The Lutheran Witness Podcast

Readers of The Lutheran Witness are likely familiar with the Formula of Concord (FC) — not only from its inclusion in the Lutheran Book of Concord, but also from the monthly reading plan published in these pages last year. This year’s “Searching Scripture” will walk through the 12 topics explored by the Formula — original sin, free will, election, Law and Gospel, and so on — in order to examine the biblical basis for what Lutherans confess in this edifying and timeless statement of faith.Almost 450 years after its publication, the Formula remains relevant. Its topics continue to be points of contention among various Christian denominations. As the Formula confesses, Lutherans unite in concord around teachings drawn from “the true, firm ground of the holy, divine Scriptures” (FC SD Summary 17). Along with the other documents in the Book of Concord, the Formula is not “unnecessary and useless wrangling,” but addresses “articles of faith or the chief points of Christian doctrine” and demonstrates what we “should regard and receive as right and true according to God’s Word of the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures.” It also tells what we “should reject, shun, and avoid as false and wrong” — lest we seek the wrong salvation. “The truth must be preserved distinctly and clearly and distinguished from all errors” (FC SD Summary 15–16). This truth can only be established from God’s Word, which Jesus says “is truth” (John 17:17). We respond, “The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever” (Psalm 119:160).Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Andy and Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the January 2026 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Article I: Original Sin” on Article I in the Formula of Concord. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Following the Formula” and will walk through the Formula of Concord in the Augsburg Confession. Follow along every month!Before starting, it may be helpful to read FC Ep I on Original Sin (p. 474–477 in Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions, CPH 2005). Follow along with the full Formula of Concord monthly reading plan at witness.lcms.org/reading-plan.Listen to the Coffee Hour episode with Rev. Brady Finnern on Article I at kfuo.org/2025/01/07/coffee-hour-010725-studying-original-sin-in-the-book-of-concord, and find correlating Concord Matters episodes at kfuo.org/formulaofconcord.Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

As our year of focusing on the Old Testament comes to a close, it is fitting that we conclude with texts from the Messiah’s first “biographer,” the prophet Isaiah, whose career spanned 740–680 B.C. Thanks to the Lutheran composer Handel, whose “Messiah” is especially popular around Christmas and Easter, many of Isaiah’s prophecies are quite familiar (in fact, about one-third of the movements in “Messiah” are from Isaiah!). As we open these Old Testament texts, we discover the incarnate Lord and the gifts of forgiveness of sins, life and salvation that He came to bring.Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the December 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled "Son of David, Son of God" on Isaiah 9:2–7 and Isaiah 11:1–10. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Opening the Old Testament” and will walk through ways that the Old Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy and peace, delivered through the holy Christian church. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us!Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and monthly contributor to the Lutheran Witness, discusses Isaiah 65-66's vision of the new heavens and earth. He explores the prophetic perspective connecting the Old and New Testaments, emphasizing God's creative act in the new creation. Roth also contrasts comforting promises with warnings of judgment. He ties these themes to Advent and calls for watchfulness, inviting listeners to reflect on their hope and the reality of final redemption through faith and baptism.

In 2013, a popular national TV host provoked a sharp reaction from Christian viewers when he asserted that much of the Bible is allegorical, meaning that the narratives of Adam and Eve, Noah, and Jonah are non-literal and symbolic. This is not how Christians have historically understood allegory. Even in the Middle Ages, when ingenious allegorical interpretation sometimes resulted in nonsense, Christians still approached the Bible with the conviction that it was literal and historical — they just thought they were finding additional symbolic or spiritual meanings. While the Lutheran Reformation reined in allegorical interpretation of the Bible, there is one divinely inspired allegory given in Scripture that stands alongside messianic prophecy and typology as an interpretive technique for opening the Old Testament. Whether or not St. Paul’s example gives license to Lutherans to do allegory — that’s debatable!Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the October 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Do Lutherans Do Allegory?” on selected passages from Genesis and Galatians. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Opening the Old Testament” and will walk through ways that the Old Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy and peace, delivered through the holy Christian church. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us!Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

In this episode of the Lutheran Witness podcast, we dive deep into nominations for offices, boards and commissions of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. The Rev. Dr. John Sias, LCMS Secretary, discusses why the Synod needs nominations, who to nominate, the types of roles these nominees fill and much more. To learn more about the nomination process within the LCMS, visit lcms.org/nominate.For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.

Anyone who has studied the Third Commandment in confirmation class has encountered Colossians 2:16–17, which answers the question, “Why don’t Christians have to worship on Saturday (the Sabbath) as the Israelites did in the Old Testament?” St. Paul writes, “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance [literally, “body”] belongs to Christ.” Not only does this passage teach that under the New Testament Christians are not obligated to keep Old Testament ceremonial or political laws (although the moral Law does continue to apply to all people of all times and all places), but it also leads Christians to ask, “Why would we try to cling to mere shadows of our Savior, when He is really present in His Body, the church?” We have Jesus as our Bridegroom, so we lack nothing. Nevertheless, the New Testament does use types, examples and shadows from the Old Testament to teach us about life in Christ and in the church. We can gain insights into the New Testament Means of Grace by opening the Old Testament.Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the September 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Sacramental Shadows” on Exodus 13 & 14. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Opening the Old Testament” and will walk through ways that the Old Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy and peace, delivered through the holy Christian church. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us!Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

This edition of The Lutheran Witness podcast was recorded almost a year ago in Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. In this episode, we speak with Sandra, an American living in Germany and working with the members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. She discusses her life between Germany and the USA, and the great privilege and opportunity she has to help care for refugees in Germany. For the full story, visit engage.lcms.org/persian-project-winter-2025.To learn more about the Independent Evangelical — Lutheran Church (SELK), visit lcms.org/partner-church-bodies/independent-evangelical-lutheran-church. Photo credit: LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.

In May, we studied Exodus 12:1–14, which introduced the idea of substitution: In order to escape the destroyer, who would kill the firstborn male of every family as a judgment on Egypt, an unblemished male lamb had to be killed and its blood sprinkled on the lintels and doorposts of Israelite houses. The Passover lamb was a substitute for the firstborn males of Israel, and St. Paul makes the connection with Jesus explicit when he says, “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). Later in the same Epistle, St. Paul emphasizes the substitutionary work of Jesus, teaching that it was “of first importance … that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). In addition to the Passover lamb, there are other substitutes in the Old Testament that point to the person and work of Jesus Christ. These will be the subject of this study.Rev. Carl Roth, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Elgin, TX, joins Sarah to talk about the “Searching Scripture” feature in the August 2025 issue of the Lutheran Witness titled “Substitutes” on Genesis 17:15–21 and 22:1–18. This year, “Searching Scripture” is themed “Opening the Old Testament” and will walk through ways that the Old Testament witnesses to Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy and peace, delivered through the holy Christian church. Follow along every month and search Scripture with us!Find online exclusives of the Lutheran Witness at witness.lcms.org and subscribe to the Lutheran Witness at cph.org/witness.

This edition of The Lutheran Witness podcast was recorded almost a year ago in Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. In it, we speak to Sebastian, who was baptized during our trip to Germany. In this podcast, he discusses the importance of dreams in Iranian culture, how he came to faith, and how the Lord is working through Trinity Lutheran Church, Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. For the full story, visit engage.lcms.org/persian-project-winter-2025. To learn more about the Independent Evangelical — Lutheran Church (SELK), visit lcms.org/partner-church-bodies/independent-evangelical-lutheran-church.Photo credit: LCMS Communications/Erik M. Lunsford For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.

In this podcast recorded almost a year ago, the Rev. Dr. Gottfried Martens, the Rev. Dr. David Preus and the Rev. Dr. Christian Tiews join the podcast to discuss the work at Trinity Lutheran Church, Berlin-Steglitz, Germany. This congregation of the Independent Evangelical — Lutheran Church (SELK) cares for Persian immigrants seeking asylum in Germany. The conversation includes an explanation of the political situation in Germany, and the LCMS mission with Farsi speakers in Germany and beyond. For the full story, visit engage.lcms.org/persian-project-winter-2025. To learn more about the Independent Evangelical — Lutheran Church (SELK), visit lcms.org/partner-church-bodies/independent-evangelical-lutheran-church. For more information on The Lutheran Witness or to subscribe to the magazine, please visit witness.lcms.org. Sound effect obtained from zapsplat.com.