Basic primer on Law and Gospel?

[KEPLER]

A question for anyone---

I want to know people's opinions on the best best basic introduction to the concept of "Law and Gospel". But there are a few assumptions I'm making when I say this.

1) The work should be AIMED at non-Lutheran Christians. Especially people dealing with legalistic backgrounds.

2) It should be a concise (article-length, e.g. 7500 words or so) presentation.

3) As brilliant as he is, Walther is right out. The lingo is too archaic, and the manner in which he presents ideas assumes too much previous knowledge of Lutherans ideas. And I'm not looking for a book.

Ideas? Forde is coming to mind, but I can't recall if he has anything that's article length. Matzat is another possibility...

[PatrickJ]

I'd be interested in a primer to learn Lutheran teachings. What is the definition of legalism BTW? I have been trying to be less legalistic in my own life.

[Keith Van Horn]

I don't know any thing about lutherens.

[Knowledge3]

I'd be interested in a primer to learn Lutheran teachings. What is the definition of legalism BTW? I have been trying to be less legalistic in my own life.

Legalism is the essence of being a Pharisee.

.

[Rechtgläubig]

Does this help any?

http://www.atonement.org/Beliefs/lg1_main.htm

http://www.atonement.org/Beliefs/lg1_pg2.htm

[pjw]

"XXXIII. Haereticos comburi est contra voluntatem Spiritûs."
does that mean: that heretics should be burn is against the will of the Spirit? or something to that effect (my Latin's not very good. LOL)

[filosofer]

Here is a short intro that I developed over the past 18 years. I have a diagram that helps explain the points (if you want a copy, let me know).

Draw a horizontal line on a sheet in upper left quadrant, then one about 4 inches below that (both should be about the same width (~3 in). Then draw a few shorter horizontal lines. The top line then represents the absolute demand of the Law. The bottom line represents absolute evil. Then ask the persons where between those two points they would rank themselves (put a horizontal line to indicate where (i.e. 50%) - this means that they could find someone better than they are, and they could find someone worse. If they don't ask them to compare temselves with someone in the county jail, or state prison. This comparison is common.

However, God is perfect and holy (Leviticus 19:2; Matthew 5:48). We often try to determine how good we are by comparison with someone else. “If I can be better than someone else then I must be alright.” Yet, if we compare ourselves with what God demands we find that we fall short (Romans 3:10).

And it takes only one sin to be guilty of all of God’s demands (James 2:10). The problem is worse, because by nature we are sinful; we are born that way (Ephesians 2:1; Psalm 51:4). The wages of our sin is death (and ultimately hell, Romans 6:23).

Even we try to encourage people to try harder, they still are left with the demand to be absolutely perfect. Ultimately a person is led to pride or despair.

Now draw a vertical line to the right of it separating the points already made. And draw a cross in that section. Then note that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to live the perfect life in obedience to God’s (the Father) demands (Matthew 5:17). He was sinless in this work (Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21). Jesus also came to take the punishment that humans deserved. He died on the cross to take away God’s anger at sin (Romans 3:24–27) and paid the penalty we deserved (1 Peter 3:18).

We cannot do anything about our condition, but God can. While we were dead in sin, God made us alive in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:4–5). By Jesus’s work we are now declared to be in a right relationship with God. That new standing with God is received only by faith, which is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8–9). That faith which receives God’s gift is an active, living, growing, God-pleasing faith (Hebrews 11:6; Ephesians 2:10; 2 Peter 3:18).

The means by which God makes us alive (moving us from the bottom of the left diagram to the Cross on the right) is the Word (Romans 10:17), and Baptism (1 Peter 3:21).

The left side is the Law - it can only demand what should or should not be done, and threatens punishment and condemnation. Thus, we are under the Law, as a burden. Only the work of Christ can provide freedom - that is the Gospel (right side of the diagram). It is entirely independent of anything we do. Thus, we are "in Christ" or in the Gospel - notice the difference in the prepositions.

There are two problems with trying to achieve by means of the Law. First, before salvation, we deceive ourselves if we think we can in anyway cooperate in our salvation. Second, after salvation, there is a tendency to go back to the Law to measure ourselves and "see how saved we are".

Thus, spiritual maturity is not how far we progress on the left side according to the Law, but how we are in the Gospel; and that happens when we are in the Word and receiving the Sacrament.

Worship begins on the left side, but through Confession (Law) and Absolution (Gospel) we are moved into the Gospel. Therefore, worship is not about "how good the organist is" nor how good the pastor's jokes are. Worship is recognizing that we have been brought from death to life, and whether the person next to me is off-key has no effect - we are not into measuring each other by our standards.

NOTE: I use this approach to Law and Gospel when I teach the Adult Instruction and Youth Catechism. Not only is it a valuable tool, it becomes an excellent memory tool to review all six chief parts of Luther's SC.

[Tetzel]

does that mean: that heretics should be burn is against the will of the Spirit? or something to that effect (my Latin's not very good. LOL)

Since I just finished latin I, I'll give it a shot.

XXXIII. Haereticos comburi est contra voluntatem Spiritûs."

For heritics to be burned is against the will of the spirit

[filosofer]

BTW, the best way to see the application of Law and Gospel is to compare two texts: Mark 10:17-23 and Acts 16:25-34. In both the question is "How can a person be saved/have eternal life?"

In Mark 10, the answer is Law, Law, and Law... that is, to the unrepentant/self-secure the Law must be spoken.

In Acts, no Law is spoken, only Gospel. Why? Because the Law had already worked in the Philippian jailer; he needed to hear the Gospel.

In Christ's love,
filo