Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

Rev. Nabil Nour, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hartford, SD and fourth vice president of the LCMS, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 14:26-40.“God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.” (V.33) Disorderly conduct is unbecoming in most situations, but it should be unheard of in worship. Sometimes people think that the liturgy is rigid and confining, and yet its structure keeps the focus on the main thing: God’s gifts of grace through his word and sacrament. The motivation to have an “order of worship” comes from St. Paul’s inspired teaching in this passage where he instructs the Corinthians to organize their worship practices so that everyone present can benefit. Far from a free-for-all, the Apostle explains that worship should be organized, purposeful, and rooted in the spiritual gifts God has given. Here he also reiterates the vocation of men to be leaders in worship. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Nour unpack what specific problems St. Paul was addressing in Corinth and how this affects our worship practice.

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church and Jesus Lutheran Church of the Deaf in Austin, TX, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 14:1-25.St. Paul continues his admonishment that the Corinthian Christians act out their faith in love toward one another. This time, he turns his attention again toward spiritual gifts. In chapter 12, he spoke at length of the diversity of spiritual gifts, but it’s clear the Corinthians valued the gift of tongues over all the others. The Apostle isn’t against speaking in tongues, but does that show love? If one speaks of God in a language foreign to his hearers, how can they be built up? Isn’t he just showing off his ability to speak in other languages? Instead, St. Paul urges them to seek the gift of prophecy. Like speaking in tongues, the gift of prophecy might not be what you think. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Wolfmueller consider St. Paul’s teaching here and how it has been misunderstood by many.

Rev. Dan Eddy, pastor of Messiah Lutheran Church in Beloit, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 13.Believe it or not, this chapter has nothing to do with weddings, although it’s a very popular passage for the occasion. Instead, St. Paul is speaking to a deeply conflicted congregation and reminding the Corinthians Christians of their duty to one another: love. Love is more than a “warm and fuzzy” feeling. It’s a verb, an action. Christian love is rooted in God’s mercy toward us and mimics the self-sacrificing love Christ showed us. Ultimately, the “love chapter” points us to Jesus, whose love for us it so great we cannot help but share it with others. In this passage, Pastors Booe and Eddy discover why St. Paul says of faith, hope, and love that love is the greatest.

Rev. Adam DeGroot, pastor of Calvary Lutheran Church in Rio Rancho, NM, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 12:12-31.St. Paul had firmly established that spiritual gifts are all from the one and same God through the Holy Spirit. He urged the Corinthian Christians not to pride themselves on their particular gifts, but to use those gifts in service to one another. In this section, he turns to one of his favorite analogies: the body and its many members. Although the various parts of the body have different functions, some more honorable than others, they all work together as one. Likewise, Christians are to recognize the differing gifts as all interdependent in service to the body of Christ. In this episode, Pastors Booe and DeGroot look at the value of vocations and the diversity of gifts in the church.

Rev. Joshua Frazee, associate pastor St. John's Lutheran Church, Mayville, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 12:1-11.St. Paul turns to spiritual gifts in this part of his letter to the Corinthian Christians. Although he’ll go into greater detail in chapter fourteen, his main focus here is to point his hearers to the source of all spiritual gifts: the Holy Spirit. Undoubtedly, the Corinthians valued power and prestige. As they looked out upon the pagan landscape and saw so-called spiritual people with seemingly great abilities, they began to treat the gifts of God in the same way, as a means to set oneself apart from others. The apostle sets them straight: all gifts are from God and are to be used for the common good. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Frazee explore these principles and walk through each gift listed to talk about what it might look like today.

Rev. Jason Schockman, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Oconomowoc, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.“Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in?!” (v. 22). St. Paul is predictably frustrated with the Corinthian congregation’s unchristian behavior, but dishonoring the Lord’s Supper is especially egregious. The Apostle admonishes them for their frivolous behavior during the sacrament: “One goes hungry, another gets drunk!” (v. 21) He especially condemns the divisions that fracture their Christian unity. Nevertheless, because of what was going on in Corinth, we now have the clearest teaching on the Lord’s Supper in the Bible, second only to Jesus’ institution. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Schockman feast upon this important text and reflect on how this impacts our communion practice today.

Rev. Larry Beane, pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Gretna, LA and Chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (CAP) joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 11:1-16.Why is it improper for men to wear hats in church but not women? Where does this custom come from? In part, from this part of St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. In the first century it was about more than manners, it was about authority and headship. A woman’s veil represented her unique vocation as a godly woman. Learn what St. Paul means when he writes, “For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.” (v. 12). In this episode, Pastors Booe and Beane look at this godly tradition and ask, how is it practiced today?

Rev. Brian Davies, pastor of Lord of Glory Lutheran Church in Grayslake, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 10:23-33.“All things are lawful!” What a misunderstanding of Christian freedom. Because of the forgiveness of Christ, the Corinthian Christians mistakenly thought that they could live any way they please. St. Paul addresses this error by reminding them that while Christians indeed have freedom in Christ, it’s not to satisfy one’s own sinful desires but to be used in service toward others. The issue of the day was eating meat sacrificed to idols, but it’s just as applicable today in how we live out our faith. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Davies explore the freedom we have in Christ and how we can give glory to God in the things we do.

Rev. John Lukomski, co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 10:1-22. Find Wrestling with the Basics at kfuo.org/WrestlingWithTheBasics.The Corinthian Christians held up their participation in the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as proof that they couldn’t be led astray, at least not easily. And yet: Idolatry. Sexual immorality. Putting God to the test. Grumbling. These things were happening in Corinth, but they had also happened to the people of the Old Testament. Even after they, figuratively speaking, were baptized in the Red Sea and communed upon the manna and spiritual water from the rock. If God’s people of old could disqualify themselves from salvation by their actions, so could the Corinthians. Nevertheless, the Apostle gives them a word of comfort. He writes, “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability.” In this episode, Pastors Booe and Lukomski set the record straight on this thoroughly law and gospel passage.

Rev. Ben Dose, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Arcadia, IA, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 9.Have you ever heard anyone say that pastors shouldn’t get paid? That they should do their work for the sake of the gospel? Many pastors have heard these sentiments. In this part of his letter, St. Paul is defending his work as an apostle. He also points out that being an apostle shouldn’t prevent him from getting married or working a job. Nor should they refuse him the means to provide for himself and his family (if he had one). Paul teaches them that, as a minister, he has the right to financial support from the congregations he serves. The twist comes when he then says he refuses such support so that no one could question his motives. In this episode, Pastors Booe and Dose discuss what God says through St. Paul about making a living from the gospel.