The Templeton Committee met for the first time on October 21, 2015. Pastor Michael Tavella had received a $5000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation through the auspices of Earl Whipple, a staff member of the organization and a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. The grant will be used to develop a manual for churches and individual Christians on how we should conduct ourselves when in conversation with atheists and others who do not attend Church (the “nones”), either one on one or in a public forum. The biblical basis for the project is I Peter 3: 15b-16. The proposal includes field testing the manual in church adult classes and then holding at least one public forum in which Christians and non-Christians dialogue with one another. These conversations will constitute a Christian defense of the faith (ἀπολογία, apologia, English-apology) and a witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The disciple is not bereft of consolation from Christ in the midst of the fierce battle against evil that precedes the full coming of the kingdom. There is joy in the forgiveness of sins that comes from Him, and Him alone. There is joy in serving Him accoring to His will. In Matthew, and only…
In Matthew 14 Jesus comes to the disciples, walking on the sea. They were terrified when they saw Him, thinking that He was a ghost. Jesus responds to their fear by saying, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid..” (Matthew 14: 27b ESV) In this article we will consider the use of the…
Jesus told the parable of the sower while sitting in a boat on the sea with the people standing on the beach. Only with His disciples did he give an interpretation of the parable. The sower cast seed upon various types of soil, some on the path; some on rocky ground; some among thorns; and,…
In more than any other Gospel, Matthew uses the word Gentile or Gentiles, referring either to non-Christians or non-Jews. Gentiles are unbelievers to whom the Christian mission is directed along with Israel. The Gentiles fall short of those who follow Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus says, “And if you greet only your brothers, what more…
The life of a disciple is one grounded in repentance and the forgiveness of sins. It is life in Christ that impels the believer to fulfill the imperatives of discipleship. It is life in Christ that impels the believer to defend the faith when its is challenged and to witness to others so that they too…
We call Jesus the “Prince of Peace,” (Isaiah 9: 6) but He said that He brings a sword (Matthew 10: 34). How can we reconcile these two? Because of Jesus, division will occur, even in families. Christ requires us to make a choice of following Him or not. ” . . . and whoever does not take up his cross and follow…
The “ethics of the kingdom” are found in the Sermon on the Mount (a title coined by Saint Augustine of Hippo) in Matthew 5-7. The Sermon is a manual that disciples are called to follow as they tread the pilgrim’s path in this world. How do the commands of Jesus apply to apologetics and witness? Among…
In His instructions to the apostles before He sends them out on mission, Jesus warns them that “Brother will deliver brother over to death and the father his child,, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be hated by all for my namesake. But the one who endures to…
In the English Standard Version two Greek words are translated, endure. Matthew 13, where the Greek word used means temporary, contains among other parables the story of the sower. Jesus tells the parable and then to the disciples gives an interpretation of it. The seed sown on rocky ground receives the Word with joy but does not endure when persecution…
We are called to be “wise as serpents and innocent as doves.” What does this mean? First, let’s look at the context. Jesus is commissioning His disciples to go out and announce the kingdom of heaven. He warns them that he is sending them out as sheep among wolves; therefore, they need to be “wise as…
