September 22

Jonah

A singular prophet among the many in the Old Testament, Jonah the son of Amittai was born about an hour's walk from the town of Nazareth. The focus of his prophetic ministry was the call to preach at Nineveh, the capital of pagan Assyria (Jonah 1:1). His reluctance to respond and God's insistence that his call be heeded is the story of the book that bears Jonah's name. Although the swallowing and disgorging of Jonah by the great fish is the most remembered detail of his life, it is addressed in only three verses of the book (1:17; 2:1, 10). Throughout the book, the important theme is how God deals compassionately sinners. Jonah's three-day sojourn in the belly of the fish is mentioned by Jesus as a sign of his own death, burial and resurrection (Mt. 12:39–41). [From “Commemorations Biographies,” Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

1530 Philipp Melanchthon's Apology [Defense] of the Augsburg Confession was read to the Estates and rejected by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who gave the Lutherans until 15 April 1531 to submit to the papists or “lose life, goods and honor.”

1566 Johannes Agricola (b. 20 April 1494), German theologian and reformer, died.

1601 The first priests, Sebastian Chimura and Aloysius Niabara, of the newly established Christian Church (Roman Catholic) in Japan were ordained in their hometown of Nagasaki.

1662 John Biddle, English theologian, died (b. 14 January 1615).

1692 The last eight of twenty condemned "witches" were hanged in Salem, Massachusetts, during the famous witch trials of 1692. Thirteen women and seven men were executed in all.

1734 “The Confessors of the Glory of Christ,” followers of the 16th century Polish reformer Caspar Schwenckfeld (1490–1561), settled in the Pennsylvania Dutch countryside.

1770 Johann Christopher Kunze (1744–1807), American Lutheran pastor, arrived in New York.

1774 Pope Clement XIV died (b. 31 October 1705).

1795 The London Missionary Society was organized.

1823 Pierre Jean Agier, French lawyer, died in Paris (b. 28 December 1748). He held high positions in the French courts during the Revolution and under Napoleon and the Bourbons but was early led into comprehensive theological studies.

1865 Ambrose J. Tomlinson, American pentecostal church leader, was born in Westfield, Indiana (d. 1943).

1871 Charlotte Elliott, Anglican hymnist, died at Brighton, England (b. 18 March 1789).

1879 Martin Graebner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of August L. Graebner (d. 13 November 1950).

1891 The English Synod of the Northwest was organized in Saint Paul, Minnesota, by pastors who had worked under the Home Mission Board of the General Council, of which William Passavant was chairman.

1991 The Dead Sea Scrolls are made available to the public for the first time, by the Huntington Library.