A Reading and Discussion Study of. The Augsburg Confession. Leader s Guide

Transcription

1 Sola Publishing - Book of Concord Series A Reading and Discussion Study of The Augsburg Confession Leader s Guide Reflections by the Rev. DJ Lura Question Responses by the Rev. Steven E. King Product Codes: L-5010 (Participant Book), L-5015 (Leader s Guide)

2 A Reading and Discussion Study of The Augsburg Confession Leader s Guide - Table of Contents Introduction to the Leader s Guide p. 3 Session Title Augsburg Confession Session 0: Introduction Preface p. 4 Session 1: Christ Alone Articles I-IV p. 5 Session 2: Gathered in Faith Articles V-VIII p. 8 Session 3: Means of Grace Articles IX-XIII p. 10 Session 4: Good Order Articles XIV-XVII p. 13 Session 5: Do s, Don ts & Can ts Articles XVIII-XX p. 15 Session 6: Level Ground Articles XXI-XXIII p. 18 Session 7: True Worship Articles XXIV-XXVI p. 20 Session 8: In, But Not Of Articles XXVII-XXVIII p. 22 Book of Concord Series 2008 Steven E. King & DJ Lura Sola Publishing P.O. Box 521 Maple Lake, MN or Page references for the text of the Augsburg Confession are from Concordia, the Lutheran Confessions A Reader s Edition of the Book of Concord. 2005, 2006 Concordia Publishing House; General Editor Paul T. McCain. Used by permission. Sola Publishing is not affiliated with Concordia Publishing House, and in making this endorsement intends no claim or infringement on rights of Concordia Publishing House or its work. Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible (NRSV), copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Cover Photo 1Stockphoto.com/Marje Cannon. Used by agreement. Internal artwork 2008 by Steven E. King. Sola Book of Concord Series: The Augsburg Confession p. 2

3 Introduction to the Leader s Guide Sola s Book of Concord Series As for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15) Lutherans are the heirs of a deep and rich theological tradition that comes from the sacred writings of Scripture, expressing a unique perspective on the Christian faith. Expressing the classic Reformation themes of Grace Alone, Faith Alone, and Scripture Alone, the Lutheran emphasis is on the centrality of Christ, and his saving work on our behalf. Theology is important; it is the way we understand our faith and what it means to us. The way we think about our faith determines not only our own religious practice, but the way we articulate the Word in teaching and witnessing to others as well. For this reason, Sola Publishing offers its Book of Concord Series, focusing on texts from the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions. Our hope is to introduce students to the richness of the Lutheran theology, and to demonstrate the biblical basis for this faith perspective. Instead of simply describing Lutheran theology, this series allows readers the opportunity to engage the primary source writings of the original Lutheran reformers themselves, within the context of a Bible study setting. Serving as a Study Leader This Reading and Discussion Study of the Augsburg Confession was written as an eight-session course, with an optional introductory session included as well. It was intended for use in a small-group question and discussion format, led by a facilitator (which may be a pastor or a lay leader). Depending on a group s size and level of participation, each session should take between one to two hours to cover the materials. Study leaders should have a copy of both volumes of the series: the participant s book and this Leader s Guide. In the participant s book you will find assigned readings from the Augsburg Confession for each session, along with four related Scripture texts. Each session includes a space for introductory comments, notes on Scripture readings, as well as a dozen or so specific questions on the session theme. These questions are meant to help participants understand the confessional and biblical texts and what they mean for our present lives of faith. It is recommended that participants read all the assigned materials and go through the questions prior to the group session. This accompanying Leader s Guide was meant to provide additional background commentary to help leaders facilitate discussion. There is a response provided for each of the topical questions found in the participant s book. An Opening Reflection provided for each session, as a further resource. Leaders may choose to use this reflection as the basis for an opening presentation for the group session or simply read it as a thematic introduction. The typical format for a session may be as follows: a. Welcome b. Opening Prayer c. Opening Reflection (optional) d. Sharing of Initial Observations e. Brief Summary of Scripture Texts f. Discussion of Questions g. Closing Prayer On the Use of a Leaders Guide Whenever God s people gather together for study of Scripture, it is more than just a conversation amongst ourselves; it is an opportunity to hear God himself speak to us through his Word. In facilitating discussion, leaders are encouraged to re-word questions or ask new ones, to help participants engage in what they are reading, and support each other in understanding how God is addressing their real lives of faith. To do this, many facilitators appreciate having a leader's guide on hand as a reference in preparing and leading study sessions. Such a guide can be helpful to further a group's conversation, especially when participants may not understand what was meant by a given question. However, a caution should be mentioned. A leader's guide can help, but it can also hinder a Bible study when it is used to shut down conversation. This often happens when the guide is used as an answer key to provide the one "correct" response at the expense of allowing participants the chance to contribute to the conversation or struggle with their own questions. Keep in mind that this Leader's Guide was written to help promote conversation, not to end it. Care should be taken Sola Book of Concord Series: The Augsburg Confession p. 3

4 not to use the responses provided in this volume to stifle or cut off discussion too quickly. The goal of this study is to get people to reflect upon the Word with one another, and to be challenged to take the historic confession of faith as our own. The Reader s Edition of the Book of Concord The edition of the Book of Concord recommended for use with this study is: Concordia, the Lutheran Confessions A Reader s Edition of the Book of Concord. ( 2005, 2006 Concordia Publishing House; General Editor Paul T. McCain).* The page numbers listed in the sessions of this study correspond to pages in the Concordia edition. While other versions of the Book of Concord may also be used, the Reader s Edition of the Book of Concord was chosen because it not only contains the actual texts of the Lutheran Confessions, but introductions, explanatory notes, glossaries, and pictures as well. Leaders should make use of this material for background and insights into the language and original context of these writings. For information on what to look for in this edition, please refer to the introductory articles, especially the "User's Guide" on p. xxvii. * Concordia, the Lutheran Confessions A Reader s Edition of the Book of Concord can be obtained through Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Missouri, through their website: Introduction Editor s Introduction pp Augsburg Confession: Preface pp Opening Reflection What is a Lutheran? These days, it seems like we come up with all kinds of adjectives and titles to explain who we are as individuals. In political circles, we might call ourselves: conservative, moderate, liberal, progressive, green, libertarian, centrist, and so on. As Christians, we may use others words, including: protestant, catholic, evangelical, pietist, spiritualist, mainline, Bible-believing, fundamentalist, moralist, charismatic, etc. All of these are words that attempt to explain what kind of Christian we are. Where does the word Lutheran fit in? What does it mean to be Lutheran? Ever since the beginning of Christianity, the Church has made public statements or confessions of its faith. The most famous of these historical confessions are the three creeds known as: the Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. Briefly and succinctly, these statements explain and defend the basic faith of the Christian church. Implicitly or explicitly, all Christians recognize the teachings of these confessions. In addition to these, Lutheran Christians also have a uniquely Lutheran confession that is recognized by all who use that name (no matter what adjective may be put before the title Lutheran ). For example, in the sixteenth century, when the early Lutheran reformers were commanded to make a statement of faith before the Holy Roman Emperor in the town of Augsburg, Germany, they were given a chance to confess and defend what they believed. This statement became known as the Augsburg Confession. Penned by a man named Philip Melanchthon who might be thought of as Robin to Martin Luther s Batman this document became the chief confession of the Evangelical faith, and the cornerstone of the larger collection of Lutheran Confessions in the Book of Concord. If one wants to know what it means to be Lutheran, the Augsburg Confession is a good place to start. The basic articles of faith it contains reflect the richness of the Lutheran heritage and our unique confession of Jesus Christ within Christendom. Sola Publishing s Book of Concord Series was written to introduce people to the historical confessions of the Lutheran Church. We hope that this study will help you better to understand what it is that Lutherans believe, teach, and confess. It may answer some questions you may have about Lutheran theology, or perhaps create new ones! Lutherans truly are a unique bunch. This study may help to clarify where Lutherans differ from other Christians particularly in our understanding of God s grace and how God is at work in the world. You might even be surprised to discover that some of the common language and assumptions about what it means to be a Christian in our culture may not actually be the same as what it means to be a Lutheran Christian. Be forewarned! You might find these articles of faith offensive. They may even change you a bit. But finally, that is what the Gospel of Jesus Christ does: it changes you. In fact, as you will see, a Lutheran believes that the gospel doesn t just change you; it kills you and makes you alive in Jesus Christ! In the end, the Augsburg Confession is a true confession of the Christian faith because Christ himself is expressed in it. Because, after all, Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. This is most certainly true! Pastor DJ Lura Sola Book of Concord Series: The Augsburg Confession p. 4

5 Introduction: Discussion Questions 1. Martin Luther was not present at the presentation of the Augsburg Confession. Can you guess why? The Emperor had placed Martin Luther under a warrant for his capture and arrest. He was literally an outlaw, and therefore was not able to appear publicly. Also, it was the case that Luther was frequently ill during the latter part of his life. Among other things, he suffered from a chronic urinary disorder, which made it very difficult for him to travel. 2. Why do you think the author of the Augsburg Confession, Philip Melanchthon, stressed the catholicity of the Lutheran movement? The Lutheran reformers did not see themselves as a break-away movement, intent on starting a new religion. Not only did they consider themselves to be part of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church they felt that they better represented the traditional and historical faith than did the hierarchy of Rome. 3. How much of the significance of the Augsburg Confession in its day was political, rather than religious or theological? Modern readers, accustomed to the idea of separation between Church and State, often overlook how intimately connected faith and government have always been historically. In the days of the Reformation, the Church ruled many lands with political authority, not just religious authority. Church leaders often used theological differences as an excuse for power plays over land rights, taxation, and succession. Often, it was the ruler of a land who determined the particular faith perspective of his or her realm. 4. Why is it important for Christians to make a public confession of faith? Compare what Paul says in Romans 10:5-17. What is Paul s primary concern here? We normally think of a confession as an admission of guilt. It certainly can mean that. But more broadly defined, to make a confession means to speak the truth publicly. Thus, we refer to the Creeds of the Church as confessions of faith, because we use the creeds to speak publicly what we believe to be the truth. Likewise, the document we are studying is called the Augsburg Confession because it was a public statement of faith made by the first Lutherans in the city of Augsburg. Paul s emphasis on a public confession of faith in Romans 10 stresses the importance of communicating the message of Christ. He says that people will be unable to come to faith in Christ if there is no one to proclaim the Gospel in which we believe. ❶ Christ Alone Confession: Articles I-IV pp Scripture: Colossians 1:9-20, Psalm 51:1-12, Romans 3:19-26, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Opening Reflection If someone were to ask you, Who is Jesus Christ? what would you say? For Lutherans, the answer to this question is at the center of our faith. What we believe about Jesus is perhaps best summed up in the second article of the Apostles Creed. It is in the Creeds that we are given a simple explanation of who Christ is for us and for the world. First, Jesus is the Son of God. This means that God has chosen to reveal Godself in the person of Jesus. In Jesus Christ, God is no longer hidden, but revealed for us. If we want to know what God is like, we must look at Jesus. If we want to trust God, we come to trust in Jesus. Second, Jesus isn t just a little bit God, or less than God. He is God. More importantly, he is how God wants you to know that God has come into the world for you. Jesus was born. Jesus is also human, just like all of us. To say that Jesus is both God and human may sound confusing. But think of it this way: God wants to be your God. Our human nature our Original Sin is that we don t want God to be our God. We would rather have God stay hidden, so that we may do whatever we please, and have any opinion we want about God. We would like to be in charge of our own destiny, our own salvation, and our own rightness in our own eyes. We want to be our own gods. But that simply does not work. As it was with Adam and Eve, our effort to become the god of our own lives only reveals just how far from God we really are. So what is God to do? Of course, God could just say that all is forgiven and remain distant and hidden. But for us, that would not be real. And how would we know? Our fear of the hidden God would remain. God s only true course of action is to become known to be revealed. And so, God does a most miraculous thing. God becomes human. Not just in the form of a human, or the image of a human, but born completely and totally human born like we all are, as a baby, who is nurtured and cared for by others. God does not remain apart and in silence, but comes to us in Jesus to speak his Word: your sins are forgiven. Sola Book of Concord Series: The Augsburg Confession p. 5

6 But, even that may seem frightening and accusing. Being the sinners that we are, we can t bear to hear the truth. So what happened when Jesus came to give us this announcement? We crucified him. Jesus came forgiving sins, our lack of faith and trust, and we wouldn t have it. We killed him; we killed God. And in so doing, we are caught in the act of being who we are: sinners. We really are sinners who have rejected God. In the cross, we find that we are all guilty. Thankfully, that isn t the end of the story. Now that we cannot deny that we are sinners, God can truly, concretely do what God wants to do: be merciful to each of us, one by one. The same Jesus who was crucified, died and was buried, three days later rose from the grave to confirm that his promise for you is true. He is the resurrection and the life. He really does bring forgiveness to you. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He and the Father are one. He is God. What was spoken is done for you. In Christ, sinners are forgiven. People like us are made righteous and given faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because our sin has been spent and forgiven on account of him, Jesus himself makes us right before God. And he will come again for all to see when he has completed his work of making himself your God. Between the time of Jesus and the end of all things, we live in a new time: a time of faith and the Holy Spirit. It is the time of knowing and trusting God in Jesus Christ alone. To be sure, sin, death, and the devil are still in the world today, but they have already been defeated because of what God has done in Christ. We have a God we can cling to; we have a God in whom we can trust. In Christ, he promises to strengthen and comfort you, and through you, to make himself known to others. This is most certainly true! Pastor DJ Lura Session 1: Discussion Questions 1. What does it say about Lutheran identity to affirm that we teach the Nicene Creed? Is ours a separate religion from that of the Roman Catholic Church? Why is this important? The Lutheran reformers believed themselves to be part of the larger catholic tradition (the word catholic meaning universal one for all). The Nicene Creed was acknowledged by both sides in this dispute as a faithful exposition of Scriptural faith. Modern people generally use the word denomination to refer to different brands of Christianity. The word religion is best used to refer to entirely different faith traditions (Buddhism, Islam, Hinduism, etc.). By this definition, Lutherans and Roman Catholics both belong to the religion of Christianity. 2. Is a single pie cut in three pieces a good image to describe the Trinity? Why or why not? How does Colossians 1:19 address this question? Many metaphors and images have been used to try to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity one God in three persons: Father Son, and Holy Spirit. Most of these picture images are somewhat deficient. For example, the image of a pie suggests that God is made up of three equal thirds: 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 = 1. This is not the case. As Colossians 1:19 says that the fullness of deity dwelled bodily in Christ. Each of the three persons of the Trinity is full and complete in themselves, even though together they are only one God. To describe this reality requires a paradoxical mathematics, as: = What does the word person make you think of? Is there a difference in understanding God as a divine person rather than as a divine force? Person is the traditional word used to describe the individual members of the Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Not only is this traditional usage, it also emphasizes the personal nature of God. When we talk of people, we have in mind something more than an inanimate object or passive force, but a being that is living and active. As such a being, our God is understood to have personal qualities and emotions albeit higher and more profound than our own (Isaiah 55:9). 4. Can some debilitating conditions be in-born? If possible, should such conditions be corrected, or does being born a certain way mean it is God s will? How should we address situations where change or healing is not possible? It is not uncommon for babies to be born with genetic disorders, as well as other medical conditions arising from poor prenatal care. Genetic dispositions toward various things as alcoholism or heart disease may also be present at birth. Scripture never makes the assertion that because a person is born with a certain condition, it makes the condition a good thing. Neither is it necessarily a sign of God s punishment (John 9:1-5). On the contrary, Christian doctrine has held that sin itself is an in-born condition (Psalm 51:5, Romans 5:12). We are called to strive against our sinful nature, and look to God for grace and mercy especially in those areas where we find ourselves subject to forces of the flesh (Romans 7:24). 5. Is there a difference between a simple lack of trust in God, and the inability to trust in God? Which description better fits the reality of sin that Paul describes in Romans, Chapter 3? Our situation in sin is more than just a lack of trust in God, or the propensity to doubt and unbelief. Original Sin is the human inability to trust in God. As Luther said Sola Book of Concord Series: The Augsburg Confession p. 6

7 in the Small Catechism: I believe that I cannot by my own understanding or effort believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him. This is the same reality Scripture describes in Romans 3:10-11: There is no one who is righteous, not even one; there is no one who has understanding, there is no one who seeks God. We are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. 6. Why do you think that Article II pairs without the fear of God and without trust in God? How do fear and trust go together in faith? The expression in Article II fits with a biblical Lutheran distinction between Law and Gospel. God interacts with us through his promise of grace, as well as through the threat of his command. To fear God means to respect and stand in awe of his might; to trust in God means to cling to his promise of love. The truth is, without one, we are unable to appreciate the other and something in our faith is lacking. This is the same reason why Luther, in the Small Catechism, began his explanation of each of the Ten Commandments with the phrase: We should fear and love God so that Both are necessary to faith. 7. What does it mean to say that the divine and human natures of Christ were inseparably joined? Do they remain distinguishable? Are they still joined in the risen and ascended Christ? Traditionally, this was expressed in a doctrine called Communicatio Idiomatum (a Latin Phrase for the communication of attributes ). Basically, what it meant was that the divine nature and human nature were so united in Christ that what is said about one can be rightly said about the other. For example, it was not just Jesus divine nature that walked on water, but the complete Jesus human and divine. On the other hand, the Athanasian Creed also makes it clear that the two natures are not mixed or confused (cf. the heresy of Eutychianism) but remain distinct, as follows: Although he is God and man, he is not divided but is one Christ: He is united because God has taken humanity into himself; he does not transform deity into humanity. He is completely one, in the unity of his person, without confusing his natures. This is still true of Christ in his living and resurrected being. 8. In your own words, how would you explain what Christ accomplished for us on the cross? Why does Article III stress his sacrifice for both Original Sin and actual sins? Christ died on the cross so that our sins would be forgiven, and we could be reconciled to God by his atoning sacrifice (Romans 3:21-26). The Article specifies actual sins and Original Sin, so as not to suggest that Christ died only for those who couldn t make it on their own, but that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) As discussed in Question 5, if Original Sin is the inability to trust in God, then clearly, none of us as human beings are capable of saving ourselves. If we are to be saved, we must be saved entirely by Christ alone, as Scripture says: There is salvation in none else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) 9. Notice how many action words are ascribed to Christ in Article III. What does this say about our salvation? What part do we play in all this? When it comes to salvation, Christ is the essential actor. Like a lifeguard that pulls in a drowning victim, Christ saves us from a situation in which we could not save ourselves. Many people like to take credit for cooperating with Christ s act, by claiming to have accepted salvation but this is really nothing more than another form of self-directed sin. If Christ is Lord and Savior, then we are not. To claim for ourselves even part of the credit for being saved shows just how much we are in bondage to our own will. To have faith in Christ means that we trust our life and destiny are entirely in his hands. 10. How does Article IV on Justification, follow from the logic of Article II on Original Sin? Why can we not get from II to IV without the certainty of Article III? To understand and acknowledge Original Sin means that we know we cannot save ourselves from the predicament we are in. It shows us our need to be made right by God. If we believed that sin was something we could handle on our own, we would never understand the unique and unprecedented thing that Christ has done for us (i.e. the subject of Article III). 11. For whose sake does Article IV say that God accomplished human salvation? What does this mean? Article IV says that people are freely justified for Christ s sake. Not only can we understand this to mean that we are justified because of Christ, but we can also say that God justified us for Christ. As Luther says in the Small Catechism in his explanation to the Second Article of the Creed: All this he has done that I might be his own, live under him in his kingdom, and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence and blessedness. God s work in Christ not only saves us from sin and death, it gives glory and honor to Christ himself. 12. What word from Romans 3:19-26 means the same as favor? Does this mean that God plays favorites? Explain. Article IV says that because of Christ, we are received into favor. The word favor means the same here as the word grace in Romans 3. A simple acronym can be used to remember what grace means: Gifts we Receive And Cannot Earn. Grace is unearned and undeserved; Sola Book of Concord Series: The Augsburg Confession p. 7

8 God is doing us a favor. Biblically, to say someone is favored by God (as in the case of the Virgin Mary in Luke 1:30, or Noah in Genesis 6:8), means that God did something for that person that he did not do for any other. To be a favored one of God is a free choice of God; it does not indicate any particular human merit on our part. ❷ Gathered in Faith Confession: Articles V-VIII pp Scripture: Ephesians 2:8-10, Romans 10:5-17, Matthew 7:15-27, Matthew 13:24-30 Opening Reflection In the last session we reflected on our Christian assurance that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. Many Christians however as well the rest of the world seem to have a hard time with that little word faith on the end. What does that mean? Is faith something inside of us? Is it our will to choose to believe in something? Is it because of my act and effort in choosing Jesus that I can say that I am saved? If we take the previous parts of the Augsburg Confession seriously, we discover that our answer is a resounding No! That may sound a little shocking and heretical. But if we take the article on Original Sin at its word and know that we are truly in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves, we begin to see just what kind of a predicament we are in. Scripture testifies that we are all sinners. Being a sinner means to not have faith in God. Being a sinner means that we have already chosen not to trust God as he requires of us in the First Commandment: I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other gods. To be a sinner means that we are captivated by sin, death, and the devil, and by the longing to be our own gods. So where there is sin, how can there be faith? If it was really up to my own choosing, then I could just decide to stop sinning and keep God s commands. But then I wouldn t need Jesus. Ironically, if faith were simply a choice to do what is right, we wouldn t really need faith at all. That is why faith must be something more than just a choice to believe in Jesus; such a thing we cannot do. It s just not inside of us. Because we already have the malady of sin within us, we need a cure that comes from outside of ourselves. The true and saving faith that trusts Christ alone is something that we cannot produce for ourselves. Faith, by God s grace, must come to us from outside by the power of the Holy Spirit. St. Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, spells it out as clear as can be, saying: faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17) What does that mean? It means that God so loves us sinners who run from him, that God himself has decided to do something about it. God not only gives his life for us in Christ, but he sends us a preacher so we will know about it. God sends you the most insignificant thing we can imagine, to actually do mercy to us: he sends us a word. The old nursery rhyme, sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me isn t the case for God! For God, to speak is to do. God doesn t just speak to himself in heaven, where none of us can hear. God instead sends one of his disciples to you, right where you are, to give Christ to you in his Word: Your sins are forgiven on account of Christ. There! It is done! The announcement is given! The good news has come to you! When people hear and believe the promise of Christ make no mistake a miracle has happened! The sinner becomes righteous, because faith makes it so. Faith becomes our receipt or proof that God has saved us from our sin. When God is the one doing the saving, there is no choice involved on our part. The Holy Spirit writes his faith on human hearts when and where he chooses. It is spontaneous and explosive, when God begins to speak. So how do we know we are saved? It is precisely because faith is not our own doing, but is the work and promise of the Holy Spirit. Our trust is in him and not in ourselves. Being saved by grace through faith in Christ alone truly is what it says. We have no part in it, and therefore cannot boast. In order to free sinners from their slavery, this is why God instituted the ministry of the church. God has called all of us to be preachers of his Word (not just pastors), so that in our everyday lives we would announce this good news of Christ to all in need of hearing it. All who have heard this good news of new life in Jesus Christ and believe it have been called to share the good news with someone else. As the articles addressed here show, this preaching comes about in many ways: through public announcement of the gospel, through Baptism and Holy Communion (another physical word), and through the mutual comfort and consolation shared by fellow Christians, one to another. In each case, God is the one working, deciding, choosing not us. God wants so desperately to be your God, and be merciful to you, that he won t leave such an important choice up to you. Instead, he calls, gathers, enlightens, and chooses by the power of the Holy Spirit when he sends you a Christian who announces: you are forgiven on account of Christ. Believe it! This is most certainly true! Pastor DJ Lura Sola Book of Concord Series: The Augsburg Confession p. 8