Amazing Grace Lutheran Church

The Transfiguration of our Lord B – February 19, 2012
2 Kings 2:1-12
“The company of prophets… came out to Elisha” vs. 3

Three times on Elisha’s last journey with Elijah, we hear of a company of prophets who “came out,” drew near, or “stood at a
distance.” Prophetic authority is about to pass; the company of prophets will bear witness to the succession. Elijah and Elisha don’t walk alone; they are accompanied by a community of prophets sustained over successive generations.  The historian of religion, Mark Noll, in a 1992 article in the journal
First Things, claimed Lutherans could strengthen the American idea of “church” as a “voluntaristic ecclesiastical organization.” In the Lutheran concept of church, it has a generational history, i.e. it is the product of many generations—a strengthening of the weakness in thinking of the church as the “possession” of this generation.  Prophetic succession in the Old Testament gave way to apostolic succession in the New Testament. Each generation of prophets… each generation of apostles was expected to preach the same message as the generations before them. We confess this in the Nicene Creed saying, “I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic
Church.” The Word of the Lord comes to each generation afresh:  “Behold, I am doing a new thing…” (Isa. 43:19) but it is the same Word done anew in each generation, not a “new” new thing for each generation. “Christ is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.” (He. 13:8) He is the Word of the Lord—the “new thing”—preached for new ears to hear and join the succession.

Table Talk:

Discuss the appropriateness of Nolls analysis and the
importance of generational continuity with the apostolic message.

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, grant me to hear your Word and believe.

(Reprinted with permission from Institute of Lutheran Theology)

Institute of Lutheran
Theology