The Word at Work The magazine of the Institute of Lutheran Theology
Death and Resurrection: An Easter Devotional
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Spring 2019 Vol. 6. 1
Letter From The President
Grace and peace to you in the Name of the Risen Lord Jesus Christ! It is with great satisfaction that I can introduce the Spring 2019 edition of the Word at Work magazine. Some of you know that Volume 6.1 was a long time in the making. Indeed, we had to take a publishing hiatus with Word at Work because of all the accreditation and academic development activities at the Institute of Lutheran Theology these last three years. We simply did not have the requisite time to publish the magazine. Since the last issue of Word at Work was distributed, the Institute of Lutheran Theology (ILT) reached a number of milestones. We achieved candidacy status with the Association of Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) in 2017 and was granted initial institutional accreditation in February of 2018. In the late fall of 2018, ABHE granted our request to begin offering a Ph.D. program in Theology in the Fall of 2019. Also in the fall of 2019 we are adding the Master of Military Chaplaincy and the Master of Ministry degrees to our curricula, as well as our Life in Christ Certificate offerings for laity! Stay tuned as well for an announcement later this fall on exciting new ILT programming at the undergraduate and certificate levels!
The present issue of Word at Work features contributions from our Academic Dean, Dr. Jonathan Sorum, our new Word at Work editor, Dr. Thomas Jacobson, Professor Dr. Dan Lioy, Board Chairman Dr. Fred Baltz, and STM graduate and Ph.D. student Jim McGarigle. We thank you all for your contributions! It is our hope to be able to continue to offer Word at Work three times a year. Faculty, students and staff of ILT will be authoring the articles. Please direct all feedback to tjacobson@ilt.edu. May God bless all of you during this season of Easter! In Christ, Prof. Dr. Dennis Bielfeldt President Institute of Lutheran Theology
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I Believe
By Jonathan Sorum
My ILT Story By Jim McGarigle
10 Christus Victor Through Penal Substitution� By Dan Lioy
12 Featured Hymn: Is It True? by Carolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg Thomas E. Jacobson
14 The Nature of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ Frederick W. Baltz
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Faith & Life Certificate The Faith and Life Certificate is a six-course program designed to provide instruction in basic Christian theological understandings and practice. This program is best suited for Christians seeking to be thoroughly equipped to carry out their call to ministry within their Christian lives. It can be used as ministry preparation for short term missionaries or anyone who wants to be better equipped in the basic teachings of the Bible and Christian theology.
Life in Christ Certificate The Life in Christ Certificate program is designed as 7-week modules for lay people to take on topics taught by qualified pastors. A certificate can be completed in one year by taking four modules. This certificate is perfect for those who want to go a little deeper into the Bible or other Christian topics related to church history, the reformation, or reformation theology.
Lay Education Programs
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I Believe Dr. Jonathan Sorum “He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.”
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he creed summarizes Jesus’ whole life in just one word: he “suffered.” Of course, Jesus didn’t just suffer; he also loved and laughed and enjoyed the pleasures of life. But his mission was to suffer. He came announcing the good news of the kingdom, healing the sick, casting out demons, raising the dead. He welcomed sinners and declared God’s forgiveness to them. He bore with, carried, and loved his friends to the end. But it was all too much for anyone to bear. If Jesus had been allowed to go on, he would have undermined all religion and morality. So he was rejected and abused, betrayed by one friend, abandoned by the rest, brought to trial under false pretenses, convicted, beaten, and nailed to a cross until he died. He suffered. He suffered under Pontius Pilate. The mention of this otherwise obscure Roman official dates the crucifixion. It really happened, in about the year 27 AD, when Pontius Pilate was
governor of Judea. We aren’t confessing our faith in a timeless God, but in a God who was fully within time, within the history we live in. And Pilate, as a representative of our history, did not meet the test. He was weak and cowardly and calculating. So all the authorities of this corrupt age are exposed and judged; they all, in the end, could only hand Jesus over to suffer and die. And Pilate also stands for each one of us individually. Jesus suffered under me. I crucified him. He bore my sins in his body. When we come to the name of Pontius Pilate in the creed, we should substitute our own. At the very center of our creed is a death: He was crucified, died, and was buried. But he didn’t just die. He was crucified. He died the excruciating and humiliating death of a slave, a deluded fool to non-Jews and an accursed blasphemer to Jews. He died abandoned by people and by God. And he really died. Everything he was—his memories, his wisdom, his love, his thoughts—ceased to be and his lifeless corpse was buried in a tomb. Jesus was cut off from having any share whatsoever in this world.
Note: This article is the fourth in a twelve-part series on the Apostles’ Creed.
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Word at Work Spring 2019
MY ILT STORY Jim McGarigle
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had just completed an interdisciplinary degree in Christian apologetics and New Testament at a formerly Lutheran seminary, which is now a non-denominational school. I was looking to continue my learning at another school, preferably a conservative Lutheran one with a degree in either apologetics or philosophy of religion. The Wisconsin and Missouri Lutheran synods did not seem to offer this option. The Missouri Synod had “Theology and Culture” and “Modern World” programs, but these were not primarily focused on apologetics or the philosophy of religion. Also, these programs required a long period of residency and were cost-prohibitive. That left me with either fundamentalist or Catholic seminaries and universities or schools in the United Kingdom from which to choose. The fundamentalist schools had good programs and online options, but it seemed that complete doctrinal agreement was required for entrance into the best ones. Most Catholic schools only offered Master of Arts (M.A.) degrees for their online programs, and their Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programs were entirely residential. The schools in the United Kingdom had online Ph.D. programs, but it was surprisingly difficult to find the cost of
tuition and fees. It also seemed that one had to go to great lengths to seek out a professor willing to assume responsibility as an advisor. Then someone referred me to the Institute of Lutheran Theology. ILT was founded primarily by people who had left the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, but the school had Missouri Synod faculty members as well. I had grown up in the American Lutheran Church and changed synods around the time of the ELCA merger in 1988, so I reasoned, “These are my people.” Also, the person who initially referred me to ILT was someone I knew from my days at Bethany Lutheran College—a pastor in the conservative Evangelical Lutheran Synod. I figured if it was suitable for him, it would be suitable for me. At the time, ILT was not fully accredited, and the highest degree they offered was a Master of Sacred Theology (S.T.M.). I was assured by several faculty and staff members that they were working hard on accreditation and that plans were underway for a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) and a Ph.D. program to be up and running soon. I looked at the academic credentials of the faculty and decided these were serious people who meant what they said. I enrolled. I was not disappointed. Although my prior learning certainly helped, much that I learned at ILT was new to me. It was also academically challenging and rigorous. By the time I graduated, the
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“these are my people.” school was accredited, had a D.Min. program in place, and was set to begin its Ph.D. program. I had also developed lasting friendships with faculty, staff, and classmates. I had also gotten involved in activities with the seminary itself, disproving the notion that only a brick and mortar residential seminary can produce those outcomes. Also due to grants and some work opportunities, I graduated debt-free. The cost of ILT is very reasonable compared to other schools. Something else worth mentioning is that even though much of my formative theological education took place in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and that I have been an active member of a Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod congregation for over ten years, no one at ILT ever told me my views were too conservative or that I did not fit in. About a third of the faculty is Missouri Synod, the rest mostly being from Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ, the North American Lutheran Church, and various other groups. So while I did find differences along the way, I also found that an atmosphere of collegiality and charity is a large part of the ethos at ILT. The Scriptures, the Lutheran Confessions, the intellectual horizon of our postmodern world, how to engage non-Christians, and the centrality of the cross of Christ are topics that come up repeatedly at ILT.
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As an alumnus, I suppose I am biased, but I really do think that ILT is a gem in the world of Lutheran academia. I have spent a day at the beautiful Wartburg castle building at the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. I spent many hours inside the old Evangelical Lutheran Synod seminary. I have also been to the Missouri Synod seminaries in St. Louis and Fort Wayne. But as a girl named Dorothy once said, “There’s no place like home.” Learning through ILT, I have been able to study where I live with my wife and four children without having to sell my home and move, leaving behind my friends, family, and congregation. That is a very good thing. While I was a student with ILT, I was diagnosed with cancer twice. It was nice to be at home where I could see doctors that were covered by my family’s insurance here in Wisconsin. Would I have been able to find doctors who took my family’s insurance out of state? Living with my illness, would I have been able to continue my studies at a brick and mortar school? I am not sure I could have. Attending ILT through distance education made it possible for me to study while undergoing my treatment. I finished my S.T.M. thesis and graduated while under chemotherapy, with the faculty, staff, and classmates praying for me all the way. My health is improving, so I have enrolled to begin my Ph.D. with ILT. I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of my ILT story will unfold.
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Word at Work Spring 2019
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Master of Ministry Certificate The Master of Ministry program prepares students for diaconal or other nonordained ministries within the church and can also be an alternative track to ordained ministry. This 44-credit program provides a condensed classical theological education, with opportunities for specialization in particular areas of ministry. The program includes an internship tailored to the student’s goals, which can be done while also taking classes. Graduates of the program have the option of completing a further 46 credits to earn a Master of Divinity degree.
Master of Military Chaplaincy The Master of Military Chaplaincy program is specifically designed to equip students to become faithful and effective ministers of the gospel as chaplains in the armed forces of the United States. The program fulfills all Department of Defense requirements, as well as those of most church body endorsing agents. ILT provides a mentor who guides and advises students through the chaplain candidacy process. The 72-credit program ensures that students can complete the program within the window of time provided by the chaplain candidacy process.
New Seminary Programs
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Master of Sacred Theology The Master of Sacred Theology is a research degree for students holding the M.Div. or an M.A. in Theology or equivalent degree who want to delve deeper into a particular area of theological study. The program requires 30 hours of coursework, including a thesis. The program is very flexible, allowing students to design a course of study aligned with their own research interests.
Doctor of Philosophy The purpose of the Ph.D. program is to produce teacher-scholars for the church and the academy who can educate persons for Christian ministry and lives of Christian service, and who themselves will teach and write within the academy generally and the wider public. The teacher-scholars for the church and academy will be equipped to do the theological work necessary to support the church’s witness to Christ and to be responsible and credible participants in vital conversation beyond the boundaries of the church, including college or university settings and various interdisciplinary forums (e.g. learned societies, agencies of church bodies, etc.).
Graduate Degree Programs
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Word at Work Spring 2019
CHRISTUS VICTOR THROUGH PENAL SUBSTITUTION¹ Dan Lioy
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round the globe, Christians gather together on Easter Sunday to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. Despite the assertions made by skeptics, there is a considerable amount of evidence confirming the factuality of the empty tomb. Indeed, the above was the topic of a recent podcast involving Professors Darrell Bock and Gary Habermas. ² Together, they deliberated the relevant historical data affirming that Jesus of Nazareth not only died on the cross, but also bodily rose from the dead on the third day. For instance, there are several early, distinctive literary sources that individually and collectively substantiate the historicity of the cross-resurrection event (e.g. each of the four Gospels, the book of Acts, and the writings of Paul). While these ancient sacred texts were written in various geographical locales, at different times, and to distinctive audiences, they remain in essential
agreement concerning the episodes they recount. During the podcast, the two professors noted that an entirely different, though related, issue concerns the theological significance of the cross-resurrection event. Admittedly, the Bock Habermas exchange does not spend much time deliberating the reasons for Jesus’ atoning sacrifice. This is one major incentive for the present blogpost. I’ll start off by noting that in his bestselling textbook, Christian Theology (2013; Zondervan; p. 215), Millard Erickson draws attention to the “manifold theories of the atonement” put forward by “theologians” down through the centuries. These include (among others), the Socinian theory, the moral-influence theory, the government theory, the ransom theory, and the satisfaction theory. As Erickson notes, none of these formulations is entirely complete and adequate in the explanation it offers.
¹An earlier version of this blogpost first appeared at https://blogs.bible.org/impact/dan_t._lioy/christus_victor_through_penal_substitution. ²Bock DL and Habermas 2018. Evidence for Jesus’ empty tomb. The table podcast. Dallas: Dallas Theological Seminary. Weblink: https://voice.dts.edu/tablepodcast/empty-tomb/.
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Jeremy Treat, in The Crucified King (2014; Zondervan), advances the discussion by exploring the connection between Jesus’ atoning sacrifice at Calvary and the kingdom of God. Treat especially deliberates two prominent views, namely, Christus Victor and penal substitution. Based on his thorough going analysis, he argues for “Christus Victor through penal substitution” (p. 192). I think his extensive analysis and reasoning are insightful. Also worthy of mention is the useful illustration articulated by Mike Wittmer. In a blogpost titled, “What makes a full atonement full?”,³ he proposes the “four arms of the cross” as a way to make sense of what Jesus did on behalf of the lost: (1) “downward, toward Satan” – this Christus Victor “aspect of the cross” was a reminder that the Son “died to defeat Satan,” the archenemy of believers who “held the power of sin and death”; (2) “upward, toward God” – this “penal substitution” aspect of the cross was a reminder that the Son appeased the “Father’s wrath” and “satisfied” His eternal justice by “bearing” the “penalty” of humanity’s sin in their “place” and as their perfect substitute; and, (3) “sideways,” toward the lost – this aspect of the cross provided a “moral influence” and “example” by demonstrating how much God unconditionally loved humankind. In short, the divine “goal” was Christus Victor, the “means” was “penal substitution,” and one “benefit” (among many) was the Messiah’s “example” of “love” for all people. Paul’s teaching in Romans 3:25–26 offers an incisive biblical expression of the preceding observations. The apostle revealed that the Father presented His Son as a sacrifice of atonement. The Greek noun for “sacrifice of atonement” (hilastḗrion) is rendered more literally as “propitiation.” This word communicates the idea that Jesus’ work on the cross averted God’s
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justifiable wrath against sinners. Jesus’ sacrificial death also provided “expiation,” or the removal of personal guilt. Paul was making a parallel between the atoning sacrifices offered in the Jerusalem temple and Jesus’ offering of Himself on the cross. Paul revealed that Jesus’ redemptive work is appropriated “through faith in his blood.” Indeed, it is only as a result of trusting in the Son that repentant sinners receive the benefits of Jesus’ atoning death at Calvary. In this regard, salvation is not something that can be earned, but only welcomed by God’s grace with humility and gratitude (see Eph 2:5, 8–9). As the Reformed tradition notes, when a person becomes a Christian, a “marvelous exchange” occurs. The believer’s sinfulness is transferred to Jesus on the cross and His perfect righteousness is transferred to the believer. The good news is that through this divinely-initiated and enacted transaction, the requirements of the Mosaic Law are met in full. Just as remarkable is the truth that Jesus’ righteousness in the believer enables that person to live consistently according to the Spirit (see Rom 8:4). To conclude, Paul’s exhortation in Galatians 5:25 serves as an appropriate prayer, especially as Christians throughout the globe celebrate this Easter Sunday, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.”
³The Gospel Coalition (2013). Website: http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2013/09/26/what-makes-a-fullatonement-full/.
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Word at Work Spring 2019
FEATURED HYMN: IS IT TRUE? BY CAROLINA WILHELMINA SANDELL-BERG Thomas E. Jacobson
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any, perhaps most, Lutheran congregations in North America are familiar with the sweet and comforting words of the hymn “Children of the Heavenly Father.” The original Swedish words of this song were penned by Karolina Wilhelmina Sandell-Berg, commonly known by the shortened form of her name, Lina Sandell. Sandell, the daughter of a Swedish Lutheran pastor, began writing hymns at a young age, and it is said that the experience of her father’s death by drowning was a major source of inspiration in her work. Of the hundreds of spiritual songs that Lina Sandell produced over her lifetime (1832-1903), “Children of the Heavenly Father” alone made its way into the Lutheran Book of Worship of 1978. Congregations might also be familiar with “Day by Day” and “Thy Holy Wings,” which were included in the 1995 supplement With One Voice. Yet these three hymns barely scratch the surface of Sandell’s contribution to Lutheran hymnody; her several hundred hymns represent a neglected
treasury that deserves to be brought to light. Sandell’s hymns are known for their warm and personal tone, which have encouraged Christians all over the world. They are also known for their rich biblical imagery. Accompanied by the music of Oscar Ahnfeldt, they played an important role in the Rosenian revival of Sweden. As a result, many Swedish immigrants to North America brought Sandell’s hymns with them. No doubt they were a source of encouragement as they entered into life in a new land. They have the ability to encourage us today as well. In this season of Holy Week and Easter, one of Sandell’s hymns is especially appropriate for our edification. "Is It True?" reflects on, among other biblical passages, Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 5:21: "For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (ESV)." This verse is the basis of what Martin Luther referred to as the “Blessed Exchange.” With his death, Christ takes our sin upon himself, and by his grace, his righteousness becomes ours.
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Found in ReClaim: Lutheran Hymnal for Church and Home, 182
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THE NATURE OF THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
Frederick W. Baltz
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ut I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.” (Luke 9:27) Matthew, Mark, and Luke all say Jesus spoke these words to his disciples. What did he mean? Was he wrong? If we think of these words only in terms of the Second Coming, we face the problem that all those disciples are long since dead. No, Jesus told his followers that the kingdom he had announced would in fact arrive soon. The Transfiguration, which followed shortly, was a symbolic, partial fulfillment of that promise. But it was the Resurrection that brought the awaited kingdom into being. “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ (i.e., anointed King of the Kingdom), this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36) Christ’s resurrection was the first fruits, out of place in time. Our resurrection lies ahead. Other religions offer no resurrection of the dead, at least as the Christian faith does. Yet among Christians voices have been speaking for centuries now to re-define, re-understand, and re-imagine what resurrection is. They have wanted to move it out of the realm of what can be captured by a camera. “Outside of history” is one of the phrases they use when speaking of it. So, there are people in churches today led to believe that the tomb may not really have been empty, but that it doesn’t matter, because Jesus is alive to us. That is not a position the Bible presents
or permits for Christians. Luke wrote in the book of Acts that the risen Jesus presented himself by “many convincing proofs.” (Acts 1:3) This is the language of evidence, reason, and concrete reality, not imagination, non-material encounter, or metaphor. Some say that to focus on whether the Easter story is in fact true is to deny faith, but Luke profoundly disagrees. While we still “walk by faith and not by sight,” (2 Corinthians 5:7) we don’t walk as fools. The Resurrection of Jesus Christ stands as a fact of history. It requires as much effort to deny it as to accept it. Might one of Luke’s convincing proofs have been the Shroud of Turin, the cloth millions believe to be the burial cloth of Jesus, bearing his image? Scholars tend to avoid it for several reasons, one being the “naturalistic methodology” which rules the supernatural out of academic investigations. The Shroud has been called the most studied object on earth; it probably is. In 1978, thirty-three experts from many fields of science, believers as well as skeptics, studied the Shroud around the clock for five days with several tons of equipment. They came from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratories, the Air Force Academy, and other prestigious institutions. The Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) issued its final report in 1981, stating that the image of a crucified man on the fourteen-foot linen was not painted, but formed instead by a process unknown. Science, it seemed, had ruled in favor of the Shroud.But in 1988 three separate laboratories carbon-dated material from the Shroud. Their findings came as a shock to Shroud
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believers. Headlines proclaimed: “Shroud a Fake!” Science now said the Shroud did not exist before the year 1260. It is usually at a time like this that the majority decides a matter to be settled. But those aware of STURP’s findings immediately saw problems with an easy dismissal of the Shroud. First, against standard protocol, the laboratories had dated only one sample divided into three parts, not several samples from different parts of the Shroud. New microscopic evidence emerged that the sample had come from a repair to the Shroud, with fibers woven into the edge dating from 1534 or 1694. More evidence (2015) from dyeing substances found on the backing cloth strongly support that theory. That could certainly explain the problematic carbon 14 results, while requiring the Shroud to be older. There is much more evidence in favor of the authenticity of the Shroud. Here is a partial list: • Pollen in the Shroud charts a journey from Jerusalem across Asia Minor into Europe. This alone refutes the claim that the Shroud was forged in France in the 1200 to 1300s. • Vanillin, a polymer in cloth that naturally dissipates over time, is present in amounts that indicate the Shroud to be two thousand years old. • The blood on the Shroud is human blood, type AB. Back-lit photographs prove that the blood was on the cloth before the mysterious body image, difficult-to-impossible for a forger to achieve. • The blood is still red, an unusual occurrence explained by bilirubin. This compound enters the blood under extreme duress, for example, crucifixion. • There is no evidence of even the first stages of decomposition. The body was in the Shroud for a very short time, consistent with the Gospels. • The blood is not smeared on the cloth; this would be practically impossible to achieve by anyone removing the body from the cloth. It suggests that the body was suddenly simply gone. • The Shroud’s scale is in perfect cubits, a measurement completely foreign to Europe
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• A new means of dating ancient textiles based on the mechanical properties of the fibers has given dates for the origin of the Shroud averaging 33 AD. • Now a companion piece has come into consideration, the Sudarium of Oviedo in Spain. The Sudarium is claimed to be the face cloth referenced in John’s Gospel. It has pollen that came from the Jerusalem area, and it is demonstrably older than the 1300s. At more than forty points the bloodstains (AB, human) on the Sudarium align with stains on the Shroud. This is not apparent to the viewer. Perhaps the greatest mystery of the Shroud is the formation of the image itself. Despite the presence of small flecks of paint, it is the unequivocal assertion of STURP that the image of the crucified man is not painted. All claims to have discovered the means the alleged forger used to create the Shroud break down under the microscope. The image of the crucified man is made of pixels, microscopic points of discolored fibers. The depth of the image on the cloth is a fraction of the width of a human hair. No known means of producing such an effect on linen has been found—until now. Short bursts from high energy lasers have produced this effect on linen. This certainly suggests resurrection as the mechanism which formed the image! Of course, our faith does not stand or fall on the Shroud of Turin! The Bible itself is filled with evidence so strong that the Resurrection of Jesus has been considered among the best-attested events in history. The Resurrection happened in the real world where we live, not outside history. Therefore, it can overthrow fear and despair and provide a peace which passes all understanding.
(Editor's note: In this article, the Rev. Dr. Frederick Baltz shares some thoughts about the authenticity of the artifact known as the Shroud of Turin. While not reflecting an official position of the Institute of Lutheran Theology on the authenticity of the Shroud, the article does raise some interesting points and is worthy of reflection among other perspectives.)
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