Saint Clement of Rome, Pastor and Bishop (ca. A.D. 35–100) is remembered for establishing the pattern of apostolic authority that governed the Christian Church during the first and second centuries. He insisted on keeping Christ at the center of the Church’s worship and outreach. In a letter to the Corinthian Christians, he emphasized the centrality of Jesus’ death and resurrection: “Let us fix our eyes on the blood of Christ, realizing how precious it is to His Father, since it was poured out for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to the whole world” (1 Clement 6:31).

Early accounts claim that he suffered a martyr’s death by drowning — specifically, he was said to have been tied to an anchor, hence his normal symbol is an anchor. Before his death, he displayed a steadfast, Christ-like love for all of God’s redeemed people, serving as inspiration for future generations to continue building the Church on the foundation of the prophets and apostles, with Christ as the one and only cornerstone. His Epistle to the Corinthians addresses what he considered to be the improper dismissal of a bishop. It works both for good order and for abounding charity among the Corinthian Christians.

The beautiful icon that adorns this blog post was written by: ChristianIconStudio.com

Here follows an excerpt from his Epistle to the Corinthians:

Let the one truly possessed by the love of Christ keep his commandments. Who can express the binding power of divine love? Who can find words for the splendor of its beauty? Beyond all description are the heights to which it lifts us. Love unites us to God; “it cancels innumerable sins,” has no limits to its endurance, bears everything patiently. Love is neither servile nor arrogant. It does not provoke schisms or form cliques, but always acts in harmony with others. By it all God’s chosen ones have been sanctified; without it, it is impossible to please him. Out of love the Lord took us to himself; because he loved us and it was God’s will, our Lord Jesus Christ gave his life’s blood for us — he gave his body for our body, his soul for our soul.

See then, beloved, what a great and wonderful thing love is, and how inexpressible its perfection. Who are worthy to possess it unless God makes them so? To him therefore we must turn, begging of his mercy that there may be found in us a love free from human partiality and beyond reproach. Every generation from Adam’s time to ours has passed away; but those who by God’s grace were made perfect in love and have a dwelling now among the saints, and when at last the kingdom of Christ appears, they will be revealed. “Take shelter in your rooms for a little while,” says Scripture, “until my wrath subsides. Then I will remember the good days, and will raise you from your graves.”

Happy are we, beloved, if love enables us to live in harmony and in the observance of God’s commandments, for then it will also gain for us the remission of our sins. Scripture pronounces “happy those whose transgressions are pardoned, whose sins are forgiven. Happy the one,” it says, “to whom the Lord imputes no fault, on whose lips there is no guile.” This is the blessing given those whom God has chosen through Jesus Christ our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever.
.       .       .
Let us fix our attention on the blood of Christ and recognize how precious it is to God his Father, since it was shed for our salvation and brought the grace of repentance to all the world.

If we review the various ages of history, we will see that in every generation the Lord has “offered the opportunity of repentance” to any who were willing to turn to him. When Noah preached God’s message of repentance, all who listened to him were saved. Jonah told the Ninevites they were going to be destroyed, but when they repented, their prayers gained God’s forgiveness for their sins, and they were saved, even though they were not of God’s people.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the ministers of God’s grace have spoken of repentance; indeed, the Master of the whole universe himself spoke of repentance with an oath: “As I live,” says the Lord, “I do not wish the death of the sinner but the sinner’s repentance.” He added this evidence of his goodness: “House of Israel, repent of your wickedness. Tell my people: If their sins should reach from earth to heaven, if they are brighter than scarlet and blacker than sackcloth, you need only turn to me with your whole heart and say, ‘Father,’ and I will listen to you as to a holy people.”

In other words, God wanted all his beloved ones to have the opportunity to repent and he confirmed this desire by his own almighty will. That is why we should obey his sovereign and glorious will and prayerfully entreat his mercy and kindness. We should be suppliant before him and turn to his compassion, rejecting empty works and quarreling and jealousy which only lead to death.

We should be humble in mind, putting aside all arrogance, pride, and foolish anger. Rather, we should act in accordance with the Scriptures, as the Holy Spirit says: “The wise must not glory in wisdom nor the strong in strength nor the rich in riches. Rather, let the one who glories glory in the Lord, by seeking him and doing what is right and just.” Recall especially what the Lord Jesus said when he taught gentleness and forbearance. “Be merciful,” he said, “so that you may have mercy shown to you. Forgive, so that you may be forgiven. As you treat others, so you will be treated. As you give, so you will receive. As you judge, so you will be judged. As you are kind to others, so you will be treated kindly. The measure of your giving will be the measure of your receiving.”

Let these commandments and precepts strengthen us to live in humble obedience to his sacred words. As Scripture asks: “Whom shall I look upon with favor except the humble, peaceful one who trembles at my words?”

Sharing then in the heritage of so many vast and glorious achievements, let us hasten toward the goal of peace, set before us from the beginning. Let us keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Father and Creator of the whole universe, and hold fast to his splendid and transcendent gifts of peace and all his blessings.

It never ceases to baffle and confuse me when I hear people make the comment, “You don’t have to go to Church to be a Christian.” I used to try to respond to this with rather long-winded explanations of the third commandment, and the gifts given, and blah, blah, blah. Lately, I’ve just decided to respond to those comments by asking, “Really? Where does our Lord in His Word teach that?” Hint: He doesn’t! My friend, Pastor Weedon, offers this “take” on not attending Church.

“If I decided one Sunday just to skip Church that week, do you think anyone would notice? Ah, you say, but you’re the pastor. Yes, they’d notice. I agree. They would. But it also makes a difference when YOU decide to skip Church this Sunday.

“Each Sunday is a gathering of the family – and when a beloved family member doesn’t show up for the family gathering and meal at Christmas or Easter or Thanksgiving, there’s a hole, a gap, a pain that everyone feels. We’re all the less for that person not being with us to revel in the celebration of that day. Their absence diminishes the joy of the family. So when you choose to skip on Sunday, when you don’t come together with your church family to join in offering the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and to receive the gifts your Lord has for you, it’s not just you that miss out. Your extended family – the Church – misses out. They are diminished by your decision to absent yourself. The singing is that much quieter. The “amens” that much softer. The spot where you usually sit and stand reminds us all of your absence.

“Surely old Neuhaus was dead right on this: Christian discipleship should begin with a very simple commitment that any given Lord’s Day will find you in the assembly of God’s people, singing His praise, offering your prayers, receiving His gifts. The *only* reasons for missing is because you’re too sick to be present or because you’re away traveling – and even in the later case, blessed are you if you find the family gathered in that location and join with them.”

“Let us consider how to stir one another up to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Hebrews 10:25

I have, over the years, talked to many Calvinists, in person and over the Internet. I always ask them, “Do you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are among God’s elect and are saved?” There are generally two reactions to that question: (1) A long and rather painful pause after which they say, “I hope I am. I do believe in Christ.” or (2) A quick, “Yes, I believe in Christ.” Now, let’s be honest here and admit that many Lutherans would answer in somewhat the same way. But here is the problem.

[Unfortunately there are some cranks who roam the Internet claiming to be Lutherans who also fall into this error. You shall know them by their sixth grade-level photoshopping skills. <g>]

If our confidence that we are saved is based on our feeling that we have faith, we will flounder. The answer we must always give to the question of “Do you know you are saved?” is not, “Yes, because I have faith” but rather, “Yes, because Christ Jesus died for me” and of course, in my opinion, the very best answer of all is simply to point people to Luther’s explanation of the Creed and say, “Here, this puts it very well.”

Never look to your subjective feeling that there is faith in your heart. Always, always, always, look to Christ and what He has done for you and the whole world. Do not confuse faith in faith, with trust in Christ. There is a key difference. If you believe you are a child of God because you feel you have faith, this is no better than the Mormon who tells you about the “burning in his bosum” or the Muslim who tells you he feels the Koran is true, etc.

Salvation rests on objective realities that have absolutely nothing to do with feelings or emotions. Faith is merely and only the receiving hand God gives us and into which He pours His good gifts, it is not the cause of our salvation.

We are Christians, not Faith-ians.

Read, and memorize, Luther’s explanation to the Apostles’ Creed. It is clear. Simple, Easy to understand and…true!

Elizabeth (Erzsebet, Elisabeth) of Hungary, born in Pressburg, Hungary, in 1207, was the daughter of King Andrew II and his wife Gertrude. Given in an arranged political marriage, she became wife of Louis of Thuringia (Germany) at age 14.

Her spirit of Christian generosity and charity pervaded the home she established for her husband and three children in the Wartburg Castle at Eisenach. Their abode was known for hospitality and family love.

Elizabeth often supervised the care of the sick and needy, even giving up her bed to a leper at one time. Widowed at age 20, she arranged for her children’s well-being and entered into life as a nun in the Order of Saint Francis. Her self-denial led to failing health and an early death in 1231 at the age of 24. Remembered for her self-sacrificing ways, Elizabeth is commemorated through the many hospitals named for her around the world.

Appointed Readings

† Psalm 146:4-9 or 112:1-9
† Tobit 12:6b-9
† Matthew 25:31-40 or Luke 12:32-34

Collect

Almighty God, by whose grace your servant Elizabeth of Hungary recognized and honored Jesus in the poor of this world, grant that we, following her example, may with love and gladness serve those in any need or trouble, in the name and for the sake of through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

As an aside, Elizabeth lived in the Wartburg Castle for  time and when you visit there today, there is a good deal of the interior art devoted to her memory and work.

Sadly, I continue to read serious confusion among Lutherans who have been sucked into error and overstatement from people like Gerhard Forde, and others, who speak incorrectly about sanctification. Nothing like a bracing slap of reality from the Lutheran Confessions to correct errors about this. Enjoy this quote from the Large Catechism. Just the other day, I heard a person trying to explain away Christ’s words, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments” as applying only by way of “second use of the Law” and thus directed at the unconverted, not to Christians. Huh?

Until the last day, the Holy Ghost abides with the holy congregation or Christendom, by means of which He fetches us to Christ and which He employs to teach and preach to us the Word, whereby He works and promotes sanctification, causing it [this community] daily to grow and become strong in the faith and its fruits which He produces. Source: The Large Catechism Part II/Article III.54; Triglotta, p. 691-93.

I’ve always loved rainbows. When they appear it is always a beautiful surprise, sometimes there is just a portion, sometimes, it is a full bow in the sky, like the one in this picture, which I could only capture a portion of on my iPhone camera. Rainbows always remind me of God’s promise to Noah, but also remind me of the One enthroned in the heavens, coming again some day with great power, glory, might and salvation, our Lord Jesus.

“And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” Genesis 9:12-13

“Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness all around. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one speaking.” Ez 1:28

“Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire.” Rev. 4:3

“And he who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian, and around the throne was a rainbow that had the appearance of an emerald.” Rev. 4:3

I believe I managed to get four words that start with the letter “P” in the title of this blog post. Here is a PDF version of our Professional/Academic Resources Catalog, which you can, in fact, peruse at your leisure.

Now you can browse our selection of books—from historical theology to biblical studies to apologetics—anywhere and anytime just by clicking this link.

With our catalog you can:

• Learn about our series subscription programs, which offer a 30% discount (p. 1)
• Discover what is available in Logos, for instant electronic access to resources (p. 9)
• Authors: see if our Peer Review process is right for your next book (p. 15)
• Review our Faculty Discount and Examination Policy (p. 33)

Of course, you’ll also find new resources, best-sellers, and classic backlist titles.

Click on the image below and the catalog will download to your computer.

Only $3 each when you purchase ten or more copies of the books on sale.

An Ode to the English Plural

We’ll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes,
But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
Yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice,
Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
Yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
And the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
But though we say mother, we never say methren.
Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him,
But imagine the feminine: she, shis and shim!

Let’s face it—English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren’t invented in England. We take English for granted, but if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

And why is it that writers write but fingers don’t fing, grocers don’t groce and hammers don’t ham? Doesn’t it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend. If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?

If teachers taught, why didn’t preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the folks who grew up speaking English should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? We ship by truck but send cargo by ship. We have noses that run and feet that smell. We park in a driveway and drive in a parkway. And how can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out, and in which an alarm goes off by going on.

And, in closing, if Father is Pop, how come Mother’s not Mop?
!

Richard Lederer.

It’s from the introduction to his book Crazy English (Pocket Books 1989).

He seems to be fighting a battle to get credit for it as it spreads through the Web. Let’s help him out.

LOGOS.COM and Concordia Publishing House are partners in offering you resources in the most popular theological research software program available: LOGOS.

In order to evaluate interest in having the volumes presently available in the translation of Gerhard’s Theological Commonplaces, LOGOS is now taking pre-publication orders and the price will never be lower than it is now.

I can’t encourage you strongly enough to sign up for this special offer. If enough people do sign up, we will be able to proceed with offering Gerhard in LOGOS format.

Please follow this link to sign up.

Justinian was emperor of the East from A.D. 527 to 565 when the Roman Empire was in decline. With his beautiful and capable wife, Theodora, he restored splendor and majesty to the Byzantine court. During his reign the Empire experienced a renaissance, due in large part to his ambition, intelligence, and strong religious convictions. Justinian also attempted to bring unity to a divided church. He was a champion of orthodox Christianity and sought agreement among the parties in the Christological controversies of the day who were disputing the relation between the divine and human natures in the Person of Christ. The Fifth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in A.D. 533 was held during his reign and addressed this dispute. Justinian died in his eighties, not accomplishing his desire for an empire that was firmly Christian and orthodox. By the way, the image on this page is based on a mosaic picture of Justinian, but reconstructed to reflect what he may actually have looked like.

Flavius Anicius Julianus Justinianus was born about 483 at Tauresium (Taor) in Illyricum (near Uskup); d. 565. The theory that he was a Slav by race is now abandoned (Krumbacher, “Byz. Litt.”, 237). He was the nephew of Justin I (518-27), being the son of Justin’s sister Vigilantia and a certain Sabatius. Already during his uncle’s reign he became the chief power in the state. Justin was an old man, weak in body and mind; he gradually handed over all power to his nephew. In 521 Justinian was proclaimed consul, then general-in-chief, and in April, 527, Augustus; in August of the same year Justin died, and Justinian was left sole ruler.

The thirty-eight years of Justinian’s reign are the most brilliant period of the later empire. Full of enthusiasm for the memories of Rome, he set himself, and achieved, the task of reviving their glory. The many-sided activity of this wonderful man may be summed up under the headings: military triumphs, legal work, ecclesiastical polity, and architectural activity. Dominating all is the policy of restoring the empire, great, powerful, and united. Of these many features of his reign — each of them epoch-making — it is impossible to give more than the merest outline here. Military triumphs

Justinian carried on the unending war against the Persians with mixed success. His general Belisarius lost a battle at first in 528, then completely routed the Persians at Daras, near Nisibis (June, 530); but on 19 April, 531, the Romans were defeated near Callinicum on the Euphrates; in September a peace was arranged on fairly equal terms. The emperor then conceived the plan of reconquering Africa and Italy, lost to the empire by the Vandal and Gothic invasions. In 533 a fleet of five hundred ships set sail for Africa under Belisarius. In two battles the Romans annihilated the Vandal kingdom, took the king, Gelimer, prisoner to Constantinople, and re-estabished the authority of Caesar in Africa. In 535 Belisarius sailed for Sicily. The island was conquered at once. After a reverse in Dalmatia that province was also subdued. Belisarius in 536 took Rhegium and Naples, entered Rome in triumph, seized Ravenna, sustained a siege in Rome till 538, when the Goths retired. A second general, Narses, then arrived with reinforcements from Constantinople; Milan and all Liguria were taken in 539, and in 540 all Italy up to the frontier of the Frankish Kingdom was reunited to the empire. In 542 the Goths revolted under their king, Totila; by 553 they were again crushed. Narses became the first Exarch of Italy. Verona and Brixia (Brescia), the last Gothic strongholds, fell in 562. The Roman armies then marched on Spain and conquered its south-eastern provinces (lost again in 623, after Justinian’s death.) Meanwhile the Crimean Goths and all the Bosporus, even the Southern Arabs, were forced to acknowledge the rule of Rome. A second war against the Persians (540-45) pushed the Roman frontier beyond Edessa. From 549 to 556 a long in Armenia and Colchis (the Lazic War) again established the empire without a rival on the shores of the Black Sea. So Justinian ruled once more over a colossal world empire, whose extent rivaled that of the great days before Diocletian. Meanwhile the emperor was no less successful at home. In 532 a very dangerous revolt (the Nika revolution), that arose from the factions of the Circus (the Blues and Greens), was put down severely. Bury says that the result of the suppression was “an imperial victory which established the form of absolutism by which Byzantine history is generally characterized”. (Later Roman Empire, I, 345). Legal work

Read more…

Saint Louis, MO— During the 19th century, the doctrine of the church and ministry was a controversial issue as Lutherans had to understand what it means to be a Lutheran Church in a their new homeland where the church was not controlled by the government. Today, this conversation continues.

Dr. C.F.W. Walther’s classic study of The Church and The Office of The Ministry provides a faithful, careful presentation of these issues. Walther’s book on the subject remains to this day the official doctrinal position of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Concordia Publishing House (CPH) is publishing a new translation prepared and edited by current president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri synod, the Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison.

Originally penned by Walther, the fresh translation of The Church and the Office of the Ministry includes editorial introductions from Pastor Harrison, helpful footnotes explaining terms and history, marginal references to Scripture and church fathers, and additional historical documents from Walther’s time that clarify and provide additional context for Walther’s work.

Harrison’s extensive knowledge on the subject provides professional church workers and interested lay members alike with a wealth of insight from the Bible, the Lutheran Confessions, ancient church fathers, Luther, the orthodox Lutheran fathers, and more.

“The issue of church and office is too often a muddle among us,” said Rev. Harrison. “Walther can be most helpful if he is allowed to speak with the precision he intended.”

For this reason, CPH’s revamped study edition of The Church and The Office of The Ministry was edited and translated to restore Walther’s precise language and make more readable this official statement that explains the Biblical Lutheran teaching concerning the Church and the office of the ministry.

“This is by far the most readable translation available,” said Rev. Edward Engelbrecht, editor at CPH. “The wealth of notes included takes it far beyond the original text. They enrich a reader’s understanding of what the relationship of the church and the office of the ministry should be.”

This title is expected to bin November 28, 2012 and is currently available for pre-order at cph.org or by calling 1-800-325-3040.

Theological journals interested in reviewing this excellent new edition should contact Emily.Barlean@cph.org to request a complimentary review copy.

We have, as of moments ago when I checked our inventory system, only 148 copies left of our Series C Worship Planner. I highly recommend you wait no longer to order the copies you will need for your congregation and staff. Call 800-325-3040 or order online, by clicking here.

Here is what is contained in the resource:

Thoughtful service planning has never been easier. Designed with both pastor and musician in mind, this comprehensive planning calendar provides resources for the Sundays and principal feasts ofLutheran Service Book Year C, from the First Sunday in Advent (December 2, 2012) through Thanksgiving Day (November 28, 2013). Click here to look inside.

• Readings (including Psalm) and synopsis
• Theme of the Day (a big-picture overview of the readings and their connections)
• Hymn of the Day
• Collect of the Day
• Hymn Suggestions for the Readings
• Other Hymn Suggestions
• Calendar of the upcoming week (highlighting feasts, festivals, and commemorations)

Music suggestions:

• Small Choir
• Large Choir
• Children
• Keyboard
• Handbell

Fill-in-the-blank Divine Service outline, including:

• Options within the service
• Hymn selections
• Pre- and post-service music selections
• and more

Several indices are also included to make planning the Church Year even easier:

• Lectionary Summary (Year C)
• Old Testament / First Reading (Year C)
• Psalm (Year C)
• Epistle / Second Reading (Year C)
• Holy Gospel (Year C)
• Hymn of the Day: Arranged by Church Year (Year C)
• Hymn of the Day: Arranged by Hymn Number (Year C)

Please overlook the goofy stuff at the beginning and end of this video, but you truly owe it to yourself to watch this video. I consider it a singular privilege and honor that I grew up in Pensacola, Florida, the “cradle of naval aviation.” Our congregation, Redeemer Lutheran Church, had many US military active duty personnel and their families in it and many veterans. I relished the opportunities I had to speak to and learn from veterans from WWII, Korea and Vietnam. I had a job on the air station and enjoyed enormously the wonderful times I had with everyone from the Captain of our Naval Air Rework Facility down to the enlisted men whom I spent some time while on photojournalist duties for the Public Affairs Office.

This video reminds me of so many fine men whom I got to know during my formative years and I thank God for them all.

Please take a moment to watch this.