A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Marriage of Priests
Part III, Article XI. Of the Marriage of Priests. 1] To prohibit marriage, and to burden the divine order of priests with perpetual…
Author: Dr. Paul Edmon
Dr. Paul Edmon is from Seattle, Washington and now resides in Boston, Massachusetts. He has his B.S. in Physics from the University of Washington in 2004 and Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Minnesota in 2010. He is professional staff at Harvard University and acts as liaison between Center for Astrophysics and Research Computing. A life long Lutheran, he is formerly a member of Messiah Lutheran Church in Seattle and University Lutheran Chapel in Minneapolis. He now attends First Lutheran Church (FLC) of Boston where he teaches Lutheran Essentials. He sings bass in the FLC choir and Canto Armonico. He was elected to the Concordia Seminary St. Louis Board of Regents in 2016. He is single and among his manifold interests are scotch, football, anime, board games, mythology, history, philosophy, and general nerdiness. The views expressed here are his own and do not represent Harvard University or Concordia Seminary.
A Laymen’s Commentary of the Smalcald Articles: Ordination and Call
Part III, Article X. Of Ordination and the Call. 1] If the bishops would be true bishops [would rightly discharge their office], and…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: Excommunication
Part III, Article IX. Of Excommunication. The greater excommunication, as the Pope calls it, we regard only as a civil penalty, and it…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: Confession
Part III, Article VIII. Of Confession. 1] Since Absolution or the Power of the Keys is also an aid and consolation against sin…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Keys
Part III, Article VII. Of the Keys. 1] The keys are an office and power given by Christ to the Church for binding…
The Dedication of ULC
It was a rainy, yet glorious day in Minneapolis on Sunday, September 8th. The end of seven years of exile for a faithful…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Sacrament of the Altar
Part III, Article VI. Of the Sacrament of the Altar. 1] Of the Sacrament of the Altar we hold that bread and wine…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: Baptism
Part III, Article V. Of Baptism. 1] Baptism is nothing else than the Word of God in the water, commanded by His institution,…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Gospel
Part III, Article IV. Of the Gospel. We will now return to the Gospel, which not merely in one way gives us counsel…
A Day is a Day is a Day
I had the privilege to attend the 2019 LCMS Convention as a lay voting delegate for New England District Circuit Three. During the…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: Repentance
Part III, Article III. Of Repentance. 1] This office [of the Law] the New Testament retains and urges, as St. Paul, Rom. 1:18…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Law
Part III, Article II. Of the Law 1] Here we hold that the Law was given by God, first, to restrain sin by…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: Sin
THE THIRD PART OF THE ARTICLES. Concerning the following articles we may [will be able to] treat with learned and reasonable men, or…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Papacy
Part II, Article IV: Of the Papacy. 1] That the Pope is not, according to divine law or according to the Word of…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: Chapters and Cloisters
Part II, Article III: Of Chapters and Cloisters. 1] That chapters and cloisters [colleges of canons and communistic dwellings], which were formerly founded…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Mass
Part II, Article II: Of the Mass. 1] That the Mass in the Papacy must be the greatest and most horrible abomination, as…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Chief Article
THE SECOND PART Treats of the Articles which Refer to the Office and Work of Jesus Christ, or Our Redemption. Part II, Article I:…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: The Awe-Inspiring Articles on Divine Majesty
THE FIRST PART Treats of the Sublime Articles Concerning the Divine Majesty, as: I. That Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, three distinct persons…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Smalcald Articles: Preface
Note: This is the third series of posts providing commentary on the Book of Concord adapted from my Lutheran Essentials Class Notes. I…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Augsburg Confession: Conclusion
Conclusion. 1] These are the chief articles which seem to be in controversy. For although we might have spoken of more abuses,…
The Quest for the Holy Grail
The quest for the Holy Grail has captivated the human mind for millennia. From the Knights of the Round Table, to the Crusaders,…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Augsburg Confession: Church Authority
Article XXVIII: Of Ecclesiastical Power. 1] There has been great controversy concerning the Power of Bishops, in which some have awkwardly confounded the…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Augsburg Confession: Monastic Vows
Article XXVII: Of Monastic Vows. 1] What is taught on our part concerning Monastic Vows, will be better understood if it be remembered…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Augsburg Confession: Distinction of Meats
Article XXVI: Of the Distinction of Meats. 1] It has been the general persuasion, not of the people alone, but also of those…
A Laymen’s Commentary on the Augsburg Confession: Abuses of Confession
Article XXV: Of Confession. 1] Confession in the churches is not abolished among us; for it is not usual to give the body…