Midweek Lenten Service and Greek Lesson, 2020. "I AM - The Light of the World

Mid-Week Lenten Vespers, 2020

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

https://video.ibm.com/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM Central Daylight Savings 

The Hymn # 240             Father Most Holy     
The Order of Vespers                                             p. 41

The Psalmody            Psalm   14                           p. 124
The Lection             
  
The Sermon Hymn #179   On My Heart  

         

I AM - The Light of the World

The Prayers and Lord’s Prayer                         p. 44

The Collect for Peace                                        p. 45

The Benediction                                                 p. 45

The Hymn # 558            All Praise to Thee

In Our Prayers

• Pastor and Mrs. Palangyos' daughter Jeshra is being treated for seizures.
• Treatment and recovery - Rush Limbaugh, Kermit Way, Christina Jackson. Her radiation is done and some new options may be available. Recovery - John Hicks.
• In the last stage of cancer and heart disease - Tom Fulcher, Diane Popp's brother-in-law.
• Surgery - Randy Anderson, Andrea's father.
• Two brothers, both with health issues.
• Pray for our country as the major trials begin.
• Thanksgiving - Glen Kotten is doing well, Pastor Shrader is clear on his scans.
• Wednesdays are Vespers at 7 PM, followed by The Gospel of John in Greek, starting slowly for newcomers.
• Bethany Philippines Mission - more materials were brought to the site. 

I AM - The Light of the World

John 8: 12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

12 παλιν ουν ο ιησους αυτοις, ελαλησεν, λεγων "εγω ειμι το φως του κοσμου. ο ακολουθων εμοι ου μη περιπατησει εν τη σκοτια, αλλ εξει το φως της ζωης."

13 The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true.

14 Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go.

I AM is the revealed Name of God (Exodus 3). People tend to read the I AM sermons with the emphasis on the second part. In reality, the second part is much stronger with this understanding -  I AM, The Light of the World.

People call upon the names of pagan gods, but that is useless. There is no one to answer to those names. Those who know the true Name of God and the character of God are those to whom the Holy Spirit has revealed it.

As I have often said, the Gospel of John emphasizes the divinity of Christ, His close relationship to the Father, and the importance of faith in Him. The Holy Spirit is not neglected at all, but we have sermons on the work of the Holy Spirit - from Jesus, in John. Thus we have a special book on the Holy Trinity.

Between Exodus 3 and John 1 and 8, we have the clear teaching that Jesus' Name is I AM, that He existed before the Creation and is the Creating Word, the Logos, of Genesis 1.

Here is a very important insight from Luther about light. God created light before the sun and stars, so they are not the source of light (and truth) but God alone is.

I wonder how many generations in Judaism wondered about Creation. Why is there light before there was a source for light in Genesis 1?

This revealed fact teaches us that Jesus as the Light of the World is Truth itself. Darkness is the absence of light, and nothing thrives in pure darkness. Moreover, we cannot do anything well without light. We cannot move safely in pitch black. We cannot grow anything useful. We cannot tell one object from another or enjoy what God has given us.

The experience of light and darkness also informs us about truth and falsehood. Christ is Truth itself. The Pharisees did not like this and tried to equate Jesus with their own nature. He should not witness about Himself. But who could witness to God Incarnate? They had a chance to see and hear Him, to see His miracles, but they still found reason to object to Him.

Second Greek Lesson

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 1 1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

1 εν αρχη ην ο λογος και ο λογος ην προς τον θεον και θεος ην ο λογος

2 ουτος ην εν αρχη προς τον θεον

3 παντα δι αυτου εγενετο και χωρις αυτου εγενετο ουδε εν ο γεγονεν

4 εν αυτω ζωη ην και η ζωη ην το φως των ανθρωπων

5 και το φως εν τη σκοτια φαινει και η σκοτια αυτο ου κατελαβεν

ην - six times, was, 3 person s. imperf.

red indicates base for English words

Basic rules for translating:

1. Do not have an English Bible open.

2. Look for words you know - this list will grow.

3. Never write in any English words - that decreases the words we know.

4. Read passages out loud to grow familiar with the words.

5. Study some Greek each day.

6. Use Paine. Paine and Greek go together.

6 εγενετο ανθρωπος απεσταλμενος παρα θεου ονομα αυτω ιωαννης

7 ουτος ηλθεν εις μαρτυριαν ινα μαρτυρηση περι του φωτος ινα παντες πιστευσωσιν δι αυτου

8 ουκ ην εκεινος το φως αλλ ινα μαρτυρηση περι του φωτος

9 ην το φως το αληθινον ο φωτιζει παντα ανθρωπον ερχομενον εις τον κοσμον

10 εν τω κοσμω ην και ο κοσμος δι αυτου εγενετο και ο κοσμος αυτον ουκ εγνω

Hale Loves His Confused Tirade So Much, It Is Published Two or Three Times, Boosting CN Readership to 17

 "Another Hale-Storm rolling in! No, Wait - It's the same one."

One Ichabod reader was so impressed by Hale, that it spawned a spirited repudiation...of Hale.

From a reader:
"I have never read such an excellent article for the study of incoherent writing, logical fallacies, contradictions and arbitrary statements.

However, his basic premise contradicts the Formula of Concord, which clearly states:

9] Concerning the righteousness of faith before God we believe, teach, and confess unanimously, in accordance with the comprehensive summary of our faith and confession presented above, that poor sinful man is justified before God, that is, absolved and declared free and exempt from all his sins, and from the sentence of well-deserved condemnation, and adopted into sonship and heirship of eternal life, without any merit or worth of our own, also without any preceding, present, or any subsequent works, out of pure grace, because of the sole merit, complete obedience, bitter suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Christ alone, whose obedience is reckoned to us for righteousness."

10] These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves."

I published Hale's entire tantrum with a few comments. Hale refuses to address my work fairly or even publish key points, so his meandering tirades are nothing more than self-defeating failures. Unfortunately, he has adopted a stance learned from David Scaer, shouting insults instead of teaching. The Ft. Wayne gang is marvelously similar in that respect:

1. Paul McCain
2. Rolf One-Note Preus
3. Jack Casione
4. Jay Webber
5. The ELDONA priesthood, with only a few exceptions. They dropped OJ but retained the Ft. Wayne style.

Not one Objective Justification fanatic has answered Genesis 15:6 and Chapter 4 of Romans.

They need to find some new insults and fables, because I read them to Mrs. Ichabod each time and we laugh together. 

 I sent two copies free to Christian News. The Kindle is only 99 cents. Compare The Path To Understanding Justification to Scaer's high-priced, narcissistic bombast.

More for Lenski Fans - From the Lutheran Library

 https://www.lutheranlibrary.org/

“Let us hold fast the gift as Christ has bestowed it upon us — as the gift of the entire church down to the very least of its members. It is the old error of Rome to think that a certain order of men alone possess this authority from Christ to bind and to loose. No; not to the pope and the priests as his representatives, not to the pastors in our churches as a separate class, is this divine power given, but to the people of God one and all, to you and to me alike. There is only one difference — the pastors are the called ministers of the church, through whom the church acts ordinarily when it binds and looses. Christ bids us “tell it unto the church” when the final stage of discipline is reached, and only the church may exclude a fallen member from its fold. In this work of discipline, as in the entire work of preaching Gospel absolution and pronouncing this absolution, the church uses the pastor’s voice to speak for it, but it is the church which does it; it is not the pastor alone who acts apart from the church. So also when one brother, or several brethren deal with another — without any pastor they are entitled to use the power of Christ. And when they find the sinner penitent theirs is the blessed privilege to give him the Gospel pardon in Christ’s name. Oh, then recognize what Christ has done for his church! Hold fast and administer faithfully his great authority, and let no man rob you of your high and holy privilege!”

From David Becker - About Dr. Walter A. Maier II - Who Was Persecuted by Scaer and Preus

 David Scaer made a point of belittling the Maier family, including Dr. Walter A. Maier Senior. The late WAM II is on the left. Read Scaer's autobiographical confession of sins, utterly lacking in contrition. A reader added - "The Maier family are the true Lutherans. The Calvinists have completely taken over Missouri. Same with WELS ELS etc."

From David Becker:

"Dr. Walter Maier Jr. has often been mentioned in the context of his father, sons or brother, but he had a noteworthy ministry in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod in his own right.  Some of the controversies have not been mentioned in obituaries of Dr. Maier Jr.  These will be discussed briefly here, based on the public record and not so much on personally knowing Dr. Maier Jr., though I did meet and speak with him once.  These remarks are personal views, not necessarily shared by others.

In Pastor Herman Otten's book about Dr. Maier Jr.'s father, Lutheran Hour speaker Walter Maier, Walter A. Maier Still Speaks: Missouri and the World Should Listen (2008), Pastor Otten noted among other things, "Walter Maier Jr.'s signature is the first to appear under Crossroads, a document supported by conservatives concerned about the growth of theological liberalism in the LCMS."  This 1970s document played a significant role in sparking liberals to leave the LCMS, shown most in the exodus from Concordia Seminary St. Louis and the formation of Seminex.

Otten continued, "An unfortunate controversy developed in the LCMS when Maier expressed opposition to the doctrine of objective justification.  CN had good friends on both sides and suggested that all listen to Dr. Kurt Marquart who had worked out some sort of unity statement with Maier.  CN supported the position which Kurt Marquart, Robert and Jack Preus took in the controversy, but deplored that Jack Preus was using Maier's position for an excuse to get rid of Maier."

In Jim Burkee's history book, Power Politics and the Missouri Synod, Burkee didn't buy that former LCMS President Jack Preus's opposition to Maier was motivated by doctrinal concerns at all.  Maier Jr. got elected to the LCMS presidium but was never elected LCMS president.  The direction of the LCMS might have been drastically different had Maier Jr. gotten elected in 1981 instead of Ralph Bohlmann.

Otten went on, "CN expressed regrets when Walter Maier Jr., who was being influenced by LCMS President Ralph Bohlmann, signed a resolution with Bohlmann attacking Robert Preus as an impenitent sinner who should be removed from the LCMS.  CN urged all members of the LCMS's Praesidium, who signed the Bohlmann inspired resolution, to withdraw their signatures."  I had occasion to meet Dr. Maier Jr. at a Lutheran Laymen's League convention in Grand Rapids, Michigan around that time.  In conversation with him then, without specific reference to anyone, he told me that he needed to follow his conscience as to what he believed was right regardless of what criticism he got.

Dr. David Scaer, long time Concordia Theological Seminary Fort Wayne professor who has heavy Romanizing tendencies, discussed Maier Jr. at some length in his massive book released earlier this year, Surviving the Storms (the volume has been highly praised by Logia and Gottesdienst).  Dr. Scaer depicted Dr. Maier Jr. as doing a horrendously bad job in leadership at the seminary after Robert Preus left.  Subsequent leaders at CTSFW leaders have been more to Scaer's liking.  According to Scaer, the whole Maier family remains suspect and guilty of false doctrine.  Scaer wrote among other things, "Support for Walter A. Maier II as synod president cannot be ruled out as a reason for Jack Preus asking his brother Robert to handle Maier II’s doctrine of justification. Relations between the Preus brothers were not without their rough spots. Yet both Robert Preus and Jack Preus could not accept what they saw as the denial of objective justification by both Walter Maier I and his son Walter Maier II. His views also became an issue

in September 1989 with the calling of Walter Maier III, whose views were seen by some faculty members as virtually identical with his father’s view. Neither understood this doctrine according to traditional Missouri Synod definitions."

Dr. Scaer also expressed implied disapproval that Dr. Maier Jr. delivered the opening sermon at Camp Trinity, New Haven, Missouri in the 1970s.  "Complicating matters was that Maier’s position may have been held by those who thought of themselves as conservatives in working for a change at the St. Louis seminary. Christian News editor Herman Otten factored into Jack Preus’s election as synod president and had supported Robert Preus in his attempt to be retained as the Fort Wayne seminary president. Otten had written his master of sacred theology thesis on the Lutheran Hour speaker’s social views and maintained a personal connection by inviting his widow, Hulda Maier (1890–1986), and then his son Walter II to speak at inaugural events at Camp Trinity in New Haven, Missouri."  Scaer seems to suggest that it was alarming that Maier Jr. and his mother did that.

Independent Lutheran pastor Dr. Greg Jackson, blogger and author of numerous books, has in recent years strongly supported Dr. Maier Jr., stating on October 28 that opposition to Maier Jr.'s theology was "demonic" and "guilty in destroying the LCMS."

None of this comes up in the many kind and warm remembrances of Dr. Maier Jr. on Facebook.  One person commented simply, "Dr. Maier was a humble and vibrant servant of God!"

Dr. Maier Jr.'s obituary lists the traditional Lutheran TV program, "Worship Anew," as a suggested memorial outlet."

Self-Quarantine: I Will Only Teach and Conduct Church Services Online

 Be prepared in every way possible - until this media panic is over.