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Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS) - Bible Study

(Sola gratia, Sola fide, Sola scriptura)

'The Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod believes, teaches and confesses that in Christ alone is there salvation -- by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Scripture alone. To share this message with the world is the mission of the church and the reason for its existence.' - Dr. Samuel Nafzger. (Dr. Nafzger's full text) The 'lost and found' to find 'the way' is here, if that is your choice.

You may want to read this very important 'LCMS statement of beliefs', then see the Official LCMS Home Page and (LCMS FAQ).

8 Session Bible Study. Eight inductive Bible studies focus on the events of Jesus' final week on earth—his entry into Jerusalem, the last meal with his disciples, his trial, his Crucifixion,. The North American Lutheran Church presents, Prepare the Way of the Lord, an Advent devotional booklet for 2020.This year’s booklet is based on the two-year daily lectionary provided in the Lutheran Book of Worship, Year I.

A note on religious tolerance: We all need to better understand each other's faiths and beliefs -- religious tolerance and understanding is very important. In my Bible, St. Paul wrote:
'Colossians 4:5-6: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.”'
So, I offer a special welcome to those of different faiths, who may visit here. Thank you for stopping by.

With that said, after you have read your Bible at home, or here, (or if you are new to Bible study, may I suggest starting with Bible Notes); or some fun for children then, I hope you will enjoy the following:

It helps you to understand the Bible Timeline. and to see how the Bible is organized

Here is a wonderful Easter site from St. John's Lutheran Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin. It has Easter music, art, scripture and more:
The Easter Page (I know it isn't Easter, but we should celebrate Easter everyday. As the 'hokey-pokey' song says, 'that's what it's all about!').

Speaking of 'that's what it's all about', as I was trying to better understand the LCMS beliefs, I often asked, 'what about this..., what about that...? , (This is a must see site for Lutherans).

Study

For family issues, you may want to visit the website of LCMS Family Connection.

Who is Jesus? from Campus Crusade for Christ

  • Daily Devotions from Concordia Publishing House
    • Christian sites with good search engines

    Please visit the following: [Official LCMS Home Page]
    then see: Nationwide LCMS Congregation Locator]
    and:[Nationwide LCMS Congregation Web pages]


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    There are two decisions you need to make when choosing a Bible:

    1. What translation is best for you?
    2. Do you want just the Bible text, some devotional helps or a full study Bible?

    What translation is best for you?

    The Bible was originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Since most people can’t read these languages today, Bible scholars have provided versions of the Bible in English. There are basically two versions of the Bible today: Translations and Paraphrases.

    Translations look at the original text and translate it into English. There are many Bible translations available today that fall somewhere on a continuum with Word-For-Word translations on one side and Thought-For-Thought on the other. Word-For-Word translations exchange one word in the original for its English equivalent. The goal is to change as little of the original text and word-choice as possible. Thought-For-Thought translations work at the level of individual words, but preference is given to the basic thought or idea the author is trying to communicate.

    Paraphrases, on the other hand, make the Bible easier to understand. The translator rewrites the original text in his own words and style. A paraphrase is a great second Bible, but not good for study.

    Here are some popular translations and one paraphrase, along with a brief explanation of them:

    New American Standard Bible (NASB, Word-For-Word)

    This is one of the most accurate translations for detailed study. Colleges and seminaries frequently recommend this translation for their students. It’s fairly challenging in some places because it holds so tightly to original texts. While it can be used for devotional reading, it is used more often for study. This is Pastor Chuck’s favorite translation! He loves it because it is the most accurate, word-for-word to the original languages.

    English Standard Version (ESV, Word-For-Word)

    Another very accurate word-for-word translation of the Bible, the ESV, is good for study and devotional reading. The translators intent was to follow an “essentially literal” translation philosophy while taking into account differences of grammar, and syntax between current literary English and the original languages. This translation is used for the Scripture readings in worship at First Trinity and in our hymnal. Our national church body, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod has chosen the ESV as its official translation.

    New International Version (NIV, Thought-For-Thought)

    The NIV is the best-selling Bible translation today. It has a good balance between precision (like a word-for-word translation) and being easy to read (like a thought-for-thought translation). The 0003NIV is used widely for both devotional reading and Bible study.

    New Living Translation (NLT, Thought-For-Thought)

    The NLT allows for more creativity in translating from the original text than most other translations. Its very modern language and style helps to clarify the meaning of passages in a new way that’s designed to catch the reader’s attention. First Trinity’s Vacation Bible School curriculum uses the NLT for memory verses.

    The Message (MSG, Paraphrase)

    The Message paraphrase, written by biblical scholar Eugene Peterson, is current, creative and understandable. As a second Bible, it is great for seeing familiar passages in a new light, or learning how to share God’s word in your own words. It can be difficult to use in a small group or Bible study.

    What Bible Do Lutherans Study

    Matthew 5:13-16 (A Comparison of Translations)

    To help you decide which translation is best for you, here’s a sample from Matthew 5 in each of the above translations:

    New American Standard Bible

    You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

    English Standard Version

    Lutheran Study Bible Online

    You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

    New International Version

    You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

    Pop American Christianityonline Lutheran Bible Study
    New Living Translation

    You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

    Lutheran Bible Study

    The Message

    Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage. Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

    Free Online Lutheran Bible Study

    Do you want just the Bible text, some devotional helps or a full study Bible?

    Translators and publishers address the unique characteristics of the Bible and the needs of readers by putting together special editions of specific translations. These fall into three primary categories:

    1. Straight TextBiblescontain only the original text with little or no additional notes or commentary.
    2. Application Bibles are also called devotional Bibles and focus on the application of Biblical concepts to your daily life. They often include added stories, analogies and questions to increase your understanding.
    3. Study Bibles include notes from scholars that clarify and amplify the text itself. If you are looking for a study Bible, we recommend “The Lutheran Study Bible” from Concordia Publishing House.