PHILIPPINES –The opening day of the ILC’s 2025 World Conference continued with the first session of this year’s three-part Keynote Address by Rev. Dr. Thomas M. Winger. Dr. Winger, who is President of Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary (St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada) and author of the Concordia Commentary volume on Ephesians, is speaking on Ephesians 2:11-22 in a series of talks entitled “The Spiritual Temple.”
Dr. Winger’s first presentation focused on “The Pagan Temple,” drawing on Ephesians 2:2. He began by discussing the pagan religious context which prevailed in Ephesus at the time of St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, focusing especially on the religious observances which centered on the Temple of the Lady of Ephesus (Artemis).
The relationship between ancient pagans and their gods were very different than the Christian’s relationship with the true God, Dr. Winger noted. “Ancient pagans had no personal and loving relationship with their gods,” he explained. “The gods described by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey are not holy, good, and merciful, but rather self-centered, cruel, vengeful, easily angered, and possessing all the character flaws found in fallen human beings.”
Consequently, Paul’s characterization of Gentiles as “people without hope,” makes sense, Dr. Winger explained, as human beings could not count on the pagan gods to have their best interest at heart—and this was especially true when it came to the issue of death. “The Pagan gods offer no solution to death,” Dr. Winger said. In this sense, then, “even though the pagans had many gods, they were truly ‘godless,’ because those gods were not there to help them.”
Indeed, these ‘gods’ were not really gods at all; they were actually “masks or disguises worn by the devil and his host of demons,” Dr. Winger said. But “Paul’s comforting message is that Christ has triumphed over the demons,” he continued. Paul wanted his audience to understand that spiritual enemies are real but Christians need not be afraid of them.
“Our goal in the battle is not to attack or defeat the enemy,” Dr. Winger explained, “but to stand in the victory Christ has already won…. We are to hold onto the gifts, cling to the Gospel. We don’t run outside the churchly fortress to engage the enemy on his turf, but we stand within the protection Christ has given us. We keep the good confession and thereby fight the good fight.”
What does that look today? Dr. Winger encouraged attendees to ground themselves in the victory of Christ by invoking “the name of God in private prayer and public worship.” This can be done in many ways, he noted: through the invocation and marking oneself with the sign of the cross, as per the Small Catechism, for example. We can also adorn our homes with the crucifix and Christian art. It includes speaking the Creed and the Our Father, “which are expositions of God’s name,” he noted. It can include praying Luther’s morning and evening prayers “that the evil foe may have no power over me.” It includes singing hymns; participating in the historic liturgy of the Divine Service; receiving God’s gifts in Word and Sacrament; forgiving one another; and consecrating the world and every aspect of daily life “with the Word of God and prayer.” In all these things, we invoke the name of God and “defeat the devil with God’s Word.”
Following a break, participants took part in small group discussions, discussing what issues of spiritual conflict look like in their own national contexts, and then sharing those conversations with the wider assembly in plenary discussion.
Greetings from LCEF and LHF
The first day of the conference also saw participants receive greetings and presentations by Lutheran parachurch organizations. Assistant Vice President Blake Brown of Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) highlighted the mission of the LCEF, explaining how it supports the work of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, and further noting their work partnering with international partners.
Greetings were also received from Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF). First to speak was Arlene Reyes, who coordinates LHF work in the Philippines. Reyes noted the recent translation of A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories into Tagalog. Rev. Dr. Ted NaThalang—President of the Thailand Concordia Lutheran Church and LHF’s Coordinator for Southeast Asia—spoke next, highlighting the history and ongoing work of LHF in translating Lutheran resources into other languages. Since its inception in 1992, he noted, LHF has operated in more than 100 countries and worked on projects in more than 180 languages.
The first session of the conference ended with a service of Responsive Prayer (Suffrages) led by Rev. Michael Blodgett, who is serving as a conference chaplain.
Dinner that night featured a Welcome Reception graciously sponsored by Lutheran Church Extension Fund. Participants received greetings from local dignitaries, including from the Mayor of Panglao and from the Governor of Bohol’s office, and enjoyed a concert by the world-famous Loboc Children’s Choir.
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