#12- Parents Employ Others To Help Teach Their Children

141 In connection with this commandment there is more to be said about the various kinds of obedience due to our superiors, persons whose duty it is to command and to govern. Out of the authority of parents all other authority is derived and developed. Where a father is unable by himself to bring up his child, he calls upon a schoolmaster to teach him; if he is too weak, he enlists the help of his friends and neighbors; if he passes away, he confers and delegates his authority and responsibility to others appointed for the purpose. 142 Likewise he must have domestics (man-servants and maid-servants) under him to manage his household. Thus all who are called masters stand in the place of parents and derive from them their power and authority to govern. In the Scriptures they are all called fathers because in their responsibility they act in the capacity of fathers and ought to have fatherly hearts toward their people. So from ancient times the Romans and other peoples called the masters and mistresses of the household patres et matres familias (that is, house-fathers and house-mothers). Again, their princes and overlords were called patres patriae4 (that is, fathers of the country) to the great shame of us would-be Christians who do not speak of our rulers in the same way, or at least do not treat and honor them as such.” (Large Catechism -Tappert, p. 383).

#11 Luther on Baptism (Isaiah 6:5-6)

Isaiah 6:5 For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. For that reason, he says, “I am lost.” But it turned out for the salvation of the prophet that he was thus thrust down to hell, so that he might be led away and lead others away from that uncleanness of the Law to the purity of Christ, so that He alone might reign.

v.6. Then flew one to me. Here now a resurrection from the dead takes place. We see that sinners who acknowledge their sins are not abandoned. The prophet cries out that he is lost, that he is oppressed with the consciousness of a defiled mouth, and that he has felt sin and death. And on that account he obtained forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, etc.” says 1 John 1:9; and 1 John 2:1 says: “If anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father”; so also 1 John 5:18. God hates the sin of hardening and its being defended. Let them be cleansed and let them confess their uncleanness, especially that of the mouth. For where lips and doctrine are unclean, there unclean works follow. Therefore the seraph approaches to set the prophet free from his sin. But he uses means. So, then, two things are set forth to the prophet, namely, Word and sign. The Lord often acts this way. The lips are cleansed by fire. This is the sign. The Word is: “Your guilt be taken away.” Here our sacraments are established. Yet these are disdained and shamefully handled by some who say: Nothing external benefits the soul.4 But let them criticize as much as they want. What Isaiah experiences here is not a fairy tale, but as there are fearful and serious voices, so there is also absolution, which then is granted through the addition of the sign to the Word. Now, what that sign could do, this our Baptism can also do” (Luther’s Works, vol. 16, p.72).

#6A Creation: Ideological Civil War

“There’s even talk that an ideological civil war is being waged in America.  And as moral relativism enjoys greater national acceptance, Christians, and their worldview are treated with increasing intolerance.

The elimination of prayer and the Bible from state schools was only the beginning. Now Christians themselves are being targeted for the free exercise of their faith in the public square…  Even terminology associated with Christian teaching is being changed or removed. For example, ‘Merry Christmas’ in changed to ‘Happy Holidays.’ In short, Christianity’s influence is slowly being purged from America’s national conscience.

Simultaneously, Christians are not having an impact on culture and those in it, choosing instead to remain content and safe within their own churches and Christian circles” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.17).

Theology Summary Bible Class, Pt. 31: Saul, Israel’s First King

God’s people requested the Prophet Samuel to provide an earthly king to rule over their nation.  There is nothing inherently wrong with having a king, but their motive was sinful(1 Sam 8:6-9).  They didn’t want to trust in God to provide for them.  Nevertheless, God did provide a king for them.  Today’s study begins an overview of the kings of Israel. This week we examine the life of King Saul.

God chose Saul–an impressive man, a head taller than the rest.  He changed Saul’s heart.  The Spirit of God came upon him in power (1 Samuel 10).  Despite God’s best effort, Saul was foolish and did not keep the commandments of the Lord (1 Samuel 13).  Saul’s kingdom would not be the “forever” kingdom through whom would come the Savior.  In Samuel 15, King Saul disregards the Lord’s command to completely wipe out the Amalekites.  Saul did not kill King Agag and spared the best of the livestock.  Despite Samuel’s all night vigil for Saul’ repentance (v. 10-11), God tells Samuel that He rejects Saul.  When confronted, Saul minimized his sin and did not confess {despite Saul’s good sounding words, “I have sinned….” v.24).  The Prophet Samuel does not forgive Saul, and announces the end of Saul’s reign (v.26-29).

This study walks through 1 Samuel 9 – 15:35.

Handout: The-Third-Genus-King-p12-14.pdf

 

#10- Foolish Parents Train Foolish Children

121 Therefore, I repeat, I should be very glad if we were to open our eyes and ears and take this to heart so that we may not again be led astray from the pure Word of God to the lying vanities of the devil. Then all would be well; parents would have more happiness, love, kindness, and harmony in their houses, and children would win their parents’ hearts completely. 122 On the other hand, when they are obstinate and never do their duty until a rod is laid on their backs, they anger both God and their parents. Thus they deprive themselves of this treasure and joy of conscience and lay up for themselves nothing but misfortune. 123 That is the way things go in the world now, as everyone complains. But young and old are altogether wayward and unruly; they have no sense of modesty or honor; they do nothing until they are driven with blows; and they defame and depreciate one another behind their backs in any way they can. God therefore punishes them so that they sink into all kinds of trouble and misery. 124 Neither can parents, as a rule, do very much; one fool trains another, and as they have lived, so live their children after them.

125 This, I say, should be the first and strongest reason impelling us to keep this commandment. If we had no father and mother, we should wish, on account of the commandments, that God would set up a block or a stone which we might call father and mother. How much more, when he has given us living parents, should we be happy to show them honor and obedience. For we know that it is highly pleasing to the divine Majesty and all the angels, that it vexes all devils, and, besides, that it is the greatest work that we can do, next to the sublime worship of God described in the previous commandments. 126 Even almsgiving and all other works for our neighbor are not equal to this. For God has exalted this estate of parents above all others; indeed, he has appointed it to be his representative on earth. This will and pleasure of God ought to provide us sufficient reason and incentive to do cheerfully and gladly whatever we can.

(Large Catechism -Tappert, p. 382).

The Mass, Pt. 2: Rightly Understood

This class continues to examine the use of the term, “mass.”  We must distinguish between our preservation of the Mass (rightly understood) and our rejection of the Roman Mass.

The Apology of the Augsburg Confession, XXIV, states, “At the outset we must again make the preliminary statement that we do not abolish the Mass, but religiously maintain and defend it. For among us masses are celebrated every Lord’s Day and on the other festivals, in which the Sacrament is offered to those who wish to use it, after they have been examined and absolved. And the usual public ceremonies are observed, the series of lessons, of prayers, vestments, and other like things….”

Nevertheless, The Smalcald Articles, II. 5, says, “But since the Mass is nothing else and can be nothing else (as the Canon and all books declare), than a work of men (even of wicked scoundrels), by which one attempts to reconcile himself and others to God, and to obtain and merit the remission of sins and grace (for thus the Mass is observed when it is observed at the very best; otherwise what purpose would it serve?), for this very reason it must and should [certainly] be condemned and rejected. For this directly conflicts with the chief article, which says that it is not a wicked or a godly hireling of the Mass with his own work, but the Lamb of God and the Son of God, that taketh away our sins.”

Handout: SACRIFICE-IN-THE-MASS-in-Book-of-Concord.pdf
Handout 2: Divine-Service-Order-and-Roman-Mass.pdf
Overhead: canon-of-the-Mass.pdf
Overhead 2: Todays-Missal.pdf

The Mass, Pt. 1: The Term Itself

This class and the next one will take a break from our Theology Summary Bible Class, in order to look at the term, “Mass.”  This study begins by the reading of Luther’s writing, “Concerning the Order of Public Worship” (1523) from Luther’s Works, v.53, pages 11-14.  In the Apology{Defense} of the Augsburg Confession, XXIV, there is an explanation of some of the terms used to describe the Divine Service including the Lord’s Supper: Sacrifice, mass, liturgy, Divine Service, etc.

Handout: The-term-mass.pdf
Overhead 1: Service-Order-from-Deutsche-Messe.pdf

#5A Creation: The Bible Stories

“In previous generations, when you said in Sunday School, ‘Let’s read a Bible story,’ most kids anticipated hearing something that happened in history from the Bible. (By the way the word story is take from the Latin word historia, which commonly meant just that—history.)

However, when you say ‘Bible story’ today, most kids (and adults) think ‘fiction’ or ‘fairy tale.’ That is because of this ‘divide’ in generational thinking. Many do not see the Bible as authoritative, trustworthy, infallible, or inerrant, largely, because they have been indoctrinated by secular culture and education. So, they simply dismiss Scripture as a ‘fairytale’” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.21-22).

Picture: There was a small petting zoo outside the museum.