2012 Spring - Higher Things Magazine (with Bible Studies)

D A R E

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Higher Things

12 e 20 sid gs In in fo Th In er ce gh ren Hi nfe Co

Inside:

• Is Faith Unreasonable?

• Evangel-less Christianity On Campus • Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

• Lutheran Apologetics, Augsburg Style

Special Apologetics Issue! www

. h i g h e r t h i n g s . o r g / S P RING / 2 0 1 2

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When:

March 24, 2012

Where:

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church 7611 Park Lane Dallas, TX 75225

Cost:

$25 per person

Teacher:

Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher II Faculty member of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

RSVP:

Rev. Michael Schuermann: revschuermann@orlcs.com (972) 638-7652 (972-638-SOLA)

God’s Fingerprints on Creation

H I G H E R

God’s No and God’s Yes

Higher Things Spring Retreats

When:

April 20-21, 2012

Where:

St. Paul Lutheran Church 5433 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45227

Cost:

$60 per person (Includes overnight at the church, meals AND admission to the Creation Museum on Saturday!)

Teacher:

Rev. Charles St-Onge Pastor at Memorial Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas and Plenary Teacher at the upcoming Twelve - NC conference!

RSVP:

Sara Smith, Director of Human Care humancare@stpaulcinci.org (513) 271-4147

For registration forms and more information about these retreats visit www.higherthings.org/retreats!

Check us out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/higherthings

Contents T A B L E O F

Volume 12/Number 1 • Spring 2012

HigherThings

®

Volume 12/Number 1/Spring 2012 Bible Studies for these articles can be found at: higherthings.org/ magazine/biblestudies.html

Dear Readers,

Editor

Welcome to our Apologetics issue! This marks the first ever completely topical issue of Higher Things Magazine! We’ve brought together a stellar array of articles all related to and dealing with apologetics or “defending the faith.” Of course, you can’t argue someone into becoming a Christian but the ammunition you discover here will help you confess Christ boldly at work or school, demonstrating to others that the Christian faith isn’t foolish but really quite reasonable. Each of the authors in this issue gives a clear testimony to the importance of Christ as the center of everything we believe as Christians, while illustrating how we can speak of Jesus clearly and without sounding silly while doing so. With all of the challenges to the faith from the world around us, this Apologetics issue will be a great resource to help you respond.

Special thanks to Katie Micilcavage, our editor, for all her hard work in bringing this issue together. We hope it will be the first of many topical issues that will serve as a great resource for parents, pastors, congregations and youth!

Pastor Mark Buetow Media Service Executive, Higher Things

Art Director

Katie Micilcavage Steve Blakey Editorial Associates

Rev. Greg Alms Rev. Paul Beisel Rev. Bart Day Copy Editors

Lu Fischer Dana Toma Bible Study Authors

Rev. Mark Buetow Rev. John Drosendahl Rev. Jason Braaten Subscriptions Manager

Special Features

4 Lutheran Apologetics, Augsburg Style

By Rev. George F. Borghardt Rev. Borghardt takes us back to the movers and shakers at Augsburg, where defense of the Scriptures was a matter of life and death. Find out how we can learn greatly from these men and appeal to the resulting Confession of Faith in our own apologetic efforts.

6 Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

By Rev. Jonathan Fisk Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 15:19 that we Christians, of all people, are most to be pitied if the resurrection of Christ did not happen. Rev. Fisk commandingly lays out the historically based argument for the reality of the Resurrection, which is at the very heart of our defense of the faith.

8 Text, Typos and Transmission: Why You Can Trust the New Testament

By Rev. Mark Pierson When critics attack the Christian faith, one of the first areas they will zero in on is the New Testament. After all, they say, it’s full of errors and we don’t have the originals. Rev. Pierson, who has an extensive background in this area of study, presents a compelling argument for the reliability of the New Testament.

14 Rev. Mark Jasa: Getting to the Heart of the Matter

By Katie Micilcavage Apologetics is a way of life for Pastor Mark Jasa. As you read about God’s crystal-clear faithfulness in his life, you’ll gain an appreciation for those in campus ministries like University Lutheran Chapel at UCLA, and also gain a few very helpful tips for engaging in apologetics in your own circles.

18 Is Faith Unreasonable?

By Rev. William M. Cwirla “Faith is the great cop-out.” “Religion is a crutch for the weakminded.” “Faith is all emotions-based.” Rev. Cwirla handily debunks those and other notions that attempt to claim that faith and reason are opposed to one another.

20 Christianity’s Answer to the Problem of Evil

By Rev. Ian Pacey We’ve all either asked or have been asked this question: “Why would a good God allow bad things to happen?” Rev. Pacey, who often has to field questions of this sort in his campus ministry at the University of Arizona, dissects all of the typical arguments and gives you tools to provide an answer.

Elizabeth Carlson IT Staff

22 Answering the Knock

By Rev. Brent Kuhlman Mormons aren’t naïve young men in white shirts riding their bicycles around your neighborhood. They have been intensely trained to defend THEIR faith, so it is vital for you to know what YOU believe, so when that inevitable knock on the door comes, you can answer with confidence. Rev. Kuhlman will get you started.

24 Islam, Muslims and the Gospel

Dr. Adam S. Francisco Although you might hear a lot about the Muslim world by watching the evening news, you may not know what Islam really teaches. And because it is an ever-growing religion, and Christians in other countries are already in a position of having to vigorously defend their faith, it is vital that we take steps to understand that religion. Learn from Dr. Francisco how to approach a conversation with a Muslim, and in doing so, share the sweetness of the Gospel at the same time.

Stan Lemon Jon Kohlmeier Conference Coordinator

Sandra Ostapowich ___________

Board of Directors President

Rev. William Cwirla Vice President

Rev. David Kind Treasurer

Chris Rosebrough Secretary

Rev. Joel Fritsche Rev. Jonathan Fisk Rev. Brent Kuhlman Chris Loemker Sue Pellegrini Jeff Schwarz ___________

Regular Features

10 Christ on Campus: Evangel-less Christianity on Campus

By Craig A. Parton College campuses are growing increasingly more secularized.

This hasn’t happened overnight. Mr. Parson explains this history but doesn’t leave it there. By the time you are done reading, you will have resources to draw from and know some of the basics as you endeavor to defend your Christian faith on the college or high school campus or wherever you might find yourself.

26 Catechism Hallowed Be Thy Name

By Rev. William M. Cwirla Continuing in his backward trek through the Lord’s Prayer, Rev. Cwirla clearly explains the First Petition and even manages to cleverly tie it into our theme of apologetics.

28 Bible Study Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

Here are both the student and leader guides for Rev. Fisk’s resurrection article on pg. 6. Feel free to reproduce these for use with your youth group.

Executive Staff Conferences and Deputy Executive

Rev. George Borghardt Business Executive

Connie Brammeier Media Services Executive

Rev. Mark Buetow Christ on Campus Executive

Rev. Marcus Zill

Higher Things® Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly

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Lutheran Apologetics, Augsburg Style

By Rev. George F. Borghardt

A

fter the Gospel became clear to Dr. Luther, the Lutherans presented a statement to Emperor Charles V on June 25, 1530.

They confessed that salvation was by Jesus alone, that it is by grace alone, and is received by faith alone. Although they quoted the Fathers of the Church, their arguments were based solely on Scripture.

The Emperor was not impressed. His reply, written by the Roman Catholic theologians at Augsburg, was read to them on August 3, 1530. It was supposed to be the final statement on the matter.

No written copy was even given to the Lutherans! Thus, says the Church and the Emperor, “You are done. The end.”

Would you be done? Would you back down? If you knew you were right, if you believed that you were right, if every time you looked at the Scriptures, all you could see was that salvation is freely won by Jesus’ death on the cross and freely delivered in the Word, would you tuck your tail and run back home just because some theologians and the Emperor said you were wrong?

The Lutherans didn’t. A layman, Philip Melanchthon, who taught at the University at Wittenberg, prepared an Apology to the Augsburg Confession. The Lutherans weren’t saying they were sorry for anything they had confessed. They were defending it! An apology, (in Greek ἀπολογία), is “to speak in defense of something.”

Lutherans historically have always engaged in apologetics. We have defended the Christian faith—even when it might mean certain death. When you know you are right, when you can’t see anything other than the Truth, you defend it.

Apologetics is all about defending your faith. When you defend your faith, when you defend what you believe in Christ, you are doing apologetics. You are doing apologetics when you talk to your friends about why you believe what you believe as a Lutheran. You are doing apologetics when you stand up (respectfully!) to your teachers and professors about how God made you and all creatures. The question is not

whether to do apologetics, but when you do them, what’s the best way?

“What does this mean?” in our catechism is followed by, “Why does this mean what it means?” The why always comes from Jesus’ death and resurrection. The answers flow from the Scriptures with sound reasoning to a world around you that thinks everything you believe is just plain foolishness.

But Christ’s death and resurrection is anything but foolishness to you. His death and resurrection is the basis for all that we believe in (1 Corinthians 15). The faith of Christ flows from the death and the resurrection of Christ. If Christ rose, then everything we believe in really is possible— a seven day creation, Noah’s flood, Jonah and the big fish, Jesus’ birth from a Virgin, eternal life...even heaven itself. And for Lutherans, that especially includes the belief that salvation is by grace alone received by faith alone.

What was published as “Melanchthon’s Apology to the Roman Confutation to the Augsburg Confession,” became the official Lutheran Confession of faith. Since that time, it has been included in the list of our doctrinal confessions. Apologetics has been, still is, and should always be what we continue to do as Lutherans. We confess and we defend because who Jesus is and what He has done is the unchanging Truth.

Rev. George F. Borghardt is the senior pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in McHenry, Illinois, and serves as the Deputy and Conference Executive of Higher Things. His email address is revborghardt@higherthings.org.

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Did the Resurrection

Really Happen?

By Rev. Jonathan Fisk

It’s kind of an important question. I mean, if the resurrection didn’t happen, what on earth are we Christians doing? It’s not like it’s gaining us any power or money or anything. But if the resurrection did happen, then why is it that so many people in the world don’t believe it?

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The resurrection did happen, and I can tell you how you can be certain of it. More than that, I can do it without telling you that you have to believe it just because the Bible says so. That’s the key thing. A lot of non-Christians in our world think that Christians are just a bunch of willfully ignorant nincompoops who believe in some book that fell out of the sky. But nothing could be further from the truth. Christians are Christians because something happened in history unlike any other thing ever: A guy named Jesus was murdered, but refused to stay dead.

It’s not a leap of faith. It’s an historic fact that is as easy to prove as any other bit of history, if you aren’t too close-minded to consider the evidence.

1. Jesus was a real human. Even without the Bible, modern scholars have to admit that there was a Jewish man named Jesus who lived in the first century. Non-biblical writings like Flavius Josephus, Mara Bar-Serapion and the Jewish Talmud all mention Him as a real, historical figure.

2. The real human Jesus died by crucifixion and was buried. In the same way, some of these extra-biblical texts mention that Jesus was killed. They don’t go into detail, but only an ignorant person who gets all their information from internet forums will try to tell you that the real Jesus didn’t die, and wasn’t even buried.

3. This Jesus had real followers who took his death very hard. At this point, we have to start trusting the books of the Bible as eyewitness accounts. We don’t have to believe they are true. We just have to trust that they tell us what the people who wrote them actually thought. That’s what we do with every historical document about any piece of history, at least, until we find other history that tells us something different. So the guy who wrote John’s Gospel around 90 AD also claims he followed this real guy Jesus, and believed He was the Savior of the world before He was murdered, watched Him die, and then fell into despair.

4. Jesus’ tomb was found empty three days later.

Next, the followers of Jesus who despaired after His death also tell us that they stopped despairing because He appeared to them as risen. But not just to them. Extra-biblical sources from Roman historians tell us that after Jesus was killed, “a most mischievous superstition...again broke out.” Yet another document, traced to Jewish sources, tells of a gardener named Juda who stole Jesus’ body. When you put all of these pieces of history together, and combine it with the fact that Christian belief in Jesus’ resurrection all started within walking distance of His tomb, there is only one reasonable historical answer: Somehow, some way, that tomb was empty.

5. The disciples stopped despairing and started preaching, even though it meant their own deaths.

Both biblical and extra-biblical documents tell us that Christianity came from the meeting together of these followers, in order to worship their leader “Christ” and listen to his teachings. Rather than give this up, the same disciples who once fled, willingly faced gruesome and painful deaths.

6. Antagonists convert. James, Jesus’ brother by blood, and Saul, a man who made a business of killing Christians, were among these converts. More so, Saul’s own writings claim his reason for conversion was a face-to-face meeting with the risen Jesus.

7. This is the event upon which Christianity is founded. Christianity is not direct proof that Jesus rose, but it is proof that people who knew Jesus personally before His death believed that He rose.

8. Christianity was founded in Jerusalem. No one in the town where all this was happening could present the dead body so as to put a stop to it.

Instead, the “stolen body theory” is preached even by the first skeptics.

9. They worshiped on Sunday. These new Christians, a bunch of Jews (whose religion insists they worship on Saturday) start worshiping on Sunday, because Sunday is the day when they believe the resurrection happened.

10. Do the math. The challenge for the non-Christian or the skeptic (which they are usually unwilling to take up) is to find an alternative historical explanation for where this Christianity came from which also fits all of these simple, documented facts. What could make orthodox Jews change their most sacred rituals, and go to the ends of the earth to tell others about it even though it only gets them killed? They say it was because they themselves saw this man risen from the dead. On top of this, the tomb was clearly empty and the man was nowhere to be found. So, what other explanation for all the facts can you come up with?

Over the last several hundred years the skeptics have tried. There’s the hallucination theory, and the swoon theory and that good ol’ stolen body theory. But none of those theories explain all of the above facts. You can’t steal a swooned body that gets up and walks away.

Separate groups of people don’t experience the same hallucination. A Jesus who needed to be taken to the hospital would hardly have convinced terrified disciples to go out and die for him.

The simple reality is that there is only one explanation of the evidence that fits all the facts. It might be unbelievable, but it is anything but unreasonable.

So put it in your pocket for the next time a skeptic attacks you with his claims that you are ignorant. Ask him how he explains what Tacitus says. Ask him why the Talmud called Jesus a sorcerer. Ask him to explain all the historical facts. Then, when he won’t (since he can’t), feel free to go right on believing the truth: that the resurrection did happen. Not only is it the best explanation for all of the real historical evidence, it also happens to be what the Bible says was God’s plan for the precise purpose of saving you.

Pastor Jonathan Fisk serves as pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Naperville, Illinois.

He is also on the board of Higher Things and host of the popular Worldview Everlasting videos. He can be reached at revfisk@gmail.com.

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Texts, Typos, and Transmission:

Why You Can Trust

By Rev. Mark Pierson

I

remember when it first dawned on me that there might be “problems” with the New Testament. As I casually flipped through the red-lettered words of Jesus in my parents’ study Bible, something surprising caught my eye. There, in the Gospel of John, I noticed a particularly strange footnote.

It said something like,“This part is not the same in all ancient manuscripts.” This struck me as rather odd and out of place.

Why would a note like that be in the New Testament? Does this mean we don’t know the whole truth about Jesus?

Can a book that contains typos really be God’s holy Word?

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Not all of these questions were at the forefront of my mind that day, but years later they popped up. In fact, one of the most common misconceptions about the New Testament (NT) is that it has been copied, translated, and altered so many times that it no longer resembles what the original authors wrote. Thankfully, an apologist—a defender of the faith— explained to me why the NT is actually the most trustworthy collection of texts from the entire ancient world.

The Older the Better: The Earliest NT Manuscripts Have you heard those radio ads telling you to back up your computer before it crashes and all your data is erased? Well, as far as we know, the original writings of the NT have been erased from existence. Copies were made, but since neither computers nor the printing press existed back then, everything was preserved by hand for centuries. So how do we know some drunken monks from the Middle Ages didn’t change the text? Maybe somewhere along the line people put words into the mouth of Jesus, having Him claim to be God, or that His death would pay for our sins, when He himself never said such things. Could it be that the text was tampered with and we just don’t know it? The answer is NO, for at least two reasons.

First, the oldest surviving parts of the NT date all the way back to the beginning of the second century. This may seem like it’s still not early enough, since Jesus and the apostles lived in the first century. But keep in mind that most of the NT was written in the latter half of that century, such that only a couple of decades separate the last living apostle from our earliest copies. (In fact, even as I write this article, scholars are claiming a new discovery—a portion of Mark’s Gospel from the first century. The official report

the New Testament will come out next year, but this new find could make any time gap completely negligible.) Second, since discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls we have learned that texts could be used for a hundred years before they wore out and disintegrated.

This means our oldest copies of the NT were likely made when the originals were still being read in the churches. Thus, it is far-fetched to think significant changes crept into the NT so soon after the apostles died while their original writings remained in circulation. Plenty of people who knew the apostles firsthand lived into the second century and could have prevented this from happening.

Too Much of a Good Thing?

The Number of NT Manuscripts “Thou shalt commit adultery.”

How’s that for a commandment?

This is what one version of the Bible actually said, due to a printer’s error.

But what if this was our only copy of the Ten Commandments? Or what if we only had one other copy, which said “Thou shalt not commit adultery?” The fewer the manuscripts, the harder it is to know what the text initially said.

On the other hand, if there are lots of copies to compare with each other, reconstructing the original is much easier. So how many NT manuscripts are there, and how well do they match?

Currently, there are 5,700 NT manuscripts in ancient Koine Greek (its original language). Add to that all the early translations into other languages, as well as quotations made by early Christians, and we have around 25,000 sources for the NT text. In fact, if all Greek copies were permanently destroyed, almost the entire NT could be reconstructed from these other sources alone. Scholars have even admitted that they are embarrassed by such a large quantity of manuscripts. After comparing them, altogether 99 percent of the NT has been established with confidence.

Quantity vs. Quality: The Variants in the NT Manuscripts Returning to that footnote from the Gospel of John, I later learned that it was called a “variant.” Variants occur whenever there is not a letter-for-letter or word-for-word match between copies. Such discrepancies are actually quite common in the NT—a fact which some skeptics have pounced on and made into a big deal. “There are more variants in the New Testament,” they’ll say dramatically, “than there are words in the New Testament!” This is true, but also entirely misleading. The reason for so many variants has to do with the vast number of copies, not with a vast number of errors in the text.

For example, this article contains over 1,000 words. If someone were to copy it by hand and make only one mistake, that copy would be 99.9 percent accurate. Then let’s say 2,000 people copied this article, with each of them making one mistake. This would create twice as many variants as words, but each copy would remain 99.9 percent accurate. So the real question is not how many variants there are, but how significant the variants are.

Almost all variants in the NT have absolutely no bearing on what the text means. The most common of these are spelling mistakes and changes in word order. (In Greek, you can speak like Yoda and still make perfect sense). So can you tell what this verse is saying? “God gave his only Son, for love the world so much he did that whosever beleives in him will have life etneral and perish not.” Though this is an exaggerated example of a variant, you probably had no trouble figuring out what it means (“typos” and all). And of those few variants where scholars remain divided on what the original text said, none of them brings into question anything Christians believe about Jesus. You could literally cut out each of these variants from your

Bible and your understanding of Jesus would remain the same.

Putting it into Perspective To realize how well preserved the NT is, it should be compared with other ancient manuscripts from about the same time. Three historians who lived in the first century, Josephus, Suetonius, and Tacitus, make for helpful examples here. The time gap between them and the oldest surviving copies of their works is 800 to 1,000 years. For the number of manuscripts, there are 133 of Josephus’ writings, 200 for Suetonius, and only three for Tacitus. Reconstruction of Suetonius’ text often rests on speculation, and too few copies of Tacitus remain for comparison. Josephus is the best preserved of these, but that is largely due to the efforts of Christian copyists.

Professional historians accept these texts as generally reliable sources, and yet the NT clearly has much stronger credentials.

It is evident that the New Testament has been preserved with remarkable accuracy. There is simply no reason to think we cannot know what the original texts said. The Jesus we find in our modern Bibles is the same Jesus who once walked this earth, who has taken away the sins of the world, and who is present in the midst of His church for you today. The Word who became flesh among us for our salvation has preserved His Word in the pages of the Bible to make sure that salvation is delivered to you!

Rev. Mark Pierson is currently working toward a Ph.D. in New Testament studies. He also has a passion for evangelism and apologetics.

You can email him at markapierson@gmail.com.

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(PA) @ University of South Dakota @ University of Tennessee @ University of Tulsa (OK) @ University of Pittsburgh and Other Pittsburgh Area Colleges @ University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee @ University of Wisconsin—Superior @ University of Wyoming @ Valparaiso University (IN) @ Vanderbilt University (TN) @ Wright State University (OH)

@ Air Force Academy (CO) @ Ball State University (IN) @ Boise State University (ID) @ Brock University (Ontario) @ California Polytechnic State University @ Carthage College (WI) @ Central Michigan University @ Chico State University (CA) @ Colorado State University @ Cornell College (IA)

T

Evangel-less

By Craig A. Parton

he modern American university campus is a product of three centuries of secular culture. The roots of that secular culture are found in the earliest attempts within the university to engage in what was thought to be a “safe” biblical criticism aimed at the first books of the Old Testament. Radical surgery on the Old Testament was soon performed within the university on the New Testament, and the untethered campus man concluded that he did not need any word from God to give him either morals (found so obviously in nature and her laws) or an explanation for the origin of the species. The Bible was dead. God was dead. Man was free and had in hand a self-diagnosis of perfect health. This brief moment of delusional peace came to a decisive end with World War I. Man was now dead, too.

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Culture and university life went from a total optimism in man’s ability to create his own meaning and to save himself, to utter pessimism and a retreat into despair. Painting, music, and literature, unleashed from any concept of being entrusted with gifts from God, degenerated into narcissistic efforts to shock the conscience. Good or bad did not matter because it was all about accepting the mantra on the university campus that all views (save for biblical Christianity) are equally valuable. Rushing into the vacuum came Eastern religious positions like Buddhism and Hinduism, pointing out that Christianity in particular had kept man from discovering inner divinity and his essential oneness with the cosmos.

Christians on campus were defenseless against the inroads of Eastern and New Age religious positions. Why? Instead of proclaiming the faith once delivered to the saints and defending it with the factual arguments honed over the centuries by apologists from Cyprian to Chesterton, Christians defaulted from defending the Gospel to being the Gospel. The casualties on campus have been the loss of apologetics, evangelism, and the Gospel itself.

Ignore Apologetics on Campus and You Get a Defense-less Christianity The word “apologetics” comes from the Greek text of I Peter 3:15– “be ready always to give a defense

(apologia) for the hope that is within you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” Two broadsides are delivered from this passage.

First, apologetics, or defending the faith, is biblically commanded. It is not optional to give a reason for the hope that is within us, nor is it relegated to the pastoral office or to a special class of “intellectual” Christians with a university degree. Second, sharing you (whether it is your heart or your testimony) is not biblical, let alone apostolic, apologetics. Instead, we are to give reasons for believing in Jesus’ perfect life, atoning death, and resurrection from the dead, and are to persuasively present the evidence that demands a verdict. We can see how Paul brilliantly did this before Herod Agrippa in Acts 26:26-28.

Apologetics is about giving reasons.

It is not, therefore, simply a form of philosophy, nor is it a species of systematic theology, nor is it simply a subset of preaching, as if defending the faith is something only pastors do!

Apologetics is not only biblically commanded, it has a long and noble history. There was even a so-called “Age of the Apologists” in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th centuries that developed a Hall of Fame of defenders of the faith (Cyprian, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Augustine to name but a few). Today, there is an impressive pedigree of trial lawyers that have investigated the truth claims of Christianity and found

them utterly compelling. The Canadian Institute (www.ciltpp.com) has the finest array of resources for the college student on the defense of the faith today.

There is something to learn from the fact that the most effective apologists in the last century were not trained in formal theology at all (C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy Sayers, Charles Williams, and J.R.R. Tolkien).

One need not have a seminary education to be effective in the defense of the faith on the modern secular campus. In fact, an insulated theological education may end up impeding one in the apologetical task since theologians tend to maximize the assumptions that are to be accepted and minimize the evidence to be marshaled.

Lose Apologetics on Campus and You Get A Christ-less Christianity We ignored apologetics on campus and lost what apologetics was defending. Well, what is it we are defending in apologetics?

The Gospel, of course! Or, to be more specific, what C.S. Lewis of Oxford University called “Mere

10 10

Duluth @ University of Minnesota—Morris @ University of Minnesota—Twin Cities @ University of North Carolina—Greensboro @ University of North Dakota @ University of Northern Colorado @ University of Northern Iowa @ University of Oklahoma @ University of Pittsburgh

) @ Dickinson State University (ND) @ George Mason University @ Grand Valley State University and Calvin College (MI) @ Harvard University and Other Boston Area Colleges @ Indiana University @ Indiana State University @ Lake Superior State University (MI) @ Mississippi State University

Defense-less Lutherans and Christ-less Liberals: A Campus Trainwreck Christianity.” Think of the central propositions of the Apostles’ Creed, most especially that Jesus Christ, true God and man, died for the sins of the world and rose again to life.

But this is exactly where so many well-meaning Christians on campus miss the 3:10 train to Yuma. Because the Gospel is not the center and circumference of their theology (it is just one of many equally important doctrines), they end up with what is secondary in Scripture becoming primary while what is primary becomes secondary. Arguments are centered on, for example, what went on before time, or at the beginning of time, or what happens at the end of time. Speculation has the front seat, and facts get stuck in the back seat if they are there at all.

So apologetics is about the defense of the faith, and specifically of the Gospel. What then is the Gospel? Just this: Christ died for sinners and you qualify. The Gospel is all about what was done for you and in spite of you.

We are the problem, not the solution.

Any “apologetic” that is about your anything (except your sin) is decidedly not defending the Gospel.

In summary, when defending the faith in the dorm or in the classroom, every once in a while stop and ask: Is what I just talked about in the Apostles’ Creed or not? If not, a flare should go up that you are very likely headed in the wrong direction.

Christians on campus thought they could ignore apologetics with no harm to evangelism or the Gospel.

Christians in the college square stopped contending, then stopped evangelizing, then stopped believing there was anything worth contending for or evangelizing about.

Our situation today on campus?

A multiplicity of religious options are being presented, essentially all claiming to change one’s life, and none of them offer anything resembling persuasive factual evidence. The Christian at the modern university has the answers. In fact, offering evidence for belief is unique to Christian truth claims.1 Apologetics that focuses on the case for Christ is not antithetical to evangelism. In fact, such a defense of the faith is evangelism.

Instead of providing historical, scientific, and legal evidences on behalf of the Christian position, Christians on campus have jettisoned the apostolic admonition. Instead of learning the many convincing proofs referred to by Dr. Luke, they are way too busy learning the purpose-driven life while buying work out programs so that they can exercise like Jesus did.

Apologetics as Evangelism on Campus It is not apologetics instead of evangelism. It is not apologetics versus evangelism. It is not apologetics without evangelism.

Apologetics on campus that centers on the authenticity and centrality of the death and resurrection of our Lord for the forgiveness of sins is apologetics as evangelism. It is the tool of apologetics that helps Christians to boldly give to others those reasons for the hope that is in them.

1 For a superb summary of those evidences, see John Warwick Montgomery’s Tractatus LogicoTheologicus, 4th ed. (Bonn: Culture & Science Publ., 2009, available through the Canadian Institute for Law, Theology, and Public Policy), esp. Proposition 3 (“Historical, jurisprudential, and scientific standards of evidence offer the touchstone for resolving the religious

predicament by establishing the truth claims of Christian proclamation.”), pp. 65-128. See also, R.C. Sproul, Reasons to Believe (Dallas: Regal Books, 1978), which deals with the ten most common objections raised on campus by unbelievers.

Craig Parton is a trial lawyer and partner in a law firm in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author of three books on the defense of the Christian position and is the United States Director of the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights (www.apologeticsacademy.eu) which conducts its annual summer study sessions in Strasbourg, France. He can be reached at cap@ppplaw.com.

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Don’t let another 40 years pass with another 54 million babies aborted.

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Join us for the LCMS Life Conference, January 25-26, 2013, in the Washington, D.C., area. Learn how to use your voice with a special youth track designed just for you!

You, your friends, your youth group — get ready to take your stand on this momentous 40-year anniversary of Roe v. Wade.

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Rev. Mark Jasa:

Getting to the

Heart of the Matter

By Katie Micilcavage

For 47 years the University Lutheran Chapel

has faithfully ministered to students at UCLA—from those who need their faith nourished to those who have no faith at all. And since August 2005, Rev. Mark Jasa has served as pastor there, bringing his unique life experience and apologetics skills to the table, sometimes literally.

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In the beginning Pastor Jasa was born into a Lutheran household and has fond memories of going through Little Visits With God with his parents. However, he was a skeptic at a young age. He recalls believing that everything was finite, that there was no infinite God and he feared, therefore, that perhaps he himself didn’t even truly exist.

In junior high Jasa came to the conclusion that all religions were basically the same, or as he put it, “You need to be good to get the good stuff.”

He reasoned, why choose one? So, he chose nothing. By the time high school rolled around, he had developed a keen

interest in biology. He felt his teachers clearly cared for him and invested time in him, so he had no reason to doubt what they said. Jasa operated under the assumption that evolution was true and God really wasn’t necessary.

In the back of his mind he recalled hearing a sermon wherein the pastor said, “God loves you in spite of yourself.” And he remembered the words in the liturgy, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves…” (1 John 1:8). But he shoved those things aside and left the church for a time. No one seemed to have any good answers. It wasn’t personal. Not yet.

The turning point In college at UCLA, this thinking was reinforced. Evolution=fact. Bible=lie. But a fear of death had begun to creep in and take hold. One day he was asked a question by a man named Cliff Knechtle, a Christian apologist who travels from college campus to college campus conversing with skeptics.“Is Hitler bad?”

The question haunted Jasa. It dawned on him that of course he would have to say yes, but then that meant, logically, that there had to be a standard—a law.

It was a watershed moment for Jasa, who vividly recalls that day when he said aloud,“I believe in God.”

However, it would be some time before the full impact of that truth settled in. He continued to grapple with these matters. There are things that are true. Right and wrong do exist. But how could he prove it? He was on a quest for truth, but not salvation yet.

During his investigations he began to see that Jesus as a Savior was unique.

Reading through Isaiah 53, he saw that claim of the Bible began to take shape.

Another benchmark: Jesus is God, but not necessarily my savior. In fact, for Jasa it all boiled down to: “Jesus is the one sending me to hell.” Clearly it was not good news yet.

Now it’s personal Two Lutheran friends of Jasa would often take the time to engage him in many discussions and while he loved the interaction he was not personally convinced. His fear of death had continued to grow over the years. So one fateful day, these two friends took him to Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, where Jasa heard the words that he says changed the course of his life:“The good news is outrageous forgiveness for undeserving sinners.”

Jesus’ promises were coming from the mouth of Rev. William Cwirla.“He has an amazing way of telling you that the Gospel is for you,” Jasa explains. Now it was personal. Now it was for Mark Jasa.

At this point Jasa knew that he wanted to be a pastor but he still lacked direction. At the urging of Rev. Cwirla and another pastor, he spent time as a missionary in Japan. He started putting more apologetics pieces together, reading Francis Pieper’s Christian Dogmatics and Josh McDowell’s Evidence that Demands a Verdict. He wanted to know how to be an effective apologist. He wanted to get to the heart of the matter.

What he began to notice was that in all of the world’s religions, there aren’t promises—only demands. Joseph Smith doesn’t make promises. Mary Eddy Baker doesn’t make promises.

Mohammed definitely doesn’t make promises. But Jesus does…over and over and over again.

After Japan, Jasa went to Concordia seminary in St. Louis and served his vicarage at Humboldt State University

in California. He recalls an incident after working with a student there, who claimed, “Mark Jasa has convinced me that God exists.” Jasa could only think, “I have failed!” Of course it was gratifying to lead someone to that point but he wanted to be able to clearly communicate the truth of the Good News—the promises. Lutheran attorney Craig Parton explained to him that the Lutheran doctrine of Law and Gospel, as well as Christ’s resurrection, are the keys to effective apologetics. Jasa took this and ran with it.

The harvest is ripe In August of 2005, Jasa was installed as the pastor at the University Lutheran Chapel at UCLA. It was here where all of those pieces he had been gathering together formed a wonderful portfolio that would be utilized and tested in the most satisfying ways. His ministry there involves two worship services a week, Bible studies, fellowship and three days of evangelism on campus. He also gives lectures on various apologetic-oriented topics. Jasa has gained a reputation for posting unique and sometimes provocative signs, e.g.“Religion is for the weak,” in plain view on his ministry table that prompt people to stop and ask questions…all part of the plan, of course.

Jasa says that his preferred apologetics methods are ones anyone can use. He explains that, for the most part, we can approach apologetics with intellectual arguments or existential arguments (someone’s experiences). He likes to employ either or both, on a case by case basis. For example, talking to someone who feels guilty (existential) may drive that person to know the truth (intellectual). Jasa says we often try to include information/facts that aren’t necessary. He makes it a point to ask himself,“What does he or she need?”

Then he leads them to the truth. This is an application of God’s Law and Gospel.

He encourages anyone defending the faith not to focus on the existence of God, although it is okay to talk about that with someone if they bring it up.

Also, he advises you not to spend hours trying to prove evolution is false. This will take you away from the heart of the matter. Instead, make sure you have your facts straight on the resurrection.

He notes that the Josh McDowell book mentioned earlier, as well as John Warwick Montgomery’s book History, Law and Christianity are must reads in this regard.

Jasa says to keep in mind that there are certain things nearly everyone can accept. One of them is, “I have chosen to hurt others and have contributed to the way the world is.” Also, most people are afraid of death, so it is important to

Joseph Smith doesn’t make promises. Mary Eddy Baker doesn’t make promises.

Mohammed definitely doesn’t make promises.

But Jesus does…over and over and over again.

bring them back to that point. Finally, it’s okay to concede a point with someone, particularly if it is taking you away from the truth you are leading them toward. For example, if someone tells you the Trinity is a crazy idea, tell them they’re right, but on judgment day what do they think will happen?

“It’s a delight to be able to do what I do—whether I’m in the pulpit proclaiming Christ to our members or talking to atheists and telling them that Jesus is really free. Being a Lutheran is the easiest thing in the whole world because all you have to do is tell people what is true.”

Rev. Mark Jasa can be reached at markjasa@gmail.com You can read more about the LCMS ministry at UCLA at www.ulcbruins.org.

Katie Micilcavage is the editor of Higher Things Magazine and the mother of two active teens in Gilbert, Arizona.

In her spare time she is an elementary teacher. She can be reached at katie.micilcavage@higherthings.org

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Join us for the 2012 TWELVE Higher Things conferences.

Watch twelveHT.org for more information!

TWEL

Maryville, MO

Northwest Missouri State University July 3-6, 2012

Irvine, CA

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Brock University July 17-20, 2012

St. Catharines, ON

Visit

www.twelveHT.org or email conferences@higherthings.org for more details.

Twelve. The Lord does twelves. He had twelve tribes in Israel. He chose twelve men to be His disciples. Twelve is His Church’s number. His Church was created from His side—from the Blood and Water that flowed on Good Friday when He gave His life for His Bride, the Church. In the Blood and Water, in Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, is born the Church. On the Last Day, when the Lord speaks about His church, there is His Twelve once again—a thousand times over. Standing with the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world in the Book of Revelation are the baptized, His “old” Twelve and His “new” Twelve through all eternity.

Wake Forest University June 26-29, 2012

Winston-Salem, NC

2012 Higher Things Conferences

S P R I N G

2 0 1 2 _

17

Faith

IS

UNREASONABLE?

By Rev. William M. Cwirla

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 18

E

volutionary biologist and outspoken atheist Dr. Richard Dawkins writes,“Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is the belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence.” He asserts that people who believe in God suffer from a “god delusion” and might as well believe in a “flying spaghetti monster.”

So, is religious faith, specifically the Christian faith, unreasonable? Must you check your brains at the door of the church to be a Christian?

The book of Hebrews speaks of faith in terms of a conviction about unseen things. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It goes on to say, “By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible” (Hebrews 11:3). What is unseen cannot be tested scientifically the way Dr. Dawkins would like. But does that make faith unreasonable?

We reason in different ways. One way is to evaluate evidence and draw conclusions. This is the way of science, history, and crime scene investigations.

Much of our day-to-day life is occupied with this way of thinking.

But we also think beyond the level of evidence. When someone says, “I love you,” you don’t reply, “Do you have any evidence for that?” If you say that, you probably won’t be hearing “I love you” very much, so don’t try this at home.

We also reason about abstract concepts such as love, beauty, justice, mercy and goodness. We write poetry and tell stories. We paint images of things we have not seen. We compose melodies we haven’t heard before.

We are creative beings who think far beyond what is needed for our survival.

To limit ourselves purely to “evidence,” which Dr. Dawkins proposes, would be a terrible failure of the imagination and our most human ways of thinking!

The book of Ecclesiastes says, “[God] has made everything beautiful in its time; also He has put eternity into man’s mind, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We have “eternity” planted into our minds, causing us to look beyond and outside ourselves and imagine the transcendent and the holy.

In his letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul wrote, “Ever since the creation of the world [God’s] invisible nature, namely, his eternal power and deity, has been clearly perceived in the things that have been made” (Romans 1:19-20). God has left His fingerprints

on the creation, so that His creatures might recognize His existence, power and deity. Only a creature with an imagination can look at the creation and ponder his Creator.

Consider the vast intricacy, order, and complexity of the universe, and the lavishly diverse beauty of life around us.

Which is more reasonable? To say ,“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” or “In the beginning nothing became everything all by itself?”

Skeptics like Dr. Dawkins argue that there is no convincing evidence for God. But what would constitute “convincing evidence?” How can an infinite, transcendent Being who is beyond the confines of time and space show His existence to us finite creatures who are bound by time and space? The only way would be for God to occupy time and space, which He did. “The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14).

Is it reasonable to believe that Jesus is the eternal Word become flesh? What would constitute sufficient evidence? He did all sorts of miracles, “signs and wonders” that only God, or someone with the power of God, can do. He predicted that the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed within a generation, which would have been like someone predicting the destruction of the Twin Towers on 9/11 forty years before it happened. And at least three times, Jesus predicted His own death and resurrection. To quote the great baseball pitcher Dizzy Dean, “It ain’t braggin’ if you can do it.” Jesus did it!

Is it reasonable to believe that Jesus rose from the dead? Consider the evidence. Over 500 eyewitnesses saw Him at one time. People ate with Him, touched Him, and heard Him speak. These people may not have been as scientifically sophisticated as we are, but they all knew that dead men do not ordinarily rise from the dead. Thomas wouldn’t even believe the news until he saw and touched the evidence for himself.

The apostle Peter went from being a wimp who wouldn’t even admit to a servant girl that he knew Jesus to becoming a powerful preacher of Jesus’ resurrection willing to risk his own life for the name of Jesus. All in 50 days!

That’s quite a transformation, don’t you

think? Many who claimed to have seen Jesus risen from the dead were tortured and killed but never changed their stories, even though they could have saved their lives by denying it. I wonder how many people who claim to have seen Elvis or Bigfoot or UFOs would stick to their stories if they were slowly tortured to death.

The people who were in power, the Romans and the Jewish religious leaders, had the means and the motive to get Jesus’ body and parade it through the streets to put an end to the rumors. Only one problem: There was no body.

What do you reasonably conclude?

Jesus is risen from the dead. And if Jesus was right about His own death and resurrection, wouldn’t it be reasonable to listen to the other things He said? He claimed that Moses and the OT prophets spoke about Him and His death and resurrection. He promised that His apostles would be guided into all truth by the Spirit He would send. He promised forgiveness and eternal life to all who trust in Him. Given that He rose from the dead, doesn’t it seem reasonable to take His word on the Word, too?

Certainly we cannot by our own reason or strength “believe in Jesus Christ our Lord or come to Him” (Small Catechism, 3rd article). We cannot reasonably know the depth of our sin, the nature of God as Three in One, that Jesus’ death atones for the sin of the world, that faith in Jesus is righteousness before God, that Baptism is our spiritual birth, and that the bread and wine are Christ’s Body and Blood.

Those things must be revealed to us by God’s Word and received by faith. But even these things are unreasonable.

They are simply beyond our reason.

Dr. Dawkins calls faith a great copout and an evasion of the evidence. I think, on the basis of the evidence, faith in Christ is quite reasonable. In fact, it’s more than reasonable.

Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, and the President of Higher Things. He can be reached at wcwirla@gmail.com.

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Christianity’s Answer to the Problem of Evil

By Rev. Ian Pacey

Introduction

Philosophical and Existential Problem of Evil

Of all the questions Christians encounter as challenges to our fundamental beliefs, the problem of evil is without a doubt one of the most popular. Why do we suffer? Why do terrible things happen to my family and friends? Why do horrors like 9/11 or Auschwitz take place? Why are “natural” disasters allowed to bring forth death and destruction? If there is a God, why do these things happen?

With God and evil defined, an answer can now be worked out. At the core, there are three basic points the Christian must make: 1. God is not the author of evil. He cannot go against His own will; 2. Evil exists because of human sin, or human desire to reject God’s will; and 3.

The existence of evil does not necessarily preclude the existence of God. Man, not God, is responsible for evil. God could or does have reasons for allowing evil to happen.

Again, the charge skeptics make here is that it isn’t logical for God and evil to coexist. These three factors, taken as a whole, dismiss the logical problem of evil. The problem we now have is many who struggle with evil are not addressing it logically. Instead, they are working on the emotional or existential problem of evil. People in this situation see evil in the world and their gut level response is: “This cannot be right!”

The Question or “Problem” of Evil Formally, the question or the problem of evil (the typical term) goes something like this: Christians, on the basis of Scripture, believe God is omniscient (all knowing), omnipotent (all powerful), and omnibenevolent (all good). If God is omnipotent, He can do all things. If God is omniscient, He knows all things. If God is omnibenevolent, He desires to prevent all things that would frustrate or corrupt good. In other words, He would eliminate the very possibility of evil.

Let’s put this together: If God is who the Christians say He is, evil should not exist. Nevertheless, evil does exist.

Therefore, as the argument goes, the God of Christianity does not. If there is any “deity” out there, because evil exists, he is not all powerful, or he does not know, or he does not care. In any case, He is not god as Christianity declares and He is not worthy of our concern.

Answer the Question!

As we begin, it is necessary to remember some ground rules. Too often, when we Christians are faced with this question and others like it, we often respond with nothing more than a challenge of whether those asking the question can even know good from evil. If the questioners cannot know good from evil, then they are in no position to ask the question. It is true that, without objective standards, the knowledge of good and evil is an utter impossibility. Nonetheless, this is not an acceptable answer. In fact, it is not an answer at all. What we need here is a real, truthful response to the problem of evil.

Defining Good and Evil For Christians, the first part of our response is establishing basic, Biblical definitions. The claim we are countering is: The Christian view of God and evil cannot coexist. For this reason, we must first define what we mean by God and evil. Establishing the Christian view of God is fairly simple. For brevity’s sake, let’s go with something like the “supreme being.” When it comes to evil, things are a bit trickier. This is because evil is all too often identified as anything that causes pain. When it comes to evil, Christians do not narrowly define evil as what causes pain, but as any thought, word, and/or deed that is not in accord with God’s moral will.

The True Answer to Evil: Jesus For those struggling for an answer at the gut level, the one answer, the best answer the Christian has to offer, is Jesus! Jesus as revealed in His life, His death, His resurrection, and His eternal promises. Jesus as summarized by what we call the Gospel. It may sound trite. It may sound cliché.

But, overuse and abuse notwithstanding, Jesus is the best answer; He is the ultimate answer to our struggle with evil.

With the coming of Jesus in the flesh, what we have is nothing less than God coming into our world and declaring His war against sin, death, and the devil; against all evil. Follow this up with our Lord’s life, death, and His resurrection, by which He paid the debt for sin, and the reality is an actual, true overcoming of evil in this world and in the world to come.

Does this mean evil will cease to exist in this life?

No, it is not quite that simple. Scripture is clear on that point. What we learn in Christ is the fact that God is not indifferent to our troubles. By becoming man, Jesus has entered into our suffering, and in His death and resurrection, He has removed both the power and the problem of evil forever.

Rev. Ian Pacey is an LCMS Campus Chaplain at the University of Arizona.

He can be reached at revpacey@yahoo.com

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Knock

Answering the

By Rev. Brent W. Kuhlman

There they are! You spot them. White shirts.

Black ties. Handsome young men. Sometimes they’re lovely young girls. They come in pairs. Walking down your street. Or riding bicycles on the sidewalk. Walking right up to your house!

Then to your door. The doorbell rings. You open the door. And the first words out of their mouth are: “Hello, we’re from The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints (LDS).” Mormons!1 H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 22

Be warned! They don’t come a knockin’ to chat about the weather or about how nice your house is. They are on a mission!

A very dark mission to turn you from the Christian faith. To get you to deny your baptism. To deny the holy Trinity. To get you to trust in what you do or don’t do perfectly for “salvation.” To get you on the road to becoming a god yourself!2

And it all starts with that opening greeting at the door: “We’re from The Church of Jesus of the Latter-day Saints.”

Their official name reveals a great deal of what Mormons believe. Let’s break it down.

When they say “the” church, the emphasis is on the definite article. It means exactly what it says! “The” means “only.” As in the one and only church that exists on

the earth. Seriously! No joke! They’re part of it. You’re not. That’s why they are there at your door. That’s right. I said it. And it bears repeating. Mormons believe that they are the only true church on the earth.

Mormons believe that true Christianity went the way of the dodo bird or the dinosaurs (extinction) shortly after the death of the apostles. Up until 1820 the church of Jesus Christ did not exist! Really? For all those centuries Christianity didn’t exist? That’s right!

That’s the entire point of their greeting.

Therefore, the Mormon god of this world, heavenly Father, who was once a man like we are, together with his son the Mormon Jesus, got the true church of Jesus Christ cranked up once again in 1820. It happened when a young man named Joseph Smith was praying in the woods to find out which denomination was true. Supposedly, that’s when Heavenly Father and Jesus show up in a vision and declare (and I paraphrase): “Joseph! All the denominations on the earth are false! We’re going to restore the true church again in these latter days! And we’re going to use you to do it! Mormonism is Christianity!

Christianity is Mormonism! Now get to work! Spread the news!”

Then, in 1823, according to Latterday Saint history, Joseph Smith received a visit from Moroni, the son of the prophet Mormon. Moroni revealed ancient gold plates that were written in the language of Reformed Egyptian (no such language, by the way). Smith is said to have translated the golden plates with a seer stone. The translation is the Book of Mormon, another supposed testament of Jesus Christ.

Bottom line: This is exactly why the Mormon missionaries are after you! In order to truly be a Christian you have to convert to Mormonism. You have to become a member of The [one and only] Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints!

Do not be fooled! Do not be deceived! Mormonism is not Christianity! Christianity is not Mormonism! Not even close!

First, officially the LDS denies the Trinity even though they use the same terms as “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.” When Mormons say Father they usually mean “Heavenly Father” (one of millions of gods)--the only God for this world. Did you catch that? Only for this world! That, of course, implies that there are other divinities with their own worlds and your goal as a Mormon is to achieve such godhood and have a world for yourself!

Second, do not be deceived when Mormons speak of Jesus. He is a different Jesus than the Bible teaches and the Creeds faithfully confess. For Mormons, Jesus is the first spirit child of Heavenly Father and that Satan is also his spirit brother. In addition, they believe that Jesus was conceived

by Heavenly Father through physical relations with the virgin Mary and that Jesus married several women in his life. When Mormons speak of Jesus as their Savior or Redeemer they usually are working with three definitions: 1) Jesus did not do everything for your salvation but he did conquer physical death; 2) Jesus paid your debt and he is very patient with you as you work very hard to pay him back in full by your obedience to Mormon teachings (e.g. married in the temple, doing your mission, proxy baptisms for the dead, moral living, etc.), and 3) Jesus is your example, i.e. he shows you how to save yourself (become a god)!

Christianity is just the opposite. God is one divine being or essence (Deut.

6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; John 10:30).

God is three distinct persons (Psalm 2:7; John 10:30; 15:26; Galatians 4:6; Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 3:16-17). Trinity! Triune! Three persons–one God! One God–three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit when Gabriel preached the divine word into Mary’s ears (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38). He is the only-begotten Son of the Father from eternity (John 1:1, 14, 18; 3:16; Romans 8:32. Jesus alone does the salvation verbs in Scripture. God was in Jesus reconciling

the world to Himself (2 Corinthians 5:19). It is only the blood of Jesus that cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

Faith only in the crucified and risen Jesus is what saves sinners (John 3:1516, 36; 6:29, 40; 11:42; 20:31; Romans 1:17; 3:21-28; 4; 5:1-2; Galatians 3:11, 26; Ephesians 2:4, 8).

In addition, Jesus promised that not even the gates of hell would prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18).

The church has always been around!

Wherever the Word is taught in its truth and purity and the sacraments are administered according to Christ’s mandate and institution, the Lord Jesus is sustaining His church.

Finally, because of what Jesus has done for you and for your salvation, you are content to be creatures. We reject the satanic temptation to be like God (Genesis 3:5)! The Lord has good use for you as a human in service for your neighbor–even if that neighbor is a Mormon. And that can begin by replying: “Well hello there! I’m a died for and baptized Christian! Come on in and let me tell you about Jesus and his church to which I belong!”3 1 ”Mormon” is the name of a prophet in the Book of Mormon. Joseph Fielding Smith, a Mormon prophet, stated: “we should all emphasize, that we belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the name the Lord has given by which we are to be known and called,” (Book of Mormon Manual, 126).

2 The Mormon terms of “exaltation,”“gaining eternal life,” and “having an eternal family” are synonyms for a Mormon’s ultimate goal: godhood! The essential text that teaches this goal is Doctrine and Covenants 132:19-20. One of the first things that a Mormon child learns is this couplet: “As man now is, God once was; As God now is, man may be,” (The Life and Teachings of Jesus & His Apostles, 59).

3 To help you to witness to Mormons see Mark J. Cares, Speaking the Truth in Love to Mormons (Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1993).

Rev. Brent W. Kuhlman is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Murdock, NE. He can be reached at kuhlman. brent@gmail.com

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Islam, Muslims, and the Gospel

By Dr. Adam S. Francisco H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 24

Islam is and will continue to be

a hot topic when talking about religion. There are a number of reasons for this. First, is its historic and present connection to violence, and even though many often argue against this, it is the obvious one. Second, is the emergence of Muslim advocacy groups in the media.

However, the one that is sure to keep Christians interested in the discussion is the increasingly common assertion of Islam that it is a legitimate religious alternative to Christianity. In view of this, it is important that Christians understand Islam and equip themselves to address Muslims with the Gospel.

Islam is a relatively new religion. It began with the preaching of a man named Muhammad (570632 A.D.) in the Arabian town of Mecca. Although he was initially ignored and derided as an imposter, he was eventually acknowledged by those who became Muslims as a prophet through whom the creator of the universe spoke.

His message was recorded about twenty years after he died from the memories of his earliest companions in a book called the Qurán. Even though it is virtually impossible to verify its claims, Muslims regard it as the very word of God, wherein humans are taught how to order their lives in pursuit of and preparation for the “Day of Judgment.” Over and over it promises eternal life to those who believe in and submit to the law of Allah (an Arabic term for “God”), and threatens those who do not do so with eternal damnation.

Muslims regard Allah as absolutely sovereign, completely inimitable (or matchless), and essentially “one.” This, however, should not lead one to think that Muslims and Christians worship the same God. It is clear from the Qurán itself that Allah is quite different than the One True God. The Qurán rejects the holy Trinity and claims that Allah does not and cannot have a son.

The Qurán views Jesus as a mere human, and it in no way conceives of Him as the eternal Son of God. In fact, it considers the biblical teaching of Jesus’ divinity and the doctrine of the Trinity as a whole, to be an outright abomination.

The Qurán does consider Jesus to be a prophet, though. It even teaches that he was born of the Virgin Mary and assigns him the honorific title of Messiah.

He does, however, play a different role as a prophet of Allah who taught Islam long before Muhammad, and, because Christians deviated from his teaching, they believe Jesus will eventually condemn Christianity.

This significant theological difference is equally matched by some of the differences in the narrative of Jesus’ life in the Qurán. For example, Jesus is said to have spoken to Mary immediately after He was born. It claims that He performed a number of miracles, including bringing to life a clay replica of a bird. And most troubling of all, it asserts that Jesus was not crucified but instead ascended into heaven while someone was crucified in His place.

It is this last detail that poses a tremendous barrier in Christian-Muslim discourse. For if Jesus did not die on the cross, the Gospel—the Good News that Jesus’ death and resurrection reconciled sinners to God—is

unintelligible. Moreover, if Jesus did not die, then He did not rise from the dead. This, according to 1 Corinthians 15, renders the Gospel false.

So what’s the Christian to do who finds him or herself in conversation with a Muslim about religious matters such as these? First, we must not run or hide from having such conversations, regardless of how uncomfortable they may make us. Second—and this may seem counterintuitive—we must embrace such conversations, for these are the sorts of interactions that get to the heart of the matter.

It is a demonstrable fact of any normal approach to the events of history that Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross. Two eyewitnesses—Matthew and John—record it. Two companions of eyewitnesses to Jesus’ life—Mark and Luke—record it. The first and second century pagan and Jewish (respectively) Roman historians Tacitus and Josephus record it. It was, in the ancient world, a public fact (see Acts 26:26). There is no good factual reason to deny the crucifixion and death of Christ. The fact that the Muslim relies on a seventh century text like the Qurán betrays the ideological bias of someone who refuses to consider primary sources written much closer to the time when Jesus lived.

The question this begs to answer is: Why did Jesus die on the cross? There are lots of ways to answer this. Paramount in ChristianMuslim discourse is the legal answer. He had claimed to be coequal with God the Father. This, in the Jewish context of first century Palestine, was punishable by death, and is what led to His crucifixion.

But this is only half of the story. The Gospel writers claimed—from what they learned through the ministry of Jesus—that His life, death, and resurrection would take away the sins of the world.

Now, it is one thing to claim something. It is an entirely different thing to prove it. But Jesus did just this when He rose from the dead three days after His death.

It is this event—also testified to by eyewitnesses—that serves as the final evidence of Jesus’ deity, as well as the proof that our sins have been forgiven and our justification has been made complete. This great news is not just for us, however. It is for the Muslim, too. May the Lord grant every Christian the courage and wisdom to declare this witness to Jesus when the opportunity presents itself!

Dr. Adam S. Francisco is an associate professor of history at Concordia University in Irvine, California. He can be reached at adamsfrancisco@aol.com

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2 _ 25

Catechism

Good Shephe Yahweh Hallowed Be Thy Immanuel

I Am

Hallowed. Now there’s a strange word! We don’t use it very much. We may occasionally refer to the “hallowed halls” of some historic old building or the “hallowed ground” of a former battlefield or cemetery. Most familiar of all is “Hallowe’en.” (Yes, the apostrophe belongs there!), All Hallows’ Eve, the evening before the Feast of All Hallows (Saints).

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 26

To hallow something is to hold it sacred and holy. Hallowed ground is holy ground.

To hallow is to set something apart for holy, uncommon, godly use. So it is with God’s Name. God’s Name is holy in itself. We don’t make it holy; it simply is holy. Our prayer is that the Name of God may be holy among us.

God has a name. He went by many titles in the Old Testament, among them El, Elohim, El Shaddai, El Elyon, and Adonai.

But those were not names of God but titles and confessions of God’s majesty and transcendence. When Moses stood before the Lord in the burning bush, he specifically asked for God’s Name. “Whom shall I say sent me? What is His Name?” And God revealed His name to Moses: YHWH. “I AM who I AM.”

Jesus puts human flesh on the Name. He is YHWH, “I AM” in the flesh. And so it is at the Name of Jesus, an ordinary human name, that every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that this man named Jesus is the Christ and the Lord (YHWH).

The second commandment lies behind this petition. “You shall not misuse the Name of the Lord your God.” What we say and do will bring either honor or dishonor to God’s Name. When we speak lies, engage in falsehood, deception and false theology or treat God’s Name superstitiously like some sort of lucky charm, we dishonor it. When we live lives that are contrary to God’s Word and will, we bring dishonor to God’s Name.

On the other hand, when we believe on

Jehovah Robi R

erdLamb of God hName

Alpha & Omega m Rev. William M. Cwirla

God’s Name and call upon it in every trouble, when we pray, praise and give thanks, and when we lead holy lives of faith in Christ, trusting Him for our forgiveness and to help us love our neighbor with works of goodness and mercy, we bring honor to God’s Name.

Do you remember Isaiah, the prophet? When he saw God enthroned, he confessed, “I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips.” Do you recall what God did? He sent an angel to take a burning coal from the incense altar and touch it to the lips of the prophet.

Unless our lips are burnished by the Word, we will not honor God with our lips. Unless the Lord opens our lips, our mouths cannot declare His praise.

The petition involves not only our lips but also our lives. God’s Word must have its way in our hearts, creating and enlivening faith. God’s Name is hallowed, holy among us, when we believe His Word and confess it, and when that Word bears the fruit of love for those around

us in our lives of service.

“Hallowed be Thy Name” is the first of the seven petitions of the Lord’s Prayer, and rightly so. It begins with our Baptism and our baptismal identity as the children of God. God has placed His Name on us in our Baptism (Matthew 28:19-20), and in Baptism we are permitted to lay claim to the Name of God as one of God’s family.

Name and family go together. Our last names tell something about where we came from and who our people are. My name “Cwirla” is a very unique Ukrainian surname. Anyone I meet in this country by the name of Cwirla is a near relative. My name identifies me as one of the family, linking me to everyone who bears the family name.

When we speak and act dishonorably, we bring shame and dishonor on our family name. Our fathers and mothers would be right in saying, “Remember who you are and the name that you bear.” When we speak and act honorably, we bring honor to

Redeemer

our fathers and mothers and all who bear the family name. How much more can we say this in Baptism! In Baptism you are part of God’s family, calling upon your Father in heaven, through your brother Jesus, by the Holy Spirit.

Father in heaven, “May your name be holy. Hallowed be Thy Name.”

Father, remind us of who we are as your children. Shape our words and our works by your Word. Put to death the lies of the Evil One and the works of the old Adam in us. Put your Word into our ears and upon our lips, that we may call upon you in every trouble, prayer, praise and given thanks. Grant that we would honor your Name in all that we say and do as your baptized children. Amen.

Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, and the President of Higher Things. He can be reached at wcwirla@gmail.com.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2 _ 27

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?

A Higher Things Bible Study

1 2

Read Matthew 27:62-66.

What were Jesus’ enemies afraid of?

Read Matthew 28:11-15. How do Jesus’ enemies explain His resurrection? Do you think they knew He was raised from the dead?

3

What is the problem with the “explanation” for the empty tomb that Jesus’ body was stolen by His disciples?

4

Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. What is one of the ways that we know Jesus rose from the dead?

How is this a good explanation for Jesus being alive back then? How about for today?

5

Continue with 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.

What would it mean for our faith if Jesus was not risen from the dead?

6

What does it mean for our salvation if Christ is not raised?

7

Finish with 1 Corinthians 15:20-26.

What does Christ’s resurrection mean for us and the world?

H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 28

8

How can we talk about the resurrection to unbelievers?

Did the Resurrection Really Happen?—A Higher Thing Bible Study

Leaders Guide

Note: Some of the points that Pastor Fisk raises in his article are substantiated by evidence and testimony outside the Bible.

This Bible Study looks at some key passages that point out the importance and centrality of the resurrection for the Christian Faith.

Introduction: Discuss some of the explanations for Jesus’ empty tomb. Then review Pastor Fisk’s points in His article.

Answers may vary but can include that His body was stolen (see below); that He wasn’t really dead but was “revived” in the tomb.

This is knocked away by the simple question: “Did the Romans know how to kill people or not?” Perhaps all His disciples witnessed the same hallucination. Not likely, plus they later gave their lives for the truth that Jesus was alive.

1. Read Matthew 27:62-66. What were Jesus’ enemies afraid of?

The enemies of Jesus knew that He had prophesied His own resurrection repeatedly. They figured the disciples would steal the body and then claim He had been raised.

2. Read Matthew 28:11-15. How do Jesus’ enemies explain His resurrection? Do you think they knew He was raised from the dead?

The Jewish religious leaders must not have trusted the guards and seal on the tomb. Or else they realized Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. They made up what seemed like the obvious story: Jesus’ body was stolen by His disciples.

3. What is the problem with the “explanation” for the empty tomb that Jesus’ body was stolen by His disciples?

One problem with this explanation is that the disciples began preaching in Jerusalem that Jesus was raised from the dead. If He was still dead, surely someone could have found His body.

More than that, (almost) all the disciples eventually were killed for their faith in Jesus and preaching Him raised from the dead.

At some point, you’d think they would have said, “No, don’t kill me. It was made up. Here’s His body!” But that’s not what happened. Finally, you may wish to think about Luke 16:1931, particularly Jesus statement that if they don’t believe the Scriptures, they won’t believe if someone rises from the dead.

Only the Word can bring faith in what Jesus actually did.

4. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. What is one of the ways that we know Jesus rose from the dead? How is this a good explanation for Jesus being alive back then? How about for today?

Paul points out that when Jesus was risen, He was seen by many witnesses, more even than are recorded specifically in the Gospels. Back then, if you didn’t believe Peter or Paul, you could ask others who had seen Jesus. They can’t ALL have had a hallucination! Today, we take for granted the eyewitness testimony of all sorts of events in history (Caesar’s wars, American history, etc.) There is no reason that the Christians of the first century are not reliable eyewitnesses to whom we can appeal as proof that Jesus was risen.

5. Continue with 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. What would it mean for our faith if Jesus was not risen from the dead?

Put simply, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, our faith is a joke.

An empty lie. With these verses, Paul demonstrates that the resurrection of Jesus is the center of our faith as Christians.

If it didn’t really happen, our faith is nothing and not worth believing. But if it did, it changed everything!

6. What does it mean for our salvation if Christ is not raised?

If Christ did not also rise from the dead, then we are still in our sins. Consider that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). If Jesus died because of our sins, His resurrection means our sins are gone. If He didn’t rise, our sins aren’t taken care of and we are doomed.

7. Finish with 1 Corinthians 15:20-26. What does Christ’s resurrection mean for us and the world?

Death is the one thing humanity can’t seem to overcome and solve. No matter what, people die. Christ’s resurrection is a victory over death. It means death is not “the end” but just a “nap” until Jesus comes again. He will return and raise our bodies from the dead. If there was no resurrection, there is no hope for anyone. Since Jesus did, in fact, rise from the dead, there is true victory over the enemy Death and hope for all the world.

8. How can we talk about the resurrection to unbelievers?

Using Pastor Fisk’s points, you can demonstrate the reasonableness of the resurrection—that it is not an event that is just made up but has good reasons for being believed.

That’s the “apologetic” task. But more than that, Christians have the opportunity to help people recognize their fear of and resistance to death and to show why Christ’s resurrection is a real victory and gives true hope.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 2 _ 29

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LUTHERAN APOLOGETICS, AUGSBURG STYLE A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY Spring 2012 Leader’s Guide Summary: In 1530, the Augsburg Confession was presented to the Holy Roman Emperor. This document listed what the German princes believed according to the Scriptures and the testimony of the ancient church. After being refuted by the Pope’s theologians, the Lutherans then prepared an “Apology” or “Defense” of what they had written. This Apology to the Augsburg Confession was not saying they were sorry but was rather a detailed explanation of what the Lutherans believed on the basis of God’s Word and against the false arguments of the Pope’s theologians.

Thus for Lutherans, given an “apology” means defending and confessing the truth no matter what the consequences. Even death!

1. Read 1 Peter 3:15. What is meant by a “defense?” Does Jesus need us to defend Him? The Greek word for “defense” is “apologia,” from which we get “apology” and “apologetics.”

It is not that Christ needs defending but that we give a reason for the hope that is in us. That is, we show the world why it is that our faith is not unreasonable and not foolish.

2. Read John 8:31-32. What does Jesus say we will know? What will that do for us?

Jesus says we will know the Truth and that it will set us free. Notice that He does not say we will know a “part” or “some” of the Truth but “the Truth.” There is often the claim that no one or no church knows “all of the truth” and that “we all have some of the truth.” Nothing could be further from the Truth! Those ways of talking deny our Lord’s words! Rather, He teaches us that we shall know the Truth by knowing Him because He is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

3. If we have this Truth and know it, what shall we do with it? What does this mean about speaking and defending the faith?

Again, we don’t defend the faith as if Jesus needs defending. Rather, we speak what we know and confess what our Lord has given us: His Truth. Specifically and most important is the Truth that Jesus died and rose again. (For help in confessing that truth and showing its reasonableness, see the articles in the spring 2012 issue of Higher Things Magazine.)

4. When the Apostles were told to back down from preaching Jesus in Acts 5:27-33 how did they respond?

They confessed that they could not obey such a command but must obey God. They then gave a testimony to Christ’s resurrection. This confession could have gotten them in trouble as the leaders wanted to put them to death. But they did not back down.

5. What part of your Confirmation Vows relates to this sort of defense of the faith?

“Do you intend to continue steadfast in this confession and Church and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from it? I do, by the grace of God.” When we were confirmed, we made this vow, trusting in the Holy Spirit to preserve us and enable us to confess Christ even if it means death. The Lutherans, in writing the Augsburg Confession and its Apology, were ready to suffer all, even death, rather than turn away from trusting in Christ.

6. Read Psalm 119:46. What bold statement does the psalmist make? How are these Jesus’ words? How are they our words?

The psalmist is not afraid to confess Christ’s Word, even before kings who could put him to death. So it was that Christ confessed the Truth of who He is before the Jewish religious leaders and the Roman Emperor’s representative, the Governor, Pontius Pilate. As long as the church has been around, there have been those faithful people who have confessed the truth. The prophets confessed God’s truth before evil kings and many died. Christians confessed Christ before pagan kings and emperors, often being put to death as a result. The Lutheran fathers confessed the truth before the Emperor and Pope and were willing to face the consequences. So we, too, are given to confess the Truth of Christ before others. It’s what we’ve always done as Lutherans!

7. Why do you think it is difficult to confess the Truth of Jesus to others? In what ways do others respond to our confession of Christ?

Answers will vary but unbelievers will generally try one of two things: They will belittle Christians for following myths and made up stories and that religion is just a “crutch” because they can’t cope with the world. The other attack is that of “science,” that no one has seen a person rise from the dead, and the Bible has been disproved by scientific progress.

8. When we give our defense, what should be the basis of what we say about Jesus? See 1 Corinthians 15:1-20 The basis and starting point of all apologetics and defending our faith is Christ’s resurrection. It was a fact known my many hundreds of eyewitnesses. There are many reasons we can historically and reliably know that Christ’s tomb was empty. Emphasize that whenever we give as our defense, we always bring the conversation back to Christ and what He has done, namely die for our sins and rise from the dead. Of course we can’t persuade people just by arguing.

Christians are made when the Holy Spirit turns the hearts of unbelievers toward Himself with

His Word. However, we can demonstrate that our faith is not unreasonable and is based in historical fact. For this Truth we are willing to lay down our lives by God’s grace, knowing that Christ’s resurrection rescues us even from death.

9. Close by singing or praying LSB hymn 655.

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LUTHERAN APOLOGETICS, AUGSBURG STYLE A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY Spring 2012

1. Read 1 Peter 3:15. What is meant by a “defense?” Does Jesus need us to defend Him?

2. Read John 8:31-32. What does Jesus say we will know? What will that do for us?

3. If we have this Truth and know it, what shall we do with it? What does this mean about speaking and defending the faith?

4. When the Apostles were told to back down from preaching Jesus in Acts 5:27-33 how did they respond?

5. What part of your Confirmation Vows relates to this sort of defense of the faith?

6. Read Psalm 119:46. What bold statement does the psalmist make? How are these Jesus’ words? How are they our words?

7. Why do you think it is difficult to confess the Truth of Jesus to others? In what ways do others respond to our confession of Christ?

8. When we give our defense, what should be the basis of what we say about Jesus? See 1 Corinthians 15:1-20

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HALLOWED BE THY NAME A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY SPRING 2012 Leader’s Guide Summary: This Bible Study takes up the First Petition of the Lord’s Prayer. God’s name is holy but we pray that it would be kept holy among us. God’s name is holy when we believe His Word and live godly lives.

1. What does the word “hallowed” mean?

The word is an old English word that means something is “holy.” Something that is “hallowed” is sacred and special and set apart by God. On the Eve of All Saints, All Holy People, we say All Hallows Eve, or shortened, “Hallowe’en.” When we pray for God’s name to be hallowed, we are asking it be holy among us.

2. Review the Small Catechism on the First Petition: Hallowed be Thy name.

What does this mean? God's name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.

How is God's name kept holy? God's name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it.

Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!

What two things does God’s name being holy mean for us?

First, we are asking that God’s word be taught in truth in purity. Second, we are asking that we live godly lives according to God’s Word.

3. What are some things we are praying for in the First Petition?

First we are praying that our pastors teach and preach God’s word faithfully. Then we are also praying that false preachers would be silenced. We are praying that what we hear from God’s Word we could live and put into practice. We are asking forgiveness for all the ways in which the

things we do make the Lord look bad when we bear His name. We are asking for the Holy Spirit so that God’s Word would stir us up to good works and a good testimony to Christ’s name.

4. Read Deuteronomy 18:20 and Galatians 1:6-9. What warning is given here? Why would such preaching be “profaning” God’s name?

False preaching profanes instead of hallowing God’s name. To “profane” is the opposite of to hallow. Instead of delivering Christ’s forgiveness and life, false preaching tells lies about God and robs people of the truth. Especially when such preaching is in Christ’s name, it is bad.

5. Read Matthew 1:21. What does the name “Jesus” mean? Why is this a holy name? How can we make it unholy?

Jesus is the Greek version of “Joshua” which is Hebrew meaning “Yahweh Saves.” His very name describes what He does, save us from our sins. We are made holy by this name because by this name we have the forgiveness of sins. When something is preached about Jesus that is untrue, His name is denied. His saving work is hidden. When we use His name like a curse word, we deny why that name was given, not to curse and condemn but to save!

6. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. What sort of sins will exclude people from God’s kingdom? What does Paul say has been to those who did these things? What happens when we fall back into those sins? This is why we pray the First Petition!

Here Paul lays out a big list of sins which cut people off from God’s kingdom. But they were washed in the Name of Jesus (a reference to Baptism). To fall back into those sins is to deny the name that has been given to us. Therefore we pray by asking the Lord to keep His name holy that our lives would not bring dishonor to His name.

7. Why do people write their names on things? Where does the Lord put His name? See Numbers 6:23-27.

It is an indication of ownership. The Lord puts His name upon His people so that they know they are His and the world knows they belong to the Lord.

8. How has God’s Name been put upon you? See Acts 2:38-39.

We receive God’s name upon us by Holy Baptism. It is there that God forgives our sins and sets us apart, that is, makes us holy (hallows us). With that name upon us, Christ lives in us and we live in this world as those who belong to Him and not to the devil. So we pray in this petition that our whole life would reflect the fact that we are the Lord’s.

9. Close by singing or praying LSB Hymn 604.

HALLOWED BE THY NAME A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY SPRING 2012

1. What does the word “hallowed” mean?

2. Review the Small Catechism on the First Petition: Hallowed be Thy name.

What does this mean? God's name is certainly holy in itself, but we pray in this petition that it may be kept holy among us also.

How is God's name kept holy? God's name is kept holy when the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we, as the children of God, also lead holy lives according to it.

Help us to do this, dear Father in heaven! But anyone who teaches or lives contrary to God's Word profanes the name of God among us. Protect us from this, heavenly Father!

What two things does God’s name being holy mean for us?

3. What are some things we are praying for in the First Petition?

4. Read Deuteronomy 18:20 and Galatians 1:6-9. What warning is given here? Why would such preaching be “profaning” God’s name?

5. Read Matthew 1:21. What does the name “Jesus” mean? Why is this a holy name? How can we make it unholy?

6. Read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. What sort of sins will exclude people from God’s kingdom? What does Paul say has been to those who did these things? What happens when we fall back into those sins? This is why we pray the First Petition!

7. Why do people write their names on things? Where does the Lord put His name? See Numbers 6:23-27.

8. How has God’s Name been put upon you? See Acts 2:38-39.

9. Close by singing or praying LSB Hymn 604.

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ISLAM, MUSLIMS AND THE GOSPEL A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY SPRING 2012 Leader’s Guide Summary: As with any false religion, Islam’s central error is a denial of the truth of Christ in some way. In particular, Professor Francisco points out that Muslims deny that Christ is both God and man in one person and that He rose from the dead. This Bible Study will focus on refuting these two contentions of Islam and why Jesus being God and man and rising from the dead is a great comfort.

1. What do you know about the religion of Islam? What does it teach about Jesus?

Here you can summarize that Islam arose from the preaching of the prophet Mohammed about 600 years after Jesus’ Ascension. Mohammed’s visions and prophecies were later written in Islam’s holy book, the Quran (Koran). Islam is a religion of the Law in which the hope of mercy can be had if you obey the five pillars (fasting, almsgiving, pilgrimage, prayer five times a day, and confessing that Allah is one God, not triune.) The Quran denies that Jesus is true God and true man in one person and that He died on the cross for the sins of the world.

2. Read Luke 1:31-32. What does the angel say about Jesus?

Gabriel’s words indicate that Mary’s Son will be both true God (“Son of the Most High”) and true man (“his father David). The mystery of Christ’s incarnation is everywhere taught in the Scriptures both in the types (foreshadowings) and prophecies of the Old Testament and the Gospels and writings of the New Testament.

3. Islam declares that only Allah is god and to be worshiped. What do the following passages teach us: Matthew 2:11; Luke 24:52; Acts 10:25; Revelation 5:12-14?

Clearly Jesus was worshiped. Never did anyone fall at Jesus’ feet in the posture of worship and get told off for doing so. Notice in the Acts reading that the men worship Peter, who immediately corrects them. Only Jesus is worthy of true worship since He is true God and true man. Any argument of Islam (or any other religion) that Christians falsely worship Christ is a bad argument since Christ has always been worshiped as God. (As a side note, ask why Jesus’ name is often used as a curse word but Mohammed’s never is!)

4. What does Jesus say is going to happen to Him in Luke 18:31-33? How do we know this is true? See 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.

Jesus predicts (several times) that He will suffer and die and rise the third day. As Dr. Francisco points out, it is one thing to claim something and another thing to prove it. Jesus proves it by being alive on Easter just as He said. Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians is that this fact is verifiable by asking any of the hundreds of eyewitnesses who saw Jesus after He was alive again. It is Christ’s empty tomb and His resurrection that are evidence for His power and authority as God’s Son, the highest proof that He is indeed true God and true man.

5. Read Isaiah 53:3-6. How does Christ look here? How might this contradict the Muslim assertion that God could not be man or suffer? Why does Christ suffer this way?

Islam asserts that Allah is merciful but don’t really say why. He may or may not be. But Muslims also assert his glory. The whole point of Christ becoming man was to suffer shame and disgrace on account of our sins. This is contrary to our conception of how God should be or look.

Furthermore, Christ’s suffering for our sins assures us that our sins have been taken away. We can say with confidence that God IS merciful because Jesus has taken away our sins. The facts of His crucifixion and resurrection are the proof that God’s promise to be merciful and forgive us is true.

6. Read 1 Peter 3:15. How can we give a defense to our Muslim friends and neighbors of our faith?

Tensions over terrorism and the war on terror around the world, Muslim’s hatred of modern day Israel and even the conflict of Muslims with each other make the topic of Islam and Christianity controversial. On another side, there are many who try to claim that Islam is a legitimate religion along the lines of Christianity or that Christianity, Judaism and Islam are at least “people of the book” cousins. When we give a defense to Muslims, the goal is the same as talking to any unbeliever: We give the testimony of Christ and who He is and what He does.

Don’t get sidetracked in useless political discussions or history and traditions. Take it straight to the heart of the matter: Who does a Muslim think Jesus is? Then tell them!

7. Sing or pray LSB Hymn 505 to close.

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ISLAM, MUSLIMS AND THE GOSPEL A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY SPRING 2012 Leader’s Guide

1. What do you know about the religion of Islam? What does it teach about Jesus?

2. Read Luke 1:31-32. What does the angel say about Jesus?

3. Islam declares that only Allah is god and to be worshiped. What do the following passages teach us: Matthew 2:11; Luke 24:52; Acts 10:25; Revelation 5:12-14?

4. What does Jesus say is going to happen to Him in Luke 18:31-33? How do we know this is true? See 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.

5. Read Isaiah 53:3-6. How does Christ look here? How might this contradict the Muslim assertion that God could not be man or suffer? Why does Christ suffer this way?

6. Read 1 Peter 3:15. How can we give a defense to our Muslim friends and neighbors of our faith?

7. Sing or pray LSB Hymn 505 to close.

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ANSWERING THE KNOCK A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY Spring 2012 Leader’s Guide 1. Pastor Kuhlman stresses many differences between Mormon teaching and Christian belief. From where do these new Mormon doctrines and practices come? See Revelation 22:18-19. Does God allow additions to His Word? Does He want us to remove anything from His revealed truth of Scripture?

The Church of Latter Day Saints does not follow the Bible as God’s word. They may give lip service to the King James Bible, accepting it “as far as it is translated correctly,” but they don‘t believe much of it at all, in actuality. Instead, Mormon teachings and practices come from three new books, the Book of Mormon claimed to be an even newer testament of Jesus (but really mostly plagiarized), the Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and Covenants. None of these three come from God, but from Joseph Smith’s own warped imagination. These added false teachings are not acceptable to God or to Christians.

2. The first thing Mormons get wrong is their notion of God. Read Deuteronomy 6:4 and 1 Corinthians 8:4. How does God describe Himself in the Bible? Who is God? What do Mormons consider about God? How many gods do they have?

Christianity is monotheistic, meaning that we accept the Bible truth that God is One. Multiple gods are strictly forbidden by Christians. Mormons, over the years, haven’t been sure about their own “God of this world.” Brigham Young taught that the first man, Adam, is “the only god with whom we have to do.” Later Mormon teachers assign the godhood of this world to Jesus. (They think the Father is busy managing the fictitious planet Kolob.) But it matters little to them which God is in charge of this world, because the goal of every faithful Mormon is to become either the god, or perpetually-pregnant goddess of his/her own planet in the highest of the three heavens.

3. Pastor Kuhlman points out that Mormons have a strange view of Jesus. See John 1:1-2, 14, 18 and John 10:30. Who does the bible clearly say that Jesus is? What is His relationship to His heavenly Father? From the familiar Christmas story of Matthew 1 and Luke 2, how did Jesus come to be man?

From the beginning Jesus (aka: the Word) was already God. He is begotten eternally from His Father before all worlds were created. But He took upon flesh and became man in human history. Remaining One with His Father according to His divine nature, Jesus was incarnate when the Holy Spirit came upon the virgin Mary, and was born of her. Jesus had a heavenly Father, but an earthly mother. In this way Jesus’ humanity is taken into the divinity of God as we confess in the Athanasian Creed.

4. Although a Mormon baptism sounds like a Christian one, Mormons do not believe in the Trinity as we do. Read Matthew 28:19, John 15:26 and Galatians 4:5. What do Mormons believe about the Father? What do they believe about Jesus, the Son? What do they believe about the Holy Spirit?

Mormons may use the same words as we do at their baptisms, but they don‘t mean the same thing as Christians when they speak of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. To them the Father is a man who worked hard to achieve his own godhood. They believe that Jesus likewise was born only a man, who also had to work hard to become a God. The Holy Spirit is only considered a “force” of sorts, which causes indigestion in the “burning of the bosom” as the Book of Mormon is read.

5. Sometimes you can tell false teaching not by what is added, but by what truths are left out. Read 2 Corinthians 5:19 and 1 John 1:7 What do Mormons think the purpose of Jesus’ ministry was? What does God’s clear word reveal as the true purpose of Christ Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection?

The Church of Latter Day Saints holds up Jesus only as an example. People must strive to follow in His footsteps, they think, if they want to get to one of the three heavens. But Jesus is the Doer! He came to reconcile you to God by His death on Calvary. He does this through His grace, the forgiveness of your sins, which were washed from you at Baptism, that filthy flood from the font flowing back in time to Jesus where He became your sins at the cross, in blessed exchange for His holy righteousness, credited to your account by faith, to make you worthy of everlasting life in heaven, as God’s gift to you!

6. Another thing missing in Mormon teaching is “faith.” See John 3:36 and Romans 1:17. How do Mormons think one becomes a Latter Day Saint? How do Christians actually come to believe in Jesus, their Savior?

Mormons always try to leave a Book of Mormon when they visit, encouraging you to read it, in hopes that you will experience a “burning in your bosom” which they mistake as faith. But faith doesn‘t come that way. It comes by hearing the gospel message of Christ Jesus who suffered, died and rose for you.

Through this message, the Spirit works faith, the “substance of things hoped for” (Hebrews 11:1), as His gift to you. (Ephesians 2:8-9) For you believing is receiving the grace God gives to you through His word proclaimed and in His sacraments delivered.

7. What is the greatest danger of a visit from the Mormons? See Genesis 3:5 and Isaiah 14:12-15.

What was the devil’s great mistake? How did he tempt Eve and Adam into the very same error? Does God allow for anyone to rival Him, or to take His place?

Although Mormons won’t talk much about it in their initial visit, their ultimate goal is “god-making.”

They think their efforts will make them gods or goddesses, and eventually they reveal that is their intent for the people they visit. The devil, too, thought that equality with God was something he could achieve.

Failing, and being cast out of heaven, Satan used the same ploy on Eve. But the reality is that there is only one God, and none should try to take His place.

8. Close with the following prayer for the Word.

O God, Whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your word, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

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ANSWERING THE KNOCK A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY Spring 2012 1. Pastor Kuhlman stresses many differences between Mormon teaching and Christian belief. From where do these new Mormon doctrines and practices come? See Revelation 22:18-19. Does God allow additions to His Word? Does He want us to remove anything from His revealed truth of Scripture?

2. The first thing Mormons get wrong is their notion of God. Read Deuteronomy 6:4 and 1 Corinthians 8:4. How does God describe Himself in the Bible? Who is God? What do Mormons consider about God? How many gods do they have?

3. Pastor Kuhlman points out that Mormons have a strange view of Jesus. See John 1:1-2, 14, 18 and John 10:30. Who does the bible clearly say that Jesus is? What is His relationship to His heavenly Father? From the familiar Christmas story of Matthew 1 and Luke 2, how did Jesus come to be man?

4. Although a Mormon baptism sounds like a Christian one, Mormons do not believe in the Trinity as we do. Read Matthew 28:19, John 15:26 and Galatians 4:5. What do Mormons believe about the Father? What do they believe about Jesus, the Son? What do they believe about the Holy Spirit?

5. Sometimes you can tell false teaching not by what is added, but by what truths are left out. Read 2 Corinthians 5:19 and 1 John 1:7 What do Mormons think the purpose of Jesus’ ministry was? What does God’s clear word reveal as the true purpose of Christ Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection?

6. Another thing missing in Mormon teaching is “faith.” See John 3:36 and Romans 1:17. How do Mormons think one becomes a Latter Day Saint? How do Christians actually come to believe in Jesus, their Savior?

7. What is the greatest danger of a visit from the Mormons? See Genesis 3:5 and Isaiah 14:12-15.

What was the devil’s great mistake? How did he tempt Eve and Adam into the very same error? Does God allow for anyone to rival Him, or to take His place?

8. Close with the following prayer for the Word.

O God, Whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of Your word, through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

www.higherthings.org

TEXTS, TYPOS AND TRANSMISSION A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY Spring 2012 Leader’s Guide 1. Pastor Pierson's article talks about the texts of scripture. See 2 Timothy 3:15 and Luke 24:27. What did young Timothy learn as “scripture”? What does Jesus Himself teach as the holy Scriptures?

When you see the word “scripture” in the Bible, it usually means the texts of the Old Testament. In Jesus’ day, these were the only scriptures around for the people to hear. Jesus taught from the “Law” of Moses, (aka: the “Torah” or instruction/revelation of God in the first 5 books of the Bible). He also taught from the “writings” of the Old Testament (primarily the Psalms). Christ also instructed from the teachings of the Old Testament prophets.

2. The Old Testament is scripture, but what about the texts of the New Testament? Acts 24:14 and 2 Peter 3:15-16. Do the epistles of St. Paul in the New Testament agree with the Old Testament Scriptures? Do St. Peter’s writings agree with the teachings of St. Paul, and in turn with the Old Testament?

The writings of the entire New Testament are indeed Scripture, since the teachings contained therein agree with those of the Old Testament. Paul taught from the Torah and Prophets, and Peter acknowledges the same truths therein as St. Paul, even describing Paul’s epistles as scripture, too!

3. If there is a serious question about a text of the Bible, does that cast doubt as to whether it is the Word of God? See John 1:1, 14. What does the Bible say the Word of God is? See John 5:39 and Acts 10:43. What is the connection between scriptures and Jesus? How does this help us to evaluate the truth of a scripture text?

When Lutherans hear the phrase “word of God” they are unique in Christendom, for not at once pointing directly to the Bible. Instead, you think “Jesus is the Word!” Without Christ, all the scriptural texts of the Bible become meaningless. But the prophets of old proclaimed the Christ, and the scriptures all point directly to Jesus. So those texts which truly testify about Jesus and His revealed truth are those rightly called “holy scripture.”

4. You’ve probably heard about all kinds of supposedly lost texts of scripture, or about books of the bible that were allegedly “banned.” Read 2 Peter 1:20-21. Did a small group of Christian leaders choose which texts belonged as scripture, and which did not, based on their own opinions? Just how did the scripture texts we now have come to be considered as the canon of Holy Writ?

The “canon” (meaning a “reed” used as a measuring stick) of scripture did not come about because men relied upon their own understanding to pick what would or wouldn‘t be in the Bible. In fact, it wasn’t men who made scripture, but really scripture that made Christians! This was the measuring stick the Church used to determine what was (or wasn’t) to be in the Bible. Men of God spoke His word, only when “carried along” by the Holy Spirit to do so. And whatever did not measure up to the analogy of the faith which had been proclaimed since Jesus and His Apostles taught the truth, was omitted.

5. Textual criticism is a little different from another discipline called “Higher Criticism.” The former seeks to use human reason as only a servant of the texts of scripture, while the latter elevates human reason above the Words of the Bible, dismissing it or changing it on a whim. Read Acts 17:11 and 1 Corinthians 2:14. Just what is the role of human reason when it comes to understanding the texts of the Bible?

Human reason may not be used as if it is lord and master over the texts of Scripture, lest someone conclude that a particular passage doesn‘t belong in the bible, simply because it is difficult to understand or to agree with. But our reason may be used in a ministerial sense, serving the Scriptures to discern from them the truths God reveals therein. Textual criticism seeks to do this, remembering always that such truth can only be comprehended by the revelation of the Holy Spirit.

6. Some textual variants present few problems at all. See Mark 16:16-18. Was this longer ending of Mark part of his original gospel document? Why do we Lutherans readily accept and teach verse 16?

Why are we Lutherans reluctant to put into practice verses 17-18?

This post-script to Mark’s gospel is not found in the oldest copies of the document. In fact, two different endings were added some years later. Perhaps one was added later by Mark or by his disciples.

Lutherans include the teaching of verse 16, since baptism does indeed save, as St. Peter also attests in his first epistle, chapter 3, verse 21. But snake-handling and poison-drinking is no where else advocated in holy scripture, so we Lutherans refrain from such practices.

7. Other textual variants present a unique challenge to us. See John 7:53-8:11. Is this story of the woman caught in adultery part of the early manuscripts of John’s gospel? If it was not in the original, why is it included? What should we do with this story?

Many people quote the famous words of Jesus in this addition to John‘s gospel, “He who is without sin, cast the first stone.” Now it may be that this event actually happened as many of the other things that Jesus did that John says he does not include in his gospel, in the last verse of this book. Or it could be a made-up story that never really happened. This side of heaven we cannot know for sure. But wherever there is doubt, such a text will not be preached by Lutherans, nor is this story taught as true.

8. Close with the following prayer for the Word.

Enlighten our minds, we ask You, O God, by the Spirit which proceeds from You, that, as Your Son has promised, we may be led into all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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Texts, Typos and Transmission A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY Spring 2012 1. Pastor Pierson's article talks about the texts of scripture. See 2 Timothy 3:15 and Luke 24:27. What did young Timothy learn as “scripture”? What does Jesus Himself teach as the holy Scriptures?

2. The Old Testament is scripture, but what about the texts of the New Testament? Acts 24:14 and 2 Peter 3:15-16. Do the epistles of St. Paul in the New Testament agree with the Old Testament Scriptures? Do St. Peter’s writings agree with the teachings of St. Paul, and in turn with the Old Testament?

3. If there is a serious question about a text of the Bible, does that cast doubt as to whether it is the Word of God? See John 1:1, 14. What does the Bible say the Word of God is? See John 5:39 and Acts 10:43. What is the connection between scriptures and Jesus? How does this help us to evaluate the truth of a scripture text?

4. You’ve probably heard about all kinds of supposedly lost texts of scripture, or about books of the bible that were allegedly “banned.” Read 2 Peter 1:20-21. Did a small group of Christian leaders choose which texts belonged as scripture, and which did not, based on their own opinions? Just how did the scripture texts we now have come to be considered as the canon of Holy Writ?

5. Textual criticism is a little different from another discipline called “Higher Criticism.” The former seeks to use human reason as only a servant of the texts of scripture, while the latter elevates human reason above the Words of the Bible, dismissing it or changing it on a whim. Read Acts 17:11 and 1 Corinthians 2:14. Just what is the role of human reason when it comes to understanding the texts of

the Bible?

6. Some textual variants present few problems at all. See Mark 16:16-18. Was this longer ending of Mark part of his original gospel document? Why do we Lutherans readily accept and teach verse 16?

Why are we Lutherans reluctant to put into practice verses 17-18?

7. Other textual variants present a unique challenge to us. See John 7:53-8:11. Is this story of the woman caught in adultery part of the early manuscripts of John’s gospel? If it was not in the original, why is it included? What should we do with this story?

8. Close with the following prayer for the Word.

Enlighten our minds, we ask You, O God, by the Spirit which proceeds from You, that, as Your Son has promised, we may be led into all truth; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

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DID THE RESURRECTION REALLY HAPPEN? A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY Spring 2012 Leaders Guide Note: Some of the points that Pastor Fisk raises in his article are substantiated by evidence and testimony outside the Bible. This Bible Study looks at some key passages that point out the importance and centrality of the resurrection for the Christian Faith.

Introduction: Discuss some of the explanations for Jesus’ empty tomb. Then review Pastor Fisk’s points in His article.

Answers may vary but can include that His body was stolen (see below); that He wasn’t really dead but was “revived” in the tomb. This is knocked away by the simple question: “Did the Romans know how to kill people or not?” Perhaps all His disciples witnessed the same hallucination. Not likely, plus they later gave their lives for the truth that Jesus was alive.

1. Read Matthew 27:62-66. What were Jesus’ enemies afraid of?

The enemies of Jesus knew that He had prophesied His own resurrection repeatedly. They figured the disciples would steal the body and then claim He had been raised.

2. Read Matthew 28:11-15. How do Jesus’ enemies explain His resurrection? Do you think they knew He was raised from the dead?

The Jewish religious leaders must not have trusted the guards and seal on the tomb. Or else they realized Jesus had indeed risen from the dead. They made up what seemed like the obvious story: Jesus’ body was stolen by His disciples.

3. What is the problem with the “explanation” for the empty tomb that Jesus’ body was stolen by His disciples?

One problem with this explanation is that the disciples began preaching in Jerusalem that Jesus was raised from the dead. If He was still dead, surely someone could have found His body. More than that, (almost) all the disciples eventually were killed for their faith in Jesus and preaching Him raised from the dead. At some point, you’d think they would have said, “No, don’t kill me. It was made up. Here’s His body!” But that’s not what happened. Finally, you may wish to think about Luke 16:19-31, particularly Jesus statement that if they don’t believe the Scriptures, they

won’t believe if someone rises from the dead. Only the Word can bring faith in what Jesus actually did.

4. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. What is one of the ways that we know Jesus rose from the dead?

How is this a good explanation for Jesus being alive back then? How about for today?

Paul points out that when Jesus was risen, He was seen by many witnesses, more even than are recorded specifically in the Gospels. Back then, if you didn’t believe Peter or Paul, you could ask others who had seen Jesus. They can’t ALL have had a hallucination! Today, we take for granted the eyewitness testimony of all sorts of events in history (Caesar’s wars, American history, etc.)

There is no reason that the Christians of the first century are not reliable eyewitnesses to whom we can appeal as proof that Jesus was risen.

5. Continue with 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. What would it mean for our faith if Jesus was not risen from the dead?

Put simply, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, our faith is a joke. An empty lie. With these verses, Paul demonstrates that the resurrection of Jesus is center of our faith as Christians. If it didn’t really happen, our faith is nothing and not worth believing. But if it did, it changed everything!

6. What does it mean for our salvation if Christ is not raised?

If Christ did not also rise from the dead, then we are still in our sins. Consider that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). If Jesus died because of our sins, His resurrection means our sins are gone. If He didn’t rise, our sins aren’t taken care of and we are doomed.

7. Finish with 1 Corinthians 15:20-26. What does Christ’s resurrection mean for us and the world?

Death is the one thing humanity can’t seem to overcome and solve. No matter what, people die.

Christ’s resurrection is a victory over death. It means death is not “the end” but just a “nap” until Jesus comes again. He will return and raise our bodies from the dead. If there was no resurrection, there is no hope for anyone. Since Jesus did, in fact, rise from the dead, there is true victory over the enemy Death and hope for all the world.

8. How can we talk about the resurrection to unbelievers?

Using Pastor Fisk’s points, you can demonstrate the reasonableness of the resurrection—that it is not an event that is just made up but has good reasons for being believed. That’s the “apologetic” task. But more than that, Christians have the opportunity to help people recognize their fear of and resistance to death and to show why Christ’s resurrection is a real victory and gives true hope.

DID THE RESURRECTION REALLY HAPPEN? A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY

1. Read Matthew 27:62-66. What were Jesusʼ enemies afraid of?

2. Read Matthew 28:11-15. How do Jesusʼ enemies explain His resurrection? Do you think they knew He was raised from the dead?

3. What is the problem with the “explanation” for the empty tomb that Jesusʼ body was stolen by His disciples?

4. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-8. What is one of the ways that we know Jesus rose from the dead? How is this a good explanation for Jesus being alive back then? How about for today?

5. Continue with 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. What would it mean for our faith if Jesus was not risen from the dead?

6. What does it mean for our salvation if Christ is not raised?

7. Finish with 1 Corinthians 15:20-26. What does Christʼs resurrection mean for us and the world?

8. How can we talk about the resurrection to unbelievers?

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IS FAITH REASONABLE? A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY Spring 2012 Leader’s Guide 1. Pastor Cwirla's article considers the question, “Just what is faith?” See Hebrews 11:1-3. How is faith a “substance?” Dr. Dawkins claims that Christians believe without any evidence. How is faith itself “evidence?”

Faith is a real gift from God. It is a “substance” (the same Greek root used in the Nicene Creed for Jesus being of the same “substance” as His Father). Faith has its own essence—its own being-ness as it were. It is a substantial gift from God. Therefore, the receiving of this real, substantial gift is itself evidence, for by giving faith to you, God has created something new. Where a non-believer once stood, now a believer stands before God and before the world!

2. Dr. Dawkins approaches faith from a flawed perspective, as though it were something that comes from man and his reason. See John 6:28-29. Just whose work is it that has brought you to believe in God? How does this happen, according to what you have learned from the explanation of the third article of the Creed?

Faith is not just a “gift” from God, but it is the very working of God in you! The Holy Ghost called you to faith by the Gospel, and He strengthens that faith, keeping it Christ-focused by gathering you into church on Sundays and holidays, enlightening you with His gifts of Word and Sacrament there, and sanctifying you through them so that you may be kept secure in the one true faith.

3. Even though faith itself is its own “evidence,” does God provide further evidence that He exists?

See Ecclesiastes 3:11. What has God made for man outside of him? What has God placed within man?

How do these provide for you further evidence that God exists and works on behalf of mankind?

Outside of man, God has given us the evidence of His creation. His intelligent design of all things in this world provide proof that it is reasonable to believe in a Creator/Maintainer God. Add to this that God has placed in your heart “eternity.” God’s Own eternal Spirit works in the heart of man to give to him a sense of the eternal, and to hopefully also bring man to faith in Christ Jesus. So from without, and from within, there is further evidence of God at work.

4. Does God even reveal Himself to unbelievers? Read Romans 1:18-20. What evidence is there for those who do not yet believe that God exists? How is God’s “wrath” revealed to all people? How are some of the “invisible attributes” of God also revealed to mankind?

God reveals His wrath through His Law, which is written on the consciences of all people. All know, in their hearts, right from wrong, even those who seem pretty good at ignoring their consciences. God’s Spirit can and does elicit guilt even from unbelievers. In addition, God reveals some of His divine qualities to unbelievers in His creation. They see a large mountain, and have a sense of God’s omnipotence. They see the snow melt into brooks from which Bambi and his mother drink, and they see a bit of God’s wisdom, and loving providence. So unbelievers have no excuse for not acknowledging God. 5. Pastor Cwirla causes us to ask, “Is the creation story reasonable?” Read Genesis 1:1. If one does not believe God created the heavens and the earth, what is the alternative? Which takes more faith: to believe God made everything in the universe, or to believe He didn’t?

Either Yahweh is the Creator of all things, or they came about by happenstance. Either God created life or dead things somehow sprang to life all by themselves. Suppose you had an old, fancy pocket-watch all taken apart, with all of its intricate parts strewn out on the kitchen table. Does it take more faith to believe that the watch pieces could somehow spring to life on their own to assemble themselves into a functioning watch, or to believe that a Master Watchmaker put it together to make it tick? How much more is there reason to believe in the Creator of the universe, instead of all things randomly springing into existence from nothingness?

6. Pastor Cwirla asks us to consider just how such a transcendent God would manifest Himself to frail creations such as ourselves. See John 1:14. How does God “mask” Himself for the benefit of man who shudders before God’s glorious face? Yet how do we know that this is God, in the fashion of a man named Jesus?

God came in the flesh in a form that would not be too intimidating to people. Who would be afraid of the baby Jesus, after all? God manifested Himself as the God-man promised of old, because He came to earth to reconcile man to God at the cross of Calvary. Of all His miraculous works, too many to even include in the Gospels, the greatest work God did for you is to humble Himself, making Himself obedient unto death, on the cross, for you. These are the works only God, your Savior, could do.

7. Of all the miraculous works God has ever done, one is at the pinnacle. See 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.

Why is this miracle above all the others God has ever done? How evident did Jesus make the miracle of His resurrection?

Prophets, apostles, and Jesus Himself had raised dead people to life. But no dead person ever raised him/herself to life again…until Jesus. He laid down His life. He took it up again. They destroyed the temple of His body. He raised it up again on the third day, just as He promised. Then He showed His raised body to many, many people. His disciples, apostles, and even crowds of people, as many as 500 at one time saw Jesus raised to life again! Twelve of the 13 apostles gave their lives in testimony to Jesus’ resurrection, rather than recant their belief in their God and Savior. This is hard evidence to refute.

8. Close with the following prayer for the Word.

O God, Whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

www.higherthings.org

IS FAITH REASONABLE? A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY Spring 2012 1. Pastor Cwirla's article considers the question, “Just what is faith?” See Hebrews 11:1-3. How is faith a “substance?” Dr. Dawkins claims that Christians believe without any evidence. How is faith itself “evidence?”

2. Dr. Dawkins approaches faith from a flawed perspective, as though it were something that comes from man and his reason. See John 6:28-29. Just whose work is it that has brought you to believe in God? How does this happen, according to what you have learned from the explanation of the third article of the Creed?

3. Even though faith itself is its own “evidence,” does God provide further evidence that He exists?

See Ecclesiastes 3:11. What has God made for man outside of him? What has God placed within man?

How do these provide for you further evidence that God exists and works on behalf of mankind?

4. Does God even reveal Himself to unbelievers? Read Romans 1:18-20. What evidence is there for those who do not yet believe that God exists? How is God’s “wrath” revealed to all people? How are some of the “invisible attributes” of God also revealed to mankind?

5. Pastor Cwirla causes us to ask, “Is the creation story reasonable?” Read Genesis 1:1. If one does not

believe God created the heavens and the earth, what is the alternative? Which takes more faith: to believe God made everything in the universe, or to believe He didn’t?

6. Pastor Cwirla asks us to consider just how such a transcendent God would manifest Himself to frail creations such as ourselves. See John 1:14. How does God “mask” Himself for the benefit of man who shudders before God’s glorious face? Yet how do we know that this is God, in the fashion of a man named Jesus?

7. Of all the miraculous works God has ever done, one is at the pinnacle. See 1 Corinthians 15:3-8.

Why is this miracle above all the others God has ever done? How evident did Jesus make the miracle of His resurrection?

8. Close with the following prayer for the Word.

O God, Whose glory it is always to have mercy, be gracious to all who have gone astray from Your ways and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen.

www.higherthings.org