St. Athanasius

Athanasius I of Alexandria (293- 373) was a theologian, a Patriarch (Bishop) of Alexandria, a Church Father, and a noted Egyptian leader of the fourth century. Alexandria was the New York City of fourth century. He was ordained as a deacon by the current patriarch, Alexander of Alexandria, in 319. In 325, he served as Alexander’s secretary at the First Council of Nicaea. A recognized theologian, he was the obvious choice to replace Alexander as the Patriarch of Alexandria on the latter’s death in 328.

He is best remembered for his role in the conflict with Arius and Arianism. At the Council of Nicaea in 325, as a mere deacon, no less, Athanasius argued against Arius and his doctrine that Christ is of a distinct substance from the Father (i.e. that Christ is not really God like God the Father is God). He became occupied in theological disputes with the Byzantine Empire and the Arians which would occupy much of his life (leading to his banishment from Alexandria five separate times).

In 367, Athanasius was the first person to list the 27 books of the New Testament as we have them in our Bibles today. Up until then, various regions added other early Christian writings to the New Testament list. In 382, Pope Damascus supported Athanasius' New Testament list. By 397, Athanasius’ New Testament list was the standard canon throughout the Church.

Athanasius is one of the greatest Church theologians. He challenged the emperor and the many followers of Arius. He held to the decision of Nicaea and defended the Nicene Creed. This was no simple task, because the Byzantine emperors were fickle: one would support the Creed, and then his successor would support Arius, and back and forth for a number of years (this is why he was banished and reappointed numerous times from his patriarch). Although the Creed upheld Christian orthodoxy in 325, many Christians, bishops, pastors, theologians, and churches sided with Arius. The confessional and orthodox pastors, bishops, and churches were in the minority.

In spite of this challenge, Athansius and others moved forward to teach and confess the Nicene Creed as the true exposition of the holy Scriptures. After numerous hardships, Athansius and his colleagues won the day as the Holy Spirit worked through men and women like him to confess the faith even when they were in the minority and ridiculed.

We take forgranted today the orthodoxy we have with the Nicene Creed. Athanasius must be given much credit for spearheading the truths we now accept without much thought. Thank God, the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, for giving Athanasius to the Church as a defender of the faith, a pastor who preached the Word and administered the Sacraments, and lead the patriarch (diocese) of Alexandria for many years.

Pentecost and Holy Baptism

Yesterday my nephew was baptized. I was honored and priveleged to be his God-father.

Luther's Small Catechism is so relevant and powerful. He writes on the Third Article of the Creed:

,,I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith."

And he writes on Holy Baptism, Part 2:

,,Baptism works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this, as the words and promises of God declare."

The Holy Spirit works the same way today that He worked 2000 years ago on Pentecost Sunday. The law and gospel were preached, the Spirit created faith, and people were baptized. Preaching and holy Baptism go together. Faith and Baptism go together. The Spirit moves when and where He pleases, creating faith as He wills, when the Word is preached and the Sacraments are administered.

We cannot improve on the Spirit's will. We can survey demographic studies, raise funds, canvas the neighborhood, and any other host of techniques. The Spirit will create faith when the Word is preached and the Sacraments administered. We can't force the creation of faith, but we must be patient with the Spirit to create faith when and where He pleases. This is why we cannot apply business techniques to the Church: if we do so, then we have turned the Church into something other than what the Holy Spirit has created. We can't stifle the Spirit by putting limitations and time-restraints upon Him; He will do things as He desires to do them, all the while demolishing our control and input on when and where faith should be created.

The Holy Spirit isn't a tameable dove, a nice pet we have hanging around our Church, but the Spirit is a powerful wind that terrifies with the law and soothes with the gospel, thereby creating and sustaining faith in Jesus Christ who suffered, died, and rose again for our salvation and justification.

Yesterday, the Holy Spirit came in great power. He didn't appear as a dove, and He didn't arrive in a gust of wind. He showed up with the words and water that were spoken and poured upon my nephew. He was baptized and the Spirit created saving faith in him. What a great day of Pentecost and Baptism.

The Feast of Christ's Resurrection

Easter Sunday - March 23, 2008 - 1 Cor. 15.19-28 - Oberursel - Armin Wenz

If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For "God has put all things in subjection under his feet." But when it says, "all things are put in subjection," it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. (ESV)

Dear Congregation!

Over and over, one has sought to explain the resurrection of Jesus from the dead with comparisons. There is from the mythology of the people the legendary phoenix bird, that rises forth from the ashes, and one is reminded of the butterfly that seemingly squirms itself out of a dead caterpillar. Also, there is the reference to the spring, in which year after year new life sprouts, which often plays a role in our latitudes especially since Easter falls on a different date each year in the southern hemisphere from Spring.

One can certainly recognize in the Creation God’s creative power overcomes death or what often seems like death. Nevertheless, all of these comparisons are lagging when it comes to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

The Bible says that the resurrection is not a metamorphosis nor is it a miraculous transformation from one form to another. The resurrection is also not a spiritualization, so that one could say: Jesus’ body is really dead, but His spirit is awakened by God to life. Or even, as it was claimed in the 60s by many German evangelical theologians, who proclaimed, Jesus certainly remained in the grave, but that the subject of Jesus’ resurrection should continue.

The opinion of the Corinthians came quite close to this, and thus Paul was concerned. They also wanted to reinterpret the resurrection. They did not directly deny the resurrection of Jesus, but they denied that there would be a resurrection of the dead in the future. They thought they were already complete. They supposed that, after Jesus fully accomplished salvation, nothing new would come. And so they also supposed, they could no longer fall from salvation, no matter what they would do, no matter how laden they were with their wicked sins.

Paul preaches against this error of the Corinthians, their opinion that they already live in the perfect time of salvation. He does so by distinguishing the resurrection of Jesus at three times, which, he clearly says, follows one on top of the other, by which all three times have to do with the resurrection of Jesus.

The first time lies in the past; it is the time of the Jesus’ Easter victory. The second time is the time of Jesus’ struggle against doomed powers which are still raging; this is the present. The third time, however, is the time when Christ’s death will finally overcome and God alone will prevail.

First is the time of Jesus’ Easter victory. The New Testament unanimously proclaims the resurrection of Jesus from the dead as an unique and completed event. No one could have observed the resurrection, but numerous witnesses have arisen who saw and heard Christ. Paul lists them at the beginning of the chapter. The testimony of everyone is this: Christ is alive.
However, as was testified truthfully, because it was even officially sealed by the spear thrust in Jesus’ side and by the burial, it is certain that Jesus had truly died.

The resurrection has not reversed the death of Jesus; it is not a journey into the past, but it is the miracle of the new life that God has worked on the one who was dead, absolutely dead, lifeless, and forsaken by God.

The resurrection of Jesus is not a metamorphosis, but it is a victory, a victory of God over death. As previously indicated time and again, as God spared Isaac in his sacrifice, as Jonah was miraculously saved from drowning, as Jesus called Lazarus from the grave, which occurred with Jesus in a radically new way.

Because Jesus is the first to be raised from death, who will not die again, thus the resurrection of His Son was the seal and confession of God the Father to His Son: This is My beloved Son.

That’s why Paul proclaimed with unwavering certainty: Christ is truly risen. And He is the first to rise. Up to this moment in world history, there was never such a thing. But it is God’s will that Christ should not remain the only one; according to God’s will, He opens the resurrection to all people who will follow in His footsteps and experience what He experienced: Death is in God’s hand, and the resurrection from the dead, the new life, is by God’s power.

Admittedly, says Paul, there is an order in this series. Nobody can trade places with Christ. He is the first resurrection. He already lives in the glory of the Father. He is the first. For every one else, however, Paul says, these wonderful events still lie in the future. But everyone in his order: first Christ, then when He will come, those who belong to Christ.

But there is no doubt: the Corinthians are wrong, if they think they already have already attained the goal as Christ has already attained the goal. No, the physical resurrection from the dead is still pending for those who believe in Christ. They live in a sort of interim state.

This second time, St. Paul says, is the time of Jesus’ struggle against doomed powers which are still raging. This power and might will become the first to be destroyed by Christ at the end. The last enemy, which will be destroyed, is death. Only in the new heaven and new earth will it be said: There will no longer be death (Revelation 21).

The interim period, in which we live as Christians, is also marked by two things: First, death is already defeated by Jesus’ resurrection. Second, death is not yet destroyed, but this terrible state of affairs flourishes until the last day.

That is however: Death is like all the doomed powers of this world which are under Jesus’ feet and reign. All power in heaven and on earth is given to Me, the Risen says to His disciples before He sends them out into the world, where they will not only baptize and teach, but where they will repeatedly expose all the tyrants of the world.

However all blood witnesses, all martyrs of the Church, proclaimed and died in the certainty that they had already vanquished the most brutal rulers for they stand on the side of the victor, even when the world was sure that it dealt with notorious losers.

It is clearly evident that this period in which we live is, for us Christians, a time of temptation. Yes, temptation hangs together with fighting. In other words: when we live our faith, we meet in and around us powers which oppose us and do not peacefully surrender. We stand in a war, as Paul says, not with flesh and blood, but with powers and authorities, namely the rulers of the world, who prevail in this darkness, with the evil spirits under heaven (Ephesians 6.12).

But this is true, it certainly is that we already stand in these struggles that stand entirely under the reign of Christ, which belongs to Him, for He guarantees that He defends, protects, carries, comforts, where He helps to make them bold, give strength, and then at the end – dying as a martyr or a natural death – He will also raise them up.

We live in the time of Satan’s fighting retreat. If we look into the world, you would think that he builds his reign ever further from our Lord and is moving ever backwards. In reality, the doomed powers always become furious since they know that their time is coming to an end. The fact is: a war becomes increasingly more fierce as the fighting comes to an end, so we must also know that the same is true in this war and therefore we should not be surprised when it becomes fierce. But we can also be certain that the unseen Victor is now behind us, that He stands in front of the door and awaits us.

The means by which Christ fights are His Word and His Sacraments, whereby He has sent His disciples to all people. It is the greatest miracle in the history of the world, that this non-violent Word and these plain and simple gifts of the Sacraments remain today and have not fallen, despite all the tyrants and despite all the aberrations of the Church. Here, where His Word is preached and His Sacraments administered in accordance with His will, is the living, risen Christ and they give the doomed powers one defeat after another.

What is most shrewd to Satan, is the fact that in everything, Christ, in His dying on the cross and in His non-violent reign as the Risen One, in His reign by His Word and His Sacraments, does not follow Satan’s diabolical advice, in that Jesus does not aspire to usurp world domination by his diabolical standards.

Jesus could have done it, He could have become the ruler of world by Satan’s favor, and He would have lost His Father in heaven just like Adam and Eve in Paradise; however, Christ does not do everything for Himself, but He does everything in obedience and loyalty to His Father and out of love for the children of men.

Because that is so, Paul must still speak about the third time, which for us is still pending. It is the time, when Christ will finally overcome death and God, the Heavenly Father, will alone prevail: after the end, when the reign of God, the Father, will be handed over, after He has destroyed all rule and all power and dominion.

After the Father puts His Son in charge of the resurrection, at the end the Son will commit to His Father and give back to Him the reign over men: all of Creation belongs to Him.

The Son’s mission is fulfilled, when death and all doomed powers, Satan and his angels, will finally be destroyed, when the war with men will be past.

Then, only then, will we have no temptation, no tears, no doubt, no hesitation, no more dying. Then, only then, is God finally justified before the entire world, when the Son will hold court and His Father will place before Him those who have confessed Him. Then, only then, it ends in our salvation, since we are sealed in our Baptism, in the consummation, the visible life in communion with God.

We owe all the fidelity of Jesus Christ to His heavenly Father. That fact that He became subordinate, has remained obedient to Him, although He forever and ever is together with Him true God. That He has not rebel against the position of His Father from whom He is a Son who is distinct and separate – even though He is the same God with power and honor.

That in His place Christ executes the true mission of His Father for us until the end, upon which we owe our entire redemption, our salvation with God and the certainty that neither death nor life, neither angels nor powers, nor authorities, neither the present nor the future neither height nor depth nor any other creature is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8.38 f).

So death and also the terrible experiences in the course of our lives is nothing that can separate us from God. So we must – whether we live or die – safely wait in anticipation upon our own resurrection, that then we will really have peace. Not peace in the grave, but peace with God, after the victory over His enemies, and ours, becomes final, through Jesus Christ, His Son. Amen.

Translated by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind

Silent No More

Yep, it's been a while since I posted something here. I have been busy translating a sermon (which I will post in the next couple of days). Translating a paragraph here and a paragraph there took more time than I had anticipated.

I do want to address something I heard the other night about Christian churches and the message of self-empowerment and self-improvement. Such a message is not Christian preaching. It is only a proclamation of the law. Preaching only the law or only the gospel is not Christian preaching. Preaching law and gospel is true, evangelical (read: Lutheran) Christian preaching.

We don't have the ability to empower ourselves. We don't have the power to improve ourselves. If we try to do so, then what need have we of Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Word, the Sacraments, and the other means of grace? Christ in His infinite wisdom gave us the means of grace because we cannot empower or improve ourselves in the spiritual realm. Only by the power the gospel and God's almighty hand can we improve our lives in the physical realm. And how often do we try to do something better in our lives only to muck it up?

Beware of those hawking self-empowerment and self-improvement from the pulpit. They are preaching another gospel, which is no gospel at all. If we want to improve ourselves, there are plenty of free books at the local library that can help us in that endeavor. If we want the be assured that we are forgiven, even after we have failed to improve our life, then run to church and hear the Word of God in all its glorious law and gospel.

Ordinary People

One of the things I like about the holy Gospels is that the evangelists tell us about ordinary people. We tend to put the first disciples and the Twelve Apostles on golden pedestals: how spiritual and holy they were compared to me, so far removed from Jesus.

In John 20 we see yet again the ordinariness of the disciples and the apostles. Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to finish burying Jesus, not to rejoice in His resurrection. Thomas refused to believe that Jesus had risen, unless he got the same visit the other apostles had: they saw Him and could touch Him. Jesus meets us on our level. If Thomas needs to see and touch, then Jesus will give Him that opportunity. If Mary needs to give Jesus a big hug (perhaps to reassure herself that He has a real, physical body and not a ghost or just to express her love and friendship at the good news she just received), then Jesus will give her that opportunity.

Jesus wanted His disciples and apostles to believe He had risen from the tomb, thus He appeared to them, conversed with them, ate with them, etc. The witness of the first disciples and the Twelve Apostles formed the groundwork for all the others who heard their proclamation and believed (even though they hadn't actually seen the risen Jesus).

Each generation in the Church has passed on to the succeeding generation the faith: Christ was crucified, Christ is risen, for you and your eternal salvation. This faith is about justification: we are freely forgiven because of Christ alone. We have so many opportunities to proclaim the crucified and risen Christ via conversations with people, email, blogs, radio, TV, and other forms of media. What a blessed opportunity the Holy Spirit has given our generation.

Like Mary and Thomas, we have the joyous privilege to go and tell others what we know and believe: Jesus died and rose again to obtain the forgiveness of all the world's sin; and that means that He died and rose for each one personally. What a wonderful Savior, and what a marvelous gospel!

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed. Hallelujah!

The Rev. Dr. Norman Nagel preached in an Easter sermon from 1981: ,,There is now nothing in all the world that you can be more sure of than Jesus crucified for you, risen for you" (Nagel 120). This statement is Good Friday and Easter Sunday in a nutshell.

The Church doesn't need liberation theology, social gospel theology, name it and claim it theology, rolling on the floor laughing theology, slain in the spirit theology, your best life now theology, and any other pop, quasi-entertainment driven theology that seems so prevalent on the American airwaves. The Church and the world needs the Christ crucified and risen for you theology.

Why? Because we have a problem with sin. Our 21st century society doesn't like that dirty word ,,sin". Sin makes us feel uncomfortable, shameful, and guilty. The plethora of 12 step theologies that overwhelm the culture often don't take sin seriously, and in fact would prefer to push sin into a small, dark corner to be forgotten about.

Jesus suffering on the cross won't let us forget about our sinfulness. Christ crucified won't let us push sin into a forgotten corner. Good Friday places the spotlight squarely on sin. There it is! You see, this is the punishment for sin. This is where sin ultimately leads you: suffering and death. That God-man hanging on the cross is bearing our sin in His own body. He is suffering for us in order to redeem us. Jesus became sin and a curse who bore the full wrath of His heavenly Father.

Christ crucified is true liberation, liberation from sin, death, and the devil. The empty tomb shows how helpless sin, death, and the devil now are. The resurrected Christ shows that He is the perfect sacrifice that has paid for all sin, once and for all. The resurrected Christ shows that death will be undone. The resurrected Christ shows that the devil is now defeated.

Christ crucified and risen for us is the only gospel the Church and the world needs. Christians live under the theology of the cross, namely, that in this life we can expect to suffer because we have faith in Jesus. Our life will not be a bed of roses, but more often a couch of thorns. To be sure, God blesses us, but He also allows us to endure trials and tribulations in order to strenghten our faith in Christ.

When Christ returns we will then live under the theology of glory. Christ will arrive in His full majesty. Our bodies will be raised up and reunited with our souls. The ravages of sin and death will no longer afflict us. Worldly suffering will no longer burden us. All discrimination will end. All poverty will end. All wars and violence will end. But this won't occur until the last day, that great and glorious day when we will experience Easter Sunday in all its heavenly glory.


Nagel, Norman. Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel: From Valparaiso to St. Louis. Frederick W. Baue, Ed. Copyright © 2004 Concordia Publishing House.

How Important are We?

A few nights ago, I watched The History Channel's "Life after Humans" program. It had wonderful HD computer animation. The basic premise was what would our civilization look like if everyone suddenly vanished. Obviously, what we have built would be left to decay and fall apart. The program indicated that within 1000 years, almost all forms of human civilization would be lost to foliage. A few monuments, like Mt. Rushmore and the Great Pyramids might withstand the ravages of nature.

I found myself thinking about the scene from Logan's Run when Logan and Jessica make it out of the dome and arrive at Washington, D.C. All the humans are gone, save one lone old man. The place is overrun with cats, and most of the monuments and builidings are decaying and overgrown with greenery.

As the program unfolded, I thought, "Who really cares?" I mean, if everyone was gone from the earth, who cares how what we have left behind will endure? Without human beings, the earth is just a big greenhouse and zoo. But without human beings, there is no civilization, no advances, no art, and no science. It highlighted to me Genesis 1 and 2, where God creates man and woman to be the crown of creation and to be stewards of the earth for Him. Without human beings, the earth would merely sustain, but nothing would be produced. Human beings do the producing and the stewardship that makes the earth and all creatures more than the sum of their parts. God has invested a lot in the earth, and we see how much He loves us by sending His Son to die and rise for our justification and salvation. Too often, we get the blame game for harming nature, but we also have to realize that we do a lot in terms of stewardship that helps nature.