even if you were to commune a hundred times a day with devotions so great as to move you to tears for very joy; for wonderful devotions like this, very sweet to experience, yet as dangerous as sweet, amount to nothing before God. Therefore we must above all be certain for ourselves, as Peter writes in 2 Peter 1:10: 'Give the more diligence to make your calling and election sure.'"

Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed. John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983 II, p. 211. 2 Peter 1:10.

"Hence it is manifest how unjustly and maliciously the Sacramentarian fanatics (Theodore Beza) deride the Lord Christ, St. Paul, and the entire Church in calling this oral partaking, and that of the unworthy, duos pilos caudae equinae et commentum, cuius vel ipsum Satanam pudeat, as also the doctrine concerning the majesty of Christ, excrementum Satanae, quo diabolus sibi ipsi et hominibus illudat, that is, they speak so horribly of it that a godly Christian man should be ashamed to translate it. [two hairs of a horse's tail and an invention of which even Satan himself would be ashamed; Satan's excrement, by which the devil amuses himself and deceives men].

Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article VII, Lord's Supper, 67, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 997. Tappert, p. 581f. Heiser, p. 270.    

"Dr. Luther, who, above others, certainly understood the true and proper meaning of the Augsburg Confession, and who constantly remained steadfast thereto till his end, and defended it, shortly before his death repeated his faith concerning this article with great zeal in his last Confession, where he writes thus: 'I rate as one concoction, namely, as Sacramentarians and fanatics, which they also are, all who will not believe that the Lord's bread in the Supper is His true natural body, which the godless or Judas received with the mouth, as well as did St. Peter and all [other] saints; he who will not believe this (I say) should let me alone, and hope for no fellowship with me; this is not going to be altered [thus my opinion stands, which I am not going to change]."

Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article VII, Lord's Supper, 33, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 983. Tappert, p. 575. Heiser, p. 267.  

"Besides this, you will also have the devil about you, whom you will not entirely tread under foot, because our Lord Christ Himself could not entirely avoid him. Now, what is the devil? Nothing else than what the Scriptures call him, a liar and murderer. A liar, to lead the heart astray from the Word of God, and blind it, that you cannot feel your distress or come to Christ. A murderer, who cannot bear to see you live one single hour. If you could see how many knives, darts, and arrows are every moment aimed at you, you would be glad to come to the Sacrament as often as possible."

The Large Catechism, Sacrament of the Altar. #80-82. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 771f. Tappert, p. 456. Heiser, p. 214.