Manual of Sacred History: Understanding the Divine Plan of Salvation by John Henry Kurtz

“If you ever wondered if believers in the Old Testament period were saved in the same way as those in the New, this is a book worth perusing. The author, John Henry Kurtz, was considered one of the greatest Church Historians of his time in any language.”

Level of Difficulty: Intermediate: Some subject matter knowledge helpful.

Book Contents

• About the Lutheran Library
• Title Page
• Epigraph
• Translator’s Preface
• Contents

Introduction

• 1 Definition of Sacred History
• 2 The Being of God
• 3 The External Action of God
• 4 The Crature
• 5 The Source of Sacred History
• 6 Relation of Sacred History to Kindred Branches of Knowledge
• 7 Characteristic Features of Sacred History
• 8 Epochs in the Chronology of Sacred History

Section A The Creation and the Fall of Man

• 9 The Cration
• 10 Position and Destination of Man
• 11 The Fall
• 12 The Consequences of the Fall

Section B Redemption and Salvation

• I The Plan of Salvation in its Introductory Stages

  • 13 Man’s Capability of Being Redeemed
  • 14 The Divine Counsel of Redemption
  • 15 Gradual Development of the Plan of Salvation
  • 16 Cain and Abel. The Cainites and Sethites
  • 17 The Deluge

• II From the Deluge to the Calling of Abraham

  • 18 The Noachian Covenant
  • 19 The Sons of Noah
  • 20 The Confusion of Tongues and the Dispersion of Mankind

• III From the Calling of Abraham to the Birth of Christ

  • 21 General View
  • 22 The Holy Land

First Period. The Age of the Patriarchs

• 23 Significance of This Period
• 24 The Calling and Emigration of Abraham
• 25 Chedorlaomer and Melchizedek
• 26 First Stage of the Covenant. Hagar and Ishmael
• 27 Second Stage of the Covenant
• 28 Appearnace of the Lord in Mamre. Sodom and Gomorrah
• 29 Isaac’s Birth and Offering
• 30 Sarah’s Death. Isaac’s Marriage. Abraham’s Death
• 31 Isaac and His Sons
• 32 Jacob’s Journey
• 33 The Wrestling of Jacob
• 34 The History of Joseph
• 35 The Last Days of Jacob and Joseph
• 36 Revelation, Religion, and Intellectual Culture in the Age of the Patriarchs

Second Period. Moses and the Giving of the Law

• 37 Significance of This Period
• 38 Israel’s Bondage
• 39 The Birth and Calling of Moses
• 40 The Plagues of Egypt and the Departure of Israel
• 41 The Desert of Arabia
• 42 The Journey to Sinai
• 43 The Giving of the Law
• 44 The Golden Calf. The Renewed Tables of the Law
• 45 The Tabernacle
• 46 The Priests and the Levits (Office and Garments)
• 47 Continuation (Dwellings - Consecration of the Priests and Levites)
• 48 Sacrifices
• 49 The Festivals
• 50 Purifications
• 51 Laws Respecting Food
• 52 A. Vows
• 52 B. The Ethical and Philanthropical (humane) Features of the Law
• 53 Departure from Sinai. The Graves of Lust. The Sin of Miriam
• 54 The Twelve Spies. The Rebellion of Korah
• 55 The Journeyings of 38 Years. The Water of Strive. Aaron’s Death. The Brazen Serpent
• 56 The Conquest of the East-Jordanic Territory. Ballam
• 57 The Last Days of Moses
• 58 The Pentateuch

Third Period. Joshua and the Conquest of the Promised Land

• 59 Significance of this Period. Israel’s Claims to the Land of Canaan
• 60 Joshua. The Passage over the Jordan
• 61 The Conquest of the West-Jordanic Territory (Jericho and Ia)
• 62 Continuation. (The Gibeonites. Adoni-zedek. Jabin)
• 63 The Division of the Land. The Death of Joshua

Fourth Period. The Age of the Judges

• 64 Characteristic Features of this Period
• 65 Events subsequent to the Death of Joshua. The First Judges
• 66 A. Gideon and Abimelech
• 66 B. The History of Ruth
• 67 Jephtha
• 68 Eli, the High Priest
• 69 Samson

Fifth Period. From Samuel to the Building of the Temple and the Divison of the Kingdom

• 70 Characteristic Features of this Period
• 71 Samuel and the Reformation of the People
• 72 The Appointment and the Rejection of Saul
• 73 David’s Afflictions. Saul’s Death
• 74 Commencement of David’s Reign. Public Worship
• 75 Jerusalem, the City of the King
• 76 The Promise given to David. His Victorious Reign. His Sin and Repentance
• 77 The Troubles occasioned by Absalom and Sheba
• 78 David Numbers the People
• 79 David’s Significance in the Kingdom of God
• 80 Solomon Ascends the Throne
• 81 The Building of the Temple
• 82 Solomon’s Glory and Fall
• 83 The Sacred Poetry of the Hebrews
• 84 The Psalms
• 85 The Book of Proverbs
• 86 The Song of Solomon or Canticles
• 87 The Book of Job

Sixth Period. From the Building of the Temple to the Cessation of Prophecy

• 88 Characteristic Features of this Period
• 89 Connection of the History of Israel and of the Cotemporaneous Pagan Kingdoms
• 90 Divison of the Kingdom. Jeroboam. Rehoboam
• 91 Abijah and Asa in Judah. Jeroboam’s Successors in Israel
• 92 Elijah the Tishbite
• 93 Ahab in Israel
• 94 Jehoshaphat in Judah. Ahaziah and Jehoram in Israel. Elijah is taken up into Heavan
• 95 The Labors of Elisha
• 96 Jehoram and Ahaziah in Judah. Jehu in Israel. Athaliah and Jehoash in Judah
• 97 Jehoahaz, Joash, and Jeroboam II in Israal. Amaziah in Judah
• 98 Uzziah and Jotham in Judah. The cotemporaneous Kings in Israel
• 99 The New Character which Prophecy Assumed
• 100 The Prophets who preceeded the Captivity (Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah)
• 101 Continuation (Isaiah, Micah)
• 102 Ahaz in Judah. Overthrow of the Kingdom of Israel
• 103 Hezekiah, Manasseh and Amon
• 104 Josiah and his Successors. Overthrow of the Kingdom of Judah. Gedaliah
• 105 The Prophets of the Captivity (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Jeremiah)
• 106 The Captives. Ezekiel
• 107 The Prophet Daniel
• 108 The Return of the Captives and the Building of the Temple. Ezra. Nehemiah. Esther
• 109 The Prophets who Appeared After the Return from Babylon (Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi)
• 110 Ecclesiastes
• 111 The Canon of the Old Testament

Seventh Period. From the Cessation of Prophecy in the Old Testament to its Fulfilment in the New Testament

• 112 Characteristic Features of this Period (The Apocrypha)
• 113 The Jews and the third Great Monarchy
• 114 The Maccabees or Asmoneans
• 115 The Scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees
• 116 The Herodian Family
• 117 The Roman Procurators and the Destruction of Jerusalem
• 118 Israel’s Present Condition
• 119 Israel’s Prospects

Section C (Part II). The Plan of Salvation in its Fulfillment and Final Results

• 1 The Manifestation of Salvation in the Person of the Redeemer
  • 120 The Fulness of the Time
  • 121 The Essentials of the Work of Redemption
  • 122 The Person of the Redeemer
  • 123 The Forerunner
  • 124 The Geneology of Christ
  • 125 The Virgin Mary
  • 126 The Birth of Jesus
  • 127 The Circumcision and the Presentation of Jesus
  • 128 The Wise Men out of the East and the Flight into Egypt
  • 129 The Early Years of Christ
  • 130 The Baptism and the Temptation of Jesus
  • 131 The Disciples of Jesus
  • 132 Continuation
  • 133 The Labors of Christ as a Prophet
  • 134 The Law Preached by Christ
  • 135 The Gospel Preached by Christ - His Witness of Himself
  • 136 Continuation - Of His Redeeming Work
  • 137 Continuation - Of His Kingdom
  • 138 Christ’s Miraculous Power in General
  • 139 Christ’s Miraculous Power over Nature
  • 140 Christ Healing the Sick
  • 141 Christ Raising the Dead
  • 142 The Demoniacs
  • 143 The Extent of the Labors of the Redeemer
  • 144 The Immediate Results of the Labors of Christ
  • 145 The Transfiguration of Christ
  • 146 The Annointing in Bethany
  • 147 The Messiah’s Entrance into Jerusalem
  • 148 The Counsel Taken by the Enemies of Jesus against Him
  • 149 Christ’s Predictions Respecting the Destruction of Jerusalem and the End of the World
  • 150 The Passover and the Last Discourses of Jesus
  • 151 The Agony in Gethsemane. The Seizure of Christ by the Officers of the Jews
  • 152 Christ in the Presence of the High Priest. Peter and Judas
  • 153 Christ in the Presence of Pilate
  • 154 The Crucifixion of Christ
  • 155 The Death of Christ
  • 156 The Burial of Christ
  • 157 The Resurrection of Christ. Mary Magdalene
  • 158 The Two Disciples of Emmaus and the Twelve
  • 159 Peter’s New Call. The Institution of Baptism
  • 160 The Ascension of Christ
• 2 The Promulgation of Salvation by the Apostles
  • 161 The Design and Significance of this Period
  • 162 The Day of Pentecost
  • 163 The Inner State of the Church in Jerusalem
  • 164 The First Persecutions of the Church (Peter and John)
  • 165 Continuation (Stephen)
  • 166 Conversion of the Samaritans. Simon the Sorcerer. The Ethiopian Eunuch
  • 167 The Conversion of Paul
  • 168 Peter’s Miracles in Lydda and Joppa. The Conversion of Cornelius
  • 169 The Church in Antioch. The Execution of James and the Deliverance of Peter
  • 170 Paul’s First Missionary Journey. Barnabas
  • 171 The Apostolic Council of Jerusalem
  • 172 Paul’s Second Missionary Journey. Phillip
  • 173 Continuation. Thessalonica. Bera. Athens
  • 174 Continuation. Corinth. The Return to Antioch (Epistles ot the Thessalonians)
  • 175 Paul’s Third Missionary Journey. Ephesus (The Epistles to the Galatians, To Timothy (1), To the Corinthians (1), and to Titus)
  • 176 Continuation. Paul’s Labors in Europe and his Return to Jerusalem (Epistles to the Corinthians (2) and to the Romans)
  • 177 The Seizure and Confinement of Paul in Jerusalem
  • 178 Paul before Felix, Festus and Agrippa
  • 179 Paul’s Imprisonment in Rome (Epistles to the Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon and Philippians)
  • 180 Continuation (Epistles to Timothy (2), Hebrews)
  • 181 The Later Labors of the Other Apostles - Peter
  • 182 Continuation - John
  • 183 Continuation - James and Jude
  • 184 The Four Gospels and Acts
• 3 The Appropriation of Salvation in the Church
  • 185 The Design and Character of this Period
  • 186 The Means of Grace (The Word of God)
  • 187 Continuation (Prayer)
  • 188 Continuation (Sacraments in General)
  • 189 Continuation (Baptism)
  • 190 Continuation (The Lord’s Supper)
  • 191 The Church viewed as an Institution of Saving Grace
  • 192 The Way of Salvation (Calling, Illumination, Conversion)
  • 193 Continuation (Justification, Sanctification)
  • 194 The Development and Limits of this Period
• 4 The Ultimate Consummation of Salvation
  • 195 The Circumstances on which the ultimate Consummation depends, and the Signs which Precede it
  • 196 The Millennium
  • 197 The Little Season of the Last Contest
  • 198 The Second Coming of Christ
  • 199 The Resurrection of the Dead, The Change which the Living will Undergo, and the Renovation of Heaven and Earth
  • 200 The Judgment
  • 201 Eternal Life and Eternal Death

Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2025
• Copyright: CC BY 4.0