Ask the Pastor

A Most Excellent Friend

2009-07-15T04:49:00.003-05:00

When a pastor is forced to empty his study before a deadline set by his (ex-) congregation expires, a friendly person wishes him well. A friend volunteers his truck. A good friend helps to carry things out to his truck and to unload them at the new destination. An outstanding friend calls for another reason, finds out what the pastor is doing, and helps pack all his books and periodicals, tote them, filing cabinets, bookcases, bust of Martin Luther, works of art, and various knickknacks, doodads, and fixtures to his truck, and then helps to unload it all at its new location.

My deadline was today, 15 July.

My outstanding friend was (and is and, God willing, will remain) the Rev. William Heine, religion instructor and Dean of Chapel for Saint Paul Lutheran High School in Concordia. He called to ask me about writing a hymn and wondered how things were going since the church forced me to resign. When he heard what I was up against, he finished a couple things at his place, then came over here and put in about 7 hours of heavy, dusty work.

Thank you again, Bill.

Cross-posted from Happenings.

Technorati Tags: friendship | friend | service | kindness | love | care | concern | moving | packing | Christian | Christianity | Lutheran | Lutheranism | William Heine | Bill Heine | Pastor Walter Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor | Happenings

Win a Bible

2009-07-06T21:10:00.003-05:00

A Contest from Logos Bible Software

Here’s the official announcement: Logos Bible Software is celebrating the launch of their new online Bible by giving away 72 ultra-premium print Bibles at a rate of 12 per month for six months. The Bible giveaway is being held at Bible.Logos.com and you can get up to five different entries each month! After you enter, be sure to check out Logos and see how it can revolutionize your Bible study.

And here’s my abbreviated “testimonial” about Logos: I’ve been using the software almost as long as I’ve been a pastor. Its ever-growing library and increasing power and flexibility of searching and referencing keep Logos atop my list of “absolutely necessary” Bible study and theological research tools.

A Matter Personal and Professional

2009-06-18T00:41:00.002-05:00

Preface:This may surprise some readers of Ask the Pastor: I’ve been asked to resign my pastorate here in Emma, Missouri. I’ll provide a bit of background in this preface and then let you read the following letter, one that I delivered verbally and in print to the congregation following the service on 7 June 2009.

It follows a month of serious soul-searching, including many prayers and hours of conversation with some of the members of Holy Cross Lutheran. I’ll not get into personalities nor attempt to ascribe motives, since these are sinful activities involving judging others. Likewise, I won’t catalogue the list of reasons that were appended to the request for my resignation.

I do, however, wish to highlight one issue. Among other complaints, one item read, “Has frequently embarrassed HC with newspaper articles.” As you know, I’ve talked about confessional, liturgical Lutheranism. I have occasionally highlighted differences among the various parts of Christendom and those between orthodox Christianity and various sects and cults. I’ve addressed sexuality, abusive behavior, family dynamics, evolution and creation, sacramental theology, suffering and death, and seemingly almost “everything that is done under the sun. (Ecclesiastes 1:14)”

In all of these, I tried to be as gentle as possible with my responses but never less than absolutely forthright and firm in my beliefs. I drew upon Scripture, the Creeds, the Lutheran Confessions, and experts in the fields about which I was asked. I hope that none of my readers has thought less of Holy Cross because of these collected writings of its pastor. If you have, please tell me, so that I may apologize to you and to the flock here.

I will not be attending the voters’ meeting this coming Sunday. Rather, our circuit counselor will be present. I have no certainty as to the outcome, although I imagine that even many of my supporters would rather let me “quietly” resign rather than undergo protracted struggle within the congregation. However, if people continue asking questions, expecting a thoughtful, Christ-centered response, I will continue to reply as I am able.

Beyond the next few weeks, I’ve not done much planning. I imagine that will soon change. I ask for your prayers and trust that the Lord will provide. Please pray also for my family here and elsewhere. Pray that Holy Cross finds true peace, not because I am gone but rather because they are living under the grace of God in Christ Jesus.

My own hope centers upon my desire — even need — to continue preaching and teaching the Word of God, particularly salvation by grace through faith in Christ. I imagine that I’d be delighted to enter another parish, one that wants Law and Gospel preaching, liturgical worship, and thought-provoking Bible study.

Of late, I’ve also been thinking more seriously about attempting to enter the Lutheran classroom on either the high school or collegiate level. While I could certainly teach religion, I’d almost rather teach the humanities (my college major) or history (my minor), in a setting where I could freely integrate the Faith with the curriculum. If God calls me into this arena, I hope that He allows me to also shepherd a small congregation or else work with the pastors in a larger church.

Finally, if you wish to contact me or the congregation, you may send email or write a letter. I include the addresses below the letter. And please keep an eye out for what happens next. If I am to leave, I’d love to have as many people as possible celebrate Christ’s forgiveness proclaimed through the pastoral office during one final service at the end of this month. Should there be opportunity for a farewell service, I hope that we’ll find a way to bend wrists and elbows to plate and cup after bending our hearts and knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Addendum to the preface: Please do not think that this column was the primary complaint given by the church officers, nor only one of a handful. They were listed, although not in any order of seriousness, from one through thirteen(!). As I say below, I am a sinner and know better than anyone but God how rotten I can be. I’ve not been all that I could be as man, husband, father, son, or brother, so it’s no surprise that I’ve also fallen short of the mark as a pastor.

Out of the list of complaints, the items with which I most closely agree involve time and space management. I over-schedule, under-plan, and thus am often racing the clock. I’m somewhat of a stranger to arriving early and while I’m not racing the bells to church, I don’t always get there as soon as some desire. There’s always one more “squeaking wheel” that I think I must immediately “grease” before moving on to what’s already on the schedule.

Evening meetings are often worse, since I’ll try to squeeze in one more visit or try to get one more thing done before beginning my visits. Either of these can easily make me late for meetings. Also in this realm, some thought that I missed meetings I should have attended. I tried to be present for all meetings with elders and council and never intentionally avoided either. As far as I know, I skipped these “essential” assemblies only when out of town for visitation or vacation or sick at home.

One item objected to the way I dressed at times, although no one ever came to me with a first- (or even second-) hand example of unprofessional attire in “public arenas.” Perhaps it involves my 52 year old body at the public pool, picking up trash in ditches, wearing a t-shirt and shorts on a hot summer day while dining uptown, or just being in one of the towns not on official business and thus not dressed to the nines (or even the 6.5s). Some of the complaints are more personal or would need first-hand observation in order to comment or draw conclusions, so I’ll not include them.

Anyhow, it wasn’t only — or even primarily — my answers to people’s questions that led to this situation. However, perception often trumps reality, so even minor points likely fanned the flames already burning in some folks’ bellies over more major items of contention.

Therefore, if anyone is moved to squawk, please don’t put all the eggs into the rickety basket of Ask the Pastor.

1 June AD 2009

Holy Cross Lutheran Church
Emma, Missouri

Dear members of Holy Cross,

On 5 May 2009 the chairman and elders of Holy Cross presented me with a request that I resign as pastor of this congregation. They asked that I do so in writing by 1 June with an effective date of 30 June.

The request stated that if I were to tender a resignation during the set period, I would be offered a severance package, including continuation of compensation, parsonage housing, and health insurance. Each of these was set for a different duration and details will be made available.

I spent much time in discussion with my family and with brother pastors, synodical officials, and Lutheran lay people whose judgment I trust. They have offered a number of conflicting recommendations and their advice varied so widely that it left me with no one clear course of action. Not able to discern how each different decision might play out in the future, I decided upon a response that I think best suits the immediate situation.

I do not desire a protracted struggle that might hurt my family nor do I want to further divide Holy Cross. Therefore, on 1 June I presented [our congregational chairman] with notice that I accepted the request for my resignation. However, I asked that this not be publicized until I made an official announcement after the service on 7 June. At the same time as I wrote to the church officers, I composed this message for the entire congregation. I shall read it and then make it available in print.

In short, I tender Holy Cross Congregation my resignation as its pastor, effective 30 June 2009. Since the voters’ assembly is the official calling body of a synodical congregation, the voters must accept this resignation at a duly called meeting. Therefore, at the 21 June congregational meeting, you will be asked to do so and to make official the end of my duties here. If my resignation is accepted, you will be asked to approve the severance package and attend to any other details.

It has been my pleasure and privilege to be your pastor for the past ten years. When I came, I promised to preach and teach “nothing except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)” Through Word and Sacrament, in sermons and classes, in hospitals welcoming new babies or ministering to the sick, the injured, and the dying, at weddings and at funerals, I believe I was able, by God’s grace, to accomplish this goal.

Of course, I am, as are all of Christ’s people, still a poor miserable sinner as well as a saint, that is, a redeemed child of God through faith in Christ Jesus. If I mis-spoke, I pray that I always clarified or corrected my words. If any think that I have wronged them and that we have not yet reconciled, I ask that they come to me so that we might be reunited in “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3)” At those times that my priorities and emphases differed from those of others, rest assured that those differences stemmed from who I am and how I was raised and trained, not from animosity toward any members of this church.

Please pray for wisdom as you prepare for the June voters’ meeting and the decisions you must make. Pray also for Holy Cross, for the Snyder family, and for me.

Yours in Christ,
(signed) Pastor Walter P. Snyder

Pastor Walter Snyder [click to send email]
PO Box 12
Emma, Missouri 65327

Holy Cross Lutheran Church [click to send email]
PO Box 86
Emma, Missouri 65327

Ponderings Prior to Preaching on Trinity Sunday

2009-06-07T00:05:00.002-05:00

Root and Branch

2009-06-03T22:28:00.007-05:00

Q: When studying prophecy about the “branch” of a tree, I assume that this is a reference to Jesus. How does the Branch then relate to Jesse and to David?

A: Obviously a branch is the outgrowth of a tree. Regarding this Biblical Branch, interpretations make sense especially when we think of the “family” tree. The Lord promised David the son of Jesse an everlasting throne, so whomever followed him would have to be of his family in order to be a true king of the Lord’s people.

Prophetic references to this throne include 2 Samuel 7:11-13; Psalm 89:4; and Isaiah 9:6-7. Gabriel’s words to the Virgin in Luke 1:32-33 clearly indicate that Jesus is the One who fulfills this prophecy: “The Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Jeremiah 33:15 is one of the Messianic prophecies citing a branch: “I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David.” This Branch would unite Israel’s sundered tribes under the Lord’s righteous rule. Meanwhile, in Isaiah 11 the Lord “ignored” David, choosing instead to “root” the prophecy in David’s father Jesse. Speaking of the promised Messiah, He said, “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (v. 1)”

Some speculate that the Lord chose to mention Jesse rather than David both as a reminder that the promise extended beyond royalty, since Jesse was a herdsman. Perhaps David’s own sins, particularly his adultery and subsequent murder of Uriah, also prompted this wording. It wasn’t because Israel deserved such a Branch — but rather, because it needed Him — that the Lord made His promise.

At any rate, by the time Jesus was born, Jesse’s family truly resembled a “stump.” No real vitality had been detected for centuries. Even though many genealogies carefully traced his descendants through David and beyond, there was no living memory of the last time a king from this house had ruled from Jerusalem. Indeed, the stump of Jesse seemed completely lifeless — as do the stumps we find elsewhere whenever mighty trees are felled.

However, while the kingly household appeared dormant, God remained active. At His appointed time, the dead stump finally showed signs of life. Yet in fulfilling the prophecy, the Lord followed His own plan rather than man’s expectations. The King’s coronation processional saw Him riding into the royal city not on a war horse or in a chariot but, as Zechariah predicted, “humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (9:9)”

By human estimation, this Branch never finished growing before being cut down. His own words to the crowd as He carried His cross out of Jerusalem would almost support this thought: “Turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.... For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’ (Luke 23:28, 31)”

However, the story didn’t end with the Lord’s crucifixion since He was raised from the dead. This resurrected branch, “the root of Jesse, [stands] as a signal for the peoples. (Isaiah 11:10)” He who grew as a branch of David’s family tree, who sprouted forth from Jesse’s stump, now has His own family tree. Jesus, the true Vine, bears His own branches (John 15:1-11). We weren’t born into this family but were grafted to our Lord and thus also made part of the house of Israel (Romans 11:11-24).

The Church’s liturgy and hymnody have long confessed Jesus as the incarnation of the promised Root and Branch. During Advent, the ancient O Antiphons and hymns such as Oh, Come, Oh, Come, Emmanuel and Behold, a Branch is Growing bear testimony of these Scriptures:

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1)” “In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples — of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. (Isaiah 11:10)” See also Micah 5:2, Romans 15:12; Revelation 5:5.

℣ O Radix Jesse, qui stas in signum populorum, super quem continebunt reges os suum, quem gentes deprecabuntur;
℟ veni ad liberandum nos, iam noli tardere.

℣ O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom they will do | homage:*
℟ Come quickly to de- | liver us.

   O come, Thou Branch of Jesse’s tree,
   Free them from Satan’s tyranny
   That trust Thy mighty pow’r to save,
   And give them vict’ry o’er the grave.
   Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
   Shall come to you, O Israel!

   Behold a branch is growing
   As of loveliest form and grace,
   As prophets sung, foreknowing;
   It springs from Jesse’s race
   And bears one little Flower
   In midst of coldest winter,
   At deepest midnight hour.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: branch | root | stump | tree | David | Jesse | prophecy | Jesus | Jesus Christ | Christ | theology | exegetical theology | exegesis | Bible | Old Testament | Scripture | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #586:2

What Happens to Palm Sunday Palms?

2009-06-03T22:03:00.004-05:00

Q: What do we do with left over palm branches after Palm Sunday?

A: We find differences among those church bodies that follow a liturgical calendar and observe Palm Sunday. Even within the same body, regional and congregational differences exist. Often used in choir or children’s processions at the beginning of the first service of Holy Week, the palms may be sent home as mementos of the day, either to all congregants or else to only the young people.

Other congregations merely gather them and dispose of them after church. While most of these churches try to find a reverent means of disposal, others haul them out with the rest of the trash.

An ancient practice followed in much of Christianity involves gathering whatever branches are not taken home. These are usually dried as completely as possible and are then burned in “clean” receptacles that are free of refuse, burnt food waste, and the like. The burning is conducted carefully so the ashes remain and do not fly up and blow away.

After being burned and cooled, the ashes are carefully sifted to remove any remaining bits of branch or unburned leaves — especially the thorny tips common to certain palms. The remnant may be further ground before the ashes are gathered and set aside until the following Lenten season. On Ash Wednesday, they are used in a ceremonial imposition of ashes upon the foreheads of those coming to church.

Ash Wednesday receives its name from the ancient practice of placing ashes on the foreheads of Christians to mark the beginning of the Lenten fast. Liturgical churches usually use part of Matthew 6 as the Gospel of the day. In this portion of the so-called “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus differentiated between the proper and improper practice of three major spiritual disciplines. These are almsgiving, or helping the poor (vv. 1-4), prayer, (vv. 5-6), and fasting (vv. 16-18).

Normally, the palm ashes are soon removed and are not reapplied. This is in line with Jesus’ words on fasting: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. (Matthew 6:16)” Even though many of us fast during Lent, we try to make our fasting as inconspicuous as possible. We aren’t putting on a show for others but are rather humbling ourselves before the Lord: “When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. (vv. 17-18)”

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Lent | Palm Sunday | Passion Sunday | Sunday of the Passion | palms | palm branches | ashes | Ash Wednesday | Church year | Christian year | Christian calendar | liturgical calendar | liturgics | liturgical theology | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #586:1

An Unequal Friendship

2009-05-22T00:33:00.006-05:00

Q: A friend now thinks it’s wrong to be my friend or even talk to me because I’m not the strong Christian she is. I have doubts and problems with belief and rarely go to church. Does anything in the Bible say that God doesn’t want you to be friends with people who aren’t like minded or holding the same morals, beliefs, etc.? She tends to stick to the literal wordings of the Bible rather than what it actually means, and I would be grateful if I could help her realize that God wants us to love everyone.

A: Depending on several things, your friend may or may not be mistaken about Scripture forcing her to abandon your friendship. A literal interpretation of Scripture reveals that God wants us to love our neighbor. However, it also cautions believers to choose their companions carefully.

She needs to evaluate her relationship with God before evaluating her relationship with you. If remaining close to you weakens her faith or encourages her to think or speak sinfully, she shouldn’t sustain the friendship. Paul warned, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’ (1 Corinthians 15:33)” If she fears that your doubts and your attitude toward church attendance will rub off on her, then she’s not prepared to remain a friend.

Yet if she seeks a way to closely follow God’s Word while preserving your friendship, I’ll offer you what you might consider a mixed blessing. On one hand, it’s a powerful stimulus for her to rethink her decision; on the other, it will invite her to “meddle” more completely in your spiritual affairs. In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, we read, “And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.”

Are you prepared for a concerted effort to get you into God’s house more frequently? Are you ready to have her address you doubts or finding help from others concerning your “problems with belief”? If so, ask her to read this reply to you. Ask her if she truly fears that continuing the friendship will corrupt her “good morals.” Then ask her if she wouldn’t rather elevate the friendship, getting in your face when necessary while also opening her heart to you farther than she ever has.

Keeping this friend might mean inviting her to “admonish” your church attendance or other sinful attitudes and acts. It may involve asking that she “encourage” your faith walk,“help” you during times of spiritual weakness, and “be patient” — not only with you but also with the Holy Spirit, who will work on you through the Word according to His own schedule, not hers. Remind her: “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)” Is she ready for all of this? Are you? If so, I pray that you not only grow as friends but also as sisters in Christ.

Along these lines, I answered a previous question about having non-Christian friends in Birds of a (Different) Feather.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: friendship | friends | friend | pals | buddies | BFF | best buds | faith | belief | morals | morality | Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | practical theology | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #585:2

Designating One’s Tithe

2009-05-22T00:08:00.005-05:00

Q: Does my tithe always have to go to my church? We’re in fine financial shape while another church in our city ministers to the poor. I’d like to give one year’s tithe to them. My husband tithes from his money to our church. I tithe from my personal account.

A: When God commanded tithing, the tithe was given directly to His Church and thus, through it, to Him. Numbers 18:24 tells us that “the people of Israel” made this contribution “to the Lord” who told Israel, “I have given [the tithe] to the Levites for an inheritance.”

Thus, it served two purposes. On a pragmatic basis, it fed, clothed, and housed the Levites, the tribe that had no land inheritance but served the Lord while receiving support from the other tribes. The tithe also had underlying spiritual value, teaching Israel that the Lord would provide more than they needed so they would learn to always trust in Him to provide.

If you look at Old Testament evidence only, you would be presenting your tithe to the ministers of God and they, in turn, would devote “a tithe of the tithe (Numbers 18:26)” to the Lord. However, we don’t have Levites, tabernacle or temple, animal sacrifices, and the like. We don’t have one central location of worship or one united church. What do we do now?

We turn to the New Testament! We read about Jesus pronouncing “woe” upon hypocritical “scribes and Pharisees” who followed tithing regulations while neglecting “the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. (Matthew 23:23)” Luke 18 introduces Jesus’ parable of the Pharisee who said, “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get. (v. 12)” Instead of honoring a man who so slavishly kept the Law, Jesus commended a “tax collector” who “beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ (v. 13)” Neither account encourages tithing.

The only other mention of tithing in the entire New Testament comes in Hebrews 7. The tithe referenced here didn’t come from Israelite worship but from the life of Israel’s (Jacob’s) grandfather Abram, who “gave a tenth of the spoils (v. 4)” to Melchizedek, king of Salem after the king blessed him (cf. Genesis 14:18-20).

When we read through Acts and the epistles, we find no mention of tithing anywhere in the Christian Church. Why? Because the tithe was commanded only to Israel, under the Mosaic covenant.

We Christians are free to give however we want. If people want to give a tenth, they can — however, they don’t have to. The Lord wants our riches freely given in response to His free lover for us: “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7)”

Meeting your question directly, you have a degree of freedom to give as you see fit. Help the needy? Paul commended the believers in “Macedonia and Achaia” for their “contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. (Romans 15:26)” Sustain existing ministry? The Epistles commend (and command) offerings given to support the ministers of the Gospel (e.g., 1 Corinthians 9:14; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; Galatians 6:6-7).

Using Scripture as a guide, think about a “both-and” rather than an “either-or” response. Your gifts to your own congregation support the proclamation of the Gospel there while gifts to the other flock bring both the Word and physical blessings to those in need. Instead of wondering how much you should give to each, consider how much you’re able to give.

Generally speaking, I think that we often use a faulty model for our offerings and alms. How often are we encouraged to “give until it hurts”? Would it not be more Scripturally accurate and God-pleasing to “give until it feels good”?

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: offerings | gifts | giving | tithes | tithing | ten percent | 10 percent | Levites | church | congregation | missions | alms | charity | Abram | Abraham | Melchizedek | theology | systematic theology | exegetical theology | practical theology | worship | Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #585:1

Black Christians in America

2009-05-21T14:25:00.003-05:00

Q: As a black person myself, I’d like your opinion: Why do you think so many black people are so religious? This isn’t meant to be disrespectful, but most blacks I know or know of are very religious. I’m not saying that all black people fall into this category and certainly those who do aren’t perfect people living perfect lives. And while some are Muslims, I don’t know of many belonging to other world religions. It seems to me that most African Americans who practice a religion are Christian and that most of these are fairly devout.

A: While I’m not familiar with all of America’s black history nor with every aspect of our nation’s religious beliefs, I’ve studied and observed enough to provide an informed opinion. Of course, I’ll be drawing on sociology, anthropology, and history as much as theology.

Generally speaking, people belonging to parts of society that are often controlled, directed, or dominated by other parts of that society — and who have little power for themselves and their group — are more likely to cling to religion for strength, hope, and comfort. While the Gospel reaches all social strata, we see even in the Church’s earliest days a disproportionate conversion rate among the lower social classes.

Conversely, those most affluent and in control get to thinking that they are, if not gods themselves, at least God’s gift to everyone else. Since they think they have things made, they’re less likely to seek divine intervention in their lives.

Didn’t Jesus say, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:24)”? Accordingly, the proportion of rich, socially influential people in Christian congregations is far lower than that of the poor and middle classes.

Now to which parts of American society have most blacks traditionally belonged?

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Black | African-American | Negro | slaves | slavery | poor | lower class | middle class | society | church | worship | attendance | demographics | membership | sociology | anthropology | history | United States History | U. S. History | American History | Black History | theology | historical theology | practical theology | worship | Christianity | Christian | Lutheranism | Lutheran | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #584:3

Biblical Translation and Inspiriation

2009-05-21T14:24:00.003-05:00

Q: How does the translation process impact the inspiration, inerrancy, and infallibility of the Bible?

A: When I was taking my Biblical language classes, professor after professor reminded us of one important truth: All translation is interpretation. Certainly, good translators try to find the closest possible comparisons to the target language but word equivalents don't always exist.

Hebrew and Greek both have verb tenses that don’t exist in English and a few of the words only occur one time in the entire Bible, so the occasional educated guess is also necessary. Still, when teams of people who genuinely want to combine the closest word for word translation with the smoothest possible sentence structure sit down to do their work, it’s hard to fault their results.

Whenever I start immersing myself in any version of Scripture, I can find something I think isn’t quite the best translation possible. However, few wave enough red flags to make me want to translate large sections of the original languages just to check their work. Areas of disagreement usually involve differences in theological presuppositions.

No matter what the religion — or lack thereof — every person holds certain a priori assumptions by which the rest of life is understood. In matters of faith, these may be expressed as the formal principle and the material principle. A formal principle is the sacred texts or other official sources from which doctrine is drawn and by which it is formed. A material principle is the central tenet or doctrine of that belief system.

The material principle is also the lens through which the faithful study their formal principle. The Bible comprises all or part of the formal principle of all Christianity. The formal principle of many parts of the Church combines Scripture with reason, tradition, direct revelation, or the teachings of the Church fathers.

Lutheranism has the Bible alone as its material principle. We believe that all Biblical doctrines are our doctrines and that all of our doctrines are Biblical doctrines. Our material principle is justification by grace through faith in Christ alone.

Therefore, when Lutherans read the Bible, we read it with the assumption that its primary purpose is to reveal Jesus Christ as mankind’s Savior. This is congruent with Jesus’ own assertation about His place in Scripture: “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me. (John 5:39)” This means that Lutheran translators always favor the interpretation of a passage that bears witness to Jesus Christ.

Both to check and to reinforce my understanding, when I’m lesson planning, writing devotions, or preparing sermons, I usually do at least a bit of in-depth original language work. This helps me verify the translation while also allowing the Lord speak to me in the words He first chose to use.

And what effect does all this have on inspiration and inerrancy? The original word was certainly inspired, as we read from 2 Peter 1:21, “Men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” The Scriptures provide no such “warranty” for transmission through the same language or translation into new tongues.

However, we know when we compare various original language manuscripts with each other that very few contain significant differences from each other. This testifies to the ongoing veracity of textual transmission. Similarly, when we compare various translations with each other and with the original languages, most are in close agreement.

I wouldn’t say categorically that an English language Bible is either inspired or completely inerrant. I will certainly claim that the full, truthful revelation of Jesus Christ is ours to read. Furthermore, I believe that the Holy Spirit uses these translations to create and sustain faith.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Bible | Scripture | Holy Scripture | God’s Word | Word of God | exegesis | exegetical theology | Biblical theology | Old Testament | Hebrew Bible | Hebrew Scriptures | myth | New Testament | Greek Scriptures | Greek Bible | hermeneutics | formal principle | material principle | justification by grace through faith | interpretation | inspiration | inerrancy | infallibility | Jesus | Jesus Christ | Christ | Christianity | Christian | Lutheranism | Lutheran | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #584:2

Why Be Thankful?

2009-05-21T13:47:00.004-05:00

Q: Why should I thank God for a creation I didn’t ask for?

A: Ultimately, no one “should” thank anyone. Thankfulness is only genuine when it’s not coerced. If you have no love for either the creation or its Creator, you shouldn’t be a hypocrite and utter thanks you don’t mean. However, the very fact that you’ve even suggested the existence of a creator tells me that you’re open to being convinced by Him and are not necessarily trapped by an atheistic mind set.

So what is it that leads you to reject giving thanks? What about this world and its Maker sets your teeth on edge? If you blame creation and its Creator, are you ready to talk about these issues? If so, I encourage you to find a knowledgeable Bible student who has the time and the temperament to sit down and hold extended discussions with you. Look for someone, either clergy or lay, who accepts that “in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)” This person should also believe that this God cares enough about His creation to intervene in its history in order to undo the damages that evidently sour your opinion of Him and His handiwork.

I pray that as you learn more about the destructive power of sin and the broken state of the cosmos, you’ll also discover the need for personal and universal redemption, reconciliation, and renewal. Then I hope that you will realize that the only cure for our diseased world is God’s only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ.

In Romans 8 the apostle Paul pointed out the mess that surrounds us: Currently, “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. (v. 19)” This is because it “was subjected to futility ... in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption.... (vv. 20-21)” Paul then established a connection between the creation and Christians: “For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth ... not only the creation, but we ourselves ... groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (vv. 22-23)”

God recognizes that His creation is a mess. Even though He’s not responsible for its fallen state, He has assumed responsibility for its remaking. Likewise, He isn’t to blame for the corruption of mankind, yet He sent His Son, “the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. (Galatians 1:3-4)”

Once you discover and believe in Jesus’ redemptive work on your behalf, you’ll discover that God has a place and a purpose for you in this life — in this creation. And once you know His care and concern for You, you’ll be able to honestly and without compulsion thank Him — both for the eternal life you have in Christ and for the current life you live here on earth. God bless you on this journey of discovery.

As believers grow in faith, they also grow in thankfulness. As we look throughout Scripture and Church history, we find many examples of people praising their Creator in the midst of their distress. Among those whose thankfulness belied their earthly plight were Lutheran theologian Paul Gerhardt, whose story I summarized Thanks in All Seasons and Pastor Martin Rinkart, whose sufferings helped to form the hymn Now Thank We All Our God.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: thankfulness | thanksgiving | gratitude | Creator | creation | faith | belief | self-pity | redemption | salvation | Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | practical theology | systematic theology | Christ | Jesus Christ | Jesus | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #584:1

Young Jesus: Home, School, and Play

2009-05-16T12:37:00.009-05:00

Q: I am doing a school project on life of Jesus. What leisure activities and education did He do when growing up?

A: Scripture only reveals the events from His conception through the family’s flight to Egypt and subsequent return until the one reference to His temple visit at age twelve (see Luke 1:5-2:52 Matthew 1:18-2:23). Therefore, the best we can do is make inferences based upon what we know of Palestine in the First Century. One is that because of his trade, Joseph’s family would have been among the “middle class,” had that distinction been observed at the time.

Since God chose devout Israelites to raise Jesus, we trust that Joseph taught Him the Scriptures, particularly the five Books of Moses, from early on. This is in keeping with Deuteronomy 6:7, where the Lord spoke through Moses, saying, “You shall teach [all God’s statutes and his commandments, cf. vv. 2, 4-5] diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.”

Mary, likewise, would have taken advantage of all available opportunities to train Him in the Word. However, according to the Lord, the primary responsibility for religious education belonged to the fathers, so Joseph likely assumed that responsibility until Jesus was old enough to participate in the formal education of His day.

Throughout the Gospels and Acts, as well as in many of the Epistles, we see Jesus, Peter, Paul, and others heading for a community’s synagogue and using it as their initial point of proclamation and teaching. This followed the pattern of their own raising, since these were the centers of worship and education for Jews in Galilee, Judea, and those scattered amidst the Gentiles.

Generally speaking, when they reached age five, Jewish boys commenced their formal education under a local rabbi. Along with ongoing biblical instruction, reading and writing were among their first lessons. Around the age of ten, boys began in-depth study of Jewish law. This included not only the Scriptures but also rabbinical commentary. “School” education usually wrapped up when they were 18.

The synagogue school taught only the boys of the area. Young girls learned at home from their mothers and other women. This segregation of the sexes didn’t mean that they were raised to be illiterate — a large number of women also read, wrote, and knew their arithmetic. This shouldn’t surprise us, since the wife largely directed the economy of the household and she needed these skills in the marketplace. Such a pattern was commended already in the Old Testament, particularly Proverbs 31:10-31.

At the same time as their book learning, boys (and girls) also learned life skills and their future vocations under parents or trusted relatives or friends. As was the way in other cultures throughout history, children tended to follow their parents’ ways. Girls became wives, mothers, and often also business women who made or traded for goods to be sold or who provided services to others. Meanwhile, boys normally entered their fathers’ trades and professions. First they watched, then they worked under close supervision, and finally they either entered the family business or moved elsewhere while practicing the same trade.

The exceptions were few — one being the vocations that required extended education and probationary periods under others. The “scribes” mentioned throughout the Gospels were among these. Their communication skills were polished and their knowledge of the Scriptures and rabbinic interpretations more completely developed by their internships. The scribes did more than just keep written records, as their name implies. Along with providing religious and, quite often, civic, leadership, many scribes also served in offices similar to modern notaries, attorneys, and other professions involving legal or financial issues.

Particularly bright (and often ambitious) students occasionally moved on to more noted rabbis, making themselves disciples to these men in order to themselves become rabbis. Those teachers with the greatest reputations often attracted disciples from beyond their own communities and their reputations sometimes extended internationally. As an aside, consider the difference between these men and the thirty-plus year old Jesus: He was the only known rabbi who so actively went out and called disciples to Himself.

Book learning, instruction in their fathers’ trades, and religious services and education occupied much of their time. Still, boys of that period likely enjoyed toys, games, and general play. Tidbits from the Old and New Testament provide very little information about these activities, although one of Jesus’ illustrations shows that young boys did play together and often learned and played music: “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates,‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ (Matthew 11:16-17)” As common the world over, running, throwing, and physically challenging oneself and others was probably standard boy behavior.

Archaeology often helps as much as or more than written accounts when we look at ancient family life. Discovered artifacts indicate that most toys were homemade. We’ve lost much of the evidence since people likely used their toys until they broke or were outgrown. If these junked or abandoned toys were made of wood, they likely became fuel for a cooking or heating fire.

Boys dressed in scaled-down versions of adult wear. The undergarment was a “tunic.” The outer garment was called a “cloak” or a “mantle” — loose fitting and fringed, it was bound by blue ribbon. Men almost always wore a belt in public. This was either a wide leather strap or a cloth sash. The “girdle” of the King James Version and other early translations refers to a belt, not to a compression undergarment.

In conclusion, while we have a fairly good idea about his education, Jesus’ leisure activities are open to much conjecture. Yet we are certain that however He may have played, competed, or participated the affairs common to the boys of Nazareth, one difference remains: He never cheated or took sinful advantage over others, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)” Yes, Jesus can “sympathize” with our childhood sins, yet because He remained “without sin,” He also brings forgiveness for each and every one of them.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Jesus | Christ | Jesus Christ | life of Christ | childhood | youth | boy | adolescence | family | home | schooling | school | education | synagogue | rabbi | teaching | upbringing | nurture | play | recreation | culture | Jews | Judaism | Israel | Jewish | archaeology | archeology | anthropology | sociology | Gospel | Pontius Pilate | lost sheep | life of Christ | theology | systematic theology | historical theology | Israelite history | Jewish history | Christology | Gospel | Gospels | Luke | Matthew | New Testament | Old Testament | NT | OT | Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #583

Communion and Anti-Catholicism

2009-05-15T21:28:00.007-05:00

Q: Your Frequency of Communion column was great. I’m an Episcopalian and since the 1979 Prayer Book, we pretty much have the Eucharist every Sunday at every service — and I’m glad for it.

Beyond what you wrote, how did it fall into such complete disfavor? Wasn’t the Mass itself attacked on theological grounds by Protestants? Did it not become a general sense among many that “if the Catholics do it, we don’t want it”? Could it be like those churches one sees while driving that have a steeple but no cross on top? I wonder if, over time, people didn’t forget why we put the cross up there in the first place.

A: I’m flattered to be remembered almost two years after I wrote the article and pleased that you still find it of value. You point out a weakness of the column format: I can’t always address every part of each question. In the column you cite, I was focused on the internals of Lutheranism, particularly in the questioner’s native Australia.

So to continue, you note a major difference between Episcopalianism and much of American Protestantism. First of all, much of Protestant Christianity has roots in theologies that treat Holy Communion strictly as a memorial or else teaches only a general spiritual presence of Christ in the meal. Human reason rebels at something (Jesus body and blood) being there when one can only see, touch, and taste bread and wine (or, in most of modern Protestantism, grape juice).

Secondly, anti-Catholicism entered North America at an early time. Many Protestant sects came to the New World because they couldn’t freely practice beliefs contrary to their countries’ official religions. In establishing laws for their American settlements, the colonists usually made their own church the only legal faith within their boundaries. Among the English colonies, Catholics came to Lord Baltimore’s specifically Catholic colony in Maryland, to New York, when the Duke of York converted to Catholicism, and, for a time, to the somewhat tolerant Pennsylvania.

General intolerance in the English colonies had several sources outside of actual theological differences. These included 1) England’s ongoing attempt to subdue Catholic Ireland; 2) Foxe’s Book of Martyrs fanning anti-Roman flames by telling of the nearly 300 Protestants burned to death during the reign of Queen Mary I; and 3) the Gunpowder Conspiracy of 1605, which was a failed assassination attempt by a group of provincial English Catholics against King James I, the “Bible King.” The colonial period saw ten of the thirteen colonies subjecting Catholics to various penal measures. Virginia, for example, proscribed Catholics and their priests in 1642. Many of the New England colonies established even more severe prohibitions.

Catholic scholar Marian T. Horvat, Ph.D. wrote, “Even in ... Maryland, the tables had turned against Catholics by the 1700s.... The penal code ... included test oaths ... to keep Catholics out of office, legislation that barred Catholics from ... certain professions ... and measures ... to make them incapable of inheriting or purchasing land. By 1718 the ballot had been denied to Catholics ... and parents could even be fined for sending children abroad to be educated as Catholics.” See Let None Dare Call it Liberty: The Catholic Church in Colonial America for the complete text.

Church and state throughout the new land continued both official restrictions and unofficial intolerance for years. The largely Protestant colonies had grown into a largely Protestant land. Even many Lutherans were viewed with suspicion, not so much because of language differences but more so because so many of them retained vestments, candles, processions, and a communion theology that confessed the Real Presence of Christ in His Supper.

Anti-Catholicism contributed to the failure of the Al Smith presidential campaign and was part of the rhetoric prior to JFK’s election. Religious pamphleteers such as Jack Chick continue to include Catholics as evil, blaming Rome for Islam, Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Holocaust, and Communism. While few Protestants go to such extremes, many hold the Catholic Church and many of its common practices in disdain.

I’ve written previously about Lutheran-Catholic Differences. However, the Reformation Lutheranism remained close to many Roman practices. As we’ve noted, these included such staples of the ancient Church as regular (every Sunday) celebration of the Lord’s Supper, individual confession, a liturgy anchored in the Scriptures, and displaying the crucifix. Now, some Protestants despise even an empty cross. Perhaps with so much anti-Catholic “thinking” in America, we should wonder how parts of Lutheranism and Episcopalianism were able to hold on to any of these practices or regain them in recent years.

Except in Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and parts of Lutheranism and Anglicanism, many practices that Christianity sustained through most of its first sixteen centuries almost disappeared for several hundred years. Only recently have some attempted to reclaim what their forefathers rejected in their anti-Catholic zeal. And, in so doing, they hope to more fully receive and more completely celebrate not only receiving Jesus’ body and blood but the entire gift of salvation won by “Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:2)”

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Holy Communion | Lord’s Supper | Communion | Eucharist | Divine Service | Mass | Sacrament of the Altar | Sacrament | Real Presence | Reformation | crucifix | Episcopal | Episcopalian | Episcopalianism | Roman Catholic Church | Catholic Church | Catholicism | Protestantism | Protestant | Reformed | Lutheran | confessional Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | theology | systematic theology | dogmatics | sacramental theology | exegesis | practical theology | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #582:2

Looking for Verses

2009-05-15T20:37:00.004-05:00

(in All the Right Places)

Q: Dear pastor, I have been assigned a specific Bible verse so I can memorize it and I’m not sure of the correct quote. I believe the Book of John says something like the only way to the Father is through the Son. Where is that, please? The other Scripture I cannot find is something like this: God uses the fools to profound the wise. Thanks for any help or direction.

A: Your first verse does come from John. Prior to His arrest, Jesus was preparing the disciples both for His being taken away to die and His later being taken bodily to the Father. Jesus told them that He was going away to prepare a place for them. In response, “Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?’ Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ (14:5-6)”

This verse shows the exclusivity of Christianity, where “the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing. (1 Corinthians 1:18a)” Those who want to believe that they’re good enough on their own or who otherwise want to ignore the sacrifice of our Savior rebel against this message while, as Paul continued, “to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1:18b)”

Your other passage comes from the same chapter of the epistle we just referenced — 1 Corinthians 1. This whole section confesses the same theme: “We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles. (1:23)” Just as Jesus said that He was the only way, so Paul said that “to those who are called,” Christ is “the power of God and the wisdom of God. (v. 24)” Summing up this section, he wrote, “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (v. 25)”

The apostle then reminded the Corinthians of their station in life. Most of the congregation wasn’t among the philosophers. Few would have been considered “wise ... powerful ... of noble birth. (v. 26)” Yet these Christians, saved by faith in Christ, were God’s rebuke of unbelievers: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. (vv. 27-29)” Emphasizing the exclusivity of the Gospel, the chapter closes, “Because of [the Father] you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’ (vv. 30-31)”

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: witnessing | John 14 | way | truth | life | I am the way and the truth and the life | 1 Corinthians 1 | God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise | the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing | we preach Christ crucified | Law and Gospel | Gospel | Law | Lutheran | confessional Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | Holy Bible | Scripture | Word of God | God’s Word | memory | memorization | God | Jesus | Christ | Jesus Christ | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #582:1

The Thessalonian Epistles

2009-05-15T18:18:00.004-05:00

Q: I have to do a speech on Paul’s letters to the Thessalonians. I need to break them down chapter by chapter and explain in detail what Paul is saying but they confuse me! Would you please help my basic understanding so I can put together a decent presentation?

A: I’m happy to help as I can. I’ve provided a summary that should help almost anyone with the basics of these books. I leave it to you to put meat on these bones by examples from the books and through your own observations and analysis. God bless your project. As we begin, keep in mind that the chapter and verse numbers were assigned long after the apostle penned his epistles. Sometimes the divisions make sense, sometimes they don’t.

In reading these epistles, you’ll benefit from remembering that eschatology (the study or theology of the end times) is the primary reason for Paul writing the Thessalonian Christians. Just as we find in our present day, the people of Thessalonika had unclear, unscriptural ideas about the end of the world and the Final Judgment. And just as Paul set them straight, so we turn to the Word of God so that we are prepared for our own deaths and for world’s end.

Paul begins with a short and sweet greeting in 1 Thessalonians 1:1. By greatest contrast, in his Epistle to the Romans, Paul composed a single sentence of 132 words (in the ESV translation) as the greeting. However, this doesn’t mean that Paul isn’t concerned with these people. Instead, it seems that he wants to get on to highlights of what he shares with them before addressing their questions and confronting issues upsetting the congregation.

Verses 2-10 celebrate the faith shared by Paul with his readers. They also celebrate Thessalonian generosity and anticipate one of the major issues the apostle is going to address; that is, the Resurrection. Notice how all his hard work and all their generosity and good reputation are credited to the doings of the Holy Spirit.

Chapter 2 continues the love-fest. Verses 1-16 compare and contrast Thessalonika’s reception of the Gospel and its response to God’s grace with that of other people. Paul also reminds them of their obligation to listen to him because of his long, hard work among them. They remain his dear children, just as they were in the early days of his mission works, when he and his coworkers “were gentle among [them], like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. (v. 7)”

The chapter closes with Paul’s expression of hope to see them again, should God allow it. As I noted, chapter and verse divisions were applied at a later date. We see this clearly, since his desire for a visit continues through 3:5. Chapter 3 then notes the great news he’s heard about them from Timothy (vv. 6-10). It closes with a prayer that all the good that’s been started would be blessed and completed by God so the saints in Thessalonika are ready for Jesus’ return (vv. 6-10). Paul is apparently foreshadowing what’s soon to come.

In chapter 4:1-12, we find a general summary of good Christian behavior. Unlike the severe tone Paul takes at times with the Galatians (e.g., Galatians 1:6 and 3:1-4) or the Corinthians (e.g., 1 Corinthians 3:1-4; 5:1-13; 6:1-8; 11:17-22; and others), he largely acknowledges their godliness, particularly their "brotherly love (v. 9) shown by their generosity.

Verses 13-17 address the main theological point. Evidently, someone had been worrying them that there would be some sort of ongoing separation between the living and the dead when Christ returned. In response, Paul first tells them that grief at the death of a loved one is good and right, as long as they mourn in the hope of the Resurrection. This separates them from the pagans “who have no hope. (v. 13)” He then tells them that at Jesus’ return, the dead will be resurrected before all believers are taken to be with the Lord.

Chapter 5:1-11 tells them not to get stuck wondering when the Day of the Lord will happen. Instead, they are to be ready always, a point Jesus made several times, including Matthew 24-25. Finally, Paul again encourages their good behavior, pronounces a blessing, and solicits their prayers on his behalf. In 5:27, he commands them to make sure that “all the brothers” hear his words. This is the seventh time that “brothers” appears in Chapter 5, emphasizing the fellowship in the faith Paul has with these believers. He closes by blessing them yet again.

Paul’s second letter picks up where the first leaves off. After the formal greeting and brief thanksgiving (vv. 1-4), he gets back into the End Times. He connects whatever suffering they experience for the Gospel with God’s care for them (vv. 5-8). He encourages them during current and impending persecutions, telling them that those who afflict them will be judged and punished by God (vv. 9-10). Therefore, they should persist in their Christian faith and life (vv. 11-12).

Chapter 2:1-12 warns them that greater persecutions are ahead for the Church. Christians, not only in Thessalonika but everywhere, will experience the tyranny of the “man of lawlessness. (v. 3)” These evils will spread and grow in the succeeding years.

Compare this section with Jesus’ warnings about “false christs and false prophets (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22)” and Paul’s cautions against “false apostles” in 2 Corinthians 11:13 and the “false brothers” of Galatians 2:4. See also the warnings concerning the antichrist(s) in 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3 and 2 John 1:7. Here, Paul also anticipates the beast and the harlot of Revelation. It becomes chillingly clear to the faithful: Wickedness will be worked against the true Church from both within and without. The threat of growing persecution would certainly give them pause. Therefore, Paul uses verses 13-17 to encourage them to stand strong in the Faith, trusting in the Lord to comfort and strengthen them.

Just as Paul prays that God will support the Thessalonians, so Chapter 3 opens with a request for prayers from them . Then he lets them know that the evils that will confront the Thessalonians will also face him and his coworkers (vv. 1-5).

His command against idleness in verses 6-15 connects to earlier mentions of the End Times in both letters. Paul doesn’t want them lazing around, waiting for Jesus to come back to end it all. Instead, they should continue lives of love and service, just as Christ loved and served them.

He closes with the benediction (v. 16) and shows them a special sign of his affection. Even though he dictated the rest of the letter, he takes the pen for himself to conclude: “I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the sign of genuineness in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. (vv. 17-18)”

Other posts involving the end times include The Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats and Recorded in the Book of Life.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Paul | Saint Paul | St. Paul | Apostle Paul | Thessalonika | 1 Thessalonians | 2 Thessalonians | I Thessalonians | II Thessalonians | First Thessalonians | Second Thessalonians | 1st Thessalonians | 2nd Thessalonians | eternal life | End Times | judgment | Judgment Day | Last Day | end of the world | Final Judgment | Last Judgment | salvation | resurrection | everlasting life | eschatology | theology | systematic theology | Christology | exegesis | exegetical theology | Bible | Scripture | Holy Scripture | New Testament | epistle | epistles | Jesus | Christ | Jesus Christ | Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #581

Straightening out a Scripture Search

2009-05-14T23:38:00.005-05:00

Q: Where in the Bible is this verse: “Man looketh a pond the outward appearence, but God looketh a pond the heart”? I have looked every word in my Bible for this verse.

A: Obviously, you’re using a King James Bible. Perhaps some of the old fashioned language makes hearing and remembering the right words a bit more difficult. Whatever the reason, this question points out how important accuracy is in studying Scripture. In this case, your problem with finding the verse stems mainly from misspelling and mis-remembering a few key words.

Your citation comes from 1 Samuel 16:7. Samuel couldn’t believe that the Lord was passing over David’s eldest brother Eliab to be the next king of Israel. In this verse, God corrects the prophet. The KJV reads, “The Lord said unto Samuel, ‘Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’” The more modern ESV says, “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.’”

Merely replacing “God” with “the Lord” may have been enough to find it. Certainly also having “upon” instead of “a pond” should have done the trick. God bless your continued Bible study.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Holy Bible | Bible study | Bible | Scripture | King James Version | KJV | Authorized Version | AV | English Standard Version | ESV | translation | theology | exegesis | exegetical theology | understanding | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #579:2

Questioning a Questioner

2009-05-14T23:03:00.004-05:00

Q: My husband feels that I ask too many questions [with] details which ... are needless. I feel that my inquisitive personality is fine, meaning that the Bible doesn’t say that asking questions is sinful. I know that I want to know more things than my husband and probably more than an average person — I ask more than average person.... I think my questions are valid ... and relevant.

It’s not my fault if a person is not articulate enough to convey a story to me in a such a way that I wouldn’t have any questions afterwards.... If the story was told in enough detail, then I’d have no need for more questions.... I want to know if I am doing something wrong according to Bible and am willing to change. What passages from Bible would either support the fact that it is ok to ask detailed questions or not? Thank you.

A: I, too, am a curious sort. May I ask a few questions of you before attempting an answer? First of all, how long have you been married? Is this the biggest problem you detect in your marriage? Why do I ask these? First of all, I wonder if this has been an issue for an extended period or if it’s just now cropping up. I also want to know if arguing over whether or not you ask too many questions is masking deeper issues, at least with him. Is the old “opposites attract” syndrome is to blame, where the same things that once pulled you together have become irritating habits? Do you fear to argue over issues truly divide you, choosing “safer” battlefields in hopes of avoiding the ultimate confrontation? If anything close to either of these exists, you need to start talking to a pastor or counselor face-to-face.

If it really just is this one personality trait, let’s examine it in greater detail. Sometimes Christian husbands get the idea that a biblically submissive wife is a stone-silent woman, at least in public. This certainly isn’t the case — just check Proverbs 31. However, if a wife uses superior conversational skills in a manner that appears to undermine her husband’s position, she needs to think a bit more about the who, what, where, when, and why of her public speech.

This isn’t for wives alone. Scripture simply doesn’t support talking for talk’s sake. Proverbs 20:19 warns, “Do not associate with a simple babbler.” Paul cautioned Timothy twice about “irreverent babble,” urging him in 2 Timothy 2:16 to avoid it “for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene.” Of course, this is an extreme, but unchecked excess can grow to an extreme.

In general, people learn by asking questions. Unfortunately, some parents tire too soon of their youngsters’ constant barrage of, “Why, why, why?” They shush the kids so often that they forget how to ask — even how to be curious. While the right teachers and life friends can undo some of this damage in many circumstances, at other times the sense of curiosity — of pure wonder — is so stunted that it never grows back. I sincerely hope that this isn’t your husband’s problem. However, you can tell better than I, since you know both him and his parents.

It may not be issues of differing inquisitiveness, however, but of gregariousness. Are you always “Chatty Kathy” in contrast to his “Silent Sam”? Does the difference vary depending upon setting? Maybe he has a discomfort with public discourse that extends to you, since you are “one flesh.” Perhaps it’s the size of the group or whether or not friends and family are involved.

Maybe he was embarrassed by extremely outgoing parents and this is his response. My own father sometimes made me cringe, striking up conversations with complete strangers. However, I discovered that many of those strangers became life friends and some of them came to know Christ because Dad was genuinely interested in them. I know that my own children feel the same about me from time to time. I think that it’s a factor of nature and nurture or, if you will, God fine-tuning a natural ability and me trying to use it to the maximum without abusing it.

And there, I think, is where you need to start. I don’t suggest that you “put a sock in it,” literally or figuratively, any time you venture out with him. However, you might think about tapping the brakes once in a while, of counting to ten instead of to one before offering your first inquiry. I’ll take your word that you’ve a handle on the appropriateness of your public speaking, so we won’t worry about that. Just consider a more conscious and conscientious monitoring of your words. After all, if your husband is feeling overwhelmed, chances are that at least some of those with you have a similar reaction.

After you’ve taken a few personal steps and also considered your husband’s personality in more depth, find a good time to sit down for a leisurely session of conversation and dialogue. Notice the roots of these words mean having a talk together, that is between or among people. Make this time as balanced as you can and don’t rush to fill the quiet spaces. Instead, let them have a voice of their own. If just talking doesn’t seem easy to both of you, a quiet romantic dinner or a peacefully shared activity might bring you together and allow for both sound and silence.

Finally, be careful about pride and being judgmental. Comments about others, like mentioning those who are “not articulate enough,” could be turned around and thrown back at you. You already feel pressure from your husband — don’t allow yourself to become one of those of whom everyone politely says, “She overstates everything” (or, less politely, “she talks too much”).

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: submission | headship | wives submit | talking | questioning | questions | babbler | babbling | wife | wives | husband | husbands | marriage | Proverbs 31 | Lutheran | Lutheranism | confessional Lutheran | Christian | Christianity | theology | practical theology | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #579:1

Wife or Wives for Adam?

2009-05-08T18:51:00.003-05:00

Q: Did Adam have a wife before Eve? Genesis 1: 26-27 says that God created man and woman at the same time. In Genesis 2:21-23, Eve was created from the rib of Adam.

A: Adam had one wife. The confusion stems from the two different accounts. The difference is that in Genesis 1, we’re reading a summary of each of the six days of Creation while Genesis 2 focuses on the special relationship between the Lord and mankind.

In Genesis 1:26-27, we read, “God said, ‘Let us make man in our image....’ So God created man in his own image ... male and female he created them.” This doesn’t say that He made man and woman “at the same time,” just that He made them both at some time on the Sixth Day.

Genesis 2 informs us that first, “the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. (v. 7)” After the Lord brought the animals into his presence so he could name them, Adam realized that unlike the earth’s other living creatures, he had no female companion. As verse 20 says, “There was not found a helper fit for him.”

Once He made His point, the Lord got on with putting Adam to sleep in order to build a mate for him. We might say that God took man apart in order to complete putting him together, since after the woman was made, we are told that man and woman united make “one flesh. (v. 24)”

Speculation about our first parents has gone in other directions, as in the case of Lilith. This creation of misguided people from bygone years is but one example of those who seek to find ways in which God “goofs up.”

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Creation | Genesis 1 | Genesis 2 | Adam and Eve | Adam | Eve | wife | wives | marriage | one flesh | Lilith | Lutheran | Lutheranism | confessional Lutheran | Christian | Christianity | theology | systematic theology | exegetical theology | exegesis | worship | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #580:2

Why Keep Praying?

2009-05-08T17:52:00.003-05:00

Q: I’ve been a Christian my entire 56 years and have always prayed and studied the Bible. Just lately, I have a new question! I know God wants us to pray (e.g., Mt. 7:7-8) but He knows exactly what will happen in our lives. Now it seems almost futile to pray for the safety and health of relatives, friends, and self since He knows what is going to happen. I feel my thinking is silly and unbiblical but how do I answer myself?

A: Sometimes we get sidetracked in various matters of the faith when we over-analyze what we’re doing. That doesn’t mean that Christians are to turn off their minds but rather that faith should guide our reasoning, not the other way around.

You cite Matthew 7:7-8, where Christ says, “Ask ... seek ... knock. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.” However, in light of God’s foreknowledge and omniscience, you question the necessity, since “He knows what is going to happen.”

As you also note, “God wants us to pray.” Don’t forget that God also promises blessings to those who pray. Yes, God knows what is going to happen — but would the same things happen if you and other Christians forsook praying for self and others? And even if He did act in exactly the same manner, would that be any more an excuse to stop praying than sitting at a table loaded with food should stop children from saying please and thank you?

Consider Jesus’ following words from Matthew 7: “Which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! (vv. 9-11)” Just because the Father “makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45)” doesn’t excuse us from asking for the good He promises to do.

Remember also that a regular prayer life is much more than following God’s commands. It involves active responses to His love for us, both in meeting our temporal needs and, especially, in addressing spiritual concerns. We ask not only because He says, “Pray,” but even more so because He has already given and promises to give even more.

Theologians debate whether or not we can “change God’s mind.” If we not, it’s because God is completely unchanging (Malachi 3:6) and already has planned and implemented our greatest good (Romans 8:28). If so, it’s because God desires for us to ask Him to turn away from planned judgment in order to lavish His love. This seems to be James’ point: “Pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (5:16)”

Regardless of the specifics hidden in the unfathomable mind of God (cf. Isaiah 55:8-9), Christian prayer is “win-win” for us and for others whose needs we lay before the Lord. He promises to “abundantly pardon (Isaiah 55:7)” while taking care of our earthly needs (cf. Matthew 5:25-34) and granting “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:3)”

As I wrote some years ago, He bends “our wills to His perfect will. We learn to pray conditionally (‘Thy will be done’) for all temporal blessings and unconditionally for all spiritual blessings. God teaches us that He isn’t a vending machine wherein we pop in a petition and He drops our order into our hands. Prayer is part of our ongoing conversation with God: He speaks through Scripture and Sacraments; we reply with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, with faith toward Him and love for our neighbor.”

So whichever the case, faith expressed in an active prayer life alters those who pray for the better. Through prayer, God works to change us. As As we mature in the Christian Faith and grow into lives of increasingly active prayer, we find how much easier, desirous, and “natural” it becomes to follow the Lord’s will. Despite any contrary circumstances, He leads us to “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances,” and to do so in all confidence, “for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)”

See Prayer and Our Desires and the posts liked from it for more.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: prayer | answer | prayers | answers | reply | purpose | reason | Christ | Jesus | God | divine attributes | omniscience | foreknowledge | prescience | Lutheran | Lutheranism | confessional Lutheran | Christian | Christianity | theology | systematic theology | practical theology | exegetical theology | exegesis | worship | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #580:1

Faith, Works, Suffering, and Salvation

2009-05-06T23:57:00.001-05:00

Q: What does it mean, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12)”? A friend is struggling, insisting that Paul promotes works’ righteousness. Besides this, she can’t understand why God doesn’t do everything she asks Him to do in prayer. She also is angry with Him, and has been for years, because He allows suffering. What can I tell her that will help her? She will want Scripture to back up what I say.

A: Since I’ve written recently about suffering, I’ll only touch briefly on it and will send you more details. The short answer is that while our Father allows suffering as a consequence of our inborn sinfulness, He also took human suffering upon Himself in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ in order to ultimately free us from all pain and sorrow.

While it may serve as a punishment or discipline, God often uses suffering to point sinful mankind to its need for redemption and healing in Christ. At times, He also wields suffering as a scalpel, cutting away “every weight, and sin which clings so closely” to us, enabling us to “run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)” Compare also 2 Corinthians 7:1, “Since we have these promises ... let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement ... bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

Judging by her reaction to suffering and her understanding of Philippians 2, I can see how your friend misunderstands prayer. If our salvation is self-service, then we are encouraged to be self-serving. We start treating God like a vending machine, figuring that if we put enough in, He’ll give plenty back out. Similarly, if we fail to see God’s purposeful yet loving hand behind suffering, we may ask Him to remove the very pain that He intends for our great benefit. Either of these will lead us to ask for things different from those God desires to give.

Let’s now focus on Philippians 2. Your friend seems unaware of one of the cardinal rules for Scriptural interpretation. Similar to valuing and selling real estate according to “location, location, location,” we need to read sections of the Bible according to their “location” — that is, their context. Good theology lets Scripture interpret Scripture. We gain understanding of any passage by seeing how it relates to all of God’s Word. Specific to Philippians 2:12, we then compare it to the New Testament, to other apostolic writings, to Paul’s other epistles, to the rest of Philippians, and to the surrounding verses. We also try to determine historical and social context; i.e., what life and the church were like in 1st Century Philippi.

Furthermore, we who believe in justification by grace through faith read the Bible through the “lens” of Jesus’ meritorious suffering and death. Therefore, we look to see if we are reading about God’s grace in Christ Jesus or about the Law’s accusations. A quick glance brings us to “work,” an imperative of the Law. However, verse twelve’s demand is met by God’s grace in verse 13, “for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. (emphasis added)” In other words, our good works are actually Christ’s works enacted in our own bodies.

Even when we read Philippians 2:12 in context and through the lens of Christ, we cannot ignore the Law’s demand for perfection as a condition of salvation. However, the Holy Spirit moved Paul to add the depth of interpretation of salvation by grace through faith in Christ. Truly, you cannot “work out” the accomplishment of “your own salvation.” However, because “it is God who works in you,” you are empowered to “work out” the results of “your own salvation.”

Now read Ephesians 2:8-10. These verses confess the accomplishment of our salvation before spelling out its earthly purpose: “We are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (v. 10)” Then remind your friend that she is saved and that her works are sign of — and a thank-offering for — her salvation.

See also Sanctification: God’s Work or Man’s as well as Second-guessing God, plus columns linked from them.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: evil | wickedness | pain | death | suffering | mercy | grace | love | sanctification | good works | Christ-like | merit | salvation | justification | Christ | Jesus | God | Devil | Satan | Creation | Christology | Philippians 2 | work out your salvation with fear and trembling | fear and trembling | Lutheran | Lutheranism | confessional Lutheran | Christian | Christianity | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #575:2

A Child’s Life and Death Worries

2009-05-06T23:51:00.003-05:00

Q: Our 10 year old grandson e-mailed us: “Sometimes I dream that one of you has died and I wake up crying.” His mother (our daughter) she said he told her that he had been thinking of that for some time. He has been more attentive to us lately, wanting to stay with us more often. We are all Christians living in the same town and going to the same church. Finally, my question: What is the best response to his e-mail?

A: At least part of your grandson’s behavior might be addressed better by a counselor or the family doctor. My expertise in child development is limited to the observations and experiences I have as pastor, parent, and grandparent. If my suggested course of action is insufficient, his parents might then consult his pediatrician or their family practitioner.

I do know that children come to a time in their lives when they start realizing death’s details, especially its finality. This may encompass worry about their family members’ mortality. Often we find a triggering death that holds the child’s focus. Pet, family, friend, or even fictional (book or television) deaths can lead to special concerns for loved ones. It may not even be a death. Other losses and separations can also spark a child’s speculations about loved ones dying.

As long as his life isn’t controlled by these nightmares, you probably don’t need to do much more than you already have. Show love and affection. Tell him that as far as you know, nothing is going to happen to you. Between the extremes of dismissing his concerns and giving them too much attention, can continue your due diligence.

Since you’re Christians, you have a definite advantage: You can anchor all you say and do in “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Peter 1:3)” Your grandson is old enough to do more than report his dreams; he can also speak of his emotional and spiritual reactions. Let him discuss his own perceptions about his grandparents’ deaths.

Don’t belittle the pain he feels — it’s a pain born of love. Instead, let him know anew how much God, and you, love him. Remind him that Jesus will raise up and reunite all Christians. Let him know that you also realize that death is “the last enemy to be destroyed. (1 Corinthians 15:26)” Yet because Jesus is raised, death’s destruction is absolutely certain.

Teach your grandson to make Paul’s confession in Romans 8:38-39 his own. Help him memorize and understand these beautiful words of faith: “I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Let him know that it’s fine to sorrow over the death of family and friends, while trusting we that our grief will turn to joy (see 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Show him how Jesus reacted to the death of Lazarus in John 11, both in sadness and in action. Point out how Jesus undid Lazarus’ death both as a sign of His own resurrection and as further promise that He will also raise us up. If you need more help, please enlist your pastor and, as necessary, trusted medical or counseling help.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: resurrection | hope | fear | child | children | fear | death | eternal life | Jesus | Jesus Christ | Christ | Christian | Christianity | Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christology | Christian | Christianity | Lutheranism | Lutheran | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column#575:1

The Gospels: New Testament or Old?

2009-05-06T23:26:00.002-05:00

Q: I heard a pastor claim that the Gospels are actually Old Testament books because Hebrews 9:16-17 states that “where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive.” The point made was that until Christ actually died on the cross everything up to then thus is Old Testament. This doesn’t sound right to me. I’d appreciate your comments.

A: Does this pastor have too much time on his hands? While the New Testament wasn’t in force until Christ’s death, the Gospels don’t provide a clear break. Even before Jesus’ death, God was busy “updating” the Old Testament through His Son. The angel’s announcements touched on the Old while proclaiming the New. Jesus’ preaching, teaching, and miracles regularly grew out of narratives and actions in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all include times before and after Good Friday. The Holy Spirit didn’t see fit to divide them — should we? Also we received the manuscripts in Greek, just like the rest of the New Testament, rather than in Hebrew. Finally, since they were written within a hundred years of the other twenty-three books, it makes sense to keep them where they are. Just like the life of a Christian, aren’t we more concerned where the books end up than where they begin?

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Bible | Scripture | Holy Scripture | exegesis | exegetical theology | Biblical theology | Old Testament | Hebrew Bible | Hebrew Scriptures | New Testament | Greek Scriptures | Greek Bible | Gospels | Gospel | interpretation | Jesus | Jesus Christ | Christ | Matthew | Mark | Luke | John | Hebrews | Christianity | Christian | Lutheranism | Lutheran | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | W. P. Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #574:3

Catch a Dream — or Not

2009-05-06T22:46:00.005-05:00

Q: My son received a “dream catcher” as a gift — his girlfriend got it when she went on a family vacation. Is it wrong for him to hang it in his room? Deuteronomy 7:26 has been pointed out to me as a reason it should not be in the house. Thank you for your help.

A: How is your son going to use it? For most people, a dreamcatcher is nothing more than a piece of American folk art. Although they originated with the Ojibwa people as a means of filtering out nightmares, some other Native Americans adopted them as a general sign of unity. I imagine that most of them are made, purchased, and used merely as decorations.

The prohibition in Deuteronomy doesn’t overly trouble me. For one thing, it was directed toward Israel, not all people. For another, it involved artifacts they would capture in Canaan. Finally, the items in the end of Deuteronomy 7 were herem; i.e., “devoted” for ritual and complete “destruction.” Nothing in the New Testament demands a continuation of the practice.

Even if we still practiced such set-asides, would dream catchers qualify? I seriously doubt that they are major parts of false worship or idolatry among most people. If we really wanted to start looking for items to declare herem, I can nominate better candidates. Why don’t we start with televisions, sports stadiums, and other places where we learn to worship ourselves or other people, where our selfishness is fed, and where it’s all too easy to turn our eyes away from God?

Personally, I own Navajo art that includes pictures of their gods and spirits. I read Greek and Norse mythology. When I was younger, I even made my own versions of a similar native item, the Ojo de Dios (God’s Eye) of the Huichol people of Mexico. These yarn and stick constructions were, and remain, popular handicraft pieces.

Even though the God’s Eye originated as a means of communicating with the spirit world, Christian camps and vacation Bible schools have probably cranked out many thousands of times more than were ever constructed by the Huichol. I doubt that any of us worship through them any more than we do through dream catchers.

Bottom line: what were items of worship have “degenerated” into simple, sometimes attractive or interesting, works of art. If your son likes it because it looks good (and because he likes the girl who gave it to him), why worry?

Related articles include Crucifixes and Graven Images and Do Lutherans Use the Rosary.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: dreamcatcher | dream catcher | Ojo de Dios | God’s Eye | Ojibwa | Huichol | spirits | paganism | prayer | devotion | meditation | graven images | images | idolatry | art | folk art | religious art | ecclesiastical art | theology | systematic theology | practical theology | worship | Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #574:2

Reminder, Remembrance, or What?

2009-05-06T22:05:00.003-05:00

Q: I had a small gold tube made to be put onto a necklace. Inside it, I wish to place a small amount of consecrated bread and wine after they become the blood and body of Christ. I wish to wear this at all times, as a symbol of my faith and as a reminder to give to Him in prayer all that I have and all that I am. I also hope that it might evoke questions so I can share my faith by having someone ask and not trying to “push” my way in. Thank you.

A: I appreciate hearing of your faith and your desire to find a way to invite questions and begin conversations about our Lord. I share with you the belief that we certainly receive Christ’s body and blood in Holy Communion. Because I do, however, I don’t want to encourage your plan.

Each record of the Last Supper in Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-22, and 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 clearly indicates that the Christ gives His body and blood as a meal. Granted, Jesus says that the eating and drinking is “in remembrance of” Him (Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25). However, the remembrance occurs through our participation, not our observation.

The Sacrament of the Altar “is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ under the bread and wine, instituted by Christ Himself for us Christians to eat and to drink. (Small Catechism)” This echoes the apostolic admonition: “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:26)”

Non-scriptural uses of the Sacrament are scattered throughout history. The Church — specifically Roman Catholicism — started using the consecrated elements as a display. They invented Corpus Christi (“body of Christ”) festivals and created special devices such as monstrances or ostensoria to display consecrated hosts. The Reformation decried such practices, urging a return to eating and drinking according to the Lord’s Word.

In the medieval Church, the clergy discovered that people sometimes carried out from church part or all of their consecrated hosts (bread). Usually, it was superstition led these folks to bring it home to doctor sick relatives — or livestock! To counter this, the priests began feeding people directly, hand to mouth, and waiting to make sure that they chewed and swallowed before moving on.

So I urge you to take your “remembrance” into yourself, carrying Christ’s body and blood within rather than without. Let your “display” or “conversation piece” be your words and deeds. If you seek also a physical image to aid in your witness, I would recommend instead a crucifix, a shell to signify Holy Baptism, an image of communion’s elements, such as grapes and wheat or chalice and host, or some other representation.

See also the earlier post Leftover Communion Elements.

Explanation of the Sacrament of the Altar quoted from The Book of Concord, a public domain text.

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is a Lutheran pastor, conference speaker, author of the book What Do Lutherans Believe, and writer of numerous published devotions, prayers, and sermons.

Technorati Tags: Holy Communion | Lord’s Supper | Communion | Eucharist | wine | bread | body | blood | remainder | leftovers | take, eat | take, drink | monstrance | ostensorium | Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | theology | systematic theology | dogmatics | sacramental theology | exegetical theology | exegesis | practical theology | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | Walter Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column 574:1

Disobeying Sinful Parents

2009-05-06T00:10:00.006-05:00

Q: In Romans 1:29-32, Paul lists sins deserving death, including insolence and disobeying one’s parents. But what if parents instruct one to be insolent, deceitful, judgmental, or divisive? Seemingly, either obedience or disobedience deserves death. Is the answer that putting him in this position forces him to go against God and thus becomes the greatest sin of all? How do we deal with the child and his parents if the parents have already instructed him in such sins? Is disobeying one’s parents not a sin if they instruct one to sin?

A: You write of an extreme circumstance, one not normally seen. Even though not all situations may be so severe, it’s still good to understand the intent of the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:12), especially as the New Testament interprets and applies it. So let’s open Scripture in order to free any consciences that may be bound by any conflict between obeying parents and God.

Is it ever wrong to do good or sinful to obey God? Of course not! Choosing between a sinful command and obedience to God is not choosing “the lesser of two evils.” There is clear evil and also clear righteousness. We’ll see later (from Acts 5) that obeying God always comes first.

So while God demands that we honor our parents, He first seeks our obedience to Him. If any authority commands us to sin, we must resist. Paul noted that those committing the sins listed in Romans 1 “deserve to die. (v. 32)” Yet death as a divine punishment (including eternity in hell) will not befall Christians who refuse to follow orders to sin. This doesn’t mean that death might not be an earthly consequence. Evil parents may punish, possibly even kill, a child who refuses to follow their ways and heed their will.

More likely, such a situation arises when government is the “parent.” History records Christians who refused to obey kingly commands and imperial edicts and who sacrificed their lives rather than rejecting their Savior. They did so even though God commands, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. (Romans 13:1-2)”

Ephesians 6:1-9 helps us better understand the passages from Romans. God’s command is first repeated: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother ... that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’ (vv. 1-3)” In verses 5-8, he similarly reminded slaves that God desired their submission to the will of their masters. We might extend this into our times by applying it to employees of any type.

However, even as He demands that those under authority obey their superiors, God also has commands for those who rule. To parents, He says, “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:4)” While Ephesians 6:6 says that slaves should be “doing the will of God from the heart,” we also read, “Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master [or Lord] and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. (Ephesians 6:9)”

Likewise, God ordains civil government. He keeps the world from descending into chaos not only through parental authority but also by means of “the sword. (Romans 13:4)” Therefore, He establishes rulers “not [as] a terror to good conduct, but to bad. (v. 3)” The ruler “is God’s servant for your good (v. 4)” and “the authorities are ministers of God. (v. 6)”

The New Testament has no command directed to earthly government as it does for parents and masters. We shouldn’t wonder, though. In Romans, Ephesians, and elsewhere, God addresses Christian children and Christian parents, also Christian slaves and Christian masters. However, while He speaks to Christian citizens, there was no corresponding “Christian” government — and many argue quite convincingly that there never has been.

Yet God used pagan Rome even as He had Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon before. Consider His planning: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son. (Galatians 4:4)” This “fullness of time” included setting Jesus’ incarnation and ministry in the midst of the Roman Empire. The very “sword” that threatened criminals — and sometimes killed “disobedient” Christians — also established safe travel on land and sea, allowing the Good News of Jesus’ birth, life, suffering, death, and resurrection rapid spread around the Mediterranean and beyond.

However, the civil order that Rome provided forgave none of the sins of the Caesars. Nor do unbelieving parents earn eternal life by feeding, housing, and educating their children. Even the most enlightened employers cannot buy salvation by providing good jobs and bountiful benefits. God judges all according to their faith in Christ, as attested by their good works that follow.

When parents provoke them and insist they learn evil rather than the Lord’s “discipline and instruction” Christian children are not only excused from obedience — they must not obey. Believing workers whose employers want them to manufacture shoddy or dangerous consumer goods must resist — either forcing a change or quitting their jobs. And when governments command their people to sin, Christian citizens must stand firm in opposition.

Of course, there’s often a cost, notwithstanding God’s rescue of Daniel and the three young men. More likely, the believers suffer, perhaps even death. Stephen refused to reject Christ and was stoned. Thousands of Christians died during the Church’s early centuries rather than worshiping false gods. When the Temple authorities commanded them to stop teaching about Jesus, “Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’ (Acts 5:29)”

So also any Christian must reject orders to sin, whether from parents, employer, or state. In so doing, he does not sin — and any subsequent punishment by man is also praise from God. The High Priest and his followers “were enraged and wanted to kill” the disciples but then “beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go (Acts 5:33, 40)” Rather than discouraging them, their punishment left the apostles “rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. (v. 41)” They persisted in their “disobedience” to the authorities, for “every day ... they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. (v. 42)”

Finally, even when parents, employers, or governments are “right,” God is sometimes “more right.” For example, Jesus practiced perfect obedience and never dishonored Mary and Joseph. When He stayed behind in Jerusalem and they returned, finding Him in the temple, they wondered why He allowed them such worry. In reply, “He said ..., ‘Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?’ (Luke 2:49)” Then, however, even though “they did not understand,” Jesus “went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. (vv. 50-51)”

Earlier posts on this topic include Honoring Dishonorable Parents and Obeying Bad Governments

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version™, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles.

Send email to Ask the Pastor.

Walter Snyder is the pastor of Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Emma, Missouri and coauthor of the book What Do Lutherans Believe.

Technorati Tags: family | children | parents | relationship | Fourth Commandment | honor | respect | Honor your father and your mother | Honor thy father and thy mother | obedience | obey | civil righteousness | government | doctrine | theology | practical theology | Lutheran | Lutheranism | Christian | Christianity | Pastor Walter P. Snyder | W. P. Snyder | Ask the Pastor

Newspaper column #573