Luther's Description of Purpose-Driven Church Growth Disciples

False Teachers Use Work of Others

"Note the master hand wherewith Paul portrays the character of false teachers, showing how they betray their avarice and ambition. First, they permit true teachers to lay the foundation and perform the labor; then they come and desire to do the work over, to reap the honors and the benefits. They bring about that the name and the work of the true teachers receive no regard and credit; what they themselves have brought—that is the thing. They make the poor simple-minded people to stare open-mouthed while they win them with flowery words and seduce them with fair speeches, as mentioned in Romans 16:18. These are the idle drones that consume the honey they will not and cannot make."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 110. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9; Romans 16:18.

False Doctrine Tolerated

"And such false teachers have the good fortune that all their folly is tolerated, even though the people realize how these act the fool, and rather rudely at that. They have success with it all, and people bear with them. But no patience is to be exercised toward true teachers! Their words and their works are watched with the intent of entrapping them, as complained of in Psalm 17:9 and elsewhere. When only apparently a mote is found, it is exaggerated to a very great beam. No toleration is granted. There is only judgment, condemnation and scorn. Hence the office of preaching is a grievous one. He who has not for his sole motive the benefit of his neighbor and the glory of God cannot continue therein. The true teacher must labor, and permit others to have the honor and profit of his efforts, while he receives injury and derision for his reward."
Sermons of Martin Luther, VII, p. 110. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9. Psalm 17:9.


God Punishes Ingratitude by Allowing False Teachers

"In the second place such teachers are disposed to bring the people into downright bondage and to bind their conscience by forcing laws upon them and teaching works-righteousness. The effect is that fear impels them to do what has been pounded into them, as if they were bondslaves, while their teachers command fear and attention. But the true teachers, they who give us freedom of conscience and create us lords, we soon forget, even despise. The dominion of false teachers is willingly tolerated and patiently endured; indeed, it is given high repute. All those conditions are punishments sent by God upon them who do not receive the Gospel with love and gratitude."
Sermons of Martin Luther, VII, p. 111. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9. John 5:43.

False Teachers Flay Disciples to Bone

"In the third place, false teachers flay their disciples to the bone, and cut them out of house and home, but even this is taken and endured. Such, I opine, has been our experience under the Papacy. But true preachers are even denied their bread. Yet this all perfectly squares with justice! For, since men fail to give unto those from whom they receive the Word of God, and permit the latter to serve them at their own expense, it is but fair they should give the more unto preachers of lies, whose instruction redounds to their injury. What is withheld from Christ must be given in tenfold proportion to the devil. They who refuse to give the servant of truth a single thread, must be oppressed by liars."
Sermons of Martin Luther, VII, p. 111f. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

Avarice in False Teachers

"Fourth, false apostles forcibly take more than is given them. They seize whatever and whenever they can, thus enhancing their insatiable avarice. This, too, is excused in them."
Sermons of Martin Luther, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

They Lord It Over Us

"Fifth, these deceitful teachers, not satisfied with having acquired our property, must exalt themselves above us and lord it over us...We bow our knees before them, worship them and kiss their feet. And we suffer it all, yes, with fearful reverence regard it as just and right. And it is just and right, for why did we not honor the Gospel by accepting and preserving it?"
Sermons of Martin Luther, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

We Are Dogs and Foot-Rags

"Sixth, our false apostles justly reward us by smiting us in the face. That is, they consider us inferior to dogs; they abuse us, and treat us as foot-rags."
Sermons of Martin Luther, VII, p. 112. Second Sunday in Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9.

False Teachers Are Peacocks

"The peacock is an image of heretics and fanatical spirits. For on the order of the peacock they, too, show themselves and strut about in their gifts, which never are outstanding. But if they could see their feet, that is the foundation of their doctrine, they would be stricken with terror, lower their crests, and humble themselves. To be sure, they, too, suffer from jealousy, because they cannot bear honest and true teachers. They want to be the whole show and want to put up with no one next to them. And they are immeasurably envious, as peacocks are. Finally, they have a raucous and unpleasant voice, that is, their doctrine is bitter and sad for afflicted and godly minds; for it casts consciences down more than it lifts them up and strengthens them."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 642.


Doctrine, True and False

The quotation below seems to make Lutheranism a brand name, but the statement is correct if we substitute “Christian Church” for “Lutheran Church.” The purpose of the Christian Church has been and continues to be an extension of what God began in the Old Testament and manifested through Jesus, the proclamation of the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. The accumulation of treasure, the growth of pension funds, the erection of monumental buildings—all are nothing without the efficacious Word.

"The Lutheran Church is a doctrinal Church. She attaches supreme importance to pure doctrine. The preaching and teaching of God's pure Word is her central activity. Say the Confessors: 'The true adornment of the churches is godly, useful, and clear doctrine.' (Triglotta, p. 401)"
W. A. Baepler, "Doctrine, True and False," The Abiding Word, ed., Theodore Laetsch, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1946, II, p. 496.

Mass Bells Are Breaking Up That Old Gang of Mine

Jaroslav Pelikan recently died at the age of 82. He was a famous Lutheran scholar, a distinguished professor at Yale University. He was raised and educated in the LCMS. Late in life he joined the Eastern Orthodox Church. Joining the Church of Rome is called poping, while joining the Eastern Orthodox is called semi-poping.

Pelikan won an award for $500,000. He left it to the Russian Orthodox seminary with which he was associated at death.

Richard John Neuhaus was one of the first celebrity converts to Rome. He wrote the highly entertaining Lutheran Forum Letter, which drove the LCA, then ELCA leaders mad. Neuhaus was educated in the LCMS, the son of a conservative LCMS pastor from Ontario, Canada. I heard his father give an Easter sermon, long ago.

Robert Wilken, a well known Lutheran scholar and friend of Neuhaus, also joined the Church of Rome. Wilken was head of graduate studies in theology at Notre Dame, and is now at the University of Virginia. Wilken was also trained in the LCMS.

Leonard Klein, another editor of Lutheran Forum, presumably a friend of Neuhaus, is being trained as a Roman Catholic priest, despite being married and having served as an LCA/ELCA pastor for decades.

We knew Pelikan from Yale. His young daughter used to ask for the baby, "Wheah's Mahtin?" she would say in her New England accent. I wrote back and forth to Neuhaus when we shared a common loathing for the LCA's apostasy. We met him at the Ad Fontes conference (at or near Leonard Klein's church) in Pennsylvania. Klein and his wife were at that conference. I recall LCA President James Crumley having a very serious discussion with Neuhaus, who joined Rome soon after. Wilken taught at Notre Dame when I was there. These four are only a few of those who have left the Lutheran church to pope or semi-pope. The LCMS Ft. Wayne seminary is known for having graduates who join Eastern Orthodoxy the moment they graduate. St. Louis also produces Eastern Orthodox clergy.

Not all the Popes Trinkets, which heere are brought forth,
Can ballance the Bible for weight, and true worth:
Your Bells, Beads and Crosses, you see will not doo't
Or pull down your scale, with the divell to boot.

When Management By Objective (MBO) Fails

"Those, however, who set the time, place and measure, tempt God, and believe not that they are heard or that they have obtained what they asked; therefore, they also receive nothing."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 172. John 16:23-30.

"In like manner, St. Paul says that God's ability is thus proved, in that He does exceeding abundantly above and better than we ask or think. Ephesians 3:20. Therefore, we should know we are too finite to be able to name, picture or designate the time, place, way, measure and other circum­stances for that which we ask of God. Let us leave that entirely to Him, and immovably and steadfastly believe that He will hear us." Sermons of Martin Luther, III, p. 179f. Fifth Sunday after Easter. Ephesians 3:20.

"If the world were willing to take advice from a simple, plain man--that is, our Lord God (who, after all, has some experience too and knows how to rule)--the best advice would be that in his office and sphere of jurisdiction everybody simply direct his thoughts and plans to carrying out honestly and doing in good faith what has been commanded him and that, whatever he does, he depend not on his own plans and thoughts but commit the care to God. Such a man would certainly find out in the end who does and accomplishes more, he who trusts God or he who would bring success to his cause through his own wisdom and thoughts or his own power and strength." What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1151. Luke 5:1-11.

"For people come to the preaching of the Gospel as if they were honest pupils. But under this guise they are seeking nothing else but a full belly and their own benefit. They consider the Gospel an economic teaching, designed to teach one to eat and drink in plenty."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, I, p. 304. John 6:26-27.

"He who holds fast to the Word alone, trusts and abides in it, does not doubt that what the Word says will come to pass; he who does not dictate aim or time or means and ways, but resigns all freely to God's will and pleasure as to when, how, where, and by whom He will fulfill His Word; he, I say, has a true living faith which does not nor cannot tempt God."
Sermons of Martin Luther, I, p. 367. Epiphany, Matthew 2:1-12.

Lest the Theme of This Blog Be Lost

"Hi there, folks. I am Pastor Bob. I will be your inspirational leader today. We have an exciting 50 minutes for you again. Cousin Brunhilda will sing You Light Up My Life. I promise the back-up tapes will work better this time, Hilda. My Life Partner, Pastor Pat, will give a dialogue talk with me: Success Through Goal Setting Dreams. Pastor Pat has learned a lot through those Twelve Step Programs. Later, our Liturgical Dancers will amaze you with their movements. So put your hands together and welcome Cousin Brunhilda now."

And she named the child Ichabod, saying, The glory is departed from Israel. 1 Samuel 4:21 (KJV)

"The doctrine of the means of grace is a peculiar glory of Lutheran theology. To this central teaching it owes its sanity and strong appeal, its freedom from sectarian tendencies and morbid fanaticism, its coherence and practicalness, and its adaptation to men of every race and every degree of culture. The Lutheran Confessions bring out with great clearness the thought of the Reformers upon this subject." "Grace, Means of," The Concordia Cyclopedia, L. Fuerbringer, Th. Engelder, P. E. Kretzmann, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1927, p. 299.

"Must Lutheranism be shorn of its glory to adapt it to our times or our land? No!"
Charles P. Krauth, The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology, Philadelphia: The United Lutheran Publication House, 1871, p. 208.

The Ark of the Covenant was captured in this famous passage from 1 Samuel, so the following selection of essays about Lutheran doctrine will be called Ichabod. The glory has departed from the Lutheran Church. In fact, the Lutheran Church no longer exists in America in any institutional form. The enemy has not stolen the Ark of the Covenant - the Means of Grace. Instead the apostate Lutheran leaders have thrown a tarp over their Ark in order to glory in their Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek classes, their Purpose-Driven (TM) mission visions, their contemporary Pentecostal music, their pit bands, and their self-glorifying pep talks disguised as sermons.

Kool-Aid Drinkers

After the Jonestown tragedy, which might have been avoided with some oversight from the Disciples of Christ, cult members came to be known as Kool-Aid Drinkers. They are prepared to do whatever they are told and think those empty thoughts about Holy Mother Synod. Tom Cruise is an example from Scientology, but he does not read Ichabod, as far as I know.

On reader asked, "Only two posts a day lately?" Yes, I have been working on some projects, which should allow more writing and publishing in 2008.

But another reader posts the same dysfunctional comments daily. Some would diagnose his repetitive rant as crashing from the sugar content of all that Kool-Aid. Others would just say, "GA works. Homo-erotic rituals are effective in binding cults together."

Advent 1 Sermon

First Sunday in Advent

KJV Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

KJV Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.

479 Zion Rise
61 Comfort comfort ye my people
364 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
54 Guide me O thou great Jehovah

Zion Rise
The Epistle for today begins with the image of dawn coming after a long night, time to wake from sleep. Paul warns and comforts his audience at the same time.
Although Romans was sent to the Christians in Rome, this letter was clearly intended as a doctrinal message for all the Christian congregations. Because of its doctrinal importance, Romans is first among the Pauline epistles in the New Testament.

Night and sleep have always been familiar symbols in various cultures. Night is associated with poor judgment, drunkenness, evil, and unawareness. Most of the violent crime stories in Phoenix start with these words, “Outside a bar in downtown Phoenix, at 2 AM…”

The famous Three Mile Island incident, when a nuclear reactor came close to a core meltdown, happened in wee hours of the morning. Looking back on that incident, researchers found that the equipment was working but the operators were semi-asleep and unable to make the right decisions at the time. They did everything wrong and brought nuclear energy development to a halt.

Night is associated with evil, so staying awake and watchful are essential. The New Testament Greek word for staying awake is also translated as watch. The root forms the name Gregory, which means watchman. So “Watch and pray” also means “Stay awake and pray.”

In Mark 13, Jesus ended His warnings about the end times with the Parable of the Watchman. Three times the verb “stay awake” is used. Yes, you count four in English, because another verb is used once for watch. Often Greek has several words for our single English word.

Then, when Jesus prayed, the same verb was applied to the disciples three times: Stay awake, watch.

Jesus introduced the Parable of the Watchman with this warning:

KJV Mark 13:33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. (Here the verb is different, blepo, look around.)

In the parable, He used the same verb for stay awake (watch) three times.

KJV Mark 13:34 For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch.

KJV Mark 13:35 Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

KJV Mark 13:37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.

When Jesus was facing torture and death, the same verb is applied to the disciples three times:

KJV Mark 14:34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

KJV Mark 14:34 And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch.

KJV Mark 14:38 Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

Romans 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Many people are weary of the unceasing attacks against Christianity and the most basic concepts of right and wrong. Many of us have the misfortune of remembering when the US Supreme Court protected children instead of fish, when “don we now our gay apparel” could be sung without laughing, when everyone thought Coke was a beverage instead of a drug. We have seen the Recessional Lutherans drag their church bodies into union with Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek. No WELS pastor would be caught dead taking his staff to Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne, but many of them pay big bucks to study at Willow Creek and Fuller Seminary.

Jesus first gave these warnings, and Paul repeated them, so we would not grow weary and drift off to sleep, dreaming that everything was fine. I remember an LCA pastor saying, “I just want to retire in peace.” However, his conscience disturbed him and he retired with a fair amount of noise about the apostasy of LCA as it was morphing into the ELCA. Such growling was so rare among the complacent clergy that the LCMS was started to find a former bishop vocal about the new trends. And yet, those were still the good old days for ELCA, back in 1987.

Individually we can do almost nothing about national trends. We can still stay awake ourselves and help a few more stay awake. One layman posts Luther quotations on his church website. Another one warned his congregation about getting into Church Growth style stewardship, and those warnings were heeded. Several layman prodded me awake about the real meaning of Universal Justification. I was like the father who helped his son with tree identification for a merit badge. The man said, “Once I knew this tree, I suddenly saw them everywhere.” Once I knew what UOJ was, the footprints were everywhere except the Bible, the Book of Concord, and Lutheran theologians.

The value of each controversy comes from waking us up to doctrinal problems and sharpening our minds about what the Bible teaches. For many people, their doctrinal discernment is on par with my tools. I seldom use tools, except to break things while trying to repair them. My tools are lost, rusting, or covered with dust. If I find a sudden need for a tool I am in a quandary. Can I find it? Can I make it work? My temptation is to say, “Bother. This can wait.” In the same way people avoid facing doctrinal problems until their discernment is replaced with apathy, their apathy supplanted by apostasy.

Although Paul deplored divisions in the Christian Church, he also wrote:

KJV 1 Corinthians 11:18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. 19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you.

now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Paul is comforting all believers in the second part of the verse. Nearer can apply in the short-run, since life runs out faster than we can imagine. And it also applies to God’s own time. Each day means we are closer to the end of all history, whenever that may be.

The multiplication of evil in this century points to the end of time and to the remarkable accuracy of Biblical warnings. All these things are clearly described in Mark 13 and the Pastoral Epistles.

KJV 2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 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; 4 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. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 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: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 13 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: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Whatever people complain about, Paul described through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Long before the papacy was established, Paul pointed to the Apostasy (falling away) and the Man of Sin, the Antichrist. So when someone’s conservative Lutheran pastor joins the Church of Rome or Eastern Orthodoxy, mocking justification by faith, should we be dismayed or encouraged? The roadmap is accurate, even if the timeline is purposefully vague (purpose-driven prophecy). Imagine if everyone knew the moment of the end! Chaos.

12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

The skeptics enjoy pointing out their little contradictions they find in the Bible. They are like the unbelieving members of a church who constantly pick at the minister and his family because they are too cowardly or dishonest to say they reject the Word of God. Various books of the Bible have different approaches, which we can expect from the Word of God spoken through humans across the ages. The harmony and unity of the Bible should impress us more. Paul and John both use light and darkness to symbolize good and evil. As I mentioned before, Paul also uses the Gospel warnings and example of Jesus. (The Gospels were preached before they were written.)

Paul consistently warned his readers to beware of the works of darkness, which were not only the sins of the flesh, taking us away from the Word of God, but also the temptations of false doctrine, which are subtler and harder to detect.

Luther pointed out in his Genesis commentary that God created light before the celestial bodies. Light existed before the energy sources. That means our concept of daylight is derived from light itself. What is that pre-existing light but Christ Himself!

KJV John 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Here is my free translation: In Him was eternal life, and this eternal life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, but darkness cannot extinguish it.

KJV John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

Christ is not just life in the ordinary sense of the term. Most people think primarily of biological life, and there is a Greek term for that – bios. The word used in the NT is zoe, meaning eternal life, while bios is reserved for the ordinary sense of human life or experience. Eternal life is far more significant than just being alive. Every believer, even dying in bed, or quadriplegic has eternal life, because faith receives Christ and His promises to the individual.

KJV John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

The armor of light is the truth of God’s Word. That is the one certainty of our experience. The teachers of the Christian faith have not pointed to themselves or their organizations but to the Word of God. Light (God’s truth) is the perfect weapon against darkness (false doctrine) because the smallest amount of light dissipates darkness.

False doctrine and church politics belong to Satan. He wants people to vote on doctrine and to fight over church positions with $200,000 salaries. He does not want people to discuss God’s Word, to begin and end with God’s teaching. Nothing disturbs Satan more than a weak, ordinary human being armed with the truth of God’s Word. Satan will use all his weapons, especially against someone’s emotions, to undermine that faith. However, his defeat is already assured. Tethered by God’s will, Satan can only rage and grow more violent as his end approaches.

“Let us put on Christ Jesus.” This verse reminds us of wearing a robe for the sacrament of Holy Baptism. To wear Christ – that is an odd phrase but simple to understand. Christ is united with us in faith and in baptism. Christ is in us and we are in Him.

KJV John 14:20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

For that reason, faith in Him moves us to pray, to watch and pray, for we know not the hour.

"When a theologian is asked to yield and make concessions in order that peace may at last be established in the Church, but refuses to do so even in a single point of doctrine, such an action looks to human reason like intolerable stubbornness, yea, like downright malice. That is the reason why such theologians are loved and praised by few men during their lifetime. Most men rather revile them as disturbers of the peace, yea, as destroyers of the kingdom of God. They are regarded as men worthy of contempt. But in the end it becomes manifest that this very determined, inexorable tenacity in clinging to the pure teaching of the divine Word by no means tears down the Church; on the contrary, it is just this which, in the midst of greatest dissension, builds up the Church and ultimately brings about genuine peace. Therefore, woe to the Church which has no men of this stripe, men who stand as watchmen on the walls of Zion, sound the alarm whenever a foe threatens to rush the walls, and rally to the banner of Jesus Christ for a holy war!"
C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, trans., W. H. T. Dau, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1928, p. 28.

"And no doctrine is so foolish or disgraceful but that it finds hearers and disciples, as is proven by the experience of the church with so many heresies and divisions. The heathen were reasonable and highly intelligent people, yet we read of them that they worshiped not only cats and storks, but also cabbages and onions, and even a member of the human body. All this comes from the name and delusion that such things are good works and render a service to God. The preacher of such works comes with the reputation and pretence of a shepherd who desires to counsel and direct souls on the way to God."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 59. Second Sunday after Easter. John 10:11-16.