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Higher Things
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A Special Topical Issue:
Law and Gospel!
S P R I N G
• The Lord’s Supper IS the Gospel • The Devil Loves Your Good Works • The Hyperbolic Goodness of the Gospel • This Life Is Edited for Content • Hung Up on the Law • and more! 2
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www
. h i g h e r t h i n g s . o r g / S P RING / 2 0 1 5
1
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the U.S. and the world n A cost-effective way to obtain full LCMS Deaconess Certification n Earn a Bachelor of Arts in Theology plus a one-year paid internship n Graduates can enhance their service with a master’s degree in social work, counseling, H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 2
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Contents T A B L E O F
Volume 15/Number 1 • Spring 2015
HigherThings
®
Volume 15/Number 1/Spring 2015 Bible Studies for these articles can be found at: higherthings.org/ magazine/biblestudies.html
Dear Readers,
Editor
Welcome to another awesome topical issue of Higher Things Magazine on The Proper Distinction Between the Law and the Gospel! The distinction between the Law and the Gospel is how we Dare to Be Lutheran when preaching, teaching, reading, and hearing God’s Word. Properly distinguishing between these two parts of doctrine helps us to understand the Bible in such a way that we are made aware of our sinfulness (via the Law) and given the Good News that we have a Savior in Jesus Christ (the Gospel). The articles in this issue begin with defining what we mean by “the Law” and “the Gospel” and then move toward seeing how the Law and the Gospel work in our lives as Christians, in church and in the home. We’ll also look at some of the mistakes and errors that arise when the Law and the Gospel are not properly distinguished. It’s another great Christcentered issue of Higher Things Magazine and we hope it will be a blessing to you as you Dare to Be Lutheran in your life as a child of God!
Katie Hill Art Director
Steve Blakey Editorial Associates
Rev. Greg Alms Rev. Paul Beisel Rev. Bart Day Copy Editor
Dana Niemi Bible Study Authors
Rev. Mark Buetow Rev. John Drosendahl Rev. Jacob Ehrhard Rev. Samuel Schuldheisz Subscriptions Manager
Elizabeth Carlson IT Assistant
Jon Kohlmeier
In Christ, Pastor Mark Buetow Higher Things Media Executive
___________
Board of Directors President
Rev. George Borghardt
Special Features 4 Hung Up on the Law
By Rev. Mark Buetow Hear the Law in all of its ferocity! You have nothing to fear, though, for Christ has borne its requirements and punishment on your behalf, just as Rev. Buetow shows us.
6 The Hyperbolic Goodness of the Gospel
By Rev. George F. Borghardt See the Gospel in all of its sweetness! Just when you think you know how good the Gospel really is, Rev. Borghardt reminds us of how truly outrageous the promises of God are!
8 3D Law
By Rev. William M. Cwirla Let Rev. Cwirla’s special 3D presentation clarify your perspective on the three uses of the Law...no special glasses required.
10 This Life Is Edited for Content
By Rev. Donavon Riley Rev. Riley convincingly lays out how the Holy Spirit is the life editor we sinners desperately need.
12 Looking for Assurance in All the Wrong Places: Even Christians Need the Gospel By Rev. Jonathan Fisk There isn’t a sinner alive, Christian or not, who doesn’t need to regularly hear and embrace the Gospel. And, just as Rev. Fisk explains, Jesus’ righteousness is enough.
14 The Lord’s Supper IS the Gospel!
By Rev. Brent Kuhlman Our gracious God brings us the Gospel in a tangible way: the Lord’s Supper. Rev. Kuhlman reminds us of the delight in knowing God gives us something outside of us—something we can see, touch and taste—to deliver His promise of salvation.
Vice-President
Rev. Dr. Carl Fickenscher
20 Law and Gospel: The Deadly Mix
By Rev. Timothy J. Pauls You may not think very often about your last moments on this earth, but Rev. Pauls effectively uses that very scenario to illustrate what can happen when we don’t properly distinguish between Law and Gospel.
22 The Devil Loves Your Good Works
By Rev. Craig Donofrio As we wrestle with Law in our lives, the pendulum can swing either toward antinomianism or legalism—both of which, warns Rev. Donofrio, the devil delights in capitalizing upon.
24 Law and Gospel in the Home
By Rev. John Drosendahl Law and Gospel apply to all parts of life, especially within the family! Rev. Drosendahl brings his own sometimes amusing childhood experiences to bear on the subject.
Regular Features
18 HT 2015 Conferences
Te Deum Registration Details! There’s still time to register!
28 Catechism The First Commandment
By Rev. William M. Cwirla When it comes down to it, the root of all our sin is connected in some way to our disobedience of the First Commandment. Yet this God whom we are to fear, love and trust above all things, says Rev. Cwirla, works in our hearts and makes things right through His Son.
30 Bible Study Hung Up on the Law
Be sure to check out this sample of one of our student Bible studies which links up with Rev. Buetow’s article on P. 4.
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Stan Lemon
Higher Things® Magazine ISSN 1539-8455 is published quarterly by Higher Things, Inc., PO Box 156, Sheridan, WY 82801. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of the executive editor of Higher Things Magazine. Copyright 2015. Higher Things® and Christ on Campus® are registered trademarks of Higher Things Inc.; All Rights Reserved. Printed in the United States. Postage paid at St. Louis, Missouri. For subscription information and questions, call 1-888-4826630, then press 4, or e-mail subscriptions@higherthings.org. (This phone number is only used for subscription queries.) For letters to the editor, write letters@higher things.org. Writers may submit manuscripts to: submissions@ higherthings.org. Please check higherthings.org/magazine/ writers.html for writers’ guidelines and theme lists.
S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 _ 3
Stained glass window depicting The Crucifixion of Jesus in the Cathedral of Tours, France. jorisvo / Shutterstock.com
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Hung Up on the Law By Rev. Mark Buetow
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” - St. Matthew 22:37-40 (NKJV)
W
hen we speak of “the Proper Distinction Between the Law and the Gospel,” we usually mean by “Law” the Ten Commandments or, if we use Jesus’ summarizing them, the Two Tables: Love God and Love your neighbor. The Gospel, we say, is about what Jesus does. The Law, we say, is about what we do, or at least what we are supposed to do. Thus, the Gospel is about Jesus and the Law is about us.
It comes out sounding something like this in our theology: We are sinful, so we break the commandments. Our sinfulness means we can’t keep the commandments. If we don’t keep the commandments, we’ll go to hell. Therefore, God sent His Son, Jesus, to keep the commandments in our place and to give His life as a sacrifice that forgives our sins of breaking the commandments. Then, with the Holy Spirit as our Helper, we go and try to keep the commandments. The problem with this approach is that it makes the Law about us when it’s really about Jesus. Look closely at Jesus’ words above. “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” The “Law” means the “Torah” which is what the first five books of the Bible are called. “Torah” means more than just “Law.” It could be translated as “teaching” or “Law and Gospel.” And the “Prophets” refers to rest of the writings of the Old Testament through which the Lord promised the sending of our Savior. So when Jesus says “the Law and the Prophets” He means Himself! That’s because He is the fulfillment of everything written in the Law and the Prophets (Luke 24:27, 44). So, everything in the Law and the Prophets—that is, Jesus!— hangs on these two commandments: Love God; love your neighbor. And the word there really is “hang,” as in “hang on the cross.” Now, consider that Jesus is both true God and true man in one person and all the pieces click together. The law says we must love God and love our neighbor. In Christ, God and man are together in one person. And that Person, Jesus, loves God the Father above all things. He loves the Father in such a way that He even obeys the Father in dying for sinners! That’s the First Table of the Law. But He also loves His neighbor as Himself, even more than Himself, because He undergoes suffering and death for you! You can’t love others more than Jesus did—dying for their sins when He didn’t deserve to! So there it is. The Law. Love God. Love neighbor. And Jesus hangs on that Law on Calvary. There, He does what you don’t do. And He pays for what you did and haven’t done according to the Law.
So, the Law is not first and foremost about us. It’s about Jesus! Jesus, who perfectly loves God the Father and who perfectly loves and serves His neighbor. The Law pointed to Jesus and it is kept and fulfilled by Jesus. Everything the Law does—command obedience and punish sin—lands on Jesus on Calvary. He truly does hang on the commandments of the Law. So what does that mean for you? Do you have to worry about the Law? Do you have to bother doing and not-doing what it says to do and not do? The Law will always do its job to our Old Adam: crucifying the sinful flesh with its passions and desires. But the Spirit, by whom we have Christ’s forgiveness, dwells in us to bring forth the fruits of faith, namely, obedience and keeping the Law. Or, as St. Paul puts it, it’s not you living but Christ living in you. Or, even better, we learn to see the Law—the commandments—for what it really is: a gift! You see, rather than just arbitrary rules God throws out there to trip us up and give Him a reason to condemn us, the Law is a list of all the gifts God gives us, beginning with Himself. The real nature of our sin isn’t that we “broke a rule” but that we have rejected a gift. “You shall have no other gods.” But we don’t want the true God. We want other gods. “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But we don’t like the people God has given into our lives and so we treat them badly and strive to please ourselves with other people. But Christ lives as if there is nothing better than loving God and receiving every good thing from His Father’s hand. And that life of Christ’s is now yours through your baptism into Him. Sure, the Law is for you and about you, but only in and through Jesus. He is the great filter by which your sins against the commandments are forgiven and in whom your obedience and works are counted as perfect and pleasing to your Father in heaven. What we need to watch out for is getting hung up on the Law as if we could keep it ourselves or as if we could ever please God. Rather, because Jesus hung upon the Law as He hung on the cross, He has kept it for you and made you perfect in God’s sight. Touch the Law apart from Jesus, and it will bring down the damning curse. But in Christ, the Law is for you a gift that is delivered through Christ’s hanging on it and keeping it for you. So no more getting hung up on the Law since Jesus already was… for you! Rev. Mark Buetow is pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church in DuQuoin, Illinois and serves as the deputy and media services executive for Higher Things. He can be reached at buetowmt@gmail.com.
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Hyperbolic The
Goodness By Rev. George F. Borghardt
of the
Gospel
The Gospel is hyperbolic. Well, it seems like hyperbole anyway. It’s so over the top! It can’t be true! It can’t be real! It’s unbelievable and simple all at the same time. It’s too awesome and too good to be true. It’s amazing! Because it’s all Jesus-y goodness.
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In Christ, your sins are forgiven—all of them. There’s not a sin that Christ did not die for; there’s not a sin that He leaves still on you. All of them— from Adam’s sin that you inherited to all the sins that you commit from the moment you were conceived to your very last breath. He has taken them all. He has redeemed you from them all. You have been given everything as a gift. All that belongs to Jesus belongs to you. You have eternal life. You have heaven. He prepares a place just for you. You are a kingly, royal, holy priest, who sings the praises of the One who brought you out of darkness
into His wonderful light. You don’t earn it. You don’t deserve it. Jesus gives His Father’s entire kingdom away! He just gives it away for free—all of it. Forgiveness, life, salvation— all as a gift. He saves not holy people, but sinners. God reconciles the whole world to Himself in the death of His Son. While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us! The world certainly doesn’t work that way! You only get what you pay for and nothing is free. The Gospel is just foolishness to the rest of the world! The Gospel is absolutely moronic!
Christ’s Descent into Hell, RIssian, second quarter of the 15th century.
But the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men. God knows that we cannot save ourselves. He knows we can’t dig ourselves out of the hell we’ve earned. We can’t think ourselves out of the hell we deserve. The LORD was working to save us throughout the whole Old Testament. He sent prophets and preachers. He preached through them. He promised salvation. We believed—at first. But then we did our own thing. We silenced all His messengers—beat up and killed His messengers! We didn’t want to hear a single word. So God goes and does something ridiculous: He sends His Son. Jesus is the Lord God Himself. And He is true Man, born of the Virgin Mary. He healed the sick. He preached the Good News that God was going to save us. And we rejected Him, too. We beat Him. We even executed Him on a Cross. God shows His love in the giving up of His Son. That’s real love! He doesn’t love like we do, with empty promises. He put His love in our midst and let us nail it to a cross to save us. Jesus was crucified for our sins. And God raised Him from the dead for our forgiveness. To make your salvation sure, the Lord places the certainty of it outside you in the external Word of the Gospel. He doesn’t leave you to look inside yourself or depend on your feelings to see if you really, truly, crossyour-heart believe… or not. You have been saved in the waters of your Baptism. God’s Word reminds you, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” And you are forgiven in the words of Holy Absolution. The sins your pastor forgives really are forgiven. You are fed the very Body and Blood of Jesus. Jesus says in Scripture, “Whoever eats the flesh of the Son of Man and drinks His Blood has life and God will raise Him up on the last Day.” His gifts are the certainty of your salvation making everything Gospelly good! When God has done everything imaginable to save you, you really have to work hard to lose your salvation. You’d have to despise Jesus’ forgiveness and love and make everything about yourself. You’d have to seek to save yourself and make everything
about you—what you do and don’t do, how you feel, and what you are doing for God. You can read about life without Christ and its end in the other articles about the Law in this magazine. But the Gospel! God wants to deal with you by the Gospel. He wants to be merciful. He wants to forgive you. He wants to give you life that goes on forever. He wants to deal with you, not as you deserve, but as His Son earned for you. So, in Christ, He does. In Christ, there is no condemnation from God, no Law, no judgment. Christ’s Gospel trumps the Law’s demands, for Christ is the end of the Law for all who believe. In Christ, your salvation is as sure as Christ’s own death and resurrection. In Christ, you are unconquerable. You are saved. You can’t get around it; there’s no better way. This is the way you and I are saved: Christ died for the sins of the world. Faith, which is born of the gifts of God, trusts that Christ died, not only for the sins of the world, but specifically for you. You are saved. You are forgiven. You have eternal life. No hell; you get life. No judgment from God; you are let off, Jesus-free. No condemnation from the Law; now the Law itself has become almost Gospelly! The Law, in Christ, now provides a guide for you to love and serve your neighbor. It drowns your Old Adam and makes you alive to serve others. It seems like hyperbole. But it’s definitely true. You are saved. You will be saved. Things are going to work out for you. They have to— all things are yours in Christ. Your good will be better. Your bad is going to turn out good. Your wins are real wins—eternal wins. Your losses are going to end up as wins in Christ. All things, even death itself, will work out to save you and those around you. That’s the unbelievable, hyperbolic, but completely true Gospel. Rev. George F. Borghardt serves as the senior pastor at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in McHenry, Illinois. He is the president of Higher Things. His email is revborghardt@higherthings.org.
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3D Law By Rev. William M. Cwirla
As we have learned it from the questions and answers
attached to the Small Catechism, the Law serves three functions: to curb the sinner, to mirror our sinful condition, and to guide us in the way of holiness. While curb, mirror, and guide is a fine way of looking at the Law, I’d like to try a little different perspective. So put on your 3D glasses and let’s consider the Law in 3D: Damage Control, Diagnosis, and Discipline. Damage Control. Curbs are great but not always effective. Vehicles routinely run over them into people and buildings. A little four-inch curb at the side of the road won’t stop much of anything. God’s Law is much more than a curb to scuff your spiritual tires. It’s divine damage control. Without it, there would be nothing but anarchy in the world as everyone tried to have it his own way. That’s why God established the temporal authority structures of home, society, and church. The Law acts as a fence, boundary, and limit to our sinful behavior. It does damage control. I was hurrying to get to the installation of a pastor friend of mine and was traveling on a two-lane highway where the speed limit was 55 mph. My speedometer said 70. Then I saw the flashing Mars lamps in my rear view mirror, and before long, I was going zero at the side of the highway. Busted. The Law snagged me and reigned me in, doing some damage control on my reckless driving, not to mention on my wallet and ego. Imagine if everyone drove at whatever speed he thought was best. The highway would become a demolition derby. The Law protected others, and myself, from my distracted driving. There were farm workers on that road. I should have thanked the highway patrol officer who wrote the ticket, but I didn’t. My old Adam hates the Law.
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Diagnosis. We hate being diagnosed. We put off going to the doctor and we lie about our symptoms. We minimize our condition. Blood tests, MRIs, CAT scans, biopsies. No one wants them. We’re afraid of the results. We don’t want to know the truth. The truth is that sin is much more than superficial thoughts, words, and deeds. Those are the symptoms, but the condition lies much deeper, in the deep recesses of the heart where only the Spirit of God can see. We tend to think of sin as sins—the stuff we do and don’t do. But the Spirit lifts the veil and peers into the depths of our hearts. The Law becomes a spiritual CAT scan revealing the ugly truth: We have an inherited disease—sin. It has its origins in Adam and has been passed down to us.
Like many diseases, sin can lie dormant and the sinner can seem almost “symptom-free.” A newborn baby is conceived and born in sin. He has the disease, but because he can’t talk or move around much, he just appears “symptom–free.” But not for long. Soon the symptoms begin to show, yet the disease has been there all along. The Law does the deep diagnostics on our condition. We are full of sin in our Adamic flesh and cannot save ourselves. Thanks be to Christ who came into our flesh to rescue our flesh by becoming sin for us! He caught the disease so that He might become the cure. This diagnostic function of the Law is the true internal spiritual function. It goes to the unbelieving heart. The other functions are external and bodily. They deal with us outwardly. But the Law as a diagnostic tool deals with us inwardly, as only God can do. The news isn’t good; the prognosis is poor: “The wages of sin is death.” But there is a cure! “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus, our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Thanks be to God in Christ! But wait, there’s more! Discipline. Ugh! Discipline. Our Old Adam hates that word. He thinks in terms of time outs, groundings, curfews, and worse. Yet a loving Father disciplines His children or they aren’t true children (Hebrews 12:7). This third function of the Law, as discipline, is very similar to the first function with one important difference: The Christian uses it on himself to discipline the old Adam who still clings to us. As baptized believers, we are “simul”—simultaneously sinful and righteous, in Adam and in Christ—sinner and saint. Though declared dead to sin in Baptism, the old Adam is still very much alive and kicking. His kicking needs to be disciplined. That’s why Christians still need to hear the Law. Old Adam has to be forced to go with the new Christ program, and he doesn’t like it one bit. The new man in Christ is glad when they said, “Let’s go to the house of the Lord.” But the old Adam is not glad at all. In fact, he would rather sleep in, have a leisurely breakfast, watch some football, and kick back. Anything but worship. And so he needs the discipline of the Third Commandment’s threats and promises along with an alarm clock, a worship schedule, and a liturgy. This is what the apostle Paul means when he says, “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5). Don’t wait for the traffic cop to pull you over. You tell the old Adam to honor the authorities and obey the laws. Remember, as a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), born “from above” by water and Spirit (John 3:3ff ), you delight in the Law and have the mind and Spirit of Christ . Self-discipline is a fruit of Christ’s Spirit (Galatians 5:23). The new man needs no Law, for Christ is the end of the Law for the believer. But old man needs Law in all its threedimensionality: damage control, diagnosis, discipline. Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, and is a president emeritus of Higher Things. He can be reached at wcwirla@gmail.com.
SS PP RR II NN GG 22 00 11 55 __ 99
This article is edited for content.
It contains my thoughts. They’re all my words. But someone else reads it before it reaches your eyes, dear reader. She is the editor. She reads over the article. She checks it for content. She sends back my third draft to ask,“Can you reduce the word count?”“Can you fix this sentence so it’s easier to understand?”“What do you mean when you say this?” That’s her job as editor: to check over what I’ve written, correct errors and make suggestions—all so that by the time this reaches your eyes, it’s clear, concise and easy to understand. I can read what I’ve written once, twice, a dozen times and
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still ignore that between my imagination and the page I missed an “is” in the title, added three commas where there should have been a period, didn’t define a fancy Latin word, left a run-on sentence to run on and on... The mind plays tricks on us. Fills in gaps for us on the fly. In fact, we are often blind to what’s obvious, especially when it’s our own work. In life, too, we could all benefit from an editor: someone who can translate us, even to ourselves, such as,“Rewrite that before you hit send.”“Delete what you’re about to say to her.”“Tweak that before you tell him.”
God’s Spirit does that very thing with us. Sin turns us away from God and neighbor. Sin also blinds us to the truth about ourselves. We think we’ve got it together. We’re doing alright. Or, not so great. We don’t know why this is happening to us. Why me? Why is God tempting me? Who we imagine ourselves to be is as upside down and backwards as what we imagine God is up to.
We live in the way of the law—in the way of limits, measures, divisions, comparisons, qualifications and quantifications. But God is in the mercy way. The Gospel way. The only way God will be for us is in His Jesus way. And even though God says it to us in words, water, bread, and wine, we don’t see it. We don’t hear it. We’re blind to the obviousness of it all. And so, if we’re to be the person God intends us to be, in the Gospel way, His Jesus way, He must edit and translate us into the kingdom of Christ. God’s Spirit edits us for content. All Jesus. All gifts. From our sin and law way to His faith and Gospel way, we are translated. Translated. Repented. Faithed. Jesus-ed all the way. This happened when you were baptized into Christ. This is why Martin Luther writes that in baptism “every Christian has enough to study and practice all his or her life.” Through Baptism we are translated into the kingdom of Christ. And this is made obvious to us every time God does His Christ Jesusing to us in the sermon and at the Lord’s table. In His speaking and doing, we speak and do.“You sinner.”“Yes, me sinner.”“You are forgiven and blessed for Christ’s sake.”“Amen.” What we would say in the way of sin and the law is edited for content. Instead, the Spirit breathes His breath into our lungs. He lays His words onto our tongues. More than that, He works His works with our hands. That is how He translates us into the kingdom of Christ. That is
ited For Content By Rev. Donavon Riley
what it means to be in the Gospel way. God’s chosen people. A holy people. A royal priesthood built up into a temple of the Holy Spirit, as St. Peter writes. Sanctified. So long as you’re “in the flesh” you will struggle against sin. This is to be in the way of measures, limits, and all the rest of it. To miss what’s obvious. To search for God in the opposite way of His Jesus way. This is why as long as you’re in the world you will need another to edit and translate you into the kingdom of Christ. Just look at what you’ve submitted. “I’m doing alright.” No, change that. “You’re hanging on by your fingernails.”“I’ve got it together,” should read, “I’m a train-wreck.” And why did you add an exclamation point to “I’m miserable”? You didn’t need extra punctuation. God hears you. And the word “miserable” means “needing mercy.” You’ve got that Jesus-much already. Omit “Why me?” And delete the question. God tempts no one to sin. You’ve been repented. You are faithed. You are sanctified. There. Good. See what a good editor can do? Trust me. Now... It is finished.
Rev. Donavon Riley is the pastor of St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Webster, Minnesota. He is also the online content manager for Higher Things. You can contact him at elleon713@gmail.com
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Looking for Assurance in All the Wrong Places:
Even Christians Need the Gospel By Rev. Jonathan Fisk
Law!
Definition: God’s well-designed justice, totally good, totally what you should do, totally not what you do (at least, not from the heart).
Gospel!
Definition: Jesus. He did it. He came. He kept. He conquered— in your place and for your sake. No shortage of that sweet good news in every issue of Higher Things Magazine.
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Okay. So what should I do now? That’s the normal question. It’s what everybody asks at some point. “I believe in Jesus, but what does this mean for my life? How then should I live?” Those are not bad questions; they are just a little bit dangerous. After all, why would you want to take your eyes off of Jesus, the author
and perfecter of your faith? Now that you’ve seen how good Jesus is, why would you suddenly be so interested in “you” again? But we do have to live here until Jesus gets back, and there are good Lutheran answers to this question, e.g., “Be nice!” But! The real problem is that it’s not just an innocent question. It’s also a fact that much of American Christianity
has made this “What’s next after Jesus” question the most important part of Christian doctrine. It’s like this: “Here’s the Gospel! It’s great! But don’t get too excited about it. Now that you’re saved, it’s time to get back to the Law. Go! Do it! Do this! Do that! Ignore the fact that it’s never done. You can do it if you just have more faith.” Years and years of this preaching makes the once brightly burning flame of faith grow dim and start to faintly flicker. Then, one morning, you wake up wondering if you trust in Jesus enough. You recall that you used to. You remember being excited about Christianity long ago. But that was all then. Today, faith is shaky ground. There’s so much you have been trying to do, so much you should have done, and the not-done of it all has piled up, heaping and mounting and threatening to bury you beneath its tyrannical, honest assessment of your heart and soul. Now, it is clear to you. There are two kinds of Christians at your Church: those who are really living it—really doing it and really meaning it— and then there’s…you. You: the one not quite living the higher life. You: the one not quite able to make it to that boasted of land of sanctification that everyone else seems to be living in. You: not quite good enough to be a Christian. Can Jesus really love a person like you? He’s given you all that grace, and you’ve done almost nothing with it. Next up! Atheism. This faith murder is the work of the gLAWspel. The gLAWspel is what happens when we do not remember the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. It’s the Law—>Gospel—>LAW!!!! version of Christianity that never outright denies that Jesus is the Savior, but instead quietly rolls the “now-get-to-righteousness-on-your-own” stone back over the empty tomb. But doesn’t the Bible talk about sanctification? Of course it does. It talks about good works, too. It says “do them,” even though they’ll remain filthy rags. But holiness—true holiness—Biblically speaking, isn’t really about good works. It’s not really about what you do. It can affect what you do, but it is about where you stand. How close to Jesus are you? And the answer is not how you feel or what you’ve done. The answer to that question is: What is your physical proximity to the source of holiness? Where are Jesus’ Words? Where are Jesus’ Sacraments? Do you have them? Do you hear them? Are they on you? Are they in you? Remember this when you read the Bible:
“Strive for peace with everyone, and for [JESUS!] without [whom] no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14). “Put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and [JESUS!]” (Ephesians 4:24). “You shall be [Jesus!] for I am [Jesus!]” (1 Peter 1:16). Seriously. Take. Eat. But, but, but! But, Pastor Fisk, 1 Peter 1:15 says to be holy in your conduct. That means you have to get busy doing good works, right? Sure. When did I say otherwise? When the Gospel of Jesus creates faith, good works are always the result. That’s not the problem. The problem is when we make those results part of the Gospel itself. Because the Gospel creates faith which then strives to keep the Law, we start to think that more Law will speed up the process. Since the Gospel can only be believed, we start looking around for an assurance we can see. So after the Gospel has created a flowering burst of personal growth in love for God and neighbor, we start to believe in the results more than in their source. But in so doing, we slowly cut ourselves off from the “outside-of-you” promises which brought about the growth in the first place. Yes, be nice! (Why would you want to be anything else?) But all that righteousness—the best good works—are gifts given to you by God. They’re not for you to look at them and think, “Wow, look at me and how great I’ve become,” they are there to help you see your neighbor. “My goodness, she needs my help! Let’s do it!” Good works are good, but they are not our certainty. They are always incomplete. Always lacking. Always not quite done perfectly. Jesus, on both hands (with scars to show it), has done them perfectly. “It is finished.” It’s a promise. Entirely outside of you. Unreliant on your righteousness, whether before or after your conversion. The Gospel! Conclusion: Jesus is enough holiness to save you, even when you’re already a Christian. Rev. Jonathan Fisk is the pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Oakes, North Dakota, and host of the video podcast Worldview Everlasting.
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he Lord’s Supper IS the gospel. After all, the Lord’s Supper is all about how Lamb of God Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world, gives away the forgiveness and salvation to His sinners that He won and achieved on the cross. How in the world does He do that? Through His words! He preaches. He speaks. What He says, He does. What He promises He gives. Check it out in Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20 and 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. On the night when He was betrayed Lamb of God Jesus preaches a Passover sermon that had never been preached before. He does what He does. He gives what He gives, because
Fresco of Last supper of Christ by Leopold Kupelwieser from 1889 in nave of Altlerchenfelder church on July 27, 2013 Vienna..
IS the Gospel!
By Rev. Brent Kuhlman
The Lord’s Supper
He is the God-man. There is no other God than this man, Jesus! His mouth is God’s mouth. His words are God’s words. His sermon is a divine promise by which He gives His last will and testament. Yes, that’s right, I said it! Lamb of God Jesus, who takes away the sin of the world, draws up His last will and testament. He would do that? Absolutely! And He does it FOR YOU! Lamb of God Jesus is the Maundy Thursday testator who anticipates His Good Friday death. He identifies the estate that He leaves behind and He names the heirs. Incredibly you, His sinners, are the beneficiaries! You, His sinners, are given the inheritance—the very salvation achieved for you on the cross! The Lord’s Supper IS the gospel! Many would object! Seriously? He’s got to be out of His mind. Nuts! Wacko! Cuckoo! A few cards short of a full deck! Doesn’t He see what’s happening and who these men are? Good grief! Look around the Passover table. James and John always want to be the big shot bosses. All the rest of the Twelve resent them. They constantly bicker and fight amongst themselves. Iscariot is an embezzling, good-for-nothing thief. In addition, he is going to commit one of the most outrageous and notorious betrayals in the history of the world—with a kiss, no less! For a little bit of cash! Peter, James and John won’t keep watch but will snooze soundly in Gethsemane. Peter’s, “even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you,” bravado quickly turns into a profanity-laced, liar, liar pants on fire, renunciation: “I’ve never ever seen this Jesus! I don’t know him at all!” Total denial! Not once, but three times! Three strikes and you’re… Well, at least you’d think so. But not with Jesus! Even though He is surrounded by hard-core sinners, He is of sound mind. He knows exactly what He’s doing. He’s in charge. He determines the place to celebrate the Passover meal. He’s taken care of every detail. In fact, He unmasks his betrayer and pronounces divine judgment on him ahead of time. Lamb of God testator Jesus speaks or bequeaths His will in that upper room. “Eat this bread. It is my body. I give it for you. Drink this wine. This cup is the new testament in my blood which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.” The estate that He leaves is: “the forgiveness of sins.” For His sinners! I’ll say it again: The Lord’s Supper IS the gospel! His Good Friday Body and Blood are given with the bread and wine. He says so. And you, like those notorious sinners around the table, are named as heirs—given to receive the eternal inheritance. Testator Jesus promises that His body and blood are given and shed FOR YOU. He promises that all your sin is forgiven. Name the sin. He guarantees it’s forgiven. What about the ones you can’t remember or didn’t
know you did? Forgiven! What about the sin that you don’t want to do but end up doing? Or how about the sin that deserves God’s temporal and eternal punishment? All forgiven! Totally absolved! Like all wills, this one on the night Jesus was betrayed, when it is read out loud every Sunday, is contested as well. Bitterly. Some flat out reject it. “Body? Blood? How primitive! Is this some sort of religious cult like cannibalism? And forgiveness? Who needs it? I sure don’t! I’m not even a sinner!” Others, like Satan, death and the world will be indignant. Horrified. They will get in your grill and they will accuse, bind, and condemn you for your sin. “Look at you!” they scream. “You call yourself a Christian! Really? You’re no better than Iscariot. You’re just like Peter. In fact, you’re worse. You’ve got betraying and denying Jesus down pat. According to all decency as well as all law and order, you’ve excluded yourself from Jesus’ last will and testament. You are a betrayer! A denier! Sinful! Unclean! Unworthy!” What will you do in light of these accusations against you? What can you say? Step up to the plate and tell the truth! Produce the evidence. Give them the goods. They’ve caught you redhanded. Confess: “Yes, that’s exactly right. Truly I am Christ’s betrayer, denier and sinner. I even colluded in his death! I gave Him up. I ran from Him. I helped spit in his face. I pounded the spikes into His hands and feet! Not denying it! Not one bit! But He died for me AND He names me—the sinner—in His last will and testament. He promises that His estate belongs to me. I will do as He commands. I will eat and drink. I believe His promise. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world—my sin!” Yes, Lamb of God Jesus gives His estate, the forgiveness of sins in the sacrament, to those who needed it. Only the sick need a physician. So the next day, Good Friday, He goes to his death. Crucified. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That’s when His last will and testament goes into effect. Probated. He says so every time you hear the Words of Institution in the divine service. It is the public proclamation and reading of His will, just as He intended in that upper room. And with the promise of forgiveness of sin, Lamb of God Jesus bestows the whole enchilada of His kingdom on you: SALVATION! The salvation won for you in his dying on the cross. Indeed! The Lord’s Supper IS the gospel!
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Rev. Brent W. Kuhlman is pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Murdock, Nebraska. He can be reached at kuhlman brent@gmail.com
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July 14-17
Concordia University Nebraska Seward, NE
July 28-31
Visit tedeum2015.org or email conferences@higherthings.org for more details.
“The band of the apostles in glory sing Your praise; The fellowship of prophets their deathless voices raise. The martyrs of Your kingdom, a great and noble throng, Sing with the holy Church throughout all the world this song: ‘Oh all majestic Father, Your true and only Son, And Holy Spirit, Comforter—forever Three in One!’” (LSB 941, st. 2)
This summer’s 2015 Higher Things Conferences will rejoice in the gift of the Te Deum, a hymn of praise that gives us a foretaste of what’s happening in worship in heaven and on earth.
Calvin College Grand Rapids, MI
July 21-24
Higher Things 2015 Conferences
Te Deum
University of Nevada Las Vegas, NV
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Cross train your brain.
“The Core really made me think outside of the box and forced me to answer difficult questions, not accepting an “I don’t know” or “I don’t care” answer. It involved a lot of connection-making, which really helped me articulate my responses to difficult questions.”
Education should strengthen your brain, challenge you to ask questions, and build a strong foundation for your future. In Concordia University Irvine’s *nationally recognized Core curriculum, you will learn about God and service to the world through the cross of Christ. You will cross disciplinary boundaries by studying biology with theology, mathematics with philosophy, and history with literature. You will wrestle with questions and concepts of life that have endured across the centuries. You will cultivate sound academic habits and skills that apply across the curriculum, to your future careers, and life. Exercise your mind. Exercise your faith. Cross train your brain. *Concordia University Irvine is a member of the Association for Core Texts and Courses’ Liberal Arts Institute. This prestigious institute— composed of 12 universities that include Columbia, St. John’s, Pepperdine, and Notre Dame—promotes “the integrated and common study of world classics and texts of major cultural significance” in general education programs across North America.
www.cui.edu/core
Scan here to learn more about the Core.
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G Gosp
& LAW GOS
LAW LAW Gospel T gospel
he man wheezes in his hospital bed.“Pastor,” he says,“I’m going to die tonight, and I’m not sure I’m going to heaven. My sins haunt me. How can I be sure?”
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Thoughtfully, the pastor leans forward and says, “As long as you believe that Jesus died for you, you’re going to heaven.” “But Pastor, that’s the problem.” Fevered eyes roam the ceiling. “How do I know I believe?” The pastor tries again. “Thomas, I know you haven’t been in church for a while. I still remember, though, that you made your decision, that you accepted Jesus as your Savior.” “And I’ve hardly lived like it since! Maybe I didn’t mean it when I made that decision.” “Let’s pray now,” says the pastor. “You can make that decision again. I know you want to.” “Of course I want to! But how would I know if I really meant it? How could I ever know if I believe enough?” The screen above his head flashes red, noting an accelerated heartbeat. The conversation goes in the same circle. Eventually, the man’s eyes close. The pastor prays, says a quiet goodbye and slips out of the room. Outside, another minister waits. The family is split between churches, and each side has called its pastor in a panic. It happens. “Poor soul,” some will say. “If only the dying man could be comforted. If only he could be more sure of his faith.” Not you, though. You’re thinking, “I’ve just witnessed a terrible confusion of Law and Gospel.” @@@
You think this, of course, because you know this stuff. God’s Law consists of His holy commands, telling you what “Thou shalt” be doing and what “Thou shalt not” be doing, or else. It’s good stuff: The one who keeps it perfectly is holy. The problem is that you can’t keep it perfectly, which means that you’re not holy. You’re sinful, and the wages of sin is death. The Gospel is the Good News that Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, died on the cross for your sins. He rose again on the third day. He declares that you’re forgiven for all of your sins, because He died for all of them. His sacrifice is completely sufficient for your salvation, which is why you’re saved by grace, not by your works. “Gospel” literally means “good news,” and we should make an obvious point: You don’t do news. You hear news, you know it and believe it. But you don’t do it. For instance, let’s say I tell you that the Seahawks lost the Super Bowl. That’s news. Nobody ever asks, “How do you do that news?” What would that even mean? News is simply what has happened. It may have implications on your life (immense heartbreak), and may lead you to do things (weep), but you don’t do the news itself. It’s done. The Gospel is good news. Jesus has died and Jesus is risen, and so you are saved. There’s nothing there for you to do. It has implications (you have eternal life) and it will lead you to do things (strive to please God and keep His law), but there’s nothing for you to do in the Gospel.
W L aw SPEL GOSPEL
GOSPEL pel law Law The Deadly Mix By Rev. Timothy J. Pauls
Law and Gospel are completely different, yet get confused all the time. Add the Gospel to the Law, and you get…bad, squishy Law, like “Jesus died for your sins, so you don’t have to worry about keeping the Law so much.” That’s both uncertain and just plain wrong. Add the Law to the Gospel, and you get…more Law: “Jesus has done His part to save you: if you do your part, you’ll be saved.” Confuse these, and you’ll always be in doubt about whether or not you’re forgiven. In our illustration, Thomas has added Gospel to the Law for years. Now on his deathbed, he’s added the Law to the Gospel. He’s tormented. He’s going to die before the night is out. It’s evident that heaven and hell are very real, and the devil is whispering, “Clearly, you haven’t done enough to be saved: Look at all your sins.” Is there comfort for Thomas? Hope? @@@
The second pastor rises and enters the room. Thomas stirs and the conversation begins again: “Pastor, I’ve only got hours left before I die. How can I be sure I’m going to be with Jesus?” This pastor says, “Thomas, has Jesus died for all of your sins?”
“Well, yes.” “Then eternal life with Jesus is yours.” “But what if I don’t believe it enough?” “Thomas, has Jesus died for all of your sins?” “Yes!” “It sounds like you believe it to me.” That’s the Gospel, pure and simple. See the difference? The first pastor has put salvation on the man’s decision—his work of accepting, and so the man is tormented by uncertainty. The second pastor has put it all on Jesus, and there’s no doubt that Jesus got the work of redemption done. Before sunrise, Thomas dies. But he dies in peace, knowing that Jesus has redeemed him. That’s your peace, too, in life and in death. At the most critical times, the devil will haunt you: “Look at your sins! There’s no way you’ve earned salvation!” He’d be right, except for Jesus. So you say, “But I don’t trust in me! I trust in Jesus, who died for me.” You can be sure that in all things, Christ and His work are your confidence. That’s pure good news and that’s how you’ll always know. Rev. Timothy J. Pauls is the pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Boise, Idaho. He can be reached at timothypauls@gmail.com
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Devil Loves Your
The
Good Works By Rev. Craig Donofrio
Yeah, that’s what I said: H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 22
The devil loves your good works, even as he loved the good works of the Pharisees. The Pharisees were those guys whom Jesus was constantly calling out. Do you realize that they were wildly popular and seen as the most righteous people in the country? They really knew the Law and they were extremely good at keeping it, at least outwardly. They gave to the poor, showed care for their neighbors and were truly admirable men. They even knew when they should wash their hands and feet in the right way so as to be pleasing to God. Yet, what does Jesus have to say to the Pharisees?
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness”(Matthew 23:27 ESV). But these were the righteous guys. As a matter of fact, they were so righteous that they saw no need to be forgiven of their sins and they believed that they didn’t need a Savior for any reason except to get rid of those filthy Gentile Romans who were occupying their lands. Does this picture point us to a people who were antinomian (lawless) or to a people who were legalistic (excessively and improperly using the law)? St. Paul has some instruction for us on the other side of the coin. He says, “Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 5:20-21 ESV). The sinner in us wants to stop there and rejoice saying, “YES! Jesus answered for all of my sins, those that I have done, those that I am doing and those that I will do, so, eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!” This indeed is true… but only partly true. The law without the Gospel directs us toward legalism like the Pharisees. This understanding of things leads us to either despair completely of any hope of eternal life, or it teaches us to dilute the severity of the law and its demands. Legalism attempts to cut the law up into little bite-sized pieces that we can easily manage. This way of thinking makes God’s grace worthless because it says that we don’t really need a Savior. On the other hand, those who rejoice in the statement, “Where sin abounds, grace even more abounds” —and they take this as a license to look at porn, sleep around, abuse alcohol or drugs, lie, gossip about others, cheat, and in general to not give God or neighbor a second thought— they likewise make grace worthless, for they have a Gospel with no Law. A Gospel with no Law is no Gospel at all, for there is no good news of salvation without the bad news that we are sinners who need a Savior. Antinomianism and legalism are indeed two sides of the same coin, two errors from the same root: me-ism. Yes, it is all about me either way, isn’t it? The First Commandment tells us that we are to have no other gods before the one true God. Both antinomianism and legalism put us in the seat of God. Both also cheapen grace. That term “cheap grace” has been thrown around a lot for the last 70 years and you may be thinking to yourself, “I
thought that grace was free, so how can it be cheap?” I’m not talking about a price tag; I’m talking about how we make Jesus into nothing. This is cheap in the sense that Christ is made worthless and unimportant. So, if we are called to avoid legalism (sometimes called pietism) and also to avoid antinomianism, what are we actually called to? The answer to this question is found in Confession and Absolution. When Lutherans gather for worship, we often say these words, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9 ESV). Confession and Absolution help us remember who we are and even more important, who Christ is. Our sins are infinite. We are unable to keep tabs on our sins because we are indeed sinful to the core. This is who and what we are: a smelly, useless blob of goo. Yeah, I know, you don’t like to hear it, but just marinate in that stench for a minute. Christ came into this world to redeem those who are dead and in a state of decay—that would be you and me. This is who God is—the Almighty Creator who spoke everything into existence, but even more, the One who condescended to step into our blobby gooeyness and lay down His innocent life, taking on our sin and the penalty that we were condemned to suffer and giving to us His righteousness instead. So stop worrying about how you’re doing with your “Christian walk” and put your eyes on His righteousness for you. Daily empty yourself of notions of your goodness. You don’t have any. Instead, look to Jesus who is your righteousness. The more the Spirit puts our eyes on Jesus and off of ourselves, the more useful tools we become in the hands of the Master, for the good of our neighbor. And so, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2 ESV). Rev. Craig Donofrio is a 1998 graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. After 15 years of parish ministry, he was called to serve as the Program Director at the Synod’s international radio station, Worldwide KFUO. He is co-host of The God Whisperers and the host of the daily radio program, Reformation Rush Hour. You can hear him Monday through Friday at 5pm Central at kfuo.org.
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Law and Gospel in the Home By Rev. John C. Drosendahl
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15
W
ith these words, St. Paul instructs a young pastor named Timothy how best to go about his tasks in the ministry of God’s Word. Any Lutheran pastor worth his salt will tell you that this means that he should correctly recognize in God’s word the distinction between the Law and the Gospel. But distinguishing the Law from the Gospel for application isn’t just for preachers and teachers. It’s also for Mom and Dad, for parent and child, and for brother and sister in the home. H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 24
Of course, Lutheran families will hear this proper distinction between Law and Gospel each week from the pulpit. The adults will be taught this in Bible classes, and the children likewise in Sunday School: The Law is God’s commands for His people that they do what He wants, and the Gospel is the
love that God alone offers when He forgives people their sins when they fail. It sounds simple enough, right? Until you try to put it into practice, that is… I remember as a young child thinking that I should try to go an entire day without sinning. So I picked a Sunday, thinking that opportunities for sin
would be more limited during Sunday school and worship. Everyone was tired first thing in the morning, so not much sinning there. I seemed to get through both Sunday school and church without too many temptations. But then, on the ride home in the back seat of the car, my sister dared to cross the imaginary middle line of “my space,” and I slugged her. My parents made me say “I’m sorry” and my sister was made to say “I forgive you,” both of us rather grudgingly. But this was an example of how Law and Gospel begin to work in families. People wrong one another, feelings get hurt, kids get lazy, and parents become exasperated. The first step when any of these things happen is to determine the culprit, and use the full force of the Law, as necessary, to bring the sinner to contrition. When the sin is made
known (and usually when it’s felt by the conscience), then the offended person is reminded to forgive. But sometimes this is not so easily accomplished. The Lord’s Prayer is helpful in such a challenging endeavor, as it reminds us of that twofold forgiveness God likes so much. First we ask God to forgive us our trespasses, which He readily does because Jesus has given His life for us on the cross of Calvary. Then we are given by God to likewise forgive others in the very same manner that we have been so generously forgiven by the grace of Jesus. Whenever I was reluctant to forgive my sister, I was often reminded by my Dad that Jesus didn’t hesitate to do whatever it took to forgive me. This plays itself out also between spouses. If the husband leaves his dirty socks on the floor, inches from the hamper (his game of sock-basketball needing much improvement) for the umpteenth time, his bride may well be at her frustration tolerance point. Quite frankly, she may well be completely out of her own forgiveness. But she can remember that she is forgiven, and that she no longer lives, but Christ now lives in her. She can then draw from that well of Christ’s forgiveness for her husband after her own forgiveness stash is exhausted. I remember my sister telling me, “Hey, Johnnie, it’s really fun to shove rocks up your nose!” So I tried it, and for a bit it was fun…up to the point that I began to panic, realizing that they went in a whole lot easier than they would come out! A couple of hours of my Mom painstakingly tweezing my nostrils finally removed the tiny pebbles. But I stated stubbornly, “I am never talking to my sister again!” It did not look like any forgiveness would ever be forthcoming... This is when my Mom played the “Baptism card.” She first reminded me of the times I had wronged my sister in the past; and then she reminded me that Jesus had washed all of those sins from me at the font. Mom then asked me if I believed that my sister’s
sins were cleansed at baptism, too. I reluctantly had to acknowledge that they were. Mom told me that, since Jesus wasn’t holding any sins against my sister, there was no need for me to hold anything against her. After some time to think, I eventually forgave my sister for the nose rocks. Now, parents may do pretty well with getting their children to say “I’m sorry,” yet they may fall down a bit when it comes to the “I forgive you” part. Tired parents will accept poor substitutes for forgiveness, like, “It’s okay” or “Don’t worry about it” or even “I guess I don’t really want to kill you.” This is not really the forgiveness of the Gospel, but is more akin to tolerance. If the Law works “sorry-ness” in the Christian sinner, then the Gospel should produce no less real “forgiveness” from
Christ’s own gracious love. This is where that third Lutheran “sacrament” comes in: Holy Absolution. As much as private confession and forgiveness is often neglected in the Church, it is almost completely absent in Christian homes; yet it shouldn’t be, for it is the special power Christ has given the Church on earth to forgive the sins of those who repent. But the church doesn’t cease to exist after noon on Sunday, or in the absence of the pastor. The forgiveness of Holy Absolution is a ready gift for the Christian home as well. In their vocation as Christian parents, this absolute forgiveness of Jesus should be a ready weapon in the arsenal of home discipline. Once I tormented my sister by convincing
her that her nose was getting bigger. I teased her to the point of her own paranoia, which led her to think she would never get a date. Once I had driven her to tears, I felt absolutely terrible. So my Dad brought the two of us together, made me apologize, and made her forgive me. Seeing I was still so very guilt-ridden, my Dad leaned over and whispered in my ear, “and Jesus forgives you, too.” That was exactly what I needed to hear! Christian families should not be afraid of a simple Law and Gospel proclamation in the home, even if it sounds out of place. You probably won’t chant it like the pastor does in the liturgy, and you most likely won’t kneel to confess your sin like you do in worship. But the same words of Law and Gospel which you hear regularly in the Divine Service have worn pathways in your cerebrums for a reason. Now you will have these words which you have learned by heart as a ready blessing at other times, and not just on Sunday morning. So when my sister made me mud-pies in the sandbox saying, “Try some, Johnnie, they are chocolate!” —and after the second or third pie, I was getting angry because I had begun to think that she just might be lying to me—I don’t recall holding a grudge at all. I don’t remember exactly how we got reconciled on that particular occasion, actually. I’m just glad that we did, since that formerly “dumb” sister eventually introduced me to her friend who turned out to be my wife and the mother of our 10 children. I only hope that am modeling God’s forgiveness in my home, echoing God’s Word and Sacraments, as well as my parents did for us growing up. Rev. John C. Drosendahl is privileged to serve Peace Lutheran Church in Goldsboro, NC, and Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Wilson, NC. He has served as breakaway instructor, catechist, and chaplain for Higher Things conferences. He can be reached at john. drosendahl@gmail.com.
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1st ANNUAL - UPCO*
APOLOGETICS Conference “HOLD FAST”
APRIL 24th - 25th 2015 Have you ever wanted to develop a stronger foundation for your faith? You are invited to attend the first-ever Concordia Apologetics Conference! This conference will feature two world-renowned Christian apologists (defenders of the faith) as the main speakers. The conference will also include CUW’s own professors of philosophy, all of whom are prominent Christian thinkers, as they speak on various aspects of apologetics. Join us as we learn why we can “HOLD FAST” to our faith.
* Undergraduate Preprofessional Churchwork Organization
GUEST SPEAKERS • Dr. Gary Habermas • Mr. Craig Parton FACULTY SPEAKERS • Dr. Angus Menuge • Rev. Dr. Gregory Schulz • Dr. Roland Ehlke • Rev. Dr. Kevin Voss • Mr. Brad Alles Sponsored by:
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Commandments & Gifts
April 10-11, 2015 Houston, Texas
Where: Our Savior Lutheran Church Contact: Pastor Vandercook, pasvandercook@osl.cc Cost: $50/person
Dating, Relationships, and THAT April 18, 2015 Berlin, Wisconsin
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Where: St. John Lutheran Church Contact: Dakotah Pike, dakotah.pike@cuaa.edu Cost: $15 advance ($20 walk-up)
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Dominican Republic
Atrévete a ser Luterano (Dare to be Lutheran) T
wo thumbs up to our Higher Things family for the incredible support as we prepared for service in the mission field in the Dominican Republic the past several months. After selling our house and most of our belongings and spending some time with family in Houston, Texas, we deployed to our field of service on February 21st. We are living in Santo Domingo, better known as “el capital” among the Dominicans. It’s the oldest European settled city in the Americas, founded by Bartholomew Columbus (Christopher Columbus’ younger brother) in 1496. Our first four months in country are focused on language and culture immersion
and training. I will soon be working closely with Amigos de Cristo Lutheran Church in Las Americas (Santo Domingo) in my role as a church planter. I am thrilled to serve alongside our one ordained Dominican, Pastor Willy Gaspar, as we “Dare to be Lutheran” in the DR, delivering Jesus in Word and Sacrament. I am also pleased to continue serving as Secretary on the Higher Things Board of Directors. Thank you again for your support! Dare to be Lutheran to the ends of the earth! Rev. Joel Fritsche & Family www.lcms.org/fritsche
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Catechism
The First Com Catechism: By Rev. William M. Cwirla
“You shall have no other gods.” What does this mean? “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”(Small Catechism, First Commandment)
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ommandment Fear, love and trust go straight to the heart of things.
Your heart. Your naturally unbelieving, hardened, turned inward on itself, full of sin, idolatrous heart. Trust your heart? There’s nothing trustworthy in that thing. Follow your heart? Straight to hell. Give your heart to Jesus? What on earth would He want with that sinful thing? The first commandment is not simply the first of a list of dos and don’ts. It’s the center and heart of all the commandments. Where the first is kept, the others follow naturally and easily. Where the first is broken, all the others are broken as well. The first commandment is the diagnosis of the disease called sin that causes us to commit sins. We sin because we’re sinners. We’re sinners because sin has completely infected our hearts so that we do not fear, love, and trust in God above all things. Put it to the test. What do you fear the most, above all things? Death, poverty, being hurt, being ridiculed, being unpopular? Fear tends to govern our behavior. We often act, or don’t act, out of fear. When we’re afraid we want to fight or flee for safety, and we’ll latch onto almost anything and anyone who promises safety. “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul,” Jesus said. “Rather fear Him who can destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28). Fear God, and there is nothing left to fear. The fear of the Lord is the end of all fear as well as the beginning of wisdom. Whom or what do you love the most? Your boyfriend or girlfriend? Your parents? Your best friend? Your dog? What loss would cause you to “just die?” The things we love can easily become idols, things that consume us. Sin distorts our loves and twists it back to ourselves. Real love is all about others; sin-distorted “love” is all about me. God is a jealous God; He wants you all to Himself. That doesn’t mean you can’t have loves, but God wants to be at the center of all your loves. He wants to
set your heart right, to turn it right-side out again. In the love of God is the freedom to love and be loved. What do you trust the most? Your skills? Your intelligence? Your charm and wit? Your good looks? Your government or some authority figure? Whatever or whomever you trust above all things is your god. People are only relatively trustworthy, some more than others. Everyone from parents to pastors to presidents will eventually let you down. God alone is worthy of our absolute trust. Faith is trust in God—a trust that God is faithful and true—that He will forgive our sins and raise us from death because He promised He would. All of His promises are fulfilled in Jesus. Trust Him and you can’t go wrong. Our hearts are like the sticky side of Velcro. Unbuckled from the fear, love, and trust in God above all things, they will cling to anything. You don’t have to bow down and worship an image or sacrifice to a statue to be an idolater. It’s all about your fear, your love, and your trust. Repent. Recognize that your fear, love, and trust are centered in the wrong place. Fear the Lord. Love Him. Trust Him. The commandments begin in the heart, where God alone works. And rejoice in the gift of your baptism in which the perfect fear, love, and trust that Jesus has are now yours in Him! Rev. William M. Cwirla is the pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Hacienda Heights, California, and is a president emeritus of Higher Things. He can be reached at wcwirla@gmail.com.
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Hung Up on the Law A HIGHER THINGS BIBLE STUDY • Spring 2015
1What place in the Christian’s life does the Law hold?
What do we mean when we refer to “The Law” or “The Law of God?”
2unbeliever versus for a Christian?
Do you think there is a difference between how the Law works for an
3the penalty for those who break the Law? See Deuteronomy 5:4-11. What does God say about His Law in Leviticus 18:1-5? What will be
4specifically asked Jesus a question? What did he ask?
Read Matthew 22:34-40. Who are the Pharisees? Who
51 John 4:20-21. What does this tell us about our ability to love God?
How does Jesus reply? Why does He give two answers? For a hint see
6does He use? What is meant by “the Law and the Prophets?” How is this What does Jesus say about these two commandments? What word
related to Jesus being the sacrifice for sinners? See Galatians 3:10-14.
7two commandments upon which He hangs relate to His keeping the Law? How does Jesus fulfill the Law when He is crucified for us? How do these
How do they relate to His two natures as God and man in one person?
8now for Christians? Does it save us? Can it save us? What good is it
Read Romans 3:21-31. What is the proper understanding of the Law
if our sins are forgiven by Jesus?
H I G H E R T H I N G S __ 30
9in talking with others about the Law’s role in the life of the Christian? How might this understanding of the Law’s relation to Jesus help us
10God is Good and Wise,” LSB #579. Close by singing “The Law of
To access the Leader’s Guide for this study, as well as Bible studies for articles in this issue and previous issues, as a part of an online HTOnline subscription, point your browser to: higherthings.org/magazine/biblestudies.html.
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“3-D Law” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide
Opening Prayer “The Law reveals the guilt of sin, And makes us conscience stricken; But then the Gospel enters in, The sinful soul to quicken. Come to the cross, trust Christ and live; The Law no peace can ever give, No comfort and no blessing.” (LSB 555, st. 8) 1. Pastor Cwirla mentions the familiar way of speaking about God’s Law: curb, mirror, and guide. How is God’s law like each of these? The curb use of the Law is meant to teach us that the Law limits or fences off the wickedness in this world. Damage control is a great description because it identifies the purpose of the Law in setting limits for the protection of us and our neighbor. The mirror is also called the chief use of the Law, which is to show us our sin. Think of Snow White and the wicked witch, “Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the greatest sinner of all?! The Law says, “You are the man.” The guide use of the Law is similar to a scaffold or a trellis. It can guide the plant but does not give life. So too, the Law cannot give us life and growth in the Christian faith, but it can guide and instruct is in the way we should go. 2. Read Romans 13:1-6. What authority did God give the temporal governments (the left hand kingdom) to do damage control in creation? In the left hand kingdom, as it is often called, God has given His authority to the secular rulers and kingdoms of this world in order to reward good and punish evildoers. St. Paul says that they “do not bear the sword in vain.” The sword refers to things like the armed forces or law enforcement. It’s their job to serve and protect. 3. Why does our Old Adam hate the diagnosis of God’s Law? John 3:19-20 Our old sinful flesh runs from the Law’s diagnosis like a horde of cockroaches from a bright light. We do not like to have our sin exposed and brought to light. We’d much rather hide our sin. Think of Adam and Eve in the garden after they had eaten the fruit. They tried to hide from God. Of course, this is foolish. But that is the nature of our sin. It is foolish, arrogant, prideful, and always looking out for ourselves. 4. Read Romans 3. According to Scripture, how bad is the problem of our sin? St. Paul teaches us that our sin is nothing short of deadly. Our mouths are open graves. “No one is good, no not one.” Scripture leaves no room for man’s glory, achievement, or work in salvation. If we are to be saved it must be by grace alone. Thanks be to God this is exactly how He saves us in Christ. For while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 5. Read John 3:16-18. What has God done about to address the problem of our terrible, horrible, no good very bad sin? It can best be summarized in one word: gift. The Father gave His Son for you; Jesus was born to die for you. The Son gave His life for you. Jesus is lifted up on the tree of the Cross to draw all people to himself. And in water, Word, Body, and Blood, Jesus continues to give Himself—His life, salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life–to you. Though our sins deserved eternal judgment, Jesus has borne that judgment for you on the Cross. For He was sent into the world not to condemn the world but that the world would be saved through Him.
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
6. According to Paul’s in Galatians 4:1-7, how does Jesus save us from the Law which condemns us? Jesus redeems us from the threats, curse, and punishments of the Law by taking its curse upon Himself, bearing the threats of the Law in our place, and suffering the punishments of the Law for us. It is a great reversal. Jesus, the Innocent One, becomes the Guilty One, so that we, the guilty ones, become innocent in His death. Jesus is born under the Law to redeem us from the Law. Think of it like a strong man who stoops down—all the way down to death and grave—only to come up again and lift the whole world upon His dead and risen back. 7. Why is Christ called the Second Adam? Romans 5:12-21. And why is this comforting? Jesus is called the second Adam because He conquers where the first Adam was overcome. Jesus defeats the devil for Adam and all his descendants—you and me and the world—who had fallen. Jesus fulfills the promise of Genesis 3:15 and crushes Satan’s head on the Cross, even though His hands, feet, side, and head are pierced. We are comforted by Christ as our second Adam because He is our stand-in, our substitute. He is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, and His suffering and death is given to you, credited to your account. You are declared alive in Him. It is comforting because you know that you have a High Priest who is like you in all respects, yet without sin. He is your Savior who restores you to innocence and brings you back to God out of exile in sin and death. 8. According to Hebrews 12:7, why does God discipline us? And where does such discipline come from? Galatians 5:23ff God disciplines us, His children, as a father disciplines his son. That means that when He does this it is for our good, and it is because He loves us, not because He wants to hurt or harm us. He disciplines us in order to draw us closer to Him. Such discipline comes from the Holy Spirit, as do the other gifts of faith. On our own we are not very disciplined. In fact, sin is called lawlessness by John. But in Christ, we receive a new spirit, a new man who delights in the discipline of the Lord, day and night, as we hear in Psalm 119. 9. What does our new man need daily? What does our old man need daily? Our old man needs to be daily drowned and die with all sinful desires and lusts of the flesh. Our old man needs daily repentance, in other words, Law to show us our sin. But our new man daily rises to new life in Christ through Baptism. And our new man is fed by the Word and Sacraments, Christ’s means of grace which feed, sustain, restore, and give us life, both now and forever. Such gracious giving from God is like food for our soul, for man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
Closing Prayer “All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise, To Father, Son, and Spirit, The God who saved us by His grace; All glory to His merit. O triune God in heav’n above, You have revealed Your saving love; Your blessed name we hallow.” (LSB 555, st. 10)
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“3-D Law” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Opening Prayer “The Law reveals the guilt of sin, And makes us conscience stricken; But then the Gospel enters in, The sinful soul to quicken. Come to the cross, trust Christ and live; The Law no peace can ever give, No comfort and no blessing.” (LSB 555, st. 8) 1. Pastor Cwirla mentions the familiar way of speaking about God’s Law: curb, mirror, and guide. How is God’s law like each of these?
2. Read Romans 13:1-6. What authority did God give the temporal governments (the left hand kingdom) to do damage control in creation?
3. Why does our Old Adam hate the diagnosis of God’s Law? John 3:19-20
4. Read Romans 3. According to Scripture, how bad is the problem of our sin?
5. Read John 3:16-18. What has God done about to address the problem of our terrible, horrible, no good very bad sin?
6. According to Paul’s in Galatians 4:1-7, how does Jesus save us from the Law which condemns us?
7. Why is Christ called the Second Adam? Romans 5:12-21. And why is this comforting?
8. According to Hebrews 12:7, why does God discipline us? And where does such discipline come from? Galatians 5:23ff
9. What does our new man need daily? What does our old man need daily?
Closing Prayer “All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise, To Father, Son, and Spirit, The God who saved us by His grace; All glory to His merit. O triune God in heav’n above, You have revealed Your saving love; Your blessed name we hallow.” (LSB 555, st. 10)
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“Looking for Assurance in All the Wrong Places” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide
Leaders’ Introduction The distinction between the Law and the Gospel is a "particularly brilliant light" to be maintained in our churches (Formula of Concord, Epitome V.2). Rev. Fisk begins his article with a definition of both the Law and the Gospel. Then he introduces a problem that can arise when these two teachings are confused and the Law is (re)introduced following the Gospel in such a way as to cause a Christian to trust in his own works. This Bible study will show that the Law exists to lead us away from our own works and to Christ as THE fulfillment of the Law. 1. Read 2 Timothy 2:15. St. Paul commands the users of Holy Scripture to rightly handle ("rightly divide" NKJV) the Word of truth. How does Pastor Fisk's definitions of Law and Gospel help us to "rightly divide" the Word of truth? What sorts of things does the Law deal with? What sorts of things does the Gospel deal with? The division, or distinction, of Law and Gospel isn't a mathematical formula, as if you could take out a yellow highlighter to mark out all the Law passages and a green highlighter to mark off all the Gospel passages. Rather, the distinction of Law and Gospel helps us to recognize how God's Word applies to us. We recognize that God's commands are good and just, and that we have a complete inability to keep them. The Gospel points to Christ and how He kept the Law in our behalf, and gives the righteousness He earned as a gift. The Law deals with works, justice, and punishments for those who do not keep the Law. The Gospel deals with the work of Christ, gifts, and faith. 2. Read Hebrews 12:1-2. Where does faith begin? Where does it end? If faith is of the Gospel, then can there be anything beyond the Gospel? Christ is both the beginning and the end of faith (ESV: founder and perfecter; NKJV: author and finisher). This passage from Hebrews pictures faith like a race whose finish line is Christ. The word for perfecter, or finisher, is telos, an end or goal. There is nothing beyond Christ and the Gospel. 3. The Law is given by God to show us our sin, and to lead us to Christ. Read Romans 10:1-4. What does it mean that Christ is then end of the Law? What does a person do if he puts the Law after the Gospel? The same word is used in Romans 4 as in Hebrews 2. Christ is the telos of the Law. This does not mean that the Law ceases to exist, but that all roads of the Law lead to Christ as the fulfillment. A person who puts the Law after the Gospel establishes his own righteousness apart from the righteousness of God. He is like a runner in the Boston marathon who imagines that if he runs a hundred yards farther than the finish line, he'll be awarded first prize for finishing before anyone else.
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
4. Even though Christ is the end of the Law, the Law doesn't come to an end. God still demands holiness. How can a Christian attain holiness? See Hebrews 12:14; Ephesians 4:24; 1 Peter 1:16. The Law doesn't come to an end, but is found in its completeness in Christ. So to be holy is to be in Christ, to be a partaker of His gifts. Rev. Fisk replaces "holiness" in each of the passages cited with "Jesus!" Jesus is the end of the Law, and He is the source of holiness. Holiness follows the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus, a righteousness that comes by faith, as if He gives us the medal He won for finishing the race. This is a holiness that comes by faith and not by works. 5. If holiness is a product of the Gospel and of faith, does that mean that you can be holy without good works? Read Galatians 5:1-15. Who benefits from your good works? Continue reading Galatians 5:16-26. Who is responsible for the performance of these works? Our neighbors are who benefit from our works. God does not require them for Himself as proof of our righteousness. These works are not produced by an act of our human will, but by the work of the Holy Spirit. Like breathing is a sign of life, good works are a sign that faith is living. But also like breathing we don't concentrate on each and every breath we take, or we'd miss the rest of life. Likewise, if we concentrate on our works by running back to the Law, we'll miss our neighbors who are in need of them. 6. Good works are bound to follow faith, but they can never been the assurance that faith is complete. Read John 19:30. What is the assurance that the Law is fulfilled and faith is complete? The crucifixion and death of Jesus is the assurance that the Law has been fulfilled; everything that God has demanded in His Law is completed by Jesus. He loves His neighbor perfectly, and to the point of death. Faith always looks to Christ, never to works as assurance of God's grace and favor and of our own righteousness. "It is finished," says Jesus. The same word used in Hebrews and Romans is used by Jesus to declare that the race is ended. Telos. It is finished. Jesus has made Himself the finish line.
Closing Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, giver and perfecter of our faith, we thank and praise You for continuing among us the preaching of Your Gospel for our instruction and edification. Send Your blessing upon the Word, which has been spoken to us, and by Your Holy Spirit increase our saving knowledge of You, that day by day we may be strengthened in the divine truth and remain steadfast in Your grace. Give us strength to fight the good fight and by faith to overcome all the temptations of Satan, the flesh, and the world so that we may finally receive the salvation of our souls; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.” Or sing hymns #579 and #580 (or sing the verses alternately).
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“Looking for Assurance in All the Wrong Places” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide 1. Read 2 Timothy 2:15. St. Paul commands the users of Holy Scripture to rightly handle ("rightly divide" NKJV) the Word of truth. How does Pastor Fisk's definitions of Law and Gospel help us to "rightly divide" the Word of truth? What sorts of things does the Law deal with? What sorts of things does the Gospel deal with?
2. Read Hebrews 12:1-2. Where does faith begin? Where does it end? If faith is of the Gospel, then can there be anything beyond the Gospel?
3. The Law is given by God to show us our sin, and to lead us to Christ. Read Romans 10:1-4. What does it mean that Christ is then end of the Law? What does a person do if he puts the Law after the Gospel?
4. Even though Christ is the end of the Law, the Law doesn't come to an end. God still demands holiness. How can a Christian attain holiness? See Hebrews 12:14; Ephesians 4:24; 1 Peter 1:16.
5. If holiness is a product of the Gospel and of faith, does that mean that you can be holy without good works? Read Galatians 5:1-15. Who benefits from your good works? Continue reading Galatians 5:16-26. Who is responsible for the performance of these works?
6. Good works are bound to follow faith, but they can never been the assurance that faith is complete. Read John 19:30. What is the assurance that the Law is fulfilled and faith is complete?
Closing Prayer “Lord Jesus Christ, giver and perfecter of our faith, we thank and praise You for continuing among us the preaching of Your Gospel for our instruction and edification. Send Your blessing upon the Word, which has been spoken to us, and by Your Holy Spirit increase our saving knowledge of You, that day by day we may be strengthened in the divine truth and remain steadfast in Your grace. Give us strength to fight the good fight and by faith to overcome all the temptations of Satan, the flesh, and the world so that we may finally receive the salvation of our souls; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God now and forever. Amen.” Sing hymns #579 and #580 (or sing the verses alternately).
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“Catechism: TheAFirst Commandment” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide
Opening Prayer “These are the holy Ten Commands, God gave to us by Moses’ hands When high on Sinai’s mount he stood, Receiving them for our good. Have mercy, Lord!” (LSB 581, st. 1) 1. Read Matthew 22:34-40. How does Jesus summarize the Law? What does this tell us about the importance of the First Commandment? Jesus summarizes the Law in two tables, those commandments that are directed towards God (the first table), and those that are directed towards our neighbor (second table). The one word that summarizes all of the commandments is love. Love God. Love your neighbor. Love fulfills the Law. But it is not our love that does this. Christ’s love accomplishes this for us. For only Christ’s perfect love could fulfill the Law on our behalf. The First Commandment is the fountain commandment. All others flow from it and return back to it. All the other commandments have their fulfillment in the love which God requires in the first commandment and, thankfully, gives it to us freely in His Son, Jesus. 2. According to Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:10-18, why is our heart a dangerous thing to follow or trust in above all things? “The heart is deceitful above all things”, we hear in the Bible. We hear that our heart is a heart of stone from the Old Testament Prophets. If our heart is the source of wickedness and sin, that would make it a poor place to put our trust. Jesus’ words teach us that our heart is unreliable and untrustworthy, especially when compared to the heart of God, revealed in His sending Jesus to be crucified for us. Now there is someone who is trustworthy in all He says and does! 3. Which is the right way to speak about our sinful condition: “We’re sinners because we sin” or “We sin because we’re sinners”? Why does this distinction matter? The correct way to speak about sin is this: we sin because we are sinners. Sin is more than a behavioral problem, as if we could stop doing some particular sin and eventually be done with sinning. Rather, we sin because we are sinners. In other words, our sin is a symptom of the disease of our sinful condition. It’s the difference between seeing sin as a slight blemish which we can scrub off, or a bad habit which we can overcome versus the deadly, condemnable condition that the Bible says it is. If we want to see our salvation clearly, we must see our sinful condition as it is taught us in the Scripture, for only there do we see our sin and Savior as we ought. 4. What does it mean to fear God? Psalm 147:10-11; Psalm 103; Proverbs 9:10ff Fear of the Lord is similar to trust and faith in him, especially in the Old Testament. It does contain the aspect of fear, as in dread, of our sin. But it is also means “fear” as in reverence, respect, and awe. Think of how a son looks to his father for every good. How much greater than that do we look to our heavenly Father for our greatest good, His steadfast love.
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
5. Why is Jesus the only place where our trust isn’t disappointed or misplaced? 2 Corinthians 2:1-22. All human promises fail, even those with the best of intentions from the seemingly best sources. But God’s promises never fail. He promised to send you a Savior, and He did. Jesus promised to die and rise for you, and He did. Jesus promises to save you in Baptism, and He does. Jesus promises His word to you, and He gives it through your pastor and in Divine Service. Jesus promises to be present with His Body and Blood for you in the bread and the wine, and He’s there to forgive you. Jesus promises to take away your sin, and He does! You’re forgiven all your sins. Unlike our promises, God’s promises never fail. They may not always happen when and where and how we would, but we know that they will happen in God’s good and gracious timing. 6. How does Jesus perfectly fear, love, and trust in the Father for you? Mark 14:32-36. In life, just as in death, Jesus perfectly prays to the Father, obeys the Father, keeps His Word, speaks His Word, loves His neighbor, and serves others. All those 10 commandments that we fail to keep, Jesus keeps. And He does this—not for Himself, but for you. His doing it all counts for you, who have failed it all. Jesus gives His perfect life and death for you. Jesus perfectly trusts the Father for you. Jesus loves the Father and loves you in return. Jesus fears the Father and gives you that wisdom, faith and trust.
Closing Prayer “I am alone your God, the Lord; No other gods shall be adored. But you shall fully trust in Me And love Me wholeheartedly. Have mercy, Lord!” (LSB 581, st. 2)
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
"Catechism: TheAFirst Commandment” HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Opening Prayer “These are the holy Ten Commands, God gave to us by Moses’ hands When high on Sinai’s mount he stood, Receiving them for our good. Have mercy, Lord!” (LSB 581, st. 1) 1. Read Matthew 22:34-40. How does Jesus summarize the Law? What does this tell us about the importance of the First Commandment?
2. According to Jesus’ words in Matthew 15:10-18, why is our heart a dangerous thing to follow or trust in above all things?
3. Which is the right way to speak about our sinful condition: “We’re sinners because we sin” or “We sin because we’re sinners”? Why does this distinction matter?
4. What does it mean to fear God? Psalm 147:10-11; Psalm 103; Proverbs 9:10ff
5. Why is Jesus the only place where our trust isn’t disappointed or misplaced? 2 Corinthians 2:1-22.
6. How does Jesus perfectly fear, love, and trust in the Father for you? Mark 14:32-36.
Closing Prayer “I am alone your God, the Lord; No other gods shall be adored. But you shall fully trust in Me And love Me wholeheartedly. Have mercy, Lord!” (LSB 581, st. 2)
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“The Devil Loves Your Good Works” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide
Leaders’ Introduction This study looks at the article by Pastor Donofrio which discusses two errors of failing to distinguish properly between the Law and the Gospel. One is “legalism” which is the misuse of the Law in trying to control behavior or demonstrate one’s own righteousness based on how well they seem to keep the Law. The other is “antinomianism (in place of the law)” in which a person thinks they can pretty much do anything since they’re forgiven, and so they don’t really need to hear what the Law and commandments teach. The Old Adam needs to be daily crucified by the Law and its threats; the New Man in Christ rejoices in the Law as a gift that teaches us how we can glorify God and serve our neighbor. Be sure, in the course of leading this study, that you use and define the terms “legalism” and “antinomianism.” 1. Read Matthew 23:25-30. Who were the Pharisees? Why does Jesus go after them so severely with these words? What is Jesus saying about them and their keeping of the Law? The Pharisees were Jewish religious leaders who were experts in the Torah (the Law of Moses). Jesus shreds them as hypocrites because they often kept all sorts of law outwardly but ultimately their trust was in themselves. They thought they could make themselves pleasing to God by outwardly keeping the Law but inwardly, the faith and trust was in themselves, and not in God’s mercy. Jesus aims to expose this hypocrisy of faith, namely, He was trying to show them they were trusting in themselves and not God. 2. Read Matthew 5:21-30. What do you think most people would say if you asked whether they committed murder or adultery? But in the way Jesus describes these things, have they? What is Jesus teaching us about the Law here? Most people may never have actually killed anyone or cheated on their spouse. But Jesus takes the commandments all the way into our hearts so that even anger is murder and lust is adultery. Consider some of the other commandments and ask students how not just the outward act but the inward sin of the heart is involved. They can give examples. What Jesus is teaching us is that the Law is not something we can easily do or not do. By cutting to the heart, we see that the Law condemns all of us one way or another. We are all hypocrites and sinners and deserving of God’s judgment. 3. By “sin” we generally mean the ways in which we break the commandments (inwardly and outwardly). What do we mean when we use the term “good works?” See Luke 3:10-14; James 1:27. See also the Table of Duties, LSB p. 328. Lutherans often talk about good works. “We are not saved by works.” “Good works are the fruits of faith.” By “good works” we mean those things that are to be done in service and love toward our neighbor. Simply put, good works are the duties and responsibilities of our vocations, our callings. Students should do their homework; children should mind their parents; husbands and wives should love each other; parents should care for their children, etc. Most people tend to see “good works” as extraordinary efforts to do good (think Mother Teresa) but in reality we simply mean by “good works” whatever things our callings have for us to do. 4. What is the danger when we begin to evaluate and count and measure our good works? See Ephesians 2:8-10; Luke 18:9-14.
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
The Lord gives us good works to do in our various callings, as we mentioned above. The danger is that we begin to think of ourselves as “good” people because of our works. The Old Adam is our “inner Pharisee” who loves to take pride in what he does and to look down on others who are not as generous or pious or who don’t seem to be trying to live a good life. This is legalism and Pharisaism, that judges others and lifts ourselves up as better than others based on what we do (the Pharisee), rather than seeing ourselves only as objects of God’s mercy in Christ (the tax collector). 5. What does God say about our good works in Isaiah 64:6-7? What does this mean for us taking pride in the things we do? Most English translations call these righteous acts “filthy rags” but the Hebrew is pretty clear: used menstrual cloths! Ewwww! (That will gross out your students). The point is that what we think makes us so good, so holy, so pious, so Christian, etc., is filthiness in God’s sight apart from Christ. Doing good works because they make us “feel good” or because “God wants us to” or because “it’s the right thing to do” or because you’re “showing someone how to do it” are all just ways of making our good works about us. Good works are done for our neighbor. That’s it. In Christ, our good works are holy because they are made holy by Jesus who forgives our sin and who lives in us, making all we do pure for His sake. Apart from Christ, even our good works are worthless. 6. So, if our sins are sins, and our good works aren’t anything, and we are just forgiven anyway, does it really matter what we do? Can we just go ahead and sin because we’re forgiven? Do we even need to bother with the Law? See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 6:1-14. The opposite of legalism is antinomianism, the idea that we don’t need the Law. The Old Adam still needs the law. The Old Adam still needs to be daily drowned with his sins and evil desires. The Old Adam figures if we’re just forgiven, why not do whatever we want? But that’s not what our neighbor needs! So the New Man in Christ is eager to live and serve others (do the good works of our calling). But in order to do that, we still need the Law as Christians to crucify our sinful flesh. Perhaps suggest thinking of it as nailing the Old Adam to the cross so he can’t bother us while we’re doing good works for others. Then he can’t take pride in the good works or just go and sin instead of doing good works. 7. Read Matthew 15:10-20. What is the source of our taking pride in ourselves or trying to live and do whatever we want without restraint? How is being legalistic self-centered? How is being antinomian self-centered? Jesus pinpoints the source of our being pharisees (legalism) or libertines (antinomianism) as our sinful hearts. The problem is that we love ourselves. We are self-centered. We are “incurvatus in se,” that is, turned inward on ourselves. On the one hand, legalism allows us to judge others because when we are the center, we are clearly better than others. Antinomianism is just the other side of the coin, since we are self-centered, we do whatever we want. Neither one is the New Man in Christ but both are the Old Adam who must be daily drowned in our baptism. 8. How can we honestly deal with the messed up way in which we either want to drift into legalism or antinomianism? See 1 John 1:8-9. Putting to death that selfish Old Adam begins with a return to our baptism, as we do in confession and absolution. Rather than hiding or having a high opinion of ourselves, we honestly confess that we are sinners. We confess our sins and we confess the sins associated with the pride in our good works! We hear the good news (the Gospel) that our sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. This puts everything right and in the right perspective, namely, that is it for Jesus’ sake that we are forgiven of our sins and God sees us holy, righteous, innocent and blessed. Close by singing “The Law of God is Good and Wise,” LSB #579. © 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“The Devil Loves Your Good Works” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Read Matthew 23:25-30. Who were the Pharisees? Why does Jesus go after them so severely with these words? What is Jesus saying about them and their keeping of the Law?
2. Read Matthew 5:21-30. What do you think most people would say if you asked whether they committed murder or adultery? But in the way Jesus describes these things, have they? What is Jesus teaching us about the Law here?
3. By “sin” we generally mean the ways in which we break the commandments (inwardly and outwardly). What do we mean when we use the term “good works?” See Luke 3:10-14; James 1:27. See also the Table of Duties, LSB p. 328.
4. What is the danger when we begin to evaluate and count and measure our good works? See Ephesians 2:8-10; Luke 18:9-14.
5. What does God say about our good works in Isaiah 64:6-7? What does this mean for us taking pride in the things we do?
6. So, if our sins are sins, and our good works aren’t anything, and we are just forgiven anyway, does it really matter what we do? Can we just go ahead and sin because we’re forgiven? Do we even need to bother with the Law? See 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 6:1-14.
7. Read Matthew 15:10-20. What is the source of our taking pride in ourselves or trying to live and do whatever we want without restraint? How is being legalistic self-centered? How is being antinomian self-centered?
8. How can we honestly deal with the messed up way in which we either want to drift into legalism or antinomianism? See 1 John 1:8-9.
Close by singing “The Law of God is Good and Wise,” LSB #579.
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“This Life AIsHIGHER Edited for Content” THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide
Leaders’ Introduction Rev. Riley uses the editor as a metaphor for the work of God. The article he wrote is his words, his thoughts, but those words were taken by someone quite outside himself and revised, condensed, corrected. He was edited. And while his article is the same, it's also different. In a similar way, God finds us full of mistakes, errors, and contradictions, yet by His work He presents us error free, holy, and sinless in His kingdom. This Bible study will direct youth to the gifts of God in Baptism, Absolution, and Supper where they, too, are "edited for content." 1. After writing a first draft of a school paper, what are some of the steps you take in proofreading? What is the benefit of having someone else read your paper? How is life like writing a paper? Encourage youth to discuss the proofreading and editing process they go through for school papers. Having another set of eyes read through our writing helps to spot mistakes we cannot see and would never have fixed on our own. Rev. Riley writes, "Because I can read what I've written once, twice, a dozen times and still ignore that between my imagination and the page I missed an "is" in the title, added three commas where there should have been a period, didn't define a fancy Latin word, left a run-on sentence to run on and on…The mind plays tricks on us." Life is like writing a paper in that we don't see the errors, that is, the sin. Left to be our own "editors" we look over our sins, we become comfortable and accustomed to our them. We consider them to be no error at all. Similarly, we need Someone outside of ourselves to identify the sin and provide a solution for correcting that sin. 2. Read John 16:7-11. Who is the "editor" who identifies the errors in our lives and provides the solution? Jesus reveals the work of the Holy Spirit as convicting the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. He identifies our sins, and the underlying unbelief; He shows that our righteousness is found in Christ, quite apart from ourselves; those who are in Christ, He judges to be not guilty. The Spirit does this work through the Word of God. God's Law is given to us to reveal our sin, to identify the errors we cannot see on our own. The Gospel points us to Christ, whose righteousness is outside of ourselves and apart from the Law. These are applied to each of us personally in the means of grace, the Spirit's individual work to correct our error, that is, to forgive our sins. 3. In Romans 8:26-30, St. Paul says that the Spirit does another kind of editing. How else does the Spirit work to revise the mess that we make? In our weakness, we cannot approach the throne of God. We don't know what to pray for. But the Spirit is our help. He intercedes for us where our words fail. He edits our petitions before God and presents them to the Father. This is a gift for the elect, those whom God has chosen. This is the benefit of being justified before God.
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
4. Read Matthew 13:10-17. Why do people not see the kingdom of God? Who is the key to "translating" the kingdom of God to bless eyes and ears? The kingdom of God is hidden under ordinary means--words, water, bread, and wine. Jesus speaks in parables. He does so to turn away the stubborn--those who refuse to acknowledge that their lives need editing. He does so to draw in those who know they need correction, who look to Christ for their righteousness. Christ is the blessing for eyes and ears to see and hear the kingdom of God. He is the key to translation to the kingdom of God. His perfect obedience takes the place of our broken obedience. His suďŹƒcient works take the place of our deficient works. The Spirit removes our errors and edits Jesus into our lives. 5. The editing work of the Spirit begins at your baptism, but it's not a one-time deal. According to 1 Peter 2:9-12, how does the edited content of your life continue on today? The work of God in our lives calls us to be part of God's people. He works the work according to His mercy. "The Spirit breathes His breath into our lungs. He lays His words on our tongues. More than that, He works His works with our hands. That is how He translates us into the kingdom of Christ. That is what it means to be in the Gospel way. God's chosen people. A holy people, a royal priesthood built up into a temple of the Holy Spirit, as St. Peter writes, Sanctified" (Riley). 6. To close, compose a "wreath prayer" as a group. Choose one of the readings from this Bible study. Compose a brief prayer consisting of: 1) a teaching from God from this passage of Scripture; 2) a thanksgiving for the work of God; 3) a confession of our failure; and 4) a petition for God's continued work and supplication. Then say "Amen" and trust that the Holy Spirit has edited you for content.
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Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“This Life AIsHIGHER Edited for Content” THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 3 1. After writing a first draft of a school paper, what are some of the steps you take in proofreading? What is the benefit of having someone else read your paper? How is life like writing a paper?
2. Read John 16:7-11. Who is the "editor" who identifies the errors in our lives and provides the solution?
3. In Romans 8:26-30, St. Paul says that the Spirit does another kind of editing. How else does the Spirit work to revise the mess that we make?
4. Read Matthew 13:10-17. Why do people not see the kingdom of God? Who is the key to "translating" the kingdom of God to bless eyes and ears?
5. The editing work of the Spirit begins at your baptism, but it's not a one-time deal. According to 1 Peter 2:9-12, how does the edited content of your life continue on today?
6. To close, compose a "wreath prayer" as a group. Choose one of the readings from this Bible study. Compose a brief prayer consisting of: 1) a teaching from God from this passage of Scripture; 2) a thanksgiving for the work of God; 3) a confession of our failure; and 4) a petition for God's continued work and supplication. Then say "Amen" and trust that the Holy Spirit has edited you for content.
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“Law andA HIGHER GospelTHINGS® in theBIBLEHome” STUDY Leader’s Guide 1. Read 2 Timothy 2:15. Who is God’s workman? In what must he stand thoroughly tested? In what way does he handle God’s word correctly? How does this enable those entrusted to his care to utilize God’s word properly? The workman here is young Pastor Timothy, and by extension all called and ordained pastors of congregations. Pastors must be qualified to handle God’s Word properly. Literally, the Pastor is given by God to “cut” God’s word “straight.” The cut the pastor makes is dividing Law (what is given to people to do) from Gospel (what God alone does to save us). In his preaching and teaching, the Pastor keeps Law and Gospel straight so that those hearing and learning in the pews may likewise keep it straight in their own daily lives. 2. Jesus teaches us about forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer. Read Luke 11:4 and 1 John 4:19. What comes first in this petition? What follows next? What does this teach us, with regard to how forgiveness is to work? Jesus teaches us first to ask for our own forgiveness from our heavenly Father. Then He instructs us that we *also* forgive those who owe us or have sinned against us. The order is important. For we forgive because we are forgiven. It’s not the other way around. Jesus didn’t die to forgive you because you were already a champion *forgiver*. While we were yet sinners, He died for us. We love because He first loved us. We forgive because He forgave us first. Being forgiven helps us to be forgiving toward others. 3. Sometimes we don’t feel like forgiving. Read: Galatians 2:20 and Romans 6:4. What has happened to the “old you” of the sinful flesh? Since you live no longer in the flesh, Who does live in you? How then do you now go about living your life? The old Adam of your sinful nature has been crucified with Jesus. It is dead and buried with Him, by baptism into His death. A new you has been raised with Jesus in His resurrection on Easter Sunday! Christ now lives in you, as you now walk a new life, begun at your baptism, which lasts forever! So now you go about living your life by faith in God’s Son. Your walk is now a faithful one, which includes forgiving as you have been forgiven in Christ. 4. What does baptism do for us? Read Ephesians 5:26 and Galatians 3:26-27. As a baptized child of God, how does this fact change my view of myself? How does it help us to view our fellow Christians also as people of God who have been baptized into His kingdom? Baptism works forgiveness of your sins, it delivers you from death and the devil, and bestows everlasting salvation to you. As a result of these blessings, you are a cleansed person in God’s sight, made holy by God’s washing at the font. God the Father no longer sees you as a sinner, but as one clothed with the holy righteousness of Jesus, traded to you for your sins at the cross. You are a son of God because of the Son of God’s death & resurrection for you. These same facts are just as true for your fellow believer in Christ. So instead of your desire to see them as sinners, God has given you to view them from God the Father’s perspective, as fellow redeemed, just as forgiven in Christ as yourself.
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
5. We are blessed with the Office of the Keys. Read Matthew 18:18 and John 20:21-23. To whom is this peculiar power of God given? What does this special power accomplish? Who exercises these keys publicly? Who may absolve privately? The Office of the Keys is the peculiar power which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of those whom God has brought to repentance, but to literally stick sins to those who refuse to have their hearts or minds changed by God. In the congregation, the called ministers of Christ (pastors) deal with the members according to Jesus’ command. But privately, any Christian may absolve another according to their vocation. A parent, a co-worker, or a Christian friend should comfort those filled with guilt and sorrow over their sins with the message that Jesus has indeed forgiven them. 6. The Lord’s Supper may also help us rightly apply Law and Gospel. Read 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and Acts 2:42. What is another name for the Sacrament of the Altar? What do those who commune together have in common? In what way are they united together at the Communion rail? How does this fellowship in Christ help us to be forgiving to one another? This sacrament is sometimes called Holy Communion. The “common-ness” we have as we commune is two-fold: first we are all sinners in need of forgiveness; secondly, we all receive the very same body and blood of Jesus from the altar for our forgiveness, life and salvation! In this way, we recognize one another as fellow members of the one Body of Christ. So, when a conflict arises, the “peace of the Lord” reconciles us once again with the forgiveness we all have received at the communion rail. This restores the fellowship we have in the Body of Christ. 7. Read 1 John 1:8-9. How are these words familiar to you? What is the law part of these verses (what might we do wrong)? Who is the “Truth?” What is the gospel part of these verses (what God does to bless us)? Why is God so dependable in doing His Gospel thing? You may use these words in the Divine Service setting one or two during the preparatory rite. If ever we say that we don’t have sins, we lie to ourselves, and the Truth (Jesus) is not in us. If ever we confess our sins, God forgives our sins and cleanses us from all unrighteousness. He does this, not because we are so great at confessing, but because of His qualities of being both faithful and righteous in keeping His promises for Christ’s sake.
Closing Prayer “Almighty God, grant to Your Church Your Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes down from above, that Your word may not be bound, but have free course and be preached to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, that in steadfast faith we may serve You and, in the confession of Your name, abide unto the end; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“Law andA HIGHER GospelTHINGS® in theBIBLEHome” STUDY 1. Read 2 Timothy 2:15. Who is God’s workman? In what must he stand thoroughly tested? In what way does he handle God’s word correctly? How does this enable those entrusted to his care to utilize God’s word properly?
2. Jesus teaches us about forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer. Read Luke 11:4 and 1 John 4:19. What comes first in this petition? What follows next? What does this teach us, with regard to how forgiveness is to work?
3. Sometimes we don’t feel like forgiving. Read: Galatians 2:20 and Romans 6:4. What has happened to the “old you” of the sinful flesh? Since you live no longer in the flesh, Who does live in you? How then do you now go about living your life?
4. What does baptism do for us? Read Ephesians 5:26 and Galatians 3:26-27. As a baptized child of God, how does this fact change my view of myself? How does it help us to view our fellow Christians also as people of God who have been baptized into His kingdom?
5. We are blessed with the Office of the Keys. Read Matthew 18:18 and John 20:21-23. To whom is this peculiar power of God given? What does this special power accomplish? Who exercises these keys publicly? Who may absolve privately?
6. The Lord’s Supper may also help us rightly apply Law and Gospel. Read 1 Corinthians 10:16-17 and Acts 2:42. What is another name for the Sacrament of the Altar? What do those who commune together have in common? In what way are they united together at the Communion rail? How does this fellowship in Christ help us to be forgiving to one another?
7. Read 1 John 1:8-9. How are these words familiar to you? What is the law part of these verses (what might we do wrong)? Who is the “Truth?” What is the gospel part of these verses (what God does to bless us)? Why is God so dependable in doing His Gospel thing?
Closing Prayer “Almighty God, grant to Your Church Your Holy Spirit and the wisdom that comes down from above, that Your word may not be bound, but have free course and be preached to the joy and edifying of Christ’s holy people, that in steadfast faith we may serve You and, in the confession of Your name, abide unto the end; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“Hung Up on the Law” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide
Leaders’ Introduction This study examines the close relation between the Law and the Gospel as they are fulfilled and accomplished by Jesus. While the Law is commands given to us, we will not understand the Law properly unless it is seen in the light of Christ’s fulfillment on Calvary. 1. What do we mean when we refer to “The Law” or “The Law of God?” What place in the Christian’s life does the Law hold? Answers will likely vary. “The Law” can mean the first five books of the Bible (the Torah) and the moral and ceremonial laws written there. More specifically, “The Law” can refer to the Ten Commandments, which Christians recognize as applicable to all people. “The Law” can also mean the central teachings of the Commandments, namely, “Love God. Love your neighbor.” We often refer to these two summarized commandments as a summary of the “Two Tables” of the Law. As for the Law’s place in the Christian’s life, essentially, the Law of loving God and loving neighbor shows us our sin since we see that we do not and cannot do these things. For Christians, the Law is also a gift as it is our guide how to love and serve our neighbor. For the Old Adam in us, the Law brings curse and death; for the new man in Christ, the Law is a gift and treasure. 2. Do you think there is a difference between how the Law works for an unbeliever vs. for a Christian? Again, answers will vary. Many churches believe that the Law teaches us morality. Since we fail at that, we need a Savior. Once we have a Savior, then we are back to keeping the Law. It’s as if Jesus is just inserted into the world in order to get us back on the track of behaving. This view is very wrong as it leaves Jesus out of the picture as the One who fulfills the Law. For unbelievers and believers, the Law can lead to despair, when we contemplate just how impossible it is to keep it. It may also lead to self-righteousness if we conclude that we are pretty good at keeping the Law as opposed to those “sinners” who aren’t even trying to keep it. 3. What does God say about His Law in Leviticus 18:1-5? What will be the penalty for those who break the Law? See Deuteronomy 5:4-11. The Lord commands obedience to His Law and threatens punishment to those who break it. Both at Mount Sinai and before the next generation entered the Promised Land, Moses delivered the Law to the people. He told them clearly that they were to do nothing against these commandments, otherwise the Lord would punish them. On the other hand, He promises blessings to those who keep the commandments. 4. Read Matthew 22:34-40. Who are the Pharisees? Who specifically asked Jesus a question? What did he ask? The Pharisees were experts in the Torah and knew all the laws and commandments in the Old Testament. They were rabbis and students of rabbis who not only knew what all the laws were, but how they were interpreted. For the Pharisees, a person’s righteousness was based on how well he or she kept those laws. The questioner in this case was a “lawyer.” This doesn’t mean a lawyer as we think of it today but one who was an expert in sorting out the details of all the commandments and how they applied or didn’t apply in a given situation. He asks Jesus, whom everyone considered to be a popular rabbi, which commandment was greatest.
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Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
5. How does Jesus reply? Why does He give two answers? For a hint see 1 John 4:20-21. What does this tell us about our ability to love God? Jesus replies by summarizing the two Tables of the Law: Love God. Love your neighbor. Loving God means we will love our neighbor as ourselves. If we hate our neighbor we prove that we do not love God. You might follow up by asking how many love God and how many love others? Often, no one will admit to hating God, but we will readily admit to having people we don’t like or even hate! This simple statement of the Law demonstrates how truly incapable we are of keeping it. We know we SHOULD love God and our neighbor but even a casual examination of our lives and behavior shows that we do not. 6. What does Jesus say about these two commandments? What word does He use? What is meant by “the Law and the Prophets?” How is this related to Jesus being the sacrifice for sinners? See Galatians 3:10-14. Jesus says that all the Law and the Prophets “hang” on these two commandments. NOTE: The English Standard Version (ESV) translates the Greek word as “depends” but it is the same word that translates to “hangs” in Galatians, referring to Christ hanging on a tree. The “Law and the Prophets” here refers to all of the Old Testament. Everything in the Old Testament hangs on these two commandments of loving God and loving neighbor. Since Jesus bears the wrath of God against our sins, He is taking the punishment of the Law upon Himself as He “hangs” (literally) on the cross, dying in our place! 7. How does Jesus fulfill the Law when He is crucified for us? How do these two commandments relate to His keeping the Law? How do they relate to His two natures as God and man in one person? The Law is that we love God and love our neighbor. It also declares punishment for those who don’t keep it. On the cross, Jesus dies for OUR not loving God and OUR not loving our neighbor. This is called Christ’s “passive obedience,” our punishment happens to Him instead of us. But even as He is punished for our sins, Jesus keeps the commandments and fulfills the Law for us (“active obedience”). He loves God by He doing the will of God the Father, no matter even that it causes His death. Jesus He loves His neighbor as Himself when He dies to save all of us from our sins. As true God and man, Jesus is both loving God (the Father) and His neighbor even as He in Himself is both God and man (God and neighbor). 8. Read Romans 3:21-31. What is the proper understanding of the Law now for Christians? Does it save us? Can it save us? What good is it if our sins are forgiven by Jesus? The Law (and doing what the Law says) cannot save us because we can’t keep it. Even if we could, that is not how we have righteousness. Rather, our righteousness is that Jesus took our place and fulfilled the Law for us. He didn't just do what it says, He is what the Law points to and is about. Love God. Love your neighbor. Paul says we don’t boast in the Law. As Christians, the big deal is never our doing anything but what Christ has done for us. Faith trusts that Jesus has kept and fulfilled the Law and it is through faith in Him that we have kept the Law. In other words, His keeping it counts for us. 9. How might this understanding of the Law’s relation to Jesus help us in talking with others about the Law’s role in the life of the Christian? The students may have friends who belong to “legalistic” churches where the Law is seen as the center of the Christian faith, in place of Christ. They may have friends who belong to “libertine” churches where sin isn’t really spoken of at all and it seems almost anything goes. Against the “legalism,” we rejoice that the Law has been fulfilled in Christ. Against the “libertinism” we rejoice in the same thing, namely that our sins are death-deserving but have been paid for and forgiven for Christ’s sake.
Closing Sing together “The Law of God is Good and Wise,” LSB #579
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Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
The Law is that we love God and love our neighbor. The same Law that commands that also declares the condemnation and punishment of those who don’t keep it. So, on the cross, Jesus dies for OUR not loving God above all things and OUR not loving our neighbor. This is sometimes called Christ’s “passive obedience,” meaning our punishment happens to Him instead of us. But even as He is punished for our sins, Jesus keeps the commandments and fulfills the Law for us (“active obedience”). He loves God most of all when He does the will of God the Father no matter even that it causes His death. And He loves His neighbor as Himself when He dies to save all of us from our sins. As true God and man, Jesus is both loving God (the Father) and His neighbor even as He in Himself is both God and man (God and neighbor). Thus everything in the Old Testament finds its fulfillment and completion and it all makes sense when it comes to Christ hanging on the cross (and those two commandments!) on Good Friday. 7. Read Romans 3:21-31. What is the proper understanding of the Law now for Christians? Does it save us? Can it save us? What good is it if our sins are forgiven by Jesus? The Law (and doing what the Law says) cannot save us. We cannot be righteous in God’s sight by loving God and our neighbor. First of all, we cannot. Secondly, even if we could, that is not how we have righteousness. Rather, our righteousness is that Jesus took our place and fulfilled the Law. He didn't just do what it says, He is what the Law points to and is about. Love God. Love neighbor. Both there in Jesus who is true God and true man and who does the loving perfectly. Notice that Paul says we don’t boast in the Law. As Christians, the big deal is never OUR doing anything but what Christ has done for us. Thus we boast in what Jesus has done for us. In this we “establish” the Law, that is it stands for us, through faith. Faith trusts that Jesus has kept and fulfilled the Law and it is through faith in Him that we have kept the Law. In other words, His keeping it counts for us. 8. How might this understanding of the Law’s relation to Jesus help us in talking with others about the Law’s role in the life of the Christian? Answers will vary but many of the students may have friends who belong to “legalistic” churches, that is, churches where the Law is seen as the center of the Christian faith and not Christ. They may have friends who belong to “libertine” churches where sin isn’t really spoken of at all and it seems almost anything goes. Against the “legalism,” we rejoice that the Law has been fulfilled in Christ. Against the “libertinism” we rejoice in the same thing, namely that our sins are death-deserving but have been paid for and forgiven for Christ’s sake. 9. Close by singing “The Law of God is Good and Wise,” LSB #579.
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“Hung Up on the Law” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. What do we mean when we refer to “The Law” or “The Law of God?” What place in the Christian’s life does the Law hold?
2. Do you think there is a difference between how the Law works for an unbeliever vs. for a Christian?
3. What does God say about His Law in Leviticus 18:1-5? What will be the penalty for those who break the Law? See Deuteronomy 5:4-11.
4. Read Matthew 22:34-40. Who are the Pharisees? Who specifically asked Jesus a question? What did he ask?
5. How does Jesus reply? Why does He give two answers? For a hint see 1 John 4:20-21. What does this tell us about our ability to love God?
6. What does Jesus say about these two commandments? What word does He use? What is meant by “the Law and the Prophets?” How is this related to Jesus being the sacrifice for sinners? See Galatians 3:10-14.
7. How does Jesus fulfill the Law when He is crucified for us? How do these two commandments relate to His keeping the Law? How do they relate to His two natures as God and man in one person?
8. Read Romans 3:21-31. What is the proper understanding of the Law now for Christians? Does it save us? Can it save us? What good is it if our sins are forgiven by Jesus?
9. How might this understanding of the Law’s relation to Jesus help us in talking with others about the Law’s role in the life of the Christian?
Closing Sing together “The Law of God is Good and Wise,” LSB #579
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Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
5. What does Jesus say about these two commandments? What word does He use? What is meant by “the Law and the Prophets?” How is this related to Jesus being the sacrifice for sinners? See Galatians 3:10-14.
6. How does Jesus fulfill the Law when He is crucified for us? How do these two commandments upon which He hangs relate to His keeping the Law? How do they relate to His two natures as God and man in one person?
7. Read Romans 3:21-31. What is the proper understanding of the Law now for Christians? Does it save us? Can it save us? What good is it if our sins are forgiven by Jesus?
8. How might this understanding of the Law’s relation to Jesus help us in talking with others about the Law’s role in the life of the Christian?
9. Close by singing “The Law of God is Good and Wise,” LSB #579.
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“The Hyperbolic Goodness of the Gospel” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide
Introduction Pastor Borghardt uses the word “hyperbolic” to describe the Gospel. That comes from “hyperbole,” that is, something that is so great that it’s almost too good to be true. This study will look passages detailing how far beyond our expectations and understanding the Gospel really is: that for Christ’s sake, all of our sins ever are forgiven. We are certain that this is true in Christ. 1. The word “Gospel” means “Good News.” What is the Gospel? What is the Good News? Do you think most people think of Good News or Bad News when they think of Jesus? For an answer, read John 3:14-17. The Greek word for “Gospel” is “evangelion,” from which we get “evangelist” and “evangelism.” It means good news, glad tidings. The Gospel in its narrow sense is the Good News that our sins are forgiven fully and completely for the sake of Jesus Christ who died for us and rose again. In the words that Jesus speaks, He says clearly that God’s purpose is to send His Son to save sinners, not condemn them. Students may discuss how many people think of Christians and Jesus as judgmental or primarily concerned about people not doing certain sins rather than Jesus forgiving sins. 2. Is there any sin that is not forgiven by Jesus? Is there any trespass too big for Him to have died for it? See John 1:29 and Romans 8:31-39. There is nothing we can think, say, or do that is not covered by the sacrifice of Jesus. There is nothing that can separate us from Christ’s love. When John declares that Jesus is “…the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” he means it! The sin of the whole world is blotted out by the blood of that Lamb. Students may be tempted to say that the sin Jesus didn’t die for or that can’t be forgiven is one that you don’t repent from. Question 3 addresses that. 3. Read John 3:18 and Mark 16:16. What is the way we can be certain that this forgiveness is real? That this Good News is really true? Is there any sin that could cancel this Good News? What about sins that aren’t repented from? What could ever condemn us? Put simply, it is only unbelief that condemns. And that is not because the Good News is not true, or that our sins are not forgiven, but because we refuse the forgiveness Christ has for us. It is never our sins that condemn us but our denying that Christ has forgiven them! As the article says, “You have to really work hard to lose your salvation.” There is no work to receive that salvation. It is given as a gift in Baptism. But you’d have to work at rejecting it and living as if you don't have it. 4. Read Romans 3:4-10. What were we when God saved us? How does He save us? What doesn’t save us? What does He give us to do when we are saved? God saves us through Jesus Christ “while we were yet sinners.” That means that we didn’t turn ourselves around or somehow improve a bit first before He took away our sins. In fact, spiritually, we were dead and couldn’t do anything at all! But God saves us by grace (the undeserved mercy of sending Jesus to die and rise for us) through faith (which clings to and believes that this is so). What does NOT save us are our good works. We can’t say, “Well, I love God perfectly or enough and I love others enough so that I need God to love me or I have done enough good to cancel out my sins,” etc. We aren’t saved by what
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WE do. That’s the Gospel—that it is all God’s work through Jesus. There are good works to come, but those the Lord gives us to do for the benefit of others. As far as He is concerned we are already perfect and holy in Christ. 5. What is the Law and what does it say to us? See Deuteronomy 27:10, 14-26. How do we relate this condemnation of the Law with the promise of the Gospel? Is one more sure than the other? See Galatians 3:10-14. The Law demands that we do and not do, and curses us when we fail to keep it. In short, it dooms us. Now, the Law says, “Do this or die.” The Gospel says, “All is done. You are forgiven.” So which one “wins?” Paul ties them together in Galatians 3 when he says that the curse of the Law is what Christ became for us to set us free from the curse. So where the Law stands alone, we are doomed, but where Christ is, there we are set free from the Law’s curse and condemnation and all of our sins are forgiven fully and completely. 6. What does Jesus say about Himself and the Law in Matthew 5:17-20? What does it mean that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees? Jesus did not come to get rid of the Law so we can say, “Well now we don’t have to do THAT.” The scribes and Pharisees made the Law easier, actually, by saying you were keeping it by keeping a bunch of other rules. But Jesus won’t let them “nerf” the Law (make it softer or easier) but instead shows its full force. But He explains that while the Law would condemn us, it is going to condemn Him instead. Only Jesus has true righteousness more than everyone else. His perfect life keeps the Law and His death on the cross fulfills the Law. Thus the Law, although it is directed at us, is fulfilled and kept by Jesus for us. 7. What does Jesus say just before He dies in John 19:30? What does this mean? What is? He is left for us to do or accomplish? How do we know we have this? How do we know it is ours? Jesus says, “It is finished.” The Greek word is “tetelestai” which means it is all done and fulfilled. Sins have been paid for. The Law has been kept. The prophecies have come true. Everything that needed doing for you being saved has been done. There is nothing left. It is finished and accomplished and completed and done. There is NOTHING for us to do or accomplish. This salvation, finished by Jesus, is delivered to us in baptism, absolution, the preaching of the Gospel and in the Lord’s Supper. That is, in the gifts of Christ’s Word and Sacraments, you have a solid and sure promise that this Gospel really is true. Not too good to be true but actually and completely true! 8. How might we answer someone who doubts or is unsure that this Good News could really be true? Answers will vary but point out to students that our certainty that this is true rests on the FACT of Jesus’ death on the cross and His Easter empty tomb. Because He did that, He proves His Words are true, the Words we’ve studied above, that all of our sins, ever last one, and even the sin that we are born with and that corrupts us, has been forgiven forever. Remind them to encourage their friends from God’s Word and invite them to church to hear the preaching that declares and proclaims this good news.
Closing Sing “O Love, How Deep” (LSB #544)
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Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“The Hyperbolic Goodness of the Gospel” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. The word “Gospel” means “Good News.” What is the Gospel? What is the Good News? Do you think most people think of Good News or Bad News when they think of Jesus? For an answer, read John 3:14-17.
2. Is there any sin that is not forgiven by Jesus? Is there any trespass too big for Him to have died for it? See John 1:29 and Romans 8:31-39.
3. Read John 3:18 and Mark 16:16. What is the way we can be certain that this forgiveness is real? That this Good News is really true? Is there any sin that could cancel this Good News? What about sins that aren’t repented from? What could ever condemn us?
4. Read Romans 3:4-10. What were we when God saved us? How does He save us? What doesn’t save us? What does He give us to do when we are saved?
5. What is the Law and what does it say to us? See Deuteronomy 27:10, 14-26. How do we relate this condemnation of the Law with the promise of the Gospel? Is one more sure than the other? See Galatians 3:10-14.
6. What does Jesus say about Himself and the Law in Matthew 5:17-20? What does it mean that our righteousness must exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees?
7. What does Jesus say just before He dies in John 19:30? What does this mean? What is? He is left for us to do or accomplish? How do we know we have this? How do we know it is ours?
8. How might we answer someone who doubts or is unsure that this Good News could really be true?
Closing Sing “O Love, How Deep” (LSB #544)
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Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“Law and Gospel: The Deadly Mix” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide
Introduction Leader and participants may find it beneficial to use hymns 579 and 580 in LSB to teach the proper distinction of the Law and the Gospel. Its simple, yet poetic prose, clearly conveys the Biblical teaching on Law and Gospel. If someone in the group is able to play piano or another instrument, it could be sung as part of the Bible study.
Opening Prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide, For round us falls the eventide. O let Your Word, that saving light, Shine forth undimmed into the night.” (LSB 585, st. 1) 1. Pastor Pauls teaches us about the proper understanding of Law and Gospel in this article. What is a basic definition for the Biblical understanding of the Law? What about the Gospel? See Romans 3:23-25. In Romans, Paul tells us that through the Law comes knowledge of sin. In other words, the Law diagnoses our sin and our need for salvation. For by works of the law shall no man be justified. Based on the Scripture, we also understand that the Law of God is applied in other ways, such as a curb or a guide, limiting and instructing us, though its chief use is to show and magnify our sin. For the Law always accuses. The Gospel never accuses but rather pardons, redeems and rescues. The Gospel is good news of great joy that Christ saves you by His substitutionary death on the cross. The Gospel, in other words, shows us our Savior—who He is and what He has done FOR YOU! Where the Law brings death because of sin, the Gospel brings life and forgiveness of sin. Many people quote John 3:16 as a popular verse proclaiming the Gospel in a nutshell. 2. Read Ephesians 2:1-3. According to St. Paul, why are we incapable of making a decision to believe in Jesus? How does this kind of language rob Christians of comfort in the gospel? Dead people can’t make a decision, let alone do anything else. If we are dead in sin, then it’s impossible for man to make any move, or have any effort, or take any credit in the work of salvation/conversion. Wherever we see a weak doctrine of salvation or man’s involvement in conversion, we see an error in the doctrine of original sin, too, at least in most cases. One leads to the other. Anytime man is inserted into his own faith, then the burden is placed on his own shoulders. This robs our conscience of comfort placing our hope and assurance, not in Christ and his objective work for us, but in our subjective feelings, thoughts, and works. This is a foundation of shifting sand which takes our eyes off of Christ and places them back onto ourselves. 3. Where did the first pastor point the sick man in his spiritual need? Why was this problematic? He pointed the sick man to himself and his decision. Like the parable of the house built on sand, so is the comfort and assurance of the one who places their trust and faith in themselves, rather than in the rock of Christ. After all, how could this person ever really know if he had truly, sincerely, and firmly believed if it was entirely up to him? Rather, true hope is found in the firm and true salvation of Christ’s death and resurrection. Rather than pointing people inside to themselves, we point them outside of themselves to the Gospel: Jesus Crucified for you!
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4. Where did the second pastor point the sick man in his spiritual need? Why was this comforting? The second pastor pointed the sick man in the right direction: extra nos! That’s Latin for “outside of us.” And this is where our hope, assurance, and confidence in salvation rests securely—in Jesus’ blood and merit and in His atoning death for our sins. Pastors are called to be like John the Baptist, pointing to Jesus and telling us, behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…for you! True comfort for our guilt, fear, and death is found in Jesus who took our guilt, died that we might not have fear, and lives having conquered our death. Now, death cannot end our gladness. For death no longer has dominion over Jesus, or over you who are in Him. 5. Read John 1:9-13. Where does St. John give the credit for being born again in the Christian faith? Read John 3:1-15. What means does God give to accomplish this new birth from above? John writes that it was not the will of man, nor the flesh of man, nor the bloodline (lineage) of man by which we receive the new birth from above. It is by the will of God. And this will, in Scripture is revealed to us as good and gracious in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The Holy Spirit calls us by the Gospel. God uses means to bring us all the treasures and victory won for us on Good Friday to us, here and now. In John 3, water and word and Spirit are mentioned. Holy Baptism is the new birth from above where we are born again into God’s family, the Church. We receive new life by these means of water and word. The means of grace also include Holy Absolution, Holy Communion, and the Word of God. Just as Paul writes in Romans 10:17, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of Christ.” 6. Using the Small Catechism, turn to the explanation of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed. How do Luther’s words teach us a correct understanding of Law and Gospel in regards to our faith in Christ? The first line is the clincher: I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in my Lord Jesus Christ or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel...When it comes to salvation and assurance of our faith in Christ, the Law provides no comfort and rest. We cannot decide, accept, or do anything on our own merit. As Paul writes in Ephesians 2, faith in Christ is a gift. The Gospel gives us God’s gifts of water, word, body and blood. If we are to correctly understand faith and salvation both in life and at the hour of our death, a correct understanding of God’s Word of Law and Gospel also is needed. If we try to use the Law as a ladder, we’ll fall every time. Thankfully, the Gospel comes and rescues us. Jesus pulls us out of the pit of despair by throwing himself into it. Jesus sends His Holy Spirit that we have true confidence—not in ourselves, which leads only to pride or despair–but in Christ’s saving promises.
Closing Prayer “Stay with us, Lord and keep us true; Preserve our faith our whole life through— Your Word alone our heart’s defense, The Church’s glorious confidence.” (LSB 585, st. 6)
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Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“Law and Gospel: The Deadly Mix” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Opening Prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide, For round us falls the eventide. O let Your Word, that saving light, Shine forth undimmed into the night.” (LSB 585, st. 1)
1. Pastor Pauls teaches us about the proper understanding of Law and Gospel in this article. What is a basic definition for the Biblical understanding of the Law? What about the Gospel? See Romans 3:23-25.
2. Read Ephesians 2:1-3. According to St. Paul, why are we incapable of making a decision to believe in Jesus? How does this kind of language rob Christians of comfort in the gospel?
3. Where did the first pastor point the sick man in his spiritual need? Why was this problematic?
4. Where did the second pastor point the sick man in his spiritual need? Why was this comforting?
5. Read John 1:9-13. Where does St. John give the credit for being born again in the Christian faith? Read John 3:1-15. What means does God give to accomplish this new birth from above?
6. Using the Small Catechism, turn to the explanation of the third article of the Apostles’ Creed. How do Luther’s words teach us a correct understanding of Law and Gospel in regards to our faith in Christ?
Closing Prayer “Stay with us, Lord and keep us true; Preserve our faith our whole life through— Your Word alone our heart’s defense, The Church’s glorious confidence.” (LSB 585, st. 6)
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Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“The Lord's Supper IS the Gospel” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY Leader’s Guide
Leaders’ Introduction This Bible study is a study of the Words of Institution from the Service of the Sacrament in Lutheran Service Book. The liturgical words are a conflation, or a combination, of the four accounts of the institution of the Lord's Supper found in Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; and 1 Corinthians 11:23-25. To begin this study, divide the youth into four groups and have each group read one of the four accounts. Ask the youth to comment on what is unique to each account, and what is shared in each account. What is shared is what is the main thing (This is my body; this is my blood). What is unique gives a different perspective of the same event, like the way sunlight shines through the different facets of a diamond. After visiting the four accounts, focus on the liturgical Words of Institution for the Bible study: Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night when He was betrayed, took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said: "Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me." In the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks, He gave it to them, saying: "Drink of it, all of you, this cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." The leader's commentary for each question references a part of Pastor Kuhlman's article, connecting it to the Lord's words. 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ...took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said…n the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying…What makes the Lord's Supper different from any other meal? The Lord's Supper is the Lord's because He instituted it, and it's His words that give the Supper its power and benefits. The same Lord Jesus Christ who spoke and healed, who spoke and cast out demons, who spoke and forgave now speaks a promise into this Supper. It is a unique meal because it has the Word and promise of Jesus, the Son of God, attached to it. "What He says He does. What He promises He gives,” (Kuhlman). 2. On the night when He was betrayed. What is the context of the Lord's Supper, and what does this tell us about the words that Jesus speaks? The Lord Jesus institutes His Supper on the night in which He is betrayed, that is, the evening before His death. It's at the Passover meal, but He prepares His disciples for a greater Passover. Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7). This is a solemn occasion, some of the last words that our Lord will share with His disciples. He is past the time of speaking in figures (John 16:25). He does not give His disciples a metaphor or a symbolic meal. He gives them the real deal. "He gives what He gives because He is the God-man. There is no other God than this Man, Jesus! His mouth is God's mouth. His words are God's words,” (Kuhlman). 3. This cup is the new testament. When does a last will and testament go into effect? What does this mean about the benefits of this Supper? A last will and testament goes into effect at death. The estate is passed on to the inheritors. The Supper is Christ's testament, which goes into effect on account of His death, and those who eat and drink of it are made inheritors of His estate. "Lamb of God Jesus is the Maundy Thursday testator who anticipates © 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
His Good Friday death. He identifies the estate that He leaves behind and He names the heirs,” (Kuhlman). 4. Given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. What inheritance does Jesus leave behind in His testament, or, what do you receive when you eat and drink this Supper? Forgiveness is the estate, the inheritance that He leaves behind. And where there is forgiveness of sins, there also is life and salvation (Small Catechism). This inheritance is in effect because of the nature of Jesus' death. His body given. His blood shed. His death was not a natural death, but He gave Himself into death as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. "Incredibly you, His sinners, are the beneficiaries! You, His sinners, are given the inheritance—the very salvation achieved for you on the cross! The Lord's Supper IS the gospel!" (Kuhlman). 5. Take, eat, this is My body, which is given for you; take, drink, this cup is...My blood, shed for you. How does this pledge of Jesus benefit you when this testament of forgiveness is contested by the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh? Jesus delivers His body and blood along with the bread and wine as a pledge of His promise. Bread and wine alone have no power, but Christ includes His Body and Blood in a supernatural, sacramental way, so that you can be sure that this testament, gift, and pledge is for you. "His Good Friday Body and Blood are given with the bread and wine. He says so. And you, like those notorious sinners around the table, are named as heirs—given to receive the eternal inheritance. Testator Jesus promises that His Body and Blood are given and shed FOR YOU,” (Kuhlman). 6. In remembrance of Me. What is the nature of the remembrance in the Lord's Supper? The remembrance in the Lord's Supper is much more than a simple recalling of historical facts. Like the blood of the lamb that marked the houses of the Israelites at the first Passover (Exodus 12) as a sign and remembrance of God's mercy, so the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, marks sinners as a sign and remembrance of God's mercy. He has passed over former sins (Romans 3:25). "What will you do in light of these accusations against you? What can you say? Step up to the plate and tell the truth! Produce the evidence. Give them the goods…’I will do as He commands. I will eat and drink. I believe His promise. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world—my sin!'" (Kuhlman). 7. As often as. When should you partake of this Supper? The Passover that Jesus fulfilled was commanded to be eaten once a year at a given time and place. But this Supper is the Gospel, and the Gospel is not commanded. You are free to eat of it as often as it is offered and as often as you need forgiveness and comfort and a reminder of His testament for you. "So the next day, Good Friday, He goes to His death. Crucified. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That's when His last will and testament goes into effect. Probated. He says so every time you hear the Words of Institution in the divine service. It is the public proclamation and reading of His will, just as He intended in that upper room,” (Kuhlman).
Closing Sing together “Lamb of God, Pure and Holy” (LSB #434).
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Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
“The Lord's Supper IS the Gospel” A HIGHER THINGS® BIBLE STUDY 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ...took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave it to the disciples and said…n the same way also He took the cup after supper, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, saying…What makes the Lord's Supper different from any other meal?
2. On the night when He was betrayed. What is the context of the Lord's Supper, and what does this tell us about the words that Jesus speaks?
3. This cup is the new testament. When does a last will and testament go into effect? What does this mean about the benefits of this Supper?
4. Given and shed for the forgiveness of sins. What inheritance does Jesus leave behind in His testament, or, what do you receive when you eat and drink this Supper?
5. Take, eat, this is My body, which is given for you; take, drink, this cup is...My blood, shed for you. How does this pledge of Jesus benefit you when this testament of forgiveness is contested by the devil, the world, and your own sinful flesh?
6. In remembrance of Me. What is the nature of the remembrance in the Lord's Supper?
7. As often as. When should you partake of this Supper?
Closing Sing together “Lamb of God, Pure and Holy” (LSB #434).
© 2015 Higher Things, Inc.
Magazine Bible Studies - Spring 2015
