Just and Sinner Podcast

This message was preached on Job 19:23-29 for Easter Sunday on March 27, 2016.

A deep dive into Old Testament purification and priesthood as foundations for baptism and absolution. Exploration of the introit, psalm singing, and why chanting Scripture matters. Discussion of the kyrie as a penitential plea and the role of hymns of praise like the Gloria and This Is The Feast. Guidance on choosing theologically fitting hymns and the service pattern of cleansing, mercy, and thanksgiving.

Joining the discussion is Rev. Lewis Polzin, a pastor moving to Concordia University in Wisconsin. They delve into the transformative power of regeneration and its significance in a believer's life. The conversation highlights the relationship between baptism and faith, emphasizing its implications even for infants. They tackle the critical nature of repentance, balancing grace with accountability. Local pastoral care is underscored as vital for spiritual guidance, illustrating how deep community connections enhance individual spiritual journeys.

On today's program, I was joined by my wife, Lisa Cooper, to discuss birth control. We laid out a number of different perspectives on this issue from a variety of Christians, and gave reasons why each view is supported.

Don't worry, I have not suddenly abandoned sola fide, but on today's program I discussed some problems with James White's recent comments on the doctrine of justification in Genesis 12-15. White purports that Abraham was not justified until the covenant cutting ceremony of Genesis 15 in light of his interpretation of Romans 4. I take him to task on several of these points, and demonstrate that justification does not have to be spoken of as only a past-tense reality. This outlines one of the differences between a Lutheran view and many Reformed perspectives on justification.

On today's program, I discussed the recent joint statement of the ACNA, LCMS, and LCC which resulted from five years of ongoing theological dialogue. I discussed the similarities between Lutheranism and Anglicanism as well as the various ways in which these two traditions differ.

On today's program, I went back to an old series of podcasts I was doing on the ordo salutis, and discussed the doctrine of illumination. The topics and content were different than those of the recent Jacobs's study podcast on the same topic.

On today's program I discussed the doctrine of divine simplicity and the attributes of God. This led to a number of topics surrounding the doctrine of God, including the eternal generation of Christ, contemporary challenges to classical Theism, and many other important issues.

Dive into the fascinating debate about human free will before the Fall! Explore the difference between the regenerate and unregenerate wills, and what theological giants like Luther and Augustine said about it. Discover how regeneration transforms the will, leading to a renewed cooperation with God. The podcast also tackles the intriguing question of Christ's impeccability—could He have sinned or not? Each perspective offers profound implications for understanding Christian freedom and the divine nature.

On today's program, I was joined again by Rev. Lewis Polzin to continue our discussion of Henry Eyster Jacobs' book A Summary of the Christian Faith. We continued our overview of the ordo salutis as we discussed Jacobs' chapter on illumination. This led to a number of different topics including: apologetics, the relationship between faith and reason, and the knowledge of the unbeliever.