Stone Choir

All men are made in the image of God. Not all men are in the image of God. These two statements may seem contradictory, but they are not, because they reference different aspects of what it means to be an image of God — and what it means to be regenerate (i.e., to be on the path we call Sanctification). The regenerate man is in the image of God in a way that the unregenerate man is not, because the regenerate man is justified and is being sanctified. This distinction is key, and is often conflated (both accidentally and deceptively) in modern, Christian (at least seemingly) discourse. A helpful way to think about the distinction: Last week, we went over the image of God with emphasis on image; this week, we go over the image of God with emphasis on of God. Show Notes Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Art. II — Original Sin Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord, Art. I — Original Sin Colossians The Ten Commandments The Large Catechism, Preface See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

Dive into the fascinating concept of the 'imago dei' as the hosts explore the true meaning of being made in the image of God. They critically analyze scripture, encouraging listeners to move beyond surface interpretations. The podcast also tackles the urgent need for local aid in crisis situations and highlights the intricate relationship between images and idolatry in Christian theology. Additionally, scientific analogies shed light on the powerful connections images create, contrasting historical teachings with contemporary views on morality and kindness.

When Christ says that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the word used for “truth” is ἀλήθεια, which includes within its lexical scope ‘uncovering’ or ‘revelation’ (it is a negating word, like “innocence” in English). That which covers, distorts, or perverts the truth is contrary to God, for God is Truth. As Christians, it is our duty not only to believe and speak the truth about matters written in God’s Word, but also to believe and speak the truth about matters written in God’s Creation. When Christ stood before Pilate, Pilate asked Him: Quid est veritas? What is truth? (Veritas is the Roman goddess of truth, Aletheia the Greek.) His inquiry may very well have been in earnest, for truth was certainly a core pursuit of Ancient Greek and Ancient Roman philosophy — something with which a statesman was expected to have some familiarity. Little did Pilate know (at the time) that it was Truth Himself Who stood before him. The modern world would seek to reduce most things to matters of opinion, and, even in those cases where an admission is made that what is at stake is truth, the modern world will often pick the lie. The Christian is not permitted to concede such territory, for God is Truth and all Truth is One. To deny the reality (i.e., the truth) of Creation is, ultimately, to deny the Creator Himself, which is blasphemy or even apostasy. It is meritorious and dutiful to defend the truth, but we must be willing to defend all truth, not simply those that are acceptable in the eyes of society or do not come at a personal cost. The truth, like the Law, is absolute — cursed is the man who does not keep it whole and undefiled. Show Notes The Three Universal/Ecumenical Creeds See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

Explore the profound relationship between humanity and the land, revealing how our identities are deeply rooted in specific places. Discover the consequences of modern agricultural practices versus medieval methods and their impacts on sustainability. Delve into self-sufficiency and the necessity of reconnecting with local food production. Engage in a thought-provoking analysis of how territorial sovereignty shapes community and national identity, emphasizing the spiritual connection we have with the earth and our responsibilities as stewards of the land.

Honor and loyalty serve as the foundation of any civilization worthy of the name and any culture worthy of respect. As these have faded from our culture, we have seen a rise of treacherous — and even treasonous — behavior and a concomitant decline in Christianity. If we are to rebuild what has been permitted to decay or has been maliciously destroyed, then we must re-inculcate honor and loyalty, and we must comport ourselves accordingly. The Christian, first and foremost among men, should be a man of unimpeachable honor, and honor and loyalty are virtually synonymous. But we must also have a frank discussion of betrayal and treason, and a meaningful redress of those who are guilty of such heinous crimes. Show Notes Guilt versus Shame cultures (map) [You should still click the link for a better version.] UN definition of “genocide” See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings Rape is referenced around the one-hour mark. This episode includes frank discussions of race.

When things are proceeding as they should, when matters are rightly organized, power and authority are virtually synonymous, and they are at least reposed within the same men. But things in this life do not always proceed as they should. A king may lack the power to exercise his authority or he may abuse his power by exceeding his authority, and the same sort of problems may occur in the Church — a teacher or a cleric who was once faithful may turn from the truth and begin to teach falsely. Unlike the prince or the magistrate who does possess some authority by virtue of his office, the teacher or the cleric possesses no authority with regard to the things of God simply by virtue of his office; rather, within the Kingdom of the right hand of Christ, authority is a matter of truth — the man who repeats God’s truth after Him wields authority when he does so, but only insofar as he does so. The words of a faithful teacher must be heeded because they are the very words of God, but the words of a false teacher must be rejected and the teacher shunned if he does not repent. It is not the office that commands authority, but the Word of God. This is a necessary wisdom call that Christian men must make; we must assess whether a teacher or a cleric is holding true to the Word of God. Similarly, we must assess whether a prince or a magistrate has exceeded his authority and become a tyrant. With regard to the kingdom of the left hand of Christ, we may bear with error or even some level of wickedness, but no such thing may be tolerated with regard to the right-hand kingdom, for false teaching is an affront to God and must never be permitted to continue. Show Notes See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

Eschatology is the study of the end of all things. Scripture speaks, in many places, about the end times and what will take place leading up to and in those days. However, such matters are not the core of the Christian faith, and no Christian man should dedicate all of his time to investigating such things. Far too many become obsessed with end-times prophecies to the detriment of their faith and those around them. Nevertheless, these prophecies exist in Scripture and the end times are part of the totality of Christian truth — these matters cannot be ignored. What, then, are we, as Christians, to make of these prophecies, signs, et cetera? In this episode, we discuss the truly Christian approach to the end times (to include the ‘timeline’, as it were) and the related prophetic portions of Scripture. There is Christian profit to be found in every word from God, but some require more wisdom than others in the approach. Show Notes Daniel 7-12 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians 2 Peter 3 Matthew 24–25 Revelation See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

Deism posits that God created the world, and then walked away — a sort of clockmaker with the Universe being His clock. To the contrary, Christianity advances a view of God as active in His Creation. Certainly, every single thing that happens in the Universe happens with God’s knowledge of it and permission for it, but, beyond that, God also actively intervenes in time — both to help and to harm. The Book of Job is, perhaps, one of the clearest narratives of Divine (and infernal) intervention, but God acts in Creation from the beginning of Scripture to the very end. God is, however, not the only supernatural being who intervenes (or interferes, in the infernal case) in the affairs of men; Satan and his demons also exert their influence upon reality. If we cease to believe in the supernatural — and not just as some abstraction or intellectual conceit, but rather as something very real and significant —, then we fall below the level of Christian belief and veer instead into something akin to the Sadducees, who denied both the resurrection of the dead and the existence of the supernatural. Part of the Christian life is recognizing the reality that we live in the midst of spiritual warfare, with a conflict that rages all about us, even if we cannot physically see it. But beyond this, when we minimize (or ignore) the intervention of God in His Creation, we cease to recognize God’s providence. Every good and every perfect gift comes from God, and we should give thanks for all that God gives us, from the smallest of gifts up to the greatest. And we should even rejoice in times of adversity, for God has promised that He works all things together for the good of those who believe. Show Notes the Small Catechism See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

“For unto us a Child is born and unto us a Son is given; dominion shall rest upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called Angel of Great Counsel, for I will bring peace upon the rulers and well-being to Him. Great is His dominion — and there is no end to His peace — upon the Throne of David and over His Kingdom, to establish it and uphold it with justice and righteousness, from now unto eternity. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will accomplish this.” The Lord is a God of peace, and those who follow Him are to be peacemakers, but to be a peacemaker does not mean to be a doormat or to refuse to utilize violence when and where morally warranted. In this life, peace will always be imperfect, for we live in a fallen world wherein suffering is both inevitable and inescapable, but the eschatological peace found in Scripture, in God’s promises is an absolute peace. As Christians, we have the perfect peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, upon which we can rely — whatever may come in this life. Peace applies to all of the estates and spheres of life, but it does not apply univocally or identically. The peace that is appropriate to the home and that which contributes to that peace is not the same as the peace that applies to politics, and the latter may be sacrificed more readily in pursuit of higher goals. These are matters of wisdom, and the Christian must know how to comport himself in the home, in society, in the State, and in the Church — peace applies to them all, but not equally and not identically. Where there are higher duties (e.g., in the State, in the Church), then a false peace may be sacrificed in pursuit of those higher duties. In the State, security trumps peace; in the Church, Martin Luther may have put it best: “Peace, if possible; truth, at all costs.” Show Notes See Also Further Reading Parental Warnings None.

‘The life of man upon the earth is warfare, and he is born to trouble, as surely as the sparks fly upward.’ — Job 5,7 We live in a fallen world. We can speak of a perfect world — and that is assuredly our goal and our destination, as Christians —, but the realities of this world cannot be ignored — Christians are not exempt from living in the world. From the very beginning of our species — when wicked Cain rose up and slew righteous Abel —, violence has never left our shadow. Although it was most certainly not part of God’s original or intended design for Creation, violence is just as certainly part of its fallen state. It is not that violence is itself a good; rather, it is that violence is sometimes required to protect the good. When a man enacts violence upon a home intruder to defend himself, his wife, his children, and his goods, he is using violence toward a righteous and morally praiseworthy end. Throughout the pages of Scripture, God Himself uses violence against His enemies — from the genocide of Canaan to the Final Judgement, God employs violence consistently and constantly. Although violence will be absent from the new Creation, it will never be absent from this fallen one. As Christians, we must not condemn violence qua violence for to do so would be to condemn God, which is apostasy; rather, we must know how to apply wisdom to these matters so that we align our actions and our beliefs with what God has commanded — and He both proscribes and prescribes violence, depending on the circumstances. It is also necessary for the Christian, in order that he might act in wisdom, to understand the law — to understand the differences between and among things like advocacy, incitement, and fighting words. These are not trivial, unimportant, or tangential matters, for the life of man upon the Earth is one of conflict; even times of peace are seldom entirely free from violence, and they are often ephemera. A man must always do his duty, and at times that duty may demand violence — the police officer who protects his city, the soldier who defends his nation, the housefather who defends his home. We are not and cannot be more moral than God, and of Himself He says: “The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name.” Show Notes Brandenburg v. Ohio Wikipedia, Justia, Oyez, LII (Cornell) See Also Further Reading Joshua Judges Parental Warnings The word “ass” is used once at ~01:39. The term “pissed off” is used once around the same time.