Who is Jesus? This is a question that divides and unifies. It’s a question in which the answer can explain the difference between a Christian and a non-Christian. Volume 2 of the Concordia Commentary on Mark opens with the first public confession of the identity of Jesus by His followers, a confession that seems to show greater insight than exhibited by those followers heretofore.

The posting of the 95 Theses set into motion the events that would lead to a reformation and purification of the public teaching and practice in the Western Church, especially in Germany. At this time, therefore, it is good and right to consider what those writings were which moved the Reformation forward and set forth the Gospel in its purity.

In April 2018, I sat down at my computer with an open Bible and thought I’d write a Bible study on creation, working through Genesis chapters one through three. God, on the other hand, laughed at my simple-minded ideas and decided instead to deal with my angst.

The following is an excerpt from Luther's Small Catechism: A Manual for Discipleship, written by John T. Pless.

Commissioned ministers serve in a variety of roles with their own particular emphases. Understanding what each of these commissioned ministers is trained to do will lay a foundation for understanding what commissioned ministry is in the LCMS today.

The Sixth Petition of the Lord’s Prayer is, in the minds of many people, the most challenging of the seven petitions to understand.

In Luther’s day, there were any number of catechisms and catechetical materials. They were often extremely extensive and required the young people to memorize not only the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Creed, but also a list of seven spiritual gifts, seven cardinal virtues, the seven Sacraments, seven words of mercy, the eight beatitudes of God, and on and on and on. Luther cleared away the medieval clutter with his Small and Large Catechisms.

This post is adapted from the latest edition in Gerhard’s Theological Commonplaces series, On Justification through Faith.

Works-righteousness was as big of a theological issue in Gerhard’s time as it is in ours. So Gerhard went back to the primary source—the Bible—to see what God has to say about the topic. Here’s what he found.

On Christmas Day, 1881, C. F. W. Walther was invited to preach on predestination at a church in Macoupin County, Illinois. This day also coincided with the church’s anniversary, and Walther took the opportunity to address the intimidating topic in light of Ephesians 1:3–6. This sermon is featured in the newest volume in the Walther’s Works series, Predestination.