Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Gifts From The Lord Of The Church, Leonhard C. Wuerffel

Concordia Theological Monthly

After a little more than 16 years of service as the dean of students at a seminary, we have been asked to set forth some observations concerning the students served during this period of time. First of all, there is something frightening about such a request. To have been intimately associated with more than 2,000 young men, who today are ministers of the Gospel and are serving their Lord and His people somewhere in the world, is unquestionably a great privilege and a humbling experience.

Editorial, Herbert T. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Number One Question confronting most Christian denominations today is the hermeneutical question. A basic hermeneutical question in the minds of many is that of the origin, nature, and purpose of the Scriptures. The debates about inspiration, revelation, and inerrancy indicate this. The fruitfulness of some of the revived emphases in hermeneutics is revealed by Maynard Dorow in the first article in this issue.

Able Ministers In The New Year, Lorenz Wunderlich

Concordia Theological Monthly

This Word of God through St. Paul the apostle is preeminently for those who are privileged to stand in the diaconate of our Lord and who perform diaconal functions for Him. To be sure, it does not offer the catena of one and one-half dozen qualifications which the same apostolic writer forges in his letters to Timothy and Titus.

The Ministry During The Period From Saint Clement Of Rome To Saint Cyprian Of Carthage, James Fackler

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

It is the intention of this writer to present a systematic consideration or the concept or the ministry from documents or the Christian Church outside the New Testament to the middle or the third century. To do this it will be necessary to take into consideration the historical development of thought through the period. History, or tradition, will present vignettes with which this writer intends to give you, the reader, a concept of the ministry from St. Clement or Rome to St. Cyprian of Carthage.

Faith Healing: A Discussion, Edward J. Mahnke

Concordia Theological Monthly

Is it right to promise health or material advantage to people who practice a religious life? This question is basic to the considerations involved in the practice of faith healing.

Man threatened by foreign powers, missiles, disaster plans. evacuation routes, tossed back and forward by doctrines of every kind, finds himself shaken. He is uncertain about God. He needs health and money to maintain control of his life and future. In Deut. 8:17, 18 the Lord insists that He is the source of all goodness. But He also warns man not to think of God as a resource by which …

Evanston In Retrospect, William Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

Last summer our sainted colleague, Dr. F. E. Mayer, in the last article that he wrote for this journal, sketched the issues which according to the program developed by the leaders of the World Council of Churches would confront its delegates, consultants, and accredited visitors in August. (see the July number of the CTM, pp. 516-533). The general theme of the convention was to be "Christ-the Hope of the World." Six subthemes had been selected: 1. "Our oneness in Christ and our disunity as churches"; 2. "Evangelism: the church's neglected vocation"; 3. "Social problems: the responsible society in a world …

Give Attendance To Reading, Richard R. Caemmerer

Concordia Theological Monthly

"Give attendance to reading," St. Paul exhorted Timothy. This exhortation has sometimes been applied to contemporary ministers as follows: Let them keep up their private studies, their reading of the Bible and of the many other materials which enrich their mind and ministry. That is a useful and necessary exhortation. The original intention of 1 Tim. 4:13, however, is simpler. St. Paul tells Timothy that he is to minister faithfully and vigorously to his congregation till St. Paul himself will come. This ministry means bringing the Word of God to people. That he is to do through three routes: reading …

God's Triumphant Captive Christ's Aroma For God. (2 Cor. 2:12-17.), Victor Bartling

Concordia Theological Monthly

The teacher to whom we offer this eucharisterion has lived and labored among us as "God's triumphant captive" and "Christ's aroma for God." In discussing the Scripture passage giving us this view of the ministerial office we hope to do so in a bit of the practical manner which has always characterized the Scripture interpretation of our colleague.

Before we take up the passage, it will be useful for us to look at the wider as well as the narrower context.

The Spiritual, Not The Social Gospel In The Church, John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

Our country today finds itself confronted with a serious race relations problem. It is only one of the many social and economic questions facing us at this time, but, no doubt, every one who has carefully studied the race problem will admit that it is one of major importance and therefore should not be ignored by those whose business it is to study it. As citizens of our country it vitally concerns us all, and it is in view of this fact that the Missionary Board (upon the writer's suggestion) has decided to take up its study as a part …

Studying Case Histories, Elmer A. Kettner

Concordia Theological Monthly

A New Approach to Self-Improvement in Ministering to tlle Individual

Ministering to a congregation is not only preaching. I entered the ministry laboring under the false impression that it is. Didn't all my friends urge me to study for the ministry because I had won the county oratorical contest two years in succession? Didn't I learn from the Apology itself that "there is nothing which holds people with the church more effectively than a good sermon"? Didn't Luther have so many hearers because he was a good preacher? I would develop my preaching and build up a congregation by "compelling …

The Significance Of The Doctrine Of The Church And The Ministry, J. Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

Both historically and because of its intrinsic value the doctrine concerning the Church and the ministry deserves continuous and careful study. Briefly expressed, its clear perception by our fathers and the consistent application of it saved the troubled and perplexed band of Saxon pilgrims from utter confusion and in the course of years made our Synod what it is today, a confessional, cohesive, active religious group whose influence upon other church-bodies, above all, on Lutheran church-bodies, has been considerable.

The Divine Call Of The Christian Minister, W F. Bruening

Bachelor of Divinity

Why could Paul tell Timothy, "If a man desire the office of a bishop he desireth a good work"? There must be a very good reason why he mentions this office as especially desirable in preference to other honorable vocations. Indeed, he did have a good reason, for Paul is not here voicing his own personal opinion, but he is writing what the Holy Spirit prompted him to say. It is God himself who is here speaking. It is He who shows us in in His Word why this office is of such great value and consequently to be desired.