Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 8

Class #8:  St. Paul makes a distinction between the Galatians and the false teachers.  In attempting to restore (6:1) the people of the congregations, he is gentle even while he reveals their error.  However, when St. Paul speaks about the false teachers(1:9, 5:10, 5:12), he is rough and even condemning of those who are troubling the consciences of the Galatians.

Their error is two-pronged.  They have turned away from God Himself and the true Gospel, which is the good news about the forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Christ.

Handout: Galatians Bible Study Handout for 10-31-2016

Unless You Become Like Little Children Taught By God About the Supper

cropped-Luther-seal.jpgIn response to the fanatics who claimed the Christ’s Body was at the right hand in heaven, and thus couldn’t be in the Lord’s Supper on earth: “Here you will say with Nicodemus, “How can this be?” [John 3:9]. Must all places and space now become one space and place? Or, as this dolt dreams according to his crude, fleshly sense, must the humanity of Christ stretch and extend itself like a skin as wide as all creation? I answer: Here you must with Moses take off your old shoes, and with Nicodemus be born anew. According to your old notion, which perceives no more than the first, corporeal, circumscribed mode, you will understand this as little as the fanatics, who cannot think of the Godhead in any other way than existing everywhere in a corporeal, circumscribed mode, as if God were some vast, extended entity that pervades and embraces all creation. This you may gather from their charge that we stretch and extend the humanity and thereby enclose the divinity. Such words obviously apply to the corporeal, circumscribed mode of being, as a peasant stuffs himself into his jacket and trousers, when the jacket and trousers are expanded so that they will go around his body and his legs.

Get out of here, you stupid fanatic, with your worthless ideas! If you cannot think in higher and other terms than this, then sit behind the stove and stew pears and apples, and leave such subjects alone. If Christ passed through the closed door with his body, and the door was not on that account expanded nor his body compressed, why should the humanity here be expanded or the divinity enclosed, where there is a far different and more exalted mode of presence?” (Luther’s Works, vol. 37, p.219-220).

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 7

Class #7 :  The beginning(1:1-5) of St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians is a preview of his entire epistle.  He brings up his apostolic call, the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Gospel message promising the blessings of the atonement, and the Father’s will that we believe the Gospel message.

Overheads: Galatians Overheads Class 7

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 6

Class #6 :  The beginning of a letter includes the writer, the recipient, and words of greeting.  In Galatians, St. Paul gives a lengthy defense of his apostolic call, a bare bones description of the recipients, and an extended greeting/blessing.  In this class, we learn about (1) the resurrection as short hand for the gospel, (2) the importance of keeping the Father with the Son, and (3) how the Christian faith can be summed up with the words “grace and peace.”

Overheads: Galatians Overheads for Class 6

Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 5 (Excursus on Divine Call)

Class #5 :  The divine call (see podcast parts 3 and 4) places a man into the office of the ministry.  The Lutheran Confessions refer to the office of the ministry in Augsburg Confession, Article 5.  Article 5 is not a generic functional view of the Gospel and the sacraments, but a concrete reference to the Pastoral Office.  Later on article 14 clearly teaches that only those with a regular call should publicly exercise the duties of the office of the ministry.

Those who license men (lay ministers or licensed lay deacons) to perform the duties of the office have a different theology from the Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions.  Just as St. Paul magnifies his office, so today’s pastors and people need the assurance that God has called a man into the office of the ministry and intends to use him to create and strengthen faith in Jesus Christ.

Overheads: Galatians Overheads for class 5
Includes web address for video(1:13 to 6:15) I showed to the class.
Augsburg Confession Quotes