IN OUR IMAGE
Prof. Roland Hoenecke taught dogmatics for many years at Dr. Martin Luther College
in New Ulm, Minnesota. In that time he wrote a Dogmatics book called. "In Our Image"
His book has 25 chapters and is 674 pages long. Prof Hoenecke has since gone to heaven
but his work remains for the benefit of all who read it. This book is now available for
download or in disk through Books of the Way. The cost for download is only $12.00 or
if you want it in disk it would be an additional $5.00
The following quotes are taken from the foreward of "In Our Image."
"Let us make man in our image...." Amazing words! Few in number, uttered at the birth
of time, yea, for time and eternity. ...
Terrestrial language could never do justice to the great things God intended for man.
Even the sight of it by way of "a poor reflection" and the knowledge of it only "in part"
thrills us through and through. It simply passes all human understanding. Truly, God is love!
No longer is the situation as it once was and as the loving Creator intended it to remain.
One fatal step ruined all. Yielding to the old evil foe's presumptuous offer, our first
parents immediately and completely lost their prized possession. ...
God's grace designed the way to save rebellious man. Grace prompted the Father to offer
His Son. The Creator was determined that the "apple of His eye" regain "God's image lost." ...
"The only reason why God still concerns Himself with fallen mankind and preserves it -- and
for its sake also the world -- is that, according to Scripture, He desires to renew fallen
mankind to the image in which He originally created it." (Christian dogmatics, Pieper; Vol. 1, p 516)
To be meaningful, history must be viewed in the light of the image of God. The story of the
image of God -- that, and nothing less -- is history. In the last analysis, man's chart
and compass for his travels here below is God's revelation concerning the regaining of
the divine image.
That then, is the theme which causes all Scripture to be "useful for teaching" ...
Possessed by Christ and cloaked in God's Image, God's children well know the sole reason
for their continued stay in this vale of tears; theirs is the privilege task, as instruments
of God, to transform their fellowmen also into bearers of the divine Image. ...
"In Thy holy image built,
Let me die, Lord as Thou wilt." (THL 348:4)
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LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM TEACHING BOOK
The first part of the Catechism Book is used for the 7th grade, the second part is used for the 8th grade.
(I also use the first part for Adult Confirmation.)
In the first part, "Basic Bible Knowledge for Confirmation" the first lesson is used to
explain the set up of the Bible. After that lesson, you will note that each lesson has 2 parts. First comes the
section with the Bible quotes and then a Lesson follows to review those Bible quotes. I have the students mark,
underline and start to memorize certain items that I want them to know. I spend a full class period talking about
those Bible passages. Their assignment for the next time is to be able to talk about and understand the Question
Lesson Section with their book shut if necessary. (If they know that they might have to talk about the section with
the book shut, they do prepare) The lesson they studied is then reviewed and talked about preparing them to understanding
catechism concepts, phrases and words that will be in the 8th grade year. Words and concepts like, Original Sin and Actual
Sin, sins of Omission and Commission, First Table and Second Table, definition of the Law and introduction to the idea of a
Curb, Mirror and a Rule …
The 8th Grade section starts up on page 82. It is one straight lesson after another. I begin by going through the set up
of the Small Catechism and then I assign them Lesson #1. I tell them, "There are 2 ways we can do this. I can assign you
questions that you will have to look up and write down answers to, which we will then correct in class. Any answers that you
have wrong you will have to erase or cross out and write in the correct answer. Or, I can give you the answers that I want
you to know and you can learn them. Which one do you want?" They will always choose to have me give them the answers.
So I tell them, "All of your answers are written out for you. So learn the answers and be prepared to discuss them."
In this way they also have a book of answers for their future years. The next class period, I review the lesson they learned
and discuss the answers with them. (Each lesson usually has only 10 questions for them to learn, so it is not overly oppressive.)
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