I’m happy to tell you that we are running a special offer on this wonderful little tract written by Martin Luther on how to meditate on the passion of Christ. It comes in packs of ten and from now, until Easter, when you use the promotional code LMP when you check out, you will receive as many “ten packs” as you want, for 50% off.
Please note carefully: you must enter LMP on the checkout page where it says “Do You Have a Promotional Code?” and click update cart.
Click here to place your order, or call 800-325-3040 to order, and be sure to mention promotional code LMP to receive the 50% discount.
I strongly encourage that you consider obtaining enough copies of this pamphlet to distribute to the members of your congregation.
What is this document all about?
This tract is taken from Martin Luther’s writing “A Sermon Concerning Meditation on the Holy Sufferings of Christ”.
Topics include:
Wrong Ways to Meditate on Christ’s Passion
The Right Way to Think about Christ’s Passion
The Comfort of Christ’s Suffering
On April 5, 1519, Martin Luther sent a copy of his essay titled “A Sermon Concerning Meditation on the Holy Sufferings of Christ” to his friend George Spalatin. Within five years it had been published in 24 editions. It was enormously popular. It was translated into Latin in 1521. Later, when Luther put together helps and sermons for preachers, it was included as the sermon for Good Friday in the Church Postil of 1525. This translation is based on the English translation that appeared in a 1906 collection of Luther’s writings titled Lutherans in All Lands. It was prepared by Rev. Paul McCain.
Once the busy schedule of Advent and Christmas services, along with all the special activities in a typical parish that swirl around and about during the Christmas season, many pastors get past New Years and begin thinking about Lent, which this year starts on Feb. 22. And as they consider what they will be doing this year for their Lenten services, Concordia Publishing House would like to wave a big flag that says, simply, “Look here!” We have a complete Lenten series for you, yet another, in our line of Lenten programs.
This year’s new program is called: God’s Gift of Forgiveness. You can see a sample and an overview of this year’s program, here, on the CPH web site.
God’s Gift of Forgiveness is a complete resource for Lent and Easter preaching and worship, delivered on CD-ROM designed to quickly and easily assist with planning the many aspects of Lent and Easter worship. The CD offers complete text of sermons that work together with worship services, children’s messages, Bible studies, and daily devotions, all conveniently structured and fully customizable.
The theme of this series is God’s gift of forgiveness, especially as we find this forgiveness in the seven penitential psalms (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143) and in the practice of Confession and Absolution. The sermons and devotions in this series expound on the nature of sin as seen in the Psalms, the devastating effects sin has on the soul and the conscience, and what we receive through God’s gift of the forgiveness of sin in Jesus.
Ten Worship services- for Lent, Holy Week, and Easter
BONUS – The Passion of Our Lord (St. Mark) Congregational Reading
(Sermon and Bible Study on the Office of the Keys for the Second Sunday of Easter)
Overview of the program
Sermons
Bible Studies
Children’s Messages
Ash Wednesday
Psalm 6 – Save Me Because of Your Unfailing Love
Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of Your steadfast love. (Psalm 6:4)
The baptismal life is one of confessing our sins and hearing God forgive us.
Lent 1 Midweek
Psalm 32 – Hiding from God or Hiding in God?
You are a hiding place for me; You preserve me from trouble; You surround me with shouts of deliverance. (Psalm 32)
God can either be the one we hide from or He can be the one we hide in.
Lent 2 Midweek
Psalm 38 – Come Quickly to Help Me
Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. (Psalm 38:22)
God always helps us just when we need it most, and He sends special people to help us.
Lent 3 Midweek
Psalm 51 – Against You and For Me
Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that You have broken rejoice. (Psalm 51:8)
Confession means telling the truth. First we tell the truth of what we have done (sin), and then God forgives us by telling us the truth about Jesus.
Lent 4 Midweek
Psalm 102 – God’s enduring presence for you
But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever. (Psalm 102:12)
Sometimes when we do something wrong, we feel sad and lonely, like God even hates us. But God loves us, and is always there for us, forgiving and loving us to the end.
Lent 5 Midweek
Psalm 143 – Teach Me to do Your Will, For You Are My God
If You, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with You there is forgiveness, that You may be feared. (Psalm 130:3-4)
When we learn about our sins through the Law, it frees us because these sins no longer control us.
Holy Thursday
Psalm 116 – Delivered
God gives us heavenly food for our journey in life so that we will have the strength to make the trip.
Good Friday
Psalm 130 – Divine Forgetfulness
If God kept score, we would lose every time. But God doesn’t keep score. He forgives because of Jesus’ death on the cross.
Easter Vigil
Psalm 118; Exodus 14 – Destroying the Enemy
It is easy to become afraid when you are going somewhere you don’t know in the dark. But Jesus went there first so that He can tell us what happens, and that everything will be fine.
Easter Sunday
Psalm 16; Mark 16:1-8 – You Are the Path of Life
You make known to me the path of life. (Psalm 16:11)
Jesus’ trip into the grave seems like a terrible trip, but that trip actually leads us to everlasting life in the forgiveness of sins.
The short answer is PrayNow and PastoralCare do not support 4.0+. This was a change we made during the release process to contend with early complaints from users.
The long answer: Our developer arrangement was to cover versions 2.2, 2.3.3, and 3.0, 3.1, and 3.2, the versions of the SDK that existed when we bid and began development on the project. In perspective, the Galaxy Nexus came out less than a week ago, shipping a drastic change in their OS, 4.0.
You may have read some of the headlines about Google’s “iPhone/iPad killing” OS Ice Cream Sandwich–this is version 4.0. While Google advertises this as the magic platform that will solve every ones problems–as it allows phones and tablets running Android to have the same OS finally (something iOS has had from the beginning)–from a development perspective, it is simply another slice of the pie to contend with. Note, as of Dec 1, the apps we just released support 88.21% of platforms. See below, click on the image to see the original full-size image:
Google advertises that all new platforms they introduce are backwards compatible; but this is really a fabrication. Hence, when we had a couple users install PrayNow on 4.0, we had one user complain that they couldn’t get the app to come up without crashing. I then attempted to load the app on the 4.0 desktop simulator and all of the UI elements were misshaped overlaying controls on text, etc., but we couldn’t reproduce the crash. My solution to the problem for the time-being was to disallow installs on Android 4.0+ until we can adequately test/fix the product for those platforms.
Hope this helps explain the situation. It’s changing everyday…
We will continue to monitor and if the usage of Android 4.0+ increases significantly, we will be supporting it. But for now, for the reasons mentioned above, we won’t.
Overstatement, you say? Me? Would I do that? Never!
Seriously though, I’ve spent a lot of time looking through, and at, a lot of daily prayer Apps and I will simply say it, without fear of contradiction, PrayNow for iOS and Android is, far and away, the most complete, well designed and useful daily prayer and devotional app available. Period. Why do I say this? Because it offers you an entirely self-contained resource that provides you an orderly, daily opportunity to pray through Scriptures and meditate on them, with supporting resources, like….orders of daily prayer, using the classic, historic orders of the Church: Matins, Vespers and Compline, and more recent versions of these services. There are additional prayers available, and…can also buy the companion musical recording, load it up on your device, and you can use PrayNow and chant and sing along with the prayer offices. That recording is called “Evening and Morning” and it is available from Concordia Publishing House.
There are other daily prayer apps out and about on the Interwebs, but none this well done, this complete, or this easy to use. This app does not require an Internet connection to use, once it is installed on your particular device.
Note to Kindle Fire owners: Amazon informed us they are working on getting PrayNow into the Fire store. Somebody can tell me why Amazon just didn’t design the Fire to use any/all Android apps.
Here are more details about PrayNow.
As I said, it is now available for the Apple iOS and for Android, get the Apple version here. Get the Android version here, or here.
PrayNow is the daily prayer app that places the Scriptures at the center of daily meditation and prayer.
“Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Daily prayer should be central to what we do as Christians. Yet it is so easy for the pressures and stresses of daily life to crowd out the time for meaningful prayer.
I know this is going to make a lot of Android users very happy. Great news! PrayNow and PastoralCare are both now available in Android format. They are also available in iOS, via the iTunes store.
I know, it is not yet the end of the year, but…did you know there was a tradition in Germany that the new year started on Christmas? This explains why often when reading Luther’s sermons, or singing Lutheran hymns, there are wishes for a “glad new year to all the earth.” I think there is something rather nice about thinking of a new year beginning with the celebration of the nativity of our Lord. But, be that as it may, many of us make resolutions for a new year and I think, if you are like me, you probably put toward the top of your resolution list to have a richer, more faithful life of prayer and meditation of God’s Word in the new year. I’d like to suggest to you a number of resources from Concordia Publishing House that I trust you will find helpful for your prayer life.
The Treasury of Daily Prayer
I think it is, by far, the most complete, single-volume resource for a daily devotional life that is ordered by readings from Scripture and prayers from the Church’s historic prayer services. You can use as little of it, or as much of it, as you would like. You can have it in the form of a book, or as an iPhone App, or in Kindle or ePub format. Cultivate an enriching devotional life with a book that nourishes your time with God. This comprehensive Lutheran resource brings together Scripture readings, prayers, psalms, hymns, and devotional readings from the church fathers to guide daily prayer and meditation on God’s Word. Organized around the Christian Church Year, Treasury of Daily Prayer is designed to be an all-in-one resource for daily devotions for individuals, families, and small groups. View the “How to Use” helpful download below for a complete overview.
There are a variety of other books we offer that I think you will enjoy as well. You can use them separately, or as part of your daily habit with the Treasury. Let me show you some of them.
The Great Works of God by Valerius Herberger, translated by Matthew Carver, Volumes I and II.
These books are masterpieces of Christ centered meditation on God’s Word. Using the Book of Genesis, Pastor Herberger, offers rich reflection on how the events and people in Genesis remind us of Christ and His work for us, and our lives as His people. Herberger (1562-1627), a Lutheran pastor in Fraustadt (now Wschowa), Poland, at the turn of the seventeenth century, preached through the books of the Old Testament from Genesis through Ruth, producing devout meditations on the Scriptures. “These he regarded rather like the linen cloths that wrapped the infant Jesus in the manger, and traced his Lord in every little wrinkle” (from the translator’s preface). Pastor Valerius Herberger (1562-1627) served St. Mary’s parish church in Fraustadt (now Wschowa) Poland during the most difficult days of the Counter-Reformation when a royal decree ousted the congregation from its building in 1604. As a deacon and preacher in the congregation for nearly forty years, Herberger left us a remarkable example of biblical interpretation, application, and sincere devotion. Matthew Carver, MFA is a translator of German and classical literature. He resides in Nashville, TN, with his wife Amanda, where they pursue interests in art, orthodox Lutheran theology, liturgy, and hymnody. They welcomed their first child in October 2010. You can take a look inside here. And you can buy it here.
A Year in the New Testament: Meditations for Each Day of the Church Year
A Year in the New Testament will guide you through reading most of the New Testament in the course of a year, and do it in a way that is encouraging and manageable, taking the readers experiences of daily life into the Bible. The daily devotions follow the seasonal movements of the Church Year in a broad, general fashion, but not in the more focused and specific way that one expects for the lessons and Holy Gospel appointed for particular Sundays and festivals of the Church Year, allowing Scripture to interpret itself in its own literary contexts, and thereby also to inform and shape Christian prayer and devotion over the course of time. An overview of the Church Year, Sundays and Seasons, and The Liturgical Calendar is included. Each day contains a Psalmody, Additional Psalm, an Old Testament Reading, a New Testament Reading, Prayer of the Day, and a Meditation. There is not greater source of comfort, hope, help, and counsel than the Word of God itself. Nothing serves the Christian faith more than diligently and daily reading and searching the Holy Scriptures. Take a look inside the book here, and buy a copy here.
A Year with the Church Fathers: Meditations for Each Day of the Church Year by Rev. Scott Murray
Drawn from the themes of Scripture itself, these devotions consider the salvation plan of God fulfilled in Jesus and carried to the world through the Church. The in-depth, thought-provoking content offers rich insight into Scripture and the Christian life and encouragement in the faith. Along the way you will drink deeply of the fountain of eternal life and gain in understanding of the message of God’s Word. The daily devotions of A Year with the Church Fathers follow the seasonal movements of the Christian Church Year in a broad, general fashion, but not in the more focused and specific way that one expects for the lessons appointed for particular Sundays and festivals of the Church Year. Take a look inside here, and buy a copy here.
Reading the Psalms with Martin Luther
This is an English translation of Luther’s Summaries of the Psalms, 1531 which was originally done in 1993. This latest edition includes the ESV translation of the Psalms, Luther’s introductions to each of the 150 psalms and a suggested schedule for reading the Psalter. The introductions demonstrate how Luther understood the Psalter as a Christ-centered book and how he used the psalms as the model for Christian prayer. Luther classifies each psalm as a psalm of prophecy, instruction, comfort, prayer, or thanksgiving and applies the message of the text to the life lived out under the cross. Luther also connects the psalms to the Ten Commandments and the petitions of the Lord’s Prayer. For Luther, all aspects of the Christian’s life, including the Psalms, relate to Christ and His Gospel of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Buy a copy here.
Starck’s Prayer Book, edited by Rev. William Weedon
Since 1921, the Concordia Edition of Johann Starck’s Prayer Book has encouraged thousands of Christians in their personal prayer life. This updated edition provides a comprehensive collection of prayers and meditations that speak to contemporary Christians while preserving the richness and depth of expression of the original. Starck’s prayers do what all genuine prayers do: they draw the believer into the internal life of the Blessed Trinity and teach the joy of living in His presence throughout the day, throughout the week, throughout the year, throughout the good times and the bad. This book is offered to Christians of the twenty-first century in slightly updated garb, who live in a world very different from that inhabited by a Lutheran clergyman of the seventeenth century, in the hope that those who use it will discover, in the vibrant faith that rings through and shapes these prayers from another era, the voice of the faith once delivered to the saints. Take a look inside here, and buy a copy here.
God Grant It: Daily Devotions from Dr. C.F.W. Walther
This is a stunning compilation of Dr. Walther’s Gospel sermons, each Sunday’s sermon is spread out of a week of readings. This is a translation of the collection of lectionary-based devotions for the entire church taken from Walther’s sermons and published by CPH in 1894. The translation aims to retain particular relevance for modern readers. Beginning with the first week of Advent,God Grant It provides a daily devotion for each day in the year, placing particular significance on the church year. Through these classic sermons of Walther, the modern reader will be reminded that God’s mercies are new every day, that His mercies are ours by the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Translated into modern English, these readings are intended to encourage the laity, as well as pastors, and affirm them in their daily lives as redeemed children of God. Each devotion is accompanied by a Scripture reference and a hymn verse. The daily devotion will take less than ten minutes to read. Take a look inside here. Buy a copy here.
To Live with Christ: Daily Devotions by Bo Giertz
The devotional writings of noted Swedish pastor, bishop, and author Bo Giertz offer what foreword writer John Pless calls “sturdy confessional Lutheranism with warm piety born of confidence in the Gospel.” To Live With Christ translates a collection of Giertz’s classic devotions for those who want to explore their Christian faith and to connect God’s Word in their daily lives. The devotional readings embrace the church-year calendar, just as Giertz did, preparing you for Sunday worship service. Each Christ-centered devotion includes a Bible reading, meditation, and a prayer. The collection points readers to the cross of Christ, offering the assurance of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness, helping them draw closer to their Lord. Take a look inside here, and buy a copy here.
Meditations on the Gospels
First published in 1948 as The Devotional Bible these devotions, based on writings of the apostles in the first four books of the New Testament, cover a variety of themes of interest to those who want to explore their Christian faith and the connection between the Word of God and their daily lives These timeless devotions will strengthen, comfort, and inform the reader. This edition is updated to include Scripture passages from ESV, and begins with a Gospel reading as the starting point for the day, concluding with a prayer. Take a look inside here, and buy a copy here.
I know, we are not even at the end of 2011 . . . before you know it, we’ll be into warmer days and that means, it’s time to start thinking about Vacation Bible School. I strongly encourage you to give Concordia Publishing House’s Vacation Bible School program a good, long look. We have continued to make improvements to it, both in content and format. All VBS programs are not alike! Amazing Desert Journey stands apart from others because it is VBS with Purpose. At the center of all teachings is God’s Word and His gracious gift of the Savior, Jesus Christ. After Amazing Desert Journey is finished, the craft glue dries, the decorations come down, and the snacks are gone, the real message is that the children in your VBS know their need for a Savior and His name is Jesus. And that’s The CPH Difference!
Please visit this web site to learn more. You’ll find lots of great resources, including free downloadables, like the image here in this post. We have a full explanation of our VBS program at the site.
Look what showed up on my desk the other day…yes, the next volume in our new series of translations of Luther’s Works. This one is Volume 60, Prefaces II…the second of a two volume set of prefaces Luther wrote for various books and publications at the request of the printers and/or authors. Only a very few of these have ever been translated into English before. This volume contains Luther’s prefaces to the works of others from 1532 to 1545. Amid the outpouring of print in the wake of the Reformation, Luther—especially in the prefaces to his own works—sometimes expressed the wish that his own books might disappear and give place to the Bible alone. In his prefaces to the works of others, however, Luther developed the opposite rhetorical strategy, hailing their books as faithful guides to the Scriptures or as edifices that, because of their confession of Christ, would “surely stand secure on the Rock upon which they are built.” Although he complained of the many “useless, harmful books” with which the Gospel’s opponents flooded the world, the multiplication of “good books” in print—of which there could never be too many—was a sign of God’s present blessing on the church in restoring the light of the Gospel, and Luther was pleased to encourage the works of faithful colleagues and friends. Many of the works for which he wrote prefaces he declared superior to his own for their insights, style, and more refined approach. Luther was grateful for help in the shared work of Evangelical literary production in all its genres, in constructive work as well as in polemics, and his prefaces give a broad survey of the Reformation’s literature. Become a subscriber and save! The new Luther’s Works American Editions are currently priced at $49.99 each, but as a subscriber you pay only $34.99, a 30% savings. To become a subscriber or for additional information visit this link. To buy just this volume, visit this link. You can download a sample from the book here.
My colleague, Rev. Scot Kinnaman, answered a pastor’s inquiry about how to use Lutheranism 101 in his ministry and I thought you would appreciate his answer. By the way, Lutheranism 101 has been an extremely popular resource, and along with “The Course,” is being used by many pastors and congregations.
Dear Pastor,
Advent greetings from blustery and cold St. Louis. I received your message about Lutheranism 101 and it’s companion, The Course. If what I have is correct, you are looking for some strategies for presenting the material in Lutheranism 101 using The Course.
First, I would suggest you navigate to Lutheranism101.com. Under the search box on the right you’ll see a link to our page for The Course. First and foremost you’ll see the link to download the Leader’s Guide. If you don’t already have a copy of The Course, you can scroll down a little further and download a sample of The Course. In the Introduction (page 5), the author talks about how the course works with Lutheranism 101, the useful books to have for further study, and how The Course can be used, or presented, in small groups, families, or even individuals.
There is a whole collection of helpful materials on the site. One that you might be particularly interested in is the set of Power Point slides keyed to each chapter of Lutheranism 101. These can be found under on the Samples and Downloads page under ‘Resources’.
Finally, a teacher put together a resource for integrating Lutheranism 101 into a more ‘formal’ setting as a supplement to work with traditional teaching materials. This PDF can be found near the bottom of the Samples and Downloads page.
A handy way to provide Lutheranism 101 and THE COURSE for each member of your class is to buy the Combo Pack. Purchased separately, the two regularly priced books would cost $26.98. But purchased together in the Combo Pack, the cost is only $19.99. Click here to get the details on this great offer at cph.org.
Pastor, once you’ve had a chance to look at the material on lutheranism101.com and these helpful downloads, should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to drop me a note. I’ll be happy to help out as much as I can.
We sent out review copies of the Apocrypha: Lutheran Study Edition, in rough galley proof form, to international Bible scholars and are receiving simply stunning reviews from truly world-class scholars who recognize the value of this unique, one-of-a-kind edition of the Apocryphal books of the Bible. We will be releasing the book next Fall, and at present the content is all complete and we are putting it through layout and detailed copy editing and proofing, etc.
Well known Jewish scholar, Emanuel Tov, has kindly complimented our forthcoming work, The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition with Notes. He wrote:
This book provides a well-balanced blend of sound scholarship and religious beliefs on the Apocrypha, especially those of Luther and the Lutherans. The reader will find all the necessary background information on the Apocrypha, in an attractive presentation, as well as religious guidance for instruction and preaching. A wealth of introductory essays and appendixes make this a very useful compendium.
—Prof. Emanuel Tov
J. L. Magnes Professor of Bible
Hebrew University, Jerusalem
We are greatly honored to receive the endorsement of evangelical scholar Craig Evans, an expert on the New Testament:
Concordia Publishing House, General editor Edward Engelbrecht, and the several contributing editors have placed Bible scholars and students into their debt by bringing out a new and updated version of The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition with Notes. The Introduction includes explanation of what the books of the apocrypha are and their value and a concise overview of history from Persian rule to Roman rule. Next come judicious commentaries on the several books of the apocrypha, followed by ten appendices that provide readers with additional related information concerning such things as the Dead Sea Scrolls, the writings of Josephus, rabbinic literature, and New Testament apocrypha and pseudepigrapha. What a treasure trove! This marvelous commentary belongs in the study of every student and scholar of the Bible.
— Craig A. Evans, PhD
Payzant Distinguished Professor of New Testament,
Acadia Divinity College,
Nova Scotia, Canada
Here is the menu of the feast that awaits you….. Front Matter
Contributors
Acknowledgements
Foreword
The Engravings
Editor’s Preface
Preface to ESV Apocrypha
Features of The Apocrypha: The Lutheran Edition with Notes
An Introduction to the Apocrypha and the Time Between the Testaments
Getting Started
The Holy Scripture and Other Ancient Writings
The Apocrypha in Modern Bible Publications by Edwin Cone Bissel
The Historical Setting of the Apocrypha by Raymond F. Surburg
Introduction
The Judeans under Persian Rule (538–330 BC)
The Persian Empire [TLSB map, p. 1396]
Diagram of Zerubbabel’s temple [TLSB, p. 730]
The Judeans and Alexander the Great (330–323 BC)
The Empire of Alexander [TLSB map, p. 1554]
Divided Rule: The Judeans under the Ptolemies (323–181 BC)
Map of the Jewish Diaspora [Charles]
Divided Rule: The Judeans under the Seleucids (312–164 BC)
The Ptolemies and the Seleucids [TLSB p. 1421]
The Judeans under the Maccabees (164–134 BC)
The Judeans under the Hasmoneans (134–63 BC)
The Hasmonean Conquest [TLSB map, p. 1555]
The Judeans under the Romans (63 BC–AD 135)
The Kingdom of Herod [TLSB Map, p. 1576]
The Roman Empire [TLSB Map, p. 1895]
Diagram of Herodian Dynasty [Edersheim, p. 701]
Herod’s Temple [TLSB diagram, p. 1710]
Theological Teachings of the Time Between the Testaments
Chart of references to explicit prayers in the Apocrypha
Chart of references regarding the Messiah
Reading Guide
Reference Guide [Banding]
Abbreviations
Transliteration Guidelines
Articles and Charts List
Map List
Place Names of the Apocrypha and Ancient Empires
Apocrypha Topics
Apocrypha Chronology and World History
Measures
Persons and Groups in the Apocrypha and Early Judaism
Key Terms and Phrases in the Apocrypha
The Offerings [Article/Chart]
OT and Jewish Feasts [chart]
Names for God in the Apocrypha [Article/Chart]
The Apocrypha in Lutheran Worship
The Apocrypha [Arabic Numeration; TLSB style notes on these books]
Intro page
The Arrangement of Books [Article]
Title Variations for Apocryphal Books
Judith
Introduction
The Wisdom of Solomon
Introduction
Tobit
Introduction
Ecclesiasticus [aka Sirach]
Introduction
Baruch
Introduction
The Letter of Jeremiah
Introduction
1 Maccabees
Introduction
Josephus and 1 and 2 Maccabees Compared [chart]
1 and 2 Maccabees: A Detailed Comparison [chart]
2 Maccabees
Introduction
Old Greek Esther
Introduction
Susanna
Introduction
Bel and the Dragon
Introduction
The Prayer of Azariah
Introduction
The Song of the Three Holy Children
Introduction
The Prayer of Manasseh
Introduction
The Apocryphal Books in Other Christian Traditions
Introduction [Other Books of the Apocrypha – article]
Canonicity and Use of the Apocrypha [Article]
The Apocrypha and the Old Testament Scriptures [deSilva Article]
The Apocrypha and the New Testament [deSilva Article]
1 Esdras
Introduction
2 Esdras
Introduction
3 Maccabees or Ptolemaika
Introduction
4 Maccabees
Introduction
Psalm 151
Introduction
Assumed Settings for Apocryphal Books [chart]
Appendices
Appendix 1: The Elephantine Papyri
Appendix 2: The Cairo Geniza Documents
Appendix 3: The Dead Sea Scrolls
Appendix 4: Discoveries of Other Early Jewish Manuscripts
Appendix 5: Philo and His Writings
Appendix 6: Josephus and His Writings
Appendix 7: Pseudepigrapha of the OT
Appendix 8: Rabbinic Literature
Appendix 9: New Testament Apocrypha or Pseudepigrapha
Appendix 10: The Nag Hammadi Codices
Quick update and report on the success of the newly released iPhone App version of the Pastoral Care Companion.
After only being live and available in Apple’s iTunes store for only a day, already more than 100 people have purchased it, and the reviews are very positive. You can get it here.
Couple things in response to some questions/feedback.
(1) A fully optimized version of the App for the iPad will be prepared and ready as soon as possible, we did not want to hold off releasing the iPhone App, but the full iPad version is coming soon. If you purchased the iPhone App, you will get the iPad optimized version as part of a free update.
(2) We are aware of a bug in the App that prevents it from working on iPod/iTouch units, that fix is being uploaded to the iTunes store today and Apple should approve it in a few days, and again, if you purchased the App, this will be an update for free.
Thanks for your positive and enthusiastic reception of this App!
PastoralCare — The Pastoral Care Companion App is available now in the iTunes store, and the Android version is coming soon, early next year. You can now purchase and download the Pastoral Care App. It is loaded with features that you are really going to enjoying having. It has all the features and content, and even more, than the book, at half the price of the book. With the PastoralCare you can carry this volume with you wherever you take your phone. It requires no Internet connection and is completely self-contained on your iPhone.
The most comprehensive collection of resources for the pastoral care of Christian individuals, families, and communities.
PastoralCare provides easy-to-navigate rites and resources for the care of people in times of sickness and distress, joy and celebration. Psalms, Scripture readings, prayers, hymn texts, and commentaries are woven together and applied to more than 60 different situations to uplift and support God’s people. PastoralCare is the ideal app for all pastors, ministers, elders, and caregivers. The prayers, hymns, and readings in PastoralCare make this a perfect devotional app for everyone.
FEATURES
* 18 visitation rites
* 63 care resources in 8 categories
- At the time of birth
- Ministering to the sick
- At the time of death
- Times of spiritual distress
- Home and family
- Vocation
- Times of celebration
- Miscellaneous situations
* Scripture readings
* Psalms with optional chant marks and 8 music and audio tones for singing
* Complete church year calendar with readings and prayers for all Sundays and festivals
* 27 pastor’s prayers of preparation
* 19 seasonal proper prefaces
* 125 additional prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings
* 171 best-loved hymns with complete texts
* Select hymns and liturgical texts in German and Spanish
TECHNICAL FEATURES
* Dates for Sundays, feasts, and festivals generated according to the dynamic calendar
* 8 Psalm tones include music and audio of pipe organ accompaniment
* Bookmarking capabilities to organize your resources
* Add and review notes with phone number and address highlighting
* Easy to navigate
* Fully searchable
* Small, medium, and large font sizes
* Night reading mode
* Three-Year and One-Year Lectionaries included
The gift of God’s Word makes for a great and memorable Christmas gift, a priceless treasure! Concordia Publishing House has a full range of Bibles and Bible story resources, for every age. Let me show you what we have, starting from Bibles for very young children, up to our most feature-rich Bible, The Lutheran Study Bible. Please note! The following list and recommendations are just a few of the many Bibles and Bible resources we offer. To see all we have click on these two links: Bibles and Children’s Bibles.
The Story Bible
This is our premier Bible resource for children, and also for anyone who has little, to no, grasp of the content of the Bible, and, more importantly, it’s meaning. We have heard already from many that they are using this not only with children, but also with adults. Never before in our nearly 150 years of publishing have we produced a Bible as rich and feature-filled as The Story Bible. This treasure will be a great help to pastors, teachers, parents and grandparents as they, like the faithful mother and grandmother of St. Timothy, lead the little ones to understand the Sacred Scriptures. Throughout this Bible, high quality realistic art from our Growing in Christ series is used to fully engage the reader, rather than using cartoonish artwork that might suggest to children that the Bible stories are pretend rather than real. Our intent was to keep the focus on Christ by presenting stories with Old Testament prophecies about Christ so we could present one story for all of Scripture—God’s gift of the Savior. Instead of paraphrasing each story, they were drawn directly from the Bible while adjusting them for student readability. Many stories from the latter part of the Old Testament have been included so that children may begin to build an understanding of the sequence of biblical history. There is also a user’s guide included to explain how to use this Bible with children at different stages of development and reading levels. Other unique features included in this Bible are discussion questions, learning activities, and prayers. These bring each story to life, making a meaningful and lasting impression on children from ages 3 to 8. Whether for at-home use, in preschools, or as part of a congregation-wide children’s ministry, this Bible will make a lasting impact.
Order it here. It is on sale now for only $24.99, but if you, or your congregation, orders 10 or more you can get it for only $19.99 each, enter promo code YST at checkout. (This offer cannot be combined with any other promotions such as the free shipping offer.)
Here are The Story Bible‘s key features:
• 130 Bible stories drawn directly from the Bible
• Focus on Christ with Old Testament prophecies included
• Highlights challenging words
• Beautiful life-like illustrations
• Discussion questions
• Learning activities
• Prayers
• Presentation page
• Large readable text
• Large 9 x 10 format, lies flat
• Glossary
• User’s guide for different age levels
This series of illustrated, inexpensive, Bible literacy books for children has been a flagship line for Concordia Publishing House for fifty years, and have sold, literally, tens of millions of copies of these books. Generations of Christians have grown up with these books, which set a Bible story to rhyme and teaching the meaning of the story. Each book contains a helpful note to parents in the back. There is simply nothing like the Arch Book series available. These little books popular Bible stories through fun-to-read rhymes and bright illustrations. This well-loved series captures the attention of children, telling scripturally sound stories that are enjoyable and easy to remember. We offer a subscription plan to the Arch books, that includes a nice wooden bookholder for 128 titles. You can read more about the subscription program here. Here is a complete list of all the titles available.
Did you know we also have iPad app versions of sixteen titles in our Arch Book series? Sure do! Check them out here.
“The 16-page length makes them perfect for young children who may have trouble sitting still for longer story books,” says Peggy Kuethe, book editor at CPH. “The sing-song rhyme of the re-told Bible stories makes them easy and fun to listen to. And the grown-ups page at the end of each book provides parents with in-depth information about the Bible stories so they can answer “why” questions about God and His people.”
These books are segmented by different parts of the Bible for a thorough journey through God’s Word: beginnings, Old Testament, Christmas, Jesus’ miracles, parables and lessons of Jesus, Easter, and New Testament.
Kuethe shares, “Illustrations are colorful and helpful for giving context and explanation to the stories. But perhaps the feature that has made Arch® Books favorites for generations of Christians is that they’re true to God’s Holy Word.”
The Hear Me Read Bible
This is a collection of key Bible stories, formatted in such a way as to allow for very young children, who are beginning to read, to read the stories. My son actually learned to read by using the Hear Me Read series. Who is this product for?
Imagine sharing a Bible story with your children in 25 words or less. Not only do your early readers hear exciting Bible stories, but they learn to read simple words at the same time.
What does this provide for you? This Bible storybook helps your child develop and grow in their reading ability; Early Bible readers become seasoned Bible readers. Read the stories together in this book, then read them again in an easy-to-understand translation of the Bible. Each story in the Hear Me Read Bible Stories offers a few words of encouragement to help you teach Bible concepts to your little one.
What is it? Early readers need two kinds of reading. They need to be read to, and they need to do their own reading. Hear Me Read Bible Stories helps you to encourage your child with both kinds.In this collection of Bible stories, you and your child read 18 Bible stories using just 25 words or less. These words are repeated to help your child develop a sight vocabulary, recognize words, and grow in Bible knowledge. The colorful illustrations help too. Author Mary Manz Simon is a parenting specialist and has a Ph.D. in education.
When children are ready to move into their first full copy of the Bible, this is the perfect choice. This Bible was developed specifically with children who have learned to read and are ready to start studying God’s Word in more depth. This is most thorough student Bible available today. You can take a look at an excerpt from the Faith Alive Bible, and order a copy here. Children in grades three through eighth grade would benefit from this Bible. Adults as well! This is the perfect “starter” Bible for anyone. Here are the the Faith Alive Bible‘s most important features:
Who, What, When, Where and Why
These boxes are spread throughout the Bible and provide facts on the who, what, when, where, and why of God’s Word and the story of salvation. Find out more about the real people, places, and life in Bible times.
4U: (For You)
Every word in the Bible is loaded with meaning for everyone, but these boxes will help you understand what certain passages mean FOR YOU personally.
Cross Connections
As you read through the Bible, you will find many verses that remind you that Jesus’ death on the cross connects you back to God—which gives you forgiveness, life and salvation. In many placed, a brief note is included explaining a particular Cross Connection.
Section and Books of the Bible Introductions
The Faith Alive Bible is divided into six sections. The beginning of each section includes information about the books contained in the section. There is also an introduction on the first page of each book of the Bible that gives you the big picture about the content of that book, including the author, dates, main themes, and significant events.
Articles and Charts
The Faith Alive Bible is loaded with great information to help you better understand God’s Word for your life. You will find colorful and informative articles and charts through the Bible, between the Testaments, and between books or chapters of the Bible.
Timelines and Maps
The events recorded in God’s Word are real. Look at the timelines to see the history of your salvation. Colorful maps help you see where these events took place and where those locations are found in the world today.
Glossary
These pages help you with words in the Bible that you may not know.
Here’s a video about the Faith Alive Bible:
The Lutheran Study Bible
This is Concordia Publishing House’s premier study Bible. Simply put, it is in a league of its own. It is the most widely used and best selling Lutheran Study Bible on the market today and nothing like it has ever before been produced in the English language. It has been met with rave reviews from Lutherans and non-Lutherans alike. We have a web site devoted to explaining The Lutheran Study Bible and showcasing its contents. Please visit TLSB’s web site here. With nearly half-a million copies in print, TLSB is available in two sizes, in a regular print size and a larger print size and in multiple format: bonded leather, genuine leather, a special multicolored material called “Duotone” and in various digital formats: Kindle, ePub and LOGOS edition. This Bible provides the most extensive set of study notes featured in a Bible like this that has ever been published in English speaking Lutheranism. It is a gift that is appropriate for high schoolers, college aged students and adults.
Engage in devotional, Christ-centered Bible reading and study with the distinctive, comprehensive notes and practical application of The Lutheran Study Bible. This new Bible is the first in English to be developed from the ground-up with notes that are distinctively Lutheran, prepared by Lutheran contributors from over twenty Lutheran church bodies. Current Lutheran scholarship, insights from the Church Fathers, and rich devotional commentary provide meaningful perspective for both young and mature Christians.
If you want to learn the history of study Bibles in the Lutheran tradition, here is a great article. You can also read a sampling of the great reviews we have received for TLSB, here.
We also have a good collection of samples from TLSB, available here.
In addition, we have put together a comprehensive set of Frequently Asked Questions, you can access the FAQ, here.
This photo has nothing to with the post. I just thought it was an awesome 'stache and beard combination.
Guys, let’s face it, we often deserve the bad rap we get in pop culture. We are often lazy. We do like to sit around and be entertained a lot of the time. We don’t always like the various responsibilities we are given by God. In fact, we are pretty much masters of talking ourselves out of them: fatherhood, husband-hood, employee-hood, friend-hood – ok, so I’m making some words up. That’s what guys do.
And, so, when it comes to responsibilities to be the leaders in our congregations and families, as men of God, we are often content simply to sit back and let “somebody else” do it. But, guys, we can do better. We are called to do better. Time simply to fess up and say it to ourselves, and to anyone else who needs to hear it, “I’m a poor miserable sinner. God, I hate to admit it, but I’m a big fat loser more often than I want to admit. But you know me, God. You search my heart. Yup, that’s me.” There you said it. I said it. And we know He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness through Christ Jesus our Lord.
So, let’s get on with it. Let’s go!
What kind of gift should we give guys who want to be Lutheran guys? You can not be a Lutheran man if you don’t know what being Lutheran is all about. Period. Let me repeat that: you can not be a Lutheran man if you don’t know what being Lutheran is all about. Period. End of story. There’s no debate here. If the only reason you are a Lutheran is because your wife dragged you to church, or your parents did, or your grandpa was a Lutheran, or because you have a thing for Lutheran girls, then you aren’t a real Lutheran guy. You just a poser.
So, what can you do to be a Lutheran guy? What can we do, what should we do, to make sure we are and remain Lutheran guys?
Deluxe Pocket Edition
Guys, here it is. We need to man up and get our heads and hearts into the Book of Concord. You want to know what being Lutheran is all about? You need to get to know the Book of Concord. And get this – there actually is a single book that gives Lutheran guys what they need to know to be Lutheran guys. One book guys. Great stuff in it. It’s not rocket science. It is most definitely not just for pastors or guys who “are into that sort of thing.” It’s for you. Sure, it’s a big book, but who cares? You aren’t afraid of a big book are you. Really?
Sure, there is some pretty deep stuff in it. Don’t wimp out and make that an excuse for yourself. You need to get a copy of the Book of Concord and read it and study it.
There are great options out there for you. You can either get an edition of the Lutheran confessions, which is what is in the Book of Concord, that gives you all the texts along with tons of great helps, notes, explanations, articles and yes, even pictures. You can get this when you buy Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, it is available in regular hardback, a bonded leather edition, a genuine leather edition, or in a digital study edition for the LOGOS software system.
But if you want something smaller and more portable, you can get a pocket edition, which contains just the texts of the Confessions, along with an index and reading guide. You can get this one in a simple paperback edition or, and this is really cool, a great looking deluxe pocket edition. You can also get a Kindle edition of the pocket edition, or an ePub edition.
Ladies, if you are reading this, get the man in your life a copy of the Book of Concord.
Guys, if you want to step up and be a real Lutheran man, then get the Book of Concord. Read it. Study it. You won’t regret it.
Real men read the Book of Concord. You can be “that guy.”
I’m happy to tell you that we are running a special offer on this wonderful little tract written by Martin Luther on how to meditate on the passion of Christ. It comes in packs of ten and from now, until Easter, when you use the promotional code LMP when you check out, you will receive as many “ten packs” as you want, for 50% off.
Once the busy schedule of Advent and Christmas services, along with all the special activities in a typical parish that swirl around and about during the Christmas season, many pastors get past New Years and begin thinking about Lent, which this year starts on Feb. 22. And as they consider what they will be doing this year for their Lenten services, Concordia Publishing House would like to wave a big flag that says, simply, “Look here!” We have a complete Lenten series for you, yet another, in our line of Lenten programs.
We sent out review copies of the Apocrypha: Lutheran Study Edition, in rough galley proof form, to international Bible scholars and are receiving simply stunning reviews from truly world-class scholars who recognize the value of this unique, one-of-a-kind edition of the Apocryphal books of the Bible. We will be releasing the book next Fall, and at present the content is all complete and we are putting it through layout and detailed copy editing and proofing, etc.
PastoralCare — The Pastoral Care Companion App is available now in the iTunes store, and the Android version is coming soon, early next year. You can now purchase and download the Pastoral Care App. It is loaded with features that you are really going to enjoying having. It has all the features and content, and even more, than the book, at half the price of the book. With the PastoralCare you can carry this volume with you wherever you take your phone. It requires no Internet connection and is completely self-contained on your iPhone.
The Story Bible
Arch Books
The Hear Me Read Bible
The Faith Alive Student Bible
The Lutheran Study Bible
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