What did Jesus mean when He said that if we forgive others, our heavenly Father will forgive us—but if we do not forgive others, neither will our Father forgive us?

In this episode of The Study Boys, Lex Lutheran and FLAME respond to the recent dialogue between Ethiopian Orthodox Deacon Mihret Melaku and Ruslan Karaoglanov (Ruslan KD) and wrestle with one of Jesus’ most challenging teachings.

Is Jesus teaching that our works contribute to our salvation? Is our forgiveness from God conditioned upon our ability to forgive others? Or is something else happening in these passages?

We explore these questions through the Law-Gospel distinction, asking what Jesus’ words reveal about God’s perfect, unmovable, and unbudgeable standard of righteousness—and what they reveal about us.

We also discuss the Christian as simultaneously sinner and saint, our ongoing need to confess our sins and pray for forgiveness, and why our true righteousness can never finally be located in our performance—even our performance of forgiveness—but only in Jesus Christ and His righteousness for us.

How do we take Jesus’ warning with full seriousness without turning the Gospel into a system of salvation by works?

Let’s study. 📖

Every Christian good isn't the gospel.

Obedience is good. Loving your neighbor is good. Prayer is good. Justice is good. Mercy is good. Holiness is good. Faithfulness is good. But none of these are the gospel.

So what is the gospel?

In this episode of The Study Boys, FLAME and Lex Lutheran tackle one of the most important—and most confused—questions in Christianity. Drawing from Dr. Michael Horton's work as a springboard, they examine why the gospel is something specific, objective, and unique: the announcement of what God has accomplished for sinners through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins.

Why does it matter to distinguish the gospel from the law? What happens when every Christian virtue, command, or good work is called "the gospel"? How does this confusion affect preaching, assurance, sanctification, and the Christian life?

Join us as we recover the biblical distinction between Law and Gospel and ask a simple but vital question:

If that's not the gospel… what is?

Can we really all be one simply because we use the name Jesus and identify as Christian? Or does Christian unity require something deeper?

In this episode of The Study Boys, Lex Lutheran and myself (FLAME) tackle one of Christianity's most pressing questions: Can’t we all be one in Christ Jesus and get along?

Together, we wrestle with the biblical call to unity while also asking whether there are times when division is not only unavoidable, but faithful. Looking closely at Matthew 13, we discuss Jesus' parable of the wheat and the weeds, considering what it means to let them grow together until the harvest without abandoning the Church's responsibility to distinguish truth from error.

Is every disagreement worth dividing over? Can Christians simply rally around the name of Jesus? Where do we draw the line between charitable disagreement and doctrinal compromise?

Join us as we explore biblical unity, necessary division, Christian charity, and why truth and love must always go hand in hand.

Is baptism merely a public symbol of an inward faith, or is it one of the very means through which God delivers His saving promises?

In this episode of The Study Boys, we react to and analyze clips from Philip Anthony Mitchell and Gina Views as they discuss the nature of baptism. Using their comments as a springboard, we examine what Scripture actually teaches about baptism and ask whether it is merely a metaphor or a miraculous means through which God gives the forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation in Christ.

Walking carefully through key biblical passages and the witness of the early Church, we explore what Jesus and the apostles taught, how the earliest Christians understood baptism, and whether modern views align with the historic Christian faith.

Whether you're exploring the Christian faith, wrestling with questions about baptism, or simply want to understand what the Bible teaches, this episode seeks to bring clarity by letting Scripture—and the testimony of the historic Church—speak for themselves.

Join us as we carefully evaluate these popular perspectives and ask the central question:

Is baptism merely a metaphor... or is it one of God's miraculous means of salvation?

What makes a church truly Christian? Is it ancient liturgy, beautiful architecture, viral influencers, or something deeper?

In this episode of The Study Boys, Lex Lutheran and FLAME discuss why the Augsburg Confession (1530) remains one of the most important documents for anyone asking where the true Church is found. As growing numbers of Gen Z—especially young men—return to Christianity, many are choosing churches based on aesthetics, tradition, or online personalities. But are those the right criteria?

Together, we explore the historical circumstances surrounding the Reformation, the witness of the conservative Reformers, and why the marks of the Church are found not in style or "vibes," but in the pure preaching of the Gospel and the right administration of the Sacraments. We also explain why the doctrine of justification by faith alone is not merely one doctrine among many, but the article upon which the Church stands or falls.

Whether you're Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, or simply exploring Christianity, this conversation will challenge you to ask not, "Which church feels right?" but "Where has Christ promised to be for sinners?

Disclaimer: Please pardon some of the visual glitches throughout this episode. Something most likely went wrong during the rendering process, and while the video may do a few odd things visually, we hope it isn't too distracting and appreciate your patience.

Description

Claiming to Be God & Having His Power?

Many people eventually grow bored with Christianity's central message: that Jesus Christ won the forgiveness of sins on the cross and continues to deliver that salvation through His external means of grace—His Word and Sacraments. In search of something more exciting, sensational, and personally empowering, some teachers begin making increasingly extravagant claims that subtly (or not so subtly) shift the focus away from Christ and onto ourselves.

In this episode, we examine statements and teachings from Kenneth Copeland, Tim Ross, and Steven Furtick that move toward self-deification—the idea that believers somehow become divine or possess God's unique attributes. We also offer an honorable mention of Christine Caine and her claims that we possess God's power in such a way that we can use our words to create our own preferred realities.

Rather than seeking secret knowledge, personal revelations, or divine status, Scripture calls us back to the crucified and risen Christ, who freely gives forgiveness, life, and salvation through His appointed means: the preached Gospel and the Sacraments.

Who is Jesus, really? In Part 2 of our series Which Jesus Do You Worship?, we explore the biblical truth that Jesus is not only fully God, but also fully man—two distinct natures united in one Person. He experienced real human weakness, temptation, hunger, sorrow, and suffering, yet remained completely without sin as the perfect Savior.

Join us as we examine why Christ’s true humanity is essential to the Gospel and what is at stake when we misunderstand who He is.

A lot of people talk about Jesus, pray to Jesus, and claim to follow Jesus—but are they talking about the Jesus revealed in Scripture? In Part 1 of this 3-part series, The Study Boys examine the many competing claims about Christ throughout history and ask the question Jesus Himself asked: “Who do men say that I am?” Join us as we begin separating the biblical Jesus from the countless counterfeits.