Pastor Foltz is Pastor Emeritus of Saint James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg, PA and author of the the Frontline Study content.
King Josiah might be the most underrated person in the Old Testament. Only he and Hezekiah are described as righteous kings after David. Yet hardly anyone has ever heard about him. His claim to fame is leading a MIGA (Make Israel Great Again) program in the seventh century BC. I thought it might be interesting […]
The story of the ancient judge Gideon is one of my favorites. Midian oppression has driven the Israelites into hiding. God answers their cries for help by calling Gideon, the weakest member of the lowest clan, to leadership. He wants to make clear that he saves them, not their own strength. First, God demonstrates in […]
This is a sermon I recently offered that fits into the series. It asks what we know about Joseph of Arimathea. The quick answer is “not much.” There are all sorts of legends, from his being Jesus’ uncle to his being the first to carry the Gospel to Britain. He is sometimes associated with the […]
Although we usually think of conservative Evangelicals and Roman Catholics as supporting Donald Trump, most of the Christians he counsels are Pentecostals. They are the ones we see gathered around to lay hands on him as God’s chosen. Most Christian Nationalists also exhibit Pentecostal features. Prophets in the New Testament and modern Pentecostal churches receive […]
I pulled up this 12-year-old devotion to help write about Phillip. Thinking I could not do any better, I just decided to use it. Besides that, because it predates the Trump reign, it reminds us that our problem has to do with more than one human. Acts 8: 26 The eunuch asked Philip, ‘About whom, […]
I imagine most of us know that the church used Paul’s letters to develop a theology around Jesus’ life and teachings. Although those letters address specific concerns in particular churches, they do assume a rather coherent perspective. Most of the people in my parish appreciated Paul. However, some berated him over two matters. The first […]
We all know Peter as the outspoken fisherman who is the first to recognize Jesus as the Christ. Although he was a leader among the apostles, he denied knowing Jesus after his arrest. Then, in a famous resurrection appearance, he was forgiven and became the spokesman for believers at Pentecost. Almost overlooked is his opening […]
Pentecost is the New Testament creation story. The Spirit of God moves to bring order—or perhaps it’s better to say it reorders or heals the corrupted creation. Pentecost addresses the themes I found in the Old Testament stories. Admittedly, I read those stories from the perspective of our present political situation. However, the fact that […]
I decided to examine Old Testament stories to counter Christians who are using their faith to endorse self-serving MAGA programs. For the most part that has worked out. A good portion of the stories call God’s people to care for the poor and extend kindness to foreigners living among us. They picture believers resisting the […]
When I reread the Esther story this time, I was constantly reminded of the cowboy movies that were a big part of my young life. Every Saturday afternoon, my parents would give my brother and me 12 cents, and off we went to the big social event of the week— the 2 o’clock movie at […]
Frontline Study is an online discussion of the scriptures, inviting you to share your comments and your reflections on each weekly topic. Simply click on the "Add Reply" text at the top of each post to see what others have posted and to add your thoughts.By continuing to use the site, you agree to the use of cookies. more information
The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click "Accept" below then you are consenting to this.
