Ash
Wednesday, 2021, 7 PM Central
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
https://video.ibm.com/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM CentralTime
The Hymn
#552 Abide with Me
The Order
of Vespers
p. 41
The
Psalmody
Psalm
1
p. 123
The
Lections Joel
2:12-19
Matthew
6:16-2
The
Sermon Hymn #578 Lord, While For All Mankind We Pray
The
Sermon – Galatians 1
The
Prayers
The
Lord’s Prayer
The
Collect for Grace
p. 45
The Hymn
#654
Now the Day Is Over
Today the death of Rush Limbaugh was announced.
He believed in Christ as his Savior and brought America back to Constitutional principles, not completely, but as much as one man could.
KJV Joel 2:12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to
me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God:
for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great
kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he
will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a
meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? 15 Blow the trumpet
in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people,
sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those
that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the
bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep
between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD,
and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over
them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their
God? 18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19
Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you
corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no
more make you a reproach among the heathen:
KJV Matthew 6:16 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the
hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may
appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 17 But
thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; 18 That thou
appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy
Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 19 Lay not up for
yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where
thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not
break through nor steal: 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart
be also.
Galatians 1
We have two commentaries on Galatians by Luther, the shorter one
used here and the longer one, which is even better – but much longer. We debated
using the longer one but decided 100% of the short is one better than 1% of the
longer one.
The editors of the Formula of Concord, in Article III, The
Righteousness of Faith, commended the Galatians Commentary to anyone who wished
to know more about Justification by Faith.
FC, III, #67 Concerning what is needful furthermore
for the proper explanation of this profound and chief article of justification
before God, upon which depends the salvation of our souls, we direct, and for
the sake of brevity herewith refer, every one to Dr. Luther’s beautiful and
glorious exposition of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians.
Lest anyone wonder about the Chief Article’s
actual definition – here it is –
FC, III, #6. This article concerning justification by
faith (as the Apology says) is the chief article in the entire Christian
doctrine, without which no poor conscience can have any firm consolation, or
can truly know the riches of the grace of Christ, as Dr. Luther also has
written: If this only article remains pure on the battlefield, the
Christian Church also remains pure, and in goodly harmony and without any
sects; but if it does not remain pure, it is not possible that any error or
fanatical spirit can be resisted.
This FC passage unites Melanchthon (Augsburg
Confession and Apology), Luther (all his works), and Chemnitz (senior editor of
the Book of Concord) in the same confession, contrary to the fakes at the
Emmaus Conference, Webber and Buchholz, plus Zarling and Bivens. Early, LCMS
and WELS taught Justification by Faith. Little Andrea has a Gausewitz. Missouri
officially recognized Justification by Faith though the Stephan-Walther-Pieper
faction gradually took over with OJ.
1 Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus
Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead;) 2 And all the
brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: 3 Grace be to you and
peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, 4 Who gave himself
for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according
to the will of God and our Father: 5 To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Luther in blue:
The world bears the Gospel
a grudge because the Gospel condemns the religious wisdom of the world. Jealous
for its own religious views, the world in turn charges the Gospel with being a
subversive and licentious doctrine, offensive to God and man, a doctrine to be
persecuted as the worst plague on earth.
As a result, we have this
paradoxical situation: The Gospel supplies the world with the salvation of
Jesus Christ, peace of conscience, and every blessing. Just for that the world
abhors the Gospel.
These Jewish-Christian
fanatics who pushed themselves into the Galatian churches after Paul’s
departure, boasted that they were the descendants of Abraham, true ministers of
Christ, having been trained by the apostles themselves, that they were able to
perform miracles.
In every way they sought to
undermine the authority of St. Paul. They said to the Galatians: “You have no
right to think highly of Paul. He was the last to turn to Christ. But we have
seen Christ. We heard Him preach. Paul came later and is beneath us. It is
possible for us to be in error—we who have received the Holy Ghost? Paul stands
alone. He has not seen Christ, nor has he had much contact with the other
apostles. Indeed, he persecuted the Church of Christ for a long time.”
Galatians 1:6 I marvel
that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ
unto another gospel: 7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble
you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But though we, or an angel from
heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto
you, let him be accursed. 9 As we said before, so say I now again, if any man
preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be
accursed.
Luther
How patiently Paul deals
with his seduced Galatians! He does not pounce on them but, like a father, he
fairly excuses their error. With motherly affection he talks to them yet he
does it in a way that at the same time he also reproves them. On the other hand,
he is highly indignant at the seducers whom he blames for the apostasy of the
Galatians. His anger bursts forth in elemental fury at the beginning of his
epistle. “If any may,” he cries, “preach any other gospel unto you than that ye
have received, let him be accursed.” Later on, in the fifth chapter, he
threatens the false apostles with damnation. “He that troubleth you shall bear
his judgment, whosoever he be.” He pronounces a curse upon them. “I would they
were even cut off which trouble you.”
He might have addressed the
Galatians after this fashion: “I am ashamed of you. Your ingratitude grieves
me. I am angry with you.” But his purpose was to call them back to the Gospel.
With this purpose in his mind he speaks very gently to them. He could not have
chosen a milder expression than this, “I marvel.” It indicates his sorrow and
his displeasure.
Paul minds the rule which
he himself lays down in a later chapter where he says: “Brethren, if a man be
overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit
of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” Toward those who
have been misled we are to show ourselves parentally affectionate, so that they
may perceive that we seek not their destruction but their salvation. Over
against the devil and his missionaries, the authors of false doctrines and
sects, we ought to be like the Apostle, impatient, and rigorously condemnatory,
as parents are with the dog that bites their little one, but the weeping child
itself they soothe. with their power over the ministry.
10 For
do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased
men, I should not be the servant of Christ. 11 But I
certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after
man. 12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I
taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. 13 For
ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that
beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 14 And
profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being
more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
Luther:
This passage constitutes
Paul’s chief defense against the accusations of his opponents. He maintains
under oath that he received his Gospel not from men, but by the revelation of
Jesus Christ.
In declaring that his
Gospel is not after man, Paul does not merely wish to state that his Gospel is
not mundane. The false apostles made the same claim for their gospel. Paul
means to say that he learned his Gospel not in the usual and accepted manner
through the agency of men by hearing, reading, or writing. He received the
Gospel by special revelation directly from Jesus Christ.
Paul received his Gospel on
the way to Damascus when Christ appeared to him. St. Luke furnishes an account
of the incident in the ninth chapter of the Book of Acts. “Arise,” said Christ
to Paul, “and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.”
Christ did not send Paul into the city to learn the Gospel from Ananias. Ananias
was only to baptize Paul, to lay his hands-on Paul, to commit the ministry of
the Word unto Paul, and to recommend him to the Church. Ananias recognized his
limited assignment when he said to Paul: “Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus,
that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou
mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.” Paul did not
receive instruction from Ananias. Paul had already been called, enlightened,
and taught by Christ in the road. His contact with Ananias was merely a
testimonial to the fact that Paul had been called by Christ to preach the
Gospel.
15 But when it
pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his
grace, 16 To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach
him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: 17 Neither
went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into
Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. 18 Then after
three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen
days. 19 But other of the apostles saw I none, save
James the Lord's brother.20 Now the things which I write
unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. 21 Afterwards I
came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia; 22 And was
unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: 23 But
they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth
the faith which once he destroyed. 24 And they glorified
God in me.
Luther:
“I went to Arabia before I
saw any of the apostles. I took it upon myself to preach the Gospel to the
Gentiles without delay, because Christ had called me for that purpose.” This
statement refutes the assertion of the false apostles that Paul had been a
pupil of the apostles, from which the false apostles inferred that Paul had
been instructed in the obedience of the Law, that therefore the Gentiles also
ought to keep the Law and submit to circumcision.
18, 19. Then after
three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen
days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother.
Paul minutely recounts his
personal history to stop the cavil of the false apostles. Paul does not deny
that he had been with some of the apostles. He went to Jerusalem uninvited, not
to be instructed, but to visit with Peter. Luke reports the occasion in the
ninth chapter of the Book of Acts. Barnabas introduced Paul to the apostles and
related to them how Paul had met the Lord Jesus on the way to Damascus, also
how Paul had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. Paul says that
he saw Peter and James, but he denies that he learned anything from them.
Why does Paul harp on this
seemingly unimportant fact? To convince the churches of Galatia that his Gospel
was the true Word of Christ which he learned from Christ Himself and from no
man. Paul was forced to affirm and re-affirm this fact. His usefulness to all
the churches that had used him as their pastor and teacher was at stake.
20. Now the things which I write unto you,
behold, before God, I lie not.
Was it necessary for Paul
to go under oath? Yes. Paul is reporting personal history. How else would the
churches believe him? The false apostles might say, “Who knows whether Paul is
telling the truth?” Paul, the elect vessel of God, was held in so little esteem
by his own Galatians to whom he had preached Christ that it was necessary for
him to swear an oath that he spoke the truth. If this happened to Paul, what
business have we to complain when people doubt our words, or hold us in little
regard, we who cannot begin to compare ourselves with the Apostle?
