Koinonia: Men's Bible Study

Koinonia brings men together at Tom's Pancake House at 6:30-7:30 a.m. every Tuesday morning for fellowship, spiritual enlightenment and good food. Tom's Pancake House is at 12925 SW Canyon Rd in Beaverton.

We are currently studying Galatians, Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

God’s grace cannot be compromised. Law and gospel cannot be mingled. Paul encounters this situation in Galatians. Some very sincere Jewish Christians from Judea were troubling newly founded churches by insisting that the Gentile members submit to circumcision and other aspects of the ceremonial law, for in their view faith in the gospel was not sufficient; observance of the ceremonial law must be added.

The apostle Paul, as he identifies himself, immediately and emotionally counteracts the claims of these Judaizers by sending a scorching letter.

Galatians stands as an eloquent and vigorous apologetic for the essential new testament truth that man is justified through faith in Jesus Christ, by nothing less and nothing more, and that he is sanctified not by legalistic works but by the obedience that comes from faith in God’s work for him, in him and through him by the grace and power of Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Join the Men of St Matthew for lively and dynamic Tuesday mornings as we learn what it means to be a Lutheran in the Christian Faith.

Past Bible Studies

The first half of 2004 we studied the Augsburg Confession. This document represents the foundation of our Lutheran faith and we found it particularly relevant given the climate in the church today.

For most of 2003 we worked through the book of Acts. Loosely following the study guide in the Master Builder's Bible from Lutheran Men in Mission we read and discussed as the Sprit led us.

During 2002 we were studying "Studies in Lutheran Doctrine." This is the book on the small catechism that the youth study for confirmation. It is a question and answer pattern for learning "what it means to be a Lutheran in the Christian Faith."

In December 2001, we completed our study of the Book of Ephesians; Paul's letter to the Ephesians, one of the four letters known as the Prison Epistles. It was written when Paul was (once again) in jail, as a result of Epaphras visiting Paul there, bearing disturbing news about the church of Colassae. Apparently, heretical teaching had begun to take root in the church, threatening its very existence. So Paul writes the Christians at Colossae (The letter to the Colossians; the first letter). The third letter, Ephesians, was written to neighboring churches in the Roman Province of Asia. There is good reason to believe that Ephesians was not written solely for the church (or churches) at Ephesus, but rather was a circular letter intended to be read by all the churches in Asia Minor.