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A Year of Grace, Volume 2: Collected Sermons of Advent through Pentecost (A Year of Grace)
by Bror Erickson Bo GiertzA Year of Grace Vol. 2 is a collection of Bo Giertz's sermons from the second half of the liturgical calendar following the day of Pentecost. He preached the earlier sermons in his ten years as a parish pastor at Torpa, a small rural town in Sweden where he began his pastoral career and wrote such books as The Hammer of God and With My Own Eyes. These early sermons are strongly influenced by the ordo salutis (order of salvation) that he took over from Henric Schartau, yet always with an emphasis on salvation by grace rather than the order. His later sermons were preached as the Bishop of Gothenburg throughout his diocese and as a guest preacher elsewhere. These retain the influence of Henric Schartau in that they seek to directly address the "three hearers"--unbelievers, those awakened to the law, and mature Christians--yet his style takes on more subtlety in when, where and how these hearers are addressed in the context of the sermon. The result is a collection of sermons that provide both great weekly devotions (as the collection was intended) and a program of study for pastors and others wanting to learn how to "rightly handle the word of truth." (2 Tim. 2:15)
Crucifying Religion: How Jesus is The End of Religion
by Donavon RileyJesus is the end of all religion. All the sacrifices of priests and people are rendered null and void by Jesus' one-time-for-all-time sacrifice for all people, everywhere, past, present, and future tense. Jesus' death and resurrection save us from our own religiosity.
Credo: I Believe
by Caleb Keith Kelsi KlembaraThe chapters of this book are concerned with the most basic creed—the Apostles' Creed. Each addresses a particular article within it and what it means to confess it. Far from being pious artifacts, they are gifts to Christians as they seek to always stand firm in the faith and remain united with Christ in his death and resurrection.
Vocation: The Setting for Human Flourishing
by Raleigh SadlerHow shall we live? What is the good life? What is the value of a person? What is my place in this world? Is God active in this world? These are questions that have been asked in every culture and in every era. From the Hebrew concept of Shalom (wholeness/well-being) to the Greek concept of Eudaimonia (happiness) and even to the American notion that all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, great thinkers have pondered what it means for humans to flourish. The doctrine of vocation uniquely answers these questions. A certain level of security, prosperity, and freedom are essential components of human flourishing. God provides these components by working through humans in their stations in life such as parents and police (security), farmers and bankers (prosperity), and soldiers and governments (freedom). And yet there is more for which we humans strive. We are the types of beings whose wonderment drives us to the pursuit of knowledge, justice, and achievement. In short, we desire to be justified. We want to be valued. We want to be right or just. We strive for epic-ness. But no mere human adulation will satisfy. Nor can we justify ourselves before God with our broken lives. God justifies Christians through Christ and then uses them. God adds another component to human flourishing: purpose. He uses Christians in his economy of love to take care of the world. He lifts us from the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary even as we carry ordinary tasks. For the Christian these stations become callings or vocations. This can only fully be appreciated if the Christian knows that he or she is free from pleasing God through works. Once the Christian is freed from this burden the whole of the Christian life is reoriented to the free exercise of love towards neighbor. It is the highest calling, the truly good, flourishing, and happy life.
Hermeneutics in Romans: Paul's Approach to Reading the Bible
by Timo Laato Bror Erickson Kristina Odom Weslie Odom"And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?" (Luke 10:25-26)Eternal life is found within the pages of Holy Scripture, both in the Old Testament Torah referred to as "the Law" in this exchange between Jesus and the lawyer, and in the New Testament written in the wake of Christ's resurrection. But as Jesus points out, it matters how you read Holy Scripture, and this is where the art of hermeneutics, the study of interpretation, makes its entrance. In Hermeneutics in Romans, Dr. Timo Laato returns to the old Lutheran maxim that scripture interprets scripture. Usually this maxim meant that portions of scripture that were clear should be used to shed light on portions of scripture that are unclear. Dr. Laato takes it even one step further. He turns to Romans to study the hermeneutical principles that Paul used to interpret the Old Testament in that epistle. This results in a dynamic view of the Bible, rescuing hermeneutics from the dead atheistic presumptions that have governed academic hermeneutical research since Kant. Not only does Dr. Laato's approach make immanent sense on the face of it, it breathes life into the study of scripture and delivers eternal life to the reader in Jesus Christ who proves to be the ultimate hermeneutical key.
Faith Alone: The Heart of Everything
by Bror Erickson Bo GiertzFaith Alone, written in 1943, is a prequel to Bo Giertz's better-known novel, The Hammer of God.This is Bo Giertz's masterpiece-written with the doctrinal clarity and purpose of G.K. Chesterton and C.S. Lewis, the historical acumen of Bernard Cornwell, and the psychological insight of Kafka. The result is a Scandinavian Noir that cuts open the soul and lays it at the foot of the cross.The novel begins in 1540 and ends in 1543, during which time the largest peasant revolt in the history of Scandinavia occurred under the leadership of Nils Dacke. The Dacke Rebellion, as it is known, started in the county of Små land but bled over into the Ydre district on Ö stergÖ tland's southern border with Små land.The plot follows the story of two brothers, Anders and Martin. It was the wish of their mother that these two brothers would become priests in the Catholic Church, and so they were both sent to study for the priesthood in the town of LinkÖ ping, Sweden, when they were quite young.It was at this time that the Reformation began in Germany, and Sweden fought for independence from Denmark, breaking the Kalmar Union. German mercenaries hired by King Gustav Vasa to fight Danish troops brought Reformation literature with them. So, Martin became a Lutheran and left for Stockholm to work for King Gustav Vasa as a scrivener. His brother Anders continued with his studies and became a Catholic priest.When the king has to pay his debt to Lubeck for the mercenaries he hired for the war, he confiscates the church's land, bells, silver, and gold to do so. With this he firmly declares his cause with the Reformation doctrine of Martin Luther. However, the people of Små land are fond of Roman Catholicism and chafe at Lubeck's measures. So, they rebelled. Anders takes up with their cause and joins with Nils Dacke and his men. Martin stays with the king, before becoming disillusioned and falling in with a group of Schwä rmerei, or pre-Pentecostal legalists. As the war comes to an end both brothers are brought back to the Reformation faith through the patient shepherding of a Lutheran priest named Peder.
God's Devil: And Other Tales to Whet the Theological Imagination
by John Warwick MontgomeryDr. Montgomery, a good teacher, has assembled a couple of older treasures as well as some new ones - four pieces of short fiction he has written that speak to larger truths. A ghost story starts the adventure. This is followed by a conversation between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as they think their way through the evidence for the resurrection. Then we travel with the Magi to visit Mary and baby Jesus. Finally, we listen in on determinative conversations with eternal consequences. Through all of it, we see Dr. Montgomery's broad scholarship and his desire to enlighten his audience as well as entertain.
Unveiling Mercy: 365 Daily Devotions Based on Insights from Old Testament Hebrew
by Chad BirdUnveiling Mercy will do just that—unveil how the mercy of God in the Messiah is spoken of from the very opening Hebrew word of the Bible, all the way to the closing chapter of Malachi. By the end of the year, you will have entered the Old Testament through 365 new doorways, looked with fresh eyes at old verses, and traced a web of connections all over the Scriptures that you've never spotted before. You'll begin to see what one person meant when he described Hebrew words as "hyphens between heaven and earth." Reading the Bible in translation can be like "kissing the bride through the veil." Each of these 365 devotions is crafted so as to lift that veil ever so slightly, to touch skin to skin, as it were, with the original language. You do not need to know anything about Hebrew to profit from these meditations. They are not written to teach you the language of Abraham, Moses, and Isaiah, but to give you a taste of their insights, to expose you to their eloquence, to laugh with them at their winking wordplays, to un-English their idioms, and—most importantly—to trace their trajectories all the way into the preaching of the Messiah and the writings of his evangelists and apostles.
A Lutheran Toolkit
by Ken Sundet JonesThe "Lutheran" in the title doesn't mean The Lutheran Toolkit is just for Lutherans. It's about a Lutheran witness for the whole church and for all sinners with ears to hear. It's a slender book about the big theological ideas the evangelical reformers of the 16th century used as a lens for understanding God's work in Christ. Starting with Philiip Melanchthon's 1530 Augsburg Confession, which was drafted to defend the preaching and teaching of Luther and his colleagues, Ken Sundet Jones sees its primary themes as a set of tools that God uses to build faith in us. He takes the reader beyond scholarly analysis and historical explanations and uses his own experience as a college professor, parish pastor, and sinner looking for mercy, to discover God's handiwork in our lives. Each chapter takes as its starting point one of the foundational ideas presented to the Holy Roman Emperor and representatives of the church, including Sin , God hidden and revealed, justification, ministry, the Christian life, the church, sacraments, and vocation. These are not simply theological categories for scholars to debate or historians to recount. They're the lived experience of the faithful from the first believers, to big thinkers like Augustine and Luther, to people in the pews, at the supper table, in their careers, and at their deathbeds throughout the ages. The tools in this kit continually point to Jesus as the one who promises mercy and abundant life — and who has the power to deliver them. This is a word for those who've not yet heard it and for those who desperately need to hear it again.
The Freedom of the Christian: A New Translation (Crossway Short Classics Ser.)
by Martin Luther Adam S. FranciscoThe Freedom of the Christian was Martin Luther's first public defense of the doctrine of justification by grace through faith on account of Christ alone. Luther's explosive rediscovery of the Gospel of Jesus Christ shattered the Church of Rome's foundation of works, which considered good works a part of salvation instead of a result of it. Here, Luther constructed a rich theology that relies on the full power of the Gospel, which not only grants saving faith but also nurtures that faith through good works done in the freest service. This new abridged translation from Adam Francisco, featuring a brief essay from Scott Keith, leaves no doubt that the Christian, secure in Christ, is truly free—free from sin, death, and the devil, and free to serve their neighbor.
Ragged: Spiritual Disciplines for the Spiritually Exhausted
by Elyse Fitzpatrick Gretchen RonnevikWhen we mistake spiritual disciplines for to-dos, time slots on our schedule, or Instagram-able moments, we miss the benefits of Christ's continual and constant work for us. In Ragged, Gretchen Ronnevik aims to reclaim spiritual disciplines as good gifts given by our good Father instead of heavy burdens of performance carried by the Christian. Only when we recognize our failures to maintain God's commands do we also realize the benefit of our dependence on his promises. Gretchen uses this distinction on law and gospel, presented throughout Scripture, to guide readers through spiritual disciplines including prayer, meditation, Scripture reading, and discipleship among others. Despite our best efforts, the good news is that spiritual disciplines have less to do with what we bring before God and more about who Christ is for us, not only as the author but also as the perfector of our faith.
The Christ Key: Unlocking the Centrality of Christ in the Old Testament
by Chad BirdReading the Old Testament can seem like exploring an old, mysterious mansion, packed with of all sorts of strange rooms. The creation room, vast and sublime. The exodus room, with hardhearted pharaohs and dried-up seas. The war room, with bloody swords and crumbling walls. The tabernacle room, with smoking altars and dark inner sanctums. What does this odd and ancient world have to do with us, who are modern followers of Jesus? As it turns out, everything! Every chapter in the Old Testament, in a variety of ways, tells the story that culminates in Jesus the Messiah. What Christians today call the Old Testament is what Jesus and the earliest believers simply called the Scriptures. That was their Bible. From its pages, they taught about the Messiah's divine nature, his priestly work, his ministry of salvation. The Christ Key will reintroduce readers to these old books as ever-fresh, ever-new testimonies of Jesus. By the end, you will see even Leviticus as a book of grace and mercy, and you will hear in the Psalms the resounding voice of Christ.
How Melanchthon Helped Luther Discover the Gospel: The Doctrine of Justification in the Reformation
by Lowell C GreenThis book is not claiming Melanchthon rediscovered the gospel. That honor belongs to his friend and mentor, Martin Luther. Nevertheless, Dr. Lowell C. Green argues that Melanchthon helped Luther in the task. Dr. Green knew that in choosing the title, How Melanchthon Helped Luther Discover the Gospel, he risked arousing the prejudice of those who look on Melanchthon with suspicion. Green is not blind to Melanchthon's faults; at times, he is critical of him. But, he debunks the myth that when Melanchthon came to Wittenberg in 1518, Luther had already developed his Reformational doctrine. Green shows that Melanchthon brought the tools of humanism to the aid of the emerging agitation. Although maintaining a subordinate role to Luther, Melanchthon helped him repeatedly at the turning points of the Reformation.Green asserts that Melanchthon was the first to speak of the authority of the Bible over the church. In his Baccalaureate Theses of 1519, Melanchthon became the first to articulate the forensic nature of justification. Most surprisingly, Melanchthon helped Luther move from the medieval view of faith as credulitas or adhaesio (adherence) to the Reformational view of faith as fiducia (trust) and assurance of salvation. Luther testified that he learned this from Melanchthon in 1518.As late as 1519, Luther had not yet abandoned the medieval view of grace as an infused substance. Melanchthon again led the way in 1520 when he declared that grace was simply the attitude of God-His favor. In his 1521 Loci Communes Melanchthon not only pointed out that grace is not something in us, but he made the important distinction between "grace" and "the gift of grace" (the Holy Spirit). Luther generously acknowledged the brilliance of Melanchthon's Loci Communes. This and other accolades Luther showered on Melanchthon are an indication of young scholar's influence on the great reformer's central teachings.Lowell C. Green was one of America's foremost Luther scholars, and his body of work continues to inform and shape Reformation studies today. This edition of How Melanchthon Helped Luther Discover the Gospel is the fruition of more than twenty-five years of Luther studies. Dr. Green's central thrust was to challenge the "Young Luther" cult which originated in the early 1900s and gained such a stranglehold on Luther studies in the 1950s and 1960s. In this volume, Green marshals the evidence gathered over a lifetime of study, joining his voice to a choir of scholars who challenge the central thesis of the "Young Luther" movement.After thoroughly demonstrating that Luther's early works contained a medieval or Roman Catholic "analytical justification," Green traces the emergence of the Reformational doctrine and a real break with medieval theology beginning in 1519.Green amply demonstrates that the mature Luther subscribed to and frequently expressed the doctrine of justification in forensic terms so that the glory of our salvation could be ascribed wholly to Christ and for the comfort of conscience against the accusing power of the law.
Pastor Craft: Essays & Sermons
by John T PlessThis book has grown out of a ministry that has spanned nearly four decades. It is built around the conviction that theology does matter for theology has to do with words from God, words spoken back to God and words spoken to the world. Luther once remarked something to the effect that the cross alone is our theology. Before Luther there was the Apostle Paul who came to the Corinthians with "the word of the cross" (1 Cor. 1:18) determined to know nothing among them but Jesus Christ and Him crucified (see 1 Cor. 2:2). In essays, sermons, and homiletical studies this volume seeks to continue that apostolic aim. A significant portion of this book is devoted to sermons. Sermons, of course, are written to be preached rather than published. None the less, there is value in reading sermons. Such reading is a way of meditating on God's Word. This reading might also prompt other preachers to explore an overlooked dimension of a text for their proclamation. Sermons are never generic; they always have a context. Many of these sermons were preached in Kramer Chapel on the campus of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne where the author has served as a professor since 2000. These sermons are preaching for future preachers, equipping them in the way of Luther's oratio, meditatio, and tentatio for the burdens and joys of the pastoral office. There are occasional sermons from conferences, funerals, and ordinary congregations. Over the years, Prof. Pless has preached at over thirty ordinations or installations of pastors. A sampling of these sermons are included. They bear the imprint of the bond that exist between professor and student. More importantly they promote Jesus Christ as the Lord who calls men into the ministry and enlivens and sustains them there with His Gospel for the good of His flock. The remainder of the book is devoted to essays in pastoral theology covering the range of the author's interest from Hermann Sasse to vocation, liturgical practice to the Small Catechism, challenges to confessional Lutheranism in North America to the office of the ministry. Many of these essays originated at conferences both in the USA and abroad. The contents of this volume flow from the pulpit, desk, and podium of a man who seeks not novelty or creativity but faithfulness to the word of the cross.
In Defense of Christian Ritual: The Case for a Biblical Pattern of Worship
by David R. AndersenIs Christian worship best conceived as a creative, Spirit-fueled experience that any formalized structure necessarily inhibits, or are there any biblical prescriptions around for worship that Christians were meant to follow?In light of recent research from various disciplines-including history, psychology, and New Testament studies - In Defense of Christian Ritual: The Case for a Biblical Pattern of Worship argues the latter.Specifically, this book will demonstrate three things.First, in contrast to the anti-ritualism so prevalent in modern churches, ritual's indispensable role in providing biblically-centered context and content is detailed.Second, contrary to modern opinion, a definite pattern of worship is shown to be present both in our earliest New Testament documents and the early church.Finally, new research will reveal that the assumptions about creativity lying at the heart of modern contemporary worship are fundamentally flawed.Readers will discover that the apostolic teaching embodied in the church's early ritual, as expressed in its liturgy, was never intended to be outdated or rendered irrelevant in light of current fads. It was never meant to be a relic of the ancient past, but a structured way of bringing the "memoirs of the apostles" -that Jesus died for sinners- to God's people in the here and now.
Giant in Chains: China, Today and Tomorrow
by John Warwick Montgomery"God is the author of all genuine liberty, for His act on the cross for us provides the only ultimate liberation from our self-centeredness" -- Dr. John Warwick Montgomery Tiananmen Square. Two words that will not blow away in the winds of time. What do they mean to you? Can you make sense of the violence? Do you understand why? John Warwick Montgomery was there and as an eyewitness provides answers to such questions in his intriguing book, Giant in Chains. Using his wide knowledge of China, he analyses the various forces that have shaped that country's destiny: the legacy of Imperial Chinaits historical resistance to anything foreignthe influence of the three religions of Chinathe checkered history of its Christian churchthe Chinese brand of Marxism that filled a spiritual vacuum Out of bloodshed and repression, Professor Montgomery sees a vision of hope for the future. This latest edition of Giant in Chains contains a number of new theological and apologetics essays that reinforce the arguments of this timely and important book.
The Christian Life: Cross or Glory?
by Steven A Hein Rick RitchieThis book offers a radically different perspective from that of many best-selling authors concerning how the Christian should measure and evaluate travel along God's path of righteousness. It will endeavor to persuade the reader that by feeding regularly on the Gospel in the Preached Word and The Supper, God promises to have His way with the Christian and He alone will accomplish all that is needed for life in Him to be complete. He is not waiting or requiring you to do anything first (during or after) to provide you with every blessing of the Gospel.
Reclaiming the Reformation: Christ for You in Community
by Bror Erickson Magnus PerssonWhat treasures of the reformation can pastors, Christians and the church make use of today when trying to navigate burnout and scandal? What should a person look for in a church? Magnus Persson examines his own journey from popular preacher where church was a party, to the Lutheran faith and a pastor in the Church of Sweden where he relishes the liturgy nourished by historic roots using Luther's book "On Council's and the Church" to answer this question and explain his journey.Originally titled Christ's Church, On the Marks of the Church Magnus shows the influence of Bo Giertz but also draws on many different influences from within and without the Lutheran tradition to explain how everything the church does needs to be focused on Christ crucified for you. Church is about communicating the forgiveness of sins Christ won for you on the cross to you. The church does this through the word, the liturgy, and the sacraments. Through these means the soul is nourished and matured to handle the distress and tribulation with which the world harries the church and her people. Here true rest is found for the souls of pastors battered by the pressure to be the next biggest church in town before they burnout and check out with scandal.
The Let My People Go Handbook: Equipping Your Church to Love Those Most Vulnerable
by Raleigh Sadler Hannah GrundmannThe Let My People Go handbook is a practical guide to equip churches to love their most vulnerable neighbors. The name, Let My People Go, recalls the words of Moses as he spoke to those who had enslaved his people. Moses called for holistic freedom, freedom from physical and spiritual bondage. It's the authors' prayer that this guide would help you and your church take up this mantle of liberty in your community.Human trafficking is the exploitation of vulnerability for commercial gain. Lmpg wants to empower your church to fight human trafficking by loving those most vulnerable around. In this curriculum, you will be given the tools to address the vulnerabilities in your church and outside of your church in a way that is congregational & collaborative with the gospel As its motive.
Your God is Too Glorious: Finding God in the Most Unexpected Places
by Chad BirdMost of us are regular people who have good days and bad days. Our lives are radically ordinary and unexciting. That means they're the kind of lives God gets excited about. While the world worships beauty and power and wealth, God hides his glory in the simple, the mundane, the foolish, working in unawesome people, things, and places.In our day of celebrity worship and online posturing, this is a refreshing, even transformative way of understanding God and our place in his creation. It urges us to treasure a life of simplicity, to love those whom the world passes by, to work for God's glory rather than our own. And it demonstrates that God has always been the Lord of the cross--a Savior who hides his grace in unattractive, inglorious places.Your God Is Too Glorious reminds readers that while a quiet life may look unimpressive to the world, it's the regular, everyday people that God tends to use to do his most important work.
Limping with God: Jacob & The Old Testament Guide to Messy Discipleship
by Chad BirdJacob seems to be anything but a model disciple. He's a trickster, liar, and selfishly ambitious man who fathers children with four women and leads a dysfunctional family rife with jealousy and backstabbing. But Jacob is also Israel, the namesake of the Old Testament community of God, chosen and blessed. As such, this sinner-saint, who limps along with the Lord, burdened by weakness and beset by problems, is the mirror image of all of us who follow Jesus. In his life we see our lives, our struggles, our failures, and most especially the God who loves us and chooses us as his own. As we explore his bio, from his wrangling in the womb with Esau to his death as an old man in Egypt, we will learn more about ourselves and the God who is with us and for us in Jesus the Messiah.
The Withertongue Emails: A Pastor's Satanic Temptation, with Apologies to C.S. Lewis
by Donavon RileyInspired by C.S. Lewis' classic work, The Screwtape Letters, The Withertongue Emails encourage readers in the twenty-first century to take seriously once again the dangers of ignoring the demonic and assuming that, because we are Christians, we cannot be tempted into sin and unbelief. In this work, Donavon Riley leads the reader through a young pastor's demonic temptation, seeming downfall, and final conversion to faith in Christ Jesus alone for his redemption and salvation.
Around-the-World Family: Stories of Adventure & Grace
by John J NortonOver the course of nine years, our family circumnavigated the globe four times. We led teams of college students on academic, missional adventures that involved learning about culture, literature, and the relentless love of God in beautiful communities all around the world. The stories in this collection recount moments when we experienced the goodness of God on the shoulder of a friend. These are moments when we found ourselves needing to depend upon our team or on the community around us. These beautiful moments occurred when doubts and discomfort threatened to capsize our adventure, yet by an unexpected miracle of God, we were able to see differently, navigate obstacles, and take hold of a deeper sense of trust and understanding. In these moments we did not possess the necessary materials, knowledge, or strength, yet because of the grace of God, expressed through the strength and goodness of friends, we found the tools to continue adventuring.
New Testament Devotional Commentary, Volume 2: John - 2 Corinthians (The New Testament Devotional Commentary)
by Bror Erickson Bo GiertzBo Giertz wrote these commentaries in retirement after a lifetime of studying the Greek New Testament. These accompanied his own translations of the New Testament. This volume covers the Gospel of John through to Second Corinthians. Many have previously enjoyed Giertz's Romans commentary that is also included here, and they will not be disappointed with his treatment of the other texts.Giertz' s views were heavily shaped by his mentor Anton Fridrichsen who wanted to counter both the liberalism of men like his friend Rudolph Bultmann, and the neo-orthodoxy of Karl Barth with Biblical Realism. Biblical Realism sought to avoid the pitfalls of biblicism by allowing for academic freedom while studying scriptures, while also maintaining that the events of the Bible were true events that happened in our history all centered upon the death and resurrection of Christ. The scriptures are therefore a salvation history meant to"declare to you a message by which you will be saved, you and your household" (Acts 11:14).
The Augsburg Confession: A Guide for the Perplexed
by Mark C MattesThis booklet introduces readers to the Augsburg Confession, one of the most important charters of Christian liberty. From the time of its appearance in the sixteenth century to this day, the Augsburg Confession connects back to the first Christians and shows how the Bible can be read and Christian life can be lived today. You will see how the gospel enlivens all aspects of the life of faith and the mission of the church.