Reconciliation

Newsletter article for June 2004

© 2004 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Reconciliation is a word which has weighed heavy on my mind lately. Perhaps it has been on your mind, too. It means to become friends again. Obviously this assumes that something has happened between friends which has broken their friendship or even in an extreme case has made them enemies. The opposite of reconciliation is estrangement or alienation. The ultimate cause of estrangement is sin, and because we are all sinners estrangement is not all that strange to us. Since estrangement is familiar to us then reconciliation also ought to be familiar to us, but people’s sinful pride gets in the way of that far too often.

In my consideration of the word “reconciliation” I did what I often do, I went to the Holy Scriptures to see how God uses this word. This is a good habit to get into. I learned this from a good friend. Jesus himself had the habit of going to the Holy Scriptures to deal with events in His life. He did it to teach. He did it to answer questions (both honest questions, and evil ones intended to entrap him). He did it to withstand temptation. He did it when He was dying, and He did it after he was resurrected from the dead. Jesus was familiar with the Bible because He was familiar with God. If we wish to be a member of God’s family then we also ought to be familiar with the Bible.

When you use your concordance (or computer Bible word search) it is important to keep in mind a few simple rules of Bible interpretation. Jesus was a very good interpreter of the Bible. He was the best, and although this also is one way in which no one can fully measure up to Jesus, it is not hard to properly interpret the Bible. The people who make it hard are the ones who don’t believe God’s word. It is actually quite simple. Proper Bible interpretation all comes down to the answer to this simple question: “What does the Bible say?” It really is that easy. The hard part comes when, in our sinfulness, we don’t like what the Bible says and we try to make it say what we want it to say instead of what it really says. We saw that a couple months ago in an unauthorized article in this newsletter which quoted Bible verses about praise, but did it in a way which ignored the context of the verses and really said something opposite to what the those passages really teach about the true praise of God. The rules of Bible interpretation are simple, but they are absolutely important.

I found nine occurrences of the word “reconcile” in its various forms in the NIV Bible. Several of the passages (Matt. 5:23-24; Luke 12:58-59; Acts 7:26; and 1 Cor. 7:11) encourage or command people to become friends again with each other. As I said above, this is to be expected in a sinful world in which our pride is a great sin. There are many other Bible passages which show reconciliation and how it should be handled such as Matt. 18:15-17 and Genesis 45:4-7, but for this essay I am simply focusing on the passages which use a form of the word “reconcile.” The passages which are most helpful to us estranged sinners are the other passages which describe our reconciliation with God. You may find these in your Bible at: Romans 5:10-11; Rom. 11:15; 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Ephesians 2:14-18; and Colossians 1:15-23. You may not think that the verses which tell us how we are reconciled with God would be more valuable to us in reconciling with one another, but that would be wrong. God’s ways are not the same as the world’s ways, and Christians especially need to be reconciled with God before we are reconciled with one another.

We are all estranged from God because of our sinfulness. Remember how Adam and Eve were kicked out of God’s garden paradise after they sinned against God’s command (Genesis 3). The estrangement of sin is severe, and there is nothing we can do about it. Romans 5:10-11 reminds us that our sin makes us God’s enemies, but we are reconciled to God through the death of His Son, Jesus. It is Jesus who has made us friends again with God. He has endured the punishment for our sins so God is no longer angry over them, and he has also forgiven us for causing him to suffer. The effect of Christ’s reconciliation is that we can have access to God’s heavenly paradise where we shall live in peace and happiness forever.

Because of Christ’s reconciliation, St. Paul told the believers in Corinth (2 Cor. 5:16-21) that we now regard no one from a worldly point of view. If Christ went to the cross and the grave in order to make us friends again with God the Father, then our estrangements here on earth are petty and small by comparison. They may not seem small, but we may quickly learn from experience that things aren’t always what they seem. If we look at our estrangements from God’s point of view they all are small and easily overcome. The key is forgiveness. Here again we learn forgiveness from Jesus. We learn in the Parable of the Unmerciful Servant (Matt. 18:21-35) that Jesus has forgiven us so much, that if we treasure His forgiveness then it is relatively easy to forgive the little things which keep us apart.

Reconciliation is easy for Christians because Jesus enables us to do it all the time. Reconciliation is impossible for unbelievers because they reject the forgiveness of their sins through Jesus Christ, and so therefore they reject the forgiveness of one another. Christians rely on God’s forgiveness every day of their lives so reconciliation is quite familiar. I pray that God would lead all sinners at St. Timothy to repentance so that they may joyfully receive Christ’s forgiveness, and having received this treasure they may also share that forgiveness and reconciliation with one another. I include myself in this, but it would be a tragedy for me to be the only one to repent. I repent of my sins daily, but I am not here to be the only one who receives Christ’s forgiveness and reconciliation. I am here to lead Christ’s sheep to the green pastures of His paradise. Christ has taught me that the way to paradise comes only through faith in His forgiveness and reconciliation. Read the Scripture passages which I have referenced above. May Christ lead you to repentance of all your sins, and receive the blessings of His forgiveness and reconciliation.

Truth Suffers

Newsletter article for February 1999

© 1999 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

As of this month (February 1999) I am for the first time eligible to become President of the United States. This is a milestone which is somewhat more dubious than it ought to be. This hasn’t always been the case. It used to be that the pinnacle of achievement that parents could wish for their young children would be that they would grow up to become the President of the United States. Now I suspect that very few parents would wish that for their children. This is partly due to the indignities committed by President Clinton, but also partly the indignities imposed upon the President from outside, such as the lack of privacy and the viciousness of the media.

I don’t intend to take sides in this article. I know that there are strong feelings on both sides of the issue of the impeachment of the President, and there is much to be desired from both Democrats and Republicans. Instead I wish to note that what has suffered the most in our nation has been the Truth.

From time to time a character in the comic strip “B.C.” will stand up on a pedestal engraved with the word “TRUTH” and speak some great truth which is meant to inspire or to guide the listeners’ thoughts and actions. The idea of putting truth on a pedestal means that we should respect the truth and look up, admire, and listen to those who speak it. Proverbs 23:23 says much the same thing, “Buy the truth, and do not sell it.” We should value the truth so much that we would pay a price to find it, but we should not be persuaded to tell lies, even if we think we will be rewarded if we do so.

The trouble with our society is that we do not put truth on a pedestal, nor do we value the truth enough to buy it. If the truth is inconvenient or expensive it is so much easier to settle for the bargain half-truth, or even for the cut rate lie, and many people take this “easier” path.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Proverbs 14:12

“All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” Prov. 16:2

Jesus said, “[The devil] was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.” John 8:44

Spirituality

Newsletter article for June 1998
© 1998 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Spirituality is becoming all the rage these days. Earlier in this century many people believed that we were entering into a new age where technology would answer all the mysteries of the universe which were previously unknown, believed by faith, or explained by religion. The trouble with this is that technology has its limits, not the least of which is that it has no soul. As a guiding path for one’s life, technology and science are cold, heartless, and empty. Technology brought us the devastation of World Wars I & II, nuclear bombs, the cold war, and countless other atrocities. Yes, technology also took man to the moon, but despite great romantic visions of life away from the earth, space is no place to be. To live in space you have to carry around all the food, water, and air that you will need for as long as you plan on remaining alive.

Technology has brought us many benefits and prosperity, but its limits are well documented. As we grow increasingly frustrated by the “modern” influence of technology, we are moving toward another age (currently identified as “post-modern”). One of the marks of this age is an increased interest in the spiritual aspects of life.

This would at first glance seem to be a good thing. Anything which leads people to God is a good thing. But, sinful human nature, being what it is (i.e. sinful) doesn’t look for God. It does everything it can to avoid God. It looks for spiritual answers everywhere except where the Holy Spirit really is.
In order for us Christians to avoid godless spirituality, we need to know what godly spirituality is all about. Christians have an advantage over non-Christians when it comes to understanding spirituality. Since God is the one who created us body, soul, and spirit, He is the one who can help us understand the mysteries of our spiritual lives. The Holy Scriptures do not define what spirituality is (after all, the Bible is not a dictionary.) However, whenever it speaks of spiritual things it is always in relation to the Holy Spirit. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul explains why it is impossible for people to understand spirituality without the Holy Spirit, “This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the (Holy) Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:13-14)

In reference to John 3:6, “That which is born of the Spirit is spirit” Martin Luther wrote: “But what is spiritual birth? It means that I am born again as a new being by Baptism and the Holy Spirit and that I believe in Christ…. Thus the spiritual birth is brought about by the Word of God, Baptism, and faith. Even now, while we sojourn on this earth, we are already in this birth if we believe…. This birth is invisible and intangible; it is only believed.” Luther emphasizes that the physical life is temporary and will die, but our spiritual life, since it is from God, is eternal and will never die. Therefore our spiritual life is our life of faith given to us by the Holy Spirit through Baptism.

Luther summarizes our need for this spiritual life by explaining, “Physical birth entails physical things … it concerns physical life and no more. But if you want salvation, you need different parents, who will bring you to heaven. This Christ does. By means of Baptism and the Word of God He places you and your Christianity into the lap of our dear mother, the Christian Church. This He accomplished through His suffering and death that by virtue of His death and blood we might live eternally.”

In a magazine article, sociologist William Martin explained “One of the most attractive flaws of the New Age is its extraordinary emphasis on self absorption. Devotees often refer to unconditional love for all humanity, but rarely do they mention an obligation to demonstrate it to actual neighbors.” Contrast this with John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” and 1 John 4:10, “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

The latest issue of Concordia Theological Quarterly quotes author Charles Colson who writes, “Recently a neighbor told me how excited she was about her church. When I tried to point out diplomatically that the group was a cult, believing in neither the resurrection nor the deity of Christ, she seemed unconcerned. ‘Oh, but the services are so wonderful,’ she said. ‘I always feel so good after I’ve been there!’ Such misguided euphoria has always been rampant among those seeking spiritual strokes rather than a source of truth. But what about the church itself, that body of people ‘called out’ to embody God’s truth? Most of the participants in Robert Bellah’s study saw the church as a means to achieve personal goals. Bellah notes a similar tendency in many evangelical circles to thin the biblical language of sin and redemption to an idea of Jesus as the friend who helps us find happiness and self-fulfillment. These ‘feel gooders’ of modern faith are reflecting the same radical individualism we discussed in earlier chapters.... The new barbarians have invaded not only the parlor and politics but the pews of America as well.”

The Church is a Hospital to Heal Sin Sick Souls

Newsletter article for May 1998

© 1998 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

After further thought about last month’s article on crime, and discussions with people about it, I believe I made certain assumptions in the article which if you didn’t catch them would give you the wrong idea. Crime is not the problem. Crime is only a symptom of the problem.

Sin is the real problem. Sin is the cause of all crime. Sin is the cause of broken relationships and broken families. Sin is the cause of racism. Sin is what makes people distrust one another. Sin causes envy and obsessive jealousy which destroys people. If we want to get rid of the symptoms of crime, violence, and hatred, we need to address the cause, not just the symptoms.

In last month’s article I in no way meant to suggest that there are somehow two or more societies within American society. Nor did I intend to suggest that black society is somehow responsible for all the problems of crime. There is no such thing as a white society in our country which is removed from, and unaffected by, a separate black society. My assumption is that we are all in this together. What hurts (or helps) one part of our one society, hurts (or helps) all the other parts. White people cannot say, “It’s a black problem, it doesn’t affect me.” Black people cannot say, “It’s a white problem, it doesn’t affect me.” If there is a relaxed attitude about crime and violence in America, it certainly didn’t originate among the African American segments of society, but as the newspaper article I cited pointed out — the black segments of our society are suffering a disproportionate amount of the tragic consequences. My point is that this hurts us all.

The trouble with sin is that it is an incurable disease, and we are all infected. Sin is not limited to any national borders, or racial differences, or gender differences. Sin is much worse than AIDS or cancer, or any other disease, because the mortality rate is 100%. Every day of our lives is a battle against sin. The question is, how can we fight against sin?

Sin cannot be overcome by attacking the symptoms. We cannot become less sinful by sinning less. It sounds like a paradox, but only if we think of sin as only something we do, and not something that infects us. A person with AIDS cannot be cured by simply avoiding sickness. Even if we somehow could stop sinning (an impossible task) the disease would remain.

The danger with treating only the symptoms of sin is that if you are even a little bit successful in keeping yourself away from committing sins, you might convince yourself that you had overcome the disease. This is called “self righteousness.” If you convince yourself that you are healed from sin, or at least that you do not need the cure, then you won’t look for the cure, or you will reject it when it comes.

The only cure for sin is Jesus. He is the only way that we have any hope of surviving this disease called sin. Jesus cured our disease when He died on the cross. Unfortunately, we must wait to see the full benefits of the cure. The good news is that the cure (Jesus) gives us life that lasts forever. The bad news is that we must still struggle against sin and its consequences as long as we live. However, even this bad news is tempered by the fact that we are not alone in this struggle. Even in this life, Christ himself gives us the power to love one another and do the good works that God wants us to do.

The Church plays a strong role in helping us overcome the problems that sin causes. If sin is our disease then the Church is the hospital where we go for treatment. The “medicine” which God gives us for healing are called the “means of grace.” They are God’s Word, and the sacraments. Church is where we hear the good news about Jesus, and where our faith in Jesus is strengthened through personal contact with Him in the sacraments. Just like in the Old Testament where the people who were bitten by the snakes had to look up to the bronze snake on the pole in order to be healed, so we need to look to Jesus for the healing of our sin-sick souls. The focus of our worship at St. Timothy is always on what Jesus has done to save us. When we meet together to worship Jesus we are strengthened for our battle against sin. Those who do not attend worship regularly are at a disadvantage.

Where can a person find strength in Christ, if not at Church? Some may say that they can worship Jesus just as well at home or at the golf course, but do they? That’s like me saying that my car can get over 30 miles per gallon. It can, but I’ve only done it once in two years. If I drive on the assumption that I am currently getting 30 mpg then I will soon run out of gas.

My friends, if we wish to get rid of the problems which plague our society, then we must treat the cause, not the symptoms. Although we all contribute to the problem of sin in the world, Christ’s cure is much more powerful than all our diseases. Christ has rescued us from the deadly infection of sin. We should not be content to stand by and watch others be consumed by this disease when we know the cure, but we need to keep ourselves strong through faith in Christ. If you do not make it a habit to strengthen your faith through regular worship and prayer, then you are depriving yourself of a strong weapon to help you survive your battle against sin. We should also encourage one another to attend worship regularly so that we can help build them up too, as St. Paul gave encouragement to the church in Rome, “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 15:5-6)

Since Sin is a spiritual problem and a spiritual disease, next month I intend to discuss what it means to have a spiritual life, and what Christian Spirituality is about.

How to Read the Bible

Newsletter article for August 1997

© 1997 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

Regular Bible study, or just plain reading Holy Scripture is an important part of the life of any Christian. Here are some steps which I hope can give you some guidance and encouragement to help you grow spiritually in your study of Scripture.

Begin with Prayer

Since you intend to “Listen” to God’s Word, by reading the Bible, it only makes sense that you would speak to Him first. One helpful prayer might ask God to help you understand what you read, and that through your study your faith may be strengthened.

Read the Bible.

I apologize for stating what should be obvious, but many times we overlook what is obvious. In order to grow in our faith, and grow in our knowledge of Scripture we need to read the Bible. Books and articles about the Bible can help us in our study and understanding, but only after we have read the Bible in the first place, and have accumulated a list of questions about things we didn’t understand, or issues which need further explanation. Other devotional material and books about the Bible should never replace studying the Bible itself, but may be used along with regular Bible study to aid in our understanding.

Use a Version that You can Understand.

It is important to remember that the Holy Bible is a translation of languages which are foreign to us. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, and the New Testament was written in Greek, and even the best translation can be hard to understand when it talks about things which are foreign to us. The King James Version (KJV) has been the standard English translation of the Bible for hundreds of years. It is very faithful to the Hebrew and Greek texts. It is also very poetic and beautiful to read. The trouble with the KJV is that it was presented to King James I of England in 1611. The English language has changed somewhat during the past 386 years. It hasn’t changed so much that we can’t understand the KJV (or other contemporary English works, such as William Shakespeare’s works), but the language has changed enough to make it a struggle to understand the KJV.

I believe that many people who find it difficult to understand the Bible will be less likely to spend time studying it. This is not to say that struggling to understand the Bible is bad. Actually, any study of Holy Scripture will involve some struggling to understand what the text is talking about, no matter what translation you use. However, my goal is to encourage you to read the Bible more, and if one translation is a barrier to Bible study, then you are better off using a different translation.

The New International Version (NIV) is the version we use in Worship at St. Timothy. It is relatively easy to read, and is a reasonably accurate translation. However there are a number of other translations which are fine also, (including one called the New King James Version).

I would caution against using versions such as the Living Bible, the New World Bible, and any version which is “Gender Neutral”. These are not really translations of any known ancient Biblical manuscripts, but are paraphrases of English translations. These may be acceptable for some personal devotions, but for serious study I would avoid them. Since they are not translations they are not always faithful to the original text, and the authors may have their own agenda which in some instances contradicts what the Holy Spirit gave the Biblical writers to write.

Listen to the Bible on Tape.

You can purchase the Bible on cassette tape. This way you can listen to it in your car on your way to and from work, or at home when you are washing the dishes, or doing housework. The Bible on tape is particularly helpful if you have trouble reading (if you know someone like this you may have to tell them about this article), or have vision problems.

The Bible is about Jesus.

This may also seem to be obvious, but it is important. It was this point (and all of its implications) which led Martin Luther to begin the Reformation in 1517. The whole Bible (including the Old Testament) points to Jesus Christ as our only savior from sin. This is what the Bible is about, nothing more, nothing less. This is important because how you approach Scripture affects how you understand it. The only way the Bible makes any sense is if you see it as being about Jesus Christ and what He has done to save you and me from our sins.

If you were to view the Bible as just a book of rules to show you how to live a decent life, then some passages make no sense: “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10) and “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23) More importantly if you view the Bible this way, Jesus’ death makes no sense because he kept the Law perfectly and didn’t deserve to die.

There are Two Main Teachings in the Bible.

This point is related to the previous point. In order to understand what the Bible is teaching us we need to know that there are only two main teachings in the Bible. Every passage in Scripture falls into one of these two categories (although some passages are harder to distinguish than others). Those teachings are Law and Gospel. The Law tells us what we ought to do and not do, shows us that we haven’t done what we ought to do, and condemns us for being sinners. Now, this sounds as if the law were a terrible thing, and if the Bible were just a book of laws, then we would have no hope. But the Law is part of God’s Word, and it is good and useful because it shows us that we need a savior. This leads us to the Gospel. The Gospel tells us what God has done to save us from the condemnation of our sins. The Gospel is about Jesus Christ, alone. The Gospel shows us that the only way we can be saved from our sin is by God’s grace through Jesus’ death and resurrection. The Gospel also tells us that God offers this salvation to all people for free. We don’t have to do anything to earn it (that would be Law). Both Law and Gospel are found throughout the Old and New Testaments, sometimes within the same verse (see Romans 6:23). We need both the Law and the Gospel, and they work together to bring us the salvation of Christ. As we read the Bible, we should distinguish between Law and Gospel, and not confuse them.

Ask Questions, then Seek the Answer.

As you read the Bible you are bound to find some passages which you don’t understand, or which seem to contradict another passage in scripture, or which contradicts something you thought Scripture said. This is unavoidable, and it can be somewhat troubling for a new Christian, or for someone who isn’t used to studying Scripture. The first thing to do when this happens is to pray. Ask God to help you understand His Word. Then see if you can find another passage in Scripture which answers or explains your question. A helpful tool for interpreting the Bible is the maxim: “Let Scripture interpret Scripture”. The Bible is God’s Word, and he wants us to know him and understand what He has done for our Salvation, although he does make us struggle to understand from time to time.

It is also helpful to use other Christians as resources. Ask someone else if they can answer your question. Other Christians may have struggled over that question before, and found an explanation or answer. Also, don’t be discouraged if you go to the pastor first, and he can’t answer the question. He doesn’t know everything (even if he has spent many years in the ministry), and some questions just can’t be answered by anyone.

Make Bible Study a Habit.

There are good habits, and there are bad habits. Habitual Bible study is a good habit, unless you use it as an excuse to neglect your family obligations, or your own personal care. Regular Bible study is a hard habit to get into because the devil tries very hard to keep you away from it. Satan works hard to give you distractions, and to make other time-consuming activities seem more important, so that you don’t feel as if you have time for Bible study. It is hard work to resist these temptations and to make time for Bible study, but the rewards are a greater understanding and appreciation for God’s love, and for all that Jesus has done to save you.

May God bless you and help you grow through your study of Holy Scripture.

An Examination of 1 Peter 3:15

Newsletter article for April 1997
© 1997 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

“In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15)

This passage from St. Peter is from a section of his letter where he speaks about suffering for doing good. In this one small verse Peter states at least four things which define the Christian life.

1. In your heart set apart Christ as Lord.

This is simply another way of stating “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Only Christians can do this, because this presumes faith in Jesus as your savior. It is important that this comes first. Christ is first in the lives of Christians. He is more important than our job. He is more important than our house or car, or all our possessions. Christ is even more important than our husband or wife, or even our children. What this means is that we should not let any of these things get in the way of our faith in Jesus, no matter how much we love these other things.

When we love Christ above all else, then we will also know how to properly deal with the other things in our life which are important. For example, when you trust that Jesus loves you so much that he died to save you, then you also realize that Jesus loves your enemy, too. That changes the way you might deal with an enemy. No longer do you deal with an enemy out of anger, but out of love; and you seek reconciliation, rather than revenge.

2. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone....

Here Peter encourages us to be witnesses. A good witness tells what he knows. Therefore as Christians we should study Holy Scripture diligently to learn all that we can about Jesus Christ, and all that he has done for us. It is easy to become a Christian—because Jesus has done all the work. Even small children and infants can have faith, because faith is the gift of the Holy Spirit which He gives to us through Holy Baptism. We could go through life with that simple, “baby” faith and still be saved. However, that is unsatisfying, dangerous, and it doesn’t properly prepare us to answer those who question us about our faith. As we grow in our lives we should also grow in our faith. As we encounter new situations day by day in our lives we also discover new ways in which God gives us his love and mercy. To all you past, present, and even future students this may sound tedious that our learning about Jesus is never ending, but it is not at all tedious. It is pure joy to find yourself somewhere where you have never been, and to find that Christ has not abandoned you, but he is with you always, even to the end.

We should look for opportunities to show kindness to people (especially our enemies). We should also look for opportunities to witness our faith. This doesn’t happen overnight, and each one of us can do it in our own way. But look for the opportunities. If you hesitate and miss an opportunity, then take some time and reflect on the situation and imagine how you would witness your faith if you could do it over again. That way, when you are in that situation again, you will be prepared, and you may lead the person to eternal salvation.

3. The reason for the hope that you have.

We usually think of “hope” as something which may never happen but we wish will happen. However, when the Holy Bible speaks of “hope” it usually is speaking about a sure thing. The “hope” that we have is really the assurance that Jesus loves us, has forgiven our sins, and will give us eternal life in Heaven—just as He promised. This assurance changes our outlook on life. I know that “I can do everything through [Christ] who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:13) This confidence is visible to others, especially in times of great trouble, such as at the death of a loved one, or in times of danger and uncertainty. This hope is also shown when we show love and respect to our enemies. We can do this because we trust that Jesus has shown us much love and mercy when we did not deserve it either.

4. Do this with gentleness and respect.

The manner in which we witness our Christian faith is at least as important as the message itself. There is little room for a “Do as I say, not as I do” kind of attitude. Of course there is forgiveness in Christ for our sins, but as far as witnessing our Christian faith is concerned, actions speak louder than words. If we act selfishly or in an uncaring manner, then the message we send is that Christians are no different than the pagans, or in some cases may be worse. We don’t want people to turn away from their Savior, simply because we were acting foolish and forgetting #1 above. Instead, when we act with kindness and respect that, in itself, is a witness to your Christian faith. By acting in this way you may make friends with someone you might not otherwise (such as an enemy) and it may lead you to an opportunity to actually tell someone about Jesus, or to invite them to Church or Bible Study.

Witnessing your faith need not be difficult. It could be as simple as showing kindness to those around you. It could also include telling someone why you trust in Jesus as your savior. These activities are not optional, but they are at the very heart of the Christian's life. Be prepared. In order to help you in this task we offer weekly Bible study here at St. Timothy. Please come to Bible study on Sundays at 11:00 am. Or watch the Newsletter and Bulletin announcements for midweek Bible Studies such as LifeLight.

May our Lord Jesus strengthen you in faith, and in hope so that you will be prepared to answer anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have.

In Christ,

Pastor Wolff

Reformation Day 1996

Newsletter article for October 1996

© 1996 by Rev. Paul A. Wolff

At the end of this month we will celebrate a very special holiday. October 31 isn’t just Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve), it is also the 479th anniversary of the start of the Reformation. This is a great day in the history of the Christian Church, although it is understandable that it is not celebrated with such vigor in the Roman Catholic Church (to say the least). However, we celebrate Reformation Day because it is the day that Dr. Martin Luther brought the Gospel back to its rightful place in the Church.

On October 31, 1517, Martin Luther, an Augustinian Monk and Bible Scholar, posted a sheet of paper on the door of the Church in Wittenberg, Germany. On the paper was printed 95 “Theses” about what Luther felt were unscriptural and anti-Christian practices in the Catholic Church. He wanted the local Church leaders and Biblical Scholars to study each thesis on the basis of Holy Scripture so that they could stop doing things which were spiritually harmful for the members of the Church, and they could have a better understanding what Scripture taught.

Luther’s 95 Theses were not received kindly by the leaders of the Catholic Church, even though the members of the Church were generally excited that someone in the Church was addressing the problems in the Church of that time. Even though printed Bibles were rare, the people knew enough about Christianity and about the Bible to know that some of the practices of the Church of that time were wrong. However, because of greed, and pride, and sin in general, the leaders of the Church were unwilling to admit any errors, and they tried to get Martin Luther to recant his position that the Church was in error. In a dramatic and famous scene from history, Luther stood in front of the emperor, who had put Luther on trial, and he told the emperor that unless it could be proven from Holy Scripture that he was wrong he could not recant what he had written because it was the truth of God’s word.

Martin Luther had come a long way in his life to get to this point. He was raised a good Catholic, and felt so strongly about the Church that he devoted his life to service in the Church by becoming a monk in the Augustinian order. However, as he tried to live out his faith, he grew increasingly unsure about the forgiveness of his sins, and even his own salvation. The problem was that the Church had a system of penance where a person would have to do a good work before receiving forgiveness from the priest (and presumably, God). Instead of reassuring Luther (and no doubt others, too) that his sins were forgiven, this only raised doubts in his mind whether he had done enough penance, or whether he was sorry enough for his sins. Luther even began to doubt whether God could forgive him at all for his sins.

The answer to this dilemma came when Luther was reading the Book of Romans where it says, “A man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.” And also in Ephesians where it says, “For it is by faith that you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” It was these passages, and others like them which reassured Luther of God’s love and forgiveness in Christ. This was such a relief to Luther’s conscience that he began to reread the Bible to learn if there were more passages like this. To his great surprise he found that there were passages like this throughout the whole Bible. In fact, he learned that the whole Bible was about what God has done to save us from our sins (the Gospel). The answer was always there, right under his nose, but he had overlooked it until this point. From then on he looked at everything the Church did in terms of the Gospel. This is what led him to post the 95 Theses.

This also explains why we hold Luther in such high regard in the Lutheran Church. Luther was not a perfect man. He did not do miracles (although several times God protected him in nearly miraculous ways). He did not even devise a clever system of theology like some later reformers. Martin Luther simply read God’s Word and discovered the Gospel of Salvation through faith in Jesus, and he tried to return the Gospel to its proper place in Worship, and in the Church. This is why we in the Lutheran Church place great importance on Holy Scripture and the Church’s doctrine. Since Scripture is God’s Word, it is the basis for all the teachings in our Church. God gave us His Word so that we can put our faith in Jesus to save us from our sins. Luther didn’t teach us anything new, but we thank God for sending Luther to remind us that Jesus is our only savior from sin, and that the only way we can be saved is through faith in Jesus Christ. We should keep this in mind this month during our times of Bible study. Whether you are at Church, or at home in your personal Bible study, remember that the Bible is about Jesus and what he has done to save you from your sins and give you eternal salvation.

May God bless your worship and Bible Study this month (and always),

Pastor Wolff