To: Catechism | Church Words | Digging Into the Old Testament | Ephesians 1 & 2 | How to Read the Bible | Preparation for the Gospel | Sunday School | New Testament Posts | A Walk Through the Liturgy
Catechism
The cornerstone of Lutheran Doctrine is Luther’s Small Catechism. In it the reformer summarized the teachings of Holy Scripture in simple terms, designed to help fathers and pastors teach their children. So successful was this work and its companion, the Large Catechism, it became the foundation of instruction in the faith for all Christians. For the last few years, What Does this Mean? has run this series each just before each Lent and into the Easter season. We continue to tweak it and add to it.
Introduction
Catechism #1: Child and Pupil of the Catechism
Catechism #2: Why Memorize the Catechism?
Catechism #3: Why is Luther’s Catechism so Popular?
Catechism #4: What is the Small Catechism?
Ten Commandments
Catechism #5: Fence, Mirror and Guidebook
Catechism #6: The Two Greatest Commandments
Catechism #7: Who is your God?
Catechism #8: We Believe in One God…
Catechism #8b: God’s Name
Catechism #9: Pray, Praise and Give Thanks
Catechism #10: The Sabbath Rest
Catechism #11: To Live Well, Honor Your Parents
Catechism #12: Being for Life and Not Death
Catechism #13: God’s Good Gift of Marriage
Catechism #14: Beg, Borrow and Steal
Catechism #15: Speak up for Others
Catechism #16: The Problem is in the Heart
Catechism #17: God the Jealous God
Creed
First Article
Catechism #18: What’s a Creed Anyway?
Catechism #19: The Three Ways God Cares for Us
Catechism #20: Calling God our Father and Meaning it
Catechism #21: God can do Anything He Wants to Do
Catechism #22: God Made Me and All Creatures
Second Article
Catechism #23: God is Hands On
Catechism #23b: Son of God
Catechism #24: It’s His Story
Catechism #25: And He Suffered Under Pontius Pilate
Catechism #26: He Descended into Hell
Catechism #27: Christ is Risen!
Catechism #28: The Right Hand of God
Catechism #29: The Judge of the Living and the Dead
Third Article
Catechism #30: The Holy Spirit Seeks the Lost
Catechism #31: Little Sheep the Hear the Voice of their Shepherd
Catechism #32: Called by the Gospel
Catechism #33: Enlighten With His Gifts
Catechism #34: Kept in the True Faith
Catechism #35: The Marks of the Church
Catechism #36: The Forgiveness of Sins
Catechism #37: The Resurrection of the Body
Catechism #38: And He Shall Reign Forever and Ever
Book of Concord
Nicene Creed
How did we get the Nicene Creed?
Athanasian Creed
Introduction to the Athanasian Creed
Athanasian Creed Section One: Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity
Athanasian Creed Section Two: Three Distinct Persons
Athanasian Creed Section Three: Unity in the Person of Christ
Athanasian Creed the Conclusion : Works and Faith, Sheep and Goats
Formula of Concord
Epitome
Formula of Concord #1: A Look at the Epitome
The Lord’s Prayer
Catechism #39: Dear Children and Their Dear Father
Catechism#40: Why Pray for God to Make His Name Holy
Catechism #41: Thy Kingdom Come
Catechism #42: If it is God’s Will
Catechism #43: Daily Bread
Catechism #44: God Lets it Go, So Let it Go
Catechism #45: The World, the Devil and Our Sinful Desires
Catechism #46: Faith and Prayer
Baptism
Catechism #45: What is a Sacrament?
Catechism #46: What is Baptism?
Catechism #47: Baptism Saves You
Catechism #48: Is Baptism Necessary?
Catechism #49: Who Should be Baptized?
Catechism #50: The Church has Always Baptized Infants
Catechism #51: Stay Calm and Remember Your Baptism
Catechism #52: Baptized into Christ’s Body
Confession
Catechism #53: Why Confess Your Sins?
Catechism #54: What is Absolution?
Lord’s Supper
Catechism #55: Names for the Lord’s Supper
Catechism #56: Who is the Lord’s Supper for?
Catechism #57: The Lord’s Supper is Christ’s Supper
Catechism #58: Forgiveness of Sins, Life and Salvation
Catechism #59: One Loaf, One Body
Catechism #59b: What does it mean to “worthily receive?”
Catechism #59c: Why does Pastor commune himself first?
Catechism #59d: What do the “unworthy” receive?
Catechism #59e: Is it OK for alcoholics to receive only the bread in communion?
Catechism #59f: Why does Pastor use people’s first names only in prayer?
Table of Duties
Catechism #60: Vocation and the Table of Duties
Catechism #61: Vocations: Working out from Ground Zero
Catechism #62: Vocations of the Everyday Grind
Catechism #63: Who do you think you are?
Church Words
In church, we use a number of words that we assume everyone knows, but no one ever explain. These posts give the background behind these terms and what we mean by them when we use them.
Church Words #1: The Church
Church Words #2: Church Invisible, Visible, Etc.
Church Words #3: Communion of Saints
Church Words #4: Catholic
Church Words #5: Evangelical
Church Words #6: Lutheran
Church Words #7: Congregation
Church Words #8: Apostolic
Church Words #9: Christian
Church Words #9b: Orthodox
Church Words #10: Holy
Church Words #11: Time and Eternity
Church Words #12: Omnipresent
Church Words #13: Omnipotent
Church Words #14: Faith
Church Words #15: Hope
Church Words #16: Love
Church Words #17: Grace
Church Words #18: Peace
Church Words #19: Ministry
Church Words #20: Mercy
Church Words #21: Self-Control
Church Words #22: Redemption
Church Words #23: Compassion
Church Words #24: Salvation
Church Words #25: Atonement, Reconciliation
Church Words #26: Good Works
Church Words #27: Adoption
Church Words #28: Justification
Church Words #29: Sanctification
Church Words #30: Iconoclasm
Digging Into the Old Testament
Pastor Hermcamp tells the story of how Christians viewed and interpreted the Old Testament.
Digging into the Old Testament #1: Digging into the Old Testament
Digging into the Old Testament #2: The Ebionites
Digging into the Old Testament #3: Marcion
Digging into the Old Testament #4: The Theological Schools of Alexandria and Antioch
Digging into the Old Testament #5: Torah, Torah, Torah
Material Principle: Ephesians 1 & 2
To find your way around a town, you need a map. Theologians have created a number of different systematic theologies — maps of Christian doctrine. In a sense, St. Paul does this in the first and second chapters of Ephesians. These posts walk us through the basics of Christian theology using the Ephesians map.
Formal and Material Principles
Material Principle 1: How Do We Know What God Thinks About Us?
Material Principle 2: So, Does God Hate Me?
Material Principle 3: For Christ’s Sake
Material Principle 4: God’s Masks
Material Principle 5: Means of Grace
Material Principle 6: Faith
Material Principle 7: Salvation Guaranteed
Material Principle 8: Hope
Material Principle 9: What does it mean to be saved anyway?
Material Principle 10: Grace Alone, Faith Alone?
Material Principle 11: Christians and Good Works
How to Read the Bible
The Scriptures were written over a thousand years in three languages. The newest books were finished nearly two thousand years ago. The people who wrote them down and the people who were subjects of the Scripture lived in cultures very different than modern ones and thought of the world in very different ways. How can we understand them without a lifetime of study? Fortunately, Lutheran scholars have discovered proven ways to go about it and have recorded them in a series of rules. Together they are known as Biblical hermeneutics. Here are some of these rules to guide you in studying God’s word.
Rule #1: Reading the Bible
Rule #2: The Bible is All About Jesus
Rule #3: Two Main Teachings of the Bible
Rule #4: Use the Bible to Understand the Bible
Rule #5: Look for the Intended Meaning
Rule #6: Location, Location, Location
Rule #7: Respect the Original Languages
Rule #8: Avoid Anachronism (or don’t make Jesus time traveler)
Preparation for the Gospel
Preparation for the Gospel #1: Judaism
Preparation for the Gospel #2: Alexander the Great
Preparation for the Gospel #3: The Great Library of Alexandria
Preparation for the Gospel #4: Zeus in the Holy of Holies
Preparation for the Gospel #5: The Herods of Edom
Preparation for the Gospel #6: The Peace of Rome
Sunday School Lesson Background Posts
During the nearly twenty years my wife was sunday school superintendent in two congregations, I wrote a weekly newsletter to help parents review the week’s lessons and apply the point we made to their children’s live. One feature was the Did you know? paragraphs. The idea was to teach the parents something they did not know about the story. These posts expand on those paragraphs for this blog.
Old Testament
Sunday School #1: God Makes the World
Sunday School #2: God Makes Adam and Eve
Sunday School #3: Sin Enters the World
Sunday School #4: Cain and Abel
Sunday School #5: Noah’s Ark
Sunday School #6: The Tower of Babel
Sunday School #7: Job and Suffering even when we don’t know why
Sunday School #8: Abraham, Sarah and Isaac
Sunday School #9: God provides a Lamb for Abraham
Sunday School #10: Isaac and Rebekah
Sunday School #11: Isaac and Rebekah’s Favorite Sons
Sunday School #12: Joseph and His Brothers
Sunday School #13: Joseph Serves in Egypt
Sunday School #14 : Joseph Forgives His Brothers
Sunday School #15: Baby Moses Adopted by Pharaoh’s Daughter
Sunday School #16: Moses and the Burning Bush
Sunday School #17: Moses, Pharaoh and the Plagues
Sunday School #18: The First Passover
Sunday School #19: The Exodus
Sunday School #20: Bread from Heaven
Sunday School #21: Joshua and the Battle of Jericho
Sunday School #22: Deborah and the Judges
Sunday School #23: Ruth
Sunday School #24: Samuel’s Call
Sunday School #25: King Saul
Sunday School #27: David and Goliath
Sunday School : David and Saul
Sunday School: David Anointed King
Sunday School: Solomon Asks for Wisdom
Sunday School: Elijah, The Man of God when There were Few
Sunday School: Elijah’s Mantle on Elijah Cast
Sunday School: Jeremiah the Weeping Prophet
Sunday School: Jonah and the Unforgivable
Sunday School: King Hezekiah and the Assyrian Siege
Sunday School: King Hezekiah Celebrates Passover
Sunday School: King Josiah
Sunday School: Ezekiel, a Prophet in Exile
Sunday School: Three Men in the Furnace — or is it Four?
Sunday School : Daniel and the Lions
Sunday School: Esther and Mordecai
Sunday School: Prophets Told of Jesus’ Coming
Sunday School: Malachi, The Last of the Old Testament Prophets — Almost
New Testament Posts
A Walk Through the Liturgy
Pastor Jacob Hercamp takes us through the Divine Service, explaining the traditions behind what we say and do in the historic liturgy of the Church.
Walk Through the Liturgy #1: Confession and Absolution
Walk Through the Liturgy #2: The Sign of the Cross
Walk Through the Liturgy #3: The Introit
Walk Through the Liturgy #4: The Kyrie
Walk Through the Liturgy #5: The Collect of the Day
Walk Through the Liturgy #6: The Readings
Walk Through the Liturgy #7: The Creed
Walk Through the Liturgy #8: The Hymn of the Day
Walk Through the Liturgy #9: The Sermon
Walk Through the Liturgy #10: The Offertory
Walk Through the Liturgy #11: The Offering
Walk Through the Liturgy #12: The Prayer of the Church
Walk Through the Liturgy #13: The Preface and Proper Preface
Walk Through the Liturgy #14: The Sanctus
Walk Through the Liturgy #15: The Lord’s Prayer
Walk Through the Liturgy #16: What’s Not There
Walk Through the Liturgy #17: The Words of our Lord Part 1
Walk Through the Liturgy #18: The Words of our Lord Part 2
Walk Through the Liturgy #19: The Words of our Lord, Part 3
Walk Through the Liturgy #20: The Pax Domini
Walk Through the Liturgy #21: Agnus Dei
Walk Through the Liturgy #22: The Distribution
Walk Through the Liturgy #23: The Nunc Dimittis
Walk Through the Liturgy #24: The Thanksgiving and Collect
Walk Through the Liturgy #25: The Benedicamus
Walk Through the Liturgy #26: The Benediction
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