Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Lecture 17 - Revealing the Mystery



Lecture 17 – Revealing the Mystery (click here)


Revealing the Mystery
Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier
The language of mystery is the language of revelation.  A person does not know a mystery until it is revealed.  And even when it is revealed, a person continues to grow in his understanding of it.  A mystery is something different from a secret.  A secret can be discovered on accident.  A secret can be decoded by the efforts of trial and error.  A mystery on the other hand needs to be revealed by someone else.

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Religious Liberty Resources

Free to be Faithful


Greetings, dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
The presidential debates have ended, and we are being bombarded by political ads as Election Day fast approaches.
One important issue that should not get lost in all the rhetoric is that of religious liberty, which has come under attack in recent months. To help spread the word about the importance of protecting our religious freedoms, we developed an education and awareness campaign called "Free to Be Faithful."
Through this effort, we are offering resources that provide clarity regarding the church's role in matters of Christian citizenship. On the website, www.lcms.org/freetobefaithful, you can find:
  • Articles such as "God Values Life" and "Repeating History"
  • A timeline of the fight for religious liberty
  • Tips on how to talk to your neighbor about religious freedom
  • "Frequently Asked Questions" about this important matter
  • A sample letter you can personalize and mail to your representatives
We invite you to explore, learn more — and share — these wonderful resources. We encourage all members of the LCMS to follow "their reason and all their senses" in supporting candidates, legislation, and social and political efforts they believe would improve society — and safeguard our precious religious liberty.  As Scripture commands us, we pray that all of our elected leaders and those running for office lead according to God's righteous standards because "righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people" (Prov. 14:34 ESV).
God bless you and God bless America.
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Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison
President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Lecture 16- The Continuity of the Prophets and the Apostles


Lecture 16- The Continuity of the Prophets and the Apostles (Click Here)


The Continuity of the Propehts and the Apostles
Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier
The Apostles were taught by Jesus Himself and then they were sent out to teach others that Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Prophets.  They did not make up stories themselves nor did they take stories from other people.  No, they knew firsthand what the Lord had said and it was the Holy Spirit who was with them as they taught.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Lecture 15- The Apostles Teach Us About the True Christ


Lecture 15- The Apostles Teach Us About the True Christ


The Apostles Teach us About the True Christ
Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier
The key to salvation is not your personal opinion about Jesus.  Rather, Jesus Himself is the key.  He taught His Aposltes the truth of who He is and what He does for the life of the world.  He sent out His Aposltes to proclaim His name to the nations.  Because of the Apostolic message, we too have life in Christ’s name.

Monday, October 1, 2012

Lecture 14- The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit in the Epistle to the Ephesians Part 2


Lecture 14- The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit in the Epistle to the Ephesians Part 2



The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit in the Epistle to the Ephesians Part 2
Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier
The Holy Spirit is at work in the saints, that is, the baptized believers.  The devil is the spirit that is at work in the unbelievers.  He is blinding them from the truth.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Response to the so-called wife of Jesus

CTS Professor Offers Response to Gospel of Jesus’ Wife
For Immediate Release
September 26, 2012

FORT WAYNE, IN (CTS)—
In the last several days much has been circulated concerning a small, papyrus fragment of Coptic text which has been dubbed the Gospel of Jesus’ Wife by Professor Karen King of Harvard Divinity School. These types of “finds” always create quite a stir and that is why Dr. Charles Gieschen, Academic Dean and Professor of Exegetical Theology at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Indiana, has studied this material and offered a brief analysis of its significance. His response may be read and downloaded at www.ctsfw.edu/response-to-the-gospel-of-jesus-wife.

Dr. Gieschen, who earned his Ph.D. from the Department of Near Eastern Studies at the University of Michigan (1995) where his studies included the Coptic language and Gnostic writings, is an excellent resource for this topic. He has examined the digital image of this fragment, King's article and some early feedback of other scholars. His brief response walks the reader through the history of the fragment, discusses the various interpretations and comments on the import of the fragment. Dr. Gieschen concludes, “This fragment, therefore, may assist us in understanding the teaching of a Gnostic group concerning Jesus and His marital status, but it does not help us to understand the teaching of the historical Jesus or His actual marital status.”

The best place to look for early and historically reliable evidence of Jesus' life, as Dr. Gieschen notes, is the four canonical Gospels. This fragment does nothing to displace the testimony of these Gospels that Jesus supported marriage as a divine institution, but was not himself married.

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