From the Pastor’s Desk

And the third day He rose again according to the scriptures

Dear Saints of Mount Calvary LCMS,

Last summer our family stopped at Monticello during our family vacation. We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Jefferson’s home and would highly recommend the trip to anyone.

After I visited, Elmer Yochum lent me a copy of Jefferson’s Bible. (Elmer’s mother Doris, also a member of the congregation, served as a docent at Monticello for many years.) The actual title of the work is, “The Life & Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, extracted textually from the Gospels in Greek, Latin, French, and English.”

Jefferson believed in Christ as a historical figure but did not believe in the miracles of Jesus even though they were attested by eyewitnesses. Jefferson removed all of the events of the Bible that did not make sense according to his human reasoning. Look below for a facsimile of the last page of the Jefferson bible. You will see how he literally cut and pasted sections of the bible together removing the parts that he disapproved of.

Understanding that this is the last page of Jefferson’s Bible, ask yourself as to what he believed about the resurrection of the body. Turn in your bible and read 1 Corinthians 15 (especially verse 17) and consider the following questions. Does the resurrection of Jesus from the dead matter? If it is not a historical event, then what does that mean? Look up the Nicene Creed. How is Jefferson’s Christianity different than the Christianity as represented by the historic creeds of Christendom? How does the resurrection of the body give us hope here and now?

We laud and respect many people for their ideas and contributions to society. This does not mean that we agree with them on every point. The Lord also uses broken instruments for His purposes. May the Lord bless your Easter as you contemplate the reality and meaning of the teachings of Sacred Scripture. Blessings from our risen and reigning Lord be with you always.

For further information about the Jefferson Bible see: Jefferson Bible – Wikipedia. To look at a complete edition of the bible find it on the Internet Archive.