This article comes from The Center of Apologetics and Worldviews at Bethany Lutheran College. It is from a series entitled “Q&A Leading to Christ.”

People talk about sex a lot. TV sitcoms joke about it. Politicians debate rights for “sexual minorities.” Progressives “modernize” God’s plan for sex. Terminology across the so-called “gender spectrum” seems to be changing almost daily.

An easy way to figure out what people think about sex is to look at the words they use. Below are two lists of twelve words each. The first list consists of the most common words used by the church for centuries when talking about sex. The second list consists of twelve of the most common words used in society today.

Traditional Christian Vocabulary

Today’s Worldly Vocabulary

When people form sentences out of the words from the first list, they can easily express biblical truth: “God created us male and female. The Sixth Commandment promotes the virtue of chastity, which requires self-control. Sexual intimacy should be reserved for marriage. The relationship between husband and wife is one of life-long fidelity. Some people are called to celibacy instead of marriage. All people must be cautious to avoid lust. Sexual intercourse between unmarried persons is called fornication; when one person is married to someone else, it is called adultery. Either way, it is a serious sin against one’s neighbor and of course against God. Fornication-for-hire is called harlotry. A sexual act with someone of the same sex utterly rejects God’s creation plan and is called sodomy.”

The early sentences in the preceding paragraph highlight behaviors that promote physical and emotional health for adults and also the well-being of their children. The lessons in that paragraph hold true to how human relationships actually work. Lived experience, the human conscience, and the Ten Commandments all make it obvious where the line between purity and sin must be drawn. God’s way works; nothing else can.

When people use the other twelve words, they form very different sorts of sentences: “Some people are gay, others are lesbian, and still others are bisexual. So, heterosexual is just one of several options. Other people identify as transgender, meaning they were born with a male or female body, but they are transitioning into the other kind of body, perhaps through hormones or surgery. The LGBTQ+ community welcomes everyone. Heterosexism is judgmental and excludes people. Women are entitled to reproductive rights; abortion is a women’s health issue. It’s wrong to judge. Everyone should simply respect everyone else’s sexual freedom.”

Such revisionist terminology serves a false and deceptive philosophy. (cf. Colossians 2:8) The deception relies upon new and strange words that were purposely invented to lead people astray from God’s plan. Depression, disease, and death result from the so-called “sexual freedom” celebrated in the revised paragraph. Sadly, such “alternative lifestyles” are nothing more than deathstyles. The deception is that serious.

By becoming fluent in biblical phrases, Christians have an opportunity to speak words of truth to deceived people who are hurting and hell-bound. God’s own vocabulary distinguishes right from wrong. God’s own words announce merciful forgiveness to those who have fallen into sexual sin. This Gospel truth brings the hope that the world, with all its deceitful words, cannot provide.

Dr. Ryan C. MacPherson is the director of the

Center for Apologetics and Worldviews, and

professor of history, philosophy, and legal studies

at Bethany Lutheran College.

Learn More:
www.els.org/apologetics-resources

Second Bible Study on Ars Moriendi – “The Art of Dying Well”

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“Ars Moriendi – The Art of Dying Well”

Writing to those concerned about the plague in his day, Martin Luther said, “Everyone should prepare in time and get ready for death.”

From the moment we are born we are dying. We are brought into newness of life in Christ and the Church through the death of Holy Baptism. Much of our Lord’s teaching and the teaching of Scripture is about learning to die well, which leads to a life lived well, now and for all eternity.  Join us for a Bible Study utilizing Ars Moriendi (‘art of dying’) literature from the Reformation era.  You will learn what it means to die well, and as a result, what it means to live well.

First Bible Study on Ars Moriendi – “The Art of Dying Well”

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“Ars Moriendi – The Art of Dying Well”

Writing to those concerned about the plague in his day, Martin Luther said, “Everyone should prepare in time and get ready for death.”

From the moment we are born we are dying. We are brought into newness of life in Christ and the Church through the death of Holy Baptism. Much of our Lord’s teaching and the teaching of Scripture is about learning to die well, which leads to a life lived well, now and for all eternity.  Join us for a Bible Study utilizing Ars Moriendi (‘art of dying’) literature from the Reformation era.  You will learn what it means to die well, and as a result, what it means to live well.

I am always a fan of J. S. Bach’s cantatas for each Sunday of the church year. He also has cantatas for Feast Days, including St. Michael and All Angels, which we in the ELS observe on the final Sunday in September, a tradition we have inherited from our Scandinavian forbearers.

Bach’s Cantata outlines four reasons to feast to angels:

1.  They wage war against Satan and his minions.
   Revelation 12
2. They protect the souls of the faithful.
   Psalm 91
   Matthew 18:1–10
3. Angels teach us to sing. 
   Luke 2:13-14
   Isaiah 6:1-7
   Revelation 4:8; 5:11-12, 7:9-12
4. They minister to us at the hour of death.
   Luke 16:19-31

While you can find various English translations of Bach’s Cantatas, they aren’t easily sung due to fairly literal (and therefore, non-poetic) translations.

While working on my Bible Study for Sunday, I spent a little time translating and adapting parts of Bach’s Cantata to be sung as a hymn. The tune is Freu Dich Sehr, which is what Bach uses as his final chorale melody.

Great the war fought by the angels
Serpent verse the seraphim
Dragon storms, but still he falls
Lost his place, with his regime.
Saint Michael has won the day
And the host who to God pray.
Christ is ris’n, hell defeated
Victory has been completed.

God sends us to Ma-ha-naim; [Hebrew: two hosts]
So can we in safe repose
Whether we go or we come,
Stand steadfast before our foes.
He is camped both far and near
The’angel of God, our Savior dear
Fire and horse and chariot
Ensure that to heav’n we’re brought.

Give Thine angels Your command
That my foot may not be stung
Lift me up into their hand
And teach me as they have sung:
“Gloria in highest heav’n
Word made flesh now for man giv’n
Touch my lips and cleanse me purely
Lord most Holy, Holy, Holy.”

Let Thine angel travel with me
On Elijah’s chariot red.
Guard and keep my soul in safety
Like poor Laz’rus when he died.
Give my soul consoling peace
In Thy bosom let it rest
‘Till my body’s resurrection
Joined with Christ in blest reunion.

J.S. Bach, BWV 19, Es erhub sich ein Streit.  
Translation © Jeff Hendrix, 2021.

Painting is by Alexey Steele, 1967