Luther’s Translation of the Bible

by Rev. Jason Lane   Among his many contributions to the church, Luther also transformed and ennobled the German language through his translation of the Bible. In an open letter On Translating (1530), Luther was well aware of his contribution to the language and to the theological discourse of his day. He even taught his… Read More >

Adiaphora in the Lutheran Confessions

by Rev. Mark Bestul “Adiaphora” – it’s both a loved and “loaded” term these days, isn’t it? It defends from images of strict legalism, while painting images of “every congregation for herself.” The oft-quoted remark of Luther that sinners are like a drunk peasant who falls out of one side of the saddle, then the… Read More >

The Babylonian Captivity of the Church

by Rev. Aaron Moldenhauer Martin Luther stood before the Holy Roman Emperor at the Diet of Worms in 1521. A stack of Luther’s books stood on the table in front of him. The chair of the meeting asked him if he acknowledged that these books were his, and if he wished to confess his books… Read More >

Bible Study with Luther: Galatians 1:6-20

by Rev. Paul Doellinger In his great work The Bondage of the Will, Luther writes, “A man must delight in assertions or he will be no Christian. And by assertion…I mean a constant, adhering, affirming, confessing, maintaining, and an invincible preserving…Nothing is better known or more common among Christians than assertions. Take away assertions and… Read More >

Albrecht Dürer’s “Adoration of the Magi”

by Deaconess Carolyn Brinkley In 1517 when Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Albrecht Dürer’s magnificent painting, Adoration of the Magi, hung just inside the church mere feet away. Thirteen years earlier Frederick the Wise had commissioned Dürer to paint the masterpiece for the Schlosskirche altar. The… Read More >

Luther’s Flood Prayer

by Rev. Dr. Mark Birkholz One of my seminary professors would often assign us to write prayers on our exams.  It was not a worship class, or a class about prayer.  He wisely recognized that if we truly understood our theology and knew how to apply it, then we would be able to take what… Read More >

Charity

by Rev. Matthew Zickler During the Christmas season, the call for charity rings every time we step out of a store into the din of the bells of the Salvation Army. If you’re like me, you feel a pang of guilt every time you walk by those bell ringers and don’t contribute at least a dollar… Read More >

Catechism Reflection – The Second Article

by Rev. Mark Bestul If you were asked what the heart of the Christian faith is – what the heart of the Reformation was – what would you say? “Jesus Christ, crucified and risen for sinners”? Sounds about right. So, what if you were asked what is the heart of the Small Catechism, the basic… Read More >

Even Now the Word is at Work

by Rev. Michael Schuermann “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but… Read More >