ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the National Council of Churches.
Harrison was a beauty school drop-out, not even studious enough to earn an in-house seminary "doctorate," which one St. Louis president said was "worthless outside the synod." His title was bestowed after he won his first election with the help of Herman Otten. The latest election had Harrison pictured as 20+ pounds lighter, but he bounced back up after winning. So we should think.
The Harrison article on Divine Authority, October 2, 2023, is a disgrace, bowing and scraping to the dominant ELCA element in Missouri seminaries, colleges, and the toxic Concordia Publishing House.
There are plenty of Bible “difficulties.” There are dating challenges for biblical events. There are archaeological conundrums. There are apparent discrepancies between accounts of the same event. There are parallel passages with dissimilar wording. Events in the life of Jesus recorded in the Gospels appear to occur at different times, and much more. A great Bible like The Lutheran Study Bible with all its notes is tremendously helpful.
The opening paragraph uses soporific terms without any substance or sources. Each sentence is a stink-bomb adding to the fetid stew of errors:
Difficulties are plentiful? but God promised to preserve His Word - and He has.
Where are the dating problems?
Archeology has proven the minute facts of the Bible; Harrison is too lazy to find out.
Apparent discrepancies suggest that the Holy Trinity had but one Book to reveal His will, but could not find a way to convey it clearly.
Harrison is even mixed up about events in Jesus' ministry.
CPH's books are a wealth of contradictions, bloviation, and smooth Satanic deception, and they help make Missouri wealthy, hardened, and smug.
Harrison has not finished his destruction of the Reformation -
In perhaps an odd way, I’m comforted when I see that an early copyist monkeyed around with one of these challenging New Testament texts. He just couldn’t bear to leave the text alone when he found it hard to harmonize with another passage.
I would be comforted if the apostates like Harrison, Liz Eaton, and Mark Schroeder admitted Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus were fakes, that "Dr." Tischendorf was a greedy liar. Here is a simple comparison - the Traditional Greek New Testament text has 5,000 or more witnesses. These are shoved aside by the radicals in favor of a handful of others. The Traditional Greek New Testament is also called the Byzantine, Apostolic, or Received Text.
Not church bodies but businesses produce the promiscuous printing of modern Bibles, while the fading and failing denominations sell them as labor-free money-makers. The National Council of Churches, known for its Marxism and gaiety, produced the Revised Standard Version (removing the Virgin Birth from the text). They did such a good job in modernizing that they licensed the New RSV, and the ESV. Murdoch's NIV was not ridiculous enough, so they created the New NIV, decidedly worse.
Where would they be without each other, the Thrivent loot, and the Siebert training camps?
More could be said, such as Matt's gratuitous use of "the justification of the world," which is a deliberated rejection of Justification by Faith.
If this is the best Matt Harrison could do, with the help of ghost-writers, Missouri is going to being finished just as fast as the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
How To Find Bad Translation Examples -
BibleGateway! NIV
The key to finding bad translations is supplied by the NIV aka Bible Gateway
Isaiah 7:14
King James Version
14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
19. The seventh fruit is, they freely confess and publicly preach the Word that was spoken to them concerning this child, which is the highest work in the Christian life. In this we are to risk our body and life, our wealth and honor. For to believe right and live a good life quietly and with yourself is not attacking the wicked spirit very hard; but when we go forth and publish the same abroad, confess, preach and praise for the sake of the welfare of others: that he will not permit. Therefore Luke adds here that the shepherds did not only come and see, but they also preached about this child what they heard in the field, not only before Mary and Joseph, but before everybody.
20. Do you not think there were many who thought they were fools and insane people, in that they attempted, as coarse and unschooled laymen, to speak of the angels’ song and sermon? But the shepherds, full of faith and joy cheerfully became fools in the eyes of men for God’s sake. A Christian also does the same. For God’s Word must be considered as foolishness and falsehood in this world.
21. The eighth fruit is Christian liberty. This is bound by no work, but all works are alike to a Christian as they come to his notice. For these shepherds run to no desert, put on no hood, never shave their heads, never change clothing, time, food, drink nor any external work, they return again to their sheep cots and there serve their God. For a Christian character consists not in outward conduct, neither does it change any one as to his outward calling or position, but as to his inner state, that is, he possesses another heart, another mind, will and impulse that does even the work, which any person without such a mind and will does. For a Christian knows that all depends entirely upon faith; therefore he goes, stands, eats, drinks, clothes himself, works and lives as an ordinary man in his calling, so that one can not see his Christianity; as Christ says in Luke 17:20-21: “The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo, here ! or, there ! for lo the kingdom of God is within you.”
22. Against this liberty the pope and his spiritual offices contend with their laws and chosen dress, food, prayers, sacred places and persons; they take themselves and every person captive by their soul snares with which they filled the world, as St. Anthony saw in a dream.
For they thought it depended upon our nature and works that we are saved. They call other people worldly, although they themselves are seven fold more worldly, since all their affairs are the doings of man, concerning which God has commanded nothing.
23. The ninth and last fruit of the Word is praising and thanking. For we are not able to give God any work or service for all the kindness and grace he bestows upon us, except praise and thanks which also spring from the heart, and do not need many organs, bells, and loud voices. Faith truly teaches such praise and thanks as are here related of the shepherds, in that they returned to their flocks glorifying and praising God. They are indeed contented, although they have not become wealthier, although they are not more highly honored, although they do not eat and drink better, and are not obliged to do their daily duties better.
24. See, in this Gospel you have a picture of a true Christian life, first according to its outward character, so that it glitters outwardly not at all, or very little in the eyes of the people, yea, is falsehood and the work of fools in the eyes of most people; but inwardly it is nothing but light, joy and salvation. Hence we see what the apostle means, when in Galatians 5:22 he relates the fruits of the Spirit and says: “The fruits of the Spirit,” that is, the works of faith,” are love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control ;” here there is no mention of persons, seasons, food, clothing, places or like chosen works of human device as we see swarming in the life of the Papists.
II. THE SPIRITUAL INTERPRETATION OF THIS GOSPEL.
25. But what it is to find Christ in such poverty, and what his swaddling clothes and manger signify, are explained in the previous Gospel; that his poverty teaches how we should find him in our neighbors, the lowliest and the most needy; and his swaddling clothes are the holy Scriptures; that in actual life we should incline to the needy; and in our studies and contemplative life only to the Scriptures; in order that Christ alone may become the man of both lives and that he may everywhere stand before us.
We should shun the books of Aristotle, of the pope, and of all men, or read them in a way that we do not seek the edification of the soul in them; but with them make use of the time and this life, as one teaches a trade or civil law. However it is not in vain that St. Luke places Mary before Joseph, and both of them before the child and says: “And they found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.”
26. Now we said before, Mary is the Christian church, Joseph, the servants of the church, as the bishops and pastors should be if they preach the Gospel. Here the church is preferred before the prelates of the church, as Christ also says in Luke 22:26: “He that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger,” although that is now reversed; it is also no wonder, since they rejected the Gospel and exalted the prattle of men. The Christian church retains now all the words of God in her heart and ponders them, compares them with one another and with the Scriptures. Therefore he who would find Christ must first find the Church. How should we know where Christ and his faith were, if we did not know where his believers are? And he who would know anything of Christ must not trust himself nor build a bridge to heaven by his own reason; but he must go to the Church, attend and ask her.
27. Now the Church is not wood and stone, but the company of believing people; one must hold to them, and see how they believe, live and teach; they surely have Christ in their midst. For outside of the Christian church there is no truth, no Christ, no salvation.
28. From this it follows that it is unsafe and false that the pope or a bishop wishes to have himself alone believed, and that he poses as a master; for they all err and are inclined to err. But their teaching should be subject to the congregation of believers. The congregation should decide and judge what they teach; their judgment should stand, in order that Mary may be found before Joseph, the church be preferred to the preachers. For it was not Joseph but Mary who retains the words in her heart, ponders them, gathers them together and compares them. The apostle also taught this in 1 Corinthians 14:29-80 when he says: “And let not the prophets speak by two or three, and let the others discern. But if a revelation be made to another sitting by, let the first keep silence.”
29. But at present the pope and his followers have become tyrants, have reversed this Christian, godly and apostolic order, established an entirely heathen and Pythagorian order of things, that they may say, lulaffen and alfenzen, that is, they talk silly about whatever they wish. No one criticizes them, no one will oppose them, no one tells them to be quiet. And in this way they have quenched the Spirit so that among them one finds neither Mary, nor Joseph nor Christ; nothing but the rats, mice, vipers and serpents of their poisonous doctrines and hypocrisy.
30. This is not a Gospel of strife; for it teaches Christian morals and works, it does not clearly and publicly establish the different articles of faith.
Although in its spiritual teachings, (mysteries), as has been shown, it is strong enough; but the spiritual teachings (mysteria) do not strive and contend. There must be clear, public passages that plainly publish the articles of our faith.
I was peppered with ads about the new Barbie move, streaming free. How bad can could it be? That took me five minutes of viewing. Anyone who watches more should attend a program for detoxing.
It opens with a small girl smashing dolls with a doll. The child either missed her meds or doubled-down on them. Zillions of animated Barbies are presented for the fans to look at, so the company can commercialize the product even more. I once had an adult student who brought all her Barbie dolls to her new home in a separate van. Doubtless she has seen this movie 100 times already.
Untalented humans are employed to play the Barbie and Ken roles, revealing no humor and nothing more than brutal, obnoxious, and obscene references. America has forgotten the class Greek style of drama, where "obscene" means "not seen on the stage." The current mode is reserving the stage for the obscene smirks, jokes, winks, and pratfalls.
The movie is perhaps painfully stupid throughout, but I could not stay for the thrills, chills, and pills.
Early in Springdale, because I was teaching at the community college - within walking distance - we met Dottie and Howard, who began helping us inside and outside. We got to know the extended family and enjoyed their company and in many areas, such as fashioning gardening areas, butterfly patches, exotic weeds.
When their daughter wanted to have a wedding on Christmas Day, I said, "OK but everything is closed." They found a place where they have the wedding but it was either going to be very rainy or very cold. Charlie Sue and I got ready for about 20 people arriving.
Charlie is a hunting dog, and she often takes the stance of total quiet, ready to pounce. She heard the vehicles and stopped, raised her front right leg, and stood still. I said, "Charlie, these are friends."
They poured in and Charlie made a bee-line for Dottie. The children enjoyed her too.
I keep my pastoral book in one place and I went to get it, because of the Marriage Ceremony and page ID for the county - all the Js are on one page. Out dropped the thank-you from the previous marriage I performed, 2086 miles away. I read it over again. Everything this week has been a special reminder of the connections we have through Christ Jesus our Lord. They trigger important memories, so it is just as hard to write this as it is for some to read. I have to stop when the screen gets so wavy.
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Luke 2:15-20. And it came to pass, when the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing that is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger. And when they saw it, they made known concerning the saying, which was spoken to them about this child. And all that heard it wondered at the things which were spoken unto them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, even as it was spoken unto them.
1. In the light of the exposition of the preceding Gospel this text is easily understood for it cites an example and the putting into practice of the doctrine taught there, in that the shepherds did, and found, all just as the angels had told them. Consequently, it teaches what the results and fruit of the Word of God are, and what the marks are, by which we know whether the Word of God is established in our hearts and whether it is doing its work there.
I. THE FRUITS AND SIGNS OF THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD.
2. The first and principal fruit of the power of the Word is faith. For had not these shepherds believed the angel they would never have gone to Bethlehem, they would moreover never have done one of the things related of them in this Gospel.
3. One, however, might say: Yes, I would also gladly believe if an angel thus from heaven were to preach to me. This is very foreign to the subject.
Whoever does not receive the Word for its own sake, will never receive it for the sake of the preacher, even if all the angels preached it to him. And he who receives it because of the preacher does not believe in the Word, neither in God through the Word, but he believes the preacher and in the preacher, Hence the faith of such persons does not last long. But whoever believes the Word, does not care who the person is that speaks the Word, and neither will he honor the Word for the sake of the person; but on the contrary, he honors the person because of the Word, and always subordinates the person to the Word. And if the preacher perishes, or even falls from his faith and preaches differently, he will forsake the person of the preacher rather than the Word of God. He abides by what he has heard, although the person of the preacher may be what he will, and come and go as he may.
4. The true difference between godly faith and human faith consists also in this, that human faith cleaves to the person of the preacher, believes, trusts and honors the Word for the sake of him who spake it. But godly faith, on the other hand, cleaves to the Word, which is God himself; he believes, trusts and honors the Word, not because of him who preaches it; but because he feels it so surely the truth that no one can ever turn him again from it, even if the same preacher were to try to do it. This was proved by the Samaritans, John 4:42, when they had heard first of Christ from the heathen woman and upon her word they went out of the city to Christ.
After they themselves heard Christ, they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not because of thy speaking: for we have heard for ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
5. Moreover, all who believed Christ because of his person and his miracles, fell from their faith when he was crucified. So it is in our day and so has it always been. The Word itself, without any regard to persons, must be enough for the heart, it must include and lay hold of man, so that he, as if taken captive, feels how true and right it is, even if the world, all the angels, all the princes of hell said differently, yea, if God himself spake otherwise; as he at times tempts his own elect and appears as if he were different than he had before declared. So it was with Abraham when commanded to offer his son Isaac; with Jacob, while wrestling with the angel; and with David, when persecuted by his son Absalom; and other like examples.
6. This faith triumphs in life and death, in hell and heaven, and nothing is able to overthrow it; because it rests upon nothing but the Word without any regard whatever to persons.
7. These shepherds possessed such faith; for they agree with and cleave to the Word so fully that they forget the angels who declared it to them. They do not say, Let us go and see the word that the angels made known to us, but the word that the Lord hath made known unto us. The angels were soon forgotten and the Word of God only seized and retained. In like manner St. Luke speaks in the text of Mary, that she kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. Without doubt she did not let the humble appearance of the shepherds trouble her, but esteemed all as the Word of God. Not only Mary, but all the others who heard these words from the shepherds, and wondered, as the text says. All clung to the Word.
8. And although it is the idiom of the Hebrew language that when it speaks of an historic fact, it says, “they wish to see the word”, as St. Luke says here (because the history is embodied in words and is made known by means of words); so is it therefore thus provided by God that faith should be expressed as that which cleaves to the words and relies upon the words spoken concerning the history. For if Christ’s life and sufferings were not embodied in the words by which faith is anchored, they would have been of no use, because all who saw them with their eyes received no benefit from them, or very little.
9. The second fruit is the unity in the spirit. For it is the nature of Christian faith to unite hearts into one, that they be of one mind and of one will, as Psalm 68:6 says: “God, the Lord, Christ our God, setteth the solitary in families.” St. Paul speaks of the unity of the Spirit in many places as in Romans 12:18; 1 Corinthians 12:4; and Ephesians 4:3, where he says: “Be ever diligent that ye be of one mind, of one will.” Such unity is not possible apart from faith, for every one is well pleased with his own ways, therefore is the land, as the proverb runs, full of fools. Here one sees in his own experiences how the various orders, callings, and sects are divided among themselves. Every one esteems his order, his calling, his character, his work, his plans the best, and the right road to heaven. He disparages the things of others and rejects them; as we see at present among the priests, monks, bishops and all who profess to be spiritual.
10. However those, who have the true faith, know that it depends only upon faith, in which they unanimously agree. Therefore they are never divided and disunited because of any outward calling, conduct or work. To them all external matters, however different they may be, are the same.
Thus the shepherds here are of one mind, of one will, speak the same thought among themselves, use the same form of words and say: “Let us now go even unto Bethlehem”, etc.
11. The third fruit is humility, in that they acknowledge themselves to be human. Therefore the Evangelist adds “The shepherds”, etc. For faith immediately teaches that everything human is nothing before God. Hence they despise self and think nothing of themselves. This is true, fundamental humility and self knowledge. Humility then brings with it that it does not inquire about things great and high in the world. They consider themselves a humble poor and despised people, as St. Paul teaches in Romans 12:16, when he says: “Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to them that are lowly”. As Psalm 15:4 also teaches: “In the eyes of the righteous the reprobate is despised, but he honoreth them that fear Jehovah.”
12. Out of all this follows peace. For he who esteems nothing of all the external and great things, easily lets them pass and never quarrels with any one about them. He experiences something better inwardly in the faith of his heart. Unity, peace, and humility are also found among murderers, public sinners, even among hypocrites. It is however a unity of the flesh and not of the spirit; as Pilate and Herod became reconciled to one another and exercised a peaceful and humble spirit toward each other. Likewise the Jews, according to Psalm 2:2: “The Kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together.” In like manner are, the pope, monks and priests one when they contend against God, who at other times are nothing but mere sects among themselves. Hence this is called an unity, humility and peace of the spirit, in that it is above and in spiritual things, that is, in Christ.
13. The fourth is love to your neighbor and a renouncing of self. The example of the shepherds proves this in that they leave their sheep and go forth, not to the great and high lords in Jerusalem, not to the aldermen in Bethlehem, but to the little company in the stable. They present themselves to the lowly and do whatever is required of them. Had they not had faith they would not have thus left their sheep; and they would not have abandoned their work, had not the angels before command them to do so.
They did it of their own free will and of their own counsel, as the text teaches. They conferred with one another about it and came with haste, and the angels did not command them, but only pointed out what they would find, and left it to their own free will, whether they would go and seek.
14. Love acts in like manner. It knows no command, it does everything by virtue of its own impulse, it hastens and delays not, it is enough that its attention is only called to a thing, it needs no taskmaster, neither will it tolerate one. Oh, much might be said on this thought! So should the Christian live more freely in love, forget self and the things of self, only think and hasten to his neighbor, as St. Paul in Philippians 2:4 says: “Not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.” And Galatians 6:2: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
15. However, the pope and his bishops and priests have filled the world with laws and constraint, and there is nothing now in the whole world but mere driving and alarming. No voluntary order or calling exists any longer, since it has been proclaimed that love should be extinguished and the world be mined by human doctrines.
16. The fifth is joy. This appears in the words that we gladly speak and hear about the things faith in the heart has received. So here the shepherds converse with one another joyously and kindly about that which they had heard and believed. They use very many words, as if they were talking to no purpose. They are not satisfied by saying: Let us go unto Bethlehem and see the saying that has come to pass; they add, which the Lord did and hath made known unto us. Is it not unnecessary talk that they say: What has come to pass there, that God has done? Could they not have easily spoken in fewer words thus: Let us see the saying, God has done there.
17. But the spirit’s joy bubbles over with cheery words, and still none are useless, yea, all is too little, and the soul can not pour forth itself as it gladly would desire, like Psalm 45:1 says: “My heart overfloweth with a goodly matter,” as if he were to say, I would gladly tell it forth, but I cannot; it is greater than I can express, so that my speaking is hardly a hiccough. Hence the saying in Psalm 51:17 and other places: “My tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness,” that is, proclaim, sing and speak it forth with rejoicing and jumping. And Psalm 119:171: “Let my lips utter praise”, like a boiling pot wells and bubbles forth.
18. The sixth fruit: they follow with acts. For it is as St. Paul says in Corinthians 4:20: “For the Kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”
Thus here the shepherds do not only say, Let us go and see, but they also went, yea, they do more than they say. For the text says, “They came in haste,” that is more than merely going, as they agreed to do, so faith and love always do more than they promise, and their affairs are alive, intertwined, active, bubbling over. So a Christian should be a man of few words and of many deeds, as he will surely be, if he is a true Christian. If he is not such a man then he is not yet a real Christian.
19. The seventh fruit is, they freely confess and publicly preach the Word that was spoken to them concerning this child, which is the highest work in the Christian life. In this we are to risk our body and life, our wealth and honor. For to believe right and live a good life quietly and with yourself is not attacking the wicked spirit very hard; but when we go forth and publish the same abroad, confess, preach and praise for the sake of the welfare of others: that he will not permit. Therefore Luke adds here that the shepherds did not only come and see, but they also preached about this child what they heard in the field, not only before Mary and Joseph, but before everybody.
My parents said, "We are going the way of Rome!" more than once at the supper table. We were prepared. Our public schools taught up to four years of Latin, and we were warned, "You won't get into a good college if you skip Latin." We had no idea about how bad the Roman Empire was, but at least we had the advantages of grammar, spelling, science, math, and languages.
But everyone wondered, "Why major in Greek at Augustana? There are no jobs waiting for teaching Greek." The college was already treating Latin and Greek as cast-offs, not as valuable intellectual tools for a lifetime - and many specialties: law, medicine, science, literature, math, art, drama, and comedy. Those trained in the classic disciplines produced students who avoided the bewilderment of big and yet obvious words. A seminary professor had a pneumoencephalograph. His colleague tried to figure out its meaning, so I said, "Air in the brain, graphed."
Whenever I heard a doctor talking about various complicated and expensive procedures, I would drop into the conversation with "iatrogenic." That simply means a disorder caused by the physician, polite but a bit of a threat. I blocked a number of proposed, dangerous prescriptions.
America is no longer a Constitutional Republic and there are few reasons to imagine it can come back. As if by magic a few years ago, many universities began Diversity, Inclusion, Equity. Augustana College hired a new president whose great strength was DIE. (They avoid the implications if they write DEI.) The University of Phoenix suddenly made the teaching of this toxin mandatory.
There must be managers at the top to have utilities and universities bow their knees before their DIE. That is where the decisions are made and forced upon everyone else.
And yet, what really changed the world? God's own Son was born of a Virgin and proclaimed by a host of angels. When Jesus began His ministry, He was following another leader who prepared the way of the Lord. His three-year ministry yielded many followers but arrest, beatings, and the cross.
All tyrants relish the idea of crushing those who get in their way. But once the disciples saw the risen Christ, learning from Him and the Holy Spirit, they were imbued with the singular power of spreading the Gospel across the land. The Gospel wrecked the Western Roman Empire (centered in Rome, as one might assume) and converted a tiny town Byzantium into the New Rome, which was Christian. The Eastern Rome continued until 1453 AD, when the Turks captured the isolated city.
As bad as that was, the Fall of Constantinople released the Greek scholars into Europe, where the Renaissance blossomed, literacy grew, and Luther translated the Greek New Testament into German.
The situation then was very much like our new little Vatican wannabees. If we look at ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC-ELDONA, their boasting claims are contrary to what they actually teach. Their alleged Luther quips seem to come from Chinese cookies, nothing more.
All of them reject and ridicule the King James Version of the Bible, mostly by removing words, phrases, and sections that emphasize faith in Jesus and the divinity of Jesus. Look over the list of ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC-ELDONA managers. They are poorly educated clowns who glory in making things worse.
As Dr. Lito Cruz opined, "No moderns support the inerrancy of the Scriptures, because they all have different errors in the Biblical editions they adore." The modern editions contradict one another and make money off the latest because it is "by far the most accurate, most precise, most readable Bible ever! 20% off the introductory price, and it will last forever until the next one is ready."
Matt the Fatt Harrison does not have an earned doctorate, not even an STM. His own denomination gave him an honorary divinity degree because he won his first election. Who better to use Luther in mocking the traditional Bible?! Who better to lead a large group astray. Wait - they are leaving in large numbers.
The numbers do not matter. Biblical doctrine does. Since the established seminaries cannot find a way to teach the doctrine of Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz, our little congregation is starting its Reformation Seminary, headquartered in "the spare room of a rented house."
KJV Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
KJV Isaiah 9:2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Virgin Birth
KJV Isaiah 7:10 Moreover the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, 11 Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. 12 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. 13 And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.
Incarnation
KJV Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
KJV Luke 2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
God and the World Have Different Values
KJV Luke 2 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.
The haughty sceptics like to deny this happened, but it is recorded in Gospel, when Jesus was challenged about the coin for taxing, and He said, "Whose image is on this?" And then said, "Pay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar." The tax was collected after this time and was being collected before Jesus was crucified.
The tax brought Jesus to Bethlehem, as everyone knows, and that would have been completely different without the requiring the family to come at that time to the City of Bethlehem. As we know today, that was where David grew up, and became the model of the Savior - the Son of David. That also made the journey difficult, with Mary ready to give birth and the cities crowded. We tend to forget that was an uphill journey - from the north they passed through Jerusalem - the fortress on the hill and then a little further to Bethlehem.
1. It is written in Haggai 2:6-7, that God says: “I will shake the heavens; and the precious things of all nations shall come.” This is fulfilled today, for the heavens were shaken, that is, the angels in the heavens sang praises to God. And the earth was shaken, that is, the people on the earth were agitated; one journeying to this city, another to that throughout the whole land, as the Gospel tells us. It was not a violent, bloody uprising, but rather a peaceable one awakened by God who is the God of peace.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
Nothing but difficulties were before them, and the greatest event of all time, God becoming man and being born of a Virgin, gave no one any pause - and they offered no help for this family. Doubtless the great and powerful were taken care of, but no one did anything for the family. What is a big deal for mankind is pitifully small for God, and what is great for God is of no consequence for most people.
This must be understood only through faith. The great and wise despise Christmas and what it truly means. I always tell my secular students, "Merry Christmas!" because no one says Merry Winter! and no one shops for Winter Presents. The rich and pampered church officials today sidestep the meaning of God becoming man. Their passion is for institutional wealth and changing society for the better - without faith.
The dominant theme - and most ignored - is the Son of God from Creation onward -
Executing the commands of God the Father during Creation
Serving as the future destroyer of Satan, after the Fall, expulsion from Paradise
Shaping our world because He is the Creator with the Father
Serving as the Lord throughout the Old Testament. Read Psalm 2.
See how God shows that he utterly disregards what the world is, has or desires; and furthermore, that the world shows how little it knows or notices what God is, has and does.
9. See, this is the first picture with which Christ puts the world to shame and exposes all it does and knows. It shows that the world’s greatest wisdom is foolishness, her best actions are wrong and her greatest treasures are misfortunes. What had Bethlehem when it did not have Christ? What have they now who at that time had enough? What do Joseph and Mary lack now, although at that time they had no room to sleep comfortably?
6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luther points out that Mary had an easy labor - if such a thing can be said - but one without fanfare. The manger was a feeding trough for animals, not the place we would put newborns, especially one with so little to claim for his own. One phrase says it all - there was no room for them at the inn, so the birthing room, bed room, and kitchen were a stall for the animals. Doubtless the angels watched over them, as they do for us. But this was the humblest surroundings for the King of Kings.
8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
The best and the brightest were not there to offer any comfort, so the angels had to find some working shepherds to share this great story. The spectacle lit up the sky with angels and the angel of the Lord gave the solemn and comforting message.
10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The angelic message has always struck me as little catechism, memorized and passed down through the generations. It is like poetry, easily remembered by children and recited by them. The Word of God is everything thing, bringing faith and grace to us, always showing us how much God can do.
Our little church is mocked because it is so small, but 10.5 million views say otherwise. Every day a new set of lessons is provided, sometimes only 500 views - but that is a big classroom for daily information about the Chief Article, Justification by Faith. Some days have 7,000 views. The blog drew people together and more blogs added more view, and hundreds of book titles from -- The Lutheran Library.
And stained glass windows - Christian graphics from Norma Boeckler.
And I have seen many miracles take place, beyond anyone's expectation.
12. Just imagine what kind of swaddling clothes they were in which she wrapped the child. Possibly her veil or some article of her clothing she could spare. But that she should have wrapped him in Joseph’s trousers, which are exhibited at Aix-la-Chapelle, appears entirely too false and frivolous. It is a fable, the like of which there are more in the world. Is it not strange that the birth of Christ occurs in cold winter, in a strange land, and in such a poor and despicable manner?
13. Some argue as to how this birth took place, as if Jesus was born while Mary was praying and rejoicing, without any pain, and before she was conscious of it. While I do not altogether discard that pious supposition, it was evidently invented for the sake of simple minded people. But we must abide by the Gospel, that he was born of the virgin Mary. There is no deception here, for the Word clearly states that it was an actual birth.
14. It is well known what is meant by giving birth. Mary’s experience was not different from that of other women, so that the birth of Christ was a real natural birth, Mary being his natural mother and he being her natural son. Therefore her body performed its functions of giving birth, which naturally belonged to it, except that she brought forth without sin, without shame, without pain and without injury, just as she had conceived without sin.
This journey began in 2022 when Siebert staff began exploring solutions with the three local Lutheran synods and Concordia to address the need for additional business management skills among ministry leaders. Today, we are delighted to share the results of this pan-Lutheran effort! #businessmanagement #LutheranLeadership #ConcordiaUniversity
The Business Building Blocks of Ministry Workshop | Concordia University - Continuing Education Studies (cuw.edu)