The Nations are Scaffolding to Build the Church

and other astonishing theological truths

Bryan Wolfmueller

May 30, 2024

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1/ Great Faith (Matthew 15:28)

2/ The Nations are the Scaffolding the Lord Uses to Build the Church.

This is, indeed, a comforting truth to meditate on:

(From Francis Pieper’s Dogmatics [II.386-387])
THE UNITY OF THE THREE KINGDOMS
Scripture teaches that these realms form a unit inasmuch as they are under one and the same Lord; Christ’s uniform will and purpose directs, and His divine power and majesty controls, all affairs. That is clearly brought out in passages such as Eph. 1:21-23: “Far above all principality ... and hath put all things under His feet and gave Him [et eundem, the same] to be the Head over all things to the Church.” It is of great practical importance to keep this unity in mind.
It is very comforting to know that the sun, moon, and stars, the air, fire, and water, the devils, and all our enemies obey the will of Christ no less than the Church and the holy angels. It is very comforting to know that Christ rules the universe in the interest of the Kingdom of Grace, or the Church. In other words: everything in heaven and earth must serve the one purpose of gathering and preserving the Church. The kingdoms of this world are “the scaffolding used in the building of the Church.” Matt. 28:18-19: “All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations.”
And, as our dogmaticians remind us, Christ rules in the Kingdom of Grace and in the Kingdom of Glory with the same divine omnipotence with which He rules the Kingdom of Power. An omnipotent King is required to rule the Church and heaven. As to the Kingdom of Grace, Scripture teaches very clearly that the gathering and preservation of the Church is not only the work of grace, but also the work of divine omnipotence.
The divine omnipotence operates (a) in creating and sustaining the faith of the individual members of the Church. Eph. 1:19: “We believe according to the working of His mighty power.” 1 Pet. 1:5: “We are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.” Luke 11:21-22 teaches that the power of “the Stronger” must subdue “the strong man” in order that men may become members in Christ’s kingdom. And divine omnipotence is required (b) to protect the Church against her enemies. Matt. 16:18: “The gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (cp. Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress”).

3/ Prayer for the Holy Spirit

After teaching the church the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus promises, “Your Heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him.”

Here’s the first two pages of prayers from the Lutheran Hymnal. Notice all the prayers for the Holy Spirit.

4/ With Christ in the School of Prayer

Another prayer note. Andrew Murray wrote this classic book about prayer. Chapter 8 is about the boldness of the Lord’s friends in prayer. You can read that here.

5/ What is the Lutheran World Federation?

This Issues, Etc. interview had a lot of great background info.

1444. The Lutheran World Federation, Past and Present – Dr. Jonathan Shaw, 5/23/24 - Issues, Etc.

And, speaking of Issues, it will be great to be speaking at the conference again this year. It’s in Chicago July 12-13. (All the info to register is here.)

6/ On the Ascension, and Jesus being everywhere according to His Human Nature

Ascension Day has come and gone, but this quotation from the Book of Concord (Formula VIII.27-30) is well worth our time to consider.

But now He [Jesus] does, since He has ascended, not merely as any other saint, to heaven, but, as the apostle testifies [ Eph. 4:10 ], above all heavens, and also truly fills all things, and being everywhere present, not only as God, but also as man [has dominion and] rules from sea to sea and to the ends of the earth; as the prophets predict, Ps. 8:1,6; 93:1f ; Zech. 9:10, and the apostles testify, Mark 16:20, that He everywhere wrought with them and confirmed their word with signs following.
Yet this occurred not in an earthly way, but, as Dr. Luther explains, according to the manner of the right hand of God, which is no fixed place in heaven, as the Sacramentarians assert without any ground in the Holy Scriptures, but nothing else than the almighty power of God, which fills heaven and earth, in [possession of] which Christ is installed according to His humanity, realiter, that is, in deed and truth, sine confusione et exaequatione naturarum, that is, without confusion and equalizing of the two natures in their essence and essential properties; by this communicated [divine] power, according to the words of His testament, He can be and truly is present with His body and blood in the Holy Supper, to which He has directed us by His Word; this is possible to no other man, because no man is in such a way united with the divine nature, and installed in such divine almighty majesty and power through and in the personal union of the two natures in Christ, as Jesus, the Son of Mary.
For in Him the divine and the human nature are personally united with one another, so that in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, Col. 2:9, and in this personal union have such a sublime, intimate, ineffable communion that even the angels are astonished at it, and, as St. Peter testifies, have their delight and joy in looking into it [ 1 Pet. 1:12 ]; all of which will shortly be explained in order and somewhat more fully.

7/ On God Hiding Himself

Yesterday’s Worldwide Bible Class covered some really wonderful teaching.

You can watch here.

Or listen to the podcast here.

We’re traveling for most of the month of June, so posts will be even more sporadic.

Please add your own theological recommendations in the comments.

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Thank you, again, for your time and attention, and for your prayers. Please keep in touch.

Christ is Risen! Pastor Wolfmueller

Psalm 27:4

www.wolfmueller.co

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