About the worst thing for a Lutheran is to find yourself thinking that your access to God isn’t through His Word but through yourself, as if in a direct line from your heart to the Holy Spirit. He’d call that Enthusiasm, but He doesn’t mean you’re too joyful and boisterous.

If you only know a few Bible passages, Matthew 28:19 is probably one of them: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations ….” It’s an easy passage for the Christian heart to embrace.

This blog post is adapted from Life Under the Cross: A Biography of the Reformer Matthias Flacius Illyricus.

This blog post is adapted from Gerhard’s Theological Commonplace On the End of the World and On Hell, or Eternal Death, specifically Gerhard’s notes on the practical pastoral benefits of preaching on hell. 

This blog post is an excerpt from Commentary on Luther’s Catechisms: Confession and Christian Life by Albrecht Peters.

This post is adapted from On the Resurrection of the Dead and On the Last Judgment by Johann Gerhard.

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.

A prolific writer, professor, and pastor, Johann Gerhard (1582–1637) is regarded as one of the greatest theologians and thinkers of his time. Meditations on Divine Mercy is a collection of prayers written by Johann Gerhard. In addition to Gerhard’s prayers, the book also includes a chapter on the purpose and benefits of prayer, as well as an explanation of the blessing and historic aspects of daily meditation.

Many classic Lutheran books of theology have similar titles. What do these similar names mean and where did they come from?