#58 All The Good Works You Need To Do Waiting At Home

5. Thus it is true, as men say, that parents could attain salvation by training their own children, even if they were to do nothing else. If parents do this by rightly training them to God’s service, they will indeed have their hands full of good works. For what are the hungry, the thirsty, the naked, the sick, the alien if not the souls of your own children? With these God makes a hospital of your own house. He sets you over them as the hospital superintendent, to wait on them, to give them the food and drink of good words and works. [He sets you over them] that they may learn to trust God, to believe in him, to fear him, and to set their whole hope upon him; to honor his name and never curse or swear; to mortify themselves by praying, fasting, watching, working; to go to church, wait on the word of God, and observe the sabbath. [He sets you over them] that they may learn to despise temporal things, to bear misfortune without complaint, and neither fear death nor love this life.

… It has been said in reference to the other commandments that they are to be fulfilled in relation to faith, the chief work. It is the same in this instance. Nobody must think that the training and teaching of his children is sufficient in itself. It must be done in confidence of God’s favor. A man must have no doubt that he is well pleasing to God in what he is doing, and he should let work of this kind be nothing else but an expression and exercise of his faith. He should trust in God and look to him for blessings and a gracious will. Without faith of this kind no work is a genuine living work: it is neither good nor acceptable. Many heathen have brought their children up charmingly, but all that is lost because of their unbelief. (Luther’s Works, v. 44 p.85, 86-87).

Book of Concord Bible Class #4: Councils and the Prefaces

The Lutheran theologians explain, in the preface to the entire Book of Concord, that they never intended teach anything new, but only hold “to the ancient consensus which the universal and orthodox church of Christ has believed, fought for against many heresies and errors, and repeatedly affirmed” (Preface, 3).

First, “We believe, teach, and confess that the prophetic and apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments are the only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and teachers alike must be appraised and judged…. Other writings of ancient and modern teachers, whatever their names, should not be put on a par with Holy Scripture. Every single one of them should be subordinated to the Scriptures and should be received in no other way and no further than as witnesses to the fashion in which the doctrine of the prophets and apostles was preserved in post-apostolic times….  The ancient church formulated symbols (that is, brief and explicit confessions) which were accepted as the unanimous, catholic, Christian faith and confessions of the orthodox and true church, namely, the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed. We pledge ourselves to these, and we hereby reject all heresies and teachings which have been introduced into the church of God contrary to them” (FC Ep Rule and Norm, 1-3).  Concerning the non-doctrinal canons of the councils, “Nothing should be changed in the accustomed rites without good reason, and to foster harmony those ancient customs should be kept which can be kept without sin or without great disadvantage” (Ap XV 50).

Note: At the beginning of each class, there will be a 5-minute quiz, which will be included in the links below. Immediately after the quiz, we will go over the answers to that quiz.  If you don’t want to hear the answers, take the quiz first, then start the audio of the class.  Written answers will be included in the second link, which is the present class outline.

Quiz #4 (blue sheet):  Quiz-4-for-Sep-22-Book-of-Concord-Scripture-Like-Creeds.pdf
Handouts (white sheet with answers to the quiz on the back):  Class-4-Book-of-Concord-and-Councils.pdf

42A Creation: The Greek Road

“The ‘Greek Road’ does not lead up to the message of the Cross, so how would you get the ‘Greek’ to understand the message of the Cross?  You would have to take them off the wrong road, give them the right starting point, and put them on the right road, with the right beginning, that leads to the message of the Cross” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.99).

#57 Not Trusting God With Our Children

Here some men say, “How then could I bring my children into society and make proper marriage settlements? I must make some show.” Tell me, are not these the words of a heart which doubts God and trusts more in its own providing than in God’s care? Yet St. Peter teaches and says, “Cast all your care on him and be certain he cares for you” [I Pet. 5:7]. It is a sign that they have never yet thanked God for their children, have never yet rightly prayed for them, have never yet commended them to him. Had they done so, they would have known from their own experience that they should also ask God to settle the marriage of their children and wait upon his guidance. Because they do not do this, he just lets them go their own way, bringing cares and worries on themselves; and even then they do not order their lives well. (Luther’s Works, v. 44 p.84-85).

Book of Concord Bible Class #3: The Scriptures and the Creeds

Simply put, this Bible class examines the Scriptures to see the newly-formed Christian church engage in creed-like statements of faith.  There are both professions of who Jesus is and His work on our behalf.  We the profession of faith used with baptism, the pledging of men into the Pastoral Office, and the rejection of heresy.

Note: At the beginning of each class, there will be a 5-minute quiz, which will be included in the links below. Immediately after the quiz, we will go over the answers to that quiz.  If you don’t want to hear the answers, take the quiz first, then start the audio of the class.  Written answers will be included in the second link, which is the present class outline.

Quiz #3 (Grey sheet):  Quiz-for-Sep-15-Book-of-Concord-Creeds-Part-2.pdf
Handouts (white sheet with answers to the quiz on the back):  Book-of-Concord-Class-3.pdf
Extra Source Materials:  Where-did-we-get-the-Creeds.pdf

The following is a reading guide (through December) for those who would like to read along with us.
Reading Guide for Tappert, Kolb, English only of Triglotta, Concordia Reader’s Edition: Book-of-Concord-Reading-2019-2020-Chart-1-Page-1-2.pdf
Reading Guide for Triglotta, Jacobs, Henkel, Die BekenntnisSchriften, Tappert, Kolb: Book-of-Concord-Reading-2019-2020-Chart-2-pages-1-2.pdf

41A Creation: Compare Cultures

“Now, when you compare the creation-based culture (like the Jews) with an evolution-based culture (like the Greeks), you’re essentially comparing America of yesteryear to the America of today.  And this is what is happening throughout Western culture.  This is the divide we are experiencing.  And that divide is widening quickly” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.98-99).

#56 Brought Up After the Fashion of the World

4. Now children are not to obey parents who are so foolish that they bring up their children after the fashion of this world. God is to be more highly regarded than parents according to the first three commandments. I call it being brought up after the fashion of the world when parents teach their children to seek nothing but the pleasure, honor, possessions, or power of this world.

To wear decent clothes and seek an honest living is a necessity, not a sin. Yet in his heart a child must be reconciled to the fact that it is an awful pity that this miserable earthly life cannot well be lived, or even begun, without the striving after more adornment and more possessions than are necessary to protect the body against cold and for nourishment. Thus the child must be taught to do against its own will what the world wants. The child must put up with fools and with that kind of evil for the sake of something better and to avoid something worse. Queen Esther wore her royal crown, but yet she said to God, “Thou knowest that the sign of my high estate which is upon my head has never at all delighted me, and that I abhor it as a filthy, menstruous rag. I never wear it when I am alone, but only when I have to and when I face the people.” The heart that is so minded wears adornment without peril, for it wears and yet does not wear, it dances yet does not dance, it lives well yet does not live well. And souls such as this are the secret hidden brides of Christ. But such souls are rare, for it is hard not to take delight in great adornment and display. Thus St. Cecilia wore golden clothes at the command of her parents, but underneath she wore a hair shirt next to her skin. (Luther’s Works, v. 44 p.83-84).

Book of Concord Bible Class, Pt. 2: The Creeds

This Bible class presented an overview of the historic and ecumenical creeds of the Christian church.  The Apostles’ Creed is the oldest of the creeds.  Although it is first quoted at the end of the fourth century (390 and then 404), it has its roots in the old Roman Creed of the second century.  The Nicene Creed was approved at the council of Nicea in 325 A.D. and revised at the Council of Constantinople of 381 A.D.  The third Council of Toledo of 589 A.D. added the words, “And from the Son” (filioque).  This creed confesses the full divinity of the Son and the Holy Spirit against the Arians and others.  The Athanasian Creed was most likely not written by Athanasius, even though the topics which it addresses are contemporaneous with Athanasius.  It was already in use in the 6th century and serves as a detailed explanation of the Trinity and the person of Christ.

The relationship between the Scripture and the Creeds can be summed up by two Latin phrases:  Scripture is norma normans (“the rule that rules”) but the creeds are norma normata (“a rule that is ruled”). Finally, we took a look at Mark 8:27-29 in which Jesus asks Peter, “But who do you say that I am?”

Note: At the beginning of each class, there will be a 5-minute quiz, which will be included in the links below. Immediately after the quiz, we will go over the answers to that quiz.  If you don’t want to hear the answers, take the quiz first, then start the audio of the class.  Written answers will be included in the second link, which is the present class outline.

Quiz #2 (Pink sheet):  Quiz-for-Sep-8-Book-of-Concord-Creeds.pdf
Handouts (white sheet with answers to the quiz on the back):  Book-of-Concord-Class-2-Student-Guide.pdf
Extra Source Materials: Three-ecumenical-creeds.pdf  and Apostles-Creed-Background.pdf

The following is a reading guide (through December) for those who would like to read along with us.
Reading Guide for Tappert, Kolb, English only of Triglotta, Concordia Reader’s Edition: Book-of-Concord-Reading-2019-2020-Chart-1-Page-1-2.pdf
Reading Guide for Triglotta, Jacobs, Henkel, Die BekenntnisSchriften, Tappert, Kolb: Book-of-Concord-Reading-2019-2020-Chart-2-pages-1-2.pdf

40A Creation: ABCs

“Paul began with the “ABC’s” (Always Been a Creator).  He explained that the one true God made the world and everything in it.  He’s the Lord of heaven, and He doesn’t dwell in temples made with hands.  He doesn’t need things, but rather he provides all things….  We do this so people can understand we’re all descendants of Adam, thus all sinners, and all in need of a Savior” (Gospel Reset by Ken Ham, p.96).

#55 Sacrificing Your Child By Letting Them Go Their Own Way

Thus God’s commandment falls absolutely to the ground, unwittingly, and ostensibly for good reasons. Then is fulfilled that which is written in the prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah, that the children are destroyed by their own parents [Isa. 57:5; Jer. 7:31; 32:35]. They do what King Manasseh did. This king sacrificed his son to the idol Molech and burned him.47 What else is it but to sacrifice one’s own child to an idol and burn it when parents train their children more in the love of the world than in the love of God, and let their children go their own way and get burned up in worldly pleasure, love, enjoyment, lust, goods, and honor, but let God’s love and honor and the love of eternal blessings be extinguished in them?

O how perilous it is to be a father or mother, where only flesh and blood are supreme! Indeed, it is because parents are commanded to teach their children that the knowledge and keeping of the first three and the last six commandments depend on this commandment. As Psalm 78[:5–6] says, “How strictly has God commanded our fathers to make known his commandments to their children, that the generation to come might know them and declare them to their children’s children.” This is also the reason God bids us honor our parents, that is, to love them with fear; for that other love is without fear, therefore, it is more dishonor than honor.

Now see whether everyone does not have enough good works to do, whether he be father or child. But we, blind men that we are, neglect such works as these and seek elsewhere all sorts of other works which are not commanded. (Luther’s Works, v. 44 p.83).