Our Missouri Synod is a True,
Evangelical-Lutheran Fellowship
for it Draws All its Doctrines from
the Clear Word of Scripture.
by George Stoeckhardt
tr. by Erwin W. Koehlinger in Essays and Papers, pgs 253-365
(Last update: December 11, 2014)
Source: District Reports - Missouri Synod, Central District, 1894, 10-64; 1895, 9-96.
Table of Contents
Page
1. Introduction......................................253
2. Synod and Scripture (I)...........................254
3. Synod and justification by faith (II).............262
4. Justification by faith alone, without works (III) 272
5. Synod and election (IV)...........................286
6. The Christian Church: a congregation of believers 295 (V)
7. The keys and to whom given (VI)...................309
8. Church practice (VII).............................323
9. Antichrist (VIII).................................350
10. The Last Things (IX)..............................355
The theme we have chosen has from time immemorial been the basic tenet and practice of our Lutheran Church, for it basis all its doctrines on Scripture, indeed, takes and draws from Scripture as from the pure fountain of Israel. Detailed reference was made to this at the last convention of this district. Our synod has ever followed this rule and thereby shown itself to be a truly Lutheran fellowship. We are in downright earnest with respect to this scriptural principle. What we believe, teach, and confess we take from Scripture and take the words of Scripture just as they read and add nothing thereto nor take anything away. This applies particularly to the doctrines which during the course of more recent years and decades have been a matter of torrid controversy and are still controversial today.
We call attention, first, to the condition of today's church. The most important articles of the Lutheran Confession are in modern times again subject of controversy and are also in so- called Lutheran Church fellowships denied or grossly distorted and equivocated. As is well known, our Lutheran Confession emerged as a result of conflict. From the very beginning our Lutheran Church has had to defend itself against two principal enemies, the papists and the enthusiasts or the Reformed. Papal and Reformed leaven had early forced its way into the Lutheran Church. Already during the days of the Reformation so-called Lutheran teachers had arisen who secretly wanted to introduce gross or fine Calvinistic or even papal errors into the Lutheran Church. And in opposition to this our Lutheran fathers gave expression to what they regarded as being true and correct in our church's Confession. It is just in modern times, however, in this century, that the principal articles of the Lutheran Confession are again being challenged and not simply by the apostles of unbelief, also not simply by papists and the Reformed, but also by so-called Lutherans. In our day a theology is come in to the fore which is struggling for credibility, which directly calls itself Confessional-Lutheran, but which seeks to make Lutheran belief plausible to reason and to placate the spirit of the age. This theology has taken the edge off the old dogmas, distorted the most weighty articles of our Confession, and once again summoned up the old, abominable heresies and given them a new look. Professors of theology have advanced this new mode and then by means of periodicals and sermon and devotional books have made it accessible to Christian folk. This new-mode Lutheranism has at present spread all over Germany but also gained entrance in today's Lutheran Church denominations [Kirchengemeinshaften].
This new Lutheranism our synod has forever and a day rejected and opposed. In opposition to old and modern heresies it has with God's help held fast to the old truth. All doctrinal controversies which it has waged during the course of time, its public testimonies, our sermons, the instruction in our schools, that all had, has still at its aim and goal the preservation of old Lutheran doctrine. And what is true of our synod is obviously also true of those who are one with us in faith and practice. But that is exactly why we are being censured and our doctrine called separatistic doctrine, "Missourian doctrinal posture".
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Our position is attacked from all sides. On one occasion it is thrown into our teeth that we are opposed to all real progress, are merely rehashing what is ancient history and mechanically repeating all the old things. Now, we are not blind and thoughtless adherents. But it is true, we are preaching the same doctrine and using the same words as did the fathers of our Lutheran Church, as did the first teachers of Christendom. On the other hand, our doctrine is being called new mode and doctrines, precisely, separastic doctrine. It is true, we are combating today's new doctrine and mode. We are pointing out that it is a bad trend, a false Lutheranism. We are opposing the new heresies with the old truth. And in so doing we are, of course, saying many things which are new, things which before were not said in this way, simply because the polemics are new. However, the main question is this: Does our doctrinal stance agree with Scripture? And we are convinced and want to confirm anew the conviction that our doctrine, and in just those articles where disagreement exists, rests upon the clear, sure foundation of Holy Scripture. This pertains, first of all, to the doctrine of Scripture, justification, conversion, and predestination.
We are simply following Holy Scripture when we teach and confess:
THAT WORD FOR WORD SCRIPTURE IS INSPIRED BY GOD AND IN ALL ITS PARTS IS INFALLIBLE TRUTH.
The present conflict concerns particularly the doctrine of the Scripture and its origin. What this thesis asserts is basically common Christian belief. It was the belief of ancient Christendom. When ancient teachers in' their writings introduced a passage from Holy Scripture, it was usually by means of the words: "Thus saith the Holy Spirit." They compared the Holy Spirit who spoke through the prophets, to a flautist who coaxes the sounds out of the flute. With respect to this article concerning Scripture there has been no controversy among the various Christian denominations. Also in the Reformed and papal confessions are found such statements as that all Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit. In their writings Lutheran theologians have particularly emphasized and taught verbal inspiration, that God the Holy Spirit inspired not only all the thoughts but all the word of Scripture. Rationalism then, of course, basically did away with this belief of Christians. The creed of the rationalists reads: Christ is mere man, and the Bible is an ordinary book written by men, wherein are seen all kinds of human characteristics, errors, and flaws. After Rationalism there followed in this century the period of religious awakening. Many returned to the faith of their fathers, and believers opposed the unbelief of Rationalism with the twofold declaration: Christ is the Son of God, and the Bible is the Word of God. The Bible not only contains God's Word but is the Word of God en toto. And ordinary Christian people still believe the same thing today. Even unbelievers have no other opinion of Christianity than that Christians believe all that is written in the Bible is divine truth.
However, it is the very leaders of Protestant Christendom
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who today have departed from the beaten path in this matter. Neo-Lutherans, too, have adulterated this basic article of the Scripture. It is generally conceded that the Bible is the Word of God. However, it is, as they say, not a book which has fallen down from heaven, but men have written the books of the Bible. To be sure, these men were enlightened and directed by God. God gave them revelation, and they assimilated these divine thoughts and permitted them to affect their thinking and then in Holy Scriptures gave expression to this their knowledge in their own words. Thus God and men worked together in writing Scriptures.
In this connection they thus talk about a participation on man's part. Now they generally speak of a divine and a human side of Scriptures. They distinguish in the same a twofold content. First, they say that the Bible contains such things which concern faith and life and man's salvation, and from that standpoint they let it pass as God's Word. Then, they think, the Bible contains also matters of lesser importance, and these are of human origin. E.g., what Scripture says about sun, moon, and stars, what it relates about the history of nations, that is purely human. That's where you will find human errors, mistakes, and contradictions. Yes, even in the important accounts of the Bible, in the accounts of the Lord's miracles, they distinguish between principal action and minor details. Thus, e.g., in the account of Christ's resurrection the report of the angels "he is risen", etc., is, of course, the Word of God. But otherwise we are informed here as to which and how many women had gone to the tomb, how many angels had appeared there. These are incidental details, and in this instance one evangelist contradicts the other. This, briefly, is the new doctrine of Scripture, which today is regarded as orthodox.
Our synod has all along protested against this view of Scriptures. It has maintained that the Bible is totally inspired by God and so is in all its parts infallible truth. But this is now called "Missourian separatistic doctrine". And many a controversy has arisen over this. Whoever in Germany does not accept this new doctrine or is not at all pleased with it does not belong in the church any longer. And it is generally known how opposition to the infallibility of Scripture has penetrated our church in America, what a stir it has created, e.g., in the Presbyterian Church. Above all, it is certain that this our "Missourian" doctrine concerning Scripture is nothing else than common Christian belief. The main question for us is: Does our doctrine agree with Scripture? What does Scripture say of itself?
First, the Old Testament testifies of itself that it is the Word of God. The Old Testament falls into three parts: Moses, the prophets, and the psalms. Of Moses Scripture says, Neh. 8,8: "So they read in the book of the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading." And v. 18: "Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God." Here the law of Moses is called "the book of the law of God". The five books of Moses are attributed to God as being their real Author. In Is. 1,1 we read: "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem", etc. These words form the superscription of the entire book of the prophet Isaiah. Accordingly, the entire book of Isaiah is called a "vision", that is, revelation of God. In 2 Sam. 23,1-3 it is written: "Now these be the last words of
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David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” In this passage David, the psalmist, testifies that, when he wrote his psalms, God the Holy Spirit was speaking through him. Thus does the Old Testament speak of itself.
The New Testament also testifies the same thing about the Old Testament. Matt. 1,22 reads: "Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet." In Acts 1,16 we read: "Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus." Here it is said about Scripture that the Holy Ghost spoke it beforehand through the mouth of David. In Acts 3:21 Peter says: "Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Consequently, what is written in Old Testament Scriptures, that God spoke through the mouth of all his holy prophets. In Rom. 1,1 Paul says of himself that he was set apart to preach "the gospel of God, which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures".
We read in 1 Pet. 1,10-12: "Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into." Here is stated, first of all, that the Holy Spirit, who was in the prophets, testified beforehand what the prophets wrote about the sufferings and glory of Christ.
The summary of all these Scripture passages, therefore, is: What is written in Scripture God has spoken, and it was spoken through the prophets. The prophets, accordingly, were not co-workers but instruments whereof God availed himself in order to speak to his people.
As regards the New Testament, we call attention, first of all, to the passages in which the apostles testify that their oral preaching is God's Word. St. Peter says in the passage quoted above that they, the apostles, proclaimed the Gospel through the Holy Spirit. St. Paul writes in 1 Thess. 2,13: "For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God." Here the apostle solemnly declares that the word which he preached to the Thessalonians was truly the Word of God. In Rom. 1,1 Paul calls the Word that he was called to preach "the gospel of God".
It is further testified in Scripture that what the apostles, wrote stands on the same level with what they preached. In 1 John 1,1-4 it reads:
"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the word of life; (for the life was
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manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full."
John, therefore, teaches here that what the apostles saw, what they heard, what they proclaimed, that is precisely what they wrote down. Thus, what holds true of the writings of the apostles holds true also of what they preached. What they wrote is truly God’s Word, God’s Gospel. God has spoken it through his apostles.
Now, however, the second question: How did this come about? The origin of Scripture is and remains, of course, a mystery to us. Wherever Scripture is silent, there, too, we remain silent, however, in our teaching and professing we go as far as Scripture takes us. And Scripture goes into precise detail, explaining how Go;d spoke through the prophets, how he exerted influence on the holy writers. The principal passage upon which we base our doctrine of inspiration is 2 Tim. 3:15-17. The important words in this passage ares "All scripture is given by inspiration of God."
There is no doubt as to what is meant here by Scripture. St. Paul says: "And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures", etc. The Holy Scripture which Timothy knew from childhood on was the Old Testament just as the Jews had it, just as also we now have it. However, as we have seen, the Scriptures of the New Testament stand on the same level with the Scriptures of the prophets. For this reason with this passage we with right think of Scripture as we have it.
It reads: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." Modernists say we should simply stick to the words. They do not want to probe into the How? of divine inspiration. Nor do we wish to do this. But we have yet to become clear as to what meaning and significance these words have: "Given by inspiration of God". We do not do justice to Scripture when we spell out such words without knowing what they mean.
Our first question is: Who are they who were inspired to write Scripture? We are not so foolish as to maintain that the Bible is a book which fell down from heaven. We know very well that it was written by men, by prophets and apostles. Prophets and apostles were inspired to write it. 2 Pet. 1,21 testifies that "holy men of God" wrote the Scriptures and that they were moved to do so by the Holy Spirit. The unusual thing the Holy Spirit did in this matter, however, is revealed in the expression "by inspiration of God". In the original text the words read: "breathed by God". God breathed upon the holy men, upon the prophets and apostles. Thus with right we speak of inspired men. But in the text before us it is not said of the holy men of God that God breathed on them, but it is said of Scripture that is was "breathed by God". All this can mean is that Scripture was inspired by God. Luther aptly translated "eingegeben". Viewed outwardly, Holy Scripture is writing like all other writings, it consists of words and sentences. And these words and sentences have sense and meaning. So, when it is said that Scripture is inspired by God, this means and can mean nothing else but that: God breathed into inspired holy men all the words and sentences
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which are there written, inclusive of their sense and meaning. Since we are dealing here with something written, with words, we can also call this activity of the Holy Spirit an "Einreden" (a talking with persuasion), just as Luther often calls this inspiration an "Einsprechen" (an implanting). God the Holy Spirit implanted, spoke into, dictated to holy men the words and sentences they were to write.
Modernists, of course, say this is a notion unworthy for even one of God's holy men. They say that's how you make a purely mechanical process out of the inspiration of Scripture, nevertheless, we do not hold that this implanting, this articulating to, occurred in such an outward manner as when a school teacher stands before his pupils and dictates sentences for them to write down. This was rather an inner process. 1 Pet. 1,10-12 says that the Holy Spirit was in the prophets. The prophets were filled with the Holy Spirit, were in the Spirit, and the Spirit was in them and spoke inwardly to them. This inner speaking of the Spirit is what the holy men of God perceived and wrote down by impulse of the Spirit.
What this "by inspiration of God" means becomes really clear when we compare the origin of Holy Scripture with the origin of a purely human piece of writing. How does a human piece of writing ordinarily come into being? A thought weighs heavily on a man's mind. And he regards what he is thinking to be important enough to share with others. He, therefore, decides to write a book on the subject. Then he gathers the material, orders his thoughts, and puts them into words. However, it often requires much time and effort to put his thoughts into proper order and to find the right words and expressions for the same. This is the way a book by man comes into being. It is something which he has composed completely by himself.
The situation is altogether different with Holy Scripture. Of Scripture it is said that it is "given by inspiration of God”. Here the Lord God wanted to reveal to men of all time his thoughts concerning their salvation and to speak to men in such a way that they would be able to understand him. For this reason lie took holy men into his service and then moved them to write, gave them an external motive for writing and aroused In them the determination to write. And in that holy men of God. now prepared to write, the Holy Spirit, who was in them, gave them the thoughts and words for all they were to write. Since everything was given to them, the words came readily, and so their pens were the pens of ready writers. And thus the Bible is, as Luther calls it, "the book of the Holy Spirit".
Another question of equal importance is whether our Bible, just as we have it, agrees with what 2 Tim. 3 says about Scripture. Modernists hold our doctrine of inspiration especially to be contrary to the "make-up" of Scripture. We briefly call attention to the main content of several books of the Bible.
In the introduction of the Pentateuch Moses reports the creation of heaven and earth. That and how God created the world, God revealed to the first humans through revelation. This revelation which the remainder of the people also among the Gentile nations received, the righteous generation and then Israel faithfully preserved and thus it came to Moses also. Further, in Genesis we read the history of the holy patriarchs, who related to their children and children's children what they experienced,
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what good and great things God did to them, what his promises were to them. This then was passed on from generation to generation and thus these things became known to Moses also. In the remaining four books of Moses are reported God's great deeds in behalf of Israel. These Moses himself viewed, yes, through Moses God delivered his people out of Egypt, led them through the wilderness, and brought them to the borders of the promised land. At various times God revealed his holy decrees, usages, and commandments to Moses, the mediator of the Old Covenant. And what Moses heard and learnt from his fathers, what God did to and through him, what God revealed to him, all these things he wrote down in his five books.
The New Testament gives us, first of all, the Gospels. The apostles were eye- and ear-witnesses to all that Jesus spoke and did. They witnessed the Lord's miracles, listened to all he had to say, were witnesses to his death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. And what they saw and heard that they recorded in their Gospels. Luke, of course, was not an apostle, and so he states at the beginning of his Gospel that he carefully inquired from eye- and ear- witnesses how all which he proposed to write had taken place. The letter to the Romans is the foremost of the doctrinal letters. What St. Paul wrote here, especially about justification by faith, that he had beforehand received from the Lord and had proclaimed already in many places.
Every glance into the Bible indicates that the holy writers wrote also about such things which had been revealed to them beforehand or with which they were otherwise familiar, things which they themselves had seen, discerned, and believed. This fact, upon which Modernists place so much emphasis and which we do not deny, in no way contradicts the word of St. Paul "all scripture is given by inspiration of God", as we have understood it and as it can in no other way be understood. The Lord God wanted to make known to men of all ages all the things which relate to man's salvation and blessedness. However, so that it would would be a true, reliable, infallible report God the Holy Spirit did something unusual. He took into his service the holy men of God with all their wisdom, research, knowledge, belief. He recalled to their minds as they wrote the things which they personally had seen, heard, experienced, which they had already known beforehand, He had them recall facts which had been forgotten, gave them a clear picture of everything, but a picture in words, displayed to them everything in coherent words. He spoke to them and In them. And as the words began to flow, he amid the writing still shared many a thing with them, revealed what was beforehand unknown to them, and so all Scripture, each Scripture of each prophet and apostle, was an outpouring, an utterance of the Holy Spirit.
Yes, we can even go a step farther and say: the make-up of Scripture, just as it is, demands this assumption that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. In the Gospel we find transmitted long discourses of Christ, as, e.g., the Sermon on the Mount. What about it? Did the apostles remember perhaps for years all these discourses after they had once heard them? This is humanly impossible. No, God the Holy Spirit rather brought these discourses back to life in them so that they could be recorded for our benefit.
Let's go a little deeper into the singular make-up of the
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biblical accounts as they are distinguished from all other accounts. What is it that gives these biblical accounts their unusual appeal and what makes them so dear and precious to our children? In them is not merely reported summarily certain facts but all important events are introduced in all their details with all surrounding circumstances, persons introduced as speaking, etc. In the story of Isaac's offering, e.g., it is stated not only that God commanded Abraham to offer up his only son, and Abraham obeyed, but that God kept him from doing it. It is recorded next how Abraham performed all sorts of loving deeds for his son, himself split the wood, saddled the ass, and then we are furnished word for word with the dialogue between father and son while they were making that final, difficult journey, etc. What about this? Were all these individual details, these conversations and discussions transmitted in their entirety from generation to generation? This once more is humanly impossible. Or did the holy writers go about it as otherwise did writers of history, who ascertained certain facts as to how they occurred but were unfamiliar with the precise details, who, however, knew how to make the account really vivid, gave the same various shades, and put into the mouths of the persons appearing in the story words they never spoke? In no way. When we in a simple way read and ponder the Bible, we get the overpowering impression that the biblical stories are not fabricated stories, are not put together from fact and fiction, but that everything happened and was spoken actually as written. Once more God permitted accounts which they were writing to pass before the minds of the holy writers, recounted to them events word for word and in this way related them to us, so that we might be able, as it were, to live them through once more in spirit. He who carefully examines and searches the Bible will sooner or later come to recognize how all these peculiarities bespeak the fact that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
With respect to alleged contradictions in Scripture, when Looked at closer, they only prove to be seeming contradictions. For example, in the account of Christ's resurrection the various reports of the individual evangelists concerning the angels and the women at the tomb harmonize very well with one another. But when from time to time we come across some difficulty which we cannot immediately solve, we confess our ignorance and do not permit obscurity, which has its roots in our own selves, to dull the bright light which streams from the clear testimonies of Scripture, as from 2 Tim. 3. And with respect to alleged errors and mistakes in Scripture, e.g., in the historical and natural data, we from the start give more credence to Scripture than to modern science.
Theologians who base so much on the make-up of Scripture ultimately also cite the language of Scripture as proof against verbal inspiration. Nevertheless, it cannot be denied that every prophet, every apostle, has his own way of speaking, his own style. Nor do we deny this. But the Holy Spirit, who spoke through the prophets and apostles, accommodated himself and the words which ho inspired to the mannerisms of each individual holy writer. With and in each one he spoke that person’s language. Each wrote as he was accustomed to speak and write and was, at the same time, completely in the service of the One who spoke through him.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God"s we inculcate it once more and in this way also reject the opinion that only the
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essential and not the secondary points in Scripture are God's Word. The word "Scripture" includes all that stands written. Each, even the most apparently insignificant, portion of Scripture is a part of Scripture, belongs to Scripture. And what Scripture is and enjoins is inspired by God. Everything which is written is the Word of God and infallible truth. It is absurd to believe that only the essential matters were inspired by the Holy Spirit, but the non-essential points not. Both essential and nonessential matters are closely interwoven in Scripture. And so one would have to assume that perhaps the Holy Spirit began to speak here, but then man were to have interrupted him and among other things recorded errors. Then the Holy Spirit would have commanded him to stop and himself again picked up the threads of the discourse. Ultimately also the exponents of the modern view of Scripture will deny that kind of explanation for the origin of Scripture. They will not dare deny that each one of the holy writings, each section of Scripture, is from one and the same mold. And the only question is: Is the unit thus formed utterance of men or utterance of the Holy Spirit? And the opinion of the Modernists is basically that holy men of God took all they wrote from their own recollection, knowledge, and experience, save that in the writing of the same they were under the influence of, and were enlightened by, the Holy Spirit. And it is maliciously deceitful to call this activity of the Spirit "inspiration".
That God the Holy Spirit has inspired also the words is attested in 1 Cor. 2,13, where it reads: "Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth? comparing spiritual things with spiritual." We refer further to Gal. 3,l6. Here the apostle emphasizes that God intentionally used the expression "to thy seed". This demonstrates that every expression in Scripture was deliberately chosen by the Holy Spirit. In John 10,35 the Lord quotes a Scripture passage which contains a truth of minor importance, where government officials are called "gods". But Christ also says about this word of Scripture: "Scripture cannot be broken." Therefore, all the words of Scripture are inviolable, infallible truth.
This our scriptural doctrine of Holy Scripture is a source of great comfort for Christians. Every Christian can and should say to himself: Everything I read in my Bible, everything preached to me in church from the Bible, every passage which comes to my mind, is the Word of God; it is God speaking to me. The counter doctrine, however, robs Christians of all comfort and certainty. The one who believes that his Bible has a divine side and a human side to it can during times of affliction and in the hour of death easily despair. When then John 3,l6 enters his mind, for example, the devil calls to him: Who is going to assure you that this word is not one of Scripture's human portions, that God's love for the entire world of sinners is not just some pious human delusion? On the other hand, we maintain: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." And it is for this very reason that we by God's grace are able to make the proper use of the "It is written". With this weapon we are able to beat back the devil and fell him with a single word. This our scriptural doctrine of the Bible, however, contains also an earnest admonition for us. For if all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, then we should also use and search it diligently; we should accept everything it tells us in simple faith and willingly follow and obey all it commands.
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WE TEACH AND CONFESS ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE THAT WE ARE JUSTIFIED AND SAVED BEFORE GOD WITHOUT ANY MERIT ON OUR PART BY GRACE THROUGH CHRIST; THAT FAITH ALONE JUSTIFIES US, BUT ONLY FOR THE REASON THAT IT ACCEPTS AND APPROPRIATES THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH CHRIST HAS WON AND PREPARED FOR ALL SINNERS.
The heart and core of Scripture is justification through Christ. The Alpha and Omega of Scripture is Christ. These two statements are identical. Christ is the Lord our Righteousness. When we say that in Christ alone are salvation and righteousness, we always assume from this that he is the Lord, the true God. Of late, the doctrine of Christ's deity has also been contested. And not just by unbelievers, as well as by Neo-Protestants. Neo-Lutherans also, who still confess Christ to be the Son of God, have violated this article. They do not permit Christ to be God fully and totally. Nonetheless, the confession of all orthodox Christians still is: Christ, God with the Father of equal power and majesty. This does not pass for being specifically "Missourian” doctrine. On the other hand, the doctrine of justification, as we explain it, has been called Missourian separatistic doctrine.
All who still want to be Lutheran believe the statement of the Augsburg Confession that we "are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith". Nevertheless, modern theologians have imputed a foreign meaning to these simple words. Although they write on their standard the words "by grace!" "not by works!", they regard faith itself as a work, as a "moral act" of the "free ego", which has worth in the sight of God. Scripture says: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness." Rom. 1,3. Scripture lays down as a general rule that faith is counted to man for righteousness. This Modernists understand to mean that faith is counted for righteousness by God because it includes the fulfillment of the Law, that it is the source of all good works. In the little grain of seed God already sees the future fruit. God accepts the will for the deed. Faith, trust in Christ, submission to Christ, is the principal thing involved in the New Testament righteousness, and God has pleasure in this good disposition of man. They actually take faith as the cause of justification. Faith impels and moves God to pronounce a favorable .judgment on man. Others shy clear of such language but still describe faith as the essential condition for justification. They sharply differentiate between redemption" and justification, forgiveness of sins. They say that through Christ's redemption justification, forgiveness was first made possible. This possibility then becomes reality when man believes. First with man's faith does this new act occur in God, that he justifies man, forgives him his sin. Only through faith is justification generated.
What and how our Missouri Synod teaches and speaks about justification we see best from its public statements. In the report of the Western District 1874.43 it reads: "It is not faith which first produces justification. Faith is only a laying hold on, a taking, an accepting. Faith must have something in which to believe. Faith takes what is there, what is already in existence. Justification is already won, has occurred, exists before faith, and is not first made possible by faith. In
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accord with God's Word the Lutheran Church says to man: Everything has already been done. You are already redeemed. You have already been justified in the sight of God. You have been saved. Therefore, you don't have to do anything to save yourself. You do not need first to become reconciled with God. You do not have to earn salvation for yourself. You should simply believe that Christ, God's Son, has already done all this for you, and by faith you partake of this and will be saved.”
In the proceedings of the Chicago Pastoral Conference 1880, 45-46 we read: “If I believe in Christ, I have righteousness and salvation. It is already promised me. It is not true that, if I by faith have appropriated to myself objective righteousness, a new act has been added. The act has occurred. By faith I already have righteousness. Thereafter God does not first need especially to impute it to me.... The minute I believe, I have what faith appropriates. The minute I believe, God, my God, has judicially forgiven me my sins.”
Walther says in the report of the synodical conference 1872, 46: "So teach also the Confessions of our church, as in Article 6 of the Augsburg Confession, where it reads according to the Latin: 'Remission of sins and justification is apprehended by faith' (Concordia Triglotta 45) and 'we obtain forgiveness of sins, grace, and justification only by faith' (p. 53). So also the Apology: 'By faith alone we obtain remission of sins (C.T. 143). Further: 'Justification is only a matter freely promised for Christ's sake and therefore is already received before God by faith alone.' (C.T. 179). These passages clearly demonstrate that first there must be a justification which faith can appropriate, that faith lays hold on it as already existing."
Further, 59-62: "This treasure, justification, forgiveness of sins, is comprehended in the Word, in the Gospel. It is the hand of God. Faith is the hand of man. Faith takes what the Word gives. Faith must have something to which it clings. This is the doctrine of universal justification. In absolution, as well as through the Gospel generally, the treasure which is the forgiveness of sins is distributed. There it is said: Your sins are forgiven you. And this is God speaking. Faith now takes what God gives, grants. -- When the pastor absolves you, this is always God's word to you; you can believe that it is God who through the mouth of a poor sinner says to you: As you believe, so shall it be.... As gold remains gold, even when it is stolen or is cast into the mire, thus absolution remains absolution, even though it is despised by unbelievers." "In absolution God gives and grants, regardless whether it is accepted or not." "Cursed be the doctrine which makes the worthiness, power, and validity of absolution dependent on my faith."
This is the voice of our synod with respect to the doctrine of justification. Is this the true doctrine? What does Scripture say to this? It shows, first of all, that without any merit on our part we are justified and saved before God by grace, through Christ.
A proof passage for this doctrine of justification is Rom. 4,22-25: "For there is no difference: for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath not forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood."
Here is answered the question: How are we justified? What
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does it means to be justified? Several verses before this St. Paul writes: "Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified." Thus, the matter dealt with is righteousness before God; thus, how we obtain God's gracious judgment, how we are justified before God in time and in eternity. How this happens is what the apostle is showing here, He calls attention, first of all, to what we are, namely, "all have sinned"; we have nothing whereof we can boast before God. Even our good works are so frail, fragile, and imperfect that with them we cannot come to stand before God. Thus we are not justified by the merit of our works, but, as it reads according to the original text: "as a gift" or "by grace", What is grace? Luther says: "Grace belongs to the undeserving." The righteousness which avails before God is a gift of pure grace, in no way deserved reward. "By his grace." What induces and moves God to declare us righteous is solely and alone his grace, his kindness and favor. And when he grants it, he does not pay the slightest attention to our works and conduct. Were he to do that, it would fare badly with us.
The apostle now describes in greater detail how we are justified before God. "We are justified ... through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." God showed his grace, his love, to poor sinners by sending his Son into the world. "By grace God's Son, ov" only Savior, came down to earth." And Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, has redeemed us by his blood. He took our sins upon himself, reckoned them to his own account, bore them to the tree of the cross, died on the cross, with his blood atoned for our sins, ransomed us with his blood and death, redeemed us from death and damnation. We are, therefore, truly redeemed, freed from sin's guilt and punishment. And thus we have already been justified. For he who is rid and free of sin is just as God will have him be; he is justified in the sight of God. For our sin, so offensive to God, is the only thing separating us from him.
This the apostle makes still clearer by a simile. "Whom God hath set forth as a propitiation through faith in his blood." He calls Christ a mercy-seat (propitiation). What this is supposed to say becomes clear when we think about the Old Testament mercy-seat and its significance. The Old Testament mercy- seat was the golden covering that lay above the ark of the covenant. The ark of the covenant, under the mercy-seat, contained the tables of the Law, which constantly reminded the Israelites of their transgressions. Above the ark, on the mercy-seat stood two cherubim, over which hovered the cloud in which the Lord God was enthroned. When this God thought about his Law, which lay in the ark and which the Israelites had grossly transgressed, his anger became inflamed. Now, however, between the God who hovered over the cherubim and the tables of the Law in the ark was the mercy-seat. This was yearly sprinkled with the blood of the sacrifice. According to God's decree the blood of the animal served to atone for sin. The mercy-seat, sprinkled with blood, covered the tables of the Law and thereby Israel's transgressions in the sight of God. As the faces of the cherubim were toward the mercy-seat, so God's eyes looked at the mercy-seat and the blood of the atonement. and his anger then turned into love. Christ is the mercy-seat of the New Testament. Here on earth stand we, the poor sinners. Both tables of the Law, all Ten Commandants, accuse us. Above us, high above the cherubim, angels, and archangels, dwells and is enthroned the holy God. And
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when this God looks on us, sees us just as we are, in our shame and nakedness, he with loathing and anger has to turn his countenance away from us. Now, however, there is someone who has come between us and God, Christ, the Mediator of the New Testament. Christ, the New Testament mercy-seat, Christ with his blood and wounds stands between us and God. He covers our nakedness, our guilt before the eyes of God. He protects us from wrath; he has reconciled the wrath of the most high God. Now God looks at us sinners, us lost and condemned creatures, through Christ. And in Christ God looks at us with the eyes of love and pleasure. Through Christ we are children of good pleasure.
In this way, therefore, we are declared righteous before God, through the redemption and reconciliation which have come through Christ. Christ has redeemed us and reconciled us with God, and so we are justified and are able with joy and confidence to come before God. Our righteousness lies totally outside us, in Christ the Crucified.
Two familiar passages from 2 Corinthians have similar content. 2 Cor. 5,21: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." This also speaks of the righteousness which avails before God and what Christ has done so that we might be righteous before God.
Christ had no sin; he was pure and without blemish, the holy Son of God, who is higher than the heavens. He never treated anyone unjustly; there also was no deceit found in his mouth. No tinge of sin ever tainted his soul. Nonetheless, he stands before God and men as a sinner and a transgressor. He appears as "sin" incarnate; he hangs on the accursed tree. And it reads: "God made him to be sin." God himself gave him to be the curse and into the condemnation of sinners, and it was "for us", in our stead. God cast all our sins on him, reckoned them to his account, and then laid on him all the punishment of our sins. So now we are free and rid of all sin. It's true, when we take a look at ourselves, we still see sin. We still feel the law of sin in our members; old past sins accuse our conscience. However, the important thing is not what we think and hold about ourselves but what God thinks about us. God has not made Christ, the Holy One, to be sin for us. God no longer sees the sin in us but the sin in Christ. Sin is no longer any concern of ours. The sin which oppresses, torments, damns us lies according to God's reckoning and assessment on Christ. It now reads: Christ is my sin! The apostle continues: "that we might be the righteousness of God in him". When he made Christ to be sin for us, it was God's intent that we through him might be made righteous. Our sin lies on Christ and is cancelled in Christ. Thus we are now free from sin and have been declared righteous before God. Yes, we are in the eyes of God righteousness itself, pure righteousness .
Of course, this often does not add up right. In our behavior, in the performance of our obligations, we find so many gaps and deficiencies. However, it no longer matters how we look at this out how God looks at it. And God looks at us in Christ. God does not look at us according to our works but according to Christ's perfect obedience, according to Christ's holiness and righteousness. Our sin is Christ's sin, and Christ's righteousness is our righteousness. We are before God as pure and holy, as good and perfect, as though we were Christ himself. Wherefore,
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since Christ came and died for our sins, the Just for the unjust, our status as far as God is concerned has been determined once and for all. We are now the righteousness which avails before God.
2 Cor. 5,19a: "God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them." This word of Scripture speaks, first of all, of the reconciliation of the world with God. World and God were before hostile to each other. The world is God's adversary, does everything which is contrary to God. Thus it made God its enemy. However, God made arrangements to clear this enmity out of the way. God sent Christ into the world, and Christ took care of the matter for God and by his cross, by his death, did away with this enmity. God gave vent to all his enmity, to all his anger and animosity on Christ. And so anger has subsided and God is reconciled to the world. God has nothing more against it.
However, along with that has occurred the other thing whereof bur text speaks: "not imputing their trespasses unto them", This means as much as: and has forgiven them their sins. The remission of guilt consists in this, that the heavenly Father no longer looks at sin, no longer takes it into account. God, by sending Christ and giving him into death, has once for all absolved the entire world of all its sins and iniquities. To accomplish this the world did nothing, absolutely nothing. The world continues on its way, on its byway, and does not inquire about God, does not ask for reconciliation with God, for forgiveness of sins. It is completely satisfied with its misery, in its corruption feels itself very fortunate. Without the world doing something about it, without the world even knowing about it and wanting it, in that the world disputed further with God and turned more distressingly against God, God on his own made peace with his enemy and forgave it everything. God was in Christ and in Christ, through Christ, the world's Substitute, he accomplished everything himself. God, as it were, said to the world: Stand aside! I shall without any help from you effect reconciliation through my Son, Christ. God worked with Christ, and Christ worked with God, God sent Christ and gave him into death, and Christ became obedient to the Father, even to death on the cross. God alone with Christ, without us, and Christ alone with God, without us, has cleared up the matter. And so, completely disregarding what the world's attitude is to God, all its sins are forgiven.
The following Scripture passages confirm that with redemption and reconciliation which have come through Jesus Christ, our justification has likewise come about and forgiveness of sin is available for us:
Rom. 5,9.10 : "Much more then, being justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." Here the apostle testifies that we are reconciled to God, and so salvation cannot fail us. But for the expression "we are reconciled to God by the death of his Son" he uses the other synonymous expression "we have been justified by his blood".
John 16,10: "Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more." The righteousness which Christ wants to obtain for sinners consists in this, that he through suffering, death, resurrection goes to the Father. Righteousness has brought about this way of Christ to the Father.
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Eph. 1,7: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."
Similarly in Col. 1,14: "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins." The expression "redemption through his blood" is defined more closely by the other "forgiveness of sins". In Christ both are available in one: redemption and forgiveness of sins.
Rom. 4, 25: "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." God gave Christ into death for our sins, in order to atone for our sins; and God then raised him from the dead and thus publicly confirmed the atonement of sins and our righteousness.
Rom. 5,18.19: "Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous."
These words need to be explained. Clearly and plainly the Holy Ghost testifies here that justification, which makes life worthwhile, has with Christ come upon all men, that by the obedience of that one man Christ the many are made righteous before God.
Luther hits on the meaning of Scripture when he in the exposition of Galatians sums up what he has taught about justification:
"Now the true meaning of Christianity is this: that a man first acknowledge, through the Law, that he is a sinner, for whom it is impossible to perform any good work. For the Law says: 'You are an evil tree. Therefore everything you think, speak, or do is opposed to God. hence you cannot deserve grace by your works. But if you try to do so, you make the bad even worse; for since you are an evil tree, you cannot produce anything except evil fruits, that is, sins. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Rom. 14, 23).' Trying to merit grace by preceding works, therefore, is trying to palacate God with .sinsL which.is nothing but heaping sins upon sins, making fun of God, and provoking his wrath. When a man is taught this way by the Law, he is frightened and humbled. Then he really sees the greatness of his sin and finds in himself not one spark of the love of God; thus he justifies God in his Word and confesses that he deserves death and eternal damnation. Thus the first stop in Christianity is the preaching of repentance and the knowledge of oneself.
"The second step is this: If you want to be saved, your salvation does not come by works; but God has sent his only Son into the world that we might live through him. he was crucified and died for you and bore your sins in his own body (1 Pet. 2,24), here there is no 'congruity' or work performed before grace, but only wrath, sin, terror, and death. Therefore the Law only shows sin, terrifies, and humbles; thus it prepares us for justification and drives us to Christ. For by his Word God has revealed to us that he wants to be a merciful Father to us. Without our merit — since, after all, we cannot merit anything — he wants to give us forgiveness of sins, righteousness, and eternal life for the sake of Christ. For God is he who dispenses his gifts freely to all, and this is the praise of his deity. But he cannot defend this deity of his against the self-righteous people who
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are unwilling to accept grace and eternal life from him freely but want to earn it by their own works. They simply want to rob him of the glory of his deity. In order to retain it, he is compelled to send forth his Law, to terrify and crush those very hard rocks as though it were thunder and lightning.
"This, in summary is our theology about Christian righteousness." Luther's Works, Amer. Ed. 26,126.127.
With two passages, which deal with the sending of Christ and his sacrificial death, Luther shows what true Christian righteousness is. God sent his Son into the world so that we might have life through him, and Christ offered up his body for our sins: this is our justification.
Let's proceed to the second part of our thesis. It reads:
THAT FAITH ALONE JUSTIFIES US, BUT ONLY FOR THE REASON THAT IT ACCEPTS AND APPROPRIATES THE RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH CHRIST HAS WON AND PREPARED FOR ALL SINNERS.
We confess that we are justified before God by grace, through Christ. But we also say it this way: By grace, through faith man is justified. The main thing here is to have the right concept of faith and to assign to faith its proper relation in the matter of justification. When we say: "by faith", "through faith" this cannot possibly mean that faith is a cause or the essential condition of our justification or that our faith induces God to justify us. For before our faith ever came into being everything was done bv Christ and forgiveness of sins secured. It has been completed; all is prepared; we are redeemed, reconciled, justified. Scripture aside, were we just once to conclude from what has been said up till now about justification what more would we have to do in order to be justified, we would have to come to the conclusion: Nothing, absolutely nothing. We ought simply to rejoice and take comfort in what Christ has done and just leave it at what God has done for us in Christ. However, that already declares wherein justifying faith consists.
We call attention to the most significant Scripture passage in which faith is especially taken into account.
In Rom. 3, 23 we read: "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law."
And in Gal. 2,15.16: "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
Here is repeated again and again the one statement: Not by works of the Law but by faith alone are we justified.
What does it mean: "not by works"? To works of the Law belongs all God has commanded in the Law, including the disposition of the heart. If not by works of the Law, then also not by the disposition of the heart. But by faith man is justified. Faith stands in contrast to every work of the Law. And so in the article of justification faith is ruled out as a good work, as a beautiful virtue, as the God-pleasing disposition of the heart.
Then just how does faith fit into the picture? It reads: "We believe in Jesus Christ." "We are justified by faith in Christ The emphasis rests on the object of faith, and that is Christ. Faith means to trust, to have confidence in. To believe in Christ means: to trust in Christ, to place one's confidence in Christ.
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At the close of Gal. 2 we read: "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." V. 20. Christ loved us and gave himself for us, rendered satisfaction for our sins. On that we rely; to that we say Yea and Amen. He who believes says: "He who loved me has given himself for me." The believer claims Christ's merit for himself, for his person, appropriates Christ and his righteousness. And so he is justified. He who believes apprehends Christ, lays hold of Christ as hoar-frost does the precious stone. And so he has and holds onto Christ, and in and with Christ he has redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins.
In Gal. 2,17, instead of the expression "being justified by faith in Christ", we find the other: "being justified by Christ". The two expressions are identical. Christ alone it is who justifies us. And he who believes wants to be justified only through Christ. He acknowledges this and says: Yes, so it is. Christ alone justifies me and in no other way do I want to be justified. In Gal. 2,21 the apostle says: "I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Paul says that he does not do like the doers of good works, like the unbelievers, who want to obtain righteousness by the law. What do they do? They throw away God's grace. Or according to the original text: they nullify and invalidate God's grace. He who wants to be justified and saved by the Law and to know nothing of Christ, for him Christ has died in vain. For his part, for his person, he invalidates Christ's work and merit. On the other hand, what does the believer do? He rests content with Christ's work and merit. He lets suffice what Christ has done, suffered, won. He allows God's grace, Christ's atonement, forgiveness to endure in their full efficacy and validity.
What it means that we are justified by faith the apostle declares further in Rom. 4,3-5 by the example of Abraham: "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Not to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
Abraham has the witness that he believed God, and this faith was counted to him for righteousness. God held Abraham, who believed in him, to be just and righteous. And this is the general rule. The apostle, however, now comprehends the general rule in the words: "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." The apostle says of God that he justifies the ungodly, declares then to be righteous. (indeed, an extraordinary judgment! When a civil judge acquits the ungodly and condemns the just, he disavows all justice. God chose this way for himself: he wants to justify the ungodly, This is what we call grace. To be sure, in so doing God did not violate his righteousness. He justifies the ungodly through Christ, who made satisfaction for all the ungodliness of the entire world. And now the one who believes trusts in this God who justifies the ungodly, relies on this judgment of God, places himself under this judgment, counts himself among the ungodly whom God justifies, and thereby shares in the righteousness which God grants the ungodly and is looked on as being just and righteous in the sight of God.
This passage shows very clearly how little faith as a good
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work, as pious disposition, as human merit, comes into consideration in justification. He who truly believes rather says: I am one of the ungodly. Even though I do not live in the gross vices of the ungodly, I still find that I have the old ungodly nature, an ungodly, corrupt heart. However, despite this, yes, on this account I take comfort in God's gracious judgment, for as Scripture testifies to me, this is God's way that he justifies the ungodly.
Concerning Abraham's example Paul continues, Rom. 4,18-21: "Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb; he staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; and being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”
From Abraham we are to learn just how we, too, are justified before God. Explicitly the apostle says in V. 23.24: "Now it was not written for his sake alone, that is was imputed to him; but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed", etc. Abraham believed God, this means, he believed the God who gave him the promise.
God had promised to give him a son and through his son acquire a large posterity. This promise ran basically toward Christ. Hoping against hope Abraham believed this promise. What he saw with his eyes contradicted the promise. He was a hundred years old; his and his wife's body had died. But he paid no heed to all this. What he looked at was solely the promise. To that he held and gave God the glory: "that what God promises that he is able to and will do", yes, he will assuredly do it. He viewed the promise as though it were already fulfilled. In the promise he laid hold of Christ and in Christ the salvation which should come to all people. Thus his faith was counted to him for righteousness. Thus he was counted as righteous in the sight of God.
This is the way we, too, are justified in the sight of God. God has in Christ promised us righteousness, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. Everything we see in and around us contradicts this promise of God. What we see is pure unrighteousness, wretchedness, distress, death. Within us we see and feel sin, guilt, transgression. But against all hope we now believe. True faith is to look completely away from self, completely to forget about one's own sin, unworthiness, and his deserving damnation, as it were, to strip himself of his own ego and look straight to God's promise, hold onto and cling to that promise which stands eternally secure for him, to be certain that God is able to and will grant to him, to us, to me, what he has promised. So in the promise we appropriate Christ, his grace, comfort, peace, righteousness, forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life. Thus we have righteousness and are justified in the sight of God.
Faith holds onto the promise. The New Testament promise we call Gospel. Where Scripture treats of justification, it often places both concepts "Gospel" and "faith" side by side. In Rom. 1,16 we read: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." It reads similarly in 3,21.22: "But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; even the righteousness of God which is
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by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe." Christ has won, earned the righteousness which avails before God. This treasure is then comprehended in the Gospel and so is revealed through the Gospel, also already in the Old Testament through Law and the prophets, held out to, offered to, shared with, sinners. And so righteousness comes through the Gospel upon all who believe the Gospel True faith is that we accept the Gospel and take from the Gospel this treasure, righteousness.
2 Cor. 5:19b.20 has similar content: "And hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God." God has in Christ become reconciled to the world and then instituted the office, the Word of reconciliation, the office of the ministry. Through the Word God admonishes sinners. Through the ministers, his ambassadors, Christ entreats sinners: Here you have my reconciliation, my peace. So now be ye reconciled! Accept this my peace! The one who complies with this admonition, this request, or in other words: the one who believes the Word, preaching, has what God proffers in his Word, reconciliation, peace with God. Thus it reads also in Rom. 3:25, that God designed Christ "to be a propitiation through faith". He has set him before sinners in the Gospel. And in that we believe the Gospel, we appropriate to ourselves the atonement concluded in Christ.
Rom. 10,6-10: "But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into Heaven? (that is, to bring down Christ from above:) or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Through Christ the righteousness which avails before God has once and for all been won and prepared. We do not first have to bring Christ down from heaven, or bring him up from the dead. Christ has already come down from heaven; he has already risen from the dead, and has thus prepared righteousness. Righteousness is available; it lies prepared for all. But instead of the apostle continuing: "The righteousness is nigh thee", he says: "The word is nigh thee." The righteousness which Christ has prepared is embraced in the Word and comes to men in the Word and through the Word. And so all we have to do is accept with our heart the Word, which we see with our eyes and hear with our ears. Then we possess righteousness; thus are we justified in the sight of God.
So in justification faith is nothing but the means whereby we take and appropriate to ourselves God's gift, the Gospel, and in the Gospel Christ and in and with Christ the righteousness which avails before God, the forgiveness of sins. And so by the "by faith alone" the "by grace alone" is confirmed.
Where in Galatians Luther briefly describes true Christian theology he has written still another article under the heading: "Teaching the true Christian way". There he writes:
"If you feel your sins, do not consider them in yourself but
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remember that they have been transferred to Christ, 'with whose stripes you are healed' (Is. 53,3).
"This is the beginning of salvation. By this means we are delivered from sin and justified, and eternal life is granted to us, not for our own merits and works but for our faith, by which. v;u take hold of Christ. Therefore we, too, acknowledge a quality and a formal righteousness in the heart; but we do not mean love, as the sophists do, but faith, because the heart must behold and grasp nothing but Christ the Savior. Here it is necessary to know ‘the true definition of Christ. Ignoring this altogether, the sophists have made him a judge and a torturer, and have invented this stupid notion about the merit of congruity and of condignity.
"But by the true definition Christ is not a lawgiver; he is a Propitiator and a Savior. Faith takes hold of this and believes without doubting that he has performed a superabundance of works and merits of congruity and condignity. He might have made satisfaction for all the sins of the world with only one drop of his blood, but now he has made abundant satisfaction. Heb. 9,12: 'With his own blood he entered once for all into the Holy Place.' And Rom. 3,23.25: 'Justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood.' Therefore it is something great to take hold, by faith, of Christ, who bears the sins of the world (John 1,29). And this faith alone is counted for righteousness (Rom. 3-4).
"Here it is to be noted that these three things are joined, together: faith, Christ, and acceptance or imputation. Faith takes hold of Christ and has him present, enclosing him as the rim; encloses the gem. And whoever is found having this faith in the Christ who is grasped in the heart, him God accounts as righteous. This is the means and the merit by which we obtain the forgiveness of sins and righteousness. 'Because you believe in me,' God says, 'and your faith takes hold of Christ, whom I have freely given to you as your Justifier and Savior, therefore be righteous.’" L.W., Amer. Ed. 26,132.
We are simply following Scripture when we teach and confess:
THAT GOD HIMSELF HAS KINDLED FAITH IN US, THAT WE ARE CONVERTED TO CHRIST AND REGENERATED BY THE GRACE OF GOD, WITHOUT ANY PREPARATION, ASSISTANCE, AND COOPERATION ON OUR PART; THAT WE ARE KEPT IN FAITH BY GOD'S POWER AND THROUGH FAITH ARE PRESERVED TO SALVATION.
The first and foremost question for all men is this: How can I be justified before God in time and for eternity? Scripture replies: By grace alone, for Christ's sake, through faith. However, closely tied in with this question is another of equal relevance, namely: How do I get faith? Or, what says the same thing: How is the sinner converted to God? We answer with the words of the Third Article: "I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith." This is common Christian belief. It is the Holy Spirit who grants
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and upholds us in faith. Also in the Third Article we extol conversion by the grace of God alone.
By nature man is hostile to grace. This explains why this article of conversion was distorted early in the church. The Church of Rome teaches that man is able to and must prepare himself for grace, for converting grace. Already in the l6th and l7th centuries the doctrine that man had and was able to cooperate in his conversion, be it by natural or infused powers, had forced its way into the Lutheran Church. This is what is called "synergism". In modern times this doctrine has even been further developed and nearly become the common property of the Protestant Church.
The way modern Lutherans speak of conversion is this: Since the fall into sin man's will is indeed bound to, enslaved under, sin. Now, by means of the Word God comes to sinful man and frees and liberates his will. All who hear the Word experience this working. Of course, man thereby is still not completely converted. His will is not yet attuned to God, to what is good. Nevertheless, by God's grace he now has a free will, the freedom of choice, the capability of deciding for or against God, for or against Christ. And conversion then takes place when man of his own free will decides for Christ. This is the doctrine of man's self-determination or self-resolve. Or it is expressed in this way: Even before conversion God grants man certain powers of grace; and when man uses these powers faithfully, he eventually comes to faith and is converted. A longer process is permitted to precede conversion, a preparation for conversion. That's when Jod and man, God's grace and man's will work together toward conversion, Man assumes a so-called middle-of-the-road position, an intermediate state between being converted and not being converted. In this condition man is indeed seized by grace but has himself not taken hold of grace as yet. He is revived; and if he now properly utilizes grace which is at work in him, he eventually reaches the point where he independently, of his own free will, lays hold on Christ and salvation in Christ. In this fashion man is credited a share or cooperation in his conversion. Yes, the essential decision is placed in his hands. Others who have the same mind and spirit avoid this kind of talk but, at the same time, maintain that man's conversion is in a certain sense dependent on man. Man must abandon a certain opposition so that God is able to convert him.
What does our synod teach about conversion? It has ever brought forth the words of our Confession, especially the Formula of Concord, and offered them to refute the statements of modern theologians. The Formula of Concord explains that man by nature is altogether corrupt, that there is not the least spark of spiritual power remaining in him. It denies, therefore, that man by his own powers can in any way turn toward, prepare and equip himself for grace, that man can help, work, or concur in his conversion. He is able to do no more than can a stone or a log or a piece of clay. Yes, man is even worse than a stone or a log. He is like an unmanageable beast and is rebellious towards God. He resists the Word and will of God until God awakens, enlightens, and revives him from death in sin. The Formula of Concord confesses that Holy Scripture ascribes conversion, faith in Christ, conversion, and regeneration not to the human powers of the natural free will, neither entirely, nor partly, nor in any,
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even in the least or most inconsiderable part, but in solidum, that is, entirely, solely, to divine working and to the Holy Spirit and that man in conversion is mere passive, so that he does nothing whatever towards it, but only suffers what God works in him. The Formula of Concord describes conversion is this way, that the Lord God draws man who desires only evil so that a darkened understanding becomes an enlightened understanding, a stubborn will becomes an obedient will; that God through his Word breaks our hearts and draws man so that man through the preaching of the Law comes to know sin and God's wrath and experiences true terror, contrition, and sorrow, and through the preaching of the Gospel a spark of faith is kindled in him, that the Holy Spirit through the Word which is preached and heard hearts are enlightened and converted, that men believe such Word and give assent to it. It often stresses that God alone works faith. As soon as man experiences and feels a little spark and longing for God's grace and eternal salvation in his heart, this already is the beginning of godliness, thus man is already converted. Concordia Triglotta 883-889.891. 903.915.
These and similar statements our synod has all along advanced against modern synergists and has in particular stressed this one thing, that conversion consists essentially in this, that God makes willing out of the unwilling, that God overcomes man's resistance and declares himself against all cooperation on the part of man in his conversion. It reads as follows in the synodical report of the Western District 1876, 67.68: "Those who advance the false doctrine, of course, say: our doctrine does not take any glory away from God, for we do not say that man comes to a decision by his natural powers, but we say; he does it with the powers of grace which are given to him. However, they do not bear in mind that only he who has already been revivified possesses and is able to use the powers. A person picks up a stick or stone and thinks to himself that he will be infused with powers, — the stone would hardly bother itself about the powers, and everything would remain as is. Powers presuppose an element which utilizes the powers. Thus, man would already have to be converted in order to be able to convert himself; he must already be awakened in order to be able to awaken himself; he must already be renewed in order to be able to renew himself. No, as soon as man has come so far that he is able to make use of the powers of grace, he is already converted, then God has already decided or determined matters for him, then he has already given him a new heart, then he has already regenerated him through his Holy Spirit.” p. 63.65: "According to the very nature of the matter involved the bestowing of spiritual powers is conversion itself." "Liberating man is itself conversion or regeneration." Thus emphasised is the doctrine of an awakening before conversion and rejected is a self-determination on man's part in conversion. The "decision" is all-inclusive. Therein lies faith, conversion, that man decide for God, for Christ. However, he does not do this by his own powers, by his own free resolve. It is God who stimulates and induces him. And so we confess; God decides, determines for man.
How does this our doctrine, which at the same time is the doctrine of our Lutheran Confession, agree with Scripture? Our third thesis is but a brief summary of what Scripture teaches concerning conversion. There we state, first of alls "THAT GOD HENCE HAS KINDLED FAITH IN US, THAT WE ARE CONVERTED TO CHRIST AND
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REGENERATED THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD, WITHOUT ANY PREPARATION, ASSISTANCE, AND COOPERATION ON OUR PART.
That Scripture teaches. We shall, next, look at Scripture passages in which faith and its origin are attributed to God.
1 Cor. 12,3: "No man can say that Jesus is Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." "To call Jesus a Lord" occurs only in faith; this is impossible without the Holy Spirit. John 6,65: "No man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father." "To come unto Jesus" means to believe in Jesus. Thus we confess in the Third Article: "I believe that I cannot by my own reason and strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to him." And now no one is able to come to Jesus; this is given to him of the Father. Eph. 2,8.9: "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast."
Paul reminds Christians that they are saved, and it is through faith. "And that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God", he says. That we are saved in this way, through faith, is God's gift. Accordingly, faith itself is God's gift. "And that not of yourselves." By nature man is in no way responsive to faith. By nature he does not have the slightest leaning toward Christ. Faith does not proceed of itself from nature, from man's heart. "Not of works." Not by any effort on our part do we obtain faith. The person who by his own effort or preparation wants to come to Christ will not succeed even though he should harness all powers. While living in the monastery Luther attempted by his own works to come to God or to Christ, but on this way he always grew farther and farther away from Christ. Phil. 1,29: "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, also to suffer for his sake." Clearly and plainly it is here testified "unto you it is given", including that you believe in Christ. Indeed, it is given to us, otherwise we would not have come so far.
Eph. 1,19.20: that ye may know "what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places."
Here God's great, boundless power is extolled. The expressions are heaped up. God's almighty power demonstrated itself in Christ's resurrection from the dead. However, not only then, for it also reads: "We believe according to the working of his mighty power." Therefore, we owe our faith to the working of God’s almighty power and might. In fact, faith is a miracle, as only God is able to perform it. Faith has no basis, is not imbedded in man's nature. Rather it runs counter to man's nature. Everything we see around and in us runs counter to faith. The world is pointing its finger at us; and if it is unable to accuse us of any ;ross sins, it is able at least to produce evidence to the effect that we are not saints. We feel the law of sin in our members. Our conscience condemns us. Nevertheless, we believe that in Christ we have a gracious God, that we are justified in the sight of God through Christ. That we thus believe contrary to nature, to all experience, to all feeling, is result of the working of God's mighty power. The hand of the Almighty has sown this faith, this certainty in our heart.
Col. 2,12: "Wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead."
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Here we find the brief, convincing statement: "God works faith."
Finally, it reads in 1 Cor. 2,5: "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Our faith, rests completely on the power of God. Prior to this (V. 4) Paul says: "My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power." By this the apostle, at the same time, declares how, by what means, God works faith, namely, through preaching. Through preaching God demonstrates the strength of his almighty power. By this means he lays hold on man's heart. Preaching itself creates faith and obedience. Accordingly, Paul writes in Rom. 10,17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Wherever the Gospel is preached, there it goes just as Luther once wrote: "Such faith is not the result of personal preparation; but when the Word is openly and clearly preached, then it is that such faith and hope, such mighty confidence in Christ, begins to exist." Erl. Augs. 18,247.
Scripture teaches that God grants faith, works faith, and, of course, in such a way that it thereby excludes all effort, preparation, all cooperation on man's part. By faith we are converted to God, to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. Through faith we are born again. And so we now turn to the words of Scripture which explicitly speak of conversion and describe conversion in greater detail.
In Jer. 31,18.19 we read: "I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus; Thou hast chastised me , and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned, repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh."
The heart of this passage is the word: "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned." The discussion is about conversion. To turn oneself means actually: to change one's ways. When one is converted,he leaves his former way, turns around, and goes in a different direction. Of course, meant by this is an inner, spiritual h aproning, a spiritual movement, namely, repentance, change of heart, and change of life. The direction of man's heart and life becomes altogether different as a result of conversion. One who is converted abandons his former way, renounces sin, the world, bondage to Satan, and turns himself to God. That's what is being discussed here, and about this it is said: "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned." Of course, he who prays as did Ephraim here is already converted. These words are spoken by the repentant, the converted Israel of the future. Accordingly, conversion in the broader sense is to be understood here, conversion, that change in heart and life which should continue through all of life, concerning which Luther wrote in the first of his 95 Theses: "When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, 'Repent', he willed, the entire life of believers to be one of repentance."
Believers must continually redirect their lives, time and again redeem heart and mind from the vain things of this world and direct them to God and to what is of God. And this continual, daily change and turning back is the work of God, must be obtained from God by prayer, If, however, this entire change, which courses through all of life, is a matter for God to deal with, then also its beginning or repentance and conversion in the narrower, actual meaning of the word. Ephraim bears witness to this:
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“Surely after that I was turned, I repented.” "After that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh." God disciplined and warned israel, and it repented, was thus converted. And so it is general rules All turning back is of God. "Turn thou me, and I shall be turned." If God does not convert man, conversion will never occur. Our nature, heart, and thoughts lead us directly away from God into error. And how are we all of a sudden on our own to decide to change this course? No, if this natural impulse and drive, this natural course of things is to be called to a halt, God himself must step in and change the course. If wc want to draw near God, if we want to approach God, God must reach out his hand, must turn us around, and draw us to himself.
In Scripture conversion is described as a restoring to life:
Eph. 2,1-6: "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past , in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved;) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."
In the thesis we chose the words: that we are converted to Christ and born again by God's grace, without any preparation, assistance, and cooperation on our part. This is the way Scripture usually speaks of conversion. It reminds Christians of the beginning of their Christianity, of their conversion, and urges them to extol the grace of God which they have experienced in themselves. Next, Paul reminds the Christians from the Gentiles of their former life. They were dead in sins, drowned in, benumbed by, sin, obeying the will of the flesh, their corrupt nature, the will of the devil, and followed the evil ways of this world. However, by nature the Jews were no better. Including himself with his people, Paul writes: "Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh ... and were by nature children of wrath, even as others.... Even when we were dead in sins." And thus are all men by nature: dead, dead in sins. Death in sin, spiritual death is meant. In natural man there is not a single spark of life, of spiritual life; there is nothing good in him. Unconverted man does not have even a spark of fear before God. He does not trouble himself about God's commandments and about future reckoning, has no love toward God. iie makes no inquiry about what is pleasing to God, lives only to please himself. He has no trust; in distress he despairs or murmurs against God. So an unconverted man lives without God in the world, obeys only the will of the flesh and the devil, follows the evil ways of this world, and so walks the way of destruction, towards the abyss. Thus are we all by nature.
However, God had mercy on us and according to his grace "saved" us, that is, delivered us, drew us up out of destruction. "According to his great love wherewith he loved us" he has "quickened us, raised us up", awakened us from death in sin, from spiritual death to a new, spiritual life. He has "made us sit together in
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heavenly places", has translated us into heavenly existence, has implanted within us a new, heavenly existence. "With Christ" he has quickened us, etc. The new, spiritual, divine life which God has quickened in us is participation in the life in which Christ now lives. Christ lives now to God. In Christ we "are risen through the faith of the operation of God". Col. 2,12. God has worked faith in us, and faith is new light and life. We now believe in Christ, love God, fear God, trust in God, and are now only concerned about walking in accord with God's will and pleasure.
What the apostle teaches here concerning conversion excludes all preparation, assistance, and cooperation on man's part from this process. Conversion is quickening from death in sin. But a dead person is not able to raise himself up,can in no way cooperate in his return to life. The same holds true of the spiritually dead. Lazarus lay rigid, cold, and motionless, in his vault. Only when Christ's powerful call: "Lazarus, come forth!" penetrated the grave did new life spring into dead bones; Lazarus moved hands and feet and came forth from the grave. Before his conversion man is dead, spiritually dead, totally dead, helpless and powerless. There is no moving and stirring in his heart for better things, no sigh to God, no longing for God, for deliverance. All his meditating, thinking, feeling, longing for God, for deliverance. All his meditating, thinking, feeling, longing is evil. Only when God with his Word, with his Spirit and breath, touches his heart does movement begin within. Then he thinks of God, then he sighs to God, then he longs for grace and takes comfort in the grace of God and his Savior Jesus Christ.
What the apostle here teaches concerning conversion completely excludes an intermediate state between conversion and non-conversion, a process before conversion. Man is either spiritually dead or spiritually alive. A third, an intermediate state between death and life does not exist. Before his conversion and until his conversion man is dead, nothing but dead. There is not a sign of life in him, no, not even an inkling of any change in his condition. The condition in which God finds man when he has mercy on him and nos quickens him is: dead, spiritually dead. "While we were dead in sins he has quickened us." However, as soon as God kindles the first spark of spiritual life, the first spark of remorse, of faith, and of love in him, then is man alive, then is he converted.
Just as conversion is described as quickening from the dead so also as a new creation. Thus, for example, in Eph. 2,10: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them," We Christians are God's work, God's creation. We are created in Christ Jesus, which means, created into Christ as our vital element, therefore, translated into Christ's life, into a new, spiritual, divine life. What we are and have as Christians, that we believe in Christ, serve God, this is God's handiwork. To create means to make out of nothing. Of all the things which constitute our Christianity there previously was nothing, absolutely nothing existing. God has called into being what was not. Also, by this expression "his workmanship" all preparation on the part of man towards his conversion is rejected. Man simply cannot do anything to aid in his being created. It would be absurdity for us to say that Adam and Eve had assisted in their
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creation.
In Scripture conversion is further designated as a regeneration, a new birth. Thus in John 3,5: "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." And in 1 Pet. 1,23: "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." We Christians are, even when we became Christians, when we came to faith, born again, regenerated. Man first comes into being and existence through birth. Through regeneration we have entered into the essence and existence which we now have as Christians. God has, and it was through water, Word, and Spirit, translated us into this new, spiritual essence and life. Previously nothing of this existed. Also, this expression "born again" shows that man in his conversion acts "pure passive", does absolutely nothing toward it, but suffers only what God does. A man cannot do a thing toward his being born. Luther says of conversion: "But what is new birth? That man becomes what he was not beforehand. For birth brings into being something which previously did not exist." "God wants to build from ground up and to purify the heart." Er. Augs. 46,26.263.
To 1 Pet. 1,23 Luther states: "There an entirely new man comes into being, other thoughts, other words and works. Thus you are completely changed. Now you seek everything from which you formerly fled; and what you formerly sought, that you flee." "Physical birth takes place in the following way: When man has received the seed, the seed is changed, so that it is no longer seed. But this is a seed that cannot be changed; it remains eternally. But it changes me in such a way that I am changed into it and what evil there is in me because of my nature disappears completely."
Also this change, whereof Luther speaks, that God's Word works altogether in its own way in conversion proves that God here works all in all.
Yes, it is God who converts the sinner, makes him alive, recreates him, regenerates him. Yet Scripture does not merely in general describe this great work of God in the hearts of men, but shows in detail how , God in conversion renews all of man's powers and makes out of the darkened understanding an enlightened understanding, out of the stubborn will an obedient will.
To conversion belongs enlightenment and enlightenment, too, Scripture attributes to God alone.
We read in Matt. 16,17: "And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." What Peter previously confessed: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God", is common Christian belief. We, too, confess: "We have believed and recognized you to be Christ, the Son of the living God." And now we hear from Christ's mouth that such faith, such confession, does not come from flesh and blood, but that the heavenly Father has revealed, inwardly revealed, such to us, has kindled knowledge of Christ in our heart.
Luke 24,45: "Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures." After his resurrection Christ still taught his disciples many things, that everything written about him had to be fulfilled. He expounded Scripture to them. Although they already prior to this knew Scripture, in many things
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they lacked understanding of Scripture, and to this understanding Christ opened their minds. And it is ever the office and work of the exalted Christ to explain Scripture to us, to make Scripture bright and clear, the Scripture which without his enlightenment would be for us a closed book. Especially what Scripture says about itself, about Christ and salvation in Christ, to that Christ opens up our understanding, so that we come to know Christ aright, to learn to know him better and better.
John 14,26: "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." This is a word from the Lord's farewell address. During the three years Christ had wandered through the land of the Jews with his disciples, he had told them a lot of things about his person, his office and work. However, they had not clearly grasped and understood. Thus the Lord promises them the Holy Spirit, who would remind them of what he has said, and teach, inwardly teach them so that they would correctly grasp and understand Christ's words. And it has ever been the function and work of the Holy Spirit to inscribe in our heart, in our understanding, these words of eternal life, to make them intelligible to our soul, so that we correctly perceive what they really mean. What we have actually grasped and understood of Christ's words, of God's Word, that we owe solely to the schooling of the Holy Spirit.
Summary: All the knowledge we Christians possess, especially the knowledge of Christ, is the work and working of the heavenly Father, work and working of the risen, exalted Christ, work and working of the Holy Spirit, therefore, a gracious working of the triune God.
A chief proof passage for the doctrine of illumination is 2 Cor. 4,6: "God, who commanded the- light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." God has caused a bright light to shine "in our hearts", first of all, in the hearts of the apostles so that they came to know Christ aright, so that then through the apostles (through us), through their ministry and their word, others, too, would be illuminated and come to the true knowledge of Christ. Thus a way is described here as to as to how generally man comes to true knowledge and is illuminated.
"The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them." 1 Cor. 2,14. Man is by nature totally blind and unilluminated, perceives, understands nothing of spiritual, divine things, has erroneous ideas about these things. And even though he hears God's Word, he perceives nothing as long as he is left to himself. He cannot perceive it. Yes. he regards it as foolishness. He shakes his head and says: These are strange things.
He has a distorted and false understanding of what he hears about God and Christ; his thoughts are warped. He regards God perhaps as a weak Father who turns a blind eye to his dear children, or, on the other hand, when things once go black, as a tyrant, unable to find any compassion in him. He sees in Christ a mere man, a man of virtue, a martyr, or, on the other hand, a jailer and stern judge. From all this it follows that that man's understanding is unable to contribute not even the least to his illumination and conversion.
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Human folly rather creates hindrances for the work of God. In us, in our natural heart is pure darkness. All light relative to spiritual things must come from above. Of necessity knowledge of sin precedes knowledge of Christ. Knowledge of sin comes by the Law. But even though man has recognized his sin by the Law, he does not for this reason see a way out of sin; the look toward Christ is still closed to him. Yes, man thinks and ponders, as far as he is able, to reconcile God by perverse means alone.
But now God does his work in man. He who at the beginning commanded light to shine forth out of darkness lets his mighty call "Let there be light" penetrate into the benighted soul. And this is a creative act on the part of God. By his Word, through the Gospel, through 'Word and Spirit, he dispels the darkness of our own thoughts and shines a bright light into our hearts, grants light, wisdom, understanding. And the scales fall from our eyes, and we see him whom we at first did not see, we see Christ as he is. The true picture of Christ comes before the eyes of our spirit. In Christ's face we see the majesty of God, see Christ in his divine glory and majesty, see in Christ the salutary grace, friendliness, and kindness of God. And in Christ we also see the Father and recognize the Father of Jesus Christ to be our Father as well. And as soon as the first spark of light has penetrated into the soul of man, as soon as he has but grasped the ABC's of Christian truth, he is already illuminated and converted. And soon man is also aware that he has not come this far by his own thinking, seeking, searching, but that it is light from above, and thanks God for it.
To this is then added: Out of the obstinate will God makes an obedient will. In conversion God works not merely upon the understanding but also on the will of man.
It reads in Acts 16,14: "And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul." By nature the heart is impervious to the Gospel. And when man's heart now opens itself to the point that he pays heed to what God's Word says, that he gives assent to the Word. This comes from God.
1 Pet. 2,9: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light."
Here the apostle speaks of the calling, reminds Christians that they are called, "Called saints" is otherwise also a title of honor for Christians. They are called out of darkness into God's marvellous light, that is, are translated from darkness into light. Through calling they have become what they now are. At first, they were not God's people; now they are God's people. The calling, about which the apostle speaks here and elsewhere, includes a working in him who perceives God's call, a working on his will. In the Gospel God calls: Come, all things are ready.
This call penetrates into the sinner's heart and impels the heart and will to come to Christ, to be converted to Christ.
The orthodox teachers of our church, when describing the working of God upon man's will, quote, above all, the familiar word of the Lord, John 6,44: "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him." No one is able to come to Christ unless he is drawn by the Father. To come to Christ means
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to believe in Christ. No outward going and coming but an inner movement is meant. The one who believes turns heart and will to Christ. However, this happens in no other way but that the Father draws us. No one is able to believe, to turn heart and will to Christ; he must be drawn by the Father. The going and coming to Christ is a being drawn. Thus we come to Christ by being drawn to Christ by the Father. God draws man, man's heart and will to Christ. God disposes the heart to believe in Christ. It is man who believes, not God. Man says: I believe. Yes, I want to. I want Christ to be my Savior. I want to be saved through Christ. Faith is an act of the human will. Faith is pure willingness. Faith produced by coercion is not faith. But it is God who now effects this volition. God coerces no one. He draws to Christ and makes man willing to appropriate Christ and salvation in Christ.
It is an extraordinary power which God makes use of here. A tyrant can ensure himself of obedience, but it is enforced obedience, not the obedience of the heart. No ruler, no king, no emperor controls the heart and will of his subjects. However, God according to his power and grace is able to win over man's heart, to draw to himself man's volition. God creates and works willingness. And, of course, God does not simply meet man's will halfway here, that God merely strengthens the feeble volition which man has. No, out of the unwilling God makes willing. Man is by nature and enemy of God. Rom. 8,7: "Because the carnal mind is enmity against Gods for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Man wants only what God does not want, and what God wants man does not want. This God-hostile disposition makes its appearance just at the time man in some way or other comes into contact with the Word of God. When the unconverted hears God's Word, he shakes his head and says; No, I don't want to know anything about it. And it is particularly the Gospel that is offensive to him. He wants nothing by grace; he does not want to be saved by foreign merit. His pride militates against it. And even when his pride has been struck down by the law and fear and terror have been struck into him, the sinner makes no effort to go to Christ in order to seek help and comfort. 'With all the energy he can summon he rather flees from before Christ and despairs rather than taking refuge in the Savior of sinners.
Man's conversion, as Luther once said, is preceded by nothing else but by rebellion against God. But God now through the Gospel stretches out his hand to the sinner. He invests the preaching of the Gospel with all the power and fervor of his love and says to man; Why will you die and destroy yourself? Come instead to Christ. He is your Physician, your Redeemer, with him you find rest for your soul; he has already given you help; he has already forgiven you everything. I through Christ have been reconciled to you for a long time, so be reconciled, take the hand of peace I offer you. Ah, just take, take what I am offering you, grace, peace, comfort, forgiveness, life, salvation. Thus speaks God to the heart of man. speaks to him words just like a father speaks to an unruly child. And he speaks to him until he has convinced him and himself placed the assent into his heart.
And the sinner confesses; "O Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; thou art stronger than I, and has prevailed."
Jer. 20,7. And even though at first it is but a very soft, timid
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Yes, nevertheless, the decisive change has thus set in); the sinner is converted, his heart and will are now turned, joined to Christ.
In this way the Father draws man, man's will to the Son. There is, accordingly, nothing to the talk that man himself, of his own volition, decides for Christ, scarcely that God might give him the power to make the right decision. No, the Father draws to the Son. God changes the original NO into YES. God makes willing out of the unwilling. God tips the scales so that assent is given to Christ.
Concerning the overcoming of the will which;is at enmity with God, the prophet Ezekiel says, 36,26.27: "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them."
Here is prophesied the future conversion of Israel. In the same way, however, as God wanted to convert Israel and in his own time did, he converts other sinners as well. God takes the stony heart out of the flesh, out of man's inner parts and replaces it with a new, fleshly heart. This taking away and this Giving is one and the same act. God changes the stony heart into one of the flesh. Man's heart is either stony or fleshly. There is no intermediate state. By nature we all have a stony heart.
The heart is hard, obstinate, unyielding, apathetic towards God. It accepts nothing from God. As man is by nature, nothing makes an impression on him, neither God's earnestness nor his goodness. Natural man's will opposes all divine impulses and influences, all the impelling forces of the divine Word. With all his powers man fights against God. He can do nothing else. And that's when God performs his miracle on the sinner. When he converts him, he takes away the stony heart, the inflexible, unyielding nature, the opposition out of the heart; and instead of a stony heart, he gives him a heart of flesh, that is, a heart which is submissive, responsive, obedient, willing. Out of the rebellious he makes such people who gladly walk in his commandments. And, of course, God effects this through his Spirit, and the Spirit demonstrates his power through the Word, through the Gospel. Thus there is nothing at all to the talk that man before his conversion must stop his resisting, or at least a certain portion of it, so that God might be able to convert him. That in itself is already nonsensical talk. As soon as man stops resisting, as soon as he withdraws the thorn, he is already submissive, yielding, willing, is already converted.
And now the Scripture passage before us testifies clearly and plainly that God, when he seeks to convert man, finds him in just such frame of mind, finds him with a stony heart. Man resists until he is converted. There is, furthermore, nothing to the talk that man of his own accord, even though aided by grace, is able to cease resistance or, at least, a certain portion of it. The passage from Ezekiel proves that this is God's business. God changes the stony heart into a fleshly one. God makes the resisting willing.
Deut. 30,6 says the same thing; "And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live." God circumcises the sinner's wild, intract-
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able heart, and so man by God's power and efficacy receives a circumcised heart, that is, an obedient heart, which loves and yields itself to God.
What Scripture teaches concerning conversion, in particular concerning the subduing of the hostile will, is also confirmed by the examples which Scripture adduces. The foremost example is the conversion of Paul. Luther writes about its "It is a great and comforting miracle when our Lord God converts a man who was so wicked and persecuted Christ and his Christendom so zealously." "No heart, though it be like pure silica and diamond, is so strong that it could hold out and not break." Erl. Ed. 6,319«
In Luther's Tabletalk we find the following passage: "There was a certain person who said to Dr. Martin: Doctor, several theologians are advancing that the Holy Spirit does not work in those who resist him, but only in those who are willing and show their willingness; for this reason man's will is a cause of, and helps to work, faith.... Thereupon Dr. Martin Luther answered and said: In no way. Man's will works and contributes nothing throughout his conversion and justification.... He merely experiences and is the material on which the Holy Spirit works, just as the potter makes a vessel out of clay, even in those who resist and are obstinate, as was Paul. But after the Holy Spirit has worked the willingness in such an one who resists, he then prepares and brings it about that the will for its part is willing and immediately agrees with him. Against this the former said: When comparing 3t. Paul's conversion to that of other people, it must be stated that his conversion was a special work of God; for this reason it cannot be taken as a general rule that the same must be true of all others. Hereupon Dr. Martin Luther answered: In the same way that St. Paul was converted people, one and all, are converted; for we all resist God, but through the office of the ministry the Holy Spirit at his time draws us humans when he wants,which is the reason a person should have high regard for, and hear.the preaching of, the Word; for those who despise preaching soon become heretics." Erl. Ed. 58,223.224.
We also follow Scripture when at the end of the third thesis we confess: THAT WE ARE KEPT IN FAITH ALSO BY GOD'S POWER AND THROUGH FAITH PRESERVED TO SALVATION.
When God has converted man and set his feet on the right path, he does then not leave man to himself, but his Spirit leads him on an even course. Faith of necessity proves itself in good works. But even what good a Christian does he owes to God's grace. Verily, man's will ie now changed and renewed. The will of the regenerate wants to and does work what is good. To the converted we attribute a kind of cooperation in the performance of good works. However, the renewed will and God's grace do not work together in the life and walk of Christians in the way as, e.g., two horses pull a wagon; but the renewed will is the means and instrument in God's hand. God takes man's renewed will into his service and through it does what is pleasing to him. This, Scripture testifies in the words of Phil. 2,13: "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." In every good work God works first the volition, the intention and determination, and then the accomplishment, the carrying out of the good. In Eph. 2,10 the apostle says that God has also designed the good deeds, that we, we who ourselves are God's handiwork, should walk in them. Everything, even the good we do,
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is given us by God.
After we have been converted by God's grace and have come to faith, everything now hinges on our persevering in faith until the end. Scripture, however, teaches that it is God alone who also strengthens, nourishes, and sustains the faith he has created. 1 Pet. 1,5: "Ye are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." In hours of weakness and temptation this is powerful comfort. God's Word gives us the assurance that God is greater than our heart, that God's power preserves us in faith and so through faith preserves us to salvation.
Phil. 1,6: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ."
1 Cor. 1,8.9: "Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord."
These are great and precious promises. God himself has begun the good work of faith in us, has called us into the fellowship of his Son, and is now faithful and constant, and in accord with his faithfulness continues this good work until he has completed it. It does not read here: he wants to, he is able to do it, but: "He will bring it to completion"; "He will keep you firm to the end." This is a sure promise, concerning which we should have no doubt.
John 10,28.29: "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand."
Here, therefore, the Lord himself, the Good Shepherd, gives his sheep the assurance: no one can and will snatch you out of my hand and out of my Father's hand. No one, nothing, neither the devil and hell nor the hostile world, not even our own flesh and blood, not even our own corrupt will,can and will be able to snatch us out of the hand of God and Christ. Christ here gives us assurance against our own selves. We are in Christ's hand, in God's hand, through faith. Therefore, no one, nothing can, should, will rob us of faith. Our faith rests secure in God's hand. We are they who believe and who grow and persevere in faith through cross and conflict. In all manner of adversity we hold firmly to Christ's and God's hand. But it is God who works such perseverance. It is God who brings it to pass that we hold fast to him. It is God who holds onto us. And so we remain firm in his Word and in faith until our end. God very urgently and forcefully admonishes the believers in his Word to be watchful, to have patience, to be faithful, constant, and warns against apostasy. But such exhortations and warnings are in God's hand only means whereby he sustains us in faith and carries out his work in us until the end. When a Christian stands at the end of his life and confesses with Paul: "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith", he thus gives God the glory for everything.
When a sinner is converted, comes to faith, and perseveres in faith and is eventually saved, he owes this exclusively to the power and grace of God. That's what Scripture teaches. But what about it? Does it follow perhaps that, if a person is not
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converted or again falls away, God has neglected to do something? Man's reason concludes thus. But Scripture rejects this conclusion. Here, too, we simply follow Scripture: we confess that all who are lost are lost through their own fault. That the Lord himself testifies in Matt. 23:37: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" Christ wanted to gather to himself the lost children of Jerusalem. Christ, God earnestly and forcefully calls all sinners to repentance. But why is it that so many do not come and perish? "Ye would not!" says Christ.
We read in Acts 7:51: "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." These are the words of Stephan given him by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In his defense Stephen had recounted all the blessings which God had poured out on his people from the beginning. God had left no stone unturned. God had also through his prophets, through his Spirit, urgently admonished the disobedient people to repent and turn around. But what was the Jews' attitude to their God? "Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost." This was told them in reproach; this was their guilt. When man resists God, unto the very end disregards all earnest and gracious admonitions and urgings of God, he is held accountable, lie plunges himself into misfortune.
It is the very same situation with those who believe for a while and then again fall away. Is. 1,2: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." Isaiah is here rebuking apostate Israel. At the beginning Israel was a pious, upright people, chosen, brought up by God, exalted over the nations. But what became of this people? "They have rebelled against me." This is lament and indictment, at the same time, indictment which convicts the rebellious children of their guilt.
To sum up: Scripture holds man accountable for all evil, and precisely for impenitence, unbelief, while it attributes all that is good alone to God and his grace.
IV (Table of Contents)
We confess in accord with Scripture:
THAT GOD HAS MADE OUR CONVERSION, RIGHTEOUSNESS, SALVATION SO GREAT A CONCERN OF HIS THAT HE ALREADY BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD OUT OF PURE GRACE FOR CHRIST'S SAKE ELECTED AND ORDAINED US TO ADOPTION AND TO ETERNAL LIFE, WITHOUT REGARD FOR ANY CONDUCT ON OUR PART.
The scriptural doctrine of justification and conversion has convinced us that our righteousness and salvation, as well as justifying and saving faith or our conversion, lie exclusively in the hand of God. And we become completely certain of this when we look at the doctrine of predestination. This doctrine is looked upon in particular as real "Missourian" doctrine. It is common knowledge that for more than ten years the so-called predestination controversy has deeply touched our synod and our congregations and caused dissension in many areas. The entire
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Lutheran Church in America has been affected by this controversy, and even over there in Germany people are aware of it and are taking sides. We still hold to the same position we held at the time of the controversy. Briefly what is the "Missourian" doctrine of predestination?
Our synod has basically done nothing but explain the chief tenets of the Lutheran Confession, Article XI of the Formula of Concord. In particular, the following statements:
1. While the foreknowledge of God "extends alike over the godly and the wicked", "predestination or eternal election extends only over the godly, the beloved children of God". C.T.833. They are those who "were elected and ordained to eternal life before the foundation of the world was laid". C.T. IO65. The meaning is: God's foreknowledge extends over all men; eternal oLection concerns only those persons who now believe, are godly, beloved children of God and will finally be saved.
2. This election of God is "a cause of their salvation as well as what belongs thereto". C.T. 833. "The eternal election of God, however, not only foresees and foreknows the salvation of the elect, but is also, from the gracious will and pleasure of God in Jesus Christ, a cause which procures, works, helps, and promotes our salvation and what pertains thereto." C.T. 1065.
Here the election which affects only God's righteous children is called a cause of their salvation and also a cause of everything which pertains to their salvation. However,to salvation belongs, above all, faith. Therefore, here, too, God's eternal election is presented as a cause of our faith. And that this is so we for our part acknowledged in the election controversy, that faith flows from election, and vice versa, and this is something for which we have been blamed. This the Formula of Concord also attests in the following words:
"Thus this doctrine affords also the excellent, glorious consolation that God was so greatly concerned about the conversion, righteousness, and salvation of every Christian, and so faithfully purposed it that before the foundation of the world was laid,he deliberated concerning it, and in his purpose ordained how he would bring me thereto, and preserve me therein. C.T. 1079.
3. An error is rejected: "Also, that not only the mercy of God and the most holy merit of Christ, but also in us there is a cause of God's election, on account of which God has elected us to everlasting life." C.T. 837.
What is here rejected by the Lutheran Confession we likewise have rejected, namely, that some kind of cause of election lay in man, regardless of the name you give the cause, so also that faith is a cause of election, that faith moved and impelled God to elect us.
Our adversaries denied and still deny these clear statements of the Confession and have badly distorted them. On the other hand, they have accused our synod of Calvinism and termed our doctrine of predestination to be Calvinistic heresy. Calvin taught an absolute predestination of some to salvation and a predestination of the rest to damnation. Scripture, of course, knows nothing of this, that the damnation of those who do not believe has Its basis in an eternal predestination of God, and this we, too, have time and again denied. Calvin taught that God had compassion merely on the elect; he denies God's universal gracious
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will; he maintained. Christ died only for the elect, the holy Spirit calls only the elect earnestly and efficaciously, the rest only for appearance's sake. This doctrine our synod has time and again rejected, and just in this recent doctrinal controversy has plainly and clearly confessed that God will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, that God does not desire the death of the sinner, but that all should come to repentance; that Christ died for all men. Indeed, we teach a universal justification. We teach and confess that through the Gospel the Holy Spirit efficaciously calls and desires to convert all who hear it, and that it is the fault of man if he is not converted and perishes. Therefore, the reproaches of our adversaries do not belabor the doctrine which we actually, teach.
In opposition to our doctrine our adversaries denied and still deny that God's eternal election, by virtue of which the children of God are ordained to eternal life, is a cause of their salvation and of all that pertains thereto. They deny that election is a cause of faith, that faith flows from election. They teach an election in view of faith. They present the matter in this way, that God has from eternity looked with the eyes of his omniscience into the sinful fallen world and noticed which men believed and which did not, and those who believe he chooses for eternal life. They maintain, therefore, what our Confession explicitly rejects, that a cause of election exists in man. On the other hand, they protest faith as being a meritorious cause of election. They call faith an accounting mechanism, from which it is determined why some are elected, others not. Out this "analysis" only has meaning and sense if one accepts that faith moved and impelled God to elect the elect.
Who is right? What does Scripture teach? We can summarise our doctrine in the statement of Thesis IV; THAT GOD HAS MADE OUR CONVERSION, RIGHTEOUSNESS, SALVATION SO GREAT A CONCERN OF HIS, THAT HE ALREADY BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD OUT OF PURE GRACE FOR CHRIST'S SAKE ELECTED AND ORDAINED US TO ADOPTION AND TO ETERNAL LIFE, WITHOUT REGARD FOR ANY CONDUCT ON OUR PART. However, this is nothing else than the clear doctrine of Scripture. We wish now to reassure ourselves of this.
Holy Scripture speaks of God's eternal election in the very same way as does our thesis. It does not in general speak of persons whom God has elected, but the apostles, when they deal wit)i election, speak of and to Christians, to whom generally their word applies, consider Christians as God's elect, remind Christians of the grace which was given them already before the foundation of the world, and summon Christians to give praise and glory to their God for this everlasting grace also.
The principal passage from which we draw our doctrine of predestination is Eph. 1:3-6:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestined us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will."
This is a thank-you prayer which the apostle sends heavenward in the name of all Christians. When he says: "Blessed be God who has blessed us", he summons all Christians with him to
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praise God. God has blessed us, those very persons who are now Christians, with all manner of spiritual blessing in heavenly places, and it is "in Christ". Every blessing which we as Christians have is mediated and earned for us by Christ. "According as he hath chosen us." That we, therefore, are the blessed of the Lord is the result of God's eternal election. "Before the foundation of the world", therefore, from eternity God has chosen us. He has "chosen" us, meaning: selected and elected out of the world, out of the race of corrupt human beings. "In him", through him who has blessed us, that means, through Christ he has chosen us, not for our own sake. By nature we are no better than others. We are of equal guilt. We have not merited it. Christ by his suffering and death has also merited everlasting grace for us. Already in eternity God saw Christ's merit and reckoned it to our account. And whereto has he chosen us? Just to this, that we should inherit blessing, for he "has blessed us,... according as he hath chosen us".
This blessing, which God has already from eternity intended for us, is now described in greater detail. "According as he hath chosen us ... that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself." Therefore, God chose us that we should be holy and-without blame. He has ordained us to the adoption of children. We should become his children, and it was "by Jesus Christ", who merited and won adoption for us. Scripture says says: "For ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ." Gal. 3:26. But if we are God's children by faith in Christ and God has chosen us to be his children before the foundation of the world, he has then also chosen us to faith, whereby we have become his children. This is the purpose of election. The eternal counsel of God's love was this: God wanted to have on earth believing, godly children, who would be to the praise of his glory, who would give him joy and glory. But what was it that moved and impelled God to choose us to be his children? What is the motive of election? He chose us or ordained us to the adoption of children "according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace". Therefore, it once pleased God to glorify his grace in us. God's pleasure, God's grace is the basis of election. Our eternal election has its root, its cause solely in God, in God's counsel and will. Thus it reads in the same context, V.ll: "Being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." According to the will, according to the counsel, according to the purpose of God we have been predestinated. The apostle heaps up the expressions here and emphasises as strongly as possible that our election is grounded in God, nowhere else, and is firmly grounded in God's will. And to this he adds that God also works all things according to the counsel of his will. What God has determined to do, that he also of a surety carries out. He is not a weak human being who undertakes a lot of things but accomplishes little.
And so then God has already begun to fulfill the eternal counsel of his will in us: "wherein he has made us accepted in the beloved". According to his grace, through Christ, the beloved God has already made us his dear children, with whom he is well pleased, And so he will certainly carry out his eternal counsel of love until the very end. The end of adoption is the heavenly
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inheritance. It we are ordained to the adoption of children, then also to the inheritance of children. And so the inheritance cannot escape us.
Consequently, according to the teaching of St. Paul our faith, our adoption, and the godly life which flows from faith and adoption, in short, our entire Christianity is the effect, result, and outflow of God’s eternal election, and eternal election is the cause of our Christian estate. Of an election in view of faith nothing is said here. Rather the opposite is taught, namely, that we are ordained to adoption and thereby also to faith, as well as to sanctification. Our eternal election is here explicitly attributed to God's good pleasure and grace and to Christ's merit. Therefore, in no way does the cause of an occasion for election lie in man.
What the apostle here teaches about eternal election does not in any way appear like some dismal apparition, but rather as comforting truth. It is pure Gospel, all of it. Ah, our faith, our adoption, our Christian walk, the whole of our Christianity appears often to be something so miserable and pitiable. We are not perfect saints as yet. We still have many spots and wrinkles. Faith is often as small as a grain of mustard-seed. We often are not conscious of the fact that we are children of God.
But in those instances we are to know, the Word of Lod attests to us: God has ordained us to adoption already from eternity. Our faith, our adoption, our sanctification, our Christianity rests upon an immovable, eternal foundation, upon God's eternal election. And for that reason it will endure. We are and remain God's children into all eternity. God has already in eternity made our adoption secure.
Other passages of Scripture have similar content relative to predestination:
1 Pet. 1:1-2: "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and. sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ."
Peter calls Christians "strangers", In this world Christians have no home, no citizenship. They are not of the world, and the world does not look upon us as its own. Christians are Looked askance at by the world, are unpopular, are despised, ridiculed, or even persecuted by the world, are just barely tolerated by the world. Strangers "to and fro" or strangers scattered everywhere Christians are called. Christians are scattered all over the universe, here a little band, there a little band. They constitute a little flock. The world constitutes a large flock. But even though Christians are, as it were, scarce in the world and receive no esteem, they are yet esteemed by God, God has chosen them out of the world. They are "elect" strangers.
They are elect "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father". "Foreknowledge" (Vorsehung) according to the original text itself is here what Luther calls "predestination" (Versehung). Our fathers used both words interchangeably. God has 'predestinated us who are now Christians, foreordained us, that is, chosen us beforehand, predestinated us already in eternity, chosen us to be his own.
At the same time, however, God has also foreordained the
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ways and means whereby he wanted to make us his own. Peter writes: elect "through sanctification of the Spirit", actually "in the sanctification of the Spirit". "The sanctification of the Spirit" is designated as the work of the Holy Spirit. "To sanctify" means: to set apart, from the world and to consecrate to God. We are elected in this way, that God already in eternity resolved subsequently to set us apart from the world through his Spirit and to win us for himself, to take us into his service.
Elect are we "unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ". The word "obedience" is designation for Christian conduct, which marks the Christians as such, which the Spirit has worked in them, by which they are distinguished from the world, and so is identical with "obedience of faith", Rom. 1:15; 16:26. Faith, which makes Christians Christians, is obedience to the Gospel, Rom. 10:16; 2 Thess. 1:8, obedience to Christ, Heb. 5:9. Otherwise in the New Testament faith is simply called "obedience". Rom. 15:18; 16:19.
The "sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ" or with the blood of Christ is nothing else than justification through the blood of Christ.
This, therefore, is the purpose of election:
We are elected to obedience, that is, to faith, to faith and to justification. God, when he elected us, designed in time to bring us to faith through Word and Spirit and to purify us by Christ's blood, and so to make us worthy and acceptable in his sight.
The three latter expressions obviously paraphrase the present Christian estate. VJe Christians are by the Spirit set apart from the world and turned toward, and united with, God. We are obedient to the Gospel and believe in Christ, are through Christ's blood pure and righteous in the sight of God. This is what distinguishes us from the world. Thus we are God's own. However, to our comfort we should know that thereby God's eternal counsel of love has been fulfilled, that we have been elected to what we now are. God has predestinated us beforehand to be his own. And so we are and remain God's own into all eternity. Our walk in foreign places, in this evil world, cannot in the least hurt this our relationship to God, the relationship which God has ordered for us from eternity.
In this passage from St. Peter all Christianity, conversion, faith, justification, is presented as result, effect, and outflow of God's election and predestination. It is entirely scriptural to say that faith flows from election, and, inversely, it is contrary to Scripture to make election dependent on faith.
2 Thess. 2,13.14: "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto he called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Here also the apostle reminds Christians of their splendor and summons them with him to give thanks to God for that he already has done for them in eternity. Thus we, too, should thank God for having elected us from the beginning.
To what end? The ultimate goal of election is plainly stated here, namely, "to salvation". But indicated also is the way upon which God wanted to bring us to salvation: "through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth". God from the beginning determined in time to sanctify us through his Spirit, to
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bring us to faith in the truth, and to preserve us therein. And just as God determined it, so it also came to pass. He has "called" us to faith in the truth, "by the Gospel". As result of election we are called by God, converted, and thereby have "obtained the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ".
We still wish to consider what Paul said prior to his remarks concerning our eternal election. In 2 Thess. 2,4-12 the apostle prophesies that Antichrist will come with lying signs, powers, and wonders and will deceive many, namely, those who ultimately perish, because they did not open their minds to love of the truth. In this world there is much which allures and tempts; there are many false teachers and prophets, among whom Antichrist is the worst. And, sad to say, many who call themselves Christians do not believe the truth but believe the lie, and many who actually were Christians at one time allow themselves to be deceived and again fall away from the truth. With you, however, dear brothers, thus the apostle continues, the situation is different. Nevertheless, he does not write: You, however, have embraced love of the truth, you believe the truth; and if you persevere in such faith, you will be saved. He rather says the opposite in the words: But you God has from the beginning elected to salvation and elected you so that you believe the truth. God has, therefore, from the beginning taken our salvation in hand and, at the same time, the faith which will save us and from the start has secured us against all seduction and temptation to the right and to the left. We certainly shall stand firm in all temptation and not fall prey to those who seduce. For God has elected us to salvation. And this counsel of God cannot fail. God will support and strengthen us so that we remain in faith, remain in the truth. What powerful comfort for believing Christians, especially in the hour of temptation!
Rom. 8,28-31: "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he did also predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified."
The entire second half of Rom. 8 contains comfort for Christians. Those who love God, they are the true Christians. And they ought right well bear in mind what God in time and in eternity has done for them. Those very persons who are now Christians, and we include ourselves with them, God has "beforehand predestinated", already before we came into being. In eternity he perceived, predestinated, elected them to be his own. And he "predestinated them to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren". Christ should be the Firstborn among many brethren, should through suffering enter into glory, and as the Firstborn, as the Firstfruit of the dead, should then have many companions to share in his glory, to lead with him into glory. We are ordained to partake of Christ's glory, in glory to be conformed, to be shaped to the likeness of the Son of God. This was God's eternal "purpose". And according to this purpose we are "called". What God has foreordained, that he also carries out. Those whom God has predestinated and ordained to glory, "them he also called", called to an eternal glory. The calling includes conversion. Them
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he also "justified". Justification is a prerequisite of glory. Only he who is cleansed from sin can see the glory of God. Them he also "has glorified". This has virtually happened already. We are assured of the goal. For God has from eternity ordained us thereto. Therefore, God's eternal election is a purpose which effects, works, and promotes our salvation and all that it entails.
On the basis of these words of Paul the ancients spoke of a gold chain with four links. The first link is called the decree, the second the call, the third justification, the fourth glorification. The two outer links of this chain were made secure in eternity; the two middle links hung down to earth. We should now examine ourselves to see whether the two middle links, call and justification, are ringing us about. Be this the case, we would then know that we are predestinated and ordained by God and will inherit future glory. For this chain is so strong that no power of earth and hell is able to break it.
In the final words of the passage before us the way of salvation is described, the way of salvation which in the Gospel is open to all sinners. In this way God wants to save all sinners, to lead them through call and justification to glory. Most men, however, do not wish to enter into this arrangement. They resist God’s call, do not believe, or again fall away from faith. There are but a few who go this way and persevere, who through call and justification attain glory. However, these few owe their salvation, that they through call and justification attain glory, not to themselves, not to their own choosing, but solely to the grace of God and verily also to eternal grace, to God's election. God has predestinated them and ordained them to glory, and so he also leads them along the way to glory.
What the apostle teaches concerning God's eternal election should serve to the comfort of Christians. At the very beginning the apostle says: "We know that all things work together for good to them that love God," For Christians all things, even cross and tribulation must redound to their salvation and glory. This the apostle substantiates by God's eternal decree and by its execution in time. When the cross presses grievously, when once bad storms come upon us, when we find no comfort among men, when men ignore and forsake us, we then take comfort in the thoughts God is thinking about me; God has not forgotten me. Scripture lends special emphasis to this comfort. We are to know: God has already in eternity looked upon my humble person in grace, has already in eternity focused special attention on me. And so also in all eternity he will not turn his eyes from me.
During cross and tribulation we comfort ourselves with future glory. We know that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which will be revealed in us. But we are to know further: Glory is assured us. Future glory cannot escape us, and we cannot escape it. For already in eternity glory is in safe-keeping for us. Already from eternity we are ordained, to glory. And God has now in time directed our feet on the way of peace. Thus no one, nothing, not even the most grievous affliction, can hamper our attaining the goal. Yes, I am convinced that nothing in death or life, in the realm of angels or superhuman powers, nothing in the world as it is or as it will be, nothing in heights or depths, nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Rom. 8,33.39.
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2 Tim. 1,9: God "hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began".
Here the apostle once more reminds Christians of God's call, to which they owe their Christianity. By his holy call God has called us to himself, into his kingdom. And this call of God is here also traced back to eternal grace, to the "purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began". This is the ultimate basis and source of all which God has done for us. It reads clearly, however: "not according to our works". Works stand in opposition to grace, which was given us before the time of the world. Therefore, when God elected us, he did not look at anything in us, took no notice of our works, of our disposition or behavior, that they in any way had induced him to elect us.
These are the most significant passages of Scripture concerning God's eternal election. They all deal with an election to salvation. God’s eternal election affects only those who will, be saved. Concerning an election to damnation not a word is said in these passages. Nor does Scripture otherwise say anything about it. As regards those who do not believe and are damned the rule remains: they perish through their own fault. Both sides, what pertains to those who are saved, as well as to those who are damned, are comprehended in Hos. 13:9: "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help." Those who perish bring misfortune upon themselves. On the other hand, the salvation of delivered Israel stands solely in God's hand.
Of course, when we consider further the distinction between those who are saved and those who perish, there is one additional question which thrusts itself on us. What we are elected and called, that we have accepted and not resisted God's call, that we owe solely and alone to the grace of God. But why has God elected, and as a result of that call, converted us? Indeed, we are no better than others but are equally guilty. Certainly, others perish by their own fault. They do not believe the Gospel, harden themselves against all the earnest and friendly admonitions and urgings of God, finally harden themselves and fall prey to the judgment of obduracy. But before things got that bad why did not God take away their resistance? The old orthodox teachers of our church asked this question in this way: Why does God not grant faith to all? Why does he convert Paul and not Caiphas? Why does he take back the fallen Peter and leave Judas to despair?
In dealing with this question we likewise solely follow Scripture. However, Scripture gives no answer to this question. Rather it instructs us to leave this matter in God's hand. Scripture says in Rom. 9,18: "Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." We should let the matter rest at that. Scripture prohibits and forbids us to ponder this question further. "Nay but, o man, what art thou that repliest against God?" Rom. 9,20. St. Paul reminds us, just on this context of God unsearchable ways and incomprehensible judgments, which we are unable to nor should we probe. Rom. 11,33. And so we turn our thoughts away from things which are too deep for us, which God has hidden from us.
On the other hand, we get downright earnest concerning what
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God has in his Word clearly and plainly revealed to us. While there is time, we call all men to repentance and save what there is to be saved. And to those who do not want to be saved we call out: You are bringing misfortune on yourselves! But as to what concerns our own person, we disregard completely others who perish and do not do them the favor of allowing their fate to spoil for us the comfort of grace and predestination, but praise God for having elected us unworthy ones to salvation from the beginning and for carrying out his counsel so gloriously until now.
We teach and confess according to Scripture:
THAT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH IS NOTHING ELSE THAN THE CONGREGATION OF BELIEVERS, THAT HYPOCRITES AND THE UNGODLY ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE TRUE CHURCH, AND THAT WHEREVER GOD’S WORD IS PREACHED AND THE SACRAMENT ADMINISTERED ACCORDING TO CHRIST'S INSTITUTION, THERE THE TRUE CHURCH IS PRESENT.
In recent decades there has been much disputation and controversy concerning the doctrine of the church and its function within Protestant Christianity. The first great doctrinal controversy with which our synod had to deal involved the church and its function. Modern theologians are not even today yet in agreement as to what the church really is. One has this, another that, idea about it. Yet in certain main points there is agreement. And out of this has come a definite form of doctrine which we meet up with not only in theological journals but also in sermons and religious books.
What is briefly the neo-Lutheran perception of the church? The apostolic symbol is still confessed: "I believe one holy Christian Church”, and it is conceded that the church is the congregation of believers; but it is immediately added that this does not fully define what the church really is. The church is described mostly as an institution, as a sanitorium, and the functions and external trappings of the church are included in the essence of the church. These are things one sees and hears. And so it is said that there is a visible side to the church, and the church, and this is the true church, is called a visible-invisible church. Now, it cannot be banished from the mind that the church is still a group of people. Then counted among the members of the church are all those persons who maintain steady contact with that institution, all men who are baptized, who have heard something of God's Word, perhaps on occasion have partaken of the Lord's Supper, even unbelieving, godless human beings. It is explicitly taught that also apostates, who once were baptised and called, still have, despite their unbelief, a link with the church, and with the true church at that, that "all who have laid hold on Christ with a faith which is dead belong to the church". A Free Church federation maintains formally and firmly that even the hypocrites among the Christians, even though they are dead members, are actually members of the church, members of the body of Christ. Another "Lutheran Free Church", a synod within this country, saw and sees in the Lutheran Church the one true, Christian Church. Only Lutherans, all Lutherans are to be members of the Christian Church. With this their theory concerning the church German theologians have a practical interest. They
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wish by this, at the same time, to justify the state of affairs in today's State Church. The German State Church includes all the inhabitants of the country, good and bad, even manifest non-Christians. And the latter are to have certain privileges in the church. Modern theologians, including the positive thinkers, all without exception oppose the so-called congregation principle. They refuse to accept that an individual congregation is an autonomous body, has the same privileges, the same authority, as the church generally. Only the church as a whole or a larger church community is properly due the title church. Such is the opposition with which we are dealing.
Midst this jumble we hold firmly to the simple truth as stated in the Catechism and say with Luther that among us, praise God!, a seven-year old child knows what the church is, namely the congregation of believers, and nothing more. He who believes in Christ, his Savior, with whole heart belongs to the church. He who does not believe is not a member of the church; he is outside the church. This church of all believers we, of course, call an invisible church. The doctrine of the church is simply an article of faith. We cannot look into anyone's heart to see whether he belongs or not, so cannot with certainty say: such and such an one belongs to the church; this one does not. Among the Christians there are also hypocrites, who outwardly conduct themselves in godly and. Christian fashion. These we cannot separate and set apart from the number of true Christians. Nevertheless, the one who plays the hypocrite, whose heart is far from God and Christ, is not in the sight of God a member of the church. We tell manifest unchristians to their face that they do not belong within the church, and so withhold or exclude them from church membership. Therefore, only believing Christians are members of the church, including, however, all believers of all times and places.
All believers, "what there is of elect in the world", what there is and will be, from the holy, Christian Church. And we include ourselves in spirit with the believers of the whole universe, wherever they are found, when we say: "I believe in one holy Christian Church." Our synod is accused of exclusiveness. Certainly, we only hold with an orthodox Lutheran church fellowship. Why, of that we shall speak later. However, we are a long ways off from defining the Lutheran Church as the only Christian and the only true church. The church is the congregation of believers, nothing else. So say we.
Of course, when we speak of the church, we point also to Word and Sacrament. But Word and Sacrament are not persons, do not belong to the essence of the church. Word and Sacrament are considered by us as marks of the church, indications, signs whereby we become aware of the existence of a church, where the Word is preached, the Sacrament administered, there indeed you find a small group of believers. And even the most insignificant group of believers is a true church. We champion the congregation principle. We regard, every local congregation to be a true church, which has the same authority, the same privileges, as does the church at large. And we hold a local congregation also to be a congregation of believers, a handful of believing Christians, which at a given place lives and stays together.
This conviction the founders of our synod have gained through much trial and opposition. When for more than fifty years the
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Saxon emigrants had settled in this country and organized themselves into churches, they soon grew despondent with respect to matters of the church. After their leader had been unmasked, they began to have their doubts about almost everything, and they asked themselves whether they after all really had a right to preach, to baptize, to absolve, etc. But by God's grace this initial of Lutherans became positive that they constituted a true Christian Church.
That our synod has ever in the declared manner spoken and taught about the church we offer but one documentary proof. Our synod has already for decades acknowledged the theses which the sainted Dr. Walther advanced with respect to the church and its function and explained in detail in his book titled "Die Stimme unserer Kirche in der Frage von Kirche und Amt". There we find the following statements: "1. The church in the true meaning of the word is the congregation of saints, that is, the totality of all those who have been called by the Gospel out of the lost, condemned human race by the Holy Spirit, who truly believe in Christ and through this faith are sanctified and united in Christ." "2. No ungodly, no hypocrite, no unregenerate, no heretic belongs to the church in the true meaning of the word." "5. Although the true church in the true meaning of the word is according to its essence invisible, its existence (definitive) yet is visible and, of course, its marks are the pure doctrine of the Word of God and the administration of the Holy Sacraments according to Christ's institution.V In Thesis 6 is found next to the word "believers" also the word "elect". In Thesis 8 the true church is called also "a holy church of the elect".
This teaching is nothing else than the old Lutheran doctrine of the church. What we have just heard is the opinion of our church. From the Confession of our church we reassure ourselves that we are really advancing nothing new.
Our church confesses in Art. VII of the Augsburg Confession ("Of the Church"): "Also they teach that one holy church is to continue forever. The church is the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered." Further in Article VIII ("What the church is"): "Although the church properly is the congregation of saints and true believers", etc.
In the Apology we read: "Therefore, in order that we may not despair, but may know that the church will nevertheless remain (until the end of the world), likewise that we may know that, however great the multitude of the wicked is, yet the church (which is Christ's bride) exists, and that Christ affords those gifts which he has promised to the church, to forgive sins, to hear prayer, to give the Holy Ghost, this article in the Creed presents us these consolations. And it says 'Church Catholic', in order that we may not understand the church to be an outward government of certain nations (that the church is like any other external polity, bound to this or that land, kingdom, or nation, as the Pope of Rome will say), but rather men scattered throughout the whole world, (here and there in the world, from the rising to the setting of the sun), who agree concerning the Gospel, and have the same Christ, the same Holy Ghost, and the same Sacraments, whether they have the same or different human traditions.... Although, therefore, hypocrites and wicked men are members of this true church according to outward rites (titles and
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offices), yet when the church is defined, it is to define that which is the living body of Christ, and which is in name and in fact the church (which is called the body of Christ, and has fellowship not only in outward signs, but has gifts in the heart, namely, the Holy Ghost and faith). And for this there many reasons. For it is necessary to understand what it is that principally makes us members, and that, living members, of the church. If we will define the church only as an outward polity of the good and wicked, men will not understand that the kingdom of Christ is righteousness of heart and the gifts of the Holy Ghost (that the kingdom of Christ is spiritual, as nevertheless it is; that therein Christ inwardly rules, strengthens, and comforts hearts, and imparts the Holy Ghost and various spiritual gifts)... Therefore, only those are the people, according to the Gospel, who receive this promise of the Spirit. Besides, the church is the kingdom of Christ, distinguished from the kingdom of the devil. It is certain, however, that the wicked are in the power of the devil, and members of the kingdom of the devil.... And meanwhile Christ teaches that these godless men, although they have the fellowship of outward signs, are nevertheless not the true kingdom of Christ and members of Christ; for they are members of the kingdom of the devil. Neither, indeed are we dreaming of a Platonic state, as some wickedly charge, but we say that this church exists, namely the truly believing and righteous men scattered throughout the whole world. (We are speaking not of an imaginary church, which is to be found, nowhere; but we say and know certainly that this church, wherein saints live, is and abides truly upon earth; namely, that some of God's children are here and there in all the World, in various kingdoms, islands, lands, and cities, from the rising of the sun to its setting, who have truly learnt to know Christ and his Gospel.) And we add the marks: the pure doctrine of the Gospel (the ministry of the Gospel) and the Sacraments." C.T. 229-235.
Here our Confession calls attention to three things in particular: 1. that the church is no mere external fellowship, no worldly polity, but a fellowship of the Spirit and of faith; 2. that the wicked do not belong within the church, but are members of the devil; and 3. that the church is no fabricated kingdom but is in reality present wherever Word and Sacrament are found.
In the Large Catechism Luther remarks in the explanation of the Third Article: "I believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ, called together by the Holy Ghost in one faith, one mind, and. understanding with manifold gifts, yet agreeing in love." C.T. 691. In the Smaldcald Articles, in Art. XII ("Of the Church" it reads: "For, thank God, a child seven years old knows what the church is, namely, the holy believers and lambs who hear the voice of their Shepherd." C.T. 499. Finally, Art. XI of the Formula of' Concord ("Of God’s Eternal Election") teaches: "This article also afford a glorious testimony that the church of God will exist and abide in opposition to all the gates of hell , and likewise teaches which is the true church of God." C.T. 1079. Here the totality of the elect is comprehended as the true church of God.
We see that our doctrine is the doctrine of the Lutheran Church. Now, however, we must deal with the question: What does Scripture say? Is this doctrine substantiated by Scripture?
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First of all, what does Scripture understand by the word "church” or "congregation"? We read in Acts 19:32.40: "Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.... For we are in danger to be called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse." This mass of people which had assembled at the marketplace in Ephesus is here called "ecclesia", a. gathering of people. Thus the ecclesia or church, of which we are speaking, is also a gathering of people and of just those people who are Christians.
The ecclesia of the Greeks was not a group of all kinds of people thrown together but solely a gathering of freemen and citizens. And so the ecclesia, with which we are dealing here, is the Christian Church, the assembly of men freed through Christ, the assembly of all true believers. And insofar as it is a congregation freed by the Lord (kurios) Jesus Christ, it is also called "kuriake", the church or congregation of the Lord.
Luther says in the Large Catechism: "The word 'ecclesia' properly means in German 'eine Versammlung', an assembly." "Thus the word 'Kirche' (church) means really nothing else than a common assembly, and is not German by idiom, but Greek (as is also the word ecclesia); for in their own language they call it 'kyria', as in Latin it is called 'curia'. Therefore in genuine German, in our mother-tongue, it ought to be called a Christian congregation or assembly (eine Christliche Gemeinde order Sammlung), or, best of all and most clearly, holy Christendom (eine heilige Christenheit)." C.T. 691.
Christ says in Matt. 16,18: "And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Here Christ speaks of his congregation, ecclesia, therefore, of an assembly of men which belongs to him and describes the same further in the words: "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Regardless how one explains "the rock", whether we understand it to mean Christ directly, or faith in Christ, or knowledge of Christ, in the final analysis Christ himself always appears as the Rock of the church. For that the church is built on this rock, that is what protects it against hell. Who is capable of doing anything against hell but Christ alone, the Son of the living God? Christ, God's Son, is the eternal, indestructible Rock, against whom break the turbulent waves, against whom all hostile powers are dashed to pieces. Upon this Rock the congregation of Christ is built. All who are built upon this Rock in faith, who with Peter and the first disciples confess with their heart: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God" form the congregation of Christ.
The Lord also speaks about his church in his high-priestly prayer, John 17,11.20,21.: "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they: may be one, as we are. . . . Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and 1 in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me."
In these words the Lord paints the picture of his congrega-
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tion, the true church. He does not simply speak of the disciples whom he himself assembled but also of all who will come to faith through the Word of the apostles. He includes all believers in his petition and says of them that they are in him and in his Father also, or in the name of the Father, and beseeches the Father that he might uphold them in his name, in Christ and in the Father. To this he adds the purposes "That they may be one in us." Therefore, those who are in Christ and in Jod through faith are also one among one another. Yes, this unity of Christians flows of itself entirely from being in Christ and in God. Hen who are in God, in the Father and in the Son, are also thereby one among themselves. And this unity, this inner unity of the believers, this mutual "being in God" is what constitutes the essence of the church.
Luther says to John 17,11: "Christ is talking here about a oneness which indicates a symmetry among the parts of the whole but also uses words, 'ut sint unum’, to say that they are one body, and so are one body, just as the Father and I, therefore, that this is said of an essence and means much more than being of one mind and spirit. However, this is nothing different from what Paul says in 1 Cor. 10,17; 12,12, and other passages, that we Christians are all one body. Just as the body now is one, so all Christendom is one body, not because of the several or similar considerations, but rather because of the one essence." St. Louis Ed. 8,804.805. Therefore, according to essence all believers are one so that they are all one in God and in Christ.
Hengstenberg, a modern theologian, says to John 17,21: "Being one is the result of being in God and Christ. This unity has no particular significance but comes into consideration only insofar as it follows of itself from the being in God and Christ. The absolute resting of unity on this being in the Father and the Son contains an urgent warning against all simulated union."
The apostle Peter calls the Lord's congregation a "people", 1 Pet. 2,9.10: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous lights which in time past were not a people, but are not the people of God: which had not obtained, mercy, but now have obtained mercy." Three times we find the word "people" here. Christians are one people.
Luther: "The Christians are a peculiar people, a called people, and they are therefore called not simply ecclesia, 'church', or 'people', but sancta, catholica, Christiana, that is, 'a Christian, holy people’, which believes in Christ. Therefore it is called a Christian people and has the holy Ghost, who sanctifies it daily, not only through the forgiveness of sins, as the Antinomians foolishly believe, but by the abolition, purging out, and slaying of sins, and because of this they are called a holy people. 'Holy Christian Church' then is the same tiling as 'a people that is Christian and holy', or as we are accustomed to say, 'the holy Christendom', or 'the entire Christendom', in the Old Testament it is called 'God's people'.
"If these words had been used in the Creed: 'I believe that there is a holy Christian people,' it would have been easy to avoid all the misery that has come in which this blind, obscure word 'church'; for the term 'Christian, holy people’ would have brought along with it, clearly and powerfully, both understanding
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and the judgment on the question ‘What is and what is not a church?' One who heard the words 'Christian, holy people’ would have been able to decide off-hand, 'The Pope is not a people, still less a holy Christian people'. So,too, the bishops, priests, and monks are not a holy Christian people, for they do not believe in Christ, do not lead holy lives.” Works of Martin Luther, A. J. Holman Co. 5,264.265.
Therefore, according to Scripture the church is: one people, made up of all believing Christians.
Paul describes the one holy Christian Church in the letter to the Ephesians. Eph. 4,3-6: "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in the one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."
Paul reminds the Christians of their common belief. They all believe in the one Lord Jesus Christ. Through baptism they have become his own. Through Christ they all have God as their Father, on whom they call. In them is the one Spirit, The Holy Spirit dwells in their hearts through faith. They all have the one hope. They confidently hope that one day they will be united before and worship the Thrice Holy One on his throne. And so they are one body, are one among one another. Through faith they are all united with the one God, the Triune God, and thereby also among one another. All the believers scattered throughout the world are one. Even though separated from one another according to space and time, they are yet one before God, in God. Faith, the common faith unites them, links them to one another, binds them closer together than blood-relationship. "One Lord, one faith", etc., this is a stronger, firmer, more intimate bond than were it to say: One flesh.
This unity and fellowship of believers the apostle paints in various beautiful pictures and figures of speech:
Eph. 1,22.23: "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."
Eph. 4,15.16: "Let us ... grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly framed together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
Rom. 12,5: "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members of one another."
1 Cor. 12,12: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ."
The church is called and is the body of Christ. What does this simile tell us? The dependence of the body on the head describes true Christian faith. Christ is the Head, and faith is attached to Christ, just as the body is to the head. Whoever has true faith confesses: "I am attached and remain attached as a member to Christ." Whoever possesses true Christian faith has grown up with Christ, just as the members of the body with the head. All movement is determined by the head; the head governs the body. Thus all believers continually take from Christ the Head energy, strength, and life. They are in Christ; Christ
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dwells in them; and they dwell in Christ. And this relation to Christ places the believers in relation to one another as well. They are all in Christ, and so they, the many, are one, one body in Christ. They are members one of another, and they assist one another and serve one another in love. Because they are all attached to the one head, thus are they all inter-connected; thus have they grown up with one another. Christ, the sole Head, holds them together. The church does not rest on some voluntary contract upon which Christians might have entered with one another: we wish to stand together and form an alliance. The church does not come into being by means of constitutions and resolutions. No, it reads: "from whom the whole body is fitly framed together". It proceeds from Christ that Christians accommodate themselves to one another as members of one body. Christ has drawn them all to himself and thereby united them into one body. And he, the Living One, now permeates the entire body, all members of his body, with his life-bestowing powers and so effects and promotes the body's growth and development. So, before all external movement and union there is an inner union. Christ is the bond which holds the members together. It is, of course, a spiritual, invisible bond. Even where no external movement takes place, you still find this spiritual unity and bond. However, wherever believing Christians come together and live together and stay together, there everything flows smoothly of itself, without special arrangement, from the inner bond and unity.
Another picture, in which the apostle makes clear what the church is all about, is the picture of a house or temple. Eph. 2,19-22: "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit,"
St. Paul reminds the Gentile Christians that at first they were afar off and have now come nigh and are not simply guests but have become fellow citizens with all the saints. All believing Christians are citizens of God, have rights of citizenship in God's kingdom, share in all the blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven, are members of God's household, are servants in God's house, are God's dear children. Yes, they themselves form God's house, being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Prophets and apostles are the foundation of this house. Believing Christians from the Jews and Gentiles are built on this foundation. The prophets have died, and the apostles lived but a short time. However, prophets and apostles continue to work and live in the Scriptures. Those who come to faith through the Word of the apostles and prophets. By this Word Christians are also sustained in faith. And Christ himself is the Cornerstone, the foundation Stone. Christ is in the Word. Believers are set, built on the Word of the prophets and apostles, on God's Word, and thus on Christ himself. And this happened through faith. Those who believe have firm support, a firm foundation under foot. They say: "I have now found the foundation which will secure my anchor for eternity." They are grounded on Christ and his Word. And so they are one building, a whole, a structure which is bonded together, whose stones are mortared together. Believing Christ-
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ians are living stones. But it is not as though these stones were tossed together in confusion and disorder or aimlessly strewn about in a field, here a stone, there a stone. Christians are building-stones, are fitly framed together into a single structure or house. In the sight of God they are but one building. Being set and firmly grounded in Christ and his Word, they are bonded to one another. The common faith, the common foundation, Christ and his Word, unites, joins, and binds them together.
The common faith, the common foundation makes them one structure. And this structure is constantly increasing in size. More and more are continually coming from all nations of earth. Ever more souls are being converted and by faith are being established on the one Foundation which is Christ and thus being added to the church's structure. Whoever attaches himself to Christ attaches himself also to the church. And this building is a holy temple. Christ is the Cornerstone,.!but Christ also dwells in this structure which is built on him. Believing Christians are a holy temple in the Lord. They are a habitation of God in the Spirit. The church of the believers is a dwelling-place of the holy Trinity. He dwells and works in them all and holds the building together.
The church is Christ's body, Christ's temple, and further is Christ's bride. Eph. 5:25-27: "Husbands,love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."
Here the church is compared to a wedded wife or a bride. The church is joined to Christ, by faith inwardly intimate with Christ! And Christ, the Bridegroom, loves this his bride. He showed her his love by giving himself for her and redeeming her from sin, and he continually demonstrates his love to her by making his redemption, his forgiveness her own. He has sanctified her with the washing of water by the Word, through baptism, the washing of regeneration, and consecrates and cleanses her from all her spots, wrinkles, and vices, so that one day, after she has completely put off the sinful flesh, she stands before him without spot or wrinkle, and he delights in her beauty and leads her to the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Such love the Lord demonstrates on each one of his believers. He purifies and sanctifies them through Word and Spirit. But this is said here only of the church as a whole. It is the church which is called and is the bride of Christ. It is a church, holy and without blemish which the Lord has in mind. All sanctified souls are one before the Lord and in the Lord. This work also, which Christ and the Spirit of Christ have in the hearts of Christians, that believing Christians daily drown the old Adam in the power of 'the Holy Spirit and put on the new man, that they daily renew themselves according to the image of him who created them, unites and binds Christians, including those who are in distance far removed from one another. They are bound more firmly and more lovingly together than otherwise an organization which with all the combined powers of all its members by outwardly staying and working together seeks to carry out some extensive program or strives to achieve some noble purpose.
So, according to Scripture the church is the fellowship of
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believers, and faith is simply the principle which unites and builds fellowship.
Now, however, when Scripture describes the Christian Church as the congregation of believers, it has in mind the believers who persevere in faith until the end and attain the end of faith, the soul's salvation, all who belong to Christ here and there, all Christendom, which the Holy Spirit calls on earth, enlightens with his gifts, sanctifies and keeps with Jesus Christ in the one true faith, thus all God's elect. Others, who believe only for a time, again fall away from the fellowship of the church of Christ. Christ says of his church in Matt. 16,l8: "The gates of hell shall not prevail against it." He means, therefore, the church, which here is engaged in conflict, but comes forth victorious and finally achieves victory.
Christ says in John 10,l6: "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." In the days of his flesh the Lord had gathered about himself a small group out of Israel, and as the Exalted One he then, as he himself prophesies, brings along other sheep who are not of this fold, leads many Gentiles into his kingdom. Of these sheep, however, he then says further, John 10,28i "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
Therefore, God's elect children, those who are converted through Christ and will by God's power be preserved through faith to salvation, constitute the one flock which is being gathered under the staff of the one Shepherd. The apostle calls the church, the body of Christ, also "the fulness of him that filleth all in all", Eph. 1,23. Col. 1,19 calls it the same thing; "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." The church is the fullness of the elect. In the context of Rom. 9-11 the apostle points out how at all times some were and are being won out of Israel (this is the fullness of Israel) and how also the fullness of the Gentiles is entering the kingdom of God. In Rom, 11,2 we read; "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew." The people which God predestinated from eternity and which will never be rejected is the true people of God. At the end this people will, as a beautiful bride, appear before the Bridegroom and with him enter into rest and joy. Indeed, it reads; "Many are called, but few are chosen." Nevertheless, when whatever there is of elect in the world once comes together into one group, it will then be a great, glorious, stately people. And how thankful we ought to be to God for having elected us also to salvation from the beginning and then fitted us into the holy building of the church, that we, too, are members of this great people.
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It ought not be superfluous to call attention to the fact that it directly contradicts Scripture to call the church a spiritual sanitorium, into which men should first be enlisted in order to become Christians. Nowhere does Scripture call the church such an institution. Rather it perceives the church solely and alone to be an assembly of those who already stand in faith and do not first have to be brought to that point. This has its practical
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value. When we organize congregations and institute local bylaws, this external assembling of Christians and the adoption of a constitution merely serve to maintain good order among those who know that they already by faith are members of the church.
Because of our scriptural teaching concerning the church we know that we are in sharp disagreement with the Roman Church. There the church is simply the hierarchy, yes, this only insofar as its head, the Pope, gives it light and breathes in life. It must not be contested that also in the papacy there are many souls who desire salvation. They cannot appreciate the truth reclaimed by Luther because they have been restricted by Rome's false doctrine concerning the church, because from children on they have heard that the only true church is to be put on a par with the Word of God.
Nonetheless, enthusiasts and sectarians also oppose us here. They say: Faith binds us all to Christ: on this account we ought to set aside specific doctrinal differences and, overlooking all internal differences, extend our hand in common effort for the kingdom of God. But in all the passages we have introduced up till now it is clearly and plainly testified that faith alone unites hearts. From this it follows that everything contrary to faith,therefore, all heresy, all sectarian heterodoxy impedes unity. And the person who is serious about his faith will not easily shove aside such obstacles.
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What is said in general about the church pertains also to each individual congregation. Scripture describes the individual congregation no differently than it does the church as a whole. Let's listen to what Matt. 18,17 says: "And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." What does Christ mean here by "church"? Obviously not all Christendom on earth. For after fruitless application of the first and second steps of church discipline one cannot say to all Christendom on earth: here and there a brother has sinned and will not listen to reason. It is impossible for all of Christendom to deal with such a brother. Thus it is quite obvious that Christ has in mind here the local congregation. And the local congregation has here the same title as does the church generally: "church", "congregation", ecclesia.
There is reason for such title. Every local congregation is also an assembly of brothers in Christ, a temple of God, a habitation of the Holy Spirit, Christ's body, Christ's bride. The Lord dwells in each individual congregation as he does in the church as a whole. Christ says in Matt. 18,20: "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them," Wherever two or three are gathered together in his name there is Christ with his Spirit and gifts "Where two or three are gathered together in my name": this is the divine foundation-charter of the local congregation.
What does the Acts of the Apostles have to say about the individual congregation, e.g., about the congregation in Jerusalem or the congregation in Ephesus? In Acts 2,47 we read: "The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Day by day the Lord was adding members to the congregation in Jerusalem,
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and it was accomplished by the Lord granting faith to them through the preaching of the apostles. The congregation in Jerusalem is called "the multitude of them that believed". In his farewell address to the elders in Ephesus, Acts 20,28, St. Paul calls the Ephesian congregation "the church of God".
Let's (pay close attention to the introductory words of the apostolic letters, which are, first of all, directed to individual local congregations. How do the apostles address the individual congregations? We read in Gal. l,2: "The churches of Galatia". The various congregations in the region of Galatia have the same designation as the church generally, are called "churches", ecclesiae. In 1 Thess. 1,1 the individual congregations are likewise given the name "church". Nothing less in 2 Thess. 1,1. And in Rom. 1,7 the members of the congregation in Rome are addressed as "Beloved of God, called to be saints". Similar titles for the local congregations are found at the head of other letters, e.g., 1 Cor. 1,2; 2 Cor 1,1; Phil. 1,1; Col. 1,2; 3,12.
From this we see: Every local congregation is an assembly of saints or God's beloved, of God's elect children. There is no difference between the individual congregations and the church as a whole, except that every local congregation is a part of the whole. And it is self-evident that, wherever saints of God live together at a given place, they also remain faithful to one another and serve and assist one another. But, as already stated, this external cohesion is not what first binds them together. Rather, it is evidence that they are already prior to this one one, one body.
We say that the true church is invisible, and this likewise is scriptural. This follows of itself from what we have said about the essence of the church. The church is a congregation of saints. However, we cannot look into anyone's heart to see whether he believes. True Christians show their faith in word and deed. Nevertheless, the outward profession, word and work, can be misleading and deceiving. So, we are unable to say with certainty who is a member of the church and who not. It is impossible for us to count and total up the members of the church, as we can the population of a nation or the members of a secular organization. That the Lord expressly attests in Luke 17,20.21: "And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observations neither shall they say, Lo here! or Lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you." Therefore, "not with outward appearance", really, "not with outward observation" does God's kingdom come. The kingdom of God is within, in the heart. For this reason we are unable to says Here is the kingdom of God? there is the kingdom of God. Such and such an one belongs into the kingdom of God, this one not. The apostle writes in 2 Tim. 2,19: "The Lord knoweth them that are his." Verily, the Lord, and not we, knows them. Only he who knows the hearts knows who his people are. They are known to him wherever they may be and though they be scattered to the uttermost ends of the earth.
In the church's external fellowship are to be found hypocrites, people who confess Christ with the mouth but whose heart is far from him, who give off the appearance of godliness but disavow the power of the same, who outwardly hear the Word of God
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but do not grasp it in their heart. Such hypocrites are not members of the church, even though they outwardly are members of the visible church-fellowship. They are without, outside the church of God. This follows also from what Scripture teaches concerning the church's essence.
The church is exclusively the fellowship of believers. It if faith which makes the church a church. All who believe in Christ from the heart form a whole, are united in a congregation, simply because they all believe in one and the same Lord. In Christ they also are closely united with one another. Those who do not believe, the hypocrites, the wicked and the ungodly, are, accordingly, not included in this bond. Those who do now in faith cling to the one Head, Christ, who are not by faith laid on Christ the Cornerstone, in whom the Spirit of Christ accomplishes nothing, do not, therefore, belong to the body of Christ, to the temple of Christ, to the bride of Christ.
This, too, the Lord clearly confirms, although of itself evident from the church's essence, e.g., in the parables of the tares among the wheat and the net full of good and bad fish. Matt. 13. Among the good are also bad fish, among the wheat are also tares, among God's righteous children are also the wicked.
But what does the Lord say about the tares? "The tares are the children of the wicked one." "The enemy that soweth them is the devil." Thus, the wicked, who are outwardly commingled with a church fellowship, have no association with Christ and the spiritual kingdom of Christ, Rather they are members of the devil. For this reason they also on that day will be eliminated from the kingdom of Christ because they do not belong in it. To the hypocrites, who cry Lord! Lord! but do not do the will of the heavenly Father, the Lord will testify on that day; "I never knew you." Matt. 7,23. However, with regard to manifest wicked and unbelieving people, the Lord gives his disciples in Matt. 18,17 the instruction to treat them as "heathen and publicans" but not as members of the church. Why not? Because in reality they are not even members of the church.
Thus on the basis of Scripture we rightly distinguish between the visible church, into which hypocrites and ungodly infiltrate, and the invisible church. Only the latter, the fellowship of believers, is the real, true church of God, and it is improper also to call a visible fellowship a church. This truth is earnest admonition for all church members. They should not be satisfied with mere outward membership in a church denomination. This does not protect them from being members of Satan and belonging to the kingdom of the devil. They rather should always carefully examine themselves to make sure they stand in true faith and so are true members of the body of Christ.
The true church is invisible, a spiritual kingdom, but for this reason not a fabricated kingdom, not a figment of the imagination. There really is a church on earth, and there must ever be a church on earth. We, of courses cannot say how many people and what people belong to the church, but we can with certainty declare: at this or that place there is or is not a church. God's true church on earth has marks, unmistakable marks. What are they? It is very true that believers confess their faith and also perform good works. Faith by its very nature expresses itself in word and deed. However, confession and work are never infallible marks of the church, for such things hypocrites can
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imitate. The only infallible mark of the church is the Word, the audible and visible Word, or, as we also say, Word and Sacrament.
This Scripture teaches in Is. 55:10.11: "For as the rain cometh down,and the snow from heaven, and returneth not hither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall now return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
Here through his prophet God testifies that his Word should never return fruitless but should always accomplish the purpose to which he sends it. But what is this purpose? It is: to work and preserve faith, and through faith to save men's souls. Therefore .wherever the Word is being proclaimed, there always some come to faith and are preserved therein and saved, even though many reject the Word and as a result perish. The Word always brings forth fruit. It cannot be otherwise. Wherever the audible and visible Word is, there you will always find a true church, a number of believers, of elect, who attain the end of faith. Thus every member of a congregation can then be absolutely positive that in the place where he makes his home there is a holy, Christian Church, since there the Word is being proclaimed and the Sacrament is being administered. And every Christian who is sure of his faith can also be absolutely sure that he is a member of this holy, Christian Church which is found where he lives.
Luther says to Is. 55:11: "Wherever you hear such Word and perceive preaching, believing, confessing and see people acting accordingly, you should not doubt at all that in that very place there must be a true ecclesia sancta catholica, a holy Christian people, even though their number be few. For God's Word does not return void,Is. 55:11, but must produce at least some fruit. Were there no other evidence but this, it would still be enough to know that in that place there must be a blest Christian people. For God's Word cannot be without God's people." Erl. Ed. 25,360.
Further: God says in Is. 55:11: 'So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.' Therefore, there must be a few, true, upright, holy children of God and true Christians among us, regardless how few their number is; otherwise God's Word must be in vain among us, something which is impossible." Erl. Ed. 26,248.
Further: "The Word is not taught without fruit but gathers a large host in the world, not only of those who hear the Word spoken orally ..., but in addition brings alone those who are unknown, namely, those who are predestined thereto." St. Louis Ed. 2,909.
Here the question is raised: What is the situation with regard to preaching among the sects? Does it also bear the above-mentioned fruit? When it comes to sects preaching God's Word, preaching according to Is. 55.11 always produces results. The sects preach both, truth and error, right alongside each other. But it is only the truth which brings to life children among the sects, while error works only destruction and can also easily destroy the faith of those who have been won through the Word of truth. Insofar as a sect still affirms the chief parts of God's Word, such as the doctrine of Christ, of reconciliation through
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Christ, we must assume that God still has his children, his church, there.
Finally, a few remarks concerning the church's actual condition. As the splendor which individual believers possess as God's children is often obscured by the sin and weakness which still adheres to them, save that they do not on that account cease to be children of God, so it is also with God's church on earth. As long as the church is militant, its splendor will frequently be covered over by human sin and weakness, but this will in no way invalidate its essence and the promises given it by Christ. Thus it is God's will that each believing Christian also by accession into an orthodox church and a local congregation, despite possible imperfections, should confess his faith and with his fellow Christians build the kingdom of God.
VI (Table of Contents)
According to Scripture we teach and confess:
THAT THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ARE GIVEN BY CHRIST TO THE ENTIRE CHURCH, TO ALL BELIEVING CHRISTIANS, AND THAT THE CHURCH IN EVERY LOCALE HAS AUTHORITY AND COMMAND FROM GOD TO INSTITUTE THE OFFICE OF THE PUBLIC MINISTRY.
The doctrine concerning the church's office ties in closely with the doctrine of the church. We understand the office of the church to be the public ministry of the pastorate, the public service in Word and Sacrament within the local congregation. Relative to this point, too, there is much dissension today within Protestant Christendom. There are so-called Lutheran theologians who hold the office of the ministry to be a human institution, which the church instituted for the sake of expediency. However, most modern theologians acknowledge and very strongly emphasize also that the office of the ministry is of divine origin and institution. Yes, some even see other church offices and services, such as church order, church councils, synods, Synodical offices, etc., to be divine institution. And now the office of the ministry is being looked on as an authority and order which stands above the congregation, with which the congregation itself has nothing to do, and the position of pastors as a special position, a spiritual position equipped with special privileges.
However, how does this office, instituted by God, obtain the men who are to occupy it, the pastors? Today God does not call the servants of the church immediately as he previously did the prophets. With respect to this question views differ greatly. Some say only pastors who are thoroughly acquainted with the office are able to confer it on others. And this is to occur through ordination, and so ordination is likewise regarded as divine institution. By the laying on of hands on the part of ordained pastors or bishops or senior pastors the one being ordained is allotted the right to proclaim the Word of God and to administer the Sacrament, perhaps even given by God the ability and competence to such service. Others describe the ecclesiastical order, the church council, the synod, synodical officials, even to temporal government, the right to place pastors in the individual congregations. Others acknowledge the right of the congregation to extend the call, but contest that the congregation is in control of the office and ecclesiastical power.
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They see the local congregation as merely assisting God in inducting pastors into their office. Or it is admitted that the church possesses the keys and the church understood to be simply the church as a whole, with the local congregation merely serving to assist. Only in one respect perhaps do all Lutherans of modern persuasion agree that they set the office apart from the congregation. It is largely universal opinion that ministers are independent of the congregations, that they are accountable not to their congregations but, next to God, to their ecclesiastical superiors or even to civil government; that the congregation and the individual members of the congregation in no way dare interfere in the matters that are entrusted to the office but are merely to render simple obedience to the office, that the Christian laity ultimately must quietly put up with its pastor should he preach false doctrine. To pass judgment on doctrine, in general on the pastor's administration of the office, is to be solely the matter for the church's supreme governing body, not a matter for the congregation or for individual Christians.
Our synod has even given the office of the church its due esteem. We staunchly contend that the office of the public ministry or the pastorate is ordained by God, that it is, therefore, God's will and order that his Word be publicly proclaimed and the Sacrament publicly administered by men who are fit and qualified, and that God also ever gives his church faithful pastors. However, we do not place the ministry above the congregation but right in the midst of it and place it in association with the privileges which the Lord has given his church generally and to each local congregation. We hold, of course, that the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven are entrusted by Christ to the entire church, to all believing Christians, and by the keys understand all church power. We have ever taught and upheld the spiritual priesthood of all Christians and believe that the spiritual priesthood consists not only in this, that a Christian has the right to come before God and to pray, but that all Christians as spiritual priests have the right, power, and command from God to preach the Gospel, to baptize, to absolve, etc. And we teach further that the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven have been granted by the Lord to each congregation and that every congregation for this reason has the right, that it also has the command from God to choose and to call church servants who are so supply public service in the Word and Sacrament.
We teach that the pastor receives his office through the call of the congregation and see in ordination not a divine but a human rite, whereby the call of the congregation is confirmed and verified. When a congregation calls a pastor, it transfers to him the authority which it possesses, and all individual members of the congregation transfer to the man whom they call their priestly privileges and powers for him to administer in the name of all and to the benefit of all. By accepting the congregation's call the pastor enters into the office of the public ministry instituted by God and is now, at the same time, both servant of the congregation and servant of God.
Thus we, of course, distinguish between the office of the public ministry or pastorate and the universal priesthood of all Christians. The latter indeed gives to Christians the authority to teach, to baptize, etc., but does not include the right publicly to teach, to instruct the entire congregation. For while
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all possess here the same authority and the same privileges, no one individual dare take it upon himself to instruct the rest. It requires the consent of all if one individual wants to become the teacher of all. Since the office of the public ministry is instituted by God, we enjoin on all our Christians to hold their pastors in esteem and to obey them in everything they say and hold out to them from the Word of God. Since all church authority is given originally to the entire congregation, we safeguard this right for our congregations and make it their duty to oversee their pastors in the administration of their office and to keep an eye on things so that they carry out their office according to the will and pleasure of Christ.
What we say about the office of the public ministry applies also to the office of the congregation's school teachers, for this is a part of the service in the Word, of ministry to the congregation's youth. On the other hand, the situation differs with respect to the other church offices and services, such as with ecclesiastical order, Synodical offices, and the like. We regard these, of course, as human institutions which a larger church fellowship might establish at its discretion and for the purpose of maintaining good order.
To show that this has for a long time been the teaching of our synod we refer again to Walther's book: "Die Stimme unserer Kirche in der Frage von Kirche und Amt". [Church and Ministry] It reads there in the first section: "Thesis IV: It is to the true church of the believers and saints that Christ has given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and it is, therefore, the proper and sole possessor and bearer of the spiritual, divine and heavenly blessings, privileges, powers, offices, etc., which Christ has won and which are present in his church." P. 29. Further, in the second section: "Thesis II" The office of the ministry of pastorate is not a human institution but an office instituted by God himself." P. 193. "Thesis VI: The office of the ministry is conveyed by God through the congregation, as the possessor of all church power or the keys, and through the call prescribed by God. The ordination of the one called, along with the laying on of hands, is not divine institution but an apostolic rite and simply a public, solemn confirmation of the call." P. 245. "Thesis VII” The holy office of the ministry is the power transmitted by God through the congregation as possessor of the priesthood and of all church authority in order to exercise the privileges of the spiritual priesthood in public office in behalf of the congregation." P. 315. "Thesis X: To the office of the ministry belongs, to be sure, also according to divine right, the function to judge doctrine, which function is also the right of the laity." P. 398.
However, this is nothing else than the voice of our church. That the keys are given to the entire church our Confession testifies in the Smaldcald Articles:
"In addition to this, it is necessary to acknowledge that the keys belong not to the person of one particular man, but to the church, as many most clear and firm arguments testify. For Christ, speaking concerning the keys, Matt. 18,19, adds: If two or three of you shall agree on earth, etc. Therefore he grants the keys principally and immediately to the church, just as also for this reason the church has principally the right of calling. For just as the promise of the Gospel belongs certainly and
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immediately to the entire church, so the keys belong immediately to the entire church, because the keys are nothing else than the office whereby this promise is communicated to every one who desires it, just as it is actually manifest that the church has the power to ordain ministers of the church. And Christ speaks in these words: Whatsoever ye shall bind, etc., and indicates to whom he has given the keys, namely, to the church: Where two or three are gathered together in my name. Likewise Christ gives supreme and final jurisdiction to the church, when he says: 'Tell it unto the church.'" C.T. 511.
"For wherever the church is, there is the authority (command) to administer the Gospel. Therefore it is necessary for the church to retain the authority to call, elect, and ordain ministers. And this authority is a gift which in reality is given to the church, which no human power can wrest from the church, as Paul also testifies to the Ephesians, 4,8, when he says: He ascended, he gave gifts of men. And he enumerates among the gifts especially belonging to the church pastors and teachers, and adds that such are given for the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Hence, wherever there is a true church, the right to elect and ordain ministers necessarily exists. Just as in a case of necessity even a layman absolves, and becomes the minister and pastor of another.... Here belongs the statements of Christ which testify that the keys have been given to the church, and merely to certain persons, Matt. 18,20: Where two or three are gathered, together in my name, etc. Lastly, the statement of Peter also confirms this, 1 Peter 2,9: Ye are a royal priesthood, these words pertain to the true church, which certainly has the right to elect and ordain ministers since it alone has the priesthood." C.T. 524.525.
In what relation servants of the church stand to the congregation Luther declares when he writes: "And if there are but a few drawn out of the host, that they instead of the congregation take and perform the duties of the office which they all have." Walch 10,703.
On the other hand, the Confession emphasizes that this public office is instituted by God. Thus in the Apology of the Augsburg Confession: "The ministry of the Word has God's command." "The church has the :command to appoint ministers." C.T. 311.
And in Art. XIV of the Augsburg Confession: "Of ecclesiastical order they teach that no one should publicly teach in the church or administer the Sacraments unless he is regularly called." C.T. 49. That all Christians have the authority to judge concerning doctrine the Smaldcald Articles teach in the words: "When the true judgment of the church is removed, godless dogmas and godless services cannot be removed, and for many ages they destroy innumerable souls." C.T. 519.
This, briefly, is the doctrine of our synod and the Lutheran Church relative to the office of the church. What does Scripture say?
According to Scripture the church is the congregation of believers. For its very existence it requires the Word and Sacrament. Rom, 10,17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." Solely through the preaching of the Word is faith worked and sustained. The church, the congregation of believers, would soon sink back into the world again, were the Word not constantly preached to it.
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The church also has the calling to expand on earth. Solely through the preaching of the Word, through Word and baptism, will the church win new members. For this reason Christians have the command, Col. 3,16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom." Word and Sacrament are marks of the church. Wherever God's Word is there also are God's people. But the reverse is also true: Wherever God's people, there also is God's Word. God's people cannot survive without the Word of God. And the business of the church is to deal with the Word, with the preaching of the Word, as well as with the administration of the Sacrament. The church's office is to serve in Word and Sacrament.
And right here the first and most immediate question is: To whom is this service in the Word and Sacrament entrusted? Who is responsible for the administration of Word and Sacrament?
The Lord himself answers these questions, and his words are clear and plain. He says in Matt. l6,19: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."
What does the Lord mean by the keys of the Kingdom of heaven? He compares the kingdom which he brought to earth from heaven to a house or city. Whoever has the keys to a house has the power to open and to lock the house, to permit some into the house, to deny entrance to others. Of Eliakim, e.g., the steward of David's royal house, Is. 22,22 says: "And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open." This describes the function of the steward. Whoever now has the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven has the power to open and shut the Kingdom of Heaven, to grant some entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven, to refuse admittance to others. Whoever has the keys of the house also has control of everything in the house. When the citizens of a city hand over the keys of the city to a prince, they show their subservience to him; in this way they give him control over everything in the city. To whomever is given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, that person has full authority over all the treasures of the Kingdom of Heaven so that he is in a position to distribute or to withhold them.
The principal blessings of the Kingdom of Heaven are grace, peace, forgiveness of sins. The one who has the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven has the power, as our Confession states, to impart to everyone who desires the promise of the Gospel, therefore, forgiveness of sins, but also the power to refuse others forgiveness of sins. Thus the Lord himself explains what he said about the power of the keys in the words: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The one who has the power of the keys has, accordingly, the right and power to absolve a sinner, to set him free from sin, but also the power to bind a sinner, firmly to impose on him the burden of his sins or to retain his sins.
Naturally a true steward uses the entrusted power in accord with his master's will. And it is God's will and order here to forgive the sins of the penitent sinner but to retain the sins of the impenitent sinner. For this reason we speak of a key to bind and a key to loose. The treasures of the Kingdom of Heaven,
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grace, comfort, peace, forgiveness, are comprehended in the Word as well as in the Sacrament. He who possesses the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, therefore, has the right and power to proclaim the Word of God, to administer the Sacraments. Through the preaching of the Gospel he looses some and binds others. All through the preaching of the Gospel runs the twofold judgment: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." Thus the office of the keys encompasses all ecclesiastical authority.
Luther writes to Matt. 16,19: "The keys are designed for every purpose which can be of help to my neighbor, for the comfort which one person can give to another, for public and private confession, for absolution, and for many more things, but especially for preaching. For where the Word is preached: whoever believes will be saved, this means to loose; whoever does not believe will be damned, this means to bind. Binding then implies this, that when I preach: The way you are disposed you are of the devil, this means that heaven is closed to him. But when he confesses his sins, I say to him: Believe in Christ, then are your sins forgiven you; this then means to open heaven." St. Louis Ed. 11,2305.
However, to whom has the Lord of the Kingdom of Heaven given the keys? Christ says to Peter: "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." But Peter comes into consideration here only as a believing confessor. He did not receive the keys because he was such a great apostle, still less because he was the alleged predecessor of the Popes. No, after he had in the name of all the disciples confessed the true faith and because of his faith had been called blessed by the Lord, the Lord says to him: "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." This power belongs to the believers, to the entire Christian Church.
Luther: "The keys are given to him who by faith stands on this rock; to him the Father has given them. Therefore, to what person the keys belong is not specifically stated; but they belong to the church, that is, to those who stand on the rock. The Christian Church alone has the keys, no one else." St. Louis Ed. 11,2304.
It is entirely in the nature of things. He who believes has and appropriates Christ, the Son of God, and so shares in all the blessings and privileges which Christ has won. He who believes is for his person already in the Kingdom of Heaven. He possesses all things in abundance, forgiveness, life, and salvation. He is in need of nothing more. Why does God permit him to continue living on earth? He still has one task to carry out; heis to serve and help his neighbor! He is to draw others into the Kingdom of Heaven. He is to proclaim and share with others the forgiveness of sins, which is such a comfort to him. He who believes and has forgiveness of sins is capable and qualified but also obligated to share the treasure with his fellowmen.
What the Lord first said to Peter he said to all of his disciples on another occasion, Matt. 18,18: "Verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The context indicates that Jesus did not have in mind the special office of the Twelve, the apostleship, but regards his disciples as believers. For the words which precede, V, 17: "Tell it unto
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the church", as well as the words which follow, V. 20: "Where two or three are gathered together", etc., speak of the congregation, of the congregation of believers.
After his resurrection Christ repeated and confirmed the commission and the authority he had given his disciples, John 20,21-23:
"Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
In plain words the Lord explains here what he means by remitting and binding, namely, forgiving and retaining sins. And this power the Lord gives into the hands of his disciples, his believers. In the affair with Thomas which followed he makes it clearly known that he requires or expects just one thing from his disciples, that they believe in him, the Crucified and the Resurrected. He is satisfied when Thomas makes his confession of faith: "My Lord and my God!" He places all believers, all who do not see and yet believe, right alongside his disciples. All believing Christians have authority and command from the Lord to forgive and to retain sins. To this end the Lord gives his disciples the Holy Spirit. All Christians, possessing the Holy Spirit, are capable and qualified to perform the function and ministry of forgiving and retaining sins.
Luther: "However, who can ever stop talking about what an unspeakable, powerful, and blessed comfort it is that a human being is able to open heaven and close hell for another by speaking one word?" "This is not said alone to those who are ministers and servants of the church but to all Christians as well; there one may comfort another who is in the throes of deadly peril or wherever need exists and pronounce absolution." "Christ our Lord has said to his disciples and to all of Christendom: I command and enjoin that you are to forgive or retain sins." St. Louis Ed. 11,760.761.763.
The Lord has essentially the same thing in mind as he had with the power of the keys when before his ascension he says to his disciples, Matt. 28,18-20: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." The Lord's command: "Go ye", etc., applies to all for whom the promise is intended: "Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." The disciples, the believers of all ages to the end of the world, have the commission to teach and to baptize.
The apostle of Jesus Christ writes to the believing Christians, 1 Pet. 2,9: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." All believing Christians are priests. The Old Testament priesthood, which was committed to the tribe of Levi, was type of the New Testament priesthood, of the universal priesthood of all believers. The priesthood, however, includes not only the privilege of dealing with God, of coming before, and praying to, God, but also the other privilege and the
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duty of bearing witness over against the world to the true, living God. Christians, as spiritual priests, are called to proclaim the virtues of him who has called them out of darkness into his marvellous light. In other words, they are to commend to their fellowmen the divine virtues they have experienced in their own lives, to tell them about God's grace, about the God who has called them so that they, too, might be turned from darkness to light. To the priesthood belong the privilege to give and to pray, also to teach and to preach. And these priestly privileges belong to all Christians.
Luther: "For it is certainly clear and manifest enough that the apostle is addressing the whole multitude, all Christians, when he says: 'You are a chosen race ... a holy nation.' Up to this point, of course, he has spoken about no one except those who are built on the Stone and believe. Therefore it must follow that he who does not believe is no priest. Then they say: 'Ah, one must explain the words as the saintly fathers interpreted them.' Then you must say: 'Let the fathers and teachers, whoever they may be, explain as they choose. This is what St. Peter tells me. He has greater testimony from God than they have. Besides he is older. Therefore I will agree with him.' Thus this verse requires no commentary; for it speaks explicitly of those who believe. Now not only those who are anointed and tonsured are believers. Therefore we are willing to let them call themselves priests, for we do not care how they want to be dubbed. No, the question at issue is whether they are called priests in Scripture and whether God calls them priests. Some can be selected from the congregation who are officeholders and servants and are appointed to preach in the congregation and to administer the sacraments. But we are all priests before God if we are Christians. For since we have been laid on the Stone who is the Chief Priest before God, we also have everything he has.
"It would please me very much if this word 'priest' were used as commonly as the term 'Christians' is applied to us. For priests, the baptized, and Christians are all one and the same." L.W., Amer. Ed. 30,62.63.
"A priest must be God's messenger and must have a command from God to proclaim his Word. You must, says Peter, exercise the chief function of a priest, that is, to proclaim the wonderful deed God has performed for you to bring you out of darkness into the light. And your preaching should be done in such a way that one brother proclaims the mighty deed of God to the other, how you have been delivered through him from sin, hell, death, and all misfortune, and have been called to eternal life. Thus you should also teach other people how they, too, come into such light. For you must bend every effort to realize what God has done for you. Then let it be your chief work to proclaim this publicly and to call everyone into the light into which you have been called. Where you find people who do not know this, you should instruct and also teach them as you have learned, namely how one must be saved through the power and strength of God and come out of darkness into the light." 30,64.65.
"He is the Priest (Christ) and we are his brothers, all Christians have the authority, the command, and the obligation to preach.... Nevertheless, no one should undertake to preach or to declare the Word of God unless he is a priest." 30,54.
To all believing Christians, to the entire church, the Lord
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has given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and thereby all ecclesiastical power, above all, the right to preach, to baptize, to absolve, to loose and to bind. From this it follows that also every individual assembly of Christians, every local congregation, possesses this power. This is confirmed explicitly by the passage already quoted, Matt. 18,17-20. With the words: "Tell it unto the church" the Lord, as we have already indicated, points to the local congregation. And when he now continues: "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth", etc., he grants to the members of the local congregation the keys to bind and to loose. The local congregation is mentioned also at the close of this section: "Where two or three are gathered together", etc.
To be sure, when we look into a local congregation, we observe the lowly appearance of the church. A Christian congregation consists mostly of poor, humble, despised people. And in this respect the adversaries had their laughs already at the time of the Reformation. Chemnitz reports that in his days the Jesuits jeered at Lutherans: "Among you cobblers, tailors, cooks, and workmen have the power of the keys, and thus you are erecting a tower of Babel and introducing religious confusion." But we are not disconcerted by such talk. We hold firmly to what Scripture so clearly testifies and will not allow our congregations to become ruffled with respect to their God-given privileges.
Verily, each local congregation, regardless whether few or many people are involved, whether it consists merely of poor workmen and laborers and were they, as Luther once says, mere stablehands, possesses the greatest power there is in heaven and on earth, the power to open and to shut heaven, the power to preach, to baptize, etc. And though many of these Christians are seen to be mostly frail and infirm, this does not impair their spiritual, priestly status. Certainly, there are hypocrites intermingled in a local Christian congregation. But we know that they are not members of the church and so are not spiritual priests. Though they outwardly do the same works as are enjoined the priests of God, they do them only for the sake of appearances.
By such sanctimonious work on the part of hypocrites the work and function of the church, performed by God's congregation in Christ's name, is not hindered.
Alongside the words of Scripture which confer the office of the keys on the entire church, on all believing Christians, on each local congregation, however, we find in Scripture another series of passages which call attention to a special office of the church, an office entrusted to only a few people, an office which not all Christians administer.
We read in James 3,1: "My brethren, be not many masters (or: teachers), knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation." 1 Cor. 12,29 reads similarly: "Are all teachers?" The answer the apostle has in mind is: No! All believing Christians have the responsibility and calling to teach. In spite of this the apostle says that not everyone, not every Christian should venture or presume to be a teacher. All Christians are to teach, but not on this account are all Christians "teachers". All Christians are spiritual priests, but for this reason they are not all teachers in the strict sense of the word. Only he who is capable and qualified and who is called thereto should
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or should proceed to be a teacher. The apostle is referring here to the public teaching office. Already here and there in the apostolic churches the congregations had elders and leaders who were called also bishops and teachers. To teach, to teach publicly, to teach the entire congregation was a special calling, and they were capable and qualified to do this. Thus in 1 Tim. 4,12 St. Paul requires a bishop to be "an example". This public teaching or ministerial office, the office of the pastor or minister, then continued and continues on still today and will remain until Judgment Day. And this office of the public ministry or pastorate is not for everybody. It differs from the universal priesthood of all believers. All believing Christians are priests, but not all are ministers or pastors.
Holy Scripture not only gives approval to the particular office of teacher or bishop but teaches further that this office is instituted and ordained by God.
St. Paul testifies in l Cor. 12,28: "God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues."
Eph. 4,8.11: "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men." "And he gave some apostles; and some,prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers."
In these passages the apostle names various offices. These offices did not exist at all times. The apostles had a unique office. They had no successors. Of course, the apostles continue to live in their writings. And this Word of the apostles is the firm foundation of the church of all ages. All Christian teachers continually draw from the Scriptures of the apostles. The special miraculous gifts, such as the gift of prophecy, the gift of healing, the gift of languages and their interpretation, were a special adornment of the apostolic church. But the one office, the office of teacher and pastor, of ministers and pastors, has remained. And now the apostle teaches that pastors and teachers have been placed and ordained in the church by God himself, by the exalted Christ. It is, therefore, God's will and order that the Word of God be publicly taught, preached, that the Sacrament be publicly administered, by persons who are capable and qualified so to do.
And St. Paul, at the same time, in Eph. 4,12-14 states the purpose for which the Lord has appointed teachers and pastors: "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive."
The purpose of the teaching and pastoral office is to build up the body of Christ, to strengthen and build up the congregation in faith, to prepare, to make ready, to equip the saints to every good work, to win ever more souls for the one faith, to bring them to the knowledge of the Son of God, to warn and to protect the believers from every wind of doctrine and false teaching, from all manner of deceit and seduction. All Christians
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should, of course, teach, confess, testify to the truth they themselves have discerned. And they are able so to do because they have been anointed by the Holy Spirit. But required is a special competency and capability to teach and build up the entire congregation, in long, ordered discourses to lay out Christian doctrine point by point in proper coherence, to govern the congregation and give each his due, to refute false doctrine, to warn Christians against the thousandfold schemes of deceit, against each and every seduction, against all wrongful ways, and to set right those who are ensnared in error. And just for his reason it is the Lord's will that men, equipped with the gifts and capabilities, take charge of the congregation, teach and lead the entire assembly. For this purpose he gave and ordained some pastors and teachers.
The apostle, however, teaches further that God also supplies pastors and teachers just as he wants them to be when he writes: "He (Christ) gave gifts unto men." To the "gifts" of the exalted Christ belong also "pastors and teachers". We confidently believe that the Lord at all times supplies his church with faithful ministers.
Just how does he give them? Of course, he does not let trained pastors fall down from heaven. Everything proceeds its ordered way. We know what the course of instruction laid out for pastors is. A boy, a young man has the desire and inclination to become a pastor and also has the necessary gifts for the office. Then he attends an educational institution,, first learns the languages and then studies theology until he receives his diploma. But the exalted Christ has his hand in all this. He awakens in young men desire and love for the ministry, blesses, assists their study, enlightens them in their constant pursuit of God's Word, so that they rightly come to comprehend the divine mysteries which they are then to proclaim, implants into their heart the fear of the Lord and a godly disposition, protects the youthful souls when numerous pitfalls and temptations with which beginning pastors must contend come along, helps the spirit to overcome the flesh. Thus the Lord prepares for himself instruments who are to serve him in his kingdom. In this way he gives his church pastors and teachers and thus demonstrates that he is sitting at the right hand of God and is mightily governing and ruling his church. What is here stated concerning the ministry pertains also to the teacher in a school. Christ gives his church faithful school teachers, too. He rules with his Spirit and gifts also in colleges for the training of Christian teachers.
To this belongs the passage in Acts 20,28: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves,and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." This passage is taken from St. Paul's farewell address to the elders in Ephesus. The apostle had presented himself to the elders as an example and reminded them how he had taught in Ephesus, publicly and privately, how he had proclaimed God's entire counsel, spoke of repentance toward God and faith toward Christ, how he tearfully admonished each one. In the same way they should nourish and govern the flock entrusted to them. These are in general the most important duties and tasks of the ministry.
And now the apostle emphasizes that "the holy Ghost hath made you overseers". The Holy Ghost has put these elders in
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charge as shepherds of the church, of the congregation in Ephesus. And so every congregational elder, every local pastor should know and bear in mind that the Holy Ghost has entrusted him with the office in the congregation which he is serving. And each congregation should know and bear in mind that the Holy Spirit, who governs in the church, has placed its pastor in charge as shepherd and teacher. God, therefore, not only gives the church generally pastors and teachers but supplies each individual congregation with its pastor so that he might lead and govern it in his name and at his commission.
Briefly, Scripture teaches: God supplies pastors and teachers. The exalted Christ supplies and gives pastors and teachers. The Holy Spirit supplies each individual congregation with bishops. Thus the office of the public ministry is an arrangement and institution of the Triune God and on this account an exalted, divine office.
Therefore, in Scripture We find a double series of statements with respect to the proclamation of the Word. Pursuant to the one, the keys, the authority to preach, to baptize, to absolve, belong to all Christians, to every local congregation. Pursuant to the other God has placed and instituted for public service in Word and Sacrament a special office, the public teaching office, and supplies pastors and teachers.
What follows when both scriptural statements are compared? We are not trying to develop a new truth from what Scripture says. We are simply setting forth what the words of Scripture themselves embody. But correctly to understand and interpret Scripture it is vital to group together all the passages which deal with one and the same subject, to compare them with one another and determine how they conform. On the one hand, therefore, it stands firm that each congregation possesses the keys, that all members of the congregation are spiritual priests and are called to proclaim the virtues of God. We repeat, the spiritual priesthood does not concede each Christian the right to teach all his fellow Christians, the entire congregation, and demand all fellow Christians to listen to him. In so doing he would offend the rights of his fellow Christians, who in like manner are all priests. And if each Christian were to be the teacher and overseer of another, were each Christian to come forward and to baptize, dreadful confusion would result. Nevertheless, it stands firm that the entire congregation is commanded to preach the 'Word and to administer the Sacrament. As God's householder, however, the congregation is and remains bound to the will and order of the Master of the house, who has given it the keys. And now it is the Lord's will and order that all congregations have pastors, teachers, overseers.
The congregation is to give ear to and heed the Word of God, which institutes the office of the public ministry. This Word of God contains for every local congregation the command to institute the office of the public ministry, to select pastors and teachers. It is the business, right, and duty of the congrega-r tion which possesses all church authority. It is to make use of its right and authority in such a way that it satisfies the will and order of God. By virtue of the: power of the keys endowed it by the Lord, in obedience to the command of God, who has ordained the public teaching office, a congregation selects and calls a minister and pastor. At all times the Lord himself supplies his
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church with teachers and pastors, and so the congregation gratefully accepts such gifts of God, selects from the number of men whom the Lord has prepared for such service that one who best fits its needs and says to him; You are to be our pastor and teacher.
When a congregation calls a pastor, it says to him, as it were: We are all spiritual priests; we all have the authority and command to preach, to baptize, to absolve. Word and Sacrament are entrusted to us; we are held accountable for them. Not every one of us understands the art of public preaching, how to teach the entire congregation. Such art must be learned and practiced. You have learned it. God himself has qualified you to do this. Nor does any of us have the time to care for, to watch over, the entire congregation and all its members. Each of us has his own work or calling. To be sure, despite our humble status we are priests before God, and we are not giving up this right. And just as priests of God, in obedience to God, who has instituted the public teaching office, we are commissioning you to feed, lead, and oversee the entire congregation with the Word of God and to devote all your time, effort, and abilities to this holy service.
And now the called candidate accepts this commission: the Lord himself puts the assent into his heart, and so the candidate enters into the service of the congregation. He is henceforth a servant of the church. He does nothing remarkable. He practices no secret arts, whereof others know and understand nothing. He does to what all Christians have the power and authority, preaches, baptizes, absolves. But he does this upon commission of all, in the name of all, for all, to the best interests of the entire congregation, to the building up of the body of Christ. And he is qualified to such service. He is and remains a servant of the Church. The church, which possesses all ecclesiastical authority, teaches, baptizes, absolves through him, through what he says, through what he does. For this very reason the official acts of a false teacher of the church, who personally possesses no faith, who personally is not a member of the church, not a spiritual priest, still has power and efficacy because the church speaks and acts through him. On the other hand, a called pastor is also a servant of Christ and God. Through the call of the congregation he is inducted into the office which God has ordained and instituted. Through the call of the congregation God himself has placed him into his office.
This right, this duty of the congregation to select and to ordain servants of the church, as was said, follows of itself when you properly consider the twofold truth to which Scripture testifies, namely, that all Christians possess the keys and that God supplies teachers and pastors, but is reinforced by an express word of Scripture, Rom. 10,15:"How shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" Preaching, public preaching is tied in with the sending. No one is to preach who is not sent or called. God must send, and he does send. However, God does not any longer send and call immediately, as he did long ago the prophets and apostles, but through men. This occurs through the congregation to which is entrusted all ecclesiastical power. Thus it is the sending, the call of the congregation and, at the same time, God's call which
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gives the pastor power and authority to teach and to officiate publicly.
From this double position of the minister, as a servant of God and a servant of the congregation, there ensue for the congregation and all Christians many rights and duties to which Scripture especially makes reference. The apostle writes in Heb. 13.17: "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves i for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief; for that is unprofitable for you." All Christians are to obey the teachers set over them by God insofar as they are teachers and expound to them the Word of God. To be sure, all Christians are priests, but, on the other hand, they are and also remain learners of the Word and so need continually to be taught, admonished, disciplined, comforted from the Word. And they are to meditate on what their pastor is telling them, that this God is personally speaking to them when he says: "He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me." Luke 10,16. In 1 Tim. 5,17 we read: "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." It is, therefore, the duty of all Christians to hold in esteem those who engage in the public teaching office, to receive those in this office with all respect and deference since it is a divine office.
A further obligation is for Christians to support those who are dedicating all their time and effort to their office and calling. Matt. 10,10: "The labourer is worthy of his hire." Gal. 6,6.7: "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." To this the apostle adds: "Be not deceived: God is not mocked." Accordingly, when a congregation without cause is niggardly in remunerating the servant of the Word or permits him to live in want, it is mocking God, whose is the office.
On the other hand, a congregation is also over against the teaching office to maintain its priestly rights. The congregation possesses the office of the keys and has and retains the authority in Word and Sacrament, even though it has transferred the public exercise of the same to its pastor. Pastors are responsible to the congregation, 1 Cor. 3.5: "Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?" 1 Cor. 3,21-23: "All things are your's; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are your's; and ye are Christ’s; and Christ is God's." Pastors are servants and employees of the congregation, and so the congregation has also the right and duty to see to it that they duly carry out the commission given them. The congregation supervises the pastor's handling of the office.
To judge the doctrine which is being proclaimed in its midst is a matter invested in the congregation and in all members of the congregation. Christ says in Matt. 7,15: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." If Christians are to beware of false teachers, they must generally examine their teachers to determine whether they are teaching correctly or falsely. This is made their obligation particularly in 1 John 4,1 where it reads:
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"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God." Every Christian is in good position to do this. Even though he is unable himself to prepare a sermon, he still is capable of passing judgment on the sermons he hears. When the pastor properly interprets God's Word, he nods with his head or says Yea and Amen to it in his heart. When a pastor says something wrong, he shakes his head or says in his heart: No, that is not right. And it is his duty to assert his views.
These are all familiar truths. Except it applies: "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." John 13,17. Things go well within a congregation or a church when Christians act in accord with these principles. And so the true doctrine of the ministry leads us into the area of church practice.
VII (Table of Contents)
ALSO IN CHURCH PRACTICE WE SIMPLY FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE.
The doctrine of the ministry already touches on the practical area. When a congregation calls a pastor, this is a church matter. However, this is but one of the things which the church does and is called to do. Church practice encompasses a broad area. Just as Missouri's doctrinal position, so the so-called Missourian practice has, as it were, become axiomatical as well. Our ecclesiastical adversaries understand it to be blunt, rigid, legalistic practice. It is the same reproach raised against our doctrine. They maintain that the Missouri Synod has taken a new doctrinal stance and speaks dead literalism. We are not bothered by this reproach. We are aware that we position the Gospel of God's free grace in Christ in the very center of our doctrine, of our preaching and instruction, and we do not intermingle grace with man’s works, as do modern Lutherans who boast of evangelical freedom.
What about it? Is our practice also being called legalistic for the reason that it is in accord with the Word of God and in particular with the Gospel because it is evangelical practice? Governing today's theology, today's ecclesiastical language, is a Babel-style confusion of ideas. What is pure Gospel is painted as law. And, on the other hand, man's works are called Gospel. So we do not permit ourselves to become provoked by such reasoning.
Here, where we are dealing with church affairs and church life, we shall at the very outset make a voluntary confession. What is true of the life and behavior of individual Christians is true also of ecclesiastical and congregational life, namely, that, as Luther often states, life always hobbles along imperfectly behind doctrine. Doctrine is pure. But mode of life is still very impure and imperfect. And so we admit that in our ecclesiastical or congregational life, too, there is intermingled much of what is perverse, since we are still flesh and blood. But the principles according to which we operate are incontestable. For they are taken from Scripture. The course our church life is taking is the straight, right way of God. For here, too, God's Word is a lamp to guide our feet. Here, too, our concern ist "To the law and to the testimony!" Is. 8,20. And even though again and again we stray from the right course, we always with God's help once more return to the old beaten path and mutually
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exhort and encourage one another to act and live in accord with the norm which the Word of truth holds out to us.
And from the start it is a well-established fact, as far as we are concerned, that a sound church or congregational life can thrive only where God's Word is acknowledged to be norm and guiding principle for doctrine and life, while the situation is bad when it concerns practice and life wherever false doctrine is common, wherever all sorts of principles, and not solely God's Word, determine the course, wherever allowances are made for prevailing circumstances. Yes, not only in doctrine but also in practice we take leave of, and set ourselves apart from, other churches, even from Lutheran denominations. And we want to take a closer look now and determine whether God's Word also makes a distinction in this matter, to determine whether the situation is actually this, that, on the one hand, man is responding to and striving to obey God's Word, on the other hand, however, is acting contrary to the clear words of Scripture. We believe that we are following and zealously pursuing a practice which is in accord with Scripture and are anxious once more to convince ourselves of this.
From the broad area of church practice we advance several salient points. Before we get into this, let it be said that we are not dealing here actually with the works and life of individual Christians. Church practice is the ecclesiastical action, first and foremost, the nature and manner as to how a church, a congregation applies, handles, brings to bear God's Word and Sacrament in various instances, amid varying circumstances, the nature and way a church, a congregation positions itself relative to its members, what it requires of them, what its attitude is toward those who are outside, toward unbelievers and those of different faiths.
Also in church practice we follow only the instructions of Holy Scripture:
1. IN THAT OUR CONGREGATIONS THEMSELVES ORDER AND ADMINISTER ALL ECCLESIASTICAL AFFAIRS.
Our synod enforces the congregational principle from every angle. Each local congregation manages its own affairs, calls and supports its pastors and teachers, elects officers, orders public worship life, determines how the school is to be run, attends to its sick and poor, and does not abandon them to public welfare. At its own discretion it takes up collections for foreign church purposes, exercises church discipline, and the like. And in all these matters each member of the congregation, each simple, ordinary Christian has a voice. Only the youngest members, who have as yet not attained spiritual maturity, refrain from voicing their opinion. And women remain silent in the congregation according to the apostle's express injunction.
In other denominations a different order governs. In the German State Church, e.g, the consistory directs, and this is, at the same time, the governing body right in the individual congregations. The ecclesiastical order, perhaps in conjunction with the national council, issues decretals which are binding on all congregations. The ecclesiastical order places and dismisses pastors, lays down rules governing certain festivals, the order of public worship, announces when general church collections are
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to be held, etc. The rights of the individual congregations are limited. When a congregation, e.g., as just recently happened, protests against a false prophet being foisted on it is severely censured. In our country some synods and Synodical officials make similar rules for congregations.
Now, what is right here? What does Scripture say? We call attention once more to that pronouncement of Christ concerning the power of the keys. In the name of all believers Christ gave Peter and the other disciples the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and said: "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." To the congregation, to the local congregation is entrusted all church authority. "Tell it unto the church." "Where two or three are gathered together", etc. According to this the church has the right and the authority itself to order all matters. And when other persons, consistories, synods, Synodical officials seize these rights and powers which are part of the office of the keys, they are robbing the congregation of what Christ placed in its care and are dealing contrary to the clear Word of God.
From The Acts we know how the primitive Christian Church adhered to the ways which the Lord himself had firmly laid down for the church. It is reported in The Acts how the first Jewish-Christian congregation in Jerusalem, just like the first Gentile- Christian congregation in Antioch, handled all its own affairs and itself settled all disputes which arose. When the need developed in the congregation in Jerusalem to set up a special office to care for the poor, the Twelve called "the multitude of the disciples" together and laid this matter before them. And "the whole multitude" chose and appointed capable men to act as almoners. Acts 6,1-6.
In Acts 13,1-3 we read: "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manean, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away."
The congregation at Antioch, all the members of the congregation, therefore, upon the advice of those prophets set apart Barnabas and Saul and delegated them in its name to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.
In Acts 15 it is reported that the congregation in Antioch was disturbed by several Jewish Christians from Judea, who taught that the Gentiles also had to be circumcised if they wished to be accepted into the Christian Church and be saved. Then "the church" in Antioch dispatched Paul and Barnabas and certain brothers in order to discuss this matter with the brothers in Jerusalem. When the two arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the "church" there, as well as by the apostles and elders. "All the multitude" quietly listened to what Paul and Barnabas had to say about their first missionary journey, about what God had done for the Gentiles through them, thereupon what Peter and James had proposed in opposition to the demand of the Jewish Christians. Thereupon it “pleased the whole church", along with the elders and apostles, to delegate men to deliver a letter from the con-
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gregation in Jerusalem to the Gentile-Christian congregation. In this letter all who were "assembled with one accord" in Jerusalem assured their Gentile brothers that they did not wish to lay any burden, including circumcision, on them. It was, therefore, practice in the primitive church for the congregation, for each local congregation, for the entire multitude to take into its hands, to look after and order all church matters.
This is also practice among us. When you deviate from this arrangement, when persons who are not delegated do things which according to God's will the congregation is to do, in most cases a lot of dissension results. If a work is to succeed, the individual who is to do the work must, above all, be certain that such work is commanded by God.
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Church practice is the church’s affair. The congregation is the acting party. It is involved with Word and Sacrament. Service in the Word is the church's most important work and business. And from the way Word and Sacrament are administered you are able whether a congregation is taking the right way or is traveling a byway. The statements which follow deal with the application of Word and Sacrament.
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We further follow the instructions of Holy Scriptures
2. IN THAT WE THROUGH NO OTHER MEANS THAN GOD'S WORD BUILD AND SPREAD THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
The foremost means of grace, we can say, the true means of grace is the Word. The Sacrament is simply confirmation of the Word or is the visible Word. Through the Word God imparts to sinners the salvation which Christ has won. Through the Word he works and sustains saving faith. God's Word is able to save our souls. So the congregation must, above all else, be concerned about the proper use of the Word. Through the proclamation of the Word the congregation of believers is sustained and new members won for the church. Through the proclamation of the Word the kingdom of God, the kingdom of faith and salvation, is sustained, built, spread. It is, therefore, certain that sound church practice, when a congregation in every way possible seeks to bring to bear and apply the Word, to bring it to the person, supports and opens the door to the office of the ministry and to preaching in every way possible,.
That is obvious when one considers what the Word has to offer and what the calling of Christians is. But in practice it really is not that obvious. It is not the general practice in Christendom. When we look around at churches, at sectarian churches, what do we see? There, too, preaching, hearing, and learning are going on. But those same churches, which are set apart for divine worship, at specific times give off an entirely different picture. All at once they are transformed into places for social gatherings. Concerts and other entertainments are presented, church fairs are staged, etc. In the midst of the parish there are countless other societies. At times, e.g., a society of
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Christian young men play one of the most important roles. In such societies and gatherings, of course, the Bible is read and prayers offered, but most of the time is devoted to other things, to all manner of social enjoyments. By such societies, gatherings, entertainments they attempt to hold church people together and to draw others, to win new friends for the church. And, sad to say, such tactics are being employed also within the Lutheran Church. German church periodicals are reporting similar things. At the present time in Germany a great stir is being caused by the so- called Christian-social reform movement. There in Christian circles efforts are being made to change and improve social conditions and the lot of the worker, thus hoping to win influence over the masses, to get a favorable reaction of the masses for Christianity. Our day and age is very inventive, even in the area of the church. From year to year new devices are being utilized in order to promote church life, to prevent the decline of the church. We must for our part be on guard so that innovations such as these do not gain ground among us.
From the fathers of our synod we have learned another way, and this way, praise God!, still has priority among us. It is still true among us that public worship and preaching are still the focus of church life. Our pastors exert their best efforts in preparing their sermons in order to make God's Word really understandable and accessible to all the members of the congregation. And they bend every effort to hold the attention of their members during the sermon and unrelentingly admonish young and old, publicly and privately, to hear and to learn the Word of God, and follow up on those who become lax and negligent in hearing and learning. And when performing their spiritual charge they bring the Word of God to bear on the individual. And teachers sow the Word into the hearts of little children. It is through the Word, through the Word alone, that we seek to hold our people together and so to sustain the church. By no means do we spurn other organizations and all societies within the congregation, such as those for young men, young women. They, too, serve a good purpose. Many an opportunity is afforded there to bring the Word to bear on the hearts of the young. We permit young people their harmless entertainments. However, we do not believe that by such things the church of God is actually being edified.
The Word, the proclamation of the Word gives our missionary practice its peculiar character. In our mission activity we are not aiming at merely assembling larger or smaller groups and organizing them in some way. No, we preach the Word to those who still do not know it or have forgotten it and through preaching seek to win souls for Christ. It is our chief concern through preaching, doctrine, instruction to christianize souls, and we realize that the other or external trappings of the congregational household take care of themselves.
Certainly, this is practice in accord with Scripture. Scripture reports that the Lord after his resurrection, before he withdrew his visible presence altogether, still gave his disciples instructions relative to their future life and work. They are precious testamentary words which we read at the close of the Gospels:
Matt. 28,18-20: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them
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in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Likewise Mark 16,15: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." Thereupon it reads in V. 20: "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following."
The Resurrected declares it as aim and purpose of this suffering, death, and resurrection: "to preach repentance and remission of sins in his name among all nations". Luke 24, 47. The testament which the Lord left behind for his disciples is very plain and simple. Before his departure Christ did not give his own a thousand suggestions and decrees but merely enjoined on them one thing basically, to preach the Gospel, to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins, to preach and to baptize. This one thing is sufficient for all time, is all that is needed for the establishment and preservation of God's kingdom on earth. From preaching comes faith, and whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. This testament of the Lord the apostles faithfully preserved and executed. Through the preaching of the apostles the first Christian congregation was called into being in Jerusalem, and the first church continued to grow and spread. We read in Acts 12,24: "But the word of God grew and multiplied." God's Word "grew" in that it drew ever more people to itself. The growing of the congregation and the growing of the Word of God correspond exactly. The Word accomplishes all things.
It is not surprising that the sects have chanced on all sorts of ways to enlarge their congregations simply because they deny that Word and Sacrament are the essential and only means of grace. But for this reason we have to be on guard that we do not depart from the ways of our fathers. Any group of human beings which wishes to accomplish something must, for the sake of order, have all kinds of regulations. This is when we must be careful not to make unnecessary and too many such regulations. Many and lengthy congregational rules do not make a congregation strong and secure. It's because of this that members of the congregation are diverted from the principle issue and are steered toward petty things, which they seek to accomplish in the belief that thus they are being good members of the congregation. Further, it is very nice for a congregation to have a large and beautiful church. And here and there you will often find people who deem it a necessity in order to be able to do proper mission work. However, we ought not permit this matter to spring up among us. The Word is the only proper means for doing mission work.
Another thing which easily detracts from the essential matter at hand is that of society activities. If a person thinks, after he has created this or that society within the congregation, that he has helped to build up the congregation, he is badly mistaken. Where you unduly promote societies, you hurt the congregation. It can easily happen that this or that society becomes the real focus of attraction, leads many a person to join the congregation, and the congregation becomes merely a means to an end. No, it is the Word alone which draws people to church and holds them there.
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We follow Scripture,
3. IN THAT WE HOLD SACRED THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD AND ADMINISTER IT ONLY TO THE BENEFIT OF CHRISTIANS, NOT TO THE HARM OF SOULS.
Service in the Word is the church's most important work. Included in this work is the administration of the Sacrament. The Sacrament is the visible Word. On the other hand, we distinguish between Word and Sacrament. And it is just in church practice that it is well to observe this distinction.
Relative to what the administration of the Sacrament, in particular that of Holy Communion, involves, the practice of our synod is also one which differs from what is found in other church denominations. In the German State Church, e.g., anyone who wishes can commune, just like he attends church and hears preaching of the Word. Access to the altar stands open to everyone, just as the door to the church is open to all. Pastors accept all members of their parish for confession, for absolution, for Communion irrespective of the person. And church authorities favor and foster such practice. They are isolated, exceptional cases when a pastor refuses to commune a manifest sinner and non- Christian. Those who have in recent years dared and done so have as a rule experienced great difficulties and been made victims of overmuch discipline by their ecclesiastical order. The same open Communion practice has found its way in today's so-called Lutheran synods. We are completely disregarding the.Reformed sects. By their false doctrine regarding the Lord's Supper they have totally invalidated the essence of the Sacrament. And this open, unrestricted practice is defended in all seriousness and is considered to be evangelical practice. Those engaging in this practice feel they are thereby able to win many souls and allows the latter to take advantage of the comfort of the forgiveness of sins.
As for us, when we administer Communion we observe what Luther writes in his "Kirchenpostille", in the exposition of the Easter epistle: "Thus also has Christ done: he preached to the multitudes, to everyone, as did the apostles after him, so that all heard, believers and unbelievers; whoever took hold of it took hold of it. Thus must we also do. However, the Sacrament should not be thrown open to the multitudes, as the Pope has done. When I preach the Gospel, I do not know whom I am affecting. However, we are not to get the idea that the one who comes to Communion has been affected. I must have no misgivings in this respect but must be certain that the one to whom I administer the Sacrament has laid hold on the Gospel and truly believes."
Also, we do not throw the Sacrament to the winds as the papists did and still do and as most Protestants do today. At the very beginning our congregations introduced the practice of confession when announcing for Communion. Whoever desires absolution and the Sacrament announces himself beforehand to his father confessor. Thus the pastor has the opportunity to examine the communicants. Those who profess to be Christians by word and deed, them he accepts. On the other hand, to impenitent sinners, manifest non-Christians, he refuses absolution and Communion. This is not something new which we have begun. As indicated above, Luther recommended and followed it. It is the old
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Communion practice of the Lutheran Church which has been current for centuries and is also confirmed by the Lutheran Confession. In Art. 25 of the Augsburg Confession we read: "It is not usual to give the body of the Lord, except to them that have been previously examined and absolved." Other Lutheran denominations, with which we are not in doctrinal agreement, are still observing this practice. Nevertheless, since our Missouri Synod, our Synodical Conference, is the largest church body which is still engaged in the old custom, this Communion practice is called Missourian practice. And this practice is being regarded as legalistic, harsh practice, and the opinion is that many people are in this way being repressed who otherwise could still be won or kept within the church.
However, this is scriptural practice. Christ says in Matt. 7,6: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." Our venerable teachers have always applied this passage to Holy Communion. Assuredly. Holy Communion is also something holy and a pearl. We are not to cast it before dogs and swine, before common people who do not believe but despise what is holy. Christ explicitly forbids the Sacrament to be thrown into the crowd, "lest they trample the same under their feet". The common people, the impenitent, only despise, ridicule the Sacrament when they receive it and make it common. "And turn again and rend you." Dogs and swine eventually turn against those who have cast their pearls to them and tear them to pieces. The one who surrenders the Sacrament to wanton sinners, to despisers of the sacred, makes himself a partaker of their sins and draws on his own head the destruction which they are due. The Lord speaks very earnestly on this matter. In the introduction to the Lord's Supper it reads: "He gave it to his disciples." Holy Communion is meant for the disciples, only for the Lord's believing disciples, as a seal for the forgiveness of sins, "for us Christians to eat and to drink". Whoever offers non-Christians the Sacrament deals contrary to the clear purpose and institution of the Lord. And deals lovelessly, at the same time.
St. Paul testifies in 1 Cor. 11,27-29: "Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body."
Whoever partakes unworthily, meaning, without repentance and faith, eats and drinks to his damnation. From this it follows "Let a man examine himself." From this it follows further that pastors as householders of God's mysteries should be very careful not to offer the Sacrament to anyone to his damnation. It is lovelessness when one deliberately harms another. And this do pastors who through want of application offer the Sacrament to the unworthy. By so doing they inflict harm on the souls of these people. Inversely, it is a show of love and compassion when a person keeps another from harm and denies him what could do him harm. Certainly, we ought to have compassion on sinners who are still living in their sins. However, the greatest service of love which we can show them is to turn them around. And for that purpose the Word has been set and given, not the Sacrament. Who
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ever gives the Sacrament to unconverted sinners merely confirms them in their impenitence, confirms them in the belief that they have no need, their sins in any case being forgiven them, and yet they are unable to understand forgiveness of sins since they do not feel and recognize their sins.
One more word of Scripture belongs here. Matt. 5,23.24: "Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." The discussion is about the offering. In the Old Testament the offering was an external sign and sacrament, a sign of reconciliation with God. This reconciliation, however, cannot comfort anyone still living at enmity with his brother. For this reason anyone who has offended his brother should make peace with him before he makes his offering. God has tied in with his reconciliation and forgiveness that sinners are to get on well with one another and beg each other's forgiveness and forgive the sins they have committed against one another.
Christ enjoins this on his disciples, on the children of the New Covenant. We no longer have an offering in the sense that the Old Covenant did. However, we have such an outward sign of reconciliation, which is the Sacrament of the Altar. And so it is the Lord's will that everyone who comes to the meal of reconciliation first become reconciled to his brother if the latter has a grievance against him. On this account we refuse the Sacrament to those who live in irreconciliation, likewise to those who have publicly offended, until they have made their peace. For not only by personal offense but also by freely and openly transgressing God's commandments and offending God before the eyes of his brothers, a person provokes, offends, and grieves his fellow Christian. Then with right they have something against us. And this ought and must be done away with before going to Communion.
It matters a great deal conscientiously to observe this scriptural practice, which simply advances the honor of God and the salvation of souls. And we do not allow ourselves to be led astray or to become lax in this matter by our church environment or by circumstances. The results are deadly if one throws the Sacrament to the winds. For that Communion is the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ is then utterly forgotten, the forgiveness of sins becomes a petty, common commodity, then the distinction between Christians and non-Christians disappears, then the thought becomes firmly ingrained that everyone will be saved, believing what he wants regardless what he believes and the way he lives.
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We follow scriptural practice,
IN THAT WE STAND FIRM ON THIS, THAT THE PURE DOCTRINE OF THE DIVINE WORD IS COMMON AMONG US AND IN THAT WE LIVE IN HARMONY WITH ALL ORTHODOX CHURCHES AND FOSTER COMMON INTERESTS.
The Word, the proclamation of the Word is at the very center of church practice. We are dealing in and with the Word and
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accomplish everything by means of the Word. And we hold steadfast to the doctrine of the divine Word. It is of supreme concern to us that God's Word be preached simply and purely. In pure doctrine we see the adornment, the enrichment and crown of our church fellowship. But whatever is our glory redounds to our shame. We are reproached and ridiculed because we attach such great significance to pure doctrine. It is called being a slave to the letter, and it is said we smack of rigid legalism. We are charged with arrogance because we declare our doctrine to be the only true doctrine and claim it to be pure truth.
Now, we know that our doctrine is not of our own fabrication, that what we teach has been taught and professed by the orthodox church of all ages, that our doctrine is nothing else than the doctrine of the Lutheran Confession. And, of course, we hold the Lutheran Church to be the church of the pure Word and Sacrament. We are convinced that everything our Confession says has been drawn from the pure fountain of Israel, from Holy Scripture, that our Lutheran Confession is merely an expression and reflection of the divine truth and revelation which God has laid down in Scripture. And it is for this reason that we purposely are preserving the inheritance of the fathers, the Confession of our church, and are not about to yield one jot of it. And for this reason we charge other church fellowships, which also call themselves Lutheran but have thrown overboard many portions of the old Lutheran truth, with in faithfulness and reproach them for holding doctrine in such low esteem, actually for having no true awareness of doctrine. At the same time, we are conscious of the fact that it is not due to any merit on our part that we still have what others do not have or have not retained. In having and enjoying the benefit of pure doctrine we see a gracious gift of God. We consider it to be a special grace on the part of God that today we still walk in the bright, unclouded radiance of divine truth, just as did the Christians at the time of the apostles, just as did evangelical Christians at the time of the Reformation.
However, we also hold that pure doctrine of the divine Word is common among us. What is preached and taught in church and school, what is written and printed by us, we evaluate according to the standard of doctrine which has been entrusted to us. Other so-called Lutheran church bodies, e.g., the German State Church, as also today's synods, maintain that the Lutheran Confession is still binding among them and point to the fact that it is so acknowledged in their constitutions. The principle stands firm.
But it is a dead principle, which has lost its power and validity. It is a rule and guiding principle according to which nothing is judged and evaluated anymore. Anybody can without prejudice read into the Confession and teach whatever he pleases. Yes, there the Lutheran Confession is unemployed capital. It's still on paper, well-preserved and sealed, is embodied in church documents. And there it rests secure just like many a family Bible in the bookcase, and not a single member of the family ever thinks of removing the dust-covered book from the shelf. Luther's old, true doctrine is nigh forgotten and presumed dead. In church meetings everything imaginable is discussed and debated, but never doctrine. In church periodicals all manner of knowledge and new wisdom is put on display; in popular church papers all manner of uplifting material is offered. The old sound doctrine
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of Luther, however, is condemned to oblivion.
Among us, praise God!, pure doctrine is still a driving force, a power which motivates and drives church life. Pure doctrine gives ministers, as we perceive it in our circles, character. We set store by doctrinal sermons. We employ God's Word also for the purpose of discipline and admonition, for comfort, apply it to existing conditions. All such application of the Word, however, has as foundation exposition of the relevant scriptural doctrine. We draw from Scripture one salutary doctrine after the other, lay it before our hearers, and attempt just by such clear, understandable proclamation of divine mysteries to further our congregations in knowledge and to build up faith. Our catechetical doctrine is the matrix of instruction in the schools of our Lutheran congregations. True doctrine rules our preparatory schools. We are attempting to lead the church's future servants into the proper understanding of Scripture, to ground and establish them in divine truth and to have them treasure pure doctrine. At our conferences, at our Synodical conventions, we preach doctrine. We deem doctrinal discussions to be indispensable. It is the unique feature of our church meetings. There we become engrossed in the doctrine of the Confession, in the doctrine of Scripture, consider one article after the other, examine everything Scripture has to say relative to Christian faith and Christian life, even the apparently less important articles of doctrine. In our church periodicals doctrinal articles take first place.
In brief, true doctrine is continually flowing and moving. And so over and over again the old doctrine becomes new, and the continuing pursuit of doctrine sheds ever new light, new knowledge, new comfort, new strength, new courage on the manifold conflicts of this life. Whoever calls doctrine, as it prevails among us, rigid legalism is talking like a person who is colorblind. And the doctrine of the divine Word, the constant teaching, hearing, learning is a source of life and renewal.
And such appreciation and application of pure doctrine are scriptural practice. Christ says in John 8,31: "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed." The Lord wants his disciples to continue in his Word, to add nothing to it nor to take anything away from it. They show then that they are true disciples of his. Before his ascension he commanded his disciples in Matt. 28,20: "Teach them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." It is the Lord's will that his disciples hold to and observe all he has commanded, handed down to his own, that they preserve all his words, all the words of Scripture which he has explicitly validated, and not yield one jot or tittle.
Paul, the apostle of Jesus Christ, writes in 1 Tim. 6, 13.14: "I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ." This command applies to all ministers of the Word and to the entire church, for the office of the ministry is part of the church, and the church is to watch over the doctrine of the ministers. It is apostolic command that all ministers and congregations preserve without spot, irreproachably, purely and cleanly the commandment which is the doctrine which has been handed down to them. And the apostle attaches great significance
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to this matter when he adds: "I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things." The commandment, the doctrine is God's, the almighty Creator of all things. All creatures are accountable to their Creator. And so also the men to whom God has committed his eternal truth are accountable to God for the preservation and use of this highest good.
Yes, doctrinal matters are God's matters. And we are not to play games with them. Paul lends emphasis to this when he adds: "I give thee charge before Jesus Christ, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession." Christ made a noble confession, testified to the truth before Pontius Pilate. And all Christian ministers and all Christians should follow the example of their Lord and Redeemer and also testify and confess. And just by preserving doctrine without spot and irreproachably they give off a good confession. To keep watch over purity of doctrine, to proclaim pure doctrine, this verily is not a matter to be treated with indifference; it is a confessor's obligation.
Finally, the apostle appeals to the "appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ". When Christ will appear in all his glory, then will he also inquire as to whether his Christians have kept his commandment, his doctrine, "without spot, unrebukeable" or not, form his opinion, and judge accordingly. If on that day we wish to be found good householders and enter into the joy of our Lord as righteous and faithful servants, we must pay heed to the doctrine entrusted to us and faithfully make the most of this talent. According to the assessment of men, even of many who call themselves Christians, questions, disputes, differences relative to doctrine do not weigh heavily in the scales.
Heaven's Judge applies another yardstick. 2 Tim. 1,13.l4: "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us." Here the apostle again enjoins on all Christian ministers and Christian congregations the duty of keeping before them the form of sound teaching which they have learned from the apostles and to guard this treasure, the doctrine of the apostles, and adds, as the words actually read: "in faith and in love to Christ Jesus" and "with the help of the Holy Ghost". To hold fast to the apostles' doctrine, to true doctrine, verily, is not the extraneous thing many suppose it to be. We are not dealing here with prescribed rules and repeating the ancients. This can be done without Spirit and faith. No, to keep true doctrine is a spiritual matter; it occurs in faith and in love. It is just by holding fast to his Word, to the words of the prophets and apostles, and faithfully following this example that faith and love to our Savior Jesus Christ are evidenced. Whoever thinks and speaks disparagingly of pure doctrine denies thereby faith and love to the Lord Jesus Christ. And only by the Holy Spirit are we able to preserve this treasure. The Holy Spirit, who is within us, motivates, urges, drives us to keep watch over pure doctrine, to strive for pure doctrine.
Positively, we have Scripture on our side when we have a high opinion of the pure doctrine of the divine Word and do not let this distinction redound to our shame. And it is also obvious that it is God's will for true doctrine to dwell in all richness and to be common among us. To preserve true doctrine, whereto the apostle so urgently admonishes us, does not mean to make this
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doctrine a matter of record, to incorporate it into church or congregational constitutions and to keep the piece of paper under lock and key. No, it means that we are to proclaim, confess this doctrine, gladly hear and learn it, and consider it well and take it to_heart. Thus have true Christians kept it from time immemorial. About the first Christians we hear in Acts 2,42 that they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. Whenever they assembled they eagerly imbibed the salutary teaching from the mouth of the apostles, pondered and reflected upon it. To the Corinthian Christians St. Paul writes, 1 Cor. 1,4.5: "I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge." The Corinthians had richly endowed teachers. And what these teachers taught the Corinthians eagerly accepted and used to their benefit. Thus they were enriched in all doctrine and in all knowledge. And this is a grace for which we should thank God, a great blessing when we grow and increase in doctrine and in knowledge. Yes, it serves to our salvation when we become well versed and firmly entrenched in doctrine. "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in then; for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee." 1 Tim. 4,16.
Our doctrinal position is usually called exclusive. It is said that such emphasis and "exaggeration" of pure doctrine produce dissension and discord. This, too, is perversion of the true facts in the case. True doctrine does not divide but unites those who obey it with whole heart. Our experience also attests to this. Our Missouri Synod fosters and maintains church fellowship with all the synods which confess the same doctrine, fellowship in most essential church matters, in Word and Sacrament, pulpit fellowship, altar fellowship. And it has allied itself with other like-minded synods in common efforts which require harmony, e.g., missions. However, not at the cost of doctrine and truth but on the basis of doctrine we live in and maintain harmony with others. And thus we follow the apostle's instruction, Eph. 4,3: "Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." The apostle exhorts to peace, but to peace only on the basis of unity in the Spirit. Spiritual, inner unity should be the heart and mainspring of all efforts towards the unity which the Spirit works. The Spirit, however, is a Spirit of truth and unites only in truth. Therefore, unity first, then peace; this is the apostolic rule.
Our practice corresponds also to the example of the ancient church. In Gal. 2 and Acts 15 we have a report concerning the so-called apostolic council. It was, as we have already stated, a meeting of the entire congregation in Jerusalem, a gathering attended also by members of the Gentile-Christian congregation in Antioch. At this meeting it became apparent that the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians, that the twelve apostles of Israel and Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, were all in full agreement with respect not only to the main issue, the way of salvation, that we are saved solely by the grace of Christ, but to all matters, including the matter relating to the circumcision of the Gentiles. Thereupon the leaders of the congregation in Jerusalem and Paul shook hands. Thereupon both parties strengthened the bond of brotherly fellowship, and in the name of the Gentile converts Paul promised also to remember the poor in
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Jerusalem. He then faithfully kept his promise. Cp. 2 Cor. 8, 1-4. That agreement in Jerusalem also included in it sharing in the church's work. Paul wanted to and should continue to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, the Twelve to those of the circumcision, first of all. We see from this that it does not conflict with church unity, harmony, and love when several orthodox synods exist and work side by side and carry out their work in various areas.
In church practice we follow exclusively the instructions of Holy Scripture:
5. IN THAT WE DO NOT TOLERATE FALSE DOCTRINE AMONG US AND DO NOT ENTER INTO CHURCH UNION WITH HETERODOX CHURCH DENOMINATIONS
An important part of church practice is the church's position toward false doctrine. In this connection we point, first of all, to the deplorable fact that false doctrine exists right alongside true doctrine. We are not looking for and smelling heresy everywhere. Nor are we closing our eyes to what is as clear as day. The apostles had bequeathed the legacy of sound doctrine to the primitive church. However, sad to say, not all who called themselves Christians continued steadfast in the doctrine of the apostles. The evil foe soon sowed tares among the wheat.
False prophets sprang up just as the Lord had predicted to his disciples. There came the Arians, who denied the deity of Christ. Then the Pelagians, who denied the corruption of the human nature and wanted nothing to do with salvation by grace alone. The former as well as the latter gained many adherents. Thereupon came the ascendancy of the Pope, the worst of all prophets, who corrupted all Christendom and formed a new law out of the Gospel.
Luther again set the old Gospel on its lampstand. As Luther began to preach in the Augustinian church in Wittenberg, the child Jesus was once more born in Bethlehem's stable, as Mathesius writes. When at the university of Wittenberg he publicly began to teach, "prophets and apostles again rose from the dead". But also within the church of the Reformation the devil spread abroad his lies. The enthusiasts maligned Luther's doctrine. Zwingli and Calvin formed a new faction, the Reformed Church. The leaders and teachers of this church denied the power and efficacy of the Sacraments. They taught that God had from eternity ordained a part of humanity to salvation, the rest to damnation, and thus beclouded God's universal grace and love for sinners. They spoke with zeal against the letter of the law and extolled the spirit, but the spirit was their own. They passed judgment on divine things on the strength of blind reason. And also into the church which bore Luther's name false doctrine, papistic and fanatic leaven, forced its way. Synergists, who taught that man cooperated in his conversion, sought everywhere to establish themselves. For almost a century dense darkness was poured out over Protestant Christendom. This was the time of Rationalism, of belief in reason, of heathen unbelief. This was followed by this century's age of enlightenment. God granted grace from anew. Many returned to the faith of the fathers. And even the old Lutheran truth extricated itself once again from darkness. But the break was too great for pure doctrine to regain its domination in the church
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The church of our day and age is filled to the brim with every conceivable heresy. Past heresies are still in their bloom and new heresies are being conceived. A great portion of Christendom is still being held captive in papal lies and abominations. The Reformed sects, which have expanded especially in our country, have not renounced the old errors. And even within the church which bears Luther's name we are observing a motley rabble of false prophets. Old errors, which were repudiated by the Lutheran Confession, have been clothed in new, showy garments, in the form of science. Modern theology, and also so-called confessional theology, has found fault with, mutilated, adulterated nearly all the articles of the Lutheran Confession. It glorifies the man, man's free will, at the cost of the grace which alone saves. From the camps of the believing and the unbelieving resounds the cry that the Bible is also the word of man and contains errors. In the German State Church many Arians under the name of Protestants, Ritschlians, etc. have again gained control and approbation. Manifest enemies of Christ, the Son of God, are seated there in ecclesiastical offices and positions. And here in our country as well modern Lutherans, insidiously weakened by all manner of error and human invention, stands face to face with Luther's pure doctrine. Verily, false prophets are legion in number. The number of false teachers surpasses by far the number of orthodox teachers.
And what has all along been the position of the orthodox church over against false doctrine and false teachers? It has not only testified against error but eliminated, swept out the old leaven. The first general assembly of the church dismissed arch-heretic Arius from his office in the church. The Lutheran symbols not only confess the true doctrine but also reject and condemn contrary doctrine. And in the old Lutheran Church the consistories dealt accordingly, and dismissed ministers who taught contrary to the Confessions, ministers with Calvinistic and synergistic tendencies. When it had become apparent that it was not possible to reform the papacy, the evangelicals severed all connection with the papal church. Luther denied Zwingli the hand of brotherhood. And in this respect we have simply followed in the footsteps of the fathers. We censure false doctrine and condemn it as lie. We do not tolerate any false doctrine among us. When one of our pastors promulgates false doctrine and will not desist despite all admonitions, he is dismissed from the congregation and excluded from our synod. We have no church fellowship, no pulpit and altar fellowship with heterodox church denominations, meaning, with such churches which teach or tolerate false doctrine, and make no common cause with them in church work.
In doing so we do not retract what we have said relative to the one holy Christian Church. We happily acknowledge that simple, upright children of God are still to be found in heterodox church denominations, people who have not embraced the false doctrines of their church, in whom false doctrine has as yet not become ingrained, in whom faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is a matter of the heart and conscience. With them we are one before God and are together members of the one body. However, it is impossible for us to have outward church fellowship with them nor to commune with them, since they, although unknowingly, belong to a false church and since by such fellowship we would come into contact with the heterodox church to which they belong and with
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the false doctrine itself.
Nor do we declare all heterodox church denominations without exception to be heathen packs. Only on such pastors, congregations, church bodies which deny the deity of Christ, the article of the Holy Trinity, and thus throw overboard all the fundamentals of Christianity, do we pass judgment, just as does our Confession, namely, that they stand without the church, and regard them as Jews, Turks, and Gentiles. In every false doctrine we see a poison which corrupts the soul, a poison which comes from the devil, the father of lies, and which very easily can destroy all faith. And just for this reason, so that our hearts are not led astray and deceived, so that we save our souls, for the sake of our soul's salvation we shun all false doctrine and all false teachers and all heterodox fellowship.
This, briefly, is our practice, our relation and our policy relative to different faiths. This practice is now decried as general Missourian practice, although we are not judging or dealing any differently than has the orthodox church of all ages.
And this Missourian practice is looked upon as being rigid. We are accused of having a damnation-mania and that in this way we are only promoting schism. The lie has been spread to the world that we would anathematize,all who do not agree with us in all points.
Nevertheless, we ought not be surprised that this our way is being so harshly condemned. For people have currently lost all fear and dread of false doctrine. In false doctrine people see merely a difference in interpretation and feel themselves bound to set store by and respect every religious conviction. At the most, the truth of Scripture is defended against all manner of attack, the adversary told about his non-conformity, his dislikes, and, if need be, protest offered against the grossest errors. However, it is but a matter of words. No action is taken. And so the words lack conviction. It is a sign of the times, this general tolerance, that every imaginable error, gross and fine, and all false teachers are tolerated within the church. Unionism — it is a mark of today's church. And not only a new church has been formed out of Lutherans and Reformed, the United and Evangelical Church, the pure doctrine of Luther and the lies of the enthusiasts have been blended into one.
No, unionism has gone even farther. Faith and unbelief, radical unbelief, have been reconciled to each other. In the German State Church believers and open unbelievers live peacefully together under the same church roof. Ministers who still speak about Christ, God's Son, the salvation of the world, and antichristian ministers, who deny the deity of Christ, redemption through Christ, work together in the same church body, even in the same congregation, officiate in the same pulpit, at the same altar, mutually acknowledge themselves as brother pastors, together pull the same yoke. The one confesses that Jesus is the Christ; the other blasphemes Christ. And it does not disturb harmony.
This crass form of unionism has as yet not actually taken root in this country. Those church denominations which still hold to the three chief articles of Christian faith hardly tolerate such antichristian ministers in their midst. Modern Arians here have united with their own factions. They are the Unitarians, Swedenborgians, the Protestant synods, etc. Yet
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another, special kind of unionism is becoming widespread within the church. Ministers of the various sects preach in one another's pulpits and mutually assist one another. And so-called Lutheran pastors are also joining this friendly alliance. Members of various denominations join together on every possible occasion for common prayer and worship. Some reject what others teach and confess. But no consideration at all is given to this. Differences in doctrine are deemed matters of little importance. In short, our Missourian practice runs directly counter to the drift and current, to the spirit of the times.
To all who have properly recognized the disparity between truth and error it is obvious that they must actively combat this disparity. But here, too, we do not wish to deal with this situation according to our own discretion but look to Scripture. And Scripture gives us the correct answer. First of all, with respect to the manner and way Scripture is wont to speak and judge concerning false doctrine and false teachers, we call attention to the Lord's eightfold woe upon the scribes and Pharisees, "the hypocrites", Matt.23. Where St. Paul calls attention to false teachers who had forced their way into the Galatian congregations and who wanted to saddle the Galatian Christians with circumcision as being necessary for salvation, he writes, Gal. 1,9: "If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." False teachers of a similar bent the apostle calls elsewhere "false apostles", "deceitful workers", 2 Cor. 11,13, "dogs", "evil workers", Phil. 3,2. St. John calls the deniers of Christ's deity "antichrists", idolaters. 1 John 2,22; 5,21. Whoever finds the language we use in controversy with adversaries of our doctrine too harsh is, therefore, quarrelling with Christ and his apostles!
And what duty does Scripture explicitly assign Christians with regard to this matter? Christ commands his disciples in Matt. 7,15: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves." Jesus' disciples are to beware of, to avoid, not listen to false prophets, that is, to such ministers who teach false doctrine. The reason for this command is this: If these false prophets should happen to come in sheep's clothing, speak and conduct themselves as Christians, they are, nonetheless, savage wolves, who do not treat Christ's sheep kindly and are killers of souls, corrupting souls by their false doctrine.
In Rom. 16,17.18 the apostle admonishes the Christians: "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good works and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple." About such teachers who right alongside the apostles wish to introduce a different doctrine St. Paul says, first of all, that they serve not the Lord but their own belly, are self-serving; then, that they with specious words and smooth talk seek to seduce simple Christians; finally, that they stir up quarrels, in the way of simple Christians lay stumbling blocks which could easily cause them to fall; and that they cause divisions. Not preaching God's Word purely but distorting and adulterating it, they are the ones who confound Israel and divine the church. And on this account all orthodox Christians should be watchful and depart from,and not listen to,
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such people. In addition to the lie many ministers do indeed proclaim parts of Christian truth. But insofar as they preach lie, that judgment of Christ and his apostle has bearing on them. The lie intermingled with truth does not make the lie any more tolerable.
All false doctrine corrupts the character of those who assiduously expound and convey it to people. Thus they serve the father of lies, not the Lord Jesus, and stand exposed to all the influences of the evil spirit. All false doctrine is poisonous to the soul, gnawing at the heart and core of Christianity. All false doctrine spells trouble for the church of God. And even a little false doctrine has such bad consequences. Gal. 5,8: "A little leaven leaven leaveneth the whole lump." And for this reason Christians should flee all ministers who along with true doctrine convey also false doctrine and should accept no instruction from their- mouths. Such commandment from Christ and his apostle, at the same time, entitles and obligates each Christian congregation to impose silence on its pastor and dismiss him from its service if in any way he speaks contrary to the salutary words of Scripture and will not accept reprimand.
Christian pastors, however, the apostle enjoins, 1 Tim. 6,20.21; "O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called; which some professing have erred concerning the faith." Ministers should, as it reads according to the original text, turn a deaf ear to "the contradictions of knowledge falsely so called", meaning, the empty chatter with which exponents of false knowledge oppose true doctrine. And on this account they should also according to Titus 3,10 "reject a man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition". All ministers act contrary to this apostolic command who, even though they themselves teach correctly, join forces with false teachers, exchange pulpits, and share the work. And every congregation becomes guilty of the same sin when it approves of the unionistic activity of its pastor.
But what to do when orthodox Christians and pastors can no longer keep false doctrine at bay, when in a congregation, in a denomination, false teachers have gained control or have gained such secure footing that their dismissal can no longer be achieved? There applies 2 Cor. 6,l4-l8:
"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons, and daughters, saith the Lord almighty."
In this passage the apostle is showing in general the proper attitude of believers toward unbelievers. He enjoins believers not to unite themselves with unbelievers, not with them to serve unrighteousness, to touch nothing unclean, not to pollute themselves with the uncleanness of the godless world, he admonishes Christians to come away and leave them, meaning, leave the fellow-
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ship of unbelievers, the fellowship which gives unbelief, unrighteousness its character and separate themselves. The apostle substantiates this admonition by referring to the sharp contrast between faith and unbelief. Faith and unbelief, righteousness and unrighteousness, light and darkness, Christ and Belial, worship of God and idolatry do not agree with each other, are not compatible, the one excluding the other. And so, because believers are inwardly set apart from unbelievers, they should also outwardly remain separated from them and not engage in fellowship with them. And what the apostle says here about the position of believers to unbelievers applies also to their position to the heterodox.
Heterodox teachers and their adherents disbelieve those articles which they are falsely teaching and believing. They do not believe in these articles nor do they obey them; they are at variance with the Word of God. The Reformed, e.g., simply do not believe what Christ says: "This is my body; this is my blood." All false doctrine comes from Belial and constitutes darkness. On the other hand, true doctrine is light from above, the voice of Christ. Therefore, true doctrine and false doctrine are as far apart as light is from darkness, as Christ from Belial, as heaven from hell. And for this reason Christians should have nothing to do with false doctrine. It is contrary to their very nature. They should come away and leave the fellowship of the heterodox, separate themselves from them, in hearing, learning, praying, singing, generally in church matters never to make common cause with them. "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord": this is the divine right to separate from a church fellowship in which false doctrine dominates or is still tolerated and endorsed.
In the Smaldcald Articles 2 Cor. 6 is explained and applied in the following way, and this explanation is repeated in the Formula of Concord: "To dissent from the agreement of so many nations and to be called schismatics is a grave matter. But divine authority commands all not to be allies and defenders of impiety and unjust cruelty." C.T. 517. We can also say that it weighs heavily on and grieves us to be separated from the majority of church denominations. But here stands God's command to the effect that we should not be of one accord with them who preach false doctrine. And into the consciences of those who defend or justify modern unionism, church or Synodical union between true teachers and false teachers, we press this word of Scripture and call to them: Here is God's command! "Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord." This command of God is clear and binding, but, of course, demands great sacrifice as a rule. It is hard to separate oneself from so many countries and peoples. Nevertheless, whoever for the sake of Christ and the truth does not wish to sacrifice and in such a clear matter denies the Lord obedience may well have as his concern how he is going to retain share in Christ and in the truth.
God's command ends in a comforting promise: "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.... I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord almighty." Indeed, all who obey this command of God and separate themselves from unbelievers and the heterodox have the promise
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that God will be their God and accept them. On the other hand, all who make common cause with darkness and error stand in danger of losing faith, righteousness, light, God, Christ, in short, everything. For light and darkness, Christ and Belial are not compatible with each other. For this reason we avoid all false doc urine, for we so gladly wish to remain God's people. And who will blame us for that?
We follow Holy Scripture:
6. IN THAT WE URGE OUR PEOPLE TO BE FOUND IN A STATE OF GOOD WORKS.
Church practice has, above all, to do with administering the means of grace. The church's most important work is to ensure that God's Word is preached pure and undefiled and the Sacraments administered according to Christ's institution. Through the means of grace God works saving faith and upholds faith and upholds the church, the congregation of believers. Faith, however, of necessity proves itself in works. Word and Sacrament also exert influence on the Christian life. Scripture and scriptural preaching are also profitable for improving and instructing in righteousness. And so the Christian life reaches right into church practice. It is the church's calling to watch over the life of its members and to see to it that the Word evidences its power also in living.
Because of the value we place on pure doctrine we Missourians are often accused of ignoring the business of living while placing so much emphasis on practical Christianity. And, of course, many Christians with leanings toward unionism, who disregard doctrinal differences, show a certain disposition for doing church work, perhaps by founding all kinds of charitable institutions, by raising moneys for church purposes, etc.
Just what is the situation? Is it true really that diligence and zeal in matters of doctrine are a hindrance to practical Christianity, that diligence and zeal curb and suppress good works?
Paul writes to Titus in 3:8: "These things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men." With the words: "These things I will that thou affirm" the apostle refers back to what he has previously written. He has urgently admonished Titus to hold fast to unadulterated doctrine, to the salutary, infallible Word. He has given him a summary of wholesome doctrine. It is the doctrine of saving grace, of the love and kindness of God our Savior. This is what Titus and every Christian minister should inculcate and enjoin on their hearers.
And now it reads further: "that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works" . So, this is the very thing at which true doctrine is aiming. It is a result and effect of true doctrine that believers will be found in a state of good works. And we are sincerely seeking to comply with this apostolic instruction. We take to heart what the apostle writes in Titus 3:14: "And let our's also learn to maintain good works
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for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful." When you go through our congregations, you will find that our pastors are exhorting and urging their hearers to good works. From God’s Word we show our people what good works really are, not the mere sensual works, not the uncommon works of saints, more modern creations, organizations, institutions, but that Christians each in his own calling and state, that men, women, masters, servants, parents, children do their duty, that Christians devote themselves to brotherly love, contribute to the necessities of the saints, that they make willing sacrifices for the kingdom of God. These are works to which the apostles again and again call attention in their letters.
And we do not drive and force Christians to do such works but by the mercies of God, Rom. 12,1, urge and admonish them to every good work. At one time we wrote on our standard "by grace alone". This courses through everything. By grace we seek to make our people willing and fit to every good work. And such preaching and admonition are, praise God!, not totally in vain. When you look into our congregations, you will, even though the progress is still rather feeble, find signs everywhere of simple, practical Christianity and upright Christian works. Each person is quietly heading forward in the performance of his calling. There is still cohesiveness among the members of our congregations. Somebody is always helping the other fellow, even though we with right lament laxity in brotherly love. Our congregations are looking after their poor and sick members. With their money and goods they are building the kingdom of God. The collections which are raised in our congregations are offerings of unconstrained love. Thus, despite all weakness and infirmity, we still earnestly strive to adorn pure doctrine with holy living and good works. However, about whatever there is of good in our life and walk we confess: "If there is anything good in my life, it is verily and purely yours."
We follow a scriptural practice,
7. IN THAT WE CENSURE AND COMBAT ALL UNGODLY CONDUCT AND MODE OF LIFE WITH THE WORD OF GOD.
We admonish our people to every good work and warn them against what is evil. It is not true that we are conscious only of that one evil, false doctrine. We know that a sinful life is also an abomination to God, and all the greater an abomination when a person uses pure doctrine to cover up what is evil. We boast of God's free grace, but we know also that the wholesome grace which has redeemed us, disciplines, trains us that we should "deny ungodliness and worldly lusts". Titus 2,11.12i
We say with the apostle:
"Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? i ,on. 6,1.2.
"But if, while se seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid." Gal. 2,1?.
We warn our members: "For, brethren, ye have been called
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unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Gal. 5,13.
Year in and year out we preach on the church pericopes, and in the epistles of the church year we find abundant warnings against gross works of the flesh, against fornication and all uncleanness, against greed, avarice, deceit, against anger, revenge, malice, lie, evil-speaking. We regard such warnings against gross service to the flesh to be just as necessary for our congregations as did the apostles for the Christian congregations of their day. We put a stop to carnal security. Never do we think that need does not exist, that a person is fully equipped to combat every temptation as long as he possesses pure doctrine. We keep our people not only from gross shame and vice but from everything which is not becoming Christians. It is also a mark of our synod that it has from the very beginning with God's Word beamed light into time and world, into practical living, into all individual circumstances, into the work-a-day world, into social life, and examined and passed judgment on all temporal issues in accordance with God's Word. Also, all along subjects have been dealt with and basically discussed at our Synodical conventions or conferences, in our church periodicals, in sermons, congregational meetings, such as: lodges, club activities, the Grand Army of the Republic, socialism and communism, the labor question, labor and farm unions, usury, fraudulent bankruptcy, saloon-keeping, the dance and theater. It has been shown what there is sinful about these things, and we do not ease off in apprising our congregations about such and similar things and in admonishing them to desist from everything which is not becoming Christians. And this is certainly scriptural practice.
The apostle repeatedly and forcefully admonishes Christians to "prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God", Rom. 12,2, "to prove what is acceptable unto the Lord, what the will of the Lord is", Eph. 5:10.17, to "approve things that are excellent". Phil. 1,10. And the purpose of such proving is that Christians might desist from all such things which are worthless in the sight of God. Certainly, our Christians still have great need to be circumspect and careful in how they live. Within our congregations there is still a lot of sins being committed and mistakes being made, and many spots and wrinkles can be seen. But with the help, in the power of God we struggle against all ungodliness and stand our ground against the destructive influences of the spirit of world and age; we are constantly swimming against the tide. Were we to extend our borders somewhat farther, to foster that superficial Christianity which is conformed to the world and so common today, we would be able to gather large throngs around us. But in so doing we would not be serving the kingdom of God. God grant that we never wander off the straight and narrow way which alone leads to life!
We follow the instruction of Holy Scripture,
8. IN THAT WE ATTEMPT TO SET THE ERRING BROTHER STRAIGHT, BUT EXPEL FROM THE CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION MANIFEST, IMPENITENT SINNERS.
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We urge our people to do good and warn them against evil, but we do not let it rest at this. We do not leave it to the discretion of the individuals whether or not they want to obey the Word of God. When a brother acts contrary to God's clear Word and does not realize what he has done, that's when we take him under our wing, admonish him to repent and turn around and warn him against the unhappy results of impenitence. And should he not listen, we take along other brothers, ultimately the entire congregation, to help us. And in so doing we believe that thereby we are rendering .the sinning brother a service of love. For we know that sin destroys and that even a Christian perishes should he again become a slave to sin. But if the brother refuses to take the remonstrances of his brothers and the entire congregation to heart and persists in his evil way is, the congregation expels and excommunicates him. Excommunication by the congregation, however, is nothing else than the judgment which God long ago pronounced on all impenitent sinners. And by that means also a Christian congregation, in our opinion, simply fulfills its obligation, first to the Lord, who will not let his Word or commandment be mocked, then to its own members, who through too-close association with the ungodly can readily be misled, and finally to the apostate brother himself for, if anything at all, perhaps the verdict of the congregation can make an impression on him and bring him to his senses. And each time the latter occurs, each time an excommunicated sinner repents, the congregation takes him back with joy and remembers no more the former transgression. This is how we proceed with manifest sinners. And it is not a new way. In this matter, too, we simply follow the practice of the ancient church and of the Lutheran Church.
The Lutheran Church has prescribed this very practice in its confessional writings. In the Smaldcald Articles we read:
"The greater excommunication, as the Pope calls it, we regard only as a civil penalty, and it does not concern us ministers of the church. But the lesser, that is, the true Christian excommunication, consists in this, that manifest and obstinate sinners are not admitted to the Sacrament and other communion of the church until they amend their lives and avoid sin." C.T. 497.
The Fifth Chief Part of the Lutheran Catechism contains the statement: "I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by his divine command, especially when they exclude manifest and impenitent sinners from the Christian congregation, and, again, when they absolve those who repent of their sins and are willing to amend, this is as valid and certain, in heaven also, as if Christ, our dear Lord, dealt with us himself."
Of this early Christian and Lutheran way a little something has remained in other synods with which we are otherwise not in agreement. But since our synod, our Synodical Conference, is the largest of the church bodies in which church discipline is being practiced, this practice is also especially charged to Missouri's account and a nightmare almost made out of Missourian church discipline. From what we have just said it follows that our only purpose in exercising discipline is the salvation of souls and the well-being of the church. It does not surprize us when we are impugned also in this regard. For otherwise today wholesome discipline and order have by far and wide eroded within Christendom, even within most of the so-called Lutheran denomi-
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nations, within the German State Church, within the synods of this country. Congregations allow their members to live and operate as they please and tolerate evil scoundrels in their midst. And ministers, including the sincere ones, think they have fulfilled all their obligations and cleared their conscience when they rebuke and discipline all gross excesses and forthwith actually retract such chastisement by granting the wicked all the blessings of the church. And this want of discipline is glossed over and justified under the name of Christian love and tolerance.
What says Scripture? It is quite obvious that our practice of church discipline is simply a special application of the power of the keys which Christ handed down to his church, the use of the keys to bind and to loose. Nevertheless, Christ and his apostles have step by step prescribed the proper way:
1 Thess. 5,14.15: "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any nan; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men."
Just as it is Christian duty to comfort and strengthen the despondent and to bear the infirmities of the weak, so it is also the duty of Christians to watch over others closely, that they do not do evil, to admonish and correct the unruly who disobey divine Law and authority, all this, however, with patience and longsuffering.
This is also what Gal. 1,6 is aiming at: "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted."
The word of Christ is, above all, in place here, Matt. 18, 15-17: "Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And. If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican."
It is the Lord's explicit will that we attend to the sinning brother. When a brother commits a sin, transgresses a clear commandment of God, and does not recognize this his wrong but clings to his sin, the brother who has witnessed and knows about it should go to him and rebuke him, convince him of his wrong from the Word of God; and if he does not listen, take along two or three witnesses and eventually tell it to the congregation. It reads: "If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother." Therefore, the purpose of discipline is to gain the brother, to free him from sin's entrapment and so preserve him from destruction. In accord with this instruction of the Lord our pastors continually admonish members of their congregations concerning their duty to give brotherly rebuke and emphasize that it is a duty of love, and enjoin on them that they are to show the erring brother why he is being rebuked, namely, to his well-being, to win and save his soul.
On the other hand, those congregations and pastors who leave the erring brother to his sinful devices act contrary to this instruction of the Lord. And if this is called love, then Cain
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also loved his brother Abel when he said: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Christ says: "If he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." This is proper excommunication. It is the Lord's will that a congregation declare an impenitent sinner, who has ignored all the kind and earnest words of his brothers, for what he is, for what he has shown himself to be, a heathen and & publican and treat him as such, also withhold from him the spiritual privileges and benefits, which belong to believers.
This command of the Lord the apostle repeats and reaffirms, 1 Cor. 5:3.5: "For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
The apostle was very displeased at the Corinthian congregation for tolerating a profligate, an incestuous man, in its midst and demanded he be excommunicated. And in this connection he writes in V. 11.13: "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one not to eat." "Put away from among yourselves that wicked person." Manifest evildoers, such as those named here, all who are evil and remain evil the congregation is to expel from its midst.
We are obedient to this clear commandment of Christ and his apostle. All those ministers and congregations, however, which permit manifest evildoers in their midst and regard and deal with them as Christians and members of the congregation oppose and disobey it. In addition, St. Paul calls attention to the harm such lax practice causes a congregation. "Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?" 1 Cor. 5,6. A few evildoers who are permitted to roam the congregation at will can delude and mislead many simple Christians and corrupt the entire congregation. Proper discipline, on the other hand, can serve to the benefit of the congregation and of those who undergo it. The apostle avers that for his part he has already expelled that evildoer and consigned him to Satan for the destruction of the body, which means, he has inflicted a bodily plague on him so "that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus", What St. Paul did here was really extraordinary, an apostolic miracle. However, all disciplinary action serves the same purpose, can and should turn out to the salvation of the spirit, to the salvation of the sinner’s soul, so that the sinner while bearing the grievous judgment which rests on him might come to his senses and break the bond which binds him to Satan. With equal seriousness, as displayed at the excommunication of that sinner, the apostle in 2 Corinthians demands the sinner's reinstatement, once the excommunication inflicted on him had had the desired result.
2 Cor. 2,5-11: "But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in parts that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such an one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.' Wherefore I beseech you that ye would
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confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things. To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices."
In order that Satan might not plunge such a poor individual, grieved by his sins, into despair, the congregation should readily and without hesitation forgive him. Both, binding and loosing, exclusion and reinstatement, can only be a blessing to the congregation. When it publicly pronounces judgment on a sinner in God's name, a wholesome fear settles on all present, a holy dread of sin. And when it publicly absolves a sinner, one who is penitently returning after excommunication, all participants will become aware of what it means that God has forgiven us in Christ, that we are all saved by grace alone.
Finally, we deal in accord with Scripture,
9. IN THAT WE DO NOT ALLOW OUR CHRISTIANS TO MAKE A MATTER OF CONSCIENCE OUT OF WHAT HAS NEITHER BEEN COMMANDED NOR FORBIDDEN IN HIS WORD.
God's Word is the guiding principle for our Christian life, also for church matters. Our watchword is: "According to the Law and testimony!" It is our intention to let nothing compromise the Word of God, nor are we impelled by conditions and circumstances to allow anyone to dispense with what God has commanded in his Word, or to grant license to what God has forbidden in his Word. On the other hand, we do not allow our Christians to make a matter of conscience such things which God has neither commanded nor forbidden. We recognize that there are adiaphora, things which God has placed into the area of Christian liberty. Our Lutheran Confession, in Art. X of the Formula of Concord, deals with adiaphora. Of course, we must look and examine carefully here. Today's Christian generation, which is not over-scrupulous, has placed on the list of adiaphora many things which are basically sinful. And one thing which in itself is an adiagnoron ceases to be an adiaphoron when sin, unrighteousness, uncleanness settle in and can no longer be dissociated from what is evil. Likewise there are adiaphora, things about which God says nothing in his Word, about which we can do as we please. There are ecclesiastical adiaphora, ceremonies, usages, rules, which God has not commanded, which have been instituted by the church.
There are adiaphora in the area of normal living, many ways of earning income, many kinds of pleasures and enjoyments which God has given man the liberty to choose. And our synod has from the very beginning maintained that no one is to make a divine commandment out of such things nor lay them on the conscience of Christians. Thus, e.g., we regard Sunday, rest on Sunday, festival days, many ecclesiastical matters such as the marriage ceremony, ordination, confirmation, other church ordinances, the outward polity of the church, synods and Synodical rules, to be ecclesiastical adiaphora and oppose the sects which declare
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an outward, Jewish celebration of the sabbath to be binding still, and oppose the views of modern theologians and church administrators who consider consistories, bishops, Synodical officials to be church authorities to whom for God's sake we are responsible. Similarly we oppose the efforts of the temperance fanatics and particularly those who espouse their cause on religious grounds and would have us make eating and drinking a matter of conscience. And we are very much concerned about preserving our Christian liberty. Encroachment on, and impairment of, Christian liberty is not an adiaphoron with us. On the other hand, as soon as freedom of conscience is involved we urge our members for the sake of tranquility and love to comply with good human ordinances, to adapt themselves to the wishes of their fellow Christians and warn them against inconsiderate, loveless use of Christian liberty.
This is scriptural practice. In Col. 2,16 we read: "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days." In John 14 the apostle is concerned with Christians who are weak in faith, who felt constrained for their own person not to eat certain foods and to observe certain days, special festival days. And he forbids these people to make their practice a sin for others who had stronger faith and without binding conscience ate all foods and regarded all days alike. For his part he gives the latter right, but, at the same time, admonishes them not to despise weaker fellow Christians and to be charitable to them:
"Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.... One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.... Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way." V. 3.5.13.
Accordingly, it is not a denial of Christian liberty but simply a show of brotherly love when a Christian, for the sake of a weaker brother, forgoes things to which he has every right, which he can do without sinning but which he also can leave be without sinning.
In a tone altogether different from the one he used with those weak in faith the apostle speaks to erring spirits, strong spirits who wished to bind human ordinances on the consciences of Christians. He writes in Gal. 5,1,2:
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing."
Teachers of Jewish bent wanted to saddle the Galatian Christians with circumcision, as though God had commanded the Gentiles also to be circumcised, as though circumcision, in addition to faith, were necessary to salvation. This is the time not to yield, not to give in, but to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free. The apostle is making a big thing out of this. He says that, if Christians allow themselves to be circumcised and again become entangled in the yoke of bondage, Christ henceforth is of no use to them, thereby they deny and lost Christ.
Indeed, it is a very serious matter, when Christians, perhaps out of fear of men or out of love to men, regard adiaphora, human ordinances as commandments of God and submit to them, their
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entire Christianity is at stake. In the first place, the distinction between human commandment and God's commandment is lost sight of. Human ordinances, human inventions fall in well with the flesh and readily captivate the heart and conscience. And those who make human ordinances a matter of conscience do not then make the things which God has actually commanded a matter of conscience. Yes, human ordinances drive not only God's commandment but also Christ and his Gospel out of heart and conscience. The human heart develops a fondness for this self-chosen piety and holiness, boasts about it, and turns its back on the only comfort of sinners, the grace of God in Christ. Since our hearts and consciences are caught and bound up in God's Word, since we prize the Gospel of the grace of Jesus above all else, on this account we so energetically oppose all such human commandments, church laws, and church ordinances, in which at present countless poor souls are ensnared not only within the papacy but also within the Protestant Church. Whatever the cost, we keep our consciences free from such things and will here agree to no compromises and concessions.
These are the main features and sketches of our church practice. Once again we have assured ourselves that the so-called Missourian practice is scriptural practice and also evangelical practice. Those who call it legalistic know neither what Law nor what Gospel is. IGay God help us to adhere to what we have and ever to walk according to this our rule and never give way either to the right or to the left!
VIII (Table of Contents)
WE HOLD THE ROMAN POPE TO BE THE CHURCH'S MOST DREADED ADVERSARY IN THESE LAST DAYS, THE ANTICHRIST PROPHESIED IN SCRIPTURE.
The church's Confession speaks of God's great deeds, upon which rests our salvation, of what God has done in Christ, of what God through the Holy Spirit continually does for and within his church, however, it also looks into the future and speaks of the end of all things and of the Last Times, the final destinies of the world and the church. And so from time immemorial the belief was disseminated within Christendom that before the end Antichrist would appear, that Antichrist's appearance would usher in and prepare the way for the end of all things.
Enthusiasts of every age have spun tales about Antichrist. Most modern theologians and their adherents are still awaiting the appearance of Antichrist. They think that the wickedness and ungodliness of the Christ-hostile world will finally be concentrated in one person, and they believe Antichrist to be a worldly prince and tyrant, to be the final ruler in control of world power. We Missourians declare the Roman Pope to be Antichrist. This is considered today to be "a Missourian whim". This familiar quote of the diseased Pastor Th. Harms made the rounds in his day in German church periodicals. If you played it honestly, you had to speak of a Lutheran whim. For it is the unanimous testimony of all Lutheran theologians of the Reformation era and of succeed-
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ing generations, with Luther at the head, it is the clear teaching of our Lutheran Confession that the Pope is Antichrist, and not just one of many antichrists, of whom St. John speaks, but the true Antichrist, this most dreaded foe of Christ's church in the Last Times. The Reformed Church also agrees with this. That Christendom which walked away from the papacy truly recognised it and praised God for having delivered it from the kingdom and the captivity of Antichrist. And it would, of course, have been very astonishing had those great men of God, had all God's children who fought it out with the papacy during the Reformation and overcame the Pope by means of the Word of God failed to recognise their adversary and been mistaken about the person of the Pope. No, the error will be found on the side of those who have forsaken the way of the fathers.
This questions "Who is Antichrist?" is also resolved in Scripture. And there it is not only prophesied generally that Antichrist is coming, but given are the marks and deeds of Antichrist, of the antichristian era, to the minutest detail. And it was obviously the intent of the Holy Spirit, who inspired the prophecy, to enable future Christian generations, which would live through the age of Antichrist, to recognize and to flee this evil foe. The church of the Reformation recognized this. The prophecy of Antichrist is fulfilled, and we are still today witnessing the fulfillment. It has to be obvious to any simple-minded person who examines the words of this prophecy and checks them against the papacy which we still have before us in its old form and appearance, that the Roman Pope is the Antichrist prophesied in Scripture.
The foremost prophecy is the word of St, Paul, 2 Thess. 2, 3-12:
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusions, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."
To these words of Scripture our Confession remarks in the Smaldcald Articles:
"For Paul, 2 Thess. 2,3 in describing to the Thessalonians Antichrist, calls him 'an adversary of Christ, who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped, so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God'. He speaks therefore of one ruling in the church, not of heathen kings, and he calls this one the adversary of Christ, because he
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will devise doctrine conflicting with the Gospel, and will assume to himself divine authority. Moreover, it is manifest, in the first place,that the Pope rules in the church, and by the pretext of ecclesiastical authority and of the ministry has established for himself this kingdom. For he assigns as a pretext these words:
I will give thee the keys. Secondly, the doctrine of the Pope conflicts in many ways with the Gospel, and (thirdly) the Pope assumes to himself divine authority in a threefold manner. First, because he takes to himself the right to change the doctrine of Christ and services instituted by God, and wants his own doctrine and his own services to be observed as divine; secondly, because he takes to himself the power not only of binding and loosing in this life, but also the jurisdiction over souls after this life; thirdly, because the Pope does not want to be judged by the church or by any one, and puts his own authority ahead of the decision of Councils and the entire church. But to be unwilling to be judged by the church or by any one is to make oneself God. Lastly, these errors so horrible, and this impiety, he defends with the greatest cruelty, and puts to death those dissenting. This being the case, all Christians ought to beware of becoming partakers of the godless doctrine, blasphemies, and unjust cruelty of the Pope. On this account they ought to desert and desecrate the Pope with his adherents as the kingdom of Antichrist.” C.T. 515.517.
We shall look at the matter a little more closely. The powerful adversary, whom St. Paul is describing here, is obviously no worldly prince or king. No, he sits in the temple of God, in the New Testament temple, in the church; he is an ecclesiastical lord. This holds true in the Pope's case. He is a high dignitary in the church, and this high dignitary has more power and influence on earth than all worldly kings and emperors. And this church prelate, the Pope, deports himself in every detail as does the Man of Sin described here. He sits in the temple of God and exalts himself above everything holy and divine. He pretends he is God. He assumes titles and consents to titles which are reserved to God alone. From his adherents he accepts divine honor and worship. He calls himself the vicar of God and Christ and acts just as though he were himself God and Christ, he actually declares himself to be God and assumes divine authority. he says he is infallible. He gives revelation. He establishes articles of faith. He has developed his own, new doctrine. He has set up a new way to worship. He makes commandments, lots of them, and binds consciences to his commandments and decrees. hith his authority he enters also into yonder life, fiddles with purgatory, damns and saves whomever he pleases. And so he is true Antichrist. He shoves God and his Anointed out of power as far as he can, tears God and Christ out of hearts and consciences. The Pope is loathsome, the most wicked adversary of God and Christ. He sits in God's temple, in the confession of Christendom, speaks also of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, speaks God's Word, embellishes his actions with Christian names and titles and yet under the guise of Christianity has corrupted and adulterated the entire Christian religion.
His religion is nothing but falsehood and error. He has taken the heart out of Christian doctrine. His doctrine is directly contrary to Christ and his Gospel. He has expressly condemned the chief article of Christian faith, that we receive forgiveness
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of sins alone through Christ, alone by faith. The papal sacrifice of the mass is a blasphemy of Christ's sacrifice. He teaches people once again according to Jewish approach to be saved by works, and these works are the Pope's, praying to saints, fastings, hearing of masses, pious ordinances, indulgences, and the like. His commandments run directly counter to the Law of God. The Pope is that Wicked One, that Man of Sin. He is a murderer, and not just a murderer of souls. No, he delights in the slaughter of God's true children. The Roman Popes have inhumanly martyred pious Christians, have shed more Christian blood than the Roman emperors. If the Pope had the power, he would today exterminate all who do not have his sign on their foreheads. He is expert and clever in depravity and in all the artifices of evil. And he leads his adherents, who have not accepted love of the truth, to commit sin. With his decretals he abrogates God's holy commandments and absolves of their vices abominable slaves to vice if they but comply with what he wants. The Pope is the most wicked evildoer who has ever appeared under the sun. It Is still true today: If there is a hell, Rome is built on it. And the worst is that he uses God’s name to gloss over and cover up shame and vice, so that he spreads the semblance of holiness over the entire pool of corruption. Yes, it is satanic. And generally they are satanic lies and abominations with which the papal church is filled to overflowing.
However, it is also prophesied that Antichrist's future is controlled according to the workings of Satan. In the papacy devilish arrogance, wickedness, blasphemy, lie, and hypocrisy reach their climax. The papacy is the last and most wicked deceit, Satan's real masterpiece. In the church of Rome one sees clearly the signs and footprints of Satan. There you can see all manner of deceitful signs, powers, and wonders. The world of Catholicism is today still making a fuss about, and exulting over, all sorts of miracles, healings, which are to have occurred at places of pilgrimages, at graves, before the images of saints. This is either devilish deceit or, if extraordinary, supernatural tilings have occurred, satanic powers at work.
St. Paul finally points to Antichrist’s demise. The Man of Sin is the child of corruption. In depths of misery he will go to his destruction. "The Lord shall consume him with the spirit of his mouth." By means of God's Word and Luther's doctrine the Roman Pope has already been judged, spiritually judged and condemned. Luther exposed and revealed him before all Christendom for what ho really is: the true Antichrist, has laid bare all his lies and malice so that now everyone is able to recognize him, can guard himself against him, and can escape his pitfalls. And so the last thing prophesied here will also come to pass. The Pope, Antichrist, will be completely brought down and disposed of at the appearing of Jesus Christ. And judged with him, at the same time, will be all who have not believed the truth but have had pleasure in unrighteousness.
St. Paul's prophecy has its origin, in part, in the Old Testament. He read in Dan. 11,31-39:
"And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong,
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and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. And the king shall do according to his will: and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his "fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain."
This prophecy is also often introduced in our Confession and referred to the papacy. Daniel paints the picture of that great, dreadful prince who will rise up in the last days, who will exalt himself above all that is God and utter horrible blasphemies against the God of all gods. And all individual features of this picture point us to the Roman papacy. The lope has abolished the daily sacrifice, the true worship of God, and instituted abominable devastation in God's sanctuary, has filled all Christendom with idolatrous abominations. With sword, fire, imprisonment, and pillage he persecutes those who know their God and are remaining faithful to him. The Pope does not esteem the love of woman, has forbidden his hirelings of the mass to marry and thereby simply led them into all manner of unchastity and uncleanness. Antichrist honors his god Maussim, the god of fortresses, with gold, silver, precious stones, and jewels. The Pope vies for worldly power, authority, and glory, would like all rulers and nations of earth to yield him obeisance, and has bedecked his church, his divine services with all the treasures and jewels of earth, with all worldly pomp, and thereby delighted the senses of the people.
The Revelation of St. John also agrees with St. Paul and •aniei. The holy seer John saw in spirit (Chap. 13) a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and then crowns upon the horns, and upon the heads names of blasphemy. He saw (Chap, 1?) Babylon, the great whore, who had made drunk with the wine of her fornication the kings of earth, the woman drunken with the blood of the saints. This is the antichristian church, the papal church with its abominations, blasphemies, shameful deeds, and killings. However, John also saw (Chap. lh) flying in the midst of heaven an angel who had proclaimed an everlasting Gospel to all the nations of earth. Luther has again set the everlasting Gospel on flaming torches. There already the cry was heard: "Babylon is fallen, is fallen that great city." This is the spiritual judgment which has befallen Rome. And finally it is revealed to the holy seer (Chap. 19) how the beast will, upon the Lord's return, be cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. This also will be fulfilled in its time.
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Therefore, we feel that one is able to see with his eyes and take hold of with his hands that the Pope is the Antichrist prophesied in Scripture and thus the church's dreaded adversary in these last days. And such knowledge is valuable. We do not hold the article of Antichrist to be a fundamental article. We readily believe that a simple Christian can believe in Jesus Christ, his Savior, and be saved without being cognizant of Antichrist. But he does, of course, then stand in danger of being deluded by the error's insidiousness. A teacher of theology, however, a minister to whom the evil within the Roman papacy is a mystery, does not in general understand the significance of the Reformation and has not rightly grasped Luther's doctrine. Yes, among those who ridicule and oppose the view that the Pope is Antichrist, the error sets much deeper. They are themselves perhaps still caught up in papal errors, perhaps in the Roman ideas of church and office or in the delusion that man must cooperate to gain salvation. For this reason they do not recognize the magnitude and gravity of the temptation emanating from Rome and are not in position to warn and guard Christians relative to the serious dangers of the Last Days.
However, for us, who by God's grace know who Antichrist is, this knowledge is beneficial to faith and to salvation. It includes in it a solemn warning. Papistic leaven, papistic heresy, papistic practice, glossing over sin and unrighteousness, has forced its way also into the Protestant Church. And so we should bear in mind that all doctrine and all practice which resemble the doctrine and practice of Rome are antichristian lies which turn souls away from Christ and should, above all, be fearful of everything which has Roman shading, be filled with horror and flee from it as though we were fleeing Satan himself. The true doctrine of Antichrist, however, serves to our comfort, to the strengthening of our faith.
By everything the Pope today does and teaches, by all his antichristian abominations and blasphemies as they are constantly being promulgated still, the truth of prophecy, the truth of Scripture is continually being confirmed. The papacy is visible and easily distinguishable. And this well-marked papacy with its antichristian characteristics is proof, is obvious proof for the correctness of our doctrine and doctrinal position generally, proof for the fact that the simple understanding of Scripture, which lies at the basis of all our doctrine, is the correct understanding of Scripture, that we old-fashioned Lutherans adhere to Scripture, while all who teach contrarily and have reshaped the old Lutheran doctrine according to their reason are seated alongside Scripture.
IX (Table of Contents)
WE ARE NOT ANTICIPATING SEEING ANY OF THE CHURCH'S GLORY IN THIS TIME BUT IN ACCORD WITH SCRIPTURE WE SIMPLY AWAIT THE RETURN 0F THE LORD TO JUDGMENT AND THE CONSUMMATION OF HIS CHURCH.
The dissension between old and modern Lutheranism runs through all articles of the Lutheran Confession and affects also the article of Christian hope. Neo-Lutherans have enriched the hope of Christians with an essential article. Of course, it truly is not an enrichment but a crippling of Christian hope. Modern
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theologians, and those so-called positive theologians, are chiliasts to a man, meaning, they expound the doctrine of a thousand-year kingdom, of a thousand-year reign of believers on earth before the end.
The usual idea of Modernists about the Last Things goes something like this: After Antichrist has been up to his mischief on earth for quite some time, Christ, when he appears, will make an end to him. By an act of the mighty power of the returning Christ all of Israel, which until that time had been beguiled, will then also be converted and gather around its Messiah. At the same time, the believers who have died will rise from the dead. And Christ will then visibly live on earth with his glorified congregation, and this his congregation, a congregation of saints, will reign with Christ a thousand years and under his protection enjoy blessed rest and perfect peace, which is a foretaste of eternal life. A large portion of the chiliasts locates this rule of Christ and his congregation in the land of Canaan. Some even spin yarns about a rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem in such splendor such as has never before been witnessed,with a cross at its peak. During this thousand years Satan will be bound and, just like the ungodly world, be unable to harm the church of Christ. After the thousand years have run their course the devil will once more be released and incite the hostile world to one final assault against the camp of the saints. Then, however, Christ at his glorious appearing will intervene and put an end to the godless world and to the world's continued existence generally. This final return of Christ along with its consequences, the resurrection of the wicked, the judgment of the living and the dead, the destruction of the world, they consider then as the final end of the end of things.
Therefore, chiliasts teach and distinguish a double Day of the Lord, which is still to come, a double return of the Lord in glory, a double resurrection. Or, they extend the Day of the Lord to a period of time greater than a thousand years. The finer chiliasm is distinguished from this gross chiliasm. Many theologians, who are not wont to say anything positive about these final events, nonetheless, delude themselves in hope of better times and await a state of happiness approaching a state of glory for the church before the end.
It is clear, first of all, that chiliasts have the Lutheran Confession against them. Art. XVII of the Augsburg Confession deals with "Christ's Return to Judgment" and states:
"Also they teach that at the consummation of the world Christ will appear for judgment, and will raise up all the dead; he will give to the godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, but ungodly men and the devils he will condemn to be tormented without end. They condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be an end to the punishments of condemned men and devils. They condemn also others, who are now spreading certain Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world, the ungodly being everywhere suppressed."
It is laughable when modern chiliasts maintain that this article of the Lutheran Confession does not affect them, for they do not picture the thousand-year kingdom as being a worldly kingdom. And yet they teach that the church of the final era, a congregation made up exclusively of the righteous and the saints,
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will outwardly reign and rule with the visible Christ here on earth and will also have outward rest and peace, hoping for an outward state of happiness for the church during this time. What else is this than an earthly, worldly kingdom? In addition, the Augsburg Confession explicitly testifies that our Lord Jesus Christ will come on Judgment Day, not before, and judge on this day and on this very day raise up all the dead, the believers as well as the ungodly. This is the opposite of those chiliastic reveries.
The new wisdom has not found great acceptance among Christians. All simple Christians hope and are looking forward to a heavenly blessedness and have no desire for a heaven on this earth. And for our part we, too, share the simple belief of Christendom. We are not awaiting a period of glory for the church on this earth. We are simply hoping for the return of Christ to judgment, for the damnation of the ungodly and the redemption of all his believers, for the consummation of his church. We say and confess: "from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead", and: "and will at the last day raise up me and all the dead, and give unto me an all believers in Christ eternal life".
What does Scripture say about the Last Things? Chiliasts also cite Scripture as their authority. They call attention to such prophesies which read along these lines, that the Israelites in the final era will return from the Diaspora to their homeland, whereupon the Gentiles will join company with Israel, that God’s people under its one Shepherd will live in peace and security and enjoy to the full the blessings of the promised land. We understand such prophesies to refer to the New Testament church, to the gathering of the church from the Jews and Gentiles, to the spiritual blessings or gifts which believers are already enjoying here below. It was habit of the Old Testament prophets often to describe New Testament things with words, expressions, pictures, and allegories taken from Old Testament situations. This so-called spiritual understanding of Old Testament prophecy is authenticated and validated by the interpretation of Christ and the apostles.
To support their dogma concerning the general conversion of the Jews at the end of days the chiliasts cite as authority Rom. 11,26: "And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob." Very clearly in the entire context of Rom. 11 the apostle explains how he means this. He points out that God has at all times retained for himself a remnant out of Israel, that there will always be some out of Israel who will be converted and saved. And these remnants of all periods then form the totality of Israel, the Israel of God. And so finally all Israel will be saved. Thus the fullness of the elect out of Israel will be realized. That only a remnant out of Israel is converted the Old Testament also testifies, e.g., in the words of Is. 10,21: "The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God." That, on the other hand, because of unbelief the great mass of Israelites will be punished with obduracy and ultimately subjected to curse and wrath, final, eternal wrath, is most positively and most clearly taught by the prophets and the apostles.
In order to support their opinion the chiliasts refer to
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Rev. 20,1-10:
"And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are,and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."
Here, to be sure, reference is made several times to the thousand years. However, we must bear in mind, first of all, that this section of Scripture belongs to the more hidden passages of Scripture. And if one takes from such passages a meaning which contradicts the clear testimonies of Scripture, this obviously is an incorrect meaning. Nevertheless, disregarding the other passages of Scripture also and considering and examining this prophecy all by itself, in all its ramifications, you arrive at ideas altogether different from a thousand-year kingdom of the chiliasts.
It is prophesied, first of all, that Satan will be bound for a thousand years, and to this purpose "that he should deceive the nations nor more". Therefore, the devil’s power and influence will be limited to the extent that he is not able nor permitted to hinder the conversion of the Gentiles. Here we have the prospect of a long period involving the conversion of the Gentiles. And such a long period involving the expansion of the Christian Church among the nations of the Gentiles we already have behind us. And now the holy seer views further how the souls of those who were beheaded for the witness of Jesus were again revived, seated themselves on thrones, and reigned with Christ those thousand years. This is called the first resurrection. Mentioned here are only the souls of the holy martyrs, in general the souls of the departed saints, and a resurrection, a living of these souls, not a resurrection of the flesh. Thus the first resurrection is nothing else than the transferring of the souls of the saints into heavenly existence and life. Not a single syllable indicates that these souls will live on earth
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and reign with Christ. No, Christ is thought of here as being in heaven. Christ's visible return to earth is mentioned first later, in the second half of Chap. 20. There where Christ is, in heaven, the souls of Christ's faithful servants will reign and triumph with their exalted Head.
In the two last chapters of Revelation is described the future world, the new heaven and the new earth. And there it is said of God's servants, who then according to 20,13 have been restored to life in the resurrection of the body, "that they shall reign for ever and ever". This also is not a reigning and an exaltation on this earth. And now according to 20,4 it is stated that the faithful conquerors already through their blessed death have entered the exaltation and the triumph of eternity. Therefore, in the thousand years, in that great period of time when the Church Militant is carrying out its work on earth and the bulwark of Satan is being destroyed and great hosts from all the nations of the Gentiles are being converted and saved, the Church Triumphant, the host of sainted conquerors, is already singing their victory songs before the throne of the Lamb. What is stated in 20,7-10 about the final assault of the hostile hordes against the beloved city and the final overthrow and damnation of the adversaries of the saints, coincides with what Revelation previously announced regarding Antichrist and his following.
And now we turn to Scripture's clear words which bear witness to the hope of the Christians. There we find that Scripture attaches to the Day of the Lord promises which it gives Christians for the future. The prophets of the Old Covenant had already prophesied of the Day of the Lord, of the great, terrible day when Lord Jehovah will appear in all the glory of his majesty and will bring low all that is high and lifted up on earth and terrify the entire universe. Cp., e.g., Is. 2,12-22. In the same way the New Testament points to the Day of the Lord or the Day of Jesus Christ, which is the day when Jesus Christ will come again in great power and glory, in order to carry out his final work on earth and mankind. And the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, knows only of one Day of the Lord. And this is an actual day, not a period of a thousand years. This is attested by the statements of Christ in Matt. 24,36: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man" and in V. 42: "Ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." Therefore, at a set hour, on a set day, the Lord will appear, and this day is the Day of the Lord. That is what the expression "last day" indicates. "And I will raise him up at the last day." John 6,40. The Day of the Lord is the final day in the long series of earth's days. As Scripture speaks of the Day of the Lord, of the Day of Jesus Christ, thus it often also speaks of the return of Jesus Christ or of the appearing or revelation of Jesus Christ. And it knows of but one return, appearing, revelation of Jesus Christ in glory. And all the great things for which Christians are waiting occur according to Scripture on the day the Lord returns, fall on this same day, the Day of Jesus Christ.
We wish to look briefly at the most pregnant statements of Christ and his apostles which in detail describe the return of Jesus Christ.
Christ says in John 5:28.29: "The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of
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life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." All who are in the grave will at one and the same time hear the voice of the Son of God and come forth, some to the resurrection of life, the rest to the resurrection of damnation. Accordingly, there is only one general resurrection from the dead. And those who insert a period of a thousand years between the resurrection of the righteous and the resurrection of the ungodly say the opposite of what the Lord is saying here.
John 6,40 and 44: "And I will raise him up at the last day." Christ gives his believers, his elect, the assurance that he will raise them up on the last day. And whoever now maintains that the believers will raise a thousand years before the last day is giving the lie to Christ;
Matt. 24:27-31: "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other."
Matt. 24,37-39: "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of man be."
Matt. 24,37-39: "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left."
In this Matt. 24 discourse Christ is giving his disciples information concerning his return and describes exactly the nature and manner of his entry into the world. As lightning suddenly lightens up the sky and illumines the horizon from one end to the other, just as suddenly will the Son of man appear and become visible all over the universe, from one end to the other. At the beginning of this discourse the Lord gives the signs of his coming. Nevertheless, these signs, which only the believers recognize as such, change nothing with respect to the natural course of things. Until the very end of the world things will be and exist just like they always have been and existed. On earth men will eat, drink, marry, be given in marriage, sow, build, buy, etc. Then suddenly the last day and destruction overtake them. Therefore, there is no room for the extraordinary, unusual things which give the world and the church an altogether different appearance, such as chiliasts will have precede the end of the world. Further, the Lord emphasizes that soon, "immediately after" the distress of those days, heaven and earth will sway and be shaken, and the Son of man will appear in the clouds of heaven. For this period on earth the Lord has promised his disciples only distress and held out as prospect for the final period great tribulation. And immediately after
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this tribulation comes all at once the collapse of heaven and earth. Thus there is no room for an extended period of glory for the church on this earth.
When the Son of man comes in the clouds of heaven, in great power and glory, then all the generations of earth will wail; the ungodly will howl because the Lord is coming to their destruction. His elect, however, the Lord will have his angels gather together from the four winds, from all regions under heaven so that they find secure abode with him when heaven and earth pass away. Therefore, until the end of the world the elect will be scattered throughout the world and will not beforehand be gathered together in a special place, perhaps in Palestine. Believers and unbelievers will live together and work and do business with one another. Then all at once the Day of the Lord overtakes both groups and separates them from each other. Some will be received, the rest forsaken and rejected.
In the next chapter, Matt. 25, we find a continuation of the Lord's prophecy concerning his return. He announces future judgment in particular. This description of the judgment begins with the familiar words, Matt. 25,31.32:
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats." When the Son of man comes in his glory, he will not settle down on earth, will first not tarry with his church for a long period of time. He will at once take his seat on the throne of his glory, on the judgment-seat, gather about himself all the peoples of earth,separate goats and lambs, the ungodly from the believers, and pronounce judgment on both segments, banish the former into everlasting fire, the righteous, however, lead with himself into, eternal life.
What the Lord taught during the days of his life on earth about the Last Things, he then later strengthened and confirmed through his holy apostles.
Acts 3:19-21: "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: whom the heaven must receive until the times of the restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Here Peter testifies that Christ occupies heaven and in heaven remains hidden until the hour the Father sends him forth, when he then fulfills the final promises of the prophets and gives his own to share the joys and renewal of everlasting life.
Acts 17,30.31: "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained." Here Peter calls the Day of Jesus Christ the Day of Judgment, the day for world-wide judgment. And until then forgiveness of sins, repentance, and faith are to be preached on earth in Jesus' name. Such an uncommon state like the thousand-year kingdom of the chiliasts, which would cut short the preaching and course of the Word, is not compatible with this.
1 Cor. 1,7.8: "So that ye come behind in no gift, waiting
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for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." We Christians are but awaiting and should only be awaiting the revelation of our Lord (Jesus Christ, the Day of Jesus Christ, on which day we hope to be found without reproach before the judgment-seat.
1 Cor. 15:23-26, 51, 52: "But every man in his own orders Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,at the last trumpet: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."
When Christ comes, when the last trumpet sounds, then, and not before, will the dead who are Christ's rise to an incorruptible life. The others the apostle leaves completely out of consideration. Those who are then still alive, however, will be changed. Thereby the last enemy, death, is abolished. And then the Son turns the kingdom over to the Father. On this very day the kingdom of the Father, the kingdom of God, appears in its consummation. The Kingdom of Grace passes over into the Kingdom of Glory. A third kingdom, one which comes between the Kingdom of Grace and the Kingdom of Glory, such as the thousand-year kingdom of the chiliasts, is thus ruled out.
1 Thess. 4, 15-17: "For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord."
The apostle comforts the Thessalonian Christians, who were distressed because of the death of their beloved fellow Christians and were afraid their departed might remain asleep and come off the losers, were the Lord to appear and take his own home to himself. He calls their attention to the events of the Last Day, concerning which the Lord had already spoken. When at a word of command, at the sound of the archangel's voice and God's trumpet-call the Lord comes down, first the dead in Christ will rise and then the believers who are still alive on earth will join them and be carried off into the air to their Lord. The dead and the living will then be carried away forever from this earth and be with their Lord where he has his abode, in the eternal mansions, and be forever, not just for a thousand years, with their Lord. The Day of the Lord is the beginning of eternity.
Thess. 1,6-10: "Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; and to you that are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from
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the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe."
The Day of the Lord is a day of reward and final reckoning. On this day the roles will change, the situation between believers and unbelievers will be reversed. The unbelievers, who until this point have persecuted the believers and inflicted distress on them, will then endure distress, endure torment, eternal damnation. On the other hand, the believers, who are now being oppressed and plagued by the ungodly world, will then enter into their rest, in them will Christ glorify himself. But first on that day, on the day of vengeance and judgment, and not before, will such a change come about.
Phil. 3:20-21: "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christs who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself."
True Christians, who have their hearts set on heaven, are awaiting the coming of their Savior Jesus Christ from heaven. And when he appears, he will glorify their vile body, giving it a form like unto his own resplendent body, and this spiritual, glorified body is fashioned for the future world, not for this world. This the Lord will do according to the working of his almighty power. When he comes down from heaven, he will make all things, including death, subject to himself; he will bring to a close the existence of this world.
1 Pet. 4:5: "Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead." Christ, the exalted Lord, is holding himself in readiness to come again. To what end? To judge the living and the dead. This is his only intent. He does not have in mind to establish a kingdom on earth.
1 Pet. 3,7-10: "But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."
On the Day of the Lord, on the day the Lord again makes his appearance before the world and comes upon it unexpectedly, like a thief in the night, on this day the Lord will not create new situations on earth but will bring to an end the existence of this world, consume heaven and earth by fire, and then create a new heaven and a new earth. V. 13.
Rev. 20,11-15: "And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were
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in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."
When the Lord appears, he will immediately awaken the dead, and it will be all the dead, the godly and the ungodly, and sit down on the judgment-seat and sit in judgment and give his elect eternal life, on the other hand, cast all whose names are not found written in the book of life into the lake of fire. Heaven and earth will flee from his presence and pass out of existence.
This is the end of all things as Scripture presents it. It is the hope of the Christians. We Christians are hoping for the Day of the Lord. On this day will occur in a flash all we have heard about it. The Lord will come visibly in the clouds of heaven with all his holy angels, in great power and glory. The dead will rise, the dead in Christ to an incorruptible life. The elect who are still alive on earth will be gathered from all the ends of the earth and be brought to the Lord and changed. Judgment will be passed on the living and the dead. Everyone will receive his sentence. Heaven and earth will vanish in fire. The ungodly, the unbelieving, will enter everlasting torment, but the righteous into everlasting life.
In the face of this clear testimony of Scripture all chiliastic daydreams disappear like fog before the advancing sun. Chiliasm shows how far today's theologians and teachers of the Christian religion have forsaken the simple meaning and understanding of Scripture. However, this error, too, is troublesome and harmful for faith. It is detrimental to the hope Christians have. One's glance into the brightness and blessedness of eternity is dimmed by the odd, confused ideas of a paradisiac state of the church on this earth of sin and death. This error has a debilitating effect. Judgment Day with its reckoning is shoved into the background. An example makes this real clear. God has in our day earnestly exhorted Christians in many places to leave the church denominations which have been unfaithful to the faith of the fathers, to break their fellowship and union with unbelievers. They are denominations in which chiliasts have settled in quite solidly, have prevented Christians from making a God-pleasing break and fed them with the hope that the Lord will one day intervene and lead his people out of Babylon and in the thousand-year kingdom found a church made up of saints and the righteous. The true Christian, scriptural hope, on the other hand, is powerful comfort in all the distresses and afflictions of this time. We know that the Lord is near; and when he comes, he will then suddenly change the sufferings of this present time into everlasting joy and glory. The true Christian, scriptural hope contains a powerful, salutary exhortation to watch and pray. We know that the day is close at hand. The Lord is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason we are pushing on toward the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, pushing on to save our souls and denying all ungodliness and conforming ourselves to a holy walk and a God-pleasing life and every day thinking of being found blameless and worthy to stand before the Son of man on that day.
In conclusion, the doctrine which our synod has always taught
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and to which we to this very hour have held fast by the grace of God and our practice, too, agree in all aspects with the standard of the divine Word. Of that we have assured ourselves afresh. Yes, praise God!, we are firmly established in Scripture, our adversaries beside it. For this reason we do not stand in fear of those who are envious of us or antagonistic toward us, who are suspicious of and wrongfully accuse us. They will never be able to discredit us. What we have to fear, that is the enemy within our breast, our own heart, our weak flesh and blood. May we never give ear to the promptings of our heart, such as, it's nothing much to relax a little in doctrine or in practice and to adapt ourselves to the circumstances and exigencies of the time! The Lord is directly addressing our denomination when he calls out: Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown! May God give us the grace to preserve intact the legacy he has entrusted to us until the Day of Jesus Christ!
Source: District Reports - Missouri Synod, Central District, 1894,10-64; 1895,9-96.