The State of the Churches

Corey J. Mahler on Wed 17 Apr 2024

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Hosts

Corey J. Mahler

coreyjmahler.com

@CoreyJMahler

    Woe

    aka Eschatologuy

    @treblewoe

      Knowledge is not what saves us, but faith cannot be devoid of content, for one must have faith in something. Part of being a Christian is, unsurprisingly, knowing the content of the Christian faith. Or, perhaps, this would be surprising to many, given the state of knowledge and belief among those claiming to be Christian — even among the best (in terms of knowledge and right belief) of those claiming to be Christian.

      In today’s episode, we return to the state of the churches. This time, we examine the general state of knowledge and belief among Christians. Do Christians even know the basics of the faith? For most, the answer is very clearly: No.

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      Show Notes

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      Further Reading

      Parental Warnings

      None.

      Transcript

      The transcript for this episode can be found here

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      Liturgical Life

      Corey J. Mahler on Wed 20 Dec 2023

      Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:42:01 — 195.5MB) | Embed

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      Hosts

      Corey J. Mahler

      coreyjmahler.com

      @CoreyJMahler

        Woe

        aka Eschatologuy

        @treblewoe

          Unlike the Old Testament Israelites, New Testament Christians are not required to observe any particular set of feasts, festivals, or commemorations — Scripture does not lay out a Church Year that we are required to follow. However, the Christian standard is not ‘What is required?’, but rather: ‘What is profitable?’ When we ask, instead of what we must do, what we should do for the sake of unity, instruction, and order, we arrive at a far different answer from that of most modern Christians, who have jettisoned from their faith much of the historic practices of the Church.

          Whereas we affirm that neither we nor you, as Christians, are required to observe the feasts, festivals, and commemorations of the Church and her historic calendar, we also resolutely contend that these observances are good for the body of Christ. It is in the cyclical and seasonal observances that we live out of lives as Christians and recognize our brothers-in-Christ, who are living out similar lives. There is a difference between the minimum of the faith and the fullness of the faith — we want you to have the latter.

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          Show Notes

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          Further Reading

          Parental Warnings

          None.

          Transcript

          The transcript for this episode can be found here

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          The Church

          Corey J. Mahler on Wed 13 Dec 2023

          Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:33:20 — 179.2MB) | Embed

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          Hosts

          Corey J. Mahler

          coreyjmahler.com

          @CoreyJMahler

            Woe

            aka Eschatologuy

            @treblewoe

              What do we mean by “Church” or “church”? When we use this term (or these terms, when writing permits distinguishing them with the capital letter), we really mean a handful of distinct things — it is important to keep these clear. In today’s episode, we go over the Church (universal), the church (institutional), and the church (local, congregational). For the Christian, there is great comfort in recognizing the reality of the Church, even when the churches may be in disarray.

              “In short, according to Lutheran teaching, it is faith in the Gospel which in every case establishes membership in the Christian Church. To him who believes the Gospel, membership in the Christian Church may not be denied; of him who rejects the Gospel, membership in the Christian Church may not be asserted. Excommunication pronounced against true believers does not deprive them of membership in the Church.”
              Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics

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              Show Notes

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              Further Reading

              Parental Warnings

              None.

              Transcript

              The transcript for this episode can be found here

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              The Reformation, Its Causes, and Its Consequences

              Corey J. Mahler on Wed 25 Oct 2023

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              Hosts

              Corey J. Mahler

              coreyjmahler.com

              @CoreyJMahler

                Woe

                aka Eschatologuy

                @treblewoe

                  The Reformation was not the beginning of the problems in the Western Church, nor in the Church more generally. Over the centuries before the beginning of the Reformation, generally accepted as 31 October 1517, the Church faced a number of heresies, divisions, and other problems. Yet God has always seen her through these tumultuous waters.

                  Today, we find ourselves yet again in need of reformation, for the existing church bodies are corrupt — virtually all from the top down. This does not mean that there are no faithful churches, that there are no faithful congregations, but we do, indeed, find ourselves virtually bereft of faithful, ‘official’ leadership.

                  To address these challenges and to restore Christendom, we will have to work together. Not as Lutherans or Reformed or Baptists or Romans or whatever other tradition or denomination we may call our own, but as Christians. This is not a call to abandon our distinctives or our doctrinal convictions; rather, it is a call to work together across these lines in the kingdom of the left hand of Christ.

                  God willing, our grandchildren will see a Christendom we have known only in history books.

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                  Show Notes

                  See Also

                  Further Reading

                  Parental Warnings

                  None.

                  Transcript

                  The transcript for this episode can be found here

                  Other transcripts can be found here

                  Support the Podcast

                  Comments?

                  Join the discussion on Telegram, visit the feedback form or comment below.