I often hear Lutherans say things like: “It’s not about Christ in us, but Christ for us.” The “Christ in us” language belongs to pop evangelicalism and the Eastern Orthodox. For Lutherans, Christ in us is a reality…but we shouldn’t really talk about it. To do so would be to adopt an evangelical or Eastern view of the Christian life. If we focus on the indwelling Christ, then we will be pointed inward for assurance, and for justification. When that... Read more
“…the Law of God is useful… to the end that… when [men] have been born anew by the Spirit of God…they live and walk in the law” — FC VI: 1 Here it is, a practical question Americanized Christians indoctrinated into toxic freedom might not immediately get, but most all little kids can probably make sense of: Just because my children must sometimes be coerced to attend worship services, does that necessarily mean they are not Christians? (perhaps check out... Read more
On this week’s show two out of three Pseudepodcasters talk with Rev. Jay Denne about everything Benedictine from a Lutheran perspective: Eggs Benedict, Benedict Cumberbatch, and finally the Benedictine spirituality found in the Rule of St. Benedict. We discuss common objections, Lutheran Monasticism, and finally praying the hours. Featured Content: The Benedictine Lutheran Blog by Rev. Jay Denne The Rule of Saint Benedict “The Benedict Option”, the American Conservative This episode’s bump-music was selected by Matt: The Benedictine Monks of... Read more
The lecture I gave titled “The Tyranny of Fruit Checking” at the Pirate Christian Radio Conference in August has been released. It is a critique of approaches to assurance based upon one’s good works as found in Paul Washer, Tim Conway, and some other contemporary Calvinist baptist preachers. Here is the audio Read more
Oposition to the doctrine of theosis among Lutherans seems to be rooted in the fear that it’s an alternate explanation for how we are saved, that it’s somehow in competition with justification through faith alone. And the way it’s usually presented by the Eastern Orthodox, it is, but that’s deeply backwards. Divinization is not a present reality that wins us future glory. Divinization is the future glory. It’s the end product, it’s the telos. Theosis is glorification. I have never... Read more
[Note: this post was accidently published earlier today under Trent Demarest’s name by me, Nathan Rinne.] Again, not long ago at the Brothers of John the Steadfast blog, a discussion was started which came largely to focus on Pastor Jordan Cooper’s writing a book about theosis. One of the more helpful, clarifying, and enlightening comments came from Pastor Holger Sonntag, the translator of Martin Luther’s Antinomian Disputations available through Lutheran Press. Here is how Pastor Sonntag responded to T.R. Halvorson’s... Read more
In a recent comment on this site Rev. Paul T. McCain offered a snippet of a sermon by C.F.W. Walther. I reproduce it here for your edification. Thank you, Pr. McCain! By way of a preface, McCain writes: “Here are some great quotes from a model sermon demonstrating how Lutherans faithfully preach and teach about justification and sanctification, as well as how proper Biblical parenesis is a part of their sermons.” Here’s Walther: The question is not whether we are already... Read more
All of this discussion about sanctification has sometimes gotten into abstract categories, and there has been much misunderstanding. There have been some forums where people have asked questions like: “what does piety actually look like?” and we have not addressed such issues well. So here is a practical illustration of what it actually looks like to live a life of sanctification (note that the “I” is a hypothetical individual, lest anyone think I am setting myself up as some kind... Read more
On today’s program I was joined by Rev. Richard Shields, who is pastor of Shepherd of the Mountains Lutheran Church in Frazier Park, CA and president of the American Lutheran Theological Seminary. We discussed his article “Tools for Bible Study,” which led to a number of different topics, including: postmodernism and modernism, Bible translations, B.B. Warfield’s doctrine of inerrency, and other important discussions. Here is the program Read more
The first issue of the American Lutheran Theological Journal is now available in PDF format for free. You can access it here. This issue includes: Articles: The Eucharistic Sacrifice in Luther and Melanchthon- Jordan B. Cooper Communion Conflict: The Disagreement Between the ALC and the LCA During the Formulation of the Lutheran Book of Worship-Curtis E. Leins Foundations for Bible Study- Richard P. Shields Book Reviews: The Theology of Augustine by Matthew Levering Tractatus Logico-Theologicus by John Warwick Montgomery Charts... Read more
Just and Sinner
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