Confirmation
Bible Basics Unit

The beginning of a lifelong Christian education and relational experience, within the congregation, that began when I came to faith in Christ Jesus.

Goals:
1. Understand and take ownership in my Christian faith.
2. To live faith as a child and servant of God.
3. Grow in the life and mission of the church.

Unit Bible Basics (Introduction): With the help of the Holy Spirit, students will approach scripture with a set of principles that will better enable them to experience a relationship of Jesus Christ. Given Scripture references, The Lutheran Study Bible, Small Catechism, and class discussion, students will discover uses for the tools found in the books and know the landscape of The Lutheran Study Bible by identifying the various parts of the book.

Memory Work: Bible 1 - Introduction

Lesson Notes: Bible Introduction

Confirmation

A lifelong Christian education and relational experience, within the congregation, that began when I came to faith in Christ Jesus.

Goals

1. Take ownership of my God given faith
2. Live a life of faith as a child of God
3. Grow in faith and the life and the mission of the church

Views of Scripture

• It is the Word of God, God's own Word (LCMS)👍
• Contains the Word of God, some are man's words (ELCA)👎

The Lutheran Study Bible

     • English Standard Version (ESV) "essentially literal" translation
     • The articles and study notes make it "Lutheran"
     • Luther's Small Catechism included

Reference Tools

- Biblical Topics (front of TLSB) - References passages, study notes, artiles, charts and maps
- Concordance (back of TLSB) - Find passages from key words
- Study Notes for passages
- Articles on various topics

Symbols on the Page

Law and Gospel

Trinity

Means of Grace

Mission: The Church in motion

The Page

A. Chronology
B. Cross References
E. Study Notes
K. Translation Notes/Original Text Notes
M. Cross Reference Overflow

Unit Bible Basics (Principles): With the help of the Holy Spirit, students will approach scripture with a set of principles that will better enable them to experience a relationship of Jesus Christ. With The Lutheran Study Bible, Small Catechism, and class discussion, students will know the purpose of the Bible; demonstrate how to find Scripture passages and articles using the concordance; Come to understand the Lutheran understanding of Law and Gospel.

Memory Work: Bible 2 - Principles

Lesson Notes: Bible Principles

Roman Numerals

i = i
v = 5
x = 10
l = 50
c = 100

Numbers are formed by adding or subtracting these values based on their placement; for example vi equals 6 (5+1), while iv equals 4 (5-1)

Purpose of Scripture

• To point us to Christ

Q4, TLSB lxxxviii

Law and Gospel

     • Found throughout Scripture
     • Gospel - What God does for me
     • Law - What I must do

TLSB xxxi, TLSB 1911

Terms

- Inspiration of Scripture - God is the author
- Inerrancy of Scripture - Without errors or contradictions
- Unity of Scripture - One account of our salvation
- Hermeneutics - A method to interpret Scripture
- Truth - Absolute Truth, something that is true is true for all people at all times in all places
- Postmodernism - relative truths
- Critical Race Theory - claims to truth is a bid for power

TLSB xxvii, TLSB xlv, TLSB 1560, Q3, Q4

Hermeneutic Principles

     • Grace alone, Faith alone, Christ alone
     • Preference to straight foreword meaning
     • We do not tell scripture what it is saying
     • Understand a passage within the context of the chapter, the book, other books by the writer (God is author), the entire Bible
     • God speaks to us through Scripture

TLSB xxvi

	Law	Gospel
Purpose	Curb, Mirror, Guide	Salvation
Function	Repentance, Condemnation	Forgiveness
Focus	Me	Christ
Result	Rebellion, Dispair	Joy
Words	should, must, do, have to	receive, yes, gift, forgive, justified

Bible Basics (Follow Through), In this lesson students will explore how to read Scripture faithfully with the help of the Holy Spirit. Using The Lutheran Study Bible, the Small Catechism, and class discussion, they will learn key principles of interpretation and define important terms such as Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Unity of Scripture.

Memory Work: Bible 3 - Follow Through

Lesson Notes: Bible Follow Through

Purpose of Scripture

• To point us to Christ

Purpose of the Gospel

• Salvation

Terms

     • ESV - English Standard Version
     • Gospels - First four books of the New Testament and from which one the readings in church comes from.
     • Synoptic Gospels - (Matthew, Mark, Luke) similar
     • Epistle - A letter from which one the readings in church comes from.
     • Pauline Epistle - Letters written by St Paul
     • General Epistle - Letters not written by St Paul
     • New Testament - Books written after Jesus
     • Old Testament - Books written before Jesus
     • Psalms - Poetic Book or books
     • Prophets - Books by the prophets
     • Pentateuch - 1st 5 books of the bible
     • Torah - 1st 5 books of the bible
     • Moses - 1st 5 books of the bible
     • Apocrypha - Books not accepted as Scripture
     • Old Testament Reading - 1st readings in church from the Old Testament
     • First Reading - 1st readings in church when the Old Testament is not read.
     • Septuagint (LXX) - a Greek translation of the old testament used at the time of Jesus.
     • Canon - standard (cannon - weapon of war)

A Written Book

     • False documents (fictional stories)
     • False prophets (false teachers)
     • Death of the Apostles
     • False canonists (people rewriting Scripture)

Common false statements

- The Gospel is true because it is in the bible (the bible testifies to the truth, it does not make it true)
- Faith in the Gsopel rest on the convetion that whatever the bible says is true. (Faith rests with Jesus Christ. Faith comes from the Holy Spirit)
- The authority of the bible is the doctrine on which the church stands or falls. (the church stands or falls on Christ)
- The Gospel is true because it is inspired (The Gospel is true because it is true)
- You must believe everything in the bible to be saved. (Salvation depends on faith in Christ Jesus)

Unit Bible Basics (Catechism) We are unlocking the secrets and discovering the tools in the book; Luther's Small Catechism with Explanations. Students will know common terms used to describe parts of the Catechism; identify the foundation of faith as Christ Jesus; know the parts of the Catechism through demonstration.

Memory Work: Bible 4 - Catechism

Lesson Notes: Catechism

Creeds

- A statement of belief
- Have authority insofar as they are descriptions, restaments or summaries of Scripture
- The Small Catechism is a creed.

Other Creeds

     • Apostles (100 AD)
     • Nicene (325 AD)
     • Athanasian (451AD)
     • Book of Concord (Lists Several) (1530-1580)

Function of Creeds

1. Teaching device
2. Highlights what is central in Scripture
3. Provides a common identity
4. Attacks false teachings
5. A guide to interpretation of Scripture

Creeds in the Bible

- There are several creeds that were included into Scripture (for example: 1Timothy 1:15, 2Timothy 2:11)

Small Catachism, Why?

- Wide spread ignorance
- For households, and pastors to teach God's Word (1529)

SC appendix 240, TLSB xxxiii

Luther's Preface

• If unwilling to learn, with hold food and drink
• If unwilling to learn, deportation

SC appendix 240, TLSB xxxiii

Church Terms

• Various terms relating to worship and God's house
• We will be adding to these terms

SC appendix 265

Index of Topics

• References question numbers, not page numbers

The Six Chief Parts

     • Ten Commandments
     • Apostles' Creed
     • Lord's Prayer
     • Baptism
     • Confession
     • Communion

Structure of the Catechism

• First four Sections written by Luther
• An explanation of the Small Catechism with questions and answers written by others and follows the same outline as the Luther section

Unit Bible Basics (Context) We are learning a contextual approach to interpreting Scripture. We are demonstrating familiarity of several features of The Lutheran Study Bible and applying Hermeneutical principle of context by uncover the meaning of a given text.

Lesson Notes: Circles of Context

Scripture isn't a collection of random stories. It was but together with meaning.

TLSB xxvi

Hermeneutic Principles

     • Preference to straight forward and obvious meaning of the passage.
     • Interpreter is to "stand under" the passage (We never tell the passage what it is saying)
     • Scripture interprets Scripture

Circles of Context

1. Our Passage (Sheep and Goats)
2. Preceding and following verses (Chapter 25: faithfulness, Chapter 26: faithlessness)
3. Purpose/meaning of the book itself (Matthew: Jesus is the long awaited Messiah)
4. Purpose/meaning of the entire Bible (Points me to Christ)

Sheep separated from the Goats (Matthew 25:31-46)

• Separated by faith and unbelief
• Grace alone, Faith alone, Christ alone