Our website: www.justandsinner.org This video is a follow-up to my discussion on Christian behavior in social engagement and cultural change. Here I discuss the role of the lesser magistrate in correcting the greater magistrate.
Definitely talk more about this. We need more discussion and reflection and thinking on unity and multiplicity and the justified mediation between the two, from either angle.
Ok, this is a compliment!!! I’ve been watching your videos for about two months now and you reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t place it.. I finally realized it. Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) in Jaws! 😂. Aside from that, your theology is just awesome! You’re my favorite.
This, “doctrine of the two kingdoms” was the focus of a symposium I attended at WLS Mequon Wisconsin last year. The papers presented should be public on the WLS website.
Hi. Love your videos. Do you have any content or scholarship (I have access to academic databases) dealing with the current hot-topic question of whether or not Luther internalized the manualist tradition and/or the legalism of Bede when articulating his doctrine of justification? I have heard thinkers like NT Wright and Matthew Barrett in his newest book on the Reformation articulate accounts like this and was wondering your opinion.
With regard to recent history, did the government have the right, in America, to shut down the assembly of churches? Should we have obeyed? God says in Hebrews 10:24-25 NKJV - And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Also, the First Amendment says Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. The way I see it, we should look to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They disobeyed, however, they accepted the punishment and had faith in deliverance. I believe the Church should have continued to gather and let the legal system work out in our favor. Is this against the Lutheran teaching?
Can you do a video on the 'bring back the Crusades' style videos on RU-vid? How have Lutherans historically understood the crusades? I think of the crusades against Bohemia. I know Andrew Willet, a English Reformed theologian, wrote against the crusades and for just war. 2) I also hope you would do a video on the issue of whether it is antisemitic to affirm particular passages of Acts and John (I don't think so, whether these texts can be publicly read )while pushing back against the nonsense being promoted by actual anti semites about 'judeo-communism' conspiracy theory (that use fake quotes, fake stats, cherry picking, strawmanning, ignoring of anti communist Jews, ignoring of pogroms by the Red Army, ignoring the times that Roosevelt or Churchill declined requests by Jewish leaders, etc).
Thank you for this analysis, Dr. Cooper. These sorts of questions have been bothering me for a while now. As a young Lutheran man (and soon to be father) who wants to be an informed and active citizen, it feels like it's more difficult than ever to know the best way to be politically involved without inevitably seeing idolatry and failure on the conservative side. Do you think the laity of the Lutheran church would be able to make more of a positive impact in American politics if we consolidated? Most churches seem to be "commuter" churches that people go to once a week at most. Even churches that run a school don't tend to be the kinds of organic communities that could concentrate political power locally and protect themselves. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
I do wonder how much of this hinges on whether you're in an urban (/suburban) or rural area. As life-long Lutheran who has only ever lived in an urban/suburban context, relation to the centers of power will take different shape.
The relationship between church and community is very unhealthy in a commuter environment, but I don't know that there is a great way to change that on a large scale. I would like to see Lutheran families intentionally choose to move closer to their churches, and to commit to working together to educate their children (whether through a church affiliated school or a homeschooling co-op).
Can you please make an in-depth video on how Lutherans define their Ecclesiology? How they define what the Church is, and is not? Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox very often say that any Protestant who starts taking Ecclesiology seriously will not remain a Protestant.
Not actually. What made Luther unique was his desire to reform the church, but as he was working on that he got kicked out of it. He still submitted to those in authority over him, just to God first and foremost.
@@haveagodhug8353 it was kind of a joke lol. Cooper said Luther thought for a time Christians don't need government which is basically Christian anarchism
@bradleymarshall5489 okay, fair point. 😂 How I understood that was that Christians specifically did not need the law because we have God's law which is better, until Luther realized that being sinful we also needed help holding a standard. Realistically that should have been correct, that we as Christians should live better than the law by default, sadly that just does not work as a rule.
@@haveagodhug8353 right but in the Christian life we’re meant to get be fruits of the spirit (virtues) against which there is no law. There’s been some studies recently that indicate Lutheran and Melanchthon had a stronger affinity for virtue ethics than we’ve been lead to believe.
@bradleymarshall5489 I cannot speak as to what the Lutheran and Melanchthon beliefs were, I can tell you though, that it is one fruit. The fruit (singular) has all of what you have dubbed virtues as aspects or characteristics of the one fruit. It is the good fruit that comes from being in the true vine. Now, we know that we, being human, are prone to do that which we know not to do, or do not want to do. When we do it, it is no longer us who does it but sin living in us. We know that we will still sin, therfore even Christians still need the law. The comfort in this is the fact that it is the old Adam doing these, and the old Adam will one day (and in a way was at the cross) put to death. We will not live in sin on that day for the sin in us will be gone, we will be the new creation.
"It is to be considered just a folly of modern times to alter a system of corrupt ethical life, its political constitution and legislation without changing the religion, to have made a revolution without a reformation, to suppose that with the old religion and its sanctities a political constitution opposed to it can have internal peace and harmony, and that stability can be procured for the laws by external guarantees"
You’ve explored this very well in the context of 17th century governments, but it seems you failed to consider unique situation in America. The second amendment doesn’t exist just to hunt deer.
Which Apostle wrote the Second Amendment? I can't remember. America is not as unique as many people think, and it doesn't matter. A Christian is to serve Christ and neighbor, not himself. It is a hard thing to be persecuted and to only resist with love of our enemy, but that is the example that Christ and the Apostles gave us. It is complicated because we are to love both the persecuted and the persecuters and be willing to endure and ready to forgive.
@@joabthejavelin5119 i’ll go with the most charitable interpretation of your comment and assume you didn’t actually watch Jordan‘s video in which he talks about civic calling. The civic calling in America, where fear of tyranny is so embedded as it is here that we have an entire amendment for the populous to protect against it-is going to be very different than 17 century Germany.
@@wabajack9929 By your argument, 21st century America is very different from 18th century America. So the constitution is irrelevant. After all 18 is closer to 17 than it is to 21. God's teachings are beyond time. It doesn't matter what century we're talking about. I believe in the Second Amendment, but I think we need to rethink how we talk about what are our "rights." We should think in terms of what authority do I have, instead of what rights do I have. Has God given me the authority to usurp or overthrow the government? No. This is what is ment by the lesser magestraight. The electors have the responsibility to keep the government accountable.
