• Why Worship Is Important Online Lutheran Bible Study Guide
• Bible Study For Lutherans
• Lutheran Church Bible Study

There are two decisions you need to make when choosing a Bible: Microsoft idm free downloadcapeselfie.

Holy Cross Lutheran Church and School admits individuals without regard to race, color, gender, disability, age, ancestry, national origin, or veteran status. Holy Cross does not discriminate on the basis of any of the aforementioned categories with regard to the administration of any policy or program. What does the Bible itself say regarding the importance of Bible study? A lot; but, for this article, we will take a look at two passages, one in the Old Testament, and the other in the New. Both of these passages are the foundation to scores of centuries-old theological works.

As a child growing up at the Midway Church of Christ (Holiness) U.S.A. In Folsom, LA, under the then leadership of my father and pastor, Bishop Vernon E. Kennebrew, I was introduced to the term. In preparation for the 67 th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), planned for July 20–25 in Tampa, Fla., a new Bible study on the convention theme, “Joy:fully Lutheran” (1 Thess. 5:16–18), is now available for free download. Lutheran worship is a continual conversation between God and the believer, in which we focus on Jesus, who is present with and for us through His Word and Sacrament. Through the hymns, liturgy, and prayers in the Divine Service, we receive the precious gifts our Lord desires to give us: the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.

1. What translation is best for you?
2. Do you want just the Bible text, some devotional helps or a full study Bible?

What translation is best for you?

The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Since most people can’t read these languages today, Bible scholars have provided versions of the Bible in English. There are basically two versions of the Bible today: Translations and Paraphrases.

Translations look at the original text and translate it into English. There are many Bible translations available today that fall somewhere on a continuum with Word-For-Word translations on one side and Thought-For-Thought on the other. Word-For-Word translations exchange one word in the original for its English equivalent. The goal is to change as little of the original text and word-choice as possible. Thought-For-Thought translations work at the level of individual words, but preference is given to the basic thought or idea the author is trying to communicate.

Paraphrases, on the other hand, make the Bible easier to understand. The translator rewrites the original text in his own words and style. A paraphrase is a great second Bible, but not good for study.

Here are some popular translations and one paraphrase, along with a brief explanation of them:

New American Standard Bible (NASB, Word-For-Word)

This is one of the most accurate translations for detailed study. Colleges and seminaries frequently recommend this translation for their students. It’s fairly challenging in some places because it holds so tightly to original texts. While it can be used for devotional reading, it is used more often for study. This is Pastor Chuck’s favorite translation! He loves it because it is the most accurate, word-for-word to the original languages.

English Standard Version (ESV, Word-For-Word)

Another very accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible, the ESV, is good for study and devotional reading. The translators intent was to follow an “essentially literal” translation philosophy while taking into account differences of grammar, and syntax between current literary English and the original languages. This translation is used for the Scripture readings in worship at First Trinity and in our hymnal. Our national church body, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has chosen the ESV as its official translation.

New International Version (NIV, Thought-For-Thought)

The NIV is the best-selling Bible translation today. It has a good balance between precision (like a word-for-word translation) and being easy to read (like a thought-for-thought translation). The 0003NIV is used widely for both devotional reading and Bible study.

New Living Translation (NLT, Thought-For-Thought)

The NLT allows for more creativity in translating from the original text than most other translations. Its very modern language and style helps to clarify the meaning of passages in a new way that’s designed to catch the reader’s attention. First Trinity’s Vacation Bible School curriculum uses the NLT for memory verses.

The Message (MSG, Paraphrase)

The Message paraphrase, written by biblical scholar Eugene Peterson, is current, creative and understandable. As a second Bible, it is great for seeing familiar passages in a new light, or learning how to share God’s word in your own words. It can be difficult to use in a small group or Bible study.

Matthew 5:13-16 (A Comparison of Translations)

To help you decide which translation is best for you, here’s a sample from Matthew 5 in each of the above translations:

New American Standard Bible

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

English Standard Version

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Why Worship Is Important Online Lutheran Bible Study Guide

New International Version

You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

New Living Translation

You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

The Message

Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

Do you want just the Bible text, some devotional helps or a full study Bible?

Translators and publishers address the unique characteristics of the Bible and the needs of readers by putting together special editions of specific translations. These fall into three primary categories:

1. Straight TextBiblescontain only the original text with little or no additional notes or commentary.
2. Application Bibles are also called devotional Bibles and focus on the application of Biblical concepts to your daily life. They often include added stories, analogies and questions to increase your understanding.
3. Study Bibles include notes from scholars that clarify and amplify the text itself. If you are looking for a study Bible, we recommend “The Lutheran Study Bible” from Concordia Publishing House.

• History
  • World War I to the present
• Teachings
• Worship and organization

Several important mergers of various American Lutheran churches took place in the 20th century. The first two occurred in 1917, when three Norwegian synods formed the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America (NLCA), and in 1918, when three German-language synods formed the United Lutheran Church in America (ULCA). In 1930 the Joint Synod of Ohio, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Iowa, and the Buffalo Synod formed the American Lutheran Church (German). In 1960 the American Lutheran Church (German) merged with the United Evangelical Lutheran Church (Danish) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church (Norwegian) to form the American Lutheran Church (ALC). The Lutheran Free Church (Norwegian), which had initially dropped out of merger negotiations, joined the ALC in 1963. Two years after the formation of the ALC, in a parallel development, the ULCA joined with the Augustana Evangelical Lutheran Church (Swedish), the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church, and the American Evangelical Lutheran Church (Danish) to establish the Lutheran Church in America (LCA). The Missouri and Wisconsin synods chose not to engage in merger negotiations because of the more liberal stance of the other Lutheran bodies.

In 1988 the ALC and the LCA—the former prominent in the Midwest, the latter on the east coast—together with the smaller Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches, merged to form the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). This made the ELCA, with around 3.4 million members, the largest Lutheran church body in North America. The nearly 2-million-member Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod remained the second largest Lutheran church. The third major church of North American Lutheranism was the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, with more than 400,000 baptized members. The ELCA’s constituency is chiefly found in the Northeast and the upper Midwest; other concentrations of Lutherans are found in states where Lutherans first settled: Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Canadian Lutheranism, about 350,000 strong, is divided into two bodies paralleling the ELCA and the Missouri Synod in the United States. The larger of the two, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), had about 180,000 members in some 600 congregations by the early 21st century. In 1997 the ELCIC adopted an “evangelical declaration” as “a guide for its future mission.” Canadian Lutheranism is strongest in Ontario and the Western provinces.

Teachings

The question “What is Lutheran theology?” is not easily answered. Martin Luther himself was not a systematic thinker, and his colleague Philipp Melanchthon became for many his authentic interpreter, raising at once the charge that Melanchthon had distorted Luther’s thought. The doctrinal controversies in 16th-century Lutheranism are indicative of the difficulty of defining precisely what it means to be “Lutheran.” Nonetheless, Luther’s own thought has always been the guiding force in the delineation of Lutheran theology. The two major Lutheran confessional statements of the 16th century, the Augsburg Confession of 1530 and the Formula of Concord of 1576, have traditionally been thought to explicate Luther’s teachings.

Since the introduction of Lutheranism in European countries was not centrally directed, the emergence of Lutheran theology took place variously. Thus, not all Lutheran churches formally accepted the Formula of Concord. Authority in Lutheranism is understood as fidelity to the confessional documents that constitute authentic exposition of biblical teaching. Lutheranism has no formal teaching office comparable to that of the Roman Catholic Church.

Scripture and tradition

Bible Study For Lutherans

Foremost among Lutheran teachings is the insistence, shared with all Protestant traditions, that the Bible is the sole source of religious authority. Lutherans subscribe to the three ancient ecumenical Christian creeds together with the 16th-century Lutheran confessional statements. All Lutheran churches affirm the Augsburg Confession; some, notably those in Germany and the United States, additionally affirm the confessional writings found in the Book of Concord. The Formula of Concord designated the Bible as the “sole and most certain rule” for judging Christian teachings. This position was in marked contrast to the Catholic affirmation of both Scripture and tradition. Luther never accepted the Catholic insistence that church tradition was merely making explicit what was already found implicitly in Scripture.

Lutheran Church Bible Study

The new centrality of the Bible had dramatic consequences. Luther understood the need for a Bible in the German vernacular, for only if the Bible was accessible could its teachings be appreciated. Luther’s example of making available a vernacular Bible was followed by reformers throughout Europe, such as William Tyndale in England. Catholic theologians promptly recognized the powerful weapon Luther had created and undertook to provide vernacular translations of their own. None of them, however, possessed the literary cogency of Luther’s translation or of the translation produced early in the 17th century under the direction of King James I of England, the King James Version.