by Rev. Stephen Preus Certain eras of the church have had to contend with certain errors. The church does not get to choose her battles. Current events often dictate them. True, they do not encompass all of what the church teaches since she is to teach the “whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). Yet, they… Read More >
The Resurrection in the Lutheran Confessions
by Rev. Travis Berg The resurrection is the foundation of the Christian faith. This teaching is one of the fundamental articles of the faith. If you do not believe it, you are not a Christian. St. Paul wrote, “And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!”[1] Indeed,… Read More >
Luther’s Good Friday Sermon
by Rev. Christopher Maronde The sermon under consideration can be found in The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther, Volume 1.2, Baker Books, pgs. 183-192. References are to paragraph numbers. Good Friday was always one of my favorite days in the Church Year calendar. The service was unique, shrouded in increasing darkness, and the drama of… Read More >
Smalcald Articles Study: The Mass
by Rev. Mark Bestul As Luther penned what he thought would be his last statement of confession, he gave high priority to articulating very clearly his condemnation of “The Mass.” His was not a cold, bitter heart toward erring Christians, but a bold, zealous heart for those fellow Christians trapped in a religion defined by… Read More >
Indulgences Then and Now
by Rev. A. Brian Flamme The events of October 31st 1517, the day that Luther nailed his Ninety-Five Theses to the church door in Wittenberg, were not set in motion by a man’s ambitious vision to revolutionize the spirituality of the west. Nor were they set in motion by Luther’s iconoclastic vainglory that sought to… Read More >
Bible Study with Luther: Genesis 3:1-6
by Rev. Jesse Burns In the second article of the Augsburg Confession, Lutherans confess, “It is also taught among us that since the fall of Adam all men who are born according to the course of nature are conceived and born in sin. That is, all men are full of evil lust and inclinations from… Read More >
Lutheran Liturgical Practices During Lent
by Mr. Jonathan Swett Each year, the Christian church embarks on a forty-day journey leading up to Easter, known as the season of Lent. When discussing Lenten liturgical practices of Lutherans, I believe one can distinguish three different categories into which each practice can be placed: Visual, Historical/Traditional, and Emotional/Spiritual. It can be debated; however,… Read More >
Smalcald Articles Study: The First and Chief Article
by Rev. Aaron Moldenhauer Throughout the Reformation, calls for a general council of the church to discuss religious issues were discussed and negotiated. One instance of these negotiations came in 1536, when Pope Paul III called for a council to begin in 1537. The Lutherans, wary of submitting themselves to a council that would be… Read More >
Albrecht Dürer’s “Knight, Death, and the Devil”
by Deac. Carolyn Brinkley Who is the Rider? Although Albrecht Dürer’s “Knight, Death, and the Devil” has been acclaimed as one of Europe’s greatest masterwork engravings since its publication in 1513, it has also been one of the most provocative pieces of art in the past 500 years. All agree that the copper engraving is… Read More >
Luther’s Invocavit Sermons, Part 3 – Faith and Love, Must and Free
by Rev. Anthony Dodgers In his eight Invocavit sermons, Martin Luther taught his congregation how they should first hear God’s Word and think of their actions in light of that Word. But he also taught them how they should think of their neighbor and what they should do to care for their fellow Christians. Luther… Read More >