Pastor Jin O Jeong Articles

  • The Way of the Cross VI: Heidelberg Disputation, Thesis VI

    Luther here proposes the difficult concept that the works of God through man are not without sin. In other words, even those works that God does in us are not accounted as “eternal merits” because they are supposedly without sin. None of our works, not even those done in us by God, are without sin. ...

  • The Way of the Cross V: Heidelberg Disputation, Thesis V

    Like thesis 3 and 4, thesis 5 and 6 are also parallel and contrasting assertions. They are here to pinpoint and bring the sinfulness of humans more clearly to light, by the light of the cross. While thesis 5 focuses on the good works that humans do in their own power, thesis 6 deals with the works ...

  • Did Protesting Against the Sale of Indulgences Lead up to the Reformation on Oct, 31, 1517?

    On 31 October 1517, Luther posted the ninety-five theses on indulgences on the north door of the castle church at Wittenberg. This date is recognized as a landmark day for most historians as well as Church historians. In many people’s opinion, the day that Luther hammered this thesis on to the ...

  • The Way of the Cross IV: Heidelberg Disputation, Thesis IV

    After affirming that the works of man are likely to be mortal sins, Luther begins thesis 4 as the discussion of divine works in contrast to human works. Theses 3 and 4 can be taken together because they are parallel in construction and set up the fundamental contrast. This contrast is an important ...

  • The Way of the Cross III: Heidelberg Disputation, Thesis III

    Like other theses, the third thesis should be reflected in the connection with the second thesis. Luther argued that after Adam and Eve’s corruption, all humans are so totally corrupted that there is not reminder of us which is affected toward the good in Thesis 2. In an expansion of thesis 2, the ...

  • The Way of the Cross II: Heidelberg Disputation, Thesis II

    This thesis extends the focus of the first thesis. The first thesis deals with doing good works under Divine Law, while this thesis deals with human works according to the constant prompting of “natural powers” within us. The revealed law of God cannot advance fallen beings toward righteousness. ...

  • The Way of the Cross I: Heidelberg Disputation, Thesis I

    In my last column, I explained that the 28 theological theses of the Heidelberg Disputation (1518) can be divided into four general sections. Now, we will examine the first thesis of the first section (the Problem of Good Works: Thesis 1-12). The question with which Luther had wrestled in the late ...

  • 500th Reformation Anniversary: A Pastor's Exhortation to Listen to Martin Luther

    When we talk about Luther’s Reformation, the Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of the Indulgences (1517) is often considered to be the most important thesis. It is clear that the Ninety-Five Theses is widely regarded as the initial catalyst for the Protestant Reformation and caused more ...

  • How Should Christians Respond to the Rapid Islamic Expansion?

    Recently, Christian consulting enterprise “Project Care," has published comparative demographics of the Christian and Muslim populations from 1990 to 2010. According to this report, while the percentage of the Christians is the pretty much same, the number of Muslims increased nearly two-fold. ...

  • Korean Congregation from Illinois Sends off American Missionary to Korea

    On Sunday, the Korean congregation at Zion Lutheran Church, located in Belleville, IL, had a special service to send off Jeremy Shultz as a missionary to Joyful Lutheran Church in Korea. It is a very unusual occurrence for a Korean congregation in America to send an American to Korea as a ...
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