One of the distinctive teachings of our Evangelical Lutheran Church is that the Christian Church and its called servants have the power to forgive sins. Our Church has never, shall we say, timidly and ashamedly but with great earnestness and joyful resolution confessed this to the world. We read in Luther’s oldest Small Catechism: “Confession [...]
To achieve creditable results, my friends, a minister must needs preach the Word of God in its truth and purity, without any adulteration whatsoever. This is the first and foremost requisite for success. Some preachers of our time hush certain teachings that are offensive to worldly people. They do this with the good intention of [...]
The same treatment the Lord accorded to Zacchaeus, the nefarious publican, who had defrauded people throughout the land. He may have heard some things from Christ directly and many more things from the report of others. He had gained the conviction that he could not go on in his sinful ways, but must amend his [...]
In the fourth place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when the Law is preached to those who are already in terror an account of their sins or the Gospel to those who live securely in their sins. In the opening lecture on our series of theses we got acquainted with the six [...]
Isaiah says, chap. 61, 1–3: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim [...]
The worst fault in modern preaching, my dear friends, is this, that the sermons lack point and purpose; and this fault can be noticed particularly in the sermons of modern preachers who are believers. While unbelieving and fanatical preachers have quite a definite aim, — pity, that it is not the right one! — believing [...]
This is a VERY fascinating section of Walther’s Kirche und Amt. I’m nearly finished with the basic revision of J.T. Mueller’s translation. Mueller often renders Walther’s “Church” – German “Kirche” as “congregation.” I’ve restored a much more accurate translation of technical terms throughout, including brackets containing the original German. Mueller’s translation also tends to eliminate [...]
In his Commentary on Genesis (chap. 21, 12. 16) Luther writes (St. L. Ed. I, 1427 ff.): “It is indeed correct to say that people must be raised up and comforted. But an additional statement must be made, showing who the people are that are to be comforted, namely, those who, like Ishmael and his [...]
Thesis VI. In the second place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when the Law is not preached in its full sternness and the Gospel not in its full sweetness, when, on the contrary, Gospel elements are mingled with the Law and Law elements with the Gospel. Our object is to meditate upon [...]
