Thy Strong Word Fan

Luther's Seal, by Norma Boeckler
Augustinian Successor has left a new comment on your post "Lutherans Missing the Boat":

Dear Pastor Jackson,

I enjoy your writings, and I think I've visited all of your sites, including this blog. Your Thy Strong Word is fabulous and an absolute must read! It's good to read an independent, non-partisan Lutheran view on the going-ons in contemporary Lutheranism in North America. Myself am not a confessional Lutheran as such, but 80 percent! I'm an acutally an Anglican belonging to a continuing jurisdiction, much in the same boat as you and like-minded brethren. The Church of England (Continuing) is a miniscule Church with only some six properly organised congregations, plus scattered members at home (i.e. UK) and abroad (including myself).

I have a question concerning UOJ. Can you please clarify *your* position on UOJ? Can you please explicate how your understanding of what the orthdodox Lutheran understanding of the CROSS differ from the modern intepretation. It seems to me that the doctrinal position of UOJ amongst the three main confessional Lutheran bodies (WELS, ELS and LCMS) may differ only in terms?

Thank you.

Warmly in Christ,
Jason

***

GJ - Every so often someone offers a postive review of Thy Strong Word. I appreciate that because the book involved about 10 years of work. Only a few copies are left, but it will be available on the Net and possibly in shorter form through Lulu.com.

I am uncomfortable with the notion of my position on anything theological. Doctrinal conflict helps us study what the Word of God plainly says. The problem is getting through the assertions of the past, supplanting the authority and plain meaning of the revealed Word of God. Confessions are good because people work out their witness to the truth. However, when we start worshiping sainted leaders as idols, we are no different from pagans.

I am indebted to various laymen who encouraged me to study the issue of UOJ.

As Jason said, the old Synodical Conference agrees about the basics of forgiveness without faith, without the Word, grace apart from the Means of Grace. The same basic position (with some slight changes) can be found among ELCA liberals and the Universalists. Karl Barth (and his mistress Charlotte Kirschbaum) taught something similar. Since Barth-Kirschbaum became the court theologian of Fuller Seminary, the convergence of McGavran Church Growth and WELS Enthusiasm is easy to understand. Both have the foundation, false though it be, of Universalism.

The classic UOJ position is stated in the LCMS Brief Confession, 1932, echoed in J. P. Meyer's inept Ministers of Christ (WELS), and parroted in the ELS publications (reprinting Walther's Easter Absolution sermon). The UOJ position, in short, is that God declared the entire world forgiven of its sin the moment Christ died, alternately the moment He rose from the dead. This Moment of Absolution comes from the Walther sermon.

The exegetical confusion of WELS-ELS-LCMS comes from the concept of reconciliation. Here they fall into a rationalistic trap to support the infallibility of Walther and his disciple F. Pieper. Here is the trap - If Christ exchanged our sinfulness for His righteousness, then everyone must have become righteous when He died on the cross.

Lost in their logical pratfall is the basic notion that reconciliation is not justification. Is justification the same as sanctification? The two concepts bear a relationship to each other, but we cannot equate the two. The Holy Spirit always works through the Word, but the Holy Spirit is not the Word. Reconciliation is not Universal Objective Justification.

The reconciliation passage is another way of expressing the Atonement.

KJV 2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
20 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. (See also Romans 4 and 5)

The Atonement (reconciliation) means that Christ has paid the price for our sins, for all time, even if no one ever believes this to be true. However, the ministry of reconciliation that Paul speaks about is the preaching of the Gospel. The treasure of the Atonement is distributed by the Holy Spirit through the Word. Lutherans call the Word and Sacraments the Means of Grace because those are the instruments (means) by which God pledges to give His grace. We are never in doubt about how to receive His grace. This treasure lies in one heap until that distribution takes place through the Holy Spirit. The Gospel promises move people--even babies through Holy Baptism--to faith. Justification by faith means receiving this grace through the Word.

The Parable of the Prodigal Son illustrates the reconciliation quite well. The Prodigal knows from coveting the carob pods (pig food) that he has reached the bottom, all his money spent on fast women and slow horses. He returns home with godly sorrow (the effect of the Law). Contrition is not forgiveness and does not earn forgiveness. Any son in the same condition would be afraid of his father's wrath. But this Father runs to meet him, to embrace him, to welcome him back. A contrite sinner receives this forgiveness with the greatest joy, knowing it is not earned by merit, decision, or attitude.

True preaching includes God's Law and God's Gospel. Grace comes to us only through the Means of Grace. Calvinists separate the Holy Spirit from the Means of Grace, as if the Word and Sacraments could be without effect. Isaiah 55 says otherwise. God's Word is never without effect and always accomplishes His purpose.

Inca Doves Warming Up

One reader took me to task for neglecting the garden articles I used to publish. That reminds me of a similar complaint, "You have been averaging only two posts a day."

Yesterday we received our allotment of the winter storm. I happened to be north, trying not to slide off I-17 as the freezing rain fell. The weather turned cold overnight in Glendale. This morning it was only 40 degrees, normally as cold as it gets in the Phoenix area.

I looked outside this morning and saw dozens Inca doves clustered on the fence, around the flower pot, on the window sill, and on the chlorine buckets. Some were stacked double-decker, to stay warm. They were catching the morning sun several hours ago and are still sitting there, preening their feathers.

Feathers perplex the scientists of evolution. Not every bird can fly, but all birds have feathers, in several categories, for flight, warmth, attraction. The Inca doves fluffed up their downy feather to keep their bodies warm this morning. Inside we had several down blankets we use on the bed. Birds preen because the feathers have to be aligned just so for them to fly.

One feather alone has about 300 million barbs on it. The barbs keep the feathers in place. They work a bit like Velcro.

I put a number of plants, bushes, and trees in the yard to shade us from the burning heat, but also to attract birds. Few people seem to appreciate birds here, or I am speaking to the wrong people.

Every plant hosts a wide variety of insect life. Humming birds are common here, but always a treat to watch. They love the cape honeysuckle bushes, which are almost always in bloom with bright orange flowers. Humming birds do not simply sip nectar. That would be like living on Kool-aid. They also eat insects. Trees, bushes, and flowers are food centers for insects, so they help birds with food and shelter alike.

Recently I was picking tangelos from my tree when I heard a sound like a Star Wars light saber. A few feet away a humming bird floated and watched. They are fearless but also known for flattering bird-lovers. I have had them fly in and out of the shower from the garden hose, getting a bath on the fly.

Birds are happy to get water in shallow puddles, for drinking and bathing. I turn my waterfall on to give them a safe area to land, bathe, and get a drink.

I do not know how someone can look at all the dependencies within one group of creatures and say they evolved by chance or figured out how to survive. People are now so blind to Creation that they cannot see how our civil liberties and ethical concepts are tied to the Author of Life.

Lutherans Missing the Boat

Choose Between Tweele-dum and Tweedle-dee To Solve Lutheran Doctrinal Problems

Christian News announced a joint free conference in Minnesota. One part is represented by the Rolf Preus Synod. The other part is ELDONA (the tiny sect with the huge name). Jack Cascione will speak on his only topic, the supremacy of the Voters' Assembly. Someone from ELDONA will speak about the absolute need for bishops.
Cascione and Heiser both graduated from Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne, so I have to assume that both became doctrinally befuddled there. Their solutions recall the story that the Russian Orthodox Church was debating the benediction (three fingers for the Trinity or two for the Two Natures) during the Communist Revolution.

Here is another view from Bente, who edited the Concordia Triglotta:

"The Lutheran Church differs from all other churches in being essentially the Church of the pure Word and unadulterated Sacraments. Not the great number of her adherents, not her organizations, not her charitable and other institutions, not her beautiful customs and liturgical forms, etc., but the precious truths confessed in her symbols in perfect agreement with the Holy Scriptures constitute the true beauty and rich treasures of our Church, as well as the never-failing source of her vitality and power.

Wherever the Lutheran Church ignored her symbols or rejected all or some of them, there she always fell an easy prey to her enemies. But wherever she held fast to her God-given crown, esteemed and studied her confessions, and actually made them a norm and standard of her entire life and practice, there the Lutheran Church flourished and confounded all her enemies.

Accordingly, if Lutherans truly love their Church, and desire and seek her welfare, they must be faithful to her confessions and constantly be on their guard lest any one rob her of her treasure."
F. Bente, Concordia Triglotta preface.

The old Synodical Conference no longer wants Bente. Concordia Publishing House gave the rights to Northwestern Publishing. Everyone wants to use a new edition.