Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: 1. Thessalonians 5,14-24. 14. Trinity

Monday, September 6, 2021

1. Thessalonians 5,14-24. 14. Trinity

1. Thessalonians 5,14-24 4721

14. Trinitatis 059

Zacharias and Elizabeth, ✠

Marinus, Deacon, ✠ end of the 4. century

5. September 2021

1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who by Your blessed Word and Your Holy Baptism has mercifully cleansed all who believe from the fearful leprosy of sin, and daily does grant us Your gracious help in all our need: We beseech You so to enlighten our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may never forget these Your blessings, but ever live in Your fear, and, trusting fully in Your grace, with thankful hearts continually praise and glorify You. Amen. (Veit Dietrich)

2. »Do not quench the Holy Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.«

3. We live in a world seeking the truth. People and algorithms fact check social media posts, statements by the president and a host of other information. We also fact check the fact checkers.

4. The Apostle Paul exhorts us: do not quench the Holy Spirit, and do not despise the prophets. Paul is, among other things, emphasizing the prominence of the Scriptures and the preaching on the Scriptures. This task of preaching occurred each Sabbath in the synagogues, and the churches likewise read the Scriptures and preach on them. Martin Luther explains the 3. Commandment likewise saying: we should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but gladly hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it (Small Catechism).

5. Paul also exhorts the Thessalonians Christians to examine and test the Scriptures and the preaching. Luke tells us: »The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Many of them therefore believed, with quite a few Greek women of high standing as well as men« (Acts 17,10-12). Luther writes: „Do not dream of a Holy Spirit who works without the Word and before the Word, but rather understand that the Holy Spirit comes with and through the Word and He goes only as far as the Word goes“ (SL XI,1073,75).

6. The Holy spirit acting in the gospel testifies that:

A. Holy Scripture is the only source and norm of Christian doctrine;

B. Holy Scripture is identical to the Word of God;

C. Holy Scripture is verbally inspired, thus:

i. Scripture is authoritative;

ii. Scripture does what it says;

iii. Scripture is sufficient; and

iv. Scripture is clear.

7. The gospel of God is that He saves the world. This He does through His Son Jesus Christ. His suffering and death are vicarious, for He voluntarily gives His life as a ransom for all people. Christ’s death is a sacrifice, and by it He has established a new covenant and testament whereby sins are forgiven, His death is eschatological (concerning the last day) and preludes the full realization of His reign at His 2. Advent.

8. „As Christ says, it depends all depends on this: If you are to cling to my Word and continue in it you must learn rightly to perceive who I am and believe that for you I died, was buried, and resurrected again, all of which proves that I purposed no evil toward you. If you acknowledge this and believe it, you will certainly hold firm to my Word and continue in it. Accordingly, love must flow forth from faith. When faith is there we will come safely through. Christ’s words are indeed very plain, “If a man love me, he will keep my words,” my word about my death and resurrection, not Moses’ word or the Ten Commandments.… But the Word of our dear Lord Christ is the highest and best treasure. Whoever has it, Christ affirms, and welds it to himself over all other things lest it be taken from him, can be very certain that my Father also loves him.“ (Luther 179,5 § 3-6; 180, 6 § 1.4-5).

9. Many religious and spiritual people boast much about God, pray often and want to serve Him, but the truth is that they err in all this concerning God if they don’t have and believe Christ’s Word, which is really the Father’s Word and in which He teaches us that through Christ we have forgiveness of sins and eternal life (Luther 182,16). We trust in Christ, and His Word that by His body and blood we are forgiven, that this gospel is proclaimed throughout the pages of the Holy Scriptures.

10. Everything depends on our being attached to Christ (Luther 181,11 § 1). We are to cleave to Christ alone, for He is the Word of God made flesh, and His spoken Words are the very words of Scripture. And then we hear His voice, are edified, are comforted and are blessed. „Behold, Christ keeps His Church at peace in the midst of affliction and temptation. The Word of Christ, Holy Scripture, is a Word of grace, love and peace of God toward us. The Scriptures tell us that God wants to be our dear Father, and promises us peace and all good things through His Son, Christ, whom we have for a friend“ (SL XI, 1078,86).

11. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7). Amen.

12. Let us pray. O Lord, our Compassionate Father; show compassion to those who fear and trust in You, so that we receive Your mercy and grace. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Monday, September 6, 2021

1. Thessalonians 5,14-24. 14. Trinity

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