Concerning Original Sin – part 13
Scripture Text: Ezekiel 36:25–27
God gives us the sacrament of baptism to cleanse us from our sin nature. He cleanses us with his word of promise in the water but he does even more cleansing.
Concerning Original Sin – part 12
Scripture Text: Psalm 116:12–13
This lengthy response to the confutation (and there is a good deal to go yet) is all to show that the Lutherans taught the same thing about original sin as the Scripture and the Church. Yet they wanted to be specific about what the lack of original righteousness means...
Concerning Original Sin – part 11
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 2:14–16
We too often consider sin something we do. It is more than what we do; sin is the reason we do the things we know to be sinful. We sin because we are full of sin.
Concerning Original Sin – part 10
Scripture Text: Matthew 6:25–33
Original sin is an inability to seek God and his righteousness. What we are left with is the inordinate ability to seek after the things of the flesh.
Concerning Original Sin – part 9
Scripture Text: Ephesians 4:20–24
The original sinful nature that we are all born with must be drowned in baptism. Thereafter, since the flesh is so comfortable in its old clothing, there must follow a daily and even a continual putting off of that old self.
Concerning Original Sin – part 8
Scripture Text: Colossians 3:5–10
Not only did these two Church Fathers consider the image of God to be his nature, even Lombard, who was one of the scholastics whom the Lutherans cared little for (and this is putting it mildly), clearly stated the same.
Concerning Original Sin – part 7
Scripture Text: Genesis 1:26–27
Melancthon probably did not expect push-back on the doctrine of original sin, and so, he provided an article of a few sentences in the Augsburg Confession. As the Lutherans' opponents wished to quibble, Melancthon furnished them a far lengthier defense to chew on.
Concerning Original Sin – part 6
Scripture Text: Psalm 14:1–3
By means of reason, one may understand that without the doctrine of original sin, God must be considered rather foolish. Why would he send his Son to redeem people who were capable of redeeming themselves?
Concerning Original Sin – part 5
Scripture Text: Psalm 1:1–2
The Lutherans used the same terminology as the scholastics, at least when speaking of original sin, but they meant something else than the scholastics seemed to be saying. Scholasticism was a school of critical thinking in medieval universities that valued artful argument above all things.
Concerning Original Sin – part 4
Scripture Text: Ephesians 2:1–5
We discover that we are sinners from a very early age. Every one of us is known to walk in sin, and so, Scripture teaches that we are dead in our trespasses. This corruption of human nature skips no one.
Concerning Original Sin – part 3
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 3:18–21
One of the slogans of the Reformation was (and continues to be) “sola Scriptura.” Those Latin words mean “Scripture alone.” The idea behind that motto is that the Bible, the written word of God, may be relied upon as a sufficient guide and last word on truth
Concerning Original Sin – part 2
Scripture Text: Colossians 3:2–6
It is quite evident that such subtleties have originated in the schools, not in the council of the Emperor. But although this sophistry can be very easily refuted; yet, in order that all decent folk may understand that we teach nothing absurd on this matter, we ask that the German Confession be examined first.
Concerning Original Sin – part 1
Scripture Text: Psalm 51:3–5
Lutherans teach that original sin is actual sin, not merely the inclination to sin. The result is that we are naturally without the fear of God, without trust in God, and with all the lusts of this life.
Concerning God
Scripture Text: Matthew 28:17–20
The Church in Rome believed the same thing about God's nature that Lutherans believed. Yet, as we shall soon see, there was much in the Lutheran Confession at Augsburg that they found disagreeable.
From the Preface to the Defense
Scripture Text: Colossians 2:1–7
The Church in Rome replied to the Lutheran's Augsburg Confession with what is called the Confutation. However, the Lutherans were not permitted to have a copy or to know what was contained therein, except that they agree to three things.
Concerning the Power of Bishops, 14
Scripture Text: Colossians 4:6
There can be endless debate on religious and political topics. 500 years, the Lutherans were embroiled in both. It was the Emperor who ordered the Lutherans to set forth their differences with the Church in Rome.
Concerning the Power of Bishops, Part 13
Scripture Text: Acts 5:27–29
The Lutherans would not back down when it came to the unmistakable teaching of the gospel. The keeping of rules would never do—not when it was said that by doing so, God's grace could be earned.
Concerning the Power of Bishops, Part 12
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 10:23–30
Legalism demands that we keep as law even those things that were never intended to be law. Ancient customary matters of hair, dress, jewelry, food, drink, and other minutia become the focus for some people. “Do this! Don't do that!” preoccupies their attentions and energies
Concerning the Power of Bishops, Part 11
Scripture Text: Romans 1:16–17
It is no wonder that people think one has to do something to make God happy. This is the way with religion. We imagine that God must be appeased and that religious people must do the pacifying.
Concerning the Power of Bishops, Part 10
Scripture Text: Hebrews 10:19-25
The Large Catechism regards the Sabbath as “an entirely external matter, like the other regulations of the Old Testament associated with particular customs, persons, times, and places.”
Concerning the Power of Bishops, Part 9
Scripture Text: Romans 11:1–6
It is perfectly fitting for a congregation to develop rules for how things are done in the church. And it is perfectly wrong to say that one earns God's grace by keeping those rules.
Concerning the Power of Bishops, Part 8
Scripture Text: 2 Timothy 3:1–9
There are some who sin by having faith in the things that they do. There are others who are not content with this but must have a following, leading others astray from a knowledge of the truth. This should not be a strange revelation...
Concerning the Power of Bishops, Part 7
Scripture Text: Matthew 15:10–20
The Church has no need of more rules and traditions. The law which is in place through the Scripture is more than sufficient to make people aware of their sinful condition. The grace...
Concerning the Power of Bishops, Part 6
Scripture Text: Colossians 2:16–19
The issue for the Lutherans was not whether one should, for example, fast during Lent or observe a service of worship beyond the Lord's Day.
Concerning the Power of Bishops, Part 5
Scripture Text: Galatians 3:1–3
No bishop or pastor should create any tradition that promises people God's grace. Nor should the people be threatened with God's disfavor when people do not obey these human inventions.