WIC4b: Pieper's 8 questions to examine lay Christians

      This continues from Part WIC4a (Table of Contents in Part WIC1) in a series presenting a new translation of all of Franz Pieper's essays previously translated in the 1933 CPH book What Is Christianity? And Other Essays. — In this segment Pieper addresses the duty of all Christians to proclaim the Word to the world. I personally struggle with this "duty" and find Pieper's counsel to "speak God's Word in a very simple way" to be most helpful. — From pp. 26-35:

Notable Quotes:

26: "It is God's will that the masses be reached. That is why God has arranged it in such a way that Christians do not sit in a corner…"

27: "We are to be completely separated from the world in one respect, namely in our walk. … In another respect, we are to… penetrate the world, namely through the proclamation of the Gospel."

27: "The main means of reaching the masses is a completely different one. It is the preaching of the Word, which should be done by all Christians"

28: "these Christians, wherever they go and stand, should be the spiritual light for their surroundings and speak God's Word in a very simple way…Christians have a call for this way of preaching the Word."

28: "What was the privilege of individuals in the Old Testament has now become the duty of all Christians in the New Testament."

29: "But all Christians can and should testify to everyone that all people are sinners and are completely reconciled with God through Christ. If we look at the history of the Church, we must say that Christianity has been spread precisely through lay preaching."

29-30: Pieper's grand "brief examination of Christians" — 8 questions, with a response by a "Christian". A humbling experience for me when I ask myself whether I would answer Pieper's exam questions adequately.

1. "Do you perhaps know where this world, heaven and earth, and what is in it, comes from?"
2. "Then perhaps you also know who the one true God is?"
3. "Do you know who Jesus Christ is?"
4. "Do you know what Jesus Christ has done for you?"
5. "Do you also know how you can come to faith in Christ and remain in faith?"
6. "But if you now have to confess that you still sin much every day and certainly deserve punishment — how will you get out of this embarrassment?"
7. "If you lack anything in spiritual and physical things, do you know where you can turn and fill your lack?"
8. "Do you also know what will happen at the end of the world?"

31: "All Christians should preach the Word in their own homes. There should be no house in which a daily service is not held in one form or another." [In my youth our family read "Portals of Prayer" each day.]

32: "In former times…no one was married until he had passed an examination in catechism with the pastor.

33: Luther: "But if one were to come among the multitude where there were no Christians, one would want to do as the apostles did and not wait for a call." 

34: Luther: "we (we Christians) must know what we believe, namely, what God's Word is, not what the Pope or Council say or proclaim. For you must not trust in men at all, but in the pure Word of God (not in human interpretation of the Word)." [Against Prof. Biermann]

35: Luther: "If you hear such people who are so blinded and hardened that they deny that this is God's Word, what Christ and the apostles have spoken and written, or doubt it, just keep quiet, don't say a word to them and let them go" [A Luther quote that I will never forget!]

In then next Part WIC4c, …