Acts 8:30 So, Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

In the book of Acts, Philip runs up to the Ethiopian eunuch and when he hears him reading Isaiah, Philip asks him, “Do you understand what you're reading?” The Ethiopian eunuch doesn't understand, and invites Philip to teach him. But the only reason Philip can teach him is because first he knew the Scriptures and what they meant.

When I was young I learned my times tables, and I learned (mostly) how to spell. And I haven't had to go back and relearn these things because that knowledge is finite. 2x2 is always 2x2. But Scripture is much more complicated than that.

I may be able to recite the Ten Commandments without hesitation, but to truly understand them and apply them to the many circumstances in life is a task I will never do perfectly, even after a lifetime of study. But I can keep growing in my understanding of Scripture, and then I can make use of the wisdom that I have gained. So, who do we study the Bible for? 

Yourself: The first person to study your Bible for is yourself. We study the Scriptures so that we can know God better and live our life according to His Word. Paul talks about being transformed by God's Word so that we can discern the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2), and so we can present ourself to God as one approved... rightly handling the word of truth. (2 Timothy 2:15) We study God's Word to remind us of His love and care for us, and, most especially, to remind ourselves of the forgiveness He offers through faith in the work of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Our Neighbor: Our neighbor includes anybody that isn’t ourself: our spouse, our children, our parents, strangers, and yes, even our neighbors. We study the Scriptures so we can help our neighbors. Unless Philip knew the Scriptures he could not have helped the Ethiopian Eunuch.

Parents need to know God’s Word so they can train their children “in the way he should go.” And that first requires knowing God’s way. But think of the blessings that come from that— that your child may know the love of God, and understand the salvation that Christ has won for them.

Hebrews says that we should “encourage one another.” And by that the author means encourage one another in the faith so that we don't fall away. When we study the Bible, we equip ourselves to help our neighbor, especially in times of trouble and hardship. God's Word is also given to us for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. God’s Word may directly do all these things for us, but when we know God’s Word, we can also use it in this way to lovingly reprove, correct and train others.

The Holy Spirit: I’m cheating a little bit here, but… we can also study the Scriptures for the Holy Spirit. No, the Holy Spirit doesn’t need to learn the Scriptures, but the Spirit uses the Word of God to transform hearts. Your time in the Scriptures creates opportunities for Him to conform you to be more and more like Christ. (Romans 12:2)

In Psalm 16, David writes, “I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.” Think about that. When God's Word is in you, even when you're not actively reading it or studying it, the Holy Spirit can use what you've heard, read or studied to help you understand God that much better.

If you're not regularly engaged in Bible study, I would encourage you to consider whether you can join us on Sundays or Wednesdays—to spend time with your brothers and sisters, and deepen your understanding of Scripture. If your schedule doesn't allow, pick up your Bible at home. It only takes a few minutes to read a chapter or two a day. The hard part is to make reading your Bible a regular pattern. But if you can do this, the Spirit will reward you as you grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. And you will also be that much better prepared to be a blessing to your neighbor.

✝️ Pastor Deming

The full newsletter can be found here:
https://www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2026/2026-07-Newsletter.pdf

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

In 1522, Martin Luther emerged from hiding in Wartburg Castle, risking his life to restore order to the young Reformation. In his absence, his former colleague Andreas Karlstadt had introduced radical changes in Wittenberg, including the violent destruction of religious art—altarpieces, statues, stained glass windows, and more. Karlstadt sought to purge the church of anything associated with Rome. His actions stood in sharp contrast to Luther’s hope of reforming the Church through careful study of the Scriptures. With the help of others, Luther was able to stop the destruction of church art in the German territories.

In Switzerland, Huldrych Zwingli took a different approach. He and his followers taught that if the Bible did not explicitly command a practice or element in worship, it had no place in the church. This principle led to the removal of religious art used for beautification or instruction. As a result, many churches in the Reformed, Presbyterian, and Reformed Baptist traditions feature plain sanctuaries—often with a stage rather than a traditional altar, and minimal or no Christian symbols, including the cross. 

Luther, and the Lutheran Reformers, by contrast, recognized art as a valuable gift from God. In an era when most people could not read, religious images reinforced the teachings of Scripture. Existing art in churches that became Lutheran was generally retained, and new works were created. One outstanding example is the Weimar Altarpiece in the Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Weimar, painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder and completed by his son, Lucas Cranach the Younger, between 1552 and 1555.

I recently purchased a print of this powerful altarpiece. Like much of the best Medieval and Renaissance Christian art, it was created to teach and proclaim the Bible. At the center is the crucified Christ—Jesus the victim and the atoning substitute for our sin. In the lower left, the risen Christ stands victorious, trampling death and the devil.

At the foot of the cross on the right are three key figures. John the Baptist, true to his calling, points directly to Christ. Beside him stands Lucas Cranach the Elder, with a stream of blood from Christ’s pierced side flowing onto his head—a personal confession that the blood of Christ was shed for him. Next to Cranach is Martin Luther, who points to an open Bible containing three key passages. The first is 1 John 1:7: “The blood of Jesus…cleanses us from all sin.”

The background is rich with additional biblical imagery: Moses, the bronze serpent, Satan, and Death. There is far more theological depth in this single work than can be covered in a short article. The more one studies it, the more one sees the fullness of God’s plan of salvation centered in Christ. 

Artistic styles have changed since the Renaissance. We may now prefer the simpler beauty of sunflowers or water lilies to the complex, symbol-laden compositions of Michelangelo or Cranach. Churches have large crosses above the altar instead of altarpieces or sculptures. Yet art remains a wonderful gift for reinforcing faith. This is why Lutherans have historically embraced its use in the church—from majestic altarpieces like the Weimar Altarpiece, to stained glass, carved pulpits, banners, paintings, sculptures, and other adornments that point us to Christ.

As St. Paul encourages, we are to dwell on whatever is true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8). In the Weimar Altarpiece, I see the history of God’s saving plan, Christ’s atoning work for me, and the precious gift of the Lutheran Reformation, which proclaims that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. While the beauty of nature scenes has its place, it cannot compare to the comfort of beholding Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil.

Come to my office any time if you would like to see the painting up close. You can learn more about the images in the painting here: https://mounthopecasper.com/cranachs-weimar-altarpiece/

Epitaph-altarpiece of Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous in the Weimar parish church St. Peter and Paul [central panel] Lucas Cranach the Elder and Lucas Cranach the Younger, 1555

✝️ Pastor Deming

The full newsletter can be found here:
https://www.faithmoorpark.com/files/pdf/2026/2026-06-Newsletter.pdf