David P Scaer

In a world tossed about by uncertainties and whims over authenticity and identity, this eleventh volume of the Confessional Lutheran Dogmatics series anchors Christian redemption, life, and salvation in baptism into the Holy Trinity. This book carefully and faithfully presents the biblical meaning of baptism, focusing on Scriptural teaching often overlooked by those outside of Lutheranism. Baptism is not simply a ritual of initiation into the Christian community but marks the beginning and ongoing work of the Spirit for a Christian in carrying out God's promises of forgiveness, adoption, regeneration, and sanctification in the church. The sacrament of baptism, carried out by Christ through His ministry, joins a person to Christ's death and resurrection. What is confessed in the Apostles' Creed is carried out concretely in baptism, joining a person to the Christian faith and the history of salvation. Biblical, accessible, and practical, this book explores the biblical origins and efficacy of baptism and its relationship to original sin, the Trinity, and the faith of infants. Included are pastoral sections addressing such topics as the fate of unbaptized children and whether pastors should honor all requests for baptism.

Surviving the Storms: Memoirs of David P. Scaer. Like a memoir, it contains the memories of David Scaer; like a biography, much of the reflections are supported by a documentary corpus assembled by him, primary source material, secondary sources and memoirs of his contemporaries. In some places, he teaches, explaining concepts in the study and teaching of Biblical exegesis and systematic theology. More than anything else, it is the telling of his story?that of a professor of theology during difficult days in the history of the Lutheran Church?Missouri Synod.

Focusing his exploration on Jesus' Five Discourses, Scaer demonstrates that Matthew was written as catechesis, a method in concert with its content and organization. The discourses summarize the message the disciples are to carry to "all nations" and each discourse builds on its predecessors to culminate in the narrative of Jesus' death and resurrection, which is the Gospel's interpretive key.From this bookAlthough scholars may differ on the precise beginnings and endings of Matthew's Five Discourses, they can be divided in this way: (1) the Sermon on the Mount, Matt 5:1-7:28a; (2) apostolic authority and martyrdom, Matt 9:35-11:1; (3) the parables, Matt 12:46-13:53; (4) casuistry, or resolving incidental matters of church practice, Matt 17:22] 18:1-19:1; and (5) the end times, Matt 23:1-26:1. These divisions are determined by their similar conclusions- "When Jesus had finished"-and are brought together by the Gospel's conclusion: "teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you" (28:20). Each discourse is a self-contained unit, but the meaning of each is related to and dependent on the others. No single discourse can be understood by itself without the possibility of misinterpretation.

The epistle of James is often poorly understood. Beyond questions of authorship and dating, its contents are troubling. Its powerful accusations of sin seem to overshadow the Gospel. For this reason Luther called it an epistle of straw and questioned whether it should be in the Bible at all. Author David Scaer thinks differently, and he shares his insights with us in 'James, the Apostle of Faith'. As the title indicates, faith in Christ and the comforting Gospel are prominent in many places throughout this epistle. Far from being a dreary series of moralisms, James is filled with references to the atonement, faith, and forgiveness - the sublime Gospel themes of the New Testament. Particularly revealing are many parallels between the Epistle of James and the Gospel of Matthew, especially the Sermon on the Mount and Jesus' agricultural parables. In this study of James, Dr. Scaer makes exciting discoveries, some of which will surprise you. You may not agree with everything he says, but your thinking will certainly be stimulated. Dr. Paul Maier, Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University and author of several best-selling studies of the New Testament, provides a most interesting and informative Foreword, giving valuable historical background about James, the brother of our Lord, and the times in which he lived.