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Polygamy And The Christian Church, Nathaniel G. Inyamah

Concordia Theological Monthly

On the basis of personal experience, the author argues that the church's general rejection of polygamy is not required by Scripture and is descriptive of African society.

1 And 2 Maccabees-Same Story, Different Meaning, George W. Nickelsburg

Concordia Theological Monthly

The author sketches briefly the History of Israel two centuries before Christ and indicates the varied viewpoints toward and interpretations of that history that are recorded in the books of First and Second Maccabees.

Kosmos-Men Or Men For The Kosmos, Donald Heinz

Concordia Theological Monthly

Kosmos is a key theological term in the Gospel of John. The author of the Fourth Gospel chose this term to signal his concept of men without God, men in need of God, men in rebellion against God, men who would decide against God when confronted with His Sent One. The Christian church has often found it easy to look out into the world to see what John was talking about. The overtones of the English word "world" as a translation of "kosmos" have helped the church· deceive itself theologically.

Ezra And Nehemiah: A Review Of The Return And Reform, Martin W. Leesberg

Concordia Theological Monthly

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah present an account of the history of the Judean people from the time of the Exile until the transition to Judaism was well on its way. Cyrus, king of Persia, in his first regnal year issued a decree permitting the Judean exiles to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4). Sheshbazzar, a Judean prince (Ezra 1:8), led the first group of returnees and rebuilt the altar. The temple was begun in the following year (Ezra 5:16), but opposition by the people of the land delayed the project for about fifteen years.

Luther's Alleged Anti-Semitism, Carl S. Meyer

Concordia Theological Monthly

A recent best-seller dredges up the old charges that Luther was violently opposed to the Jews, that he was a "savage anti-Semite," and with that, a "ferocious believer in absolute obedience to political authority.'' According to this writer, William Shirer, Luther's words and sentiments gave the rulers of Nazi Germany, Hitler, Goering, Himmler, words and a pattern of conduct to follow in their program against the Jews.

Aids To Bible Study: The Septuagint-Its History, Frederick W. Danker

Concordia Theological Monthly

"Gentlemen, have you a Septuagint?" Ferdinand Hitzig, eminent Biblical critic and Hebraist, used to say to his class. "If not, sell all you have, and buy a Septuagint." Current Biblical studies reflect the accuracy of his judgment. This and the next installment are therefore dedicated to the task of helping the Septuagint come alive for Biblical students who may be neglecting its contributions to the total theological picture, for clergymen who have forgotten its interpretive possibilities, and for all who have just begun to see how new things can be brought out of old.

Paul Writes To The Romans, W. F. Beck

Concordia Theological Monthly

Some Jews came to Rome in 161 B. C., when Judas Maccabaeus sent them as ambassadors in order to get Rome to help him fight for Jewish freedom against Antiochus of Syria. The Roman senate granted Judas a treaty of mutual defense and friendship. Other embassies sailed (like Paul two centuries later) over the Mediterranean to Rome. When they came home, they must have told their friends that Rome was a good place to live and to do business; for before a hundred years had passed, we find rich and influential Jews living in Rome. When Pompey captured Jerusalem in …

The Order Of Matins, Timothy Strelow

Concordia Theological Monthly

The corporate worship of the Christian Church has always been associated with certain forms. The spirit of worship, of communion with God, in all ages has expressed itself in the use of various forms and orders of worship. It is, however, a fact that there are many who use these forms of worship with a great lack of appreciation or understanding. Often the so-called minor forms of worship are rejected. This negative attitude toward forms of worship may quite frequently be due to the gross mutilation of the pure forms. A negative attitude toward Matins may also be due to …

The New Testament Teaching On The Kingdom Of God, W. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Frequency of Occurrence of the Term "Kingdom of God" in Our New Testament Literature. The term "kingdom of God" or "kingdom of heaven" occurs 119 times in the New Testament, according to Edersheim. Matthew is the only New Testament writer who uses the term "kingdom of heaven." It is found 32 times in his Gospel. But he does not confine himself to this particular phrase in the discussion of the concept; he likewise uses the term "kingdom of God."' employing the phrase five times, and six times in his references to this subject he speaks simply of "the kingdom."

An Outline Of The First Epistle Of John, Martin J. Hasz

Concordia Theological Monthly

The chief isagogical problem of the Epistle is its structure. Dr. R. C.H. Lenski states: “A curious circumstance about the letter is the fact that it seems to have no divisions. Commentators divide it in one way or in another, and state their reasons for such a division; but when one reads the letter, the proposed divisions do not satisfy. They are upset by the series of repetitions and reiterations that occur throughout the letter. That fact makes some interpreters complain about the lack of logic; but this letter has no formal parts, such as we commonly use and expect. …

Sermon Study On Is. 50:4-10, Theo. Laetsch

Concordia Theological Monthly

On this passage August Pieper in his Kommentar ueber den zweiten. Teil des Propheten. Jesaias makes the following apt; remarks. “Vv. 4-9 consists of two subdivisions: vv. 4-6, vv. 7-9; the first speaks of the obedience of the Servant; the second, of the support granted Him by the Lord. This passage reads like a prelude to ch. 53. The obedient and suffering Servant of the Lord here states essentially the same facts concerning Himself that the Prophet states concerning Him in ch. 53.

Essays On Sermonizing, John H. Fritz

Concordia Theological Monthly

When Jesus had called unto Him His twelve Apostles, He said, "As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand," Matt.10:7. After having completed His work of the sinners' redemption and before He ascended to heaven, Jesus repeated His commission, saying, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," Mark 16:15-16; "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto …

Discourse Of Luther On The Holy Trinity, W. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

This discourse is taken from a two-volume collection of sermons of Luther which has the title: Predigten D. Martin Luthers auf Grund von Nachschriften Georg Roerers und Anton Lauterbachs, bearbeitet von Geog Buchwald. The volumes appeared in 1925 and 1926, respectively, in the publishing house of C. Bertelsmann, Guetersloh. In the fascinating introduction Dr. Buchwald, an eminent Luther scholar, points out that the sermons of Luther published in the old editions of the Heuspostille are unsatisfactory on account of the editing process to which they were subjected. As is well known, they were not written by Luther; the notes of …

Outline For A History Of The Old Testament Canon, Rudolph Gehle

Concordia Theological Monthly

There is one final question which is of importance in this study. The question is this: What Books Belong to the Canon, and How Are They Identified and Distinguished From All Others? This question will be discussed in three sections, namely: 1. The Canon of the Jews. 2. The Canon of Christ and the Apostles. 3. The Canon of the Christian Churches.

The Lord's Prayer, The Pastor's Prayer, G. H. Smukal

Concordia Theological Monthly

On that exceeding high mountain, Jesus repulsed Satan by means of the weapon: ''Thou shalt worship the Lord, thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." When He teaches His disciples to worship and to pray, He consistently leads them to the one true God. Therefore we are sure that the one true God is He whom Jesus wants us to address. We are to call Him our Father. Therefore we are further assured that the one true God is our Father and that our Father is the one true God.

The Mystery Of The Trinity, N. Friedmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

"I believe with sincere faith that the Creator-Blessed be His name! - is One and that there is no other unity such as He is." These words, confessed by Jews, form the second of the thirteen articles of faith drawn up by Maimonides for the purpose of combating the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. This article of faith is the chief basis of the obstinate opposition of present-day Jewry to the Christian religion. They assert that believing in a Triune God is the same as believing in polytheism, forbidden by God in the First Commandment. It is our purpose to …

Leading Thoughts On Eschatology In The Epistles To The Thessalonians, L. Fuerbringer

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the autumn of 52 A. D. or somewhat earlier, while on his second great missionary journey, Paul, accompanied by Silas, paid his first visit to Thessalonica. Acts 17.

Being favorably situated on the Aegean Sea, Thessalonica was at that time the largest city of the Balkan Peninsula and one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire, vying with Rome and Alexandria for commercial supremacy. The population of Thessalonica must have exceeded 100,000. Many Jews lived there. It was just the place for Paul to undertake extensive missionary activity.

Notes On The History Of Chiliasm, V. A. Mennicke

Concordia Theological Monthly

Amid the international upheavals and universal catastrophes we can expect a large-scale revival of chiliastic teachings. Chiliasm arose among a "have-not." people; it usually enjoyed a wide acceptance when nations had been disappointed economically and become unsound theologically; and whenever confessionalism was at low ebb, emotionalism was substituted for the Scriptural teaching on eschatology. The time for a new assault by the forces of chiliasm is ripe. Therewith also the time for a restudy of the history of chiliasm has come.

The Unionistic Campaign, Theo. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Presbyterian Guardian, January 25, reports: "Dr. John A. Mackay, president of Princeton Theological Seminary and champion of Barthianism, is one of ten well-known Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Jewish leaders participating in an interfaith 'Institute on Religion' now being held in the Jewish synagog at Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The theme of the Institute is: 'Religious Values ID American Democracy.' Speakers in addition to Dr. Mackay are: Gregory Feige, noted Roman Catholic writer; Dr. Louis Finkelstein, provost of the Jewish Theological Seminary; Dr. F. Ernest Johnson, professor of Religious Education, Columbia University; and Rabbi Louis M. Levitsky, rabbi of Temple Israel, Wilkes-Barre." …

The Mode Of Baptism, Walter A. Baepler

Concordia Theological Monthly

A striking diversity exists in the Christian Church with reference to the mode of administering the rite of Baptism. Broadly speaking, the Eastern Church baptizes by immersion, the Western Church by pouring or sprinkling.

Infant Baptism, E. W. Koehler

Concordia Theological Monthly

Ever since the days of the Anabaptists, in the early part of the sixteenth century, infant baptism has been a controverted question in the Church. Also in our day there are those who reject pedobaptism, because there is no text in the Bible which explicitly commands that also infants should be baptized, as they were commanded to be circumcised in the Old Testament.

Sermon Study On Jas. 4:13-17, Theo. Laetsch

Concordia Theological Monthly

Sermon Study on Jas. 4:13-17

The Church And Social Problems, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

There can be no doubt that the chief aim of the Christian Church, in fact the one aim which the Church as such is to pursue, is that assigned to her in the Great Commission, namely, to preach the Gospel of the salvation of men through the mercy of God in Christ to all nations. It was in this sense that John the Baptist performed his ministry, in preaching repentance and remission of sins, in accordance with the prophecy of his aged father: 'Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of …

A Few Remarks On Col. 2, 18. 19 A, L. T. Wohfeil

Concordia Theological Monthly

This verse has tried the patience of commentators, both ancient and modern, quite consistently. While many have been content to give what seemed to them the most plausible interpretation, a by no means negligible number of others have unwittingly admitted finding their "Waterloo" at this very verse by resorting to conjectures on account of a supposedly corrupt text, though there are, with only one unimportant exception, no variant readings. Like the suicide they consider conjecture the "man's way out,” but seem to forget that tampering with the MS. record may lead to equally serious consequences.

Sermon Study On 2 Cor. 4, 3-6;, Theo. Laetsch

Concordia Theological Monthly

We shall not be able to understand this beautiful passage without a knowledge of the preceding context. The apostle had begun to defend the divinity and the glory of his office and the blamelessness of his personal character against the scurrilous attacks mode against both by his opponents in Corinth.

The Primitive Christians, E. G. Sihler

Concordia Theological Monthly

Christian scholars cannot dispense with the study of "classical" antiquity. I know few academic habits as wrong as that of calling every Greek and Roman writer a "classic."

The Primitive Christians, E. G. Sihler

Concordia Theological Monthly

They were first called Nazarenes or Galileans. The name Christians, or Messiah believers, was first applied to them at Antioch (Acts 11, 19), and, it seems, in scorn. The Messiah in whom the Jews hoped was something entirely different. Their conception of Him was connected with the Temple tax, which was annually sent to Jerusalem from all the provinces of the Roman Empire.

The So-Called "Christian Interpolations" In Josephus, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

A number of factors have combined to make a short article on the probability of Christian interpolations in Josephus, especially in his Antiquities of the Jews, desirable. For one thing, the number of recent books on Josephus and his works is surprisingly large, a fact which shows that scholars are taking a new interest in this field of history and criticism.

The Religion Of Ancient Egypt, E. G. Sihler

Concordia Theological Monthly

Paul generally summarizes the world of men about him as Jews and Greeks, the latter being more comprehensive to him than to us in our outlook upon the ancient world. Paul also often uses the Jewish term the nations, which the Authorized Version renders Gentiles (as Rom. 2, 14; I like Luther's Heiden better) and which comprehended all non-Jews. One fundamental observation must be made at the beginning of this essay.

The Contacts Of The Book Of Acts With Roman Political Lnstitutions (Concluded), H O. Keinath

Concordia Theological Monthly

The next contact with Roman political institutions is established in Macedonia, where the occasion of a riot and the subsequent arrest and imprisonment of the Apostle Paul bring out a number of remarks based on existing Roman statecraft. •The event was briefly this: Paul and Silas came to a city called Philippi, in the Macedonian province. In the pursuit of their activity, Paul cast out an evil spirit, from a girl. The owners of this girl, who had gained a considerable income from her mysterious power, find their source of gain cut off and at once proceed to be avenged …