Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Introduction to The Gospel of Faith: Written by John, The Disciple Jesus Loved

John the Evangelist, by El Greco
Norma Boeckler will illustrate this book,
so I am inserting what works for now.



Introduction

Those who took the Greek class from Bethany Lutheran Church in 2017 studied the entire Gospel of John in the original text. The students asked for a book based on the lessons learned in English.

The size of books on the Gospel of John can thwart any student. Luther’s and Lenski’s commentaries are excellent in detail, vast in knowledge, but overwhelming in size. The purpose of this book is to introduce pastors and laity to the main themes of the Fourth Gospel and provide insights directly from the Greek text. English-only readers can skip the Greek section below each English part. However, those who want to learn New Testament Greek can start with Paine’s superb textbook and use the Greek portion as a guide. John’s Greek is easy and fun to learn.

The apostates declared war on the Fourth Gospel some time ago, as soon as rationalism emerged from the Pietism of Halle University. The objections from this quarter, disguised as Biblical scholarship, have set aside this wonderful document and made it suspect in any treatment of the mission of Christ Jesus, the Son of God, Savior.

St. John is clearly a Gospel assuming the reader’s knowledge of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the Synoptic or seen-together Gospels. Because we already know so much of the basic narrative from the Synoptics, the Fourth Gospel emphasizes the teaching of the Savior and His purpose. This Gospel is attributed to “the disciple Jesus loved,” a modest description from the pen of John, and gives this book the highest possible authority.


St. John has three remarkable characteristics, which set it apart from the New Testament.
1.      The language is simple, basic, and the words repetitive. The best way to learn any new language is to study the Gospel of John in that language. The grammar and vocabulary will become natural by the end of the Gospel. Yale’s famous church historian, Roland Bainton, used this method to learn 20 languages on his own.
2.      The message soars above the rest, so the symbol of this Gospel is the eagle.
3.      Readers cannot escape the feeling that they are eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses to Jesus, as recorded by the Apostle. This is not to disparage the other Gospels in any way, but they are more formal, while this one is more personal.

 The subject of my dissertation said to one pastor, "Put your fleece on the ground like Gideon."


Pastor,


When I first found your blog, I confess I really wondered about it-- "who is this guy??", but there were too many things that made sense in it.  So, I'd bump into it every couple of months, and I was so shocked by yours posts confronting former Synodical Conference churches.  But, again and again, I read and read, it all harmonized with scripture...and Luther, who I relate to on a personal level.  

 As I read Thy Strong Word, I find things in the book lined up with my conclusions.  There was a reason for that-- Scripture.  That's what brings the Church together.  Disunity occurs when man with his powers of reason, attempt to "improve" on it.  This is what Calvin tried to do; now what a mess!

Once I got over my shock that you dared to question the Synodical Churches, I was able to get down to the matter at hand and fully appreciate your blog.  Some of your "woodcuts" are just priceless.  They make me laugh.  I like Gideon's banner too!

SDG,
Gideon

And there are those who sell their hollow wisdom, fleecing the audience.

Acolite John Beat the Deadline and Issued an Apology of Sorts - And a Retraction





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AcolyteJohn (Acolyte)
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Post Number: 10
Registered: 7-2018
Posted on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 - 7:44 am:   Edit Post Delete Post Print Post


Apparently Mr. Jackson assumed that when I referred to him as nuts, I was making a judgement about his personal mental health, in fact, I was using that terms to describe his confusion and false teaching about obj/subj justification. But I was wrong to describe him as such and my remark was inappropriate. I apologize.

I do not think Mr. Jackson is nuts, per se, just his teaching on the issue of justification I find to be false, wrong and has caused him to label many others as false teachers. Sorry for any confusion.

So, I withdraw the remark and apologize for it and will follow Cardinal Cascione's directive going forward.


GJ - Anyone is welcome to debate Biblical doctrine with me. However, conclusions require warrants (evidence) - not just the repetition of arguments from others.

If someone wants to write up a careful exegesis of Romans 4, I will be glad to address that.

Yes, there is a large group of "experts" supporting UOJ, but there are hundreds more advocating the Immaculate Conception of Mary and her Assumption.

When dabblers like Jay Webber simply quote something and claim,"That proves OJ in Luther!" - a lot more research is required. Verbosity is not research.

We should follow Luther's example and forget the great and wise from the recent past, starting over with a unified approach to the Scriptures.

The sign of mature research is entertaining opposing views at the same time and sorting out the facts.


Books Are Being Shipped - The Sermons and the Gems

Below - Norma A. Boeckler, artist. Virginia Roberts, editor.
Above - Janie Sullivan, Christina Jackson, Gregory Jackson.
Out of space at the gallery - Terry and Lori Howell; a Lutheran pastor.


Eight people were the key to getting 9 volumes of Luther, 27 titles in all, out in public at the lowest possible price.



Someone Doubts 27 titles, But Observe

  1. The Lenker set of Luther's Sermons, illustrated in color by Norma A. Boeckler, 8 volumes, plus the Gems.
  2. Black and white, Economy Edition - The Lenker set of Luther's Sermons, illustrated by Norma A. Boeckler, 8 volumes, plus the Gems. Complete set, shipping and taxes, $70.
  3. Kindle Ebooks - The Lenker set of Luther's Sermons, illustrated in color by Norma A. Boeckler, 8 volumes, plus the Gems. Most titles are 99 cents.

 John N. Lenker, Hamma Divinity School graduate, translated and organized other translators to create the eight-volume set.

But Wait - There's More

If all goes well, God willing, there will be one master PDF with all nine volumes included, each volume paginated separately. That will allow for quick, easy searching. Copy and pasting sections would probably go better in Kindle, but this is a 3,000 page library of Luther.

Naturally, this PDF file will be full color. I will stow the Word version in various secure, undisclosed locations, for another generation to use.


Rogue Edition of The Gems Mined from Luther's Sermons

When people want The Gems, they will get the full color edition, which is only $10. However, to promote the Sermons and the full color Gems, I had a black and white edition published for $2.40.

CPAs understand why. If a congregation wants to generate interest in Luther and give people an introduction to Luther, they can get 10 Gems for $24 in black and white. Otherwise, that number would cost $100.



"Why So Many Links?" Someone Forgot To Ask
One of my graduate students taught me Search Engine Optimization. When people click on links, the URL rises on the search engine results.

Also, reviews do the same for book titles. Even if someone checks in at that book's page and says, "This is a good book to read," that will count.


Minnesota Mainline Churches in Rapid Decline, Even Though They Teach UOJ

 We need more greeters - and more Church Growth programs!


Minnesota’s mainline Christian denominations face unprecedented declines, altering communities and traditions celebrated for generations.



They have been baptized, confirmed and married at La Salle Lutheran. Their grandparents, parents and siblings lie in the church cemetery next door.
But the old friends who gathered here early one recent Sunday never imagined that they would one day be marking the death of their own church.
About the seriesThis is the first in an occasional series about Christianity at a crossroads — a time of unprecedented decline in church membership and a changing future for the faith.
When La Salle Lutheran locks its doors in August, it will become the latest casualty among fragile Minnesota churches either closing, merging or praying for a miracle. Steep drops in church attendance, aging congregations, and cultural shifts away from organized religion have left most of Minnesota’s mainline Christian denominations facing unprecedented declines.
“Sunday used to be set aside for church: that’s what families did,” said Donna Schultz, 74, a church member since grade school at La Salle, in southwest Minnesota. “Now our children have moved away. The grandkids have volleyball, dance on weekends. People are busy with other things.
“I’m really going to miss this,” she added quietly, gesturing to her friends in the lobby. “We’re like family.”
The rising toll is evident in rural, urban and suburban churches across the state.
St. Paul’s On the Hill Episcopal Church on prestigious Summit Avenue was recently sold to a developer after more than a century of religious service. Bethany Lutheran Church in the Longfellow neighborhood of Minneapolis held its “holy closure” ceremony last fall. St. Michael Catholic Church in West St. Paul celebrated its last mass 18 months ago.
Mainline Protestant churches have been hit the hardest. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Minnesota has lost almost 200,000 members since 2000 and about 150 churches. A third of the remaining 1,050 churches have fewer than 50 members. The United Methodist Church, the second largest Protestant denomination in Minnesota, has shuttered 65 churches since 2000.
Catholic membership statewide has held steady, but the number of churches fell from 720 in 2000 to 639 last year, according to official Catholic directories. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, which closed 21 churches in 2010 and merged several dozen others, is again looking at ways to consolidate church staffing and programs.