Caleb Keith

We have faith and trust in Christ alone for salvation. Misplaced trust in holy and good things like sanctified works and Law is still misplaced trust. We give thanks to God for the Law and the fruits of faith, yet justification and salvation come by faith in Christ alone.

The book I worked on more than 15 years ago with my friend Wade Johnston has been reissued by 1517. Wade translated and I wrote a fairly lengthy introductory essay. If you can, check it out!

First article found here. open.substack.com/pub/7kadv/p/fi…

I’ve had amazing opportunities to write and to publish over 10+ years. Amazing mentors, editors, and friends have worked and helped me to clearly communicate the Christ centered theology of the Lutheran reformation. I am now going to add some personal projects to my regular writing habits. I haven’t meaningfully written about non-theological issues or observations in a long time. I’m going to take up writing about hobbies, skills, interests that I think I worth passing down to my kids.

The influence and resurgence of pietism is a massive part of Lutheran history and influence. It was critical to the formation of the LCMS and to Walther's writings on election and the distinction between law and gospel. It goes beyond “don’t drink, don’t smoke” and is a core dimension of the missional movement.

@JohannesFlacius @CuttotheChase24 Historically, perhaps more pietistic than it might seem. Because it seems like zero percent. But over all in its totality, I don't think it's a large amount.

Open question, based on my experience over the past year: Why do so many Lutherans gravitate towards low-church evangelicalism, even forsaking our liturgy and confessions? I came from evangelly land. I grew up there. It's horrible. Confessional Lutheranism is WAAAY better!

Latest video on the topic: youtu.be/nmXb-LW37R8

You can't assume the Gospel or its meaning. Every Christian organization and group on the planet uses the word to describe its ministry. But using the word over and over again is meaningless unless we submit our language to Scripture and rightly distinguish the Law from the Gospel.

Worship is more than the songs before and after the sermon. @Caleb_E_Keith of @1517 joined @AdrielTweets on the latest episode of Core Christianity

It was great to join @solamediaorg and @AdrielTweets for a conversation about why Christians gather together as the church.

"Do not disregard Luther’s early disputations, but appreciate their specificity and recognize their pastoral and theological continuity with his later works." -@Caleb_E_Keith 1517.org/articles/dont-…

Hell is a bad word today. It’s the part of Christianity we are supposed to be ashamed of or feel bad about. But hell is real. We are called to warn the world about this suffering. Christians don’t need to dodge questions about hell, and we don’t need elaborate schemes to make our point. What we need are serious, simple statements that speak the truth.

"The testimony of the apostles is not an escapist message in which Christians are redeemed by leaving bodily life behind." -@JohannesFlacius 1517.org/articles/resur…

@Ad_Crucem @BrianK24708 Could add @ThinkingFellows we were audio only for 9 years but jumped on YouTube last year. @thinkingfellows1517?si=kaCvCr1GdjVLLhX_" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">youtube.com/@thinkingfello…

@BrianK24708 And we are happy to add channels; just let us know what is missing.

We got some constructive criticism about the Lutheran YouTube rankings methodology (specifically that it was unreasonably penalizing mature channels). We tweaked the formula and the rankings have been updated. See luthertube.adcrucem.app

Our church approaches families and their children on a case by case basis. My older two children began communing at around age seven. We have separated confirmation from reception of the Supper. They started receiving when they were able to clearly express a desire to receive and confess that what they were partaking in is the body and blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

Why is there so many Lutherans that are against early communion?😞 (ages; 10-14).

“All those called by the established means of grace” is an important Lutheran formulation regarding certainty and election. Election is not left hidden in the mind of God, but is actually delivered in a particular way through the proclamation of the Word and its joining to us in the Sacraments. Thus, I can actually cling to my election because it has been delivered to me in preaching, Baptism, and the Supper.

Catholic and Protestant fertility rates in the U.S. are nearly identical, both hovering close to the already low national average. At the same time, highly committed and engaged Christians, whether Catholic or conservative Protestant, tend to have significantly higher fertility rates. In practice, most Catholics do not closely follow the Church’s teaching on contraception, and it is rarely a central issue for Protestants when engaging Catholic claims. Attempts to smear Protestants as uniquely sexually degenerate for cheap apologetic points online is simply sinning against the 8th commandment.

I oppose this war. It appears clear that Iran posed no immediate threat to the United States. At this time, the cost in both lives and dollars is unjustified. There is no clearly defined cause or outcome that improves the lives or conditions of my neighbors or myself. We ought to pray that it ends quickly, with as few casualties as possible.

The Iran War is now in its fourth week. If you are an LCMS Lutheran, what do you think of it? I will share my view. I oppose it.

I understand that there are weak and unqualified men who make their way into the ministry. Time off and a planned sabbatical are rarely signs of that. Likewise, I have witnessed working-class men time and again degrade their pastors for having “easy work,” disparaging them in public or torpedoing their compensation in council meetings. All I want is for good men with drive and passion to enter the ministry. Compensate and treat them well so that high achievers are willing to pursue the pastoral office rather than choosing secular work simply because the incentives are higher.

@Caleb_E_Keith It appears to me that the point of the post escaped you. This is not a post about compensation, or even about sabbaticals being part of compensation.

I want my pastor to be paid well enough that his wife does not feel obligated to work and that his children are abundantly cared for in their needs and wants. I want my pastor to have ample time off, excellent benefits, and a sabbatical when needed. Not because someone else couldn’t do the base work (I’m perfectly capable), but because his call is to be set apart for proclaiming the Gospel at all times of need. A pastor shows up for the sick, the dying, the widowed, and the poor in spirit. The Gospel must be preached in my community, and my congregation is responsible for giving one man that duty. Those of us who have studied theology apart from the public ministry of the pastorate are especially responsible for defending and caring for these men. We should not insist that their work should not be generously compensated simply because we also know and can teach the faith.

Political and social commentary is obsessed with justice. In these cases, justice often becomes a pawn used to manipulate and gain influence. Christians possess the keys to true justice through justification in Christ.

"We believe in a Savior who raises the dead: this is why the church is the one place on earth that can speak plainly about abortion without collapsing into despair." -Scott Keith 1517.org/articles/let-t…