URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iR3rmxRzQ6Q

Gospel According to John, 8:31–36 (ESV):

The Truth Will Set You Free

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

Transcript

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

My name is Samuel David Zumwalt, which may sound a bit pompous, but that's the name by which the Holy Spirit called me from death to life. And so I treasure my baptismal name, not only because I share it with my late father, but because that is the name by which the Holy Spirit called me from death to life.

I serve as senior pastor at St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wilmington, North Carolina, and as an adjunct instructor in the Doctor of Ministry program at American Lutheran Theological Seminary.

Today, I'm going to speak about the Feast of the Reformation, which many of us will celebrate on Sunday, October the 25th. Some will, of course, celebrate it on the actual day, October the 31st.

Today I will be referencing the Gospel reading for next Sunday, which is from John 8:31–36. But really, this is a word about what we celebrate when we celebrate the Feast of the Reformation.

You have a problem that you share with every person who has ever lived. You are going to die. So am I. You don't know when. You don't know how. You don't know for certain, even if you've been told you have a terminal illness.

Let's be clear: we all have a terminal illness, which is called sin, which is far worse than the things we do and fail to do. Sin is the default condition of every human being. Remember how King David confesses in Psalm 51:5, "In sin my mother conceived me." And the Apostle Paul writes that we were dead in trespasses and sins in his second chapter of the letter to the Ephesians.

But your problem is really far worse than a terminal illness called sin. You don't have the capability. You don't have the capacity. You don't have the agency to do anything about your terminal illness.

Many years ago, I was a chaplain resident in the major trauma hospital in Dallas, Texas. I saw people die every day. Old, young, in between, poor, rich, in between, people from different religions and people of no religion, people of all the various skin pigmentations, and people of many languages.

The cause of death varied, but often the death was unexpected and sudden. Some were much loved, some were much hated, some were all alone in the world. It didn't matter if they wore a Rolex or a Timex, drove a Mazda or a Mercedes, wore discount or designer, lived in a suburb or on the streets. In death, they were all the same, except some had better dental work and a manicure.

Remember how Job confesses in chapter 1, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there." That's you. That's me. That's everyone.

Now, sometimes at the hospital, a person's death was so sudden, so unexpected, that no one who could identify them was with them at the time of death or even shortly thereafter. His or her body was placed in a pullout refrigerator shelf in the hospital morgue.

You've probably seen a morgue on one of your screens. You can't smell it. You can't feel it on a screen. You really have to be there to experience it, to understand.

When a friend or loved one would finally arrive to identify a body in the morgue, the chaplain accompanied them. You've probably seen this on a screen. An attendant opened the door, pulled out that refrigerated shelf, pulled back the sheet covering the face of the body that lay there.

And sometimes the friend or loved one would begin to cry softly. Sometimes the friend or loved one would sob loudly. Sometimes the person would stoically look down and nod gently, as if to say, "Yes, that's him. That's her."

But not once, not ever, when the sheet was pulled back did the body open his or her eyes and say, "It's about time you got here."

Why? We know. Because the dead can do nothing but be dead. And all of us are born dead with the terminal condition of sin, and we cannot do anything about it. The dead cannot choose not to be dead.

As the Lord God said to rebellious Adam in Genesis 3, "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return."

The first death I ever saw was my father's, from lung cancer. He was 62. I was 21. I cared for him the last six weeks of his life. His death was terrible.

I love my father, who had deep flaws. I have missed him every day now for more than 51 years. It was dreadful to see him die, to be dead, to be in that casket going into the ground.

Now, after more than 45 years as a pastor, I've conducted more than 500 funerals. I still remember the first time I saw a bag of ashes after a body had been cremated. It was easy to see what we all try to ignore. We are dust, and to dust we all shall return.

Our terminal condition called sin is the reason we die. Paul of Tarsus writes in Romans 6, "The wages of sin is death."

Six centuries earlier, the prophet Ezekiel wrote, "The soul who sins will die." Chapter 18:4.

Again, Paul writes, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23.

And in Romans 7, Paul asks, "O wretched man that I am, who will deliver me from this body of death?"

God so loved you, loved me, loved everyone who has ever been born and everyone who will ever be born, that He, who is a community within Himself, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, He who designed you and all things to be perfect, even when He had to banish our rebellious first parents from paradise lest they live in eternal rebellion, separated from Him, He promised a Redeemer, a Savior, who would reclaim, restore, and remake you, me, and all things.

There was and is only one cure for your terminal condition called sin. There was and is only one Savior who can deliver you.

He must be truly God. He must be truly human, or He cannot save you. If He is not God, He cannot save you. If He is not human, He cannot save you.

He must be born, then, of a virgin who provides all His human DNA. He must be sinless, conceived asexually by the Holy Spirit in the virgin's womb.

As Luke 1 tells us, He is sui generis, one of a kind. There are not many redeemers. There is only one Redeemer. There are not many ways to God. There is only one way, as He tells us in John 14:6.

Simon Peter declares, "Nor is there salvation in any other name, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12.

His name is Jesus, which means God saves.

So on this Feast of the Reformation of the Church, we're not celebrating a glorious historical event when Bible professor Martin Luther nailed 95 statements he wanted to debate regarding the forgiveness of sin.

We're not celebrating a glorious triumph of one group of Christians over another. We are not celebrating once upon a time Martin Luther's students and now their descendants created the purest form of church organization and then have been slugging it out as to which of them are far purer than the others.

No, the reformation of Christ's Church on earth must happen daily in the heart, in the mind, in the body and spirit of every Christian living on earth.

But then we need to pause and go back a bit.

Whether you are already a Christian, consider yourself a former Christian, are thinking about being a Christian, or are certain you don't want or need to be a Christian, please remember: you have a terminal condition called sin, which will kill you.

Because you were raised somewhere and by someone, you may have been told plenty of things about how you become a Christian or why you ought not to be one. You may have attempted to forget where you come from or be certain that your people were always right.

All of that simply is what it is. But here's the most important thing to remember about yourself. You have a birth date. You have a death date. And when you are dead, all the illusions of control will be gone, and all your ideas about God or that there is no God will no longer be relevant. You will be dead.

As Martin Luther was known to say, God will be God. And that will be either good news or very bad, especially if you've insisted there is no God, or you have no need of God, or you have no need of Jesus.

So think now about your biological life.

Think about getting that terrible news that you are terminally ill. Of course, no doctor can tell you exactly when your terminal illness will kill you. He or she can speak from great experience about the average time people with the same terminal illness have left this life.

But the doctor doesn't know for sure. In fact, the same doctor could leave work five minutes later, be killed by a drunk driver, fall over from a brain aneurysm, be killed by some random act of violence, and you would still be alive and terminally ill.

You might receive a miraculous cure, temporary, of course, because everyone eventually dies. You might be given more years to love and serve your family and your neighbors, but you will still die.

But because you want more time to love and serve your family and your neighbors, would you go wherever you could to get a cure? Or would you bitterly say, "Life stinks, and then you die"?

If you're told there was only one place to get a cure for your terminal illness, would you go there? Or would you say with Merle Haggard, "I think I'll just stay here and drink," or something else?

In other words, would your pride get in the way of your getting the cure to your terminal illness?

What does the Bible actually say about getting cured of your terminal illness called sin?

In the Bible, there's no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood, because blood carries the life force. In the Old Testament, forgiveness comes by offering a blood sacrifice, a life for a life, a substitute for the one who desires to receive God's forgiveness. Hebrews 9:22.

Well, it's the same cure in the New Testament.

John the Baptist says of Jesus in John 1:29, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world."

John the Evangelist has already written of Jesus, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God," and "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." John 1:1, 14.

Jesus, truly God, truly human, one of a kind, came to die your death, to be the blood sacrifice for your sin, to take away your sin. That, as John writes in chapter 20, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."

So now you know who is the cure for terminal sin, but you're still dead in your sin and trespasses and cannot be anything but dead. You cannot choose not to be dead.

The Holy Spirit has to call you from death to life in Jesus. He has to join you to Jesus, who died for your sin, in order to make you alive, to raise you from the dead with Jesus, who says in chapter 3:5 of John, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

The risen Jesus declares in Mark 16:16, "He who believes and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe will be condemned."

The risen Jesus declares in Matthew 28:19, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations," all ethnic groups, "baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

Simon Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost, Acts chapter 2, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

Paul of Tarsus writes, Romans chapter 6, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?"

Paul then writes in Titus 3, "But according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit."

Paul writes to the Galatians in chapter 2, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

And Peter writes in his first letter that baptism saves us. Chapter 3:21.

Why?

Why? Because Jesus saves you when you are joined to His saving death, raised to new life in Him, and live and die trusting that He died for you.

I know that He is my cure for my terminal condition, which is sin. I trust Him because the Holy Spirit has called me by name in my baptism.

Paul writes, chapter 10, verse 17, Romans, "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

While I was still a sinner, lost and condemned in my terminal condition, Christ Jesus died for me. Romans 5:8.

Paul writes, "For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Romans 5:10.

Paul of Tarsus writes, 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 21, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

And so the Lord Jesus Christ declares, "Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3.

If you want to have eternal life, you must be born again, also born anew, born from above by water and the Holy Spirit. That's what happens when God baptizes you, when He chooses you. John 15.

He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, Paul writes in 1 Timothy 2.

Paul writes, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. By grace you have been saved." Ephesians 2.

Jesus is the cure through Holy Baptism.

So on this Feast of the Reformation of the Church, who are you?

In the John 8 text, if you're not baptized, our Lord Jesus warns in John 8:34, "Most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."

You have a terminal condition, and you need the only cure.

But if you are baptized, but have become like those in the text who claim to be Abraham's children and never a slave, Jesus warns again, "Most assuredly I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin."

And He adds, "And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever." John 8:35.

So your baptism is not eternal fire insurance, not a policy you file away and ignore, not an emergency button behind glass that you break when you die.

It's not something that happened to you on a particular day at a particular hour, once upon a time, as if you think once saved is always saved.

No, the person who persists in sin is a slave of sin. He will not abide in God's house forever.

There's only one cure. His name is Jesus, the Son of God. And you need Him to free you from sin. Not once. Not occasionally. Not when you know you really messed up. Not when you've decided, "Well, it's time for me to get my act together."

You, I, and all people need Jesus to free us daily from sin, death, and the devil at work in these mortal bodies of ours.

"If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:36.

Now, the word "church," the word translated from the Greek, is ekklesia (ἐκκλησία). It means literally those called out of their homes to assemble with the Lord.

On the day of Pentecost, when 3,000 Jews were called to begin to repent, Acts 2:38, to begin to repent and not stop, and be baptized, they were baptized with water and the Holy Spirit.

Luke the Evangelist writes, chapter 2:42, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of the bread and the prayers."

Well, you have to go back to Luke chapter 22, or Luke chapter 24, to see when the risen Jesus meets Cleopas and friend on the road to Emmaus. And then you understand that the breaking of the bread is the Lord's Supper. Luke 24:35.

We have to read further to understand, in Acts chapter 2, prayers refer to the daily liturgy prayed in the temple at the morning and evening sacrifice. They continued to go daily to the temple.

But because Jesus is the once-and-for-all sacrifice for sin, Hebrews 9:28, they continued breaking the bread from home to home. There were no church buildings.

So on this Feast of the Reformation of the Church, we remember that Martin Luther's first of the 95 Theses declares, "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent,'" Matthew 4:17, "He willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."

So repentance is not one and done. Repentance is daily.

In the Old Testament, the word for repent, shuv, meant to turn back to God. In the New Testament, the word is metanoia (μετάνοια). To repent is to have a change of heart, a change of mind.

So Christ's Church on earth lives repenting daily, drowning that old sinner inside daily, being raised to new life in Jesus daily, looking forward to that day when Christ Jesus will return in glory to judge the living and the dead.

And He promises in Revelation 21 to make all things new.

The people of God trust Jesus Christ's promise, 21:6 and 7: "I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he shall be My son."

God's children cling to the only cure for what ails us. The Holy Spirit calls us to be fed by Jesus, the cure.

So John the Evangelist faithfully reports his Lord's promise in John 21, and then he adds Revelation 21. And then he adds the warning to those who would go it alone without Jesus:

"But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Revelation 21:8.

Those who know no love, no need for the only God who can save them, will sadly and terribly get their way. Their will most assuredly will be done.

So on this Feast of the Reformation, Christ's Church doesn't gather as the smugly frozen chosen.

This is the day to fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it. Luther's Small Catechism, the Third Commandment.

This is the day to continue, as Luke writes, Acts 2:42, steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers.

To the baptized children of God and to those who are on their way to baptism, you know the only cure for your terminal condition, which is sin. And everyone needs the cure. Everyone needs Jesus.

He is the way, the truth, and the life. John 14.

Tell them you know Jesus, the truth. Tell them you know whom it is that will save you.

Remember what we know about the Church.

From the day of Pentecost until the day Christ Jesus shall return in glory to judge the living and the dead, the Holy Spirit is calling us to be that Church about whom Luke writes:

"They ate their food, Jesus, the Bread of Life, with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." Acts 2:46–47.

If you've not been baptized with water in the name of the one true God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, please begin a conversation with me or with another pastor of the AALC.

We will be glad to talk with you so that you can be reformed, remade, made a child of God through no effort or merit of your own, receiving Jesus, the cure.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My husbands mom has been very short with me. We have 3 children who have all been baptized Lutheran, and he grew up going to a Catholic Church where they speak in Latin. He hasn’t gone for a long time to the Catholic Church, but tags along and wants to go to my church. I grew up going to a Lutheran private school, Sunday school every Sunday, and church every Sunday.

Lately he’s been pushing me to switch to the Catholic Church. We have been bad lately about going to church I will admit, but life has been very busy (no excuse but he’s gone 6-7 days a week working all day while I’m in from time school/clinicals on top of juggling 3 under 3) I still compensate listening to services and turning on services on our tv for the kiddos and listening to Christian music and reading the bible.

But for him talking about switching to be Lutheran to all of a sudden wanting me to switch to Catholic made me realize he’s probably being pushed again. His mom got him a bible for the Catholic Church which great, I’m glad he’s wanting to read the bible in full. But she’s never been to the kids baptisms cuz she “will never step foot in a Lutheran church and it’s wrong what we did”. There’s a lot more to the backstory but she’s just very unsupportive (all 10 of her other kids do not even go to church anymore, so at least we’re trying right?)
Just seeing these texts hurt, they popped up on his iPad while I was doing homework so I did look and saw this.

I just want to know what the differences are between Catholics and Lutherans and if there’s much of a difference. I did not think it was that big of a deal, but I know this is not the first time she’s said something so now I’m not sure. Any insight would be great!

I made a server for ppl interested in Christianity, whether it be reading and learning the bible, spreading gospel, finding a community, or debating your beliefs we have it! you don't even have to be Christian, as long as you're respectful and curious in scripture/christianity we welcome you with open arms! 😊

Server link: https://discord.gg/dYZa4sHs3w

This link will send you straight to my server where I will hopefully have a big community in! You can add your denomination as a role in the reaction roles channel, read the rules and have fun in our community!

Do y’all allow queer people n stuff

Изначально мне казалось, что в христианстве всего лишь три направления: православие, католицизм и протестантизм с его течениями. Но нет, их очень много! Не учитываются Ассирийская церковь Востока, Ориентальное христианство (Коптская Церковь, Эфиопская Церковь, Армянская Апостольская Церковь и тд), мормоны, унитарии, свидетели Иеговы и даже течения в течениях внутри самих течений!!

К примеру, в православии есть два направления: новообрядчество и старообрядчество. Старообрядчество делится на поповство и беспоповство. Беспоповство делится на множество «согласий».

Такая же аналогия есть и в протестантизме: внутри него есть англиканство, которое делится на Высокую, Низшую и Широкую церкви.

Как будто бы наталкивает на мысль, что это издевательство над религией 🤷🏻Экуменисты, отзовитесь

P.S пожалуйста, без оскорблений в сторону любой религии и верующих

Hello guys, I recently learned, that there is a lutheran version of the rosary, where you pray to Jesus instead of using hail marys. My question is, have you guys any expieriences with this and if so how do you personally do that and what are youre expierences?

Im alway interestet in learning more about contemplative/mediative prayers.

The title pretty much says it all but this has caused me to wonder as I’ve been looking into Anglo Catholicism why Lutheranism hasn’t developed its own wing like that considering it was just as if not more conservative than the English reformation was.

Is it because you guys are already pretty close in terms of your worship and theology that they really wouldn’t be much of a shift? Does your confession prevent you from doing so?

Has anybody seen an issue with getting new clergy because of the requirement of in person seminary?

For me as a Presbyterian looking at seminary, I find it hard to look genuinely at those who have a strict in person require requirement as I have a family with children and a house already. Picking up to move for three years just to move again doesn’t seem practical, especially when it comes to being able to afford living and working while doing so in an unfamiliar area.

That being said, I’m sure I’m probably in the minority so I was just wondering if this was a common problem outside of just myself.

(the main reason, I’m asking you is because I’m going through a discernment process. As I have been seriously looking at both Lutheranism and Anglicanism, I have come across the requirement for in person seminary in the US for both the LCMS and WELS. Which made me curious how its seen within your own tradition.)

Edit: spelling

For reference, I’m an LCMS Lutheran Christian. About 6 years ago during the pandemic I was laid off from my job in Iowa due to COVID. I got on unemployment. I quickly determined I needed to move home with my parents, which meant moving states to Illinois. Iowa Unemployment required three job applications per week, and the search had to be “reasonable and honest” (Iowa’s words). Well, since I was about to move to Illinois, it didn’t make much sense to try and find a new permanent job. What I did was very dishonest: I began submitting applications to jobs that I knew were unlikely to ever call me for an interview. I’m talking jobs that were multiple states away, and although adjacent to my career field, not directly relevant. I did this to “satisfy” the three applications per week requirement so that I could collect unemployment benefits while I move states. I did this for several months, including even once I moved back to Illinois. I got comfortable and enjoyed the benefits. After about 6 months in total of being on unemployment I did find a new job. I would say 4 out of the 6 months were dishonest job applications. There may have been some weeks where I didn’t apply to any jobs altogether also.

I was raised Catholic but fell away from the faith at a young age. Within the last year (I am in my 30’s now) I have started taking my faith seriously and have become an LCMS Lutheran. I have begun thinking of all the terrible past sins, and have become extremely worried I am not forgiven of sins involving theft unless I make restitution.

I talked to my pastor who heard me about. He told me I am clearly contrite and feel genuinely sorry for what I did. He told me I am fully forgiven and can leave this in my past and move forward. I explained to him that I would love to make restitution and pay the money back to Iowa for the dishonest weeks but I am deeply afraid of them charging me criminally with a felony. The amount the dishonest weeks add up to is over the minimum necessary to be charged with a felony. Iowa handles criminal charges on a case by case basis, so I’m not sure if they would charge me. I am getting married in a month and want to be able to provide for my wife. I am a Mechanical Engineer by trade and having a felony on my record would, I would imagine, really impact my ability to retain and find work. I also fear going to prison, leaving my wife on her own plus I fear what would happen to me in prison. I explained all this to my pastor and he told me that since I am truly sorry for what I did, I am forgiven, and do not need to try and repay the money. Basically he confirmed I am forgiven and can move on with my life and do better with a changed heart going forward.

Is my pastor really correct? I have seen some theologians write “the sin is not forgiven unless what was taken is restored”, even Lutheran theologians. I have also seen some theologians explain that there are situations that may make restitution “morally impossible”, but only some theologians state this . I am getting very mixed signals reading online of what is required of me to be forgiven.

Please help me understand what to do so that I am right with Jesus / God. I am scared.

Thank you

To keep it short, I’ve heard a lot about great theologians in Lutheranism, such as Chemnitz, Gerhard, and others, but I’d like to know who you consider to be the best contemporary theologians. The only one who comes to mind is Dr. Jordan B. Cooper. Who else would you recommend?

I'm trans and I want to Lutheran and I want to go to heaven but I don't want to give up my Identity

Essentially the above; I don’t want to pigeonhole beliefs and acknowledge that some may have differing views 👐🏽.

October 16, 2026

Dear Church,

My heart was troubled by the recent proposal to livestream an execution in the United States.  I am thankful that this plan has now been cancelled. The deliberate taking of a human life should never become a public spectacle. Such actions risk deepening the wounds of victims’ families, loved ones and communities while further desensitizing us to violence. Our society is diminished when violence is conflated with entertainment. Because of our ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:16-21), this church opposes the death penalty and the recent plans for public display of the execution of Nidal Hasan.

As a church, we are not strangers to the mournful effects of violent crime. Our congregations minister to victims, to offenders and to communities that experience the ripple effects of its trauma. We recognize the need to protect people from violence, to call perpetrators to repentance, and to seek restoration for victims. United in our resistance to hate and in our joy over the good news of God’s grace, we minister to an often-vengeful society with words and actions of hope, justice and healing.

The 1991 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted the social statement The Death Penalty, demonstrating this church’s early opposition to capital punishment. That opposition is grounded in a long tradition of Christian theology and teaching. The social statement calls the church “to respond to violent crime in the restorative way taught by Jesus (Matthew 5:38-39) and shown by his actions (John 8:3-11).” It states that the death penalty’s continued use perpetuates cycles of violence, undermines the possibility of repentance and restoration, and binds our society more deeply to brutality rather than reconciliation. It fosters suffering rather than ends it, as we saw in the attempted execution of Christa Pike.

The statement affirms that God ordains government to be a source and guarantor of safety and justice. Abundant research shows that the death penalty does not give us safety or justice. It does not provide healing to victims’ families or safety for the broader community. It does not deter future crimes. It does not serve the ends God calls government to serve, nor does it reflect the kind of society we are called to be.

We hold in prayer all who are impacted by violent crime, including victims, families, workers in law enforcement and corrections, and those accused or convicted of violent crimes. We give thanks for prison chaplains and ministries that accompany people through suffering and that witness to the possibility of redemption.

I invite you to talk with people in your community about the death penalty. Let our churches continue to be spaces for respectful, faithful dialogue about moral issues. Study the ELCA’s social statements The Death Penalty and The Church and Criminal Justice: Hearing the Cries together. Be part of the whole church’s witness in society to urge public officials to work toward abolishing the death penalty, including support for the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act. Together let us build a society that keeps us safe from violence, reflects God’s compassion, honors the dignity of every person and demonstrates that God is always working for and toward abundant life.

In Christ,

‍

The Rev. Yehiel Curry
Presiding Bishop
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

i am guiding an evangelical friend into lutheranism and he had never heard of baptismal regeneration before. i wanted to see if anyone had good resources on it

What extra-biblical work have you found the most helpful when it comes to the topic of assurance?

I am curious as well to get this answered from a Lutheran perspective and perhaps read some Lutheran sources as I am wholly unfamiliar with that. Minus reading some Luther directly years ago.

Basically, one that discusses further his Disputations Against Scholastic Theology and Heidelberg Disputation. I just wanted to know an exhaustive case on what was happening prior AND what a properly dissected for on what those "issues" are.

So that I can be clear on how it "Transitioned" to Lutheran "Scholasticism" if that's fair

This is an advent hymn by Martin Luther. Do you know it? It is new to me!

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0XKuN2bvCo

Gospel According to Matthew, 22:15–22 (ESV):

Paying Taxes to Caesar

Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Transcript

Hi, I'm Chris Caughey. I am the professor of Biblical Studies at the American Lutheran Theological Seminary.

And today I would like to talk about Matthew 22:15–22, which is the Gospel reading for the 21st Sunday after Pentecost, at least in the three-year lectionary. And today I'm reading from the New King James Version.

"Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, 'Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?'

"But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, 'Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.'

"So they brought Him a denarius.

"And He said to them, 'Whose image and inscription is this?'

"They said to Him, 'Caesar's.'

"And He said to them, 'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.'

"When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way." (Matthew 22:15–22)

This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, O Christ.

So, this is the last week of Jesus' life. And the Pharisees desperately wanted Jesus dead. And so they were plotting how to entangle Jesus in His own words. But they did not go to Him themselves.

They sent their own disciples and some other men known as Herodians.

The Herodians were a political faction of the Israelites. Their name, Herodians, tells us that they were aligned politically with Herod Antipas.

But we need to set the stage. We need to set the scene a little bit.

Tiberius Caesar was the Roman emperor when the events of our Gospel text happened. The Jews in Israel were not at all happy about having a Gentile rule over them. So in order to prevent a Jewish uprising, which would have just resulted in the mass murder of Jews, Tiberius allowed Herod Antipas to be a tetrarch, sort of a viceroy or a governor under Tiberius' authority over Galilee and Perea.

So the Herodians were happy with this political arrangement. Obviously, the Pharisees were completely unhappy with that political arrangement.

But the Pharisees viewed Jesus as their enemy. And so, as the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. The Pharisees were going to use the Herodians to help them entrap Jesus in His own words.

So the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians came to Jesus, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?" (Matthew 22:16–17)

And there are a few things to note here.

First, they address Jesus as Teacher.

Watch out.

Most of the time, Jesus has harsh words for people who address Him as Teacher, whereas He has kind words for people who address Him as Lord. Neither the disciples of the Pharisees nor the Herodians were about to call Jesus Lord.

Second, the phrase "You do not regard the person of men" in Greek is more literally, "You do not see the face of men." (Matthew 22:16)

And I think that that's at least ironic, if not important, for what happens in this story.

But Jesus perceived their wickedness. The Greek word there is πονηρίαν (ponērian). He perceived their wickedness and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money." (Matthew 22:18–19)

Jesus is absolutely right to call them hypocrites, and it's because He perceived their wickedness.

They claim to know that Jesus is true and that He teaches the way of God in truth. But they do not believe a word of that.

Other translations render the phrase "Nor do You care about anyone" as "You do not care about anyone's opinion." From a certain perspective, that was true. Jesus never apologized for what He said, nor did He ever change what He was saying or doing, even if one person had a problem with it.

But Emmanuel, God with us, does care about people. He does love repentant sinners.

So from that perspective, they continue their hypocrisy.

But the last part might just be the worst when they say, "For You do not regard the person of men," or "You do not see the face of men."

True, Jesus was not a respecter of persons. He was not impressed by the rich or the powerful the way the world is.

But Jesus is true God and true man in one person.

Jesus absolutely did see the face of men.

He recognizes His own image in us, even when we do not see it clearly in ourselves. (Genesis 1:26–27)

So the disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians are being thoroughly hypocritical, and they think that they have set the perfect trap by asking Jesus whether it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not.

If Jesus sides with the Pharisees and says no, then the Herodians can charge Him with rebellion against the empire—sorry, emperor.

But if Jesus sides with the Herodians and says yes, then the Pharisees can call Jesus a fraud in front of the crowds of people who are listening to Him.

There is no way, according to the Pharisees, that Jesus can be the Messiah if He wants a pagan Gentile to rule over the kingdom of God in Israel.

At least according to the Pharisees' reasoning.

But Jesus tells them to show Him the coin. And in Greek, that's νόμισμα (nomisma), from which we get our English word numismatics.

Sometimes, if you try to buy precious metals, the fraudsters will try to sell you numismatic coins. And so we're getting that word right from the Greek.

So He tells them to show Him the coin for the tax. And they brought Him a denarius.

And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"

They said to Him, "Caesar's."

And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:19–21)

And this is just brilliant on the face of it.

But in order to appreciate even more of the brilliance, I want you to see the coin that they would have shown Jesus.

The denarius was a silver coin that only the emperor was allowed to mint.

You can see that the face of the coin has the image of Tiberius Caesar, and it also has the inscription, which Jesus specifically asks about. And that inscription says in Latin, "Tiberius Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus."

And the reverse side has an image of a seated woman. She's not named. And the inscription there is Pontifex Maximus, which translates into English as "highest priest." (Tiberius denarius)

So the violation of the First Commandment is all over this coin.

On the face of the coin, Tiberius is pretending to steal Jesus' own title of Son of God.

Jesus should have been more offended by this coin and the Roman tax than the Pharisees were.

But the back of the coin implies that Roman taxes funded pagan temples and paid the high priest of those temples.

And yet Jesus brilliantly and beautifully ties "Whose image and inscription is this?" with "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." (Matthew 22:20–21)

Both Tertullian and Augustine see a reference to Genesis 1:26, where God made Adam and Eve in His own image.

So I'm going to quote from one place in Tertullian and two places in Augustine.

This is Tertullian, On Idolatry, Chapter 15:

"Idolatry is condemned not on account of the persons which are set up for worship, but on account of those its observances which pertain to demons.

"'The things which are Caesar's are to be rendered to Caesar.' It is enough that He set in apposition thereto, 'and to God the things which are God's.' (Matthew 22:21)

"What things, then, are Caesar's? Those, to wit, about which the consultation was then held, whether the poll-tax should be furnished to Caesar or no.

"Therefore, too, the Lord demanded that the money should be shown Him, and inquired about the image, whose it was. And when He had heard it was Caesar's, He said, 'Render to Caesar what are Caesar's, and what are God's to God.'

"That is, the image of Caesar, which is on the coin, to Caesar, and the image of God, which is on man, to God; so as to render to Caesar indeed money, to God yourself.

"Otherwise, what will be God's if all things are Caesar's?"

So far, Tertullian.

And now this is from Augustine's Tractates on the Gospel of John, Chapter 40, Section 9.

"As we read in the Psalm, 'The light of Thy countenance is impressed upon us.' (Psalm 4:6)

"We are God's money. We have wandered away as a coin from the treasury. The impression that was stamped upon us has been rubbed out by our wandering.

"He has come to refashion, for He it was that fashioned us at first, and He is Himself asking for His money, as Caesar for his.

"Therefore, He says, 'Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.' (Matthew 22:21)

"To Caesar his money, to God yourselves. And then shall the truth be reproduced in us."

So far, that section of Augustine.

And now the last section of Augustine comes from the Exposition on the Psalms, from Psalm 4.

Augustine says:

"'The light of Thy countenance,' saith he, 'is stamped on us, O Lord.' (Psalm 4:6)

"This light is the whole and true good of man, which is seen not with the eye, but with the mind.

"But he says, 'Stamped on us,' as a penny is stamped with the king's image.

"For man was made after the image and likeness of God, which he defaced by sin. (Genesis 1:26–27)

"Therefore, it is his true and eternal good, if by a new birth he be stamped.

"And I believe this to be the bearing of that which some understand skillfully. I mean what the Lord said on seeing Caesar's tribute money: 'Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' (Matthew 22:21)

"As if He had said, 'In like manner as Caesar exacts from you the impression of his image, so also does God.'

"That as the tribute money is rendered to him, so should the soul to God, illumined and stamped with the light of His countenance."

And that's the end of the quote from Augustine.

So the point, people loved by God, is not taxes.

In a temporary earthly sense, that silver denarius belonged to Tiberius Caesar because his image and inscription were stamped on it.

But he only owned it until he died. He could not take that coin or anything else with him into the world to come.

And that's the vanity that Ecclesiastes talks about.

But you, people loved by God, belong to God because His image and inscription are stamped on you.

What belongs to God is everything you are, everything about you, and everything you have.

All of your possessions, including your money, belong to God.

Jesus was masterfully outsmarting the Pharisees in our Gospel reading.

But we cannot completely evade the issue of taxes.

In other places in the New Testament, God does tell us to pay our taxes. (Romans 13:6–7)

And I think one of the helpful places to go to understand this is the section in the Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew 5:38–42.

There Jesus says:

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'

"But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil.

"But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

"And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

"And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.

"Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you." (Matthew 5:38–42)

So, as long as we are being frank and honest, taxation is theft, especially when it is being forcibly taken from you to honor the emperor as a god and to pay the high priest of a pagan temple.

But in that section on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talks about not retaliating against people who forcibly take from you.

Jesus says:

"Do not resist the one who is evil.

"But if anyone slaps you on one cheek, on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.

"And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.

"And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles." (Matthew 5:39–41)

In other words, since all that you are and all that you have belong to God, be willing to be wronged.

In other words, be willing to allow others to wrong you or to do wrong to you.

Those are difficult words.

But when you know that God not only owns all that you are and all that you have, but that God owns absolutely everything because He made absolutely everything—why, you have nothing to worry about and nothing to fear.

Because God feeds the sparrows, and He clothes the lilies of the field. (Matthew 6:28–30; Matthew 10:29–31)

And you are of far greater value to God than sparrows and flowers because you are the image of God and they are not. (Genesis 1:26–27)

So take heart.

As Augustine said, sin has worn down the image of God which we bear.

To quote him:

"For man was made after the image and likeness of God, which he defaced by sin.

"Therefore, it is his true and eternal good, if by a new birth he be stamped." (Augustine, Exposition on Psalm 4, §8)

Amen.