Thy Strong Word from KFUO Radio

The Corinthians want proof that Christ speaks through Paul. Like Jesus, who chastised those who looked for signs, the Apostle turns the examination back on them: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.” What are they supposed to look for, and how can that examination lead to something other than doubt? As Paul prepares to visit, his warnings are serious, but his desire is their restoration not their defeat. Paul closes this letter by placing this troubled congregation under the grace of Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. The Rev. David Boisclair, senior pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, Missouri, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 13:1–14. To learn more about Our Redeemer, visit ourredeemerstl.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed…

The Apostle Paul could not secure relief from the thorn that tormented him. What was this thorn? We don’t really know. Three times he pleaded with the Lord to remove it. The answer was a promise of sufficient grace. Paul’s account confronts the expectation that extraordinary faith should produce an extraordinary escape from weakness. It also reveals the strength by which he continues to spend himself for a congregation that questions his love. What can we say about the love and grace of God when suffering persists even for the faithful? The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, Indiana, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 12:1–21. To learn more about Christ Lutheran, visit clc-in.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection…

Forced to answer men who boast about their credentials, Paul presents a record of beatings, prison stays, shipwrecks, hunger, and sleepless nights. He even recounts escaping a city in a basket. Who would offer that as evidence of a ministry worth hearing? Beneath his sharp irony lies a pastor's daily anxiety for the churches and his grief when believers are led into sin. Paul's strange account of his qualifications challenges a congregation impressed by power and prestige. What should they have recognized in an apostle who boasts of his weakness? The Rev. Dr. Jedidiah Maschke of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Carson City, Nevada, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 11:16–33. To learn more about Bethlehem in Carson City, visit blcs.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and…

A preacher speaks about Jesus, offers spiritual experiences, and claims to bring good news. Why would Paul warn the congregation against him? The Corinthians are tolerating teachers who proclaim another Jesus and a different gospel, and Paul fears they are being deceived as Eve was. The danger is harder to recognize because it comes dressed in righteousness. How can the Church distinguish faithful preaching from an attractive counterfeit? The Rev. Steven Theiss, serving St. John Lutheran Church of The American Association of Lutheran Churches in Pocahontas, Missouri, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 11:1–15. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he…

Paul’s critics have a verdict: his letters sound strong, but in person he is unimpressive. Can someone so easily dismissed really speak with Christ’s authority? Paul answers with the meekness of Christ and the language of warfare, describing weapons powerful enough to demolish arguments raised against the knowledge of God. How do gentleness and such authority belong together? As his opponents measure themselves against one another, Paul challenges the standards by which the Church recognizes a faithful minister and asks whose commendation finally matters. The Rev. Derek Waffel, pastor of Ascension Lutheran Church in Huntsville, Alabama, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 10:1–18. To learn more about Ascension in Huntsville, visit ascensionhsv.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols,…

The Corinthians’ eagerness to help had inspired other believers, but their promised gift still needed to be prepared. How can Paul urge them to follow through while insisting that they give willingly, without reluctance or compulsion? His appeal turns to the God who supplies seed for sowing and bread for food. God provides for His people so that they can abound in good works, and the harvest includes relief for needy saints, thanksgiving to God, and believers praying for one another. What does it mean to reap generously, and what frees a Christian to give cheerfully? Paul’s answer leads from the offering being gathered to God’s own inexpressible gift in Jesus Christ. The Rev. Jonathan Krenz, pastor of Augustana Lutheran Church in Moscow, Idaho, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 9:1–15. To learn more about Augustana Lutheran, visit moscowlutheran.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s…

The Macedonian Christians were suffering and deeply poor, yet they begged to take part in an offering for other believers. What could make giving feel like a privilege under those circumstances? As Paul urges the Corinthians to finish their own collection, he points to the grace of Jesus Christ, who became poor for our sake. His appeal raises questions that still touch every congregation: What moves Christians to give? What does generosity ask of those with limited means? And how should the Church handle the gifts entrusted to it? The Rev. Dr. Peter Bender, pastor of Peace Lutheran Church and President of the Concordia Catechetical Academy, in Sussex, WI, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 8:1-24. To learn more about Peace Lutheran in Sussex, visit peacesussex.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat…

Sorrow over sin can lead in very different directions. Paul distinguishes godly grief, which produces repentance leading to salvation, from worldly grief, which produces death. What makes the difference? Paul takes no pleasure in the pain his letter caused the Corinthians. Yet Titus brings welcome news: their sorrow led to repentance, renewed affection, and an earnest response to correction. Through this report, God comforts His troubled apostle and fills him with joy. Beginning with God’s promises and the call to holiness, this chapter explores the difference between sorrow and repentance, the fruits of godly grief, and the comfort God gives His people through one another. The Rev. Jacob Benson, Assistant Professor of Humanities and Admissions Coordinator at Luther Classical College in Casper, Wyoming, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 7:1–16. To learn more about Luther Classical College, visit lutherclassical.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one…

“Now is the day of salvation.” Paul pleads with the Corinthians not to turn away from the grace God gives them in Christ. His ministry has brought suffering, poverty, and sorrow, yet through it God has given others forgiveness, life, and lasting riches. Why are their hearts narrowing toward the apostle whose heart remains open to them? And what does Paul mean when he warns against being unequally yoked with unbelievers? Paul, relying on the promises of God, reminds them: God's people are His temple, and He receives them as His sons and daughters. The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, Illinois, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 6:1–18. To learn more about King of Glory, visit kogelgin.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the…

How can a sinner look forward to meeting his Judge? Paul longs to be at home with the Lord, even as he warns that we must all appear before Christ’s judgment seat. From the promise of bodily resurrection to the astonishing exchange in which the sinless Christ bears our sin, this chapter gives troubled consciences a reason for confidence. God has reconciled the world to Himself in Christ and entrusted His ambassadors with that message. Why, then, does Paul plead, “Be reconciled to God”? What does it mean to receive this reconciliation, become a new creation, and live for the Savior who died and rose for us? The Rev. Roger Mullet, instructor of theology at Concordia University, Chicago in River Forest, Illinois, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 5:1–21. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols,…

Afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, Paul carries the treasure of the Gospel in a fragile clay jar. His weakness makes clear that the power belongs to God. Yet how can a man who has suffered so much call his affliction “light” and “momentary”? Paul weighs present suffering against the eternal weight of glory promised in Christ. His confidence rests in the God who raised Jesus and will also raise His people. As our outward bodies waste away, God renews us through His promises, giving us hope that reaches beyond everything we can see. The Rev. Dr. Curtis Deterding, pastor emeritus in Fort Myers, Florida, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 4:1–18. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church…

God’s commandments came with glory, yet Paul calls their ministry a ministry of death. How can God’s holy Word condemn the very people who receive it? The Law exposes our sin and leaves us unable to claim righteousness through our obedience. The Gospel gives what the Law demands: righteousness before God through Jesus Christ. Paul traces this contrast through stone tablets, living hearts, Moses’ shining face, and the veil that only Christ removes. Through the Gospel, the Holy Spirit gives life and freedom, transforming believers to reflect Christ’s glory in their daily lives. The Rev. John Lukomski, pastor emeritus and co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 3:1–18. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection…

A congregation has confronted a serious offense. Now Paul warns that its response could leave a repentant sinner overwhelmed by sorrow and give Satan an advantage. What happens when a church knows how to discipline but hesitates to forgive? Writing as a pastor who has shed tears over these Christians, Paul urges them to reaffirm their love. The stakes reach beyond one troubled relationship: this congregation receives the Gospel whose proclamation Paul describes as the aroma of Christ. What should that mean for someone who needs to hear that his sins are forgiven? The Rev. Mark Loder, pastor of St. James Lutheran Church and School in Howard Lake, Minnesota, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 2:1–17. To learn more about St. James in Howard Lake, visit stjameshl.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed…

Paul admits that he was so burdened beyond his strength that he despaired of life itself. What does an apostle cling to when he cannot see a way forward? As we begin Second Corinthians, St. Paul points this troubled congregation to the Father of mercies, whose comfort reaches His people in their affliction and passes through them to others. But the Corinthians also have questions about Paul himself. If he keeps changing his plans, can they trust his preaching? His answer leads from a disputed itinerary to the certainty of God’s promises: each one finds its Yes in Jesus Christ. The Rev. Robert Smith, pastor emeritus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 2 Corinthians 1:1–24. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily…

After proclaiming the resurrection of the dead, Paul turns to a collection, travel plans, and the people the Corinthians need to welcome. These ordinary concerns show what the Gospel means for a congregation learning to live together. Hungry Christians need help, faithful workers need support, and an open door for preaching comes with determined opposition. How will this divided church respond? Paul closes with words that hold firmness and tenderness together: stand firm in the faith, let everything be done in love, and await the Lord who is coming. The Rev. Ryan Kleimola, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Toledo, Ohio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 16:1–24. To learn more about Trinity in Toledo, visit trinitylutheran.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and…

If Christ has conquered death, why are we still burying Christians? Our bodies bear Adam’s likeness, marked by weakness, decay, and death. Yet Paul promises that we will also bear the likeness of the risen Christ. What will that transformation mean, and what happens to those still living when the last trumpet sounds? As Paul brings his great resurrection chapter to its conclusion, he traces death’s sting to sin and announces the victory God gives through Jesus Christ. That promise reaches from the graveside into our daily callings: because Christ is risen, our labor in the Lord is not in vain. The Rev. Sawyer Meyers of Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 15:45–58. To learn more about Beautiful Savior Lutheran, visit beautifulsaviorlutheran.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about.…

A body lowered into the grave looks like the end of everything. Paul compares it to a seed being sown, because Christ’s resurrection has begun a harvest that death cannot prevent. But what kind of body will rise, and how can something marked by decay and weakness become imperishable and glorious? Paul answers the Corinthians’ objections by pointing to the Creator’s power and Christ’s reign. The last enemy still confronts us at every funeral, but its destruction is certain: Christ has been raised, and those who belong to Him will follow. The Rev. Peter Burfeind, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Union City, Michigan, and Agnus Dei Lutheran Church in Marshall, Michigan, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 15:20–44. Pastor Burfeind is the author of the book, Gnostic America, which expounds upon some of the topics featured in this episode. To learn more about Our Savior and Agnus Dei Lutheran Churches, visit facebook.com/oursaviorunioncity and agnusdeimarshall.com. What happens when…

Could Christianity still offer something worthwhile if the dead never rise? Paul refuses to let the Corinthians treat resurrection as an optional belief. If the dead cannot rise, Christ has not been raised, their sins remain unforgiven, and the Christians they have buried are lost. Everything rests on an event Paul received and proclaimed: Jesus died for our sins, was buried, rose, and appeared to witnesses. Why does the Christian’s hope depend so completely on what happened to Jesus’ body? The Rev. Greg Jans of Holy Trinity in Somerset, New Jersey, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 15:1–19. To learn more about Holy Trinity in Somerset, visit htlsomerset.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church…

“Judge not.” “I can do all things.” “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” These are familiar words of Scripture that even many unbelievers know. Does Jesus forbid us to call anything sinful? Does God promise success at whatever we attempt? What happens when we must confront wickedness? What happens when we simply cannot handle any more suffering? On this Free Text First Friday, we put familiar Biblical quotations back in context and uncover the comfort we miss when a Bible passage becomes a slogan. The Rev. Jon Franson of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Coffeyville, Kansas, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to explore frequently misunderstood and misquoted Bible passages. To learn more about St. Paul's in Coffeyville, visit splccoffeyville.org. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on…

Everyone seems to have something to say in Corinth, but who is being helped by what is heard? Paul would rather speak five understandable words than ten thousand in a tongue. He calls for speech that teaches, encourages, and consoles, then tells some speakers to wait, others to remain silent, and the Church to weigh what is said. His instructions also address women’s speaking in the assembly and confront those who claim spiritual authority while rejecting the Lord’s command. How does the Church distinguish a speaker’s desire to be heard from speech that builds up Christ’s people? The Rev. James Peterson of St. John Lutheran Church in Curtis, Nebraska, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 14:1–40. To learn more about St. John Lutheran in Curtis, visit facebook.com/stjohncurtis. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat…

Imagine knowing every mystery, speaking with extraordinary eloquence, and giving away everything you own. Paul says that without love, even these impressive things amount to nothing. His familiar words about patience and kindness confront a congregation whose spiritual gifts have become occasions for envy and pride. What does love expose about the way we measure Christian maturity? And why will the gifts the Corinthians prize eventually pass away, while love endures when we finally see face to face? The Rev. Bryan Stecker joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 12:27–13:13. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified…

Some Christians wonder whether they have anything to offer. Others act as though the Church could get along without everyone else. Paul answers both by pointing to the church as an image of a body that needs its eyes, hands, and feet, including the members that seem weakest. The Spirit who brings us to confess Jesus as Lord gives different gifts and joins us together in Baptism. What happens when we turn those gifts into a measure of someone’s importance? And how does belonging to one body change whose suffering we notice and whose joy we share? The Rev. Chris Matthis, senior pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church in Castle Rock, Colorado, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 12:1–26. To learn more about Epiphany in Castle Rock, visit epiphanylc.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual…

Some leave hungry while others have had too much to drink, and the Corinthians still call their gathering the Lord’s Supper. Paul brings them back to the night Jesus was betrayed and the words that make this meal His gift: “This is my body, which is for you.” The Apostle also warns that receiving unworthily brings judgment. How can the Sacrament given for forgiveness be received to a person’s harm? What does it mean to examine ourselves and discern Christ’s body without imagining we must become sinless before coming? The Rev. Steven Theiss, serving St. John Lutheran Church (AALC) in Pocahontas, Missouri, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 11:17–34. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with…

A covered head, an uncovered head, the length of someone’s hair: why does Paul give these things so much attention? In Corinth, outward appearance could communicate honor or shame within the congregation and between husbands and wives. Paul takes the discussion back to creation, then insists that neither woman nor man is independent of the other in the Lord. How do we distinguish the customs of ancient Corinth from the enduring truths Paul teaches through them, and what does our conduct communicate when the Church gathers? The Rev. Dan Torkelson, pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Madison, Wisconsin, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 11:1–16. To learn more about Mount Olive Lutheran, visit molc.us. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the…

Meat from the market may be eaten with thanksgiving, but a meal at an idol’s altar is another matter. Why does the setting change what Christians may do? Paul answers by pointing to the Lord’s Supper, where the bread and cup give us participation in Christ’s body and blood. Fellowship at an altar means something, even when a person claims otherwise. As Paul distinguishes freedom from idolatry, he brings the question home to ordinary meals: how do we receive God’s gifts with gratitude while seeking our neighbor’s good? The Rev. David Boisclair, senior pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, Missouri, joins guest host Andy Bates to study 1 Corinthians 10:14–33. To learn more about Our Redeemer in Overland, visit ourredeemerstl.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the…

They passed through the sea, ate bread from heaven, and drank from the rock. Yet the wilderness became a graveyard for people God had delivered from Egypt. The Apostle Paul recounts that history to the Corinthian Christians who think they know enough to stand safely near temptation. What makes their confidence so dangerous, and why does Israel’s failure belong in a letter to the Church? Alongside the warning comes a promise for those who know their weakness: God is faithful, and temptation does not leave His people without His help. The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, Indiana, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 10:1–13. To learn more about Christ Lutheran, visit clc-in.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring…

Paul makes a convincing case that the Corinthians should support his ministry, then explains why he has refused their support. Why defend a right he will not exercise? The answer reaches beyond a pastor’s paycheck to the things Christians willingly surrender so that others may hear the Gospel. Paul’s freedom makes him a servant, and his calling demands the discipline of an athlete running to win. What might our insistence on getting what we deserve put in the way of someone hearing Christ? The Rev. Keith Aschenbeck of Grace Lutheran Church in Victoria, Texas, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 9:1–27. To learn more about Grace Lutheran, visit gracelutheran-tx.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church…

An idol is nothing, and food cannot bring us closer to God. Some Corinthians know both truths and see no problem eating meat offered to idols. But across the table sits a fellow Christian who once worshiped those gods. What happens when he follows their example while believing he is returning to idolatry? Paul confronts a confidence so focused on being free and knowledgeable that it overlooks a brother for whom Christ died. How does love shape the use of Christian freedom when another person’s faith is at stake? The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, Illinois, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 8:1–13. To learn more about King of Glory Lutheran, visit kogelgin.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle…

Marriage is God’s good gift, yet Paul advises the unmarried to consider remaining as they are. His reason brings an urgency to wedding plans and household concerns: “The present form of this world is passing away.” With trouble pressing upon the Corinthians, he wants to spare them added burdens and encourage undivided devotion to the Lord. How should Christians receive that counsel without turning it into a command against marriage? And what does it mean to love a spouse, build a home, and plan a future in a world that will not last? The Rev. Roger Mullet, Professor of Theology at Concordia University, Chicago, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 7:25–40. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling…

Paul wishes others could remain unmarried as he is, yet he tells husbands and wives not to deprive one another of sexual intimacy. How do those fit together? For Christians in Corinth sorting through questions of desire, devotion, and marital faithfulness, neither marriage nor celibacy offers an escape from loving their neighbor. And when one spouse believes in Christ and the other does not, the questions become even more personal. Paul’s answers challenge easy assumptions about which life is holier and what belonging to Christ means for the promises we have made. The Rev. Graham Glover of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Gainesville, Florida, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 7:1–24. To learn more about Abiding Savior, visit abidingsavior.info. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols,…

What if winning a lawsuit could mean losing something far more important? As Christians in Corinth take one another to court, Paul asks something most people would never be willing to consider, “Why not rather suffer wrong?” Their insistence on getting their own way reaches into their sexual lives, too, where freedom has become an excuse for sin. What changes when the person you wrong is your brother in Christ, and the body you claim as your own has been bought with His blood? Paul brings them back to what God has done: washed, sanctified, and justified them in Jesus’ name. The Rev. John Shank, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 6:1–20. To learn more about Trinity in Edwardsville, visit trinitylutheranministries.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage,…

A member of the Corinthian church is involved with his father’s wife, yet the congregation remains puffed up with pride, unmoved by a sin that should bring them to tears. Paul tells them to remove him from their fellowship, not as punishment, but so that he may be saved. How can putting someone outside the Church serve his salvation? This difficult passage confronts the danger of leaving sin unchallenged and asks what love requires when a fellow Christian refuses to repent. At its heart stands Christ, our Passover Lamb, sacrificed to free us from the sin that destroys us. The Rev. Dr. Michael Nielsen, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and Preschool in North Prairie, Wisconsin, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 5:1–13. To learn more about St. John's in North Prairie, visit stjohnsnp.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions…

The Christians in Corinth are acting haughty, supposing themselves to be like kings, while the apostles who brought them the Gospel are hungry, dishonored, and treated like garbage. Despite this, Paul tells them, “Be imitators of me.” Why would anyone want to follow him? Beneath Paul’s sharp words is a spiritual father’s concern for children who have become disconnected from the cross. This episode explores what they have misunderstood about life in Christ, and how God’s power can be at work even in ministry that appears weak according to worldly reason. The Rev. Robert Smith, pastor emeritus in Fort Wayne, Indiana, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 4:1–21. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church…

The Corinthians were taking sides over their favorite preachers, but Paul reminds them who makes the Church grow. Pastors plant and water; God gives the growth. Jesus Christ is the only foundation, and what is built upon Him will be tested as through fire. As Paul calls the congregation God’s holy temple, he exposes the foolishness of boasting in human leaders and delivers a greater promise: “You are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.” The Rev. Ryan Kleimola, pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Toledo, Ohio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 3:1–23. To learn more about Trinity in Toledo, visit trinitylutheran.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he…

Paul came to Corinth trembling and without lofty and complicated arguments. Instead, he proclaimed with boldness and with Christ crucified at the center of his preaching. Through that message, then and today, the Holy Spirit brings people to faith and reveals a wisdom the rulers of every age had failed to recognize. Paul challenges the Corinthians' confidence in human wisdom and explains how God makes His saving gifts known through the Spirit's own words. What does it mean, then, to have "the mind of Christ"? The Rev. Curtis Deterding, pastor emeritus in Fort Myers, Florida, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 2:1-16. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all,…

A crucified Savior? To a world looking for impressive signs and persuasive wisdom, the message sounds absurd. Paul puts that very message at the center of God’s saving work and asks the Corinthians to reconsider what makes someone wise, powerful, or worth following. God chooses the weak and despised, brings human boasting to nothing, and gives sinners everything they need in Christ: righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The Rev. John Lukomski, pastor emeritus and co-host of Wrestling with the Basics on KFUO Radio, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 1:18–31. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and…

“I follow Paul.” “I follow Apollos.” The Christians in Corinth are picking sides, and Paul has a pointed question for them: Was your favorite preacher crucified for you? As we begin our study of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses a divided church as saints, gives thanks for the grace God has given them, and calls them back to the crucified Savior whose name they bear in Baptism. The Rev. John Zimmerman, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and St. John’s Lutheran Church in Pittston, Pennsylvania, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study 1 Corinthians 1:1-17. To learn more about Immanuel in Scranton, visit immanuelscranton.org. What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division.…

What happens when Christians turn their pastors into rival teams, take one another to court, and leave their neighbors hungry at the Lord’s Supper? Corinth gives Paul plenty to write about. Questions about marriage, meat sacrificed to idols, spiritual gifts, and the resurrection bring the apostle into the daily life of a church struggling with pride and division. Through it all, he keeps bringing them back to Christ crucified and risen. In 2 Corinthians, the strained relationship between Paul and the people he loves brings its own painful questions about forgiveness, faithful ministry, suffering, and weakness. These letters give us the treasure in jars of clay, the promise of resurrection, and the assurance that Christ’s grace is sufficient. Join Thy Strong Word as we study 1 and 2 Corinthians verse by verse and hear what God speaks to a troubled church He has called His own. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation…

Which headline is real? In this edition of Headlines, the Free-Text First Friday news quiz, Pastor Booe puts his guest to the test with three rounds of strange theology and religion news. Each round features three stories, one real and two invented, and once the truth is revealed, the strange news opens into a deeper conversation about Scripture, theology, and the life of the Church. The Rev. Shawn Ethridge, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fulda, Minnesota, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe for Headlines. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

The Song ends where Genesis began, under a tree in a garden with two people who are not ashamed. Solomon points us to Revelation 22, Eden restored, and the New Heavens and the New Earth. Love is as strong as death, Solomon writes, and it is the flame of the LORD Himself, which many waters cannot quench. Then brothers appear, worrying over a little sister too young to be spoken for, and they decide that if she is a wall, meaning she has kept herself pure, they will crown her in silver, and if she is a door, meaning she has not, they will board her up in cedar and put a stop to it. Faithfulness is not only a promise between husband and wife, but also the call to every Christian to be loyal to Christ and Him alone. The Rev. Donald Stein, pastor of St. Andrews Lutheran Church in Rockton, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Song of Solomon 8:1-14. To learn more about St. Andrews Lutheran, visit standrewrockton.com. The Song of Solomon is a book of love poetry, a bride and her bridegroom singing to each…

Solomon describes his bride, beginning at her feet and moving up. He describes her "belly like a heap of wheat encircled with lilies," and her "neck like an ivory tower" and "nose like the tower of Lebanon." The comparisons sound strange to us. In Solomon's mouth, however, they are stately and reminiscent of a kingdom at peace. She answers him: "I am my beloved's, and his desire is for me." That word for desire appears twice more in Scripture, both times in Genesis, both a curse. Does this point us to the reversal of the curse of Eden through the Church's marriage to Christ? The Rev. James Peterson, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Curtis, NE, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Song of Solomon 7:1-13. To learn more about St. John Lutheran in Curtis, visit facebook.com/stjohncurtis. The Song of Solomon is a book of love poetry, a bride and her bridegroom singing to each other across eight chapters. God's people have sung it since Solomon's day, and Jewish congregations still read it at Passover. The…

She has lost her husband and goes looking again, and the daughters of Jerusalem ask where he went so they can help her search. He turns up in his garden, grazing among the lilies, and tells her there are sixty queens and eighty concubines, but “my dove, my perfect one, is the only one.” And yet, 1 Kings says he finished with seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, so this line is a confession as much as a compliment. How do we make sense of Solomon’s not-so-exclusive love? The Rev. Peter Burfeind, pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church in Union City, Michigan, and Agnus Dei Lutheran Church in Marshall, Michigan, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Song of Solomon 6:1–13. To learn more about Our Savior and Agnus Dei Lutheran churches, visit facebook.com/oursaviorunioncity and agnusdeimarshall.com. The Song of Solomon is a book of love poetry, a bride and her bridegroom singing to each other across eight chapters. God's people have sung it since Solomon's day, and Jewish congregations still read it…

He knocks after midnight with his head wet with dew and asks her to open the door. She is already in bed and does not want to get up. By the time she does, hands dripping with myrrh, he is gone. She goes out looking for him, and the watchmen who are supposed to guard the city beat her instead and take her veil. When the daughters of Jerusalem ask what makes this man worth all that, she answers by describing her groom from head to foot: gold, ivory, alabaster, hair black as a raven, lips dripping with myrrh, altogether desirable. She says, "This is my beloved, and this is my friend." The Rev. Shawn Ethridge, pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Fulda, Minnesota, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Song of Solomon 5:1–16. To learn more about St. Paul's in Fulda, visit stpaulsfulda.org. The Song of Solomon is a book of love poetry, a bride and her bridegroom singing to each other across eight chapters. God's people have sung it since Solomon's day, and Jewish congregations still read it at Passover. The…

The bridegroom stands in front of his bride on their wedding night and starts recounting her features. Her eyes, her hair, her teeth, her lips, even the way she holds her head. He goes on like that for six verses, smitten, and then he pronounces something she knows is not true: there is no flaw in you. The Hebrew word underneath "flaw" is the word Leviticus uses for the defect that keeps a priest away from the altar and keeps an animal off it. Solomon said to his bride, Jesus says it about His Church. The Rev. Steven Theiss, serving St. John Lutheran Church (AALC) in Pocahontas, MO, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Song of Solomon 4:1-16. The Song of Solomon is a book of love poetry, a bride and her bridegroom singing to each other across eight chapters. God's people have sung it since Solomon's day, and Jewish congregations still read it at Passover. The Church has heard in it the voice of Christ and His bride, and Luther quoted the Song in The Freedom of a Christian to describe what happens when…

She wakes to an empty bed, hunts the dark streets for the one her soul loves, and refuses to let go once she finds him, then charges the daughters of Jerusalem by the gazelles and the does of the field not to stir up love before it pleases. The scene shifts to Solomon's wedding procession coming up out of the wilderness in myrrh and frankincense, sixty armed men ringing the carriage, the king wearing the crown his mother set on him the day his heart was glad. Marriage is worth guarding and worth a parade, and the Church knows a Bridegroom who came up out of the wilderness, wore a crown on His wedding day, and takes hold of His bride so she is never left searching in the dark. The Rev. Scott MacDonald, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Meriden, Connecticut, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Song of Solomon 3:1–11. To learn more about St. John in Connecticut, visit saintjohnmeriden.org. The Song of Solomon is a book of love poetry, a bride and her bridegroom singing to each other across eight chapters.…

She calls herself a common wildflower; her beloved calls her a lily among the thorns. Scripture is not embarrassed to celebrate what God gave in marriage: a banner of love over the banqueting house, apples and raisins for a woman sick with love, a young stag leaping over the hills to call his bride out into the spring. The chapter also guards what it celebrates, warning about the little foxes that spoil vineyards in bloom and charging the daughters of Jerusalem twice not to stir up love before it pleases. Every husband and wife who has heard "arise, my love, and come away" knows the ache in it. So does the Church, whose Bridegroom washed her, called her beautiful, and made her so, and who will one day come over the mountains to bring her home for good. The Rev. David Boisclair, senior pastor of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Overland, Missouri, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Song of Solomon 2:1–17. To learn more about Our Redeemer in Overland, visit ourredeemerstl.org. The Song of Solomon is a book…

The Song of Solomon is a book that can make people blush. It opens at the threshold of the bridal chamber with a woman desiring to be kissed by her husband. The forward poetic language doesn't hold back as the first chapter unfolds to reveal the God-pleasing intimacy between husband and wife. So why is this book in the Bible? For that, and for more than that. Through Solomon, God reveals something of the love He has for His Church in Christ, a bridegroom for His bride. You hear it by the end of chapter one, where a field hand with a sunburn and angry brothers is told by her bridegroom that she is the most beautiful among women, before she has changed one thing about herself. The Rev. Jacob Hercamp, pastor of Christ Lutheran Church in Noblesville, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Song of Solomon 1:1-17. To learn more about Christ Lutheran, visit clc-in.org. The Song of Solomon is a book of love poetry, a bride and her bridegroom singing to each other across eight chapters. God's people have sung it…

The Song of Solomon is a book of love poetry, a bride and her bridegroom singing to each other across eight chapters. God's people have sung it since Solomon's day, and Jewish congregations still read it at Passover. The Church has heard in it the voice of Christ and His bride, and Luther quoted the Song in The Freedom of a Christian to describe what happens when Christ takes a sinner as His own. Paul was working the same ground in Ephesians five, where he set marriage beside Christ and the Church and called it a great mystery. This series works through the whole book verse by verse, from the kiss in chapter one to the seal on the heart in chapter eight. We hear what it says about the body, about desire, and about the marriage God instituted in the garden. We also ask where Christ is in it, since the Church has long heard in these songs the voice of the Bridegroom who gave His life for His bride. Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the…

Zephaniah turns his final woe on Jerusalem, describing the people as rebellious and defiled; a city that listens to no voice and accepts no correction. Judgment gathers the nations, and on the far side of it God purifies the lips of the peoples so that all of them may call on His name and serve Him together. Then He commands daughter Zion to sing and gives her the reason: The LORD her God is in her midst, a mighty one who will save, and He rejoices over His people with gladness and exults over them with loud singing. The Rev. Christopher Maronde, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Hastings, IA, and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Oakland, IA, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Zephaniah 3:1-20. To learn more about St. John Lutheran, visit facebook.com/StJohnsLutheranChurchMoSynod. Edom stands at the crossroads and watches his brother Judah dragged off in chains, and Obadiah announces that the day of the LORD is coming for the bystander, too. Joel sees a locust swarm strip a nation bare in a single season,…

“Gather together, O shameless nation, before the decree takes effect, before the day passes like chaff.” Zephaniah pleads with Judah to seek the LORD while there is still time. To seek righteousness, seek humility. Why? “Perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the LORD's anger.” Then the oracle sweeps the compass, Philistia to the west, Moab and Ammon to the east, Cush to the south, and at last Assyria to the north, where Nineveh is described as nothing more than a lodging place for wild beasts. The Rev. Matthew Kusch, pastor of King of Glory Lutheran Church in Elgin, IL, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Zephaniah 2:1-15. To learn more about King of Glory, visit kogelgin.org. Edom stands at the crossroads and watches his brother Judah dragged off in chains, and Obadiah announces that the day of the LORD is coming for the bystander, too. Joel sees a locust swarm strip a nation bare in a single season, calls the people to rend their hearts and not their garments, and promises a Spirit poured out on all…