Bible study: Jesus is everyone’s Savior
Justification is the doctrine by which the church stands or falls because the Christian faith is lost without it. We use four different adjectives to define the...
Q&A: If people go to hell, isn’t it their fault because God gave them free will and they rejected him?
If people go to hell, isn’t it their fault because God gave them free will and they rejected him? Free will a misnomer The use of free will is a misnomer in...
Q&A: Why are the 40 days between Jesus’ resurrection and his ascension important for the disciples and for us?
Jesus finished his work of paying for the sins of the whole world by dying on the cross. But how can we be sure our sins are paid for? On the third day, Jesus rose...
Q&A: Can you explain Jesus’ words to the wailing women he met on his way to be crucified?
Jesus had just handed the crossbeam to Simon of Cyrene who would carry it the rest of the way to the site of crucifixion. Noticing the women who were wailing along...
Bible study: Love one another
For many, Valentine’s Day has become a Hallmark holiday filled with sappy sentiment and red hearts . . . everywhere! The exact details of the original St. Valentine...
Q&A: What if spouses don’t “love” each other anymore?
What does the Bible have to say about spouses who don’t “love” each other anymore? It seems fairly common nowadays that spouses talk about how they have...
Bible study: Above all things!
The First Commandment states: “You shall have no other gods.” Martin Luther’s explanation says, “We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.”...
Q&A: Is it wrong to have a cross with Jesus’ body on it?
Since God forbade “graven images” in the Old Testament, is it wrong to have a cross with Jesus’ body on it? God commanded Israel, “You shall not make for...
Q&A: Is our time of grace really unchangeable?
Our “time of grace” refers to the time we are alive to come to know Jesus. Is that fixed date really unchangeable? Or do our actions impact it? The answer to...
Bible study: The comfort of God’s providence
God’s providence means that everything happens according to God’s design (even permitting evil to work for the good of his people). It also refers to what...
Bible study: Precious grace
The German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about “cheap grace.” By cheap grace, he meant that too many preach forgiveness without repentance and grace without...
Q&A: I know that we are saved by grace apart from works, but how can it be that easy?
I know that we are saved by grace apart from works, but that seems too easy. How can that be how it works? What is grace? Grace is God’s undeserved love. There...
Bible study: Rewards of grace
The parable of the talents appears in a section of Scripture where Jesus is describing the end times. Though an exact value of a talent is difficult to calculate...
Q&A: Are there degrees of glory in heaven as a reward for good works?
I’m struggling with the concept of degrees of glory in heaven as a reward for good works. Doesn’t this concept promote work-righteousness? The concept of degrees...
Q&A: Do Lutherans take the Bible literally and teach millennialism?
Someone told me that Lutherans don’t take the Bible literally, which is why we don’t teach millennialism, that is, Christ’s thousand-year reign with his believers...
Bible study: What’s going to happen on the Last Day?
There are many forms of the false teaching called millennialism. Millennium is a Latin word meaning “one thousand years.” The basic teaching is that before Jesus...
Q&A: Are there different interpretations of the Bible?
Every denomination believes they are teaching the right thing. Are there different interpretations of the Bible? The idea that there are many legitimate interpretations...
Bible study: Interpretation practice
HERMENEUTICS COMES from a Greek word that means “to interpret.” Therefore, hermeneutics refers to the study of biblical interpretation, determining the meaning...
Q&A: How can we be sure the Bible includes what God originally gave us?
I know the Bible is God’s Word. But what about the reliability of the Bible as ancient literature? How can we be sure we have what God originally gave us? Jesus...
Bible study: The Bible’s attributes
In addition to being reliable, the Bible has many attributes or characteristics that bring us comfort as believers. It speaks with the authority of God (Luke 16:29)....
Q&A: Where should I send my child to school?
I’m trying to decide where to send my child to school. My friend is warning me about considering public school because my child would be exposed to more temptation....
Bible study: The importance of the family altar
THE Q&A ARTICLE talks about the choice between sending your child to a Lutheran elementary school or to a public school. I know many WELS teachers in the public...
Q&A: Why does it seem like Christianity is so negative?
Whenever I go to church, it seems like the pastor is always talking about sin, Satan, and hell. Why does it seem like Christianity is so negative? The Christian...
Bible study: God’s attitude is grace
Grace is God’s unmerited favor toward sinners. However, some are critical of the Bible because it speaks of laws, sin, hell, and judgment. We must understand...