One Body: Understanding The Law and Gospel Distinction

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Trinity Lutheran Church (Norfolk, VA)

Trinity Lutheran (Norfolk, VA)

141 episodes

3 days ago

Weekly teaching and preaching from Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Norfolk, VA. Rev. Matt Doebler, Pastor Making disciples and making them stronger through Word and Sacrament.

Christianity

Religion & Spirituality

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Weekly teaching and preaching from Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Norfolk, VA. Rev. Matt Doebler, Pastor Making disciples and making them stronger through Word and Sacrament.

Christianity

Religion & Spirituality

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One Body: Understanding The Law and Gospel Distinction

Trinity Lutheran Church (Norfolk, VA)

42 minutes 12 seconds

1 month ago

One Body: Understanding The Law and Gospel Distinction

One Body: Understanding the Law/Gospel Distinction

Lesson 04 in our series (series began September 7, 2025)

⁠⁠Click here to view the lesson slides⁠

Lesson Summary:

We continue One Body with the law–gospel distinction, a crown jewel of Lutheran theology closely tied to justification. Scripture’s words don’t just say things; they do things. We explore the content of Law (God’s good design and commands) and Gospel (God’s saving promises in Christ), and the functions they perform—accusing, driving to repentance, guiding the baptized, and comforting with absolution. Using 1 Corinthians 1:18 (“word of the cross” as folly vs. power), we show why application depends on the hearer’s condition. We warn against gospel reductionism, clarify that every word of God is life-giving, and walk through case studies: Old vs. New Testament law/gospel, Jonah’s five-word sermon, Romans 6 on baptism (death and new life), and a difficult public example of forgiveness after tragedy. Bottom line: the Law serves the Gospel, and faithful pastors and people apply both with Spirit-given wisdom.

Key takeaways:

Two dimensions: Law/Gospel each have content and function; application isn’t just color-coding verses.
Law’s goodness: Pre-fall design, ongoing duty; post-fall it accuses and—by the Spirit—also guides the baptized.
Gospel’s power: Objective promise in Christ; received by the repentant as salvation, rejected as “folly.”
Every word gives life: The Law drives to Christ; the Gospel truly comforts sinners.
No gospel-only editing: Gospel reductionism guts both God’s authority and the Gospel’s sweetness.
Case studies: OT/NT both contain Law & Gospel; Jonah and 1 Cor 1:18 illustrate function; Rom 6 shows death-to-life; public forgiveness highlights pronouncement vs. reception.
Pastoral wisdom: Ask, “Why do you want to know?” to discern Law or Gospel in the moment.

Scripture referenced: 1 Cor 1:18; Gen 1–3; Ps 119; Lev (“Be holy…”); Jonah; Rom 6; Luke 23; Matt 6 (Lord’s Prayer).

This class is taught by: Rev. Matt Doebler, pastor of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Norfolk, VA⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (LCMS)⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TLCnorfolk.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our mission is to make disciples and make them stronger through Word and Sacrament. (Mt. 28: 18-20)