The Large Catechism – part 2
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 2:2–3
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From the Word: 2 There is none holy like the Lord;
For there is no one besides you,
No rock like our God.
3 Do not continue to speak so very proudly;
Let not arrogance come from your mouth;
For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
And by him are actions weighed. (1 Samuel 2:2–3)
From the Confessions: The Large Catechism, Introduction
We do not have trivial reasons for dealing with the Catechism so constantly, and for desiring and urging others to teach it. For we see to our sorrow that many pastors and preachers are very negligent in this, and offend both their office and this teaching. Some do so because of great and high learning, giving their mind, as they imagine, to greater matters. But others are negligent out of sheer laziness and gluttony, assuming no other relation to this business than if they were pastors and preachers for the sake of their bellies, and had nothing to do but to live off the fat of others as long as they live, as they have been accustomed to do under the papacy.
Pulling It Together: God knows us through and through. He comprehends the underlying reasons for all our actions, even before we have performed them. Further, he understands our inaction too, our sloth, our interest in things other than his will. We cannot fool him, even if we are able to fool others, or even ourselves. God knows.
Therefore, we must be diligent to, first, instruct ourselves in the ways of godliness. Second, we must instruct others in that school where we have learned — and continue to be trained. The Catechism deals with these essentials in the knowledge of God. Sitting daily under the teaching of the Law and the Gospel — the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer, Creed, and Sacraments — gives us the ongoing foundation that works its way out into understanding the rest of Scripture.
Thus, the Word of God instructs us daily about his will, and raises us up out of sloth and negligence to do what he prepared us to do: to be his own workmanship. For this is why we were created and born again (Eph 2:10).
Prayer: Search me, O God, and know my heart. Amen.
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It is only in God’s Word that we find what God has to say about himself, and what he has chosen to reveal to us in Jesus Christ. Who is Jesus? An Introductory Bible Study is a five-session study, written by the Rev. Roy Beutel, is meant to serve as an introduction to what the Bible says about Jesus Christ — who he is and what it means to trust in him as Savior and Lord. The study would work well for introducing people to Bible Study, for those new to the Christian faith, or for those who want a refresher on the basics of our faith in Christ.
• Student Workbook • Leader's Guide
Author
Rev. Mark E. Ryman serves as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. Previously, Pastor Ryman has served other congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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