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Augsburg Confession Bible Study 123 AUGSBURG CONFESSION WEEK 1 Being Lutheran For this Moment Preface Article 1…………………………God OPENING PRAYER L: Triune God, be Thou our stay; O let us perish never! R: Cleanse us from our sins, we pray, and grant us life foreVer. L: Keep us from the evil one; uphold our faith most holy, R: And let us trust Thee solely with humble hearts and lowly. L: Let us put God’s armor on, with all true Christians running our heav’nly race and shunning the devil’s wiles and cunning. R: Amen, amen! This be done; so sing we “Alleluia!” (LSB 505) Getting Started… On a scale of 1-10 (1 being “I’d deny the faith;” 10 being “I’d die for the faith”), where would you place yourself if (1.) A Muslim terrorist threatens to cut off your head if you don’t renounce Jesus and accept Allah, (2.) Your non-LCMS relative comes to visit you and tells you that unless they can take communion at your church they will have to break all family ties, (3.) You meet some wonderful people at the local coffee shop and after becoming rather close friends there is a discussion on women having the right to abort their children at any stage of pregnancy. What do all these situations have to do with your Confession of Faith? Read… A Bit of History… by Luther to lead the Lutheran theologians Preface in Augsburg before the Emperor. Most invincible Emperor, Caesar October 31, 1517 – Luther nailed the 95 Augustus, most clement Lord: Your Theses on the Wittenberg Castle Church A great many of those who went on to Augsburg were laymen, who had no plans Imperial Majesty has summoned a door, which started the Reformation. at all to recant their Lutheran faith nor give meeting of the Empire here at Augs- April 18, 1521 – Diet of Worms when Lu- in to the Emperor’s demands. burg to consider taking action ther confessed, “I cannot and will not re- against the Turk, discussing how cant. I cannot do otherwise. Here I stand. Charles made various “Roman Catholic de- best to stand effectively against his God help me. Amen.” From this time on, mands” of the Lutherans. The layman, fury and attacks by means of military Luther was declared a criminal and heretic, George, MargraVe of Brandenburg stated, force. The Turk is the most atro- excommunicated and sentenced to death. “Before I let anyone take from me the Word cious and ancient hereditary enemy of God and ask me to deny my God, I will of the Christian name and religion. October 16, 1529 – The Schwabach Arti- kneel and let them strike off my head.” This meeting is also to consider dis- cles were presented that “insisted on unity of doctrine as a prerequisite for any coop- June 25, 1530 – “Courageous Lutheran agreements in our holy religion, the eration among various Protestants in Ger- Laymen confessed their faith” and read Christian faith, by hearing every- many.” before the Emperor what we know as The one’s opinions and judgments in Augsburg Confession. This is a date and an each other’s presence. They are to Charles V (emperor over much of Europe) occasion for every Lutheran to cherish! be considered and evaluated among was fighting off the Turkish (Muslim) In- ourselves in mutual charity, mercy, vasion at this time. He needed a religious and kindness. After the removal and unified empire now more than ever. After reading The Preface… correction of things that either side Charles was also concerned that the Pope 1. How important was the Lutheran con- has understood differently, these would strike an alliance with the ruler of France, which would threaten Charles’ rule. fession of faith to the pastors in Lu- matters may be settled and brought Charles called a meeting at Augsburg, hop- ther’s day? The laymen? back to one simple truth and Chris- ing to settle all disputes and unify his reign. 2. What do these words mean for Luther- tian concord. Then we may embrace ans today, “We are all under one Christ and maintain the future of one pure Luther, Melanchthon, and others wrote a and do battle under Him. We ought to and true religion under one Christ, “first draft” of the Augsburg confession, confess the one Christ and do every- doing battle under Him (Ps. 24:8), called the Torgau Articles. Luther was the thing according to God’s truth”? living in unity and concord in the primary author of the Torgau Articles. 3. Is the Augsburg Confession just for one Christian Church. pastors or for every layman in every vocation yet today? Discuss. Melanchthon and others then traveled on to Augsburg. Melanchthon was designated (continue on page 3) Being Lutheran for this Moment Article One - God 1. Who is “our churches?” 2. The Council of Nicea was convened in 325 A.D. The Augsburg Confession con- firms an agreement on the doctrine of “God” along with the Roman Church. What is the significance of the following phrases in the Nicene Creed: • I believe in one God. • Being of one substance with the Father. • The Lord and giver of life. 3. The Augsburg Confession elaborates. What is meant by: • Essence (Matt. 28:19) Martin Luther Philip Melanchthon • Eternal (Ps. 90:1-2) • Without a body (Jn. 4:24) • Infinite power (Matt. 19:26) • Infinite wisdom (I Cor. 1:18-25) Lutheran for this Moment • Infinite goodness (Ps. 145:9) MaKer of all things (Gen. 1:1) • Manichaeism – A totally heathen reli- Muslims – Islam is the religion of the Mus- Three persons (Jn. 15:26) • gion that incorporates Christian ideas lim people who believe Allah is God. All and vocabulary. It is based on two op- Muslims must believe in Jesus as a prophet posing kingdoms (light and darkness) but not as Savior and Lord. Their book of Do We Condemn Heresies Anymore? to explain the observable disharmony in belief is the Qur’an. Sounds like ____________ the world. Sounds like ___________________ today. How do you see this belief affecting Titus 3:9-11 – The Holy Spirit inspires St. today. Where do you see this belief the Lutheran Church today? Paul to write these words to Pastor Titus. seeping into the Lutheran Church to- What is the danger of mixing error with the day? Samosatenes - believed that Jesus Christ Truth of God’s Word? was a created being, not uncreated as God Valentinian – Was a gnostic who be- was. This determination meant that Christ The heresies mentioned in this Article are lieved all matter (the world) was evil was less than fully divine. Sounds like still around today to one degree or another. and “redemption” was to escape from _________________ today. Where do you see What are these heresies? How is the matter, which made one more and more this belief seeping into the Lutheran Church affected by these heresies today? “a god,” climbing through a series of Church today? How is the Church affected when these here- eons. Cracking Jesus “secret code” in sies make their way into the Church today? His teachings was the key to escape from all matter. Sounds like _____________ ______________ today. Where do you see Scenario #1 Islam . Jehovah Witness/Mormon this belief seeping into the Lutheran Chinese Yin Yang . New Age/Holy Grail Church today? Two Lutherans are having coffee. One Calvinism (Methodism/baptist) begins talking about how her mother had a Liberalism Arianism – is the belief that God from difficult life. She talked about her mother’s eternity predestined to eternal life divorce, her time with cancer, and the time those he knew would remain steadfast her mother lost her wallet and all her cred- to the end. It believes man cooperates it cards. Then she says, “But life has a way in his conversation. Sounds like _________ of balancing itself out. For every bad thing __________________ today. Where do you that happened to Mom, there seems to be a see this belief seeping into the Lutheran good thing. She is happily married now, Church today? she has a great job at the art gallery, and she just came into a healthy inheritance. Eunomians – It held that God is so ab- Sounds innocent, but is it? How is the bib- solutely one that the Second Person lical (Lutheran) view of God applied to this could not be generated within the di- discussion? vine nature. The Second and Third Per- sons were said to have been created. The Eunomianists also denied the value (continued on page 3) of any worship or the need for any sac- I Peter 1:3-5 raments. Sound like ______________________ today. Where do you see this belief seeping into the Lutheran Church to- day? We, the undersigned elector and princes, have been Article I (1) God called to this gathering along with other electors, princes, Our churches teach with common consent that the de- and estates in obedient compliance with the Imperial cree of the Council of Nicea about the unity of the divine mandate. Therefore, we have promptly come to Augs- essence and the three persons is true. It is to be believed burg. We do not mean to boast when we say this, but we without any doubt. God is one divine essence who is were among the first to be here. eternal, without a body, without parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness. He is the maker and preserver of At the very beginning of the meeting in Augsburg, Your all things, visible and invisible (Neh. 9:6). Yet there are Imperial Majesty made a proposal to the electors, princes, three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and other estates of the Empire.
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