Religion Commons^™

Labor, Industry, And The Church, David S. Schuller

Concordia Theological Monthly

The church stood amazed before the rising form of the industrial giant. Its size was frightening enough, but its two heads of unionism and management struck terror into her heart. The church felt she should say something to the monster. But then what could she say? It certainly didn't look like a membership prospect. And so the church pretended she didn't see it. But the church's heart continued to pound. And way down deep she felt guilty. She had a message - even for such two-headed giants. And she should be speaking.

A Theological Appraisal Of Comparative Symbolics, Herbert J. Bouman

Concordia Theological Monthly

The religious scene in America presents a bewildering spectacle of about 250 religious groups maintaining a separate and often precarious existence. This multiplicity of denominations, sects, and sectlets, segregated not only by deep and basic doctrinal cleavage but all too often also by merely peripheral and even meaningless differences, is extremely confusing to a thoughtful observer. Even worse, the disunity of churches, all of which claim some relation to Christ and His Word, is bound to be a sore scandal. At first glance this ecclesiastical fragmentation seems to defy intelligent and intelligible analysis. A little stirring beneath the surface, however, …

The Holy Spirit And The Christian Life, Lorenz Wunderlich

Concordia Theological Monthly

The ministry of the Holy Spirit tends to be a neglected ministry, neglected by us in our lives with their problems and tensions as well as with their privileges and opportunities. With some this neglect may be due to a lack of knowledge about the vigor of the theology of the Holy Spirit as it is revealed in Scripture. With others it may rest in the lack of understanding of the rich fullness of the eternal purpose of the Holy Spirit in their lives. With still others it may be accounted for by the mistaken assumption that the ministry of …

The Authority Of Scripture, Norman Nagel

Concordia Theological Monthly

The way Scripture understands itself is presented elsewhere in the theses sent out by the Council. That presentation has its greatest strength in bringing Scripture into close and integral relationship with Christ. Faith's primary apprehension is Christ; the consequent apprehension is Scripture. To apprehend Christ is to be placed under Scripture. The recognition of this is the basis of how we listen to what Scripture says. Scripture has spoken Christ to us, and therefore, when Scripture speaks, we receive and accept whatever it says, for whatever it says is heard in relationship to Christ.

A Study Of Hebrews 6:4-8, Herbert H. Hohenstein

Concordia Theological Monthly

The close relationship between "tasting the good Word of God" and "the powers of the age to come" is quite evident. The reason is, perhaps, as Davidson maintains, that the consummate blessings of these powers lie in the future. Therefore, by necessity, they must be "combined with the good word of promise." That is undoubtedly true. In addition, one might say that this "good word of promise" is itself that very power by which God establishes communion with men and thereby projects the blessings of that which is to come into that which now is. Cf. Rom. 1:16.

Faith Without Works, Frederic W. Danker

Concordia Theological Monthly

Demands for a creative outlet in an age of standardized production have been responsible for a rash of "do-it-yourself" hobby crafts. Such self-reliance displays itself also in the religious area. St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians amply testifies, however, that the "do-it-yourself" cult is not a modern development.

A Study Of Hebrews 6:4-8, Herbert H. Hohenstein

Concordia Theological Monthly

Any effort to determine the relationship of this passage to the entire epistle must necessarily consider both the occasion and the purpose of the letter. There is one outstanding theme, the finality and perfection of the Christian religion. Christ, God's Son, has come down to give the climactic and clearest revelation of the God in whose bosom He has lain and to redeem mankind to this God whom He reveals. He who would hear this final Word of God must hear it in the Son. Not to listen is to die. Yes, to grow cold in attention to that Word …

Aspects Of The Relationship Of Faith To Conscience In Luther's Sermons, 1528-1532, William Arthur Olsen

Bachelor of Divinity

A brief study revealed numerous examples of the close relationship Luther established between faith and conscience in both his formal theological writings and his sermons as they have come down to us. This thesis seeks on a 1imited scale to establish and delineate that relationship between faith and conscience in the theology of Luther.

Both terms about which the thesis revolves are very prominent in the writings of Luther. That “faith” is a decisive and frequently used word in his theology seems to require no documentation.

The World Council Of Churches, Gilbert A. Thiele

Concordia Theological Monthly

The World Council of Churches represents the confluence of previous ecumenical movements. The two most important streams of activity that merged in this broader and deeper endeavor are the Faith and Order Movement (Conference) and the Life and Work Conference. Each of these deserves our attention.

Luther On Faith, W. M. Oesch

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Lutheran Reformation unleashed religious subjectivism and was a precursor of the egocentricity of the modem age. A Roman Catholic theologian who is perhaps the most eminent living dogmatician of his communion makes this claim. Michael Schmaus in his Katholische, Dogmatik (Vol 4, Part 1, 1952) holds that the type of faith which Luther expressed and propagated disregards all religious authority which is not centered in the direct approach of the soul to God.

He Descended Into Hell. An Interpretation Of 1 Peter 3:18-20, Martin H. Scharlemann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Every Sunday our congregations confess their Christian faith. Each time they use the Apostles' Creed they include in their statement of belief the words "He descended into hell." In recent years this short sentence has come under considerable discussion within our own circles. There has been some question as to the significance of these words as they are used in the Creed. In view of this situation, it is most desirable to re-examine the desconsus in the light of Holy Scripture.

Dr. C. F. W. Walther As Theologian, Francis Pieper, John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

This is to say that in order to preserve the doctrine of justification in its purity. there must be added to it the Scripture teaching that God imparts and communicates to men the forgiveness of sins procured by Christ for the entire world in no other way than by the Gospel and the Sacraments. Therefore the Biblical doctrine of justification stands and falls with the Biblical doctrine of the means of grace.

The Doctrine Of Justification In The Lutheran Confessions, Herbert J. Bouman

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the 1538 edition of his commentary on Galatians, Luther speaks of "this one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, that is, that we are delivered from sin, death, and devil, not through ourselves (nor certainly through our works which are of lesser value than we ourselves), but through outside help, through the Only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ." "If the article concerning justification falls, everything falls." "This is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the undemanding of all godliness. It is, therefore, of prime importance that it be well understood and …

Anglican Christology Of The Upper Stream From '"Lux Mundi" To "Essays Catholic And Critical.", Norman Nagel

Concordia Theological Monthly

When a certain theologian was asked what in English theology would most reward study, with twinkling and Teutonic eye he replied, "They don't have any." Now it is true that the issues which have most exercised churchmen in this country do not seem to have been primarily theological One ncvcr ceases to wonder at the thousands of parish priests in the sixteenth century who found no difficulty in making do whatever new or revised prayer book happened to come to them in the post. When divisions came, they were summed up in terms more of polity than of theology.

Preaching On The Holy Spirit: A Study Of Luther's Sermons On The Evangelical Pericopcs, Martin E. Marty

Concordia Theological Monthly

"In our day the Holy Spirit suffers great ignominy," sighed Luther, in reference to current doctrinal misunderstanding. "In our day the Holy Spirit suffers great ignominy," might be a contemporary comment on neglect of the worship of, and witness to, the Holy Spirit. It has become almost a rubric to bemoan this neglect on Whitsunday, the third great feast of the church year, but this complaint is often followed by a tendency to contribute to the neglect and the ignominy through silence from the pulpit, as far as a living concern for the work of the Holy Spirit is concerned, …

The Witness Of God With Special Reference To Hebrews 11:2, Paul Schuessler

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Since a study of the divine witness promises a clearer understanding of God and His ways and a more intensive penetration of Scripture, the following analysis of Hb 11:2 and a series of summarizing propositions are offered together with such philological and theological support as is available.

A Study Of Pistis In The New Testament, Vernon C. Scandrett

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Christian Hope, Herbert J. Bouman

Concordia Theological Monthly

The general theme of the second assembly of the World Council of Churches at Evanston was "Christ, the Hope of the World." The theme of this essay is related to the message of Evanston. It bids us take note of the fact that we are to deal with the concept "hope" as qualified by the word "Christian." The world also has hope, or rather, hopes; for it has no single, well-defined aspiration. The hope of the world is materialistic, this worldly, earth-bound. But the hope of the world is illusory. It has no solid basis, no tangible object or goal. …

The Soteriolgical Aspect Of The Doctrine Of The Holy Trinity According To The Lutheran Confessions, Lewis W. Spitz

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Lutheran Confessions are basically doxological in their treatment of the Holy Trinity, as they sound forth a hymn of praise to the grace and mercy of the Triune God. The theme of their exultant song is Soli deo gloria! But the God to whom alone shall be all glory is the Triune God: the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost - three distinct Persons in one divine Essence. Measuring the space which the Confessions devote to the various doctrines which they profess, one might think otherwise.

Sacra Scriptura And ''Verbum Dei" In The Lutheran Confessions, Fred Kramer

Concordia Theological Monthly

To understand the Lutheran Reformation of the sixteenth century correctly one must know and bear in mind the fact that it was begun by a man who amid fearful troubles of conscience and after a long and bitter struggle for the certainty of his salvation had rediscovered the Gospel and who in turn desired to share its blessings with others.

Techniques In Modern Preaching (Toward Communicating The Gospel), Vernon Boriack

Concordia Theological Monthly

All of us have been preaching the crucial doctrines of sin and grace Sunday after Sunday, year after year, but have we really been "communicating" these cardinal doctrines which are the Christian faith? "To communicate" means "to impart, convey, share, make it so that we hold in oneness" truths with others. Have we been achieving this end? Or while our preaching has been strictly orthodox in content, have we perhaps been employing words and phrases and thought forms which ricochet off the minds of our people like petty rifle bullets off a Patton rank? Have the minds of our people …

The Relationship Of The Church To The National Culture In America, Ernest B. Koenker

Concordia Theological Monthly

As one considers the cultural complex of America today, there are a number of questions which might present themselves to the Christian living under the Word. What are the values which underlie our national culture, and is there any sense in which these are being absolutized today in some kind of Messianism? Can one say that the Christian churches in America, or the Lutheran Church, have profoundly shaped our culture, or have the churches themselves been thoroughly shaped by the culture? In view of the loss or muffling of a dynamic Christian witness in many of the American denominations, what …

Theological Issues At Evanston, F. E. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The second assembly of the World Council of Churches will be held at Evanston, Ill., August 15-31, 1954. The 161 member churches will be represented by 600 official delegates, 600 accredited visitors, 150 theological consultants, 120 youth consultants, fraternal delegates, and official observers from nonmember churches. The Christian world is vitally interested in the Evanston assembly, because the chief concern of this gathering will be to agree on the "Christian message" which the member churches of the W. C. C. will proclaim to the world. This message comprises a main theme and six subthemes, which will receive intensive study in …

Some Scriptural Aspects Of Processes In Nature, August C. Rehwaldt

Concordia Theological Monthly

Nature is like a veil. It both reveals and conceals the truth. What William Taylor says of the parable may also be applied to nature: " ... a cloud luminous to some, yet dark to others; the enveilment, but also the unveiling, of the truth to men." If nature appeals only to our intellect, we shall see only that which lies on the surface.

The Chief Function Of The Parish Minister For Effective Evangelism In The Modern Chrisitan Church, Clydrow Durbney

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

Many souls will be won to Jesus Christ and the church will be effectively executing its main function. In order for the church to obey the great commission of the Lord Jesus Christ; the minister may well ask himself the question: What is the chief function of the parish minister for effective evangelism in the modern Christion Church? I shall proceed to answer this fundamental question in the following chapters of the thesis.

The Word In The Word, Walter R. Roehrs

Concordia Theological Monthly

By formulation our topic also asks us to think of these terms as a given relationship to each other: the Word in the Word. Thus the problem is stated. Two concepts, identical to the that they can be represented by the same semantic symbol, and be differentiated from each other by their relationship to each other. In a somewhat less cryptic form our topic could also be What is the relationship between the Word made flesh and the written Word of Scripture.

The Faculty At Bethel On The "Demythologizing" Championed By Professor Dr. Bultmann, A. Adam

Concordia Theological Monthly

The intention is not to pass judgment on the theology of R. Bultmann in general. To do that, a far more detailed discussion would be required, for which we do not have the space here. In concerning ourselves specifically with demythologizing as understood by Bultmann, we had to curtail to some extent the study of the problem and thus simplify some of the implications.

The Mature Christian, Richard R. Caemmerer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Authorized Version does not use the term "mature." But the idea is completely Biblical. It assumes that a Christian, as a Christian, is not a statistical, either-or being, but that he is the product of a birth, a growth, and an expanding life. To speak of a Christian as mature suggests that he has arrived at the peak of that growth, that he has arrived at the climax of the development of his faith and his life with God.

The Formal And Material Principles Of Lutheran Confessional Theology, F. E. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The source of doctrine, or the formal principle, of Lutheran theology is sola Scriptura, the Scriptures alone. It does seem strange that with its avowed emphasis on the sole authority of the Scriptures the Lutheran Church nowhere has a specific article setting forth its attitude toward the Holy Scriptures. By contrast the early Reformed Confessions have an elaborate statement concerning the place and the scope of Scriptures, including even a list of all the books which are considered canonical. The Lutheran Confessions have no specific article dealing with the Holy Scriptures for three reasons.

Are We Really Preaching The Gospel?, Elmer A. Kettner

Concordia Theological Monthly

With all of our glorying in the Gospel and our striving to retain purity of doctrine, is it possible that there is too little preaching of the Gospel in The Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod? It's not only possible; I fear that it's highly probable. This is not a blanket accusation against every pastor in Synod. One can judge only from the sermons that one hears and reads. Nor is this written to be sensational or critical. In this respect I am perhaps "the chief of sinners"; I have sometimes by-passed the Gospel. The Scriptures remind us to "exhort one another …