Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Intuitu Fidei Election In View of Faith by Schmidt Lenski and Gohdes - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry – "Faithful to the Reformation"

The Missouri Synod has a long history of using Calvinistic source to prove the inerrancy of the Bible, and many German-trained pastors used American Calvinistic books to learn English better. Look at Otten's constant bowing and scraping to Calvinistic Evangelicals.

Intuitu Fidei Election In View of Faith by Schmidt Lenski and Gohdes - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry – "Faithful to the Reformation":

"Calvinism’s “doctrines of grace” make unconditional election the first cause of a person’s salvation. In contrast, the Book of Concord places justification by faith at the center of orthodox Christianity.

In 1881 Missouri Synod president C. F. W. Walther split the Synodical Conference by insisting that “‘faith foreseen by God flows from election’; or in other words, that the persevering faith without which no sinner can be saved has its source in election.”1 Many Missouri pastors along with those in the Ohio Synod led by Matthias Loy claimed that Walther’s new doctrine was more Calvinistic than Lutheran. The conflict became known as The Predestination Controversy.

This book examines the Lutheran symbols, their writers and early teachers to see if they teach election in foresight of faith.

“This article [justification by faith] is, as it were, the fortress and chief bulwark of the whole Christian doctrine and religion. If this article remains inviolate, the perversions of the other articles will cease of themselves.” – Chemnitz"

Play the Ballad of Herman Otten one more time, Matt.
They caught his buddy looking at himself in the monitor.

The Bible One Harmonious Whole

“We Lutherans do not consider the several articles of the Gospel as fragments, without connection and mutual affinity, which constitute the one faith once delivered to the saints merely because of their common revelation in the Bible. We believe, on the contrary, that the one faith delivered to the saints forms a harmonious whole, of which the constituent parts are so adjusted as to possess mutual agreement and inner cohesion.

“We, accordingly, do not see in the doctrine of justification an isolated doctrine… No, we make this doctrine the norm and center of our doctrinal system, so that, like a sun, it throws light upon the whole Scripture and all articles of faith. The Holy Spirit Himself has placed this doctrine as a divinely ordained rule in the service of hermeneutics, when He says: “Let us prophecy according to the proportion of faith.” (According to the analogy of faith; Rom. 12:7)

Harassing Yourself With The Secret Counsel of God

“Therefore no one who would be saved, should trouble or harass himself with thoughts concerning the secret counsel of God, as to whether he also is elected and ordained to eternal life, for with these miserable Satan is accustomed to attack and annoy godly hearts. But they should hear Christ (and in Him look upon the book of life in which is written the eternal election); who testifies to all men without distinction that it is God’s will that all men who labor and are heavy laden with sin should come to Him in order that He may give them rest and save them (Matt. 2:28; Decl. XI)

But if God wills that all men should come to Christ and be saved, it surely must have been His will to elect them all in Christ unto salvation, provided they would believe. The actual “election”, therefore, has taken place with strict regard to faith in Christ. All who shall believe, whether they be all men, or many, or only a few, whether they be Jews or Gentiles, these or those – all believers in Christ shall have part in the election in Christ. All non-believers, however, shall be excluded. For on one hand God has ordained in His counsel to restore all those who in true repentance and faith apprehend Jesus, unto grace, sonship and heirship and to elect them thereto. On the other hand He has ordained in His counsel also, to save no one except those who believe in His Son Jesus Christ. Hence where He did not foresee faith, He did not choose to elect; where He was to elect. He wanted to foresee faith. For it was as true then as it is today: “Without faith it is impossible to please God” and to be restored unto grace, sonship and heirship, or to be ordained thereto.

Apostasy is any doctrine which doesn’t ‘rhyme’ with Justification by Faith Alone

“Any doctrine that cannot be ‘rhymed’ with the doctrine of justification, bears on its face the brand of apostasy from the one revealed truth and stands disclosed as a false interpretation of Scripture. For this article of justification is ‘the chief topic of Christian doctrine, which, understood aright, illumines and magnifies the honor of Christ (which is of especial service for the clear, correct understanding of the entire Holy Scriptures, and alone shows the way to the unspeakable treasure and right knowledge of Christ and alone opens the door to the entire Bible. (Apology IV)

Contents (448 pages)

Introduction to the Original Edition
Part I. What Were The Contents Or The Substance Of The Doctrine, Taught By Our Lutheran Church Fathers, That God Elected In View Of Faith?
- Introductory Remarks.
  - 1 Over against Romanism
  - 2 Sola Fide and Intuitu Fidei
  - 3 Dr. Samuel Huber and The Intuitu Fidei
  - 4 Correct Understanding of Testimonies
  - 5 Missouri’s New Discovery
  - 6 Missouri Claims to Hold the Doctrine of Luther and Chemnitz Concerning Predestination and also Rejects It.
  - 7 Meeting of the Synodical Conference in Chicago
  - 8 Quotations From Orthodox Publications and Teachers on “Election in View of Faith”
- A. Authors Of The Formula Of Concord.
  - David Chytraeus
  - Christopher Koerner
  - Martin Chemnitz
  - Selnecker
- B. Original Subscribers And Defenders Of The Formula Of Concord.
  - AEgidius Hunnius
  - The Wittenberg Faculty
  - John Wigand
  - The Wuertemberg Theologians
  - Matthew Vogel
  - G. Mylius
  - Stephen Gerlach
  - Daniel Arcularius
  - John George Sigwart
  - Luke Backmeister And Jacob Coler (and Chytraeus)
  - David Lobech
  - John Winckelmann.
  - Adam Francisci.
  - Polycarp Leyser.
  - Solomon Gesner.
  - Wolfgang Mamphrasius.
  - John Pappus.
  - Andrew Schaafmann.
  - Philip Nicolai.
  - John Habermann (Avenarius).
  - Matthias Hafenreffer.
  - Luke Osiander.
  - John Coler.
  - Matthew Vogel.
  - Concluding Remarks.
- C. The Immediate Pupils Of The Subscribers Of The Formula Of Concord.
  - Introduction.
  - Leonhard Hutter.
  - Frederick Balduin.
  - John Weber.
  - David Runge.
  - George Stampel.
  - Joachim Zehner.
  - Esaias Silberschlag.
  - Wolfgang Franz.
  - Balthasar Mentzer.
  - Peter Piscator.
  - John Schroeder.
  - Luke Osiander, Jr.
  - Albert Grauer.
  - John Foerster.
  - John Gerhard.
  - Justus Feuerborn.
  - Nicolas Hunnius.
  - Conrad Dietrich.
Part II. Departures From the Confession
- I. Did Our Lutheran Fathers Depart From The Confession By Teaching, That The Election Of Certain Persons Took Place In View Of Faith?
- II. Does Missouri really contend that our fathers have departed from the Lutheran Confession with their doctrine of “election to salvation in view of faith”?
  - Northern District and Professor Fritschel
  - Professor Stoeckhardt. Philadelphia Faculty. Lehre und Wehre.
- III. Did Missouri Hold To Her Present Doctrine in 1872?
  - “Correct Understanding” of a Symbol
- IV. Colloquy in Columbus, 1879, and Following It
  - Scripture, Fathers, Confession.
  - Huberian Controversy
  - Three Definitions of Election
  - Church of the Formula of Concord knew of no Election to
  - Salvation Except of Believers
  - Testimony of Wittenberg Men
  - Testimony of Rostock Men
  - Tuebigen and Stuttgart Schools, Wuertemberg
- V. Scriptures, Ordination to Salvation, Acta Huberiana, Wuertemberg Men
  - Specific Election
  - Regard to faith – Wittenberg and Wuertemberg Men
  - Election and Subsequent Will
  - Grace of God and Merits of Christ the Complete Cause of Election
  - Did Rostock, Wittenberg, Tuebingen Know the Lutheran Definition of Election?
Part III. Is The Doctrine That God Has Elected Men To Salvation In View Of Faith Found In Our Lutheran Confession?
- I. Introduction
- II. Intuitu Fidei Found In The Book of Concord
  - 1 The Augsburg Confession and Election
  - 2 The Apology and Election.
- III. The Formula of Concord.
- IV. The Eleventh Article.
  - Election in Detail
  - Trend of the Eleventh Article Against Calvinistic Election
  - Revealed and Hidden Will of God
  - Definition of Election
  - Election of Grace
  - Formula of Concord – Order of Salvation
- V. Missouri Guilty of Misusing the Confession.
  - Third Thesis, 1879
  - Formula of Concord and Man’s Conduct
About the Author - Frederick Augustus Schmidt
About the Translator - Richard C. H. Lenksi
About the Translator - Conrad B. Gohdes

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Woods trial continues, State Senator Hester testifies.
Grant Approved BEFORE the Application Was Received.
Prevenient Grace?!

The grant application from Ecclesia for the first $50,000 from the West Central district was received by the district on Dec. 12, 2013, although a letter informing the college it had received the grant is dated Nov. 25, 2013, according to documents provided to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette last year under a Freedom of Information Act request. Ecclesia signed the grant agreement Dec. 17.

Woods trial continues, State Senator Hester testifies:

"Senator Bart Hester was second to take the stand. He said he first met Woods at a pro-life event in Little Rock, and Woods gave him advice and help when he ran for office. He also said he went to Woods for advice when he was a "green," or new, senator. He also told the jury Mr. Woods told him about GIF grants. Senator Hester said he gave GIF funds to Ecclesia College twice. The first time, he said, after touring the campus with Oren Paris, and the second time, after Jon Woods asked him to do so."

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Second Romans Greek Lesson - Romans 1:10-17

Make yourself a child again. You did not learn word lists, conjugations, case endings. You picked that up from hearing and reading. Being very familiar with the text is the foundation for understanding Greek.

Parsing Link

Romans Lenski - Download and save public PDF. Fixed!

10 παντοτε επι των προσευχων μου - δεομενος ειπως ηδη ποτε ευοδωθησομαι - εν τω θεληματι του θεου - ελθειν προς υμας

11 επιποθω γαρ ιδειν υμας ινα τι μεταδω χαρισμα υμιν πνευματικον εις το στηριχθηναι υμας

charisma, pneumatic

12 τουτο δε εστιν συμπαρακληθηναι εν υμιν δια της εν αλληλοις πιστεως υμων τε και εμου

sym - together,

13 ου θελω δε υμας αγνοειν αδελφοι οτι πολλακις προεθεμην ελθειν προς υμας και εκωλυθην αχρι του δευρο ινα καρπον τινα σχω και εν υμιν καθως και εν τοις λοιποις εθνεσιν

not ignorant, ου αγνοειν - not, then a (not, like atheist) noetics - thought.

hinder the children, hinder members important for infant faith. karpos fruit

See this link for hinder, 3 John

14 ελλησιν τε και βαρβαροις σοφοις τε και ανοητοις οφειλετης ειμι

Hellenes, Barbarians, philo-sophy, a - thinking,

15 ουτως το κατ εμε προθυμον και υμιν τοις εν ρωμη ευαγγελισασθαι

Evangel, noun, verb

16 ου γαρ επαισχυνομαι το ευαγγελιον του χριστου δυναμις γαρ θεου εστιν εις σωτηριαν παντι τω πιστευοντι ιουδαιω τε πρωτον και ελληνι

Double negative for a positive - not ashamed; soteriology. Power of salvation for to whom? the whole world or those who believe?

17 δικαιοσυνη γαρ θεου εν αυτω αποκαλυπτεται εκ πιστεως εις πιστιν καθως γεγραπται ο δε δικαιος εκ πιστεως ζησεται

Very important - righteousness noun, justify verb. apocalypse.

18 αποκαλυπτεται γαρ οργη θεου απ ουρανου επι πασαν ασεβειαν και αδικιαν ανθρωπων των την αληθειαν εν αδικια κατεχοντων

PS - To study a Greek word, copy and from the text here or using the Internet. Paste it in the Chrome window and add Thayer, which will give definitions and lots of details.

Sassy Susan - Ornery Moments

The German Shepherd on the right could be Sassy Susan, though she shows her Red Healer heritage with reddish fur on her lower half.

One reader called Sassy "the family's cyber-pet", so I decided to write about her ornery displays, which are hilarious.

One is her evening lovies, when she wants to be petted and adored by both of us. Normally she moves from the foot of the bed to us for that. But sometimes she refuses. I loudly say, "OK Sassy, I will have to draaaaaaag you!"

She responds, startled, and digs into the bedding. My dragging is a gentle tug for 1/4 inch. She acts quite alarmed.

Then I say, "Move. Move." That is a command she almost always obeys. She gets up with a smile and expects both of us to pet her and talk about the things she has done.

She is always managing me, and she has grown in skill. I like to walk her around the cul-de-sac before car trip. She gets some exercise, some sniffing time, and the rest. We go on errands. If I say "Walmart," she licks her lips for McDonalds. She loves Lowe's for the way the staff fusses over her.

Although we start with a walk, we return with a bonus. Sassy gets out of the car, sits down on the driveway, her back facing the house, and looks around like a pouting teen. She wants a second walk. No, she expects a second walk. Sometimes I laugh and take her around again.

Sassy would not pose with the Ronald McDonald statue,
so she responded by grinning and making peace with me.
A nearby customer took the family picture for me. I cannot find the photo right now, but relax, the NSA has a copy.

I dialed 1-800-NSA-HELP and got my photo from 2014.
They were tracking Ronald McDonald photos.

Sassy does the same about waiting for Ranger Bob to come out of his house or for Mrs. Gardener's granddaughter to stop and pet her. Sassy has a way of sitting awkwardly, not in her alert pose, and making it clear it is a non-negotiable demand.

Sassy blocks a brother and sister from walking to school. They have to stop and pet her first.

Every dog trains its owner to pay up in treats for coming inside. Sassy escalated expectations gradually so I would not rebel against being snookered. I retaliated by buying training treats, which are quite small compared to regular dog treats. Here are her stages in training me:

Sassy walks in from outdoors and looks sternly at me, freezing in place in the kitchen, until she is promised a treat.
Sassy goes to the bedroom when I promise a treat but turns around to check if I have the bag. This makes me laugh every time.
Sassy comes in and sees the treat bag in my hand, but I have to be opening it before she moves toward the bedroom. Then she grins and trots toward "her" bed.

Sassy has a lot of tricks that make me laugh, especially pawing the air in imitation of the times she got attention by scratching the antique table. She awkwardly raises it up to the imaginary table, which is in another room, and looks for my response. Then we share the joke together as I ask her what her butler can do for her.

She wants us to discover the reason for her lamentations when she is hinting for Frosty Paws. Mrs. Ichabod and I go back and forth wondering what it could possibly be. Then my wife says, "Frosty Paws?" Sassy moans, growls, and barks, "Yip. Yip. Yip." We exchange more nonsense and I go to get her evening dose - one teaspoon of ice cream.

The Coffee That Keeps You Going and Going.
Vietnamese facility caught producing coffee from used batteries - Tuoi Tre News

And you thought antifreeze added to Riunite wine was bad? Ha!

Vietnamese facility caught producing coffee from used batteries - Tuoi Tre News:

"Tuoi Tre News Society
Vietnamese facility caught producing coffee from used batteries
Their ‘coffee’ ingredients included D batteries, dirt and rock dust

By Tuan Son / Tuoi Tre News Wednesday, April 18, 2018, 11:05 GMT+7

An officer inspects a coffee production facility owned by Nguyen Thi Loan in Dak Nong Province in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam. Photo: Police

A family-run coffee production establishment in Dak Nong Province in the Central Highlands of Vietnam has been caught red-handed producing coffee from harmful materials.

Dak Nong Police said on Tuesday they were finalizing case files to prosecute those involved in the operations of a local facility that produced ‘dirty’ coffee.

The facility, owned by Nguyen Thi Loan, was raided by police and food inspectors on Monday afternoon following reports from locals of their suspicious activities.

During the raid, authorities discovered tons of finished coffee as well as raw materials used in production, including 35 kilograms of black powder taken from used D batteries and a bucket of blackish water weighing around ten kilograms.

According to Loan, her workshop bought rejected coffee beans from large facilities at a cheap price, ground and mixed them with other materials including dirt and rock dust, then used the black powder found inside D batteries to ‘dye’ the mixture to produce finished products."

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Monday, April 16, 2018

Idolatrous Evangelicals - Including the Lutherans Who Consider Themselves Elite

Not my street, but this may be yours:
irrelevant cat graphic.

My recent trip down memory lane - Mark Driscoll - reminded me of the great cancer among Evangelicals. I would call them all the Protestants, including Lutherans, who seem to be more conservative than the mainline leaders.

The great cancer is idolatry, which few Evangelicals and Lutherans admit is a problem. The Evangelical superstars can do no wrong. Perhaps most of us do not know most of them, but every circle has its list. Those people are beyond criticism, can do no wrong, and expect to command with regal authority.

Driscoll, widely honored in the Church Growth coven, talked about "The Apostle Paul, too, putting people in the wood-chipper" and "piles of bodies outside the church when he was done." His 10,000 member church and his little sect blew up, but he popped up again in Scottsdale, Arizona.

You dare arouse the wrath of the great and powerful OZ - Mark and Avoid?

Who are the Lutheran idols? Mark and Avoid Jeske surely is one. When the WELS Discussions people criticized me for posting published information about the latest pastor kicked out of their sect, they never admitted he was an honored protege of Jeske, featured at yet another Change or Die! Conference. He snarls just like Mark and Avoid, so he certainly belongs in the stratosphere with his polysect mentor.

Missouri starts with the infallible Walther and his divinely anointed followers, especially F. Pieper and George Stoeckhardt. Reading some chatter about Walther will have a disturbing effect, because the chatter about Calvin is the same. Ditto the Preus family and their obsession with Objective Justification, a passion that overlooks Robert Preus' last book, Justification and Rome.

If Walther wrote it, the statement is not merely holy writ for the CFW claque - it supersedes the Scriptures.

Everyone but Herman Otten is on the cover - but Herman got his own ballad sung by Matt Hisself.

This cover is more honest - Halle Pietist Knapp the OJ/SJ book in English, thanks to a Calvinist translator; Pietist Stephan the Halle-trained adulterer and UOJist; Pietist Walther the kidnapper, thief, and enabler of Stephan; Loehe, whose pastors actually invited the Perryville fanatics to join their group (Lutheran Church - Loehe Synod).

When Charlotte got sick, Karl stopped publishing.
A co-inky dink?

Almost all the theologians of the 20th century made strange purring noises when mentioning Karl Barth, the adulterous apostate with a Commie mistress, Charlotte Kirschbaum. The 21st century may not be so kind to Barth, now that the open secret is suddenly an open scandal. Many knew but pretended not to know for decades, because Evangelicals, mainline Protestants, and Roman Catholics swooned about Barth. My scorn about Barth and Tillich was not well received at Notre Dame, whether it was my program advisor, my Roman Catholic professor, or my dissertation advisor - three schools of thought, each one an Oblate of Karl Immaculatus.

Writing to an Evangelical professor from my hometown, I mentioned what a radical apostate Barth was. The professor ripped my head off. My friend from Yale, now at Princeton, researched Barth's Communist sympathies decades ago and is the Barth specialist there. The facts? - nevermind.

WELS Discussions - "We are lucky to have Mark as our Synod President." He absolved an unrepentant Hochmuth of all sin in a message to the entire sect.

Each WELS Synod President is infallible. After all, they named the call room at the seminary The Holy Spirit Room. WELS pastors say they cannot debate with the Circuit Pastor because the Holy Spirit called him - that would be arguing with God. One can only guess how much higher up the DPs are.

The last three Synod Presidents have each covered up felonies - two murders and child porn trafficking (at the Love Shack, no less). God has certainly placed those men as leaders of WELS - to punish them for teaching against Justification by Faith.

Pope John the Malefactor can kick pastors and congregations out and yet retain his princely salary and benefits. Your offerings, his retirement - LOL!

Fish hats, fish hats, double-pointed fish hats.
Fish hats, fish hats, bishops have one.
He will do your thinking for you - for the sake of good order.

Sunday, April 15, 2018

Patriots' Day 2018 | USA state holiday | Monday

Patriots' Day 2018 | USA state holiday | Office Holidays:

"How long until Patriots Day?
This holiday is tomorrow.
2018 Monday April 16th
Which states observe Patriots' Day?
Maine
Massachusetts
Duration
1 Day
Summary
Commemorates the opening battles of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord in 1775
Patriots' Day is a state holiday in Maine and Massachusetts on the third Monday in April.

It is a public school observance day in Wisconsin and its celebration is also encouraged in Florida, though it is not given any holiday status.

Sometimes known as Lexington Day or Battles of Lexington and Concord Day, Patriots' Day commemorates the opening battles of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord in 1775.

History and meaning of Patriots' Day
The battles of Lexington and Concord that took place in Massachusetts on 19 April 1775, marked the first conflicts of the American Revolution which ultimately led to America's independence from Great Britain.

On the night of 18 April 1775, a large unit of British soldiers marched from Boston to Concord, intent on destroying a cache of weapons that that had been collected by the American colonists. Famously, Paul Revere and other riders alerted the colonial Minutemen of the plan, who then moved to intercept the British.

Nobody can say for definite who fired those first shots on Lexington green, but the battle was the first organised resistance by the American forces. Buoyed by their superior numbers, the British then moved on from Lexington to Concord, where they were surprised by a counterattack from the colonists, forcing the Redcoats to retreat to Boston.

The fighting on that day spurred on the colonists who now knew they could take on the military might of the British.

The American War for Independence raged on until 1783, when the victorious colonies formally won their independence from Great Britain.

Did you know?
This holiday is officially Patriots' Day in Massachusetts and Wisconsin and Patriot's Day in Maine.

How is Patriots' Day observed?
Originally this holiday was always celebrated on 19 April, marking the exact date of the battles. In 1969 it was moved to the third Monday in April.

As it is a state holiday, courts and the registry of motor vehicles will be closed. Public schools will be closed as part of spring break week.

The Boston Marathon, one of the world's most famous street marathons takes place on Patriots' Day. The Boston Red Sox baseball team are also scheduled to play a home game on Patriots' Day."

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The God of Abraham Praise | Comfort for Christians

The God of Abraham Praise | Comfort for Christians:

"The God of Abraham Praise
15 Apr 2018 in Hymns on Worship, Praise

The story is told of a young Jewish woman who had been baptized into the Christian faith, and in consequence was abandoned by her family. She fled to the home of the minister, poured out her heart to him, and as if to show that, after all, her joy in her new-found Savior was greater than all her loss of home and family, she sang, The God of Abraham Praise.1

The God of Abraham Praise was written by Thomas Olivers around 1770. The hymn is Yigdal (Leoni) an old Hebrew melody, and the lyrics based on the 13 creeds of Moses Maimonides (1130-1204). It first appeared in The Gospel Magazine, April 1775.2"

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Misericordias Domini - Shepherd Sunday - The Second Sunday after Easter, 2018.
John 10:11-16. Giving His Life

Misericordias Domini –

The Second Sunday after Easter, 2018

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10AM Central Daylight Time

The Hymn #199 Jesus Christ Is Risen Today

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual

The Gospel

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 426 The Lord My Shepherd Is

Giving His Life

The Communion Hymn # 307 Draw Nigh

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #50 Lord Dismiss Us

Second Sunday After Easter

Lord God, heavenly Father, who of Thy fatherly goodness hast been mindful of us poor, miserable sinners, and hast given Thy beloved Son to be our shepherd, not only to nourish us by His word, but also to defend us from sin, death, and the devil: We beseech Thee, grant us Thy Holy Spirit, that, even as this Shepherd doth know us and succor us in every affliction, we also may know Him, and, trusting in Him, seek help and comfort in Him, from our hearts obey His voice, and obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

KJV 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himselfto him that judgeth righteously: 24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. 25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. 12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

Three of Luther’s sermons on this text:

Happy Anniversary, Brett and Amy Meyer!

Giving His Life

KJV John 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

As we have seen, from studying the Gospel of John together, the I AM sermons of Jesus do not get enough attention for the first part of each sermon - I AM, the Name of God, the Good Shepherd. In Exodus 3, the name of God is revealed - I AM. In John 8, Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I AM." Only God could say such words, and the Jewish opposition knew exactly what Jesus was saying. The raising of Lazareth was the last, great miracle of all, one for the population of Jerusalem, and the tipping point for His arrest and crucifixion.

Romans 1 is a good example of apposition, putting words together to provide a clear definition, literally -

Paul, servant of Jesus Christ, called apostle, separated Gospel of God.

To translate that into English, we use more words. The lack of the article (the) and other connections places an emphasis on the content of that beginning.

1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

So the I AM sermons define God, because the Son of God is God, the Person who was born of the Virgin, performed miracles, gathered disciples, taught, suffered and died, rose and ascended to heaven.

Each I AM defines the various attributes of God and also our relationship to God's work in His Son.

the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.

As Luther observed, the Gospel of John uses a phrase and takes us higher and higher. That is why the symbol of this Gospel is an eagle. As the Word takes us higher, we see more about the message given us, even though the simplest words are used.

That is where Biblical teaching is entirely different from the systems that false teachers impose upon us. Thus the false teachers tell us to start with their filters, their qualifications, whereas's, if-thens, and so forths, and then read the Scriptures their way: Calvin, Zwingli, the Pope, and the Pope of Perryville, Walther.

The Word itself teaches Christ and conveys Jesus to us with all His benefits, the forgiveness of sin, victory over death, the fruits of the Spirit. Those with a weak grasp of the Bible forever and tenaciously teach their systems as a substitute and say, "No, look at me, I will teach you."

Here is God defined - the gracious Father gave His Son, and the Son gave His life for the sheep. That is what it means to be the Good Shepherd, which really means the Ultimate Shepherd, the Shepherd above all shepherds. That is important for two reasons.

One is that the early Christians counted it a honor to die for the Faith. That was their witness to the truth - and witness in Greek is martyr. They counted it an honor because Christ died for them. Now we have under-shepherds who will not risk a penny for the Faith, let alone lives, fortunes, and sacred honor.

So the Good Shepherd, doing His job as a teacher, distinguished Himself from the hired hands. The hired hands do not own the sheep, so they run from the wolves and let the predators slaughter and scatter the flock.

12 But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.

The hired hand is not even the shepherd. He is just drawing his wages so he runs away. This is the problem with presenting systems - defending man-made institutions. So ordained pastors will say, "This is what our denomination teaches, so it is true. They voted on it." Their faces are full of wrath when they say this, but not wrath against false doctrine - only against those disloyal to their particular institution. Only one priest was punished by Cardinal Law in Boston during their series of scandals - and that was because the priest said something was wrong with Holy Mother Rome, Boston Franchise. Law fed children into this terrible machine of corruption and found himself promoted to a very prestigious position at the Vatican.

Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, cares for His sheep, gives up His life for His sheep, but condemns the hired hands and the wolves.

13 The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

I explain the evils of this generation the way a friend does - "It's all about the Benjies (the money)." That is what they say at the factory. Luther said the world is ruled by deception and avarice. Avarice is greed for money and power; deception is covering up for the greed and power.

I pointed out someone on YouTube who covered up for a felony and the church officials (including the synod president) who had the evidence erased. "Doesn't he look Satanic?"

Later I wondered about the infamous Mark Driscoll, who made national news for abuse of power and destroying his denomination. I googled his name and found him running a giant church in Scottsdale Arizona. Critics said he salted away $30 million at his previous gig.

14 I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

The difference, which the Lutheran Reformation brought, is a break with institutions and their systems. Instead, the German Reformation taught that grace comes from the Gospel in Word and Sacrament, another form of the Word, the visible Word. This Word is so powerful that it brings the Savior to us, and brings us to the Savior. This preaching of grace enters our ears and influences our hearts.

This verse is based upon the shepherd-sheep relationship of each flock, centuries of shepherding, and the many references in the Old Testament.

Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd:

he shall gather the lambs with his arm,

and carry them in his bosom,

and shall gently lead those that are with young.

God as the Shepherd is already in the Scriptures, many centuries before the Incarnation, so Jesus' audience knew this and heard the same message taught again, introduced with I AM.

15 As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.

The Father-Son relationship is embedded in John, the Gospels before John, in the salutations of Paul. "Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 1:7

"Show us the Father" is redundant, because Jesus us shows us the Father and we hear from the Father in all His actions. Whatever Jesus does is the will of the Father, so we know the gracious and forgiving nature of God the Father and therefore His wrath against those who teach falsehoods.

Even bad translations preserve enough of the truth to take away all excuses from false teachers. But not even the best translation, or knowledge of the languages - "I studied Greek!" can survive the overlaying of the filter of systems against the Scriptures.

These are often so subtle that the effect is felt long after the injection of falsehood. "We are not sure Paul wrote the Pastoral Epistles." And there is this all encompassing zinger - "Scholars are divided." Oh no! The Bible is so complicated and opaque that not even the greatest scholars can come to a common conclusion.

When these tactics are used, they introduce uncertainty, and uncertainty weakens the response. It is the uncertain sound of a trumpet in a battle (often used in comedy). If the sound is uncertain, the troops will also waver.

This verse shows the absolute clarity we have from this Gospel especially, which helps us with the first three Gospels. We are always seeing the Father in Jesus and in Jesus we realize how closely He follows the Father. "I and the Father, We are One." This only makes sense in the context of the Holy Trinity (which Knapp - the Halle UOJist - undermined.)

and I lay down my life for the sheep.

Justification by Faith has been attacked from many angles, including the Atonement. Braaten-Jenson made fun of the Atonement, and those authors are called "confessional Lutherans," which is why I loathe the label.

16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.

The Good Shepherd carried out His Father's will and that is the Gospel, but only a Gospel in a tiny province of the Roman Empire. If anyone wants the definition of a miracle, here it is. The actions of a convicted public and religious criminal became the dominant Faith of the same Empire that arrested Him, tortured Him, and executed Him. The Holy Spirit took this message across the Empire to spread this Gospel, then overseas to fulfill what Christ promised.