Persecution of the Apostles

Persecution of Apostles

The Passage: Acts 5:12-42

Structure:

a. 5:12-16, miracles and teaching of Apostles

 b. 5:17-18, Apostles arrested

  c. 5:19-20, Help by angel of the LORD

   d. 5:21a, Teaching by apostles

    e. 5:21b, High priests

     f. 5:22-23, Report of “police”

      g. 5:24, Captain of the Temple guard and high priests

     f’. 5:25-26, Repost of others

    e’. 5:27-28, High priests

   d’. 5:29-32, Apology of apostles

  c’. 5:33-39, Help by Gamaliel

 b’. 5:40, Apostles dismissed

a’. 5:41-42, Apostles proclaim Jesus the Messiah

Historical and geographical context: The events of this passage happened in the Temple area. Solomon’s Portico was NOT built by king Solomon (first Temple was destroyed 587 BC). Apparently, the Temple also had a jail attached to it (5:17-18). 

Theology:

Apostles do signs and wonders. First, Jesus gave authority and power to the disciples for performing signs and wonders at the first call (Mat. 10:5-8). Second, they continue the ministry of Jesus (Mark 16:14-18). Third, even the false prophets and false ministers can perform signs and wonders (Mat. 24:24). Therefore, the miracles or special abilities do not testify to the integrity of the call from God. The main part of the ministry is forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God and the others (5:42 – the ending bracket of the story).    

Apostles disappear from prison (5:19-21). First, it resembles the resurrection of Jesus – regardless of the presence of the Roman guard He walked out of from the tomb. Second, it happened in the middle of the night. One of many night events in the Bible (Passover [Exodus], sleepless night of Ahasuerus [Esther 6], Nicodemus [John 3], betrayal by Judas and arrest of Jesus [John 13:29-30]). Unlike Judas, St. Peter and other apostles are not overcome by the darkness of night. It is symbolically significant and chronologically accurate that they (the group as a whole) came back to teach and preach at daybreak – being the bearers of light.   

High priest (interesting, he remains un-named throughout the whole story) accuses the disciples that they want “to bring this man’s blood upon us” (5:28). It is important to see a connection between this phrase and claims of the crowd during the Trial of Jesus (Mt 27:25).

Speech of St. Peter gives an example of godly push-back. He presents the case of Jesus with two witnesses – apostles and the Holy Spirit (cp. Deut. 17:6 and 19:15). They claimed that Jesus is the “leader and Savior”. The word for leader lit. means someone who begins something or a founder (Bauer, p. 112). This reflects Trinitarian theology and Christian teaching of Incarnation.   

The wisdom of Gamaliel. He is a historic figure. The texts of Judaism attribute to him many important theological perspectives on Creation (Genesis Rabbah 4:7, 6:3, 14:5). Regardless his Christological preferences, in Acts he gives a wise advice to the “council” [cp. Sanhedrin when we talked about ch. 4]. His advice expresses a trust in the LORD who can and will carry out His plans. On the other hand, human endeavors are doomed to fail (cp. 1000-year Reich, USSR etc.).     

Suffering for Jesus’ sake. Apostles rejoiced in the fact that they suffered for the sake of the name of Jesus. The modern Western world doesn’t like the idea of suffering. Life should be positive and sense-pleasing. Together with apostles we need to re-learn that “in Baptism, our suffering, broken, sinful bodies are joined to Christ’s suffering, dying, and risen body, and in this communion with his flesh, we share in his suffering, death, and resurrection.” [Arthur Just, CTQ 83:3-4, p.252] (also, Mt. 5:10; 1 Pet. 3:13-17, 18-22)  

Other themes:

Theology of day and night (v.18-19) + apostles come at the daybreak (cp. With Jacob the wrestler, and Judah who walks into the night)

Shadow impact.

High priest is un-named (v. 17 + 22b +27)

David and Bath-Sheba story

David and Bath-Sheba story - structural analysis 

I was interested how the story of "sin of David" is organized. Me personally could only identify 6 blocks (11:2-5; 11:6-21[22-25]; 11:26-27; 12:1-15a; 12:15b-23; 12:24-25) with Introduction and Conclusion (11:1 and 12:26-31). The I consulted two sources: (1) David A. Dorsey, The Literary Structure of the Old Testament: A Commentary on Genesis - Malachi, p. 134; (2) Peter J. Leithart, A Son to Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel, p. 215.

Ananias and Sapphira

Ananias and Sapphira  

The Passage: Acts 5:1-11

Structure: (almost) straight parallelism

a. 5:1-2, Lie of Ananias

  b. 5:3-4, Words of St. Peter

    c. 5:5a, fell down and breathed his last

      d. 5:5b, great fear came upon

        e. 5:6 burial of the husband 

a’. 5:7-8, Lie of Sapphira – dialogue with the apostle

  b’. 5:9, Words of St. Peter

    c’. 5:10a, fell down and breathed her last

        e’. 5:10b, wife’s burial

      d’. 5:11, great fear came upon the church    

 

Historical and geographical context:

In a sense this passage is an addition or an appendix to the previous “story”. As we saw, by the end of ch. 4 the church experienced great unity on confessional, liturgical, and sociological levels. But, after that achievement there always comes a challenge. We can call it “Garden paradigm”. Gen. 1 and 2 end on a high note. Then we have a challenge in 2:25-3:7, complete failure… Similar models are revealed in other parts of the Bible (Vineyard after the flood and a challenge of Noah’s authority by Ham; finalized kingdom of David and a challenge of Bathsheba; etc.) 

Theology:

God created Adam and his wife to be in unity – two be one flesh (Gen. 2:23). So, can unity in a marriage be bad? Apparently, yes. The word “helper” in Gen. 2:18 is neutral, but the context of pre-fallen Garden forces us to take it as a helper in good things or actions. Here, though, Sapphira “helps” her husband to fall short (Rom. 3:23), in stead of being the one who can help him to stay on the paths of righteousness.   

Freedom of a believer to share an additional donation with the church. The speech of St. Peter sets the proper boundaries for financial involvement of the believers. On one hand, there is a biblical principle of tithing (Lev. 27:30, Matt. 22:21). That’s why the apostles welcomed everything that was brought to their feet. On the other hand, St. Peter clearly teaches that it was a free-will offering to sell the property, and to keep the proceeds in full or in part for themselves (5:3). The real problem – they wanted to be known as great donors who sacrifice all their land yet pocket a part of the money. Doing this, they tried to rob the Lord, not humans. And the Lord took care of it/them.    

Immediacy of God’s action. The word “immediate” is a prominent feature of Mark’s Gospel (cp. 1:18, 20, 21, 23, 29…). Here we have this word used once – only in the second part relating to Sapphira. In the context of the initial growth of the church it was important that the apostles established the boundaries of the godly behavior. At the same time, we do not always see the similar speed of realization of cause-effect model. Same St. Peter says in his 2nd epistle: And count the patience of our Lord as salvation (3:15). So, the “speed” of God’s response cannot be used as an indication of goodness of the actions.       

Other themes:

“Bad Friday” story.

Whenever you read a biblical passage (not only a biblical one), always ask yourself a question: does it resemble any previous story? Here are two clues:

  three hours (cp. Matt. 27:45)

  Breathing last (cp. John 19:30).

What we see here is Good Friday elements which would lead to negative consequences. In three hours difference Sapphira was illuminated by the words of St. Peter, yet she preferred to stay in the dark. Both the husband and wife breathe their last, yet we do not see or expect a consequent resurrection.  

Possession of Believers

Believers share their Possessions.

The Passage: Acts 4:32-37

Structure:

P (4:32-33) Those who believed had one heart and one soul.

  A. (4:34-35) General principle – sold and laid at the feet of the apostles

  A’. (4:36-37) Particular example – Joseph

Historical and geographical context:

The important geographical input – we are still in Jerusalem. The practice of total sharing is not going to be replicated in the diaspora.

Theology:

Unity and diversity is a theme of many passages in the Bible. Here we have the unity of the Jerusalem community – one heart and one soul (v. 32). It is not even a congregation in the modern sense of the word. It is a community that has members living in the different parts of the city. It has members who gather in a variety of places in Jerusalem (Acts 2:46). Having one heart and soul has a multi-dimensional application. For sure, it is emotional or psychological unity: if one suffers – all suffer. When St. Peter and St. John were released from their first imprisonment – the community prayed all together the words of thanksgiving and encouragement (Acts 4:24). It also can be a representation of confessional unity (Deut. 6:4-5). They confess God – the united YHWH – together “with all your heart, all your soul, and all your might”. The words of Sh’ema were given to Israel for a communal statement of faith. Therefore, the third level of unity is liturgical. As noticed above, they could break the bread at different places, but this practice was a sign of unity of all who “believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30-31).

On the other hand, we should acknowledge structural diversity. What we see in the first Jerusalem church is the apostles who rule and regulate the business of the community. It will create some complications in the future that will be addressed by creating a diaconal ministry (ch. 6). Yet, at this point, the landowners and real estate owners would bring their money to the apostles after closing the deal on their properties. So, to summarize, we see family type structure.              

Two outcomes of the that: First, apostles still preach (giving their testimony to) the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Unlike many modern preachers who get access to the financial benefits of their parishioners, they did not shift to prosperity Gospel. Their testimony was built on the solid rock of resurrection of Jesus. Neither the persecution nor the increased financial element changed the message. That’s what St. Paul will pick up later on – Philippians 4:10-13.   

Also, we can see the theological connection with the year of Jubilee. The Biblical calendar is divided into 7 years cycles. 7 cycles of 7 years turn into 49 years periods. Then there is the Jubilee year – 50^th year. During the fiftieth year the land would return to the LORD Who would give it back to the original “renters”. We need to avoid the term “original owners” for the land belongs to the LORD (Ps. 24:1). When the believers brought their money to the Lord’s representatives – apostles – the monetary value went back to the Lord who gave (or left) the means for His Bride – the church.       

Other themes:

Luke has an interesting habit – introducing important people as a minor character. For example, St. Paul is introduced as Saul – just a guy who was guarding the outer clothing or garments of those who stoned the first martyr – St. Stephen.

Same here, we meet Joseph, whom apostles called Bar-Nabas (son of encouragement). Later he will be a very prominent figure and a partner of St. Paul (9:26-27; 11:30 etc.). Yet, there is a possibility for another connection. We already saw Joseph Bar-Sabbas (Son of Sabath) in 1:23. It is possible that it is the same person. That’s why St. Luke writes that the apostles used an adjusted name for him. It is very interesting that loses the election to be a replacement for Judas, but he stayed in the community, sold his possessions, brought it to apostles (in stead of starting his own group or sect). As a result of his patience, he was listed as an apostle – 14:14 – together with St. Paul.  

VISIT with NICODEMUS - John 3

VISIT with NICODEMUS – John 3

I was getting ready for the Trinity Sunday sermon (2024). Interesting choice of the Gospel reading – John 3:1-17. For starters, the passage should have been extended to v. 21 of chapter 3. But this is not my main point for this post. As prep I consulted William C. Weinrich, John 1:1 – 7:1(Concordia Commentary, CPH: 2015). On page 382… Let me pause here: just think about it, almost 900 pages for the first 6 chapters (!), and, obviously, by the middle – 380s – he approaches chapter 3…  

Praying for bold preaching

Prayer for bold preaching   

The Passage: Acts 4:23-31

Structure:

a. 4:23, the report of what happened

  b. 4:24, Sovereign Lord

    c. 4:25-26, gathered together against You and Your Anointed

    c’. 4:27-28, gathered in the city against Your servant Jesus whom You anointed

  b’. 4:29-30, Lord

a’. 4:31, continued to talk/speak  

Historical and geographical context:

St. Peter and St. John go to their friends (this can be understood psychologically/emotionally or sociologically – as those who support them). Probably, it is the same house where they were gathered to choose the replacement for Judas and/or during events of Pentecost.  

Theology:

The report. It is important to see that the unity of the church is built upon common confession, togetherness in worship, and honesty in the description of life. St. Peter and St. John go and share their unpleasant experience with the rest of the gathering. Which teaches us a value of shared lives – all the good and all the difficult episodes of our walk with God. The unity of disciples in prayer let to the similar effects like the people of Israel experienced during the wilderness – shaking of the place.    

Addressing God as the Creator. Interesting how the disciples address God as the creator of the heavens and the earth, and the sea. He is the One who has the power to create and to restructure the world. This is the reason for the parallel passage in v. 29-30, where they ask for boldness, and the continuation for the healing, signs and wonders that were performed “through the name of Your holy servant Jesus”. Holy servant Jesus is the one whom Sovereign Lord raised from the grave overcoming the power of death – this is one more reminder of the creative powers of God who is the only one who can overcome the mortality.     

Using the psalms in prayer. First, check out how easily the disciples can incorporate the text of a psalm in their prayer. Not as a starter, and not as a conclusion (like we use Lord’s prayer to conclude the meeting or so). They address God as the Creator of the Universe and then apply the text of Psalm 2 for their particular situation. Or, better put – they see their situation through the lenses of Psalm 2. Which presupposes years of practice of praying using the Psalter.   

Inspiration of Scripture. There was no questions or confusion among the believers on the sources and the Source of the Word. For sure they recognized the difference in authorship of different parts or books of the Bible. That’s why NT writers often go back and mention Isaiah (Lk. 3:4-6), Jeremiah (Mt. 2:17-18). Here the communion of saints reflected on the words of king David. At the same time without any hesitation, they state that David was moved by the Holy Spirit when he wrote the psalm. Similar thought we can find in 2 Pet. 1:19-21. Thinking about the nature of Scripture, Peter says that the Word that we have is true (v. 19). His reasoning is based on the fact that prophetic word was not done according to the will of men, but “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (v. 21).   

Other themes:

Saying everything up to this point creates an interesting hermeneutical challenge (challenge for interpretation) – the attribution of Ps. 2 to David. The Hebrew text of the psalm (as we have it right now) does not have the superscription referring to David’s authorship. Does it post a contradiction? No, because this is a perfect example for us to see that the Bible is a Book that should be read in its entirety. There are parts of the Old Testament that help us to understand the mission of Messiah (Mt. 21:4-5) or the ministry of the Church (1 Cor. 10:11). At the same time there are parts of the New Testament that clarify and add a nuance or two to our proper understanding of the events, people, and situations that happened before the Incarnation of the Son of God. Therefore, the inspired voices of the disciples said that Ps. 2 is written by David. So be it!

St. Peter and St. John answer to the Council

St. Peter and St. John before the Counsel  

The Passage: Acts 4:5-22

Structure:

a. 4:5-7, Reaction of Rulers (question of power)

  b. 4:8-12, Speech of Peter being filled with the Holy Spirit

    c. 4:13, Initial assessment of the rulers

      d. 4:14, seeing the man rulers have nothing to say

    c’. 4:15-17, inner conferring – we can not deny, but it has to stop

      d’. 4:18, rulers charge apostles not to speak  

  b’. 4:19-20, Response of Peter and John

a’. 4:21-22, Reaction of Rulers (afraid of [the power] of people)  

Historical and geographical context:

Temple is the place of worship, social interactions (receiving alms), justice, and banking. We saw the first two in the previous lesson. The question of justice will come up here, while the banking will come up in a couple of lessons. It is important to understand that the Temple was a more “complicated” place. It is not a simple equivalent of our modern churches.      

Sanhedrin. ESV in v. 15 puts it as council. This is the first time St. Luke uses the term (14 in Acts, 1 in Luke [22:66], total 22 times in NT – number of letters on Hebrew alphabet). Sanhedrin was a gathering of the rulers of Judea gathered every day in the Temple area, in the building called House/Hall of Hewn Stones. Total number of members was 71: Moses + 70 elders (Num. 11:16-17, 24). Just by itself it is a symbolic number – prime, more specifically it is a permutable prime (71 and 17), also it is centered heptagonal number (1+7+14+21+28).   

Theology:

Theology of name (cont.). The rulers associate the Name and Place (1 Kings 8:48). Which was a correct interpretation prior to incarnation of Jesus. Yet, after the destruction there was an idea that the Name should be closer connected with the Word Ps. 138:2.    

Sanhedrin’s reasoning is similar to the reasoning for the crucifixion – John 11:45-53. If the power/authority over people is the main question, then the rulers will do everything to secure it. Knowing that they cannot deny the sign/miracle, the rulers attempt to suppress the spreading of preaching in the name. Note that they lit. do not have power, cp. 1:8, you will receive power, and St. Peter speaks being filled with the Holy Spirit. He already was one of the 120 – original Pentecostal group. Yet, we have here a fulfillment of Jesus’ promise (Mt. 10:17-20).       

Importance of people. The Book of Acts will present the masses raging against the Gospel (cp. Acts 19:28,34). Here we have a positive impact of the people. There is an important aspect of theology of gathering. St. John in his last two epistles concludes that he wants to see brothers face to face (2 John 12; 3 John 14). Also, it raises the important question for the future, “should we serve Holy Communion only individually during persecution or next governmental shut-down?”

Other themes:

Needed correction of translation in 13 – uneducated, should be “not scribes”. They did not belong to the educational elite scribal cast. It is not the point of knowledge, but an inner circle acceptance. Apostles WERE educated, for sure they were not illiterate, knowing 4 languages. St. Paul uses the same word for “common man” in 2 Cor. 11:6 as “un-skilled”. Also, Jesus promised to provide new generation of prophets, wisemen, and scribes (Mt. 23:34). The rulers did not see their “ID” of trained scribes…       

Usage of OT Scriptures. In the next passage the congregation as a whole recites and interpreters Ps. 2. But here St. Peter weaves in Ps. 118:22 in v.11. He attributes the stone of the passage to Jesus and builders – to the rulers (right at their faces). Doing this St. Peter follows the example of Jesus (Mt. 21:42). Also, Ps. 118 has a very interesting place in the Canon – right in the middle of the Bible (in our setting). There are 594 chapters around Ps. 118, it is surrounded by the shortest “chapter” (117), and the longest one (119). 594+594+1=1189. It should be Ps. 118:9 – it is better to trust in the LORD than to trust in princes. Or the real middle of Ps. 118:15 – Glad song of salvation are in the tents of the righteous.   

Significant numbers in the lives of people. He was 40 years old – being lame from birth (3:1) he spent 40 years “stumble along” – like Israel in the desert. Now he is brought into the “promised land” of life with Christ. 

St. Peter heals a beggar

Peter heals crippled beggar  

The Passage: Acts 3:1 – 4:4

Structure: a (scene’s beginning) – b,c,d,e,d’,c’,b’, (Peter’s speech) – a’ (scene’s end)

a. 3:1-11, all people in the portico 

  b. 3:12-13, God of ancestors

    c. 3:14-16, refusing the sacred person

      d. 3:17-18, suffering Messiah

        e. 3:19, Repent

      d’. 3:20-21, appointed Messiah, Jesus

    c’. 3:22-24, refusing the sacred person

  b’. 3:25-26, God made covenant with ancestors

a’. 4:1-4, 5000 people

Structure of “a”

a. 3:1, Peter and John are in the Temple

  b. 3:2, Lame man was carried in by the Beautiful Gates 

    c. 3:3, He sees Peter and John going into the Temple

      d. 3:4, Peter speaks

        e. 3:5, He looks at them – response to Peter

      d’. 3:6, Peter speaks

        e’. 3:7, His feet and ankles got strong – response to Peter

    c’. 3:8, He begins to walk

  b’. 3:9-10, Now man leaping by the Beautiful Gates

a’. 3:11, Peter and John are at the Portico of the Temple   

Historical and geographical context:

The passage begins with a fairytale start – “once upon a time”. Sometime after Pentecost within a timeframe of 2:40-47 (see last lesson). Now the story moves from “houses” to the Temple area. 

Theology:

Healing is an important part of Christian ministry but not the main one. The most important one is the restoration of man because of his faith in the name of Jesus Christ. Also, note that disciple do same things as Jesus did – cp. John 5. 

Name of Jesus. Building up theology of the NAME. The name of God was associated with the Sanctuary – the Tabernacle and Temple. To be in the name – to be in God’s presence (1 Kings 8:48 “the house I have built for Your NAME”). 

Proclamation of Jesus Christ crucified. The consistent central point of apostles preaching. St. Peter brings this during his Pentecostal sermon (2:22-24), here in ch. 3, then 4:10-11. The first Christian martyr Stephen drives the same point (7:52-53). Then St. Paul declares it as the main message of his ministry (1 Cor. 1:22-24). Also, note personal theological growth one can see in the life of St. Peter. Matthew 16:21-23 tells us that idea of suffering and crucifixion was repulsive to Peter, he was confession the Son of God as a glorious person, not the one who must suffer and die. Yet, being a person of betrayal and an eyewitness of the Cross and Resurrection, he comes to personal, devotional conviction of the importance and necessity of Son’s sacrifice.    

Other themes:

Regular religious life of the apostles was taking place in Jerusalem and – most importantly – in the Temple. They did not cut off all the connections with the “old ways” but used any chance to proclaim the Good News of Jesus to those who knew the Scriptures, who were raised in the traditions, who wanted to maintain piety prescribed by Torah. Neither St. Peter nor St. John who accompanied him wanted to insult the worshipers or obscure their faith and conduct. They engaged in the healing activities because they were asked to. What later St. Peter will summarize in 1 Pet. 3:15.

DIGITAL RELIGION

DIGITAL RELIGION

Recently got into reading a Korean-born German philosopher Byung-Chul Han. Actually, was looking for another book, but began to read Infocracy. One of the main ideas he presents is an idea that Infocracy – the information regime – is more cruel than the disciplinary regime – the rule of domination by discipline.

LIFE AMONG THE BELIEVERS

Life among the believers  

(click here for the video lesson)

The Passage: Acts 2:40-47

Structure:

a. 2:40-41, Save yourself; 3000 added

  b. 2:42, Life of the community (breaking bread)

    c. 2:43a, Awe came upon every soul.

      d. 2:43b, Signs and wonders through the apostles 

    c. 2:44-45, All who believed were together

  b’. 2:46-47a, Life of the community (breaking bread)

a’. 2:47b, LORD added to the number those who were being saved

Historical and geographical context:

We are going from the sermon of St. Peter into the life of the “Pentecostal community”. Two environments are mentioned here – homes of the believers and the Temple. We don’t know how long this period takes place but, knowing that St. Luke pays attention to liturgical features, we can contemplate two or three possibilities. One 8:27b-28 states the Ethiopian Eunuch was coming back from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem for worship. The feast of Pentecost should be celebrated for a whole week. Therefore, the Acts 2 – 8 could happen within one week! Then, the events would unfold really fast. There is a second reading – mentioning the worship at Jerusalem St. Luke directs our attention to the NEXT major festive period – the feast of Booths (7^th month days 15 to 22). It also required a pilgrimage for those who lived in the land, also pilgrimage was encouraged for those who would live outside the land (diaspora). For sure, there is a third possibility – we don’t now, which means it took very long – years or decades… Honestly, IMHO – I don’t like this answer for two reasons: first, St. Luke pays attention to the times (1:8). Second, this assumption is built on the evolutionary notion – everything takes so much time to develop.       

Theology:

Baptism and church outreach. Note that both verbs “baptized” and “added” are in passive voice. This is supported (explained) in v. 47. It is the LORD Who brings people to unity with the church. As our confession says (AC V) the Holy Spirit is the One Who works faith using the Word and the Sacraments. Here we see both – Bible-based sermon of St. Peter and the rite of the Holy Baptism. Using these two means the LORD added 3000 people to the communion of saints.

Unity among the believers. Though the idea is portrayed through the communal effort to have material possessions in common, it does not begin there. V. 43 says that “awe came upon every soul”. This “awe” follows the regular/daily godly lifestyle of the church: studying, fellowship, breaking of the bread (Holy Communion), and prayers (v. 42). That’s what first and foremost unites the church.

Signs and wonders. St. John in his Gospel begins to account for seven [miraculous] signs of Jesus at Cana of Galilee (Jn. 2:1-11). When Jesus commissions the Eleven (Mk. 16:15-18), He states that the signs will accompany their ministry. The first time we see it in the Book of Acts is here – 2:43. Yet, we don’t need to put the cart in front of the horse. Signs and wonders are not the basis for the proper spiritual assessment of someone’s ministry. Satan is very proficient in miraculous work (1 Cor. 1:22-24; 2 Cor. 12-15).           

Other themes: There are “spiritual” groups that teach that Christians should sell everything they own and bring the proceeds to the leadership of the church. They attempt to support their theology with Acts 2:44-45. However tempting this idea is, this teaching is not supported by the Scriptures. For at least two reasons. First, this is a descriptive passage in the Bible, not a prescriptive one. Second, as it could’ve been common practice for the fellowship in Jerusalem, the later development of the church show the stable congregations in Mediterranean area supporting themselves and the Jerusalem congregation by collecting their tights (10% of income).

Jesus loves me - this I know... How do I know?

Recently, I was introduced to a video of CSL prof stating that "Jesus loves me - this I know, for the Bible tells me so" is a theologically BAD song. I was surprised, to say politely (and in accordance with SC VIII commandment). A few seconds earlier he tried to rant a person who tries to look for the will of God in his or her life by reading the Bible (couldn't come up with a decent example - had to make a really dumb one on the spot). So, really, if it is not the Bible, HOW do I know that Jesus loves me?     

There are many things that can be said here. 

First, I became a believer because I was studying the Scriptures. To be honest, I had no intent to become a Christian, let alone a Lutheran or a Lutheran pastor. But, it is the Scriptural message - about God the Creator, Jesus who died in the Cross, everything, especially in comparison with other texts that I read at the same time - Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, Quran, Bhagavat-Gita... Only Bible talked about God who gave Himself up to solve OUR problem. 

Second, Dr. Martin Luther was introduced to Jesus way before he became a monk or a Dr. He was baptized, was a regular church-goer. Yet, the image of Jesus was - to say the least - distorted. He was known only as the One who is coming on the Last Day to judge both the living and the dead. It was a wrestle with Romans 1:16-17 that brought peace to his heart - why? Because Bible told him that Jesus's righteousness is not a righteousness of achievements but an imputed one. To translate it from theological jargon to "normal English": from then on he knew that Jesus loves him - why? For the Bible told him so! That's why he spent his time in Wartburg castle translating the Bible into German!! 

Third, I come from a church body that was heavily persecuted during Stalin's reign in the USSR. When people were deported to the exile, some of the godly church members would be charged taking care of an altar Bible. I do not have a picture on hand but it looked something like this one - in comparison with my personal pocket Bible that I use for devotional readings wherever I go. Just think about it, a family was given a limit of kilograms (pounds) of goods they are allowed to take into exile. Instead of taking clothing, house items, or even food, they would take a heavy old-printed Holy Scripture. According to this prof it was a foolish act of Bibleolatry - worshiping the Bible. They all know who Jesus is, that should've been sufficient. Yet, they made their choice - taking God's Word with them to exile to support and maintain their faith in biblical Jesus.

In addition: here is Zion's service with a sermon partially devoted to the topic at hand (you find sermon at 33:30)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OES5WPm-oQY&t=2176s  

Also, here is a helpful discussion of the topic by pastors Brian Wolfmueller and Andrew Packer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRIL2WTG8Hs  

To conclude, Jesus loves me - this I know... Why? 
For the Bible tells me so!                

Blessings!