Thy Strong Word reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God’s Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Thy Strong Word is hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, and graciously underwritten by the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.
Latest episodes
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55 min
2 Corinthians 11:16–33: Who Would Boast About This?
Forced to answer men who boast about their credentials, Paul presents a record of beatings, prison stays, shipwrecks, hunger, and sleepless nights. He even recounts escaping a city…
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57 min
2 Corinthians 11:1–15: Which Jesus Are They Preaching?
A preacher speaks about Jesus, offers spiritual experiences, and claims to bring good news. Why would Paul warn the congregation against him? The Corinthians are tolerating teacher…
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56 min
2 Corinthians 10:1–18: When Gentleness Looks Like Weakness
Paul’s critics have a verdict: his letters sound strong, but in person he is unimpressive. Can someone so easily dismissed really speak with Christ’s authority? Paul answers with t…
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56 min
2 Corinthians 9:1–15: What Does a Generous Giver Reap?
The Corinthians’ eagerness to help had inspired other believers, but their promised gift still needed to be prepared. How can Paul urge them to follow through while insisting that…
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53 min
2 Corinthians 8:1–24: Why Were the Poor Begging to Give?
The Macedonian Christians were suffering and deeply poor, yet they begged to take part in an offering for other believers. What could make giving feel like a privilege under those…
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57 min
2 Corinthians 7:1–16: Good Grief!
Sorrow over sin can lead in very different directions. Paul distinguishes godly grief, which produces repentance leading to salvation, from worldly grief, which produces death. Wha…
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57 min
2 Corinthians 6:1–18: Can You Receive God’s Grace in Vain?
“Now is the day of salvation.” Paul pleads with the Corinthians not to turn away from the grace God gives them in Christ. His ministry has brought suffering, poverty, and sorrow, y…
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58 min
2 Corinthians 5:1–21: Our Aim is to Please God
How can a sinner look forward to meeting his Judge? Paul longs to be at home with the Lord, even as he warns that we must all appear before Christ’s judgment seat. From the promise…
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57 min
2 Corinthians 4:1–18: Why Put Treasure in Something So Breakable?
Afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down, Paul carries the treasure of the Gospel in a fragile clay jar. His weakness makes clear that the power belongs to God. Yet how ca…
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56 min
2 Corinthians 3:1–18: God's Word Kills
God’s commandments came with glory, yet Paul calls their ministry a ministry of death. How can God’s holy Word condemn the very people who receive it? The Law exposes our sin and l…
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58 min
2 Corinthians 2:1–17: When It Is Time to Forgive
A congregation has confronted a serious offense. Now Paul warns that its response could leave a repentant sinner overwhelmed by sorrow and give Satan an advantage. What happens whe…
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57 min
2 Corinthians 1:1–24: When Your Strength Gives Out
Paul admits that he was so burdened beyond his strength that he despaired of life itself. What does an apostle cling to when he cannot see a way forward? As we begin Second Corinth…
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57 min
1 Corinthians 16:1–24: After the Amen, There Is Work to Do
After proclaiming the resurrection of the dead, Paul turns to a collection, travel plans, and the people the Corinthians need to welcome. These ordinary concerns show what the Gosp…
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56 min
1 Corinthians 15:45–58: We Shall All Be Changed
If Christ has conquered death, why are we still burying Christians? Our bodies bear Adam’s likeness, marked by weakness, decay, and death. Yet Paul promises that we will also bear…
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57 min
1 Corinthians 15:20–44: What Comes Out of the Grave?
A body lowered into the grave looks like the end of everything. Paul compares it to a seed being sown, because Christ’s resurrection has begun a harvest that death cannot prevent.…
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59 min
1 Corinthians 15:1–19: If the Dead Stay Dead
Could Christianity still offer something worthwhile if the dead never rise? Paul refuses to let the Corinthians treat resurrection as an optional belief. If the dead cannot rise, C…
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56 min
Free Text First Friday: The Bible––Out of Context
“Judge not.” “I can do all things.” “God won’t give you more than you can handle.” These are familiar words of Scripture that even many unbelievers know. Does Jesus forbid us to ca…
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57 min
1 Corinthians 14:1–40: Tongues, Women, and Speaking in Worship
Everyone seems to have something to say in Corinth, but who is being helped by what is heard? Paul would rather speak five understandable words than ten thousand in a tongue. He ca…
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57 min
1 Corinthians 12:27–13:13: God Loves Me Best
Imagine knowing every mystery, speaking with extraordinary eloquence, and giving away everything you own. Paul says that without love, even these impressive things amount to nothin…
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59 min
1 Corinthians 12:1–26: Spiritual Gifts of Grace
Some Christians wonder whether they have anything to offer. Others act as though the Church could get along without everyone else. Paul answers both by pointing to the church as an…