Confessional Lutheran Ministerium

Psalm 119:97-105 NKJV

מ MEM

⁹⁷ Oh, how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸ You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
⁹⁹ I have more understanding than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰ I understand more than the ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
¹⁰¹ I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
¹⁰² I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
¹⁰³ How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴ Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

נ NUN

¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

“You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they areever with me” (98). The enemies that are ever with the psalmist are the same enemies that are ever with us: the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. These three enemies work together to entice us away from God’s word so that we walk according to our own wills and desires. They are often quite subtle in how they present temptations to us and how they rationalize the sins with which they tempt us. God’s word exposes their foolishness by showing them for what they are. The devil is a liar; there is no truth in him (Jn 8:44). The world’s works are evil (Jn 7:7). “The carnal mind”—our sinful flesh—“is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be” (Rom 8:7).

Our enemies present sin as something sweet to our taste, as if selfish ambition and fulling one’s desires are true wisdom and understanding. But God’s word gives us understanding of our enemies’ false ways and teaches us to hate them so that we restrain our feet from walking their ways, remaining firmly on God’s word and judgments.

 Our enemies tell us we need no lamp, for “wide is the gate and broad is the way” (Matt 7:13). But God’s word tells us this wide gate and broad path lead to destruction, and that “a lamp is despised in the thought of one who is at ease” (Job 12:5). God’s word illumines our path so that we walk in God’s ways. Walking in His ways, our steps illumined by His commandments and promises, we avoid the wide gate and broad path that leads to destruction. Even though our enemies are ever with us—and will be until we enter everlasting bliss—God’s word makes us wiser than them, so that we are not ignorant of their devices (2 Cor. 2:11). We love God’s word and meditate on it all the day because in it God shows us Christ’s victory over our enemies, and teaches us how He is victorious over our enemies in us.

Let us pray: Make us wiser than our enemies through Your word, O God, so that each day we may be victorious over them in every temptation and evil scheme. Amen.

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Hebrews 2:1-9 NKJV

2 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. ² For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, ³ how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, ⁴ God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

⁵ For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. ⁶ But one testified in a certain place, saying:

“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
⁷ You have made him a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
⁸ You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him. ⁹ But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

God’s word, whether spoken by angels or prophets, “proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward” (2). Those who transgressed the word God spoke and disobeyed were punished, sometimes even destroyed. If the word God spoke to through prophets and angels provided steadfast, and if disobedience to it earned punishment, how much more should we listen to God’s word given to us by His Son? His word—salvation for all who repent and believe the gospel—was first spoken by Christ Himself, then confirmed by His apostles whom He had sent into the world to preach the gospel and commit it to writing. Because it offers so great a salvation, “We must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.”

Many imagine that Christians cannot drift away and depart  from the faith, “the things we have heard.” But the author of Hebrews warns us here—and several other places—that this is a real danger. In these verses He warns against drifting away because “now we do not yet see all things put under [Christ]” (8). There is nothing that is outside of Christ’s power and authority. But it does not appear to us that this is the case. If anything, if appears to our eyes that all things are in subjection to the devil and wicked men. For now, we do not see Christ subjecting all things to Himself, but we believe this to be true because Scripture tells us (Matt. 28:19; Eph. 1:22-23).

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.” Christ’s rule is hidden under cross, suffering, and affliction. We keep our eyes on Christ’s suffering for our sins and resurrection to justify believers, trusting that all things are in subjection to Him. Because they are subject to Him, “we know that all things work together for good to those who love God” (Rom 8:28). Clinging to this, we will not drift away no matter what it looks like to the eyes of flesh. Let us pray: Keep our eyes upon Your Son, O God, and our ears fastened to His word, so that we may not depart from what we have heard, but joyfully live under Christ’s reign. Amen.

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Hebrews 1:1-14 NKJV

Throughout the Old Testament, God spoke to His people in various ways by the prophets. He told Abraham to leave his country and father’s house to go to the land He would show him. He spoke to the patriarchs in dreams, promising His presence with them in their adversity. He saved Noah and his family from the world’s destruction through the ark. He saved Isarel from Egypt with ten plagues and by parting the Red Sea. At times, angels appeared to them to give them a word from God.

But God “has in these last days spoken to us by His Son” (2). God’s Son—our Lord Jesus Christ—is God’s complete revelation of His word and will. The patriarchs and prophets were servants. God’s Son is the appointed heir of all things. The patriarchs and prophets saw glimpses of God’s glory. God’s Son is “the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person” (3). He is the brightness of God the Father’s glory, as rays of light are to the brightness of the sun in the sky. He is the image of the Father’s person, a distinct person from the Father, but of the same essence, knowledge, and will of the Father, so that He can say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (Jn 14:9). The Son, who upholds all things by His divine power, is God’s final revelation to us. That final revelation is the purging of our sins by atoning for them by His suffering and death on cross, His resurrection and His reign at the Father’s right hand so that He might justify believers.

No longer will God speak “at various times and in various ways” (1). God no longer speaks to us by prophets, visions, dreams, and the like. In these last days of the world, He has spoken to us by His Son. His message is: “Repent of your sins; trust in the gospel—the promise of forgiveness for Jesus’ sake, live holy lives according to the gospel, and watch for Christ’s return.” That is the only message God has for us in these last days, and the only message Christians should care to hear, for God has shown its truth by giving it to us, not through a prophet or angel, but through His only begotten Son.

Let us pray: Keep our hearts attentive to the words of Your Son, O God, that we may hear Him and no other. Amen.

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Philemon 17-25 NKJV

¹⁷ If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me. ¹⁸ But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. ¹⁹ I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides. ²⁰ Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.

²¹ Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say. ²² But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

²³ Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, ²⁴ as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers.

²⁵ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Paul has interceded for Onesimus, asking Philemon to receive his slave back—not as a runaway slave worthy of punishment or an unbeliever—but as a brother in Christ whom Paul counts as a son. Paul has also hinted that he would like Onesimus sent back to him since he had proven himself useful for Paul’s ministry. In order to right every wrong of Onesimus, Paul offers, “If he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account” (18). Paul wants Onesimus and Philemon to be fully reconciled with each other. In this, Paul follows the example of Christ, who made full satisfaction for the sins of the world by His suffering and death on the cross. All who are in Christ by faith enjoy the forgiveness of their sins and perfect righteousness Christ earned for them.

But Paul presses his apostolic advantage just a bit when he continues, “Not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides” (19). Philemon owes Paul himself since it was Paul’s ministry that brought the gospel to Philemon. As “the hearts of the saints have been refreshed” by Philemon (7), he would refresh Pauls’ heart by giving him a free Onesimus to aid him in ministry. Paul is confident that the gospel will motivate Philemon to do not only what he has asked, but even more.

Paul’s intercession for Onesimus’ freedom—freedom which will be used for the sake of the gospel—is a beautiful picture of Christ’s work on our behalf. He put our wrongs on His account.  He has purchased and won us from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death. Why? So that we may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Like Onesimus, we are freed from our former master for the sake of being useful in God’s kingdom by loving our neighbor and offering God the sacrifice of praise.

Let us pray: We give You thanks, Lord Jesus, for paying our debt and freeing us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Grant us the Holy Spirit that we may live, not for ourselves, but for Your glory and the good of our neighbor. Amen.

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Philemon 8-16 NKJV

⁸ Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, ⁹ yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ— ¹⁰ I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, ¹¹ who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

¹² I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, ¹³ whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel. ¹⁴ But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

¹⁵ For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, ¹⁶ no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Paul began his letter to Philemon with high praise of Christ working in him. Now the apostle presents Philemon with an opportunity for another good work which will refresh the saints. Paul could have invoked his apostolic authority and commanded Philemon to do this work, but he refrains for love’s sake (9). Paul does not want Philemon to do the work out of compulsion or coercion, but out of love. Paul appeals to Philemon’s love for the saints so that he might joyfully grant Paul’s request.

What is the good work to which the apostle encourages Philemon? He appeals to Philemon to receive his slave, Onesimus, as a brother in Christ. Onesimus—whose name means “useful”—had run away from his master—proving himself useless. He met Paul in Rome, heard the gospel from him, and believed. Paul becomes Onesimus’ spiritual father, having begotten him through the gospel (1 Cor. 4:15). Onesimus now lives up to his name by being useful to Paul, ministering to him during his imprisonment. While Paul would prefer to keep Onesimus with him—so that he might minister to Paul on Philemon’s behalf (13)—he sends the slave back to his master, demonstrating the amendment of life that faith in the gospel brings about. Although Philemon has a legal right to punish Onesimus, Paul asks that he waive his legal right for the sake of love and receive his slave as a beloved brother in Christ.

Paul invites Philemon to follow the pattern set down by the Lord Jesus, who, waived His rights as the eternal Son of God and died the death reserved for slaves so that He might set all who believe free from the slavery and punishments of sin. By accepting Onesimus back, perhaps a slave, but certainly as a brother in Christ, he would demonstrate God’s great love to him in his—and now Onesimus’—Lord.

Paul sets down this rule for us, as well, that nothing should be down out of compulsion, but out of love for Christ and our neighbor. This love is not born of our own willpower, but out of faith in Christ, who loved us and gave Himself for us.

Let us pray: Increase our faith in You, O Jesus, that we may grow in selfless love for our neighbor. Amen.

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Philemon 1-7 NKJV

¹ Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer, ² to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

³ Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁴ I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, ⁵ hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, ⁶ that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. ⁷ For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

Paul has high praise for Philemon. He and Timothy address him as “our beloved friendand fellow laborer” (1). Philemon is a fellow worker with the apostle, not because he is an apostle or minister as Paul is, but because he provides for the saints and shows hospitality to the brethren. His faith in Christ is active through love and leads him to refresh the hearts of the saints by his encouragement and generosity, perhaps even by providing his home for services of the church. Paul cannot help but rejoice and be consoled at the report of Philemon’s faith and its fruit.

None of this is empty praise or false flattery. Paul prays “that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” (6). Paul praises Philemon as a Christian, one in whom Christ dwells by faith and in whom Christ works through love. Dr. Luther said it this way, “If I flatter a Christian man, I do so not for his sake but for the sake of Christ, who dwells in him; and Him a Christian should honor” (AE 29:99).

Paul teaches us two things about a Christian’s good works in these verses. First, he encourages us to be active as fellow laborers with our ministers in the gospel. This doesn’t mean that every Christian is a minister. Laboring in the gospel can be serving in the ministry, but it can also mean supporting the ministry financially, or supporting the saints with prayer, hospitality, and encouragement. It also includes bringing others to the place they can hear the ministry of the gospel.

The second thing Paul teaches us about good works is that we see them—both our own and the good works of fellow believers—as the working of Christ. Paul would lead you into “the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus” (6). We rejoice in our works and the good works of others because they are signs that Christ is at work in us to refresh the hearts of the saints.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus Christ, grant us to acknowledge every good thing which is in us in You so that we may humbly serve others in love and refresh the hearts of our fellow believers even as You refresh us each day in the gospel. Amen. 

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Psalm 119:1-16 NKJV

א ALEPH

119 Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
Who walk in the law of the Lord!
² Blessed are those who keep His testimonies,
Who seek Him with the whole heart!
³ They also do no iniquity;
They walk in His ways.
⁴ You have commanded us
To keep Your precepts diligently.
⁵ Oh, that my ways were directed
To keep Your statutes!
⁶ Then I would not be ashamed,
When I look into all Your commandments.
⁷ I will praise You with uprightness of heart,
When I learn Your righteous judgments.
⁸ I will keep Your statutes;
Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

ב BETH

⁹ How can a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed according to Your word.
¹⁰ With my whole heart I have sought You;
Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!
¹¹ Your word I have hidden in my heart,
That I might not sin against You.
¹² Blessed are You, O Lord!
Teach me Your statutes.
¹³ With my lips I have declared
All the judgments of Your mouth.
¹⁴ I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies,
As much as in all riches.
¹⁵ I will meditate on Your precepts,
And contemplate Your ways.
¹⁶ I will delight myself in Your statutes;
I will not forget Your word.

This psalm is voice of the new man created by the Holy Spirit through the gospel, as Paul says in Romans 7:22, “For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.” Apart from receiving the forgiveness of sins by faith in Christ, we cannot delight in God’s law, that is, His instruction and teaching. But when the Holy Spirit renews our hearts through faith and makes us new creatures, this is the attitude towards God’s instruction He writes on our hearts.

Because the new man in Christ is undefiled in God’s sight, he wants to walk according to God’s instruction. He wants to keep God’s testimonies. He seeks God in His word. He does this because He loves God’s word and wants to live according to it. The new man of faith wants to “do no iniquity” (3), that is, keep himself away from willfully sinning.

The new man in Christ also sees that—although He is declared righteous in God’s sight for Christ’s sake—he still has sin in him. His ways are not entirely directed to God’s statutes because he still has the sinful flesh. Seeing himself in the mirror of God’s commandments, he still feels shame at his imperfection and sins. Nevertheless, he prays that God would not forsake him, confident of God’s mercy toward the humble penitent, which is also part of God’s instruction. Living in God’s mercy, the psalmist years for all his ways to be directed toward God’s will which He reveals His word.

God renews our hearts and makes us new creatures through faith in His gospel. The new heart delights in God’s Word. It wants to live according to God’s law, not only outwardly but inwardly, in thought and motivation. It sees the sinful flesh, with its passions and lusts, fights it, and wants to be cleansed of it because it pesters them and leads them into temptation. The new heart which God creates in us through the gospel rejoices in God’s word, meditates on it, and contemplates it because it shows us God’s will—the best way to live—and where to find forgiveness when we fail to live that way.

Let us pray: Create new hearts within us, O Lord, that we may hide Your word in our hearts and joyfully walk in it. Amen.

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Psalm 118:15-29 NKJV

The voice of rejoicing and salvation
Is in the tents of the righteous;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
¹⁶ The right hand of the Lord is exalted;
The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.
¹⁷ I shall not die, but live,
And declare the works of the Lord.
¹⁸ The Lord has chastened me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.

¹⁹ Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I will go through them,
And I will praise the Lord.
²⁰ This is the gate of the Lord,
Through which the righteous shall enter.

²¹ I will praise You,
For You have answered me,
And have become my salvation.

²² The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
²³ This was the Lord’s doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
²⁴ This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵ Save now, I pray, O Lord;
O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity.
²⁶ Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.
²⁷ God is the Lord,
And He has given us light;
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
²⁸ You are my God, and I will praise You;
You are my God, I will exalt You.

²⁹ Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
For His mercy endures forever.

In Psalm 118:15-29, we encounter a hymn of praise and thanksgiving, celebrating the deliverance and salvation that comes from the hand of the Lord. As Confessional Lutherans, we are drawn to this psalm not only for its expressions of gratitude but also for its prophetic significance, particularly in its portrayal of Christ as the rejected cornerstone.

Martin Luther, in his “Summaries of the Psalms” (1531), expressed his affection for Psalm 118, referring to it as his dearest and most beloved psalm. He recognized its dual nature as a psalm of thanksgiving and a prophecy concerning the Christian faith and the person of Christ.

Verse 22 stands out as a prophetic utterance: “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.” Luther, along with many interpreters throughout history, understood this verse to point to Jesus Christ, who was rejected by the religious authorities of His day but was exalted by God as the cornerstone of salvation for all who believe. This imagery of Christ as the cornerstone resonates deeply with Confessional Lutherans, as it underscores the foundational nature of Christ’s work in our redemption. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus became the cornerstone upon which the Church is built, providing a sure foundation for our faith and hope.

As we reflect on the words of Psalm 118, we are reminded of the faithfulness and goodness of the Lord. He is the one who answers our prayers, grants us salvation, and delivers us from our enemies. In Christ, we find true cause for rejoicing and thanksgiving, for His mercy endures forever. Just as the psalmist proclaimed, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (24), so too let us rejoice in the salvation that comes through Jesus Christ. Let us give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, and His mercy endures forever.

Let us pray: O God, by the humiliation of your Son you raised up the fallen world. Give your faithful people constant gladness, deliverance from the danger of eternal death, and make us partakers of eternal joys; through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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 Titus 3:1-15 NKJV

3 Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, ² to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. ³ For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. ⁴ But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, ⁵ not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, ⁶ whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, ⁷ that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

⁸ This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

⁹ But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. ¹⁰ Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, ¹¹ knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

¹² When I send Artemas to you, or Tychicus, be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. ¹³ Send Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing. ¹⁴ And let our people also learn to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs, that they may not be unfruitful.

¹⁵ All who are with me greet you. Greet those who love us in the faith.

Grace be with you all. Amen.

In Titus 3:1-15, the apostle Paul provides practical guidance for living as faithful Christians within society and the Church community. Paul begins by urging believers to submit to rulers and authorities, obeying civil laws, and being ready for every good work (1). This call to obedience and readiness highlights the importance of Christians being active and positive contributors to society, demonstrating the transformative power of the Gospel through their actions.

Furthermore, Paul emphasizes the need for believers to exhibit qualities such as kindness, gentleness, and humility, refraining from speaking evil of others (2). This admonition echoes Jesus’ teachings on loving our neighbors and treating others with compassion and respect, regardless of their background or beliefs. Paul then reminds Titus and the believers in Crete of their own past state of sinfulness and rebellion against God (3). It is a sobering reminder of the transformative work of God’s grace in their lives, as they were saved not by their own works but by the mercy and love of God (4-7).

As Confessional Lutherans, we affirm the centrality of God’s grace in our salvation, recognizing that it is through the work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit that we are redeemed and renewed. This truth should compel us to maintain good works, not as a means of earning salvation, but as a response of gratitude and obedience to God’s saving grace (8).

Paul also cautions against engaging in unprofitable disputes and controversies, urging believers to reject divisive individuals who cause strife within the Church (9-11). Instead, he encourages them to focus on maintaining good works and meeting the needs of others, ensuring that they bear fruit in their Christian walk (14). In conclusion, Paul sends greetings to Titus and the believers in Crete, encouraging them to continue in the faith and to extend grace and love to one another (15). Let us pray: O God, by the humiliation of your Son you raised up the fallen world. Give your faithful people constant gladness, deliverance from the danger of eternal death, and make us partakers of eternal joys; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

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Titus 2:1-15 NKJV

2 But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: ² that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; ³ the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— ⁴ that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

⁶ Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, ⁷ in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, ⁸ sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.

⁹ Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things.

¹¹ For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, ¹² teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.

¹⁵ Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.

Here, the apostle Paul lays out a blueprint for Christian community within the Church. Through these instructions, Paul not only addresses the conduct and responsibilities of various groups within the congregation but also underscores the authority and role of pastoral leadership. As Confessional Lutherans, we recognize the significance of sound doctrine and pastoral authority in guiding and nurturing the body of Christ.

One verse in particular, Titus 2:15, serves as a litmus test for assessing the health of a congregation’s adherence to biblical principles of pastoral ministry. Paul admonishes Titus, saying, “Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority.” This directive highlights the essential role of the pastor in preaching, teaching, and correcting the congregation with the full authority of God’s Word. Unfortunately, in many congregations today, the biblical model of pastoral authority is undermined by non-biblical practices. Instead of recognizing and respecting the authority vested in pastoral leadership by Scripture, congregations may adopt structures that limit or negate the pastor’s ability to fulfill his pastoral duties effectively.

When a pastor is unable to rebuke with full authority due to constraints imposed by local polity or practice, he is deprived of the capacity to fully function as a biblical pastor. His ability to shepherd the flock, confront error, and guide believers in the paths of righteousness is compromised.

This departure from biblical principles of pastoral authority is a cause for concern, echoing the lament of Jesus over the spiritual condition of the people: “They are like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36, Mark 6:34). Just as Jesus felt compassion for the lost and scattered sheep, so too should we grieve over congregations that fail to uphold the biblical model of pastoral leadership; and we rejoice over those that do. Let us pray: O God, by the humiliation of your Son you raised up the fallen world. Give your faithful people constant gladness, deliverance from the danger of eternal death, and make us partakers of eternal joys; through the same Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

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