Articles by Pastor William P. Terjesen

  • Christians Spurn the Curious Arts an article warning against fooling around with the occult.
  • Sin and Grace in Matthew A brief study of how St. Matthew presents Christ as a Savior for sinners, and how this is shown in the genealogy that begins the Gospel.
  • Confidence in the Word of God - A plea for faith in the objective Word rather than the shifting sands of human emotion.
  • The Sacrament of the Altar - A brief study of Holy Communion; the Real Presence.
  • Christ the Firstfruits - Jesus, risen and ascended, has gone on ahead of us. Because He lives we shall live also.
  • Are You A Practical Atheist? - The sad truth is, that many people who claim to be Christians live and think as though God didn't exist.
  • Christ's Sufferings: God's Hand and Counsel - A Lenten meditation based on the writings of Johann Gerhard dealing with Christ's sufferings as God's plan for our redemption.
  • Devotional Bible Study - This article deals with how a Christian may use the Bible in his daily devotions.
  • Terjesen's Bible Reading Schedule - Many Bible reading schedules start you with Genesis and take you through to the end of Revelation as is. My schedule includes an Old Testament, a New Testament, and a Psalm reading for each day. Plus it breaks things up in an interesting way that I think aids continuity.
  • Holy Baptism: A Brief Study - This paper was written at the request of a young Lutheran man who had married a pentecostal girl, to help them decide whether to baptize their children.
  • Gospel, Baptism, Absolution, Eucharist - A brief study of the doctrine of the means of grace. Why, if we receive grace in one means, does God keep giving the same thing in the others?
  • Blessed be The Lord! - An exposition of the Benedictus.
  • Christ and the Tabernacle - A study of how the OT tabernacle and its furnishings pointed ultimately to the coming and redemptive work of Christ for the life of the world.
  • Crypto-Calvinism and Open Communion - A criticism of those in the Missouri Synod who are urging and working for the practice of open communion, while pretending they're not.
  • Divine Providence - A summary of Pieper's presentation of God's governance of His creation.
  • Hope and Help in Temptation - a discussion of 1 Corinthians 10:13, a precious promise of God's help in time of trial.
  • Jesus Humbled Himself - Comments on the great passage from Philippians 2 where it is said that Jesus made Himself of no reputation... but humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.
  • Mary: A model of Faith and Faithfulness - Roman Catholics worship Mary as co-redemptrix with Jesus, and evangelicals tend to denigrate her in reaction to Romanism. Lutherans have a high regard for Mary. They do not commit Romanist Mariolatry, nor do they make the opposite error of low-church protestantism.
  • Methuselah - An article commending the worthy calling of parenting, and the importance of Christian family life.
  • Millions now Living may Never Die! - A presentation of the biblical doctrine of the Resurrection on the Last Day.
  • Peace Through Grace - A criticism of the modern cult of self-esteem with a presentation of the biblical alternative.
  • Pew-Potatoes or Participants - Active participation in the Liturgy of the Church.
  • Pray Without Ceasing - What does Paul mean when he uses those words? What is a life of prayer?
  • Straight Talk About Closed Communion - A question/answer format article on Closed Communion aimed at a more general audience than the longer article on the same topic elsewhere on this site.
  • The Biblical Practice of Closed Communion - Originally presented at the first Atlantic District Theological Convocation, at Concordia College, Bronxville, NY, in the winter of 1994, this paper has appeared in Christian News and has been the subject of several interviews on the LCMS radio program "Issues Etc."
  • The Governor's Surprise - Explores the Miracle at Cana as a window into the Creation/Evolution debate. One of my favorites.
  • The New Testament: Which Text - An article on New Testament textual criticism which favors the Traditional Greek Text of the Reformation and the translations based on it to the modern critical text and its various translations.
  • The Only Catechism that can be Prayed! - Luther's Small Catechism is an excellent devotional aid and prayer book.
  • The Survival of True Lutheranism - A brief presentation of the continual struggle of genuine Lutheranism against the forces that would water it down and genericize it.