Tag Archives: Gospel

Catechesis on Trinity Six 2017 (St. Matthew 5:17-26)

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On Wednesday nights, Trinity Lutheran Church(Herrin, IL) offers to both children and adults an opportunity for teaching with Learn-by-Heart at 6:30 PM and a catechetical service at 7:00.

In this video from July 19, 2017, we learned stanza 1 of “The Will of God Is Always Best” (Lutheran Worship, #425), the third commandment and meaning from Luther’s Small Catechism.  This service is designed to prepare God’s people for the theme of the upcoming Sunday Divine Service.  The dialog sermon explains Jesus’ teaching on His own fulfillment of the Law (Matthew 5:17-26), which is the Holy Gospel for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity.

The service concludes with “Recite Word by Word” (pdf link below).  [Length: 1 hour, 2 minutes]

Bulletins: Catechesis-Trinity-Six-7-19-2017-online.pdf
Responsive Prayer: Recite Word by Word

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Catechesis on Holy Trinity Sunday 2017 (St. John 3:1-17)

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On Wednesday nights, Trinity Lutheran Church(Herrin, IL) offers to both children and adults an opportunity for teaching with Learn-by-Heart at 6:30 PM and a catechetical service at 7:00.

In this video from June 23, 2017, we learned stanza 3-4 of “Creator Spirit, Heavenly Dove” (Lutheran Worship, #156), the Scripture passages under the Table of Duties for Parents(Eph 6:4) and Children (Eph 6:1-3).  This service is designed to prepare God’s people for the theme of the upcoming Sunday Divine Service.  The dialog sermon explains the night meeting of Nicodemas with Jesus (St. John 3:1-17), which is the Holy Gospel for Holy Trinity Sunday.

The service concludes with “Responsive Prayer for Catechesis 2017” (pdf link below).  [Length: 52 minutes]

Bulletins: Catechesis-Trinity-Sunday-6-7-2017-online.pdf

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Galatians Bible Class #54: They Reject the Cross and Avoid Persecution

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Class #54: As St. Paul summarizes his letter, he wants the Galatians to know three things about the Judaizers, who were teaching falsely.  First, they were doing it out of pride that they might “make a good showing” before others and boast of their ability to win disciples after themselves.  Second, they were requiring the law so “that they might not suffer persecution for the cross of Christ.”  Third, these false teachers require circumcision, but they don’t keep the whole law.  Gal. 5:3, “…every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.”

It is the second point which is most important.  In Galatians 5:11, St. Paul said, “And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.”  Any time you add a law requirement to the Gospel, the gospel ceases to be Gospel.   Gal 5:2, “Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.”  The Judaizers were able to avoid persecution by saying salvation is by Jesus AND the keeping the law of circumcision.

Overhead: Overheads for Class 54
Handout: Galatians Bible Study Chapter 6 11 thru 6 18

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 25: The Law Increases Sin

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Class #25:  Sinful human reason wrongly assumes that God gave the law so that by keeping it people would become righteous and thus be saved.  When told that the law and the works of the law do not contribute to our salvation, the usual response is to assume an antinomian (against the law) position.  Slanderously they accuse St. Paul of abolishing the law and saying, “Let us do evil, that good may come” (Rom 3:8).  St. Paul’s answer is that the law “was added for the sake of transgressions” (Galatians 3:19).  This does not mean that the law’s purpose was to reduce sin, but the very opposite.  The giving of the law increased sin (Romans 5:20).  The law both exposed sin (Rom 3;20), and stirred up the sinful nature, which desires to do that which is forbidden (Rom 7:7ff).

The law was temporary and designed only to prepare for the promise of the Gospel.  The law lasted only until the Seed, Jesus Christ, came.  Jesus Christ forgives sin and frees from the requirements and curse of the law.

Overhead: Galatians Class 25 Overhead
Handouts: Use page two of Galatians Chapter Three 15 to 25

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 24: Gospel + Law = Law

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Class #24:  In Galatians 3:15-18, St. Paul uses the example of the unchangeability of a probated last will and testament to teach about the divine covenant which God made with Abraham and Christ (Genesis 3;15, Galatians 22:18).  The introduction of the law 430 years later cannot annul the promises made to Abraham and received through faith in the promise.  Furthermore, because the law is not of faith (Gal 3:12), you cannot add law, as a kind of codicil to a promise.  When you add any law to an inheritance of promise, “it is no longer of promise” (Gal 3:18).  Therefore, St. Paul concludes that it is by faith in the promise alone, without works of the law, that a person is saved.
If the law was neither an addition, nor an annulment of the gospel promise, then what is the purpose of the law?  St. Paul will answer that question when we resume our Bible Study in two weeks.

Overhead: Galatians Class 24 Overhead
Handouts: Galatians Chapter Three 15 to 25 and seed offspring descendant NKJV

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 13: The Truth of the Gospel

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Class #13:  When it comes to “the truth of the gospel” (Galatians 2:5, 2:14, 3:1) St. Paul is not willing to budge even a little.  In matters of life and weakness, he shows forth great love and bears all things(1 Cor 13:7).  He was not critical of St. Peter eating with the Gentiles (2:12), for even St. Paul himself said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.” (1 Cor 9:22).  However, when it comes to the truth of the gospel–that man is saved faith in Jesus Christ without the works of the law–he stands firm. To admit any law requirements into the teaching of how man is saved (declared righteous, justified) is to have “another gospel” (1:9).  When the truth of the gospel is at stake, no human office is to be respected(2:6), “we must obey God, rather than man” (Acts 5:29)

Overhead: galatians-class-13-overhead

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 12: St. Paul Swears

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Class #12: In Gal. 1:20, St. Paul swears for the sake of the Gospel (Heb 6:16).  He transitions from his defense of his immediate divine call to a defense of the content of “the faith” (Gal. 1:23)—“the truth of the gospel” (2:5).  The gospel which St. Paul preached among the Gentiles was presented to the leaders in Jerusalem both privately and publicly when he went to the Apostolic Council recorded in Acts 15.  They were in complete agreement with St. Paul.  Furthermore, regarding the test case of his companion, the gentile Titus, they did not require him to be circumcised.  Faith in Jesus Christ alone saves, apart from any requirements of the law.

Handout: Galatians-study-overhead-nov-27-2016

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 11: The Medium and the Message

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Class #11:  St. Paul defends both his apostolic office and the gospel message which he had preached to the Galatians.  The message of the gospel is that man is saved by grace through faith alone apart from works.  The ultimate proof that salvation is apart from any merit or worthiness in man is the Scriptural teaching of God’s eternal foreknowledge and election.  (See Handout on Election.)

Similarly, even before his birth, St. Paul was predestined by God to serve as the Apostle to the Gentiles.  God’s eternal foreknowledge and election had determined “to reveal His Son” in St. Paul apart from any merit or worthiness in him.  When Galatians 1:15 says, “it pleased God,” those words show that it is the graciousness of God which is the cause of St. Paul conversion and his appointed mission to preach Jesus among the Gentiles.

God was not pleased with the faithless sacrifices of the Israelites(Ps 40:6-8), nor was He pleased with the unbelieving rabble(1 Cor 10:5).  However, the heavenly Father was well-pleased with the sacrifice of His Son (Mt 3:17, 17:5).  Furthermore, “God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor 1:21).

Handout: Formula of Concord Ep XI

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 10

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Class #10:  The false judaizing prophets, who were troubling the Galatians, had denied St. Paul’s apostolic call and perverted the Gospel. St. Paul’s response was to defend his call and to intricately connect it with the true Gospel message. St. Paul was called immediately by Jesus (not by or through men) and the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith apart from works came “through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The Galatians are “brothers” in the faith, because they had received the the true Gospel taught by St. Paul.

Handout: Galatians Bible Study Handout-for-11-13-2016

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Galatians Bible Study, Pt. 9

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Class #9:  The work of a faithful pastor over many years can be ruined by a heretic so quickly.  Though we should rightly be concerned about falling into the gross outward sins(Jude 4) of immorality, there is a sneakier way in which we can fall away from the true Gospel.  In Galatians, the Judaizers are wanting the people to trust in Jesus AND the morality of their works righteousness(Acts 15:1ff).  When even one law requirement is added to the free gift of salvation through faith in Jesus, the Gospel is perverted and ceases to be the true Gospel.

The Holy Scriptures, which teach salvation by the Gospel apart from Law, are the norm by which the church and her teachers are judged.  St. Paul’s varying approach with regard to Timothy (Acts 16:1-3) and Titus (Galatians 2:3), makes it clear that circumcision is not necessary for salvation.  If St. Paul would give in to the Judaizer’s legalistic demands, he would be guilty of removing the offense of the cross (Galatians 5:1).

Handout: Galatians Bible Study Handout-for-11-6-2016

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