Teaching Posted in August 2022

 

Abandoning Reason

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:6 and Ezekiel 36:25–27

"Let your faith supplant reason. Abraham mastered reason by faith in the Word of God. Not as though reason ever yields meekly."

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The Rub

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:6 and Isaiah 7:10–17

Reason cannot fathom that Christ, the Son of God, was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary and born incarnate, both God and man.

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The Dead Shall Rise

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:6 and Isaiah 26:19

Long ago, Isaiah wrote these encouraging words, "Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy!"

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Proclaiming Truth

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:6 and 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

The reason of the world shouts that the Sacraments are preposterous. But faith proclaims and insists that “this is most certainly true.” 

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A Little Faith

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:6 and Acts 16:31–34

"To reason, it seems absurd that Christ should offer his body and blood in the Lord’s Supper; that Baptism should be the washing of regeneration..."

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I Believe

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:6 and Matthew 28:19

"Are you surprised that reason thinks little of faith? Reason thinks it ludicrous that faith should be the foremost service any person can render unto God."

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The Faith of Sinners

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:6 and Genesis 15:4–6

To believe in God as Abraham did is to be right with God because faith honors God. Faith says to God: “I believe what you say.”

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It’s Laughable

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:6 and Genesis 18:9–14

"Abraham believed ... Faith in God constitutes the highest worship, the prime duty, the first obedience, and the foremost sacrifice."

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The Sinning Saint

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:6 and Genesis 15:1–6

"Abraham may have enjoyed a good standing with men for his upright life, but not with God. In the sight of God, Abraham was a condemned sinner."

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Freedom to Serve

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:5 and John 8:31–32

"If there is any honesty left in [those who rely on their so-called good works] they will have to confess that their freedom dates from the preaching of the gospel."

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Ministering with Power

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:5 and Acts 4:33

“Your experience ought to teach you that the fruits of love do not grow on the stump of the Law." Lawless men have no virtue based on the law.

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Take Heart

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:5 and Matthew 26:14–16

Luther, like Paul, had adversaries who had succeeded in making them odious to those who formerly loved them but now hate them like poison.

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Prop or Power

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:5 and Romans 15:18–19

Why had the Galatians changed, no longer producing good fruit, except because they were misled into trusting their religious deeds instead of God.

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Open Your Gifts

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:5 and 1 Corinthians 12:4–11

When the Gospel is preached unto faith, hope, love, and patience, God gives His wonder-working Spirit.

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The Power in Hearing

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:5 and Romans 10:14–17

Rejoicing comes, not from deeds and religion, but when we hear, if for the thousandth time, that old, old story of Jesus and his love.

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Control Issues

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:4 and Matthew 6:9-13

If you look to the law for righteousness, all your past, true worship of God and all afflictions endured for Christ’s sake will not help you at all.

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Take Up Your Cross

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:4 and Mark 8:34-38

Have you suffered so much in vain? Have lost the gospel, faith, and Christ’s peace? What a miserable thing to endure so many afflictions for nothing.

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Foolish Confidence

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:3 and Psalm 49:5-13

Paul also calls the righteousness of the law righteousness of the flesh because it is incapable of justifying and leaves a person to death.

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A Very Dark Spirit

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:3 and Proverbs 16:25

Be careful what you consider religious or spiritual, as often, these are only human reason's constructions of religion based upon personal feelings.

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The Simple Solution

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and Matthew 8:23-27

To keep the faith, do not row harder. Instead, stop rowing and cast anchor. Cast your anchor in Christ and you will weather the storms of faith.

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Get Out of the Kitchen

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and Luke 10:38-42

A person becomes and remains a Christian not by working, but by hearing, by sitting at the feet of Jesus like Mary, and hearing the gospel.

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The Precious Gift of God

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and Isaiah 40:6-8

Foolish reason is offended at the doctrine of justification by faith, but the eternal Word of God speaks against carnal security, trusting in Christ alone.

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Grow Up

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and 1 Corinthians 13:11-12

Since God offers his gifts free of charge, why not take them? Why worry about lack of worthiness? Why not accept gifts with joy and thanksgiving?

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The Obstacle

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and Isaiah 40:28-31

The human heart says that to obtain the great gifts of God, you must engage in correspondingly great efforts. And the devil says, “Amen.”

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Validation

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and Psalm 46:1-11

The worker finds no peace, yet the very moment the gospel of Christ touches him, certainty comes, along with joy, and a right judgment.

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What Is the Point?

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and John 7:53-8:11

Long before the time of Moses, God justified Job, kings, and the whole city of Nineveh without the law. Why should it be necessary now?

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Just Showing Up

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and Matthew 20:1-16

The parable of the laborers shows how we are justified without the law, made equal in the kingdom through faith in the householder, not our labor.

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Be Encouraged

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Christ is returning for those who have faith in him, whose resurrection will be their own resurrection, shared with untold believers throughout history.

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Gone Sane

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and Jeremiah 6:9-15

The object of Peter’s visit was to acquaint Cornelius with the fact that Christ was no longer to be looked for in religion, because Christ is already here.

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The Perfect Lamb of God

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and Deuteronomy 17:1

Cornelius never gave the law a thought, yet he was justified and received the Holy Spirit. You see then, that the law does not avail to righteousness.

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What Pleases God

Comments on Galatians with an ear to Luther’s commentary

Scripture Text: Galatians 3:2 and Mark 12:28-34

Law and the gospel are contrary ideas with contrary functions and purposes. Endowing the law with any capacity to produce righteousness plagiarizes the gospel.

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