The picture the New Testament gives of ekklesia is an assembly which possesses the keys of the kingdom of God. This assembly administers these keys by Christ’s authority and according to his will. Luther saw only one church, ...

Prof. Tiefel examines the concept of Gottesdienst and encourages the reader to rethink some questions about liturgical vs. contemporary worship - not ‘that’ congregations worship in the way they do, but ‘why.’

This essay first appeared in Luther Lives: Essays in commemoration of the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s birth, Edward C. Friedrich, editor. Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Publishing House, 1983.