What about the Apocrypha?
By Philip Bartelt
06/30/26
10mins

What about the Apocrypha?

Luther neither removed the Apocrypha from the Bible nor discouraged its use. Rather, he received and preserved the ancient distinction inherited from the fathers: the Apocrypha is valuable, edifying, and worthy of reading, but it is not Holy Scripture and therefore cannot serve as the foundation of Christian doctrine.
Remembering and Commemorating the Augsburg Confession
Caleb Keith
Caleb Keith
06/25/26

Remembering and Commemorating the Augsburg Confession

The confessors at Augsburg remind us that every generation of Christians is called to bear witness to the gospel amid the challenges and pressures of its own age. As they confessed Christ before emperors and kingdoms, so the Church continues to confess Him before the world today.
The Sacrament of Baptism: Through the Wardrobe and the Water
Sam P. Schuldheisz
Sam P. Schuldheisz
06/24/26

The Sacrament of Baptism: Through the Wardrobe and the Water

When Jesus washes you with baptismal water, you can rest assured that the Lion of Judah is on the move.

All Articles

Chad Bird
Chad Bird
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A Review of The Big Relief: The Urgency of Grace for a Worn-Out World

Dave weaves together music, movies, and documentaries to illustrate all the ways we seek relief—and then, full and free, he connects our need to Christ’s gift.
Joey Goodall
Joey Goodall
02/28/25

You Can't Sever the Saint from the Sinner

You cannot sever the saint from the sinner. Christians remain both simultaneously.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
02/20/25

Where Death Becomes Life

In the upside-down wisdom of God, the place of the cross becomes the place of life, absolution, and triumph.
Jason Oakland
Jason Oakland
02/17/25

A Remnant Chosen By Grace

In grace, God chooses to love his people.
Mark Mattes
Mark Mattes
02/13/25

The New Birth as Passive: An Excerpt from Ditching the Checklist

This is an excerpt from Ditching the Checklist: Assurance of Salvation for Evangelicals (and Other Sinners) by Mark Mattes (1517 Publishing, 2025), pgs. 5-7.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
01/30/25

The Gospel for All

There is no one — not now, not ever — who cannot be included in the family of God through the efficacy of Christ’s saving power.
Ryan Couch
Ryan Couch
01/03/25

New Year, Same You

It's a new year, and you are still the same you: a sinner who is simultaneously perfect in every way because Christ declares it to be so.
Steven Paulson
Steven Paulson
11/13/24

Psalm 4: A Good Night's Sleep

This article is part of Stephen Paulson’s series on the Psalms.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
11/07/24

Flipped Tables, Upended Expectations, and Cleansed Hearts

No amount of ritual, sacrifice, devotion, or money could ever do what Jesus of Nazareth was sent to accomplish.
Wade Johnston
Wade Johnston
11/05/24

Christ: Our Past, Present, and Future

You have real freedom through the gospel of Jesus Christ, a freedom that doesn’t rest on founders, votes, or power plays.
Bradley Gray
Bradley Gray
10/29/24

The Surpassing Certainty of God’s Love

More certain than death or taxes and more certain than “anything else in all creation” is the fact that God loves you.
Scott Keith
Scott Keith
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Essential Reading for Lutheran Theology: The Thinking Fellows List

Below is the Thinking Fellows Essential Reading List with contributions from each of the Thinking Fellows hosts.
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