New President at Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne. Same Old Bait and Switch with Clouds of Incense Almy Costumes

 

‘Hand in glove’

After being installed by Stuckwisch at the end of the service, Bruss officially opened the academic year with prayers for God’s blessings on the work to be done, followed by a presidential address in which he offered a “small apologia” for including Concordia in the name of Concordia Theological Seminary: “Our seminary is called ‘Concordia Theological Seminary’ — that is, ‘Book of Concord Theological Seminary.’ …

“Faith and confession go hand in glove,” Bruss said. “Our confessions rest on what the Scriptures say and give us to confess: That through them, God has revealed Himself, His will and the salvation that He worked through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ, in words that are so clear that they may be faithfully reproduced, so that with the heart, one may believe and be justified and with the mouth one may confess and be saved.”

***

GJ - The problem remains - The Four Waltherian Cults - LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) plus ELCA declare the word faith, but reject faith in Jesus Christ.

Many years ago, Ft. Wayne (with Robert Preus as president) offered the DMin degree in Church Growth, so they could borrow from Fuller Seminary. Perhaps the greater cancer at Ft. Wayne and St. Louis is their sinuflecting toward the Church of Rome. Sinuflecting is a British witticism based on the slithering of a snake while bending the knee in a gradual march toward the Pope, crying for forgiveness and demi-semi-absolution. 

If Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz are correct, then the Big Five Sects are utterly useless in their apostate claims.

The Big Five are utterly faithless and prove that in all their works. Justification by Faith is the Chief Article of Christian Religion, but they abhor and reject this Chief Article. WELS genius Frosty Bivens declared that Objective Faithless Justification was and is the Chief Article. I think he borrowed that from Zarling, who considered OJ a diamond.

The so-called editors of their father's book never caught on the problems with the beloved Rambach, Stephan, and CFW Walther - OJ Pietists one and all.

The Waltherian cults are not much better than ELCA, and all five strive against the efficacy of the Word, the Means of Grace, and faith in Jesus Christ as the only access to God's grace.  Romans 5:1-2 would do them a a world of good.

Great Books from LutheranLibrary.org - Alec Satin, Editor

 

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Sermons on the Eisenach Gospels by J Sheatsley

“One cannot continue long in the kingdom of God without in some way openly confessing the fact… There is a reason why a disciple of Jesus must soon confess Him… One of the sure evidences of your own pardon is a strong desire to tell others how they also may get the pardon.

Sheatsley, J

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Vindication of Luther Against His Recent English Assailants by Julian Charles Hare

“When a man has taken a leading part in the conflicts of his age, it will often happen that… the feelings with which he was regarded during his life, will cluster around him after his death… Now perhaps there is no one in the whole history of the world, against whom such a host of implacable prejudices and antipathies have been permanently arrayed, as against Luther.

Hare, Julian Charles

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History of the Old Covenant by J H Kurtz

“(This is) one of the best contributions towards the explanation of the Old Testament with which Germany has enriched our common theological literature. Comprehensive and trustworthy in its information, exhaustive in point of research and learning, fresh and vigorous in thought and style, throughout marked by sobriety and good sense; above all, thoroughly evangelical in its tone.

Kurtz, J H, Alfred Edersheim

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Sayings and Doings of Luther by John Gottlieb Morris

“Of thirteen hundred and forty-three books… written on the subject of Luther… not one is like this one… Some may think that I should have given my authorities and references; but as the book was (made) for plain readers… the mention of which would have interrupted the narrative and been of no service.

Martin Luther, John Gottlieb Morris

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Watchwords for the Warfare of Life: Quotations of Martin Luther

“The selections in this volume have all been freshly translated from Luther’s own German or Latin, with the exception of the extracts taken from the sixteenth century translation of the Commentary on the Galatians.

Martin Luther

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Reformation Seminary - John 6 - Third Part - The Sound Worked!

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I AM the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

48 I AM that bread of life.

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

KJV John 6

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

The Modern Bibles Are Based Upon the Sinaiticus and Vaticanus Texts, Haunting Seductive Documents

 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - "For if I have no sense of my sins, I will never inquire for Christ; as the Pharisees and scribes do here, who thought they had done everything the law commanded and were ready to do yet more; but of Christ they knew nothing. Therefore, first of all, when the law is known and sin revealed through the law, it is then necessary that we know who Christ is; otherwise the knowledge of sin profits us nothing."

 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 22:34-46.
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

TEXT - Matthew 22:34-46

25. And this part where he says, “With all thy mind,” argues powerfully against the writings and teachings of man, upon which he especially depends, and thinks thereby to obtain a merciful God and merit heaven.

Such imagination of the human reason draws us in a wonderful manner from this commandment, so that we do not love God with all the mind; as has been done hitherto, and is still done at the present day. For these priests and monks think nothing else than that God is moved by the mass and by other human inventions; but he abhors it and does not desire it, as is said in Isaiah 29:13: “In vain do they serve me, because they are teaching such doctrines which are only the commandments of men.” Matthew 15:8-9. The commandment here requires you to consider nothing good that is against God and against everything he has commanded or forbidden. It thus requires, you to give yourself wholly and entirely to him in all your life and conduct.

26. From this you can conclude, there is no human being who is not condemned, inasmuch as no one has kept this commandment, and God wants everyone to keep it. There we stand in the midst of fear and distress, unable to help ourselves, and the first knowledge of the law is, that we see our human nature is unable to keep the law; for it wants the heart, and if it is not done with the heart, it avails nothing before God. You may indeed do the works outwardly, but God is not thus satisfied, when they are not done from the heart, out of love; and this is never done except man is born anew through the Holy Spirit. Therefore God aims to accomplish through the law nothing more than that we should in this way be forced to acknowledge our inability, frailty and disease, and that with our best efforts we are unable to fulfill a letter of the law. When you realize this, the law has accomplished its work. This is what Paul means when he says in Romans 3:20, “Through the law is the knowledge of sin.”

27. From this it appears clearly that we are all alike, and are one in the inner wickedness of the heart, which the law reveals, when we look into it rightly. Therefore we might well say, If one is good, then all are good.

Therefore no one should accuse another. It is indeed true that in public and gross sins there sticks a deeper sin; but the heart is alike bad, unless it be renewed by the Holy Ghost. But what shall I do when I once recognize my sin? What does it profit me? It helps me very much, for when I have come thus far, I am not far from the kingdom; as Christ says to a scribe in Mark 12:34, who also knew that the works of the law were nothing without love.

28. But what shall we do to get rid of our bad conscience? Here follows now the other part of this Gospel, namely, who Christ is and what we can expect of him. From him we must receive and secure freedom from a wicked conscience, or we shall remain in our sins eternally, because for this purpose is Christ made known and given by the Father, in order that he might deliver us from sin, death, from a wicked conscience, and from the law.

29. We have now heard what the law is, and how through the law we come to the knowledge of sin; but this is not enough, another has a work to do here, whose name is Christ Jesus; although the first, the law, must indeed remain; yea, it is necessary. For if I have no sense of my sins, I will never inquire for Christ; as the Pharisees and scribes do here, who thought they had done everything the law commanded and were ready to do yet more; but of Christ they knew nothing. Therefore, first of all, when the law is known and sin revealed through the law, it is then necessary that we know who Christ is; otherwise the knowledge of sin profits us nothing.

Rest in Peace - John Warwick Montgomery - Lawyer, Scholar, Librarian

 

LutherQuest found this 12 year old post about Montgomery on Ichabod.

Christina and I had lunch with John Warwick Montgomery, at the 1982 Chicago Inerrancy Conference. Robert Preus spoke and Kurt Marquart was also there. The last time I looked, Montgomery still promoted Objective Faithless Justification. However, Robert Preus taught Justification by Faith in his last book, Justification and Rome, in spite of its feeble editing by two of the Preus' sons.

Someone will have to produce a book, essay, or jeremiad about Montgomery. He was prolific in earning degrees and writing books. We kept in touch for a period of time, and he bought a bunch of my books, postage free. He said, "You did mean postage free." Yes, I did. 

He fostered my exit from apostate Lutherdom. I served an LCA church where one member asked me if I could use some books. He did the cleaning at a Missouri Synod  church where the pastor quit the ministry and left a truckload of books and journals behind. They filled the tables in the donuts and coffee area of my congregation. Christina suggested we give them away to members and anyone else, so we spread them out over the tables. I kept a few.

One book was about the weakness of current denominations, and Montgomery repudiated the errors of Lutherdom. Another author in that book was a missionary to Africa, and I knew him from his preaching at my home church in Moline. The missionary taught faith in Christ, and Montgomery pointed out the errors of modernism.

John Lawrenz

In other news, John Lawrenz, - WELS high school principal, temporary college president, and overseas missionary - died at the age of 81. He was one of the very few Wisconsin clergy who had a legitimate, academic PhD. However, he did not venture far from the cookie-cutter style of his synod.

John Lawrenz

Zoom Sending Audio via Share Did Not Work. Tentative Fix - 11 AM Tomorrow

 

When will Zoom start?

Friday at 11 AM Central - God willing.

Reformation Seminary - John 6 - Third Part

35 And Jesus said unto them, I AM the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven.

42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven?

43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.

44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father.

47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

48 I AM that bread of life.

49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - "Now here Christ shows the Pharisees and the Scribes a twofold kindness. In the first place, he dispels their blindness and teaches them what the law is. In the second place, he teaches them how impossible it is for them to keep the law. Their blindness he dispels, in that he teaches them what the law is, namely: that love is the law."

 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 22:34-46.
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

TEXT - Matthew 22:34-46

18. From this it now appears what a misleading calling that of the monks and priests is, in that they wish to merit heaven through their works alone, and they also bind the people to do good works, in order that they may thereby merit heaven, which is a cursed and godless service. Hence, as already stated, the law is to be only an exercise to prove our love; otherwise, aside from love, God never inquires about works, no matter how excellent they are.

19. You can now see how many people know what the law means: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself. Surely they are few who know it, and fewer still who keep it. How can they keep that which they do not know? We are blind and our nature is totally blind, and so is also human reason. It knows nothing so imperfectly as that which the law of God requires.

20. Now here Christ shows the Pharisees and the Scribes a twofold kindness. In the first place, he dispels their blindness and teaches them what the law is. In the second place, he teaches them how impossible it is for them to keep the law. Their blindness he dispels, in that he teaches them what the law is, namely: that love is the law. Human reason cannot comprehend this nowadays any more than the Jews did then, for if it had been possible for human reason to comprehend it, the Pharisees and Scribes, who at that time were the best and wisest of the people, could have understood it; but they thought it consisted alone in performing the external works of the law; in giving to God, whether it be done willingly or unwillingly; but their inward blindness, their covetousness, and their hardened heart they could not see, and thought they thoroughly understood the law and were fine fellows, holy and pious people; but they stood in their own light. For no one is able to keep the law unless his nature is thoroughly renewed.

21. Therefore consider it an established fact that reason can never understand and fulfill the law, even though it knows the meaning of the law. When do you do to another what you want him to do to you? Who loves his enemy from his heart? Who loves to die? Who willingly suffers disgrace and shame? Dear sir, point me to a man who enjoys to have a bad reputation or to live in poverty! For nature and human reason flee entirely from this, are afraid, terrified and shocked; and if it were possible, as far as it were in their power, they would never suffer such misfortune. Human nature alone will never be able to accomplish what God in this commandment requires, namely, that we surrender our will to the will of God, so that we renounce our reason, our will, our might and power, and say from the heart: Thy will be done. And indeed, nowhere will you find a person who loves God with his whole heart and his neighbor as himself. It may indeed happen that two companions live friendly together; but even there hypocrisy is hidden, which continues until you are wounded by him; then you will see how you love him, and whether you are flesh or spirit. This commandment therefore requires me to be friendly with all my heart to him who has offended me; but when do I do this?

22. Thus Christ desires to show us that we preach the law rightly, only when we learn from it that we are unable to fulfill it, and that we are the property of the devil. This we learn from experience, and it is shown now and then in the Scriptures, especially by St. Paul when he says in Romans 8:7-8: “Because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be,” and it follows, that they who are in the flesh cannot please God.

23. Hence, take to thyself this commandment: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and think upon it, contemplate it, and search what kind of a law it is; how far you are from fulfilling it, yea, how you have not yet even made a beginning to suffer and to do from the heart what God demands of you. It is pure hypocrisy, if anyone wants to creep into a hiding-place and think: Oh I will love God. Oh, how I do love him, he is my Father! How gracious he is to me! and the like. Yes, when God does our pleasure, then we can easily say such things; but when he sends misfortune and adversity, we no longer regard him as our God, nor as our Father.

24. True love to God does not act in this way, but in the heart it thinks and with the lips says: Lord God, I am thy creature; do with me as thou wilt; it matters not to me. I am ever thine, that I know; and if thou desirest, I will die this very hour or suffer any great misfortune; I will cheerfully do so from my heart. I will not regard my life, honor and goods and all I have, higher and greater than thy will, which shall be my pleasure all my days.

But you will never find a person who will constantly regulate himself according to this commandment; for the whole life you are living in the body, in the five senses, and whatever you do in your body, should all be so regulated as to be done to the glory of God, according to the regulations of this commandment, which saith, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind.” As if Christ said: If you love God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind, then nothing will be lacking; you shall experience it in your daily life, namely: when everything you do, whether you wake or sleep, whether you labor or stand idle, whether you eat or drink, is directed and done out of love to God from the heart. In like manner your mind and thoughts will also be directed wholly and entirely to God, so that you will approve of nothing you are not certain is pleasing to God. Yea, where are those who do this?

It's All in the Numbers for College Campuses - 99 Closed in One Year.Time To Roll Out the College Campus Growth Program!

 

 Free Republic copied the article and graphics.

***

Author Message   Rick Strickert (Carlvehse) Senior Member Username: Carlvehse Post Number: 11207 Registered: 10-2003 Posted on Wednesday, September 18, 2024 - 9:24 am:       Concordia University-Texas (CTX) Board of Regents announced that Provost / Executive Vice President / American History Professor Kristi Kirk has been selected to be the 10th (and first female) president and CEO of CTX to replace the current President and CEO, Donald Christian. According to the Preident Christian, the transition will occur over the next 12-15 months. While CTX claims in its Commitment and Demonstration to LCMS Theology and Doctrine, "its alignment with the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod and commitment to the authority of Scripture and Lutheran Confessions," the university is involved in an ongoing lawsuit with the LCMS in United States District Court, Western District Of Texas, Austin Division - THE LUTHERAN CHURCH-MISSOURI SYNOD, a Missouri nonprofit corporation, Plaintiff, v. DONALD CHRISTIAN, CHRISTOPHER BANNWOLF, CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY TEXAS, INC., & JOHN DOES 1-12 (Case 1:23-cv-01042-RP).

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Dr. John Nunes - "I'm ready to facilitate my second college campus closing."

The Next Laughable Gathering of the Four Waltherian Cults - LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) - Needs Some Background

 

 

There he goes again. I am providing background for the latest fiasco. Notice that the LCMS President loses a vast amount of weight before big events. That happened once again at Missouri's latest election. He had instant weight gain live at the convention but the photos - before and after - suggested massive weight loss.

Does anyone recognize the drain on resources at the Missouri Synod Vatican?

The swan in front of the Purple Palace reminds everyone of the classic ballet -

"The Dying Swan." 

The cub editor of Christian News has probably not told the whole story of Marvin Schwan's less than honorable life, divorce, and lavish gifts for those who kept silence and denied the facts.

As one LutherQuest author pointed out, Harrison is not a real doctor, except as a prize for winning an election. The writer said Matt's STM was also honorific, not earned. Even Jay Webber and James Heiser could squeeze out an STM in 20 years. Matt spent more time pursuing synodical goals (money). 

Not Seminex Again!

The breakup of the LCMS led to a small number of congregations joining the LCA and ALC, aka the mini-synod AELC. The total of those leaving Holy Mother Missouri was something like 250,000, though scholars are divided. The professors and clergy who led the goslings away from Holy Mother Missouri were key players in creating a gay/feminist ELCA, already established with quotas before ELCA officially merged on January 1, 1988. One St. Louis professor was arrested at a park, which they wanted hushed-up. He went on to become one of the Seminex professors at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, moving on to another denomination later.

WELS donated a college professor, Richard Jungkuntz, to the LCMS, where he became a Seminex leader as chair of their mini-seminary, which supported the gay Metropolitan Community Church. The list of those standards is very long now.

The leaders will doubtless congratulate themselves and meet to slow down their massive losses in a way that will puzzle and bewilder the sheep. They will hide the terrible facts. I even have people activated by synodical bullies to silence me. 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Trinity 18 - "Thus it is also with God. He wants us to keep his commandments, and to regard them more than the commandments of men, and all the commandments to be subservient to love, so that all be comprehended in these two commandments, of which the Lord here speaks in this Gospel: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.”

 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 22:34-46.
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

TEXT - Matthew 22:34-46

14. Thus you are to regulate your life and conduct. There are in our day many customs, many orders and ceremonies, by which we falsely think to merit heaven; and yet there is only this one principle, namely: the love to our neighbor, that includes in it all good works. I will give you an example we recently heard. Here is a priest or monk, who is to read his prayers or the rules of his order, or to hold mass, or say penance. At this moment there comes a poor man or woman to him who has need of his help and counsel. What shall this priest or monk do? Shall he perform his service, or shall he assist the poor man? He should therefore act prudently and think:

True, I am required to read my prayers, hold mass, or say penance; but now on the other hand, a poor man is here; he needs my help and I should come to his rescue. God commanded me to do this; but the others man devised and instituted. I will let the mandates of men go, and will serve my neighbor according to God’s commandment.

15. However, very seldom do we think that the precious service of holding mass and reading prayers should be put in the background; and such a humble service, as you regard it, should have the preference. But what is the reason? The reason is that these dream-preachers, who have nothing to present to us but the ordinances of men, have made us so timid and fearful that we came to the conclusion, if we did not regulate ourselves in everything according to their preaching, heaven itself would fall. Yea, they would rather let ten poor people starve than fail to say one mass. We find even to-day many monks or priests who rather let a poor man freeze, than violate their statutes and ordinances. So lamentably and miserably have they been deceived by their godless preachers and teachers, and by their superiors, who with their statutes and devilish ordinances have drawn, and are still drawing, them away more and more from the law of God to our own notions.

16. These are the principal fruits of unbelief and godlessness, which, as the Scriptures declare, provoke God. Should not God be angry with me, if he commands me to show my neighbor love, and I go and follow my own or other people’s dreams? It is as if a master said to his servant: Go and work in the field, and the servant went and desired to wash the dishes. Should not the master rightly be angry with such a servant? Thus it is also with God. He wants us to keep his commandments, and to regard them more than the commandments of men, and all the commandments to be subservient to love, so that all be comprehended in these two commandments, of which the Lord here speaks in this Gospel: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.”

17. Do you want to do something pleasing to God, then do it out of genuine love. That the Jews practiced circumcision, fasted much, prayed much, and performed other like services, was not pleasing to God, for it did not come from the heart, as this commandment requires: Thou shalt love God with all thy heart. Thus it will be also with you, even though you should belong to the Carthusian friars, or to a still more exacting order; all would avail nothing, if you had not the love of God. From this you are to conclude, all works are nothing, that do not originate in love, or are against love. No commandments should be in force, except those in which the law of love can be exercised.

Reformation Seminary - John 6 - Second Part

YouTube

KJV John 6:22 The day following, when the people which stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was none other boat there, save that one whereinto his disciples were entered, and that Jesus went not with his disciples into the boat, but that his disciples were gone away alone;

23 (Howbeit there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they did eat bread, after that the Lord had given thanks:)

24 When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither his disciples, they also took shipping, and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

25 And when they had found him on the other side of the sea, they said unto him, Rabbi, when camest thou hither?

26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.

27 Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.

28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. [Objective Faithless Justification - demolished]

30 They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work?

31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat.

32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.

34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.

35 And Jesus said unto them, I AM the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - "Therefore it was a foolish commandment, a grievous, hard and unbearable commandment. But what did Abraham do? He closes his senses, takes his reason captive, and obeys the voice of God, goes, and does as God commanded him."

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 22:34-46.
Eighteenth Sunday after Trinity

TEXT - Matthew 22:34-46

8. It was also a foolish command God gave to Abraham, to slay his son, Genesis 22:2. For if reason had been the judge in this, both it and all mankind would have come to no other conclusion than this: It is an unfriendly and hostile command, how can it be from God, since God himself said to Abraham that he would multiply his seed through this son, and it would become as innumerable as the stars of the firmament and as the sand by the sea. Therefore it was a foolish commandment, a grievous, hard and unbearable commandment. But what did Abraham do? He closes his senses, takes his reason captive, and obeys the voice of God, goes, and does as God commanded him. By this he proved that he obeyed from the heart; otherwise, even if he had put his son to death a hundred times, God would not have cared for it; but God was pleased that the deed came from his heart and was done in true love to God; yea, it came from a heart that must have thought: Even if my son dies, God is almighty and faithful, he will keep his word, he will find ways and means beyond that which I am able to devise; only obey, there is no danger. Had he not had this boldness and this faith, how could his fatherheart have killed his only and well beloved son?

9. The Jews later wanted to follow this example and, like Abraham, offered their children unto God, hoping thereby to perform a service well-pleasing to God; but it was far from it. These poor people came to the conclusion:

The service of Abraham was pleasing to God, therefore will ours also be, and consequently they killed one child after another. O, how many healthy, noble and beautiful children perished! The prophets protested against this service, they preached, warned and wrote against it, telling the people that it was deception, but all was in vain. Yea, many a prophet lost his life because of this, as the history in the books of the kings shows.

10. But why was this service of the Jews displeasing to God? For the reason that it did not come from their heart, and was not done out of love to God; but they simply looked upon the service, and did it without the command and word of God; but God saith: My dear sirs, I was not concerned about the fact that Abraham offered up his son, but that he proved by this act that he loved me with his whole heart. There must be first love in the heart, then follows the service that will be pleasing to God; for all the works of the law tend to the end thereby to prove our love to God, which is in the heart; which love the law requires, and will have above everything else.