L. P. Cruz has an extended discussion of UOJ on his blog, Extra Nos.
I wanted to clarify a few things.
Christians should not add unnecessarily to the Biblical vocabulary. Some terms (Trinity, Means of Grace) are shorthand for decades or centuries of debate. We continue to use them because there is general agreement about their meaning, even though there are variations.
I object to modifying terms like justification and reconciliation. Chemnitz agreed with the ancient saying that we should return to the sources when the water is muddy. That included dropping the confessions of the time to study the Scritpure itself. (Note that the Wisconsin cheerleaders will yell "Wauwatosa," but this really means the opposite.)
Too many are tempted to trace every tributary of Christianity or parse the essays of their recently departed professors. For the Synodical Conference types, nothing is better than that to help avoid all issues.
A Sigh Is Just a Sigh
The fundamental things apply, as time goes by. Reconciliation is not justification. Using fake logic to fuse the terms will never work, if we still believe that Scripture interprets Scripture. Reconciliation is the Gospel message that converts the unbeliever and strengthens the believer. The New Testament is rich in synonyms for reconciliation: redemption (two different words), expiation, ransom, etc.
Nevertheless, the New Testament never says that God has declared the whole world forgiven, without faith, without the Word, without the Means of Grace. That is where the UOJ Stormtroopers (Cascione, Bivens, Valleskey, Becker, Pieper, Walther, Pope John the Malefactor, Dan Preus, Rolf Preus) utterly depart from the Scriptures. How do they defend their toxic doctrine? By quoting the writers who agree with them - a fallacy called Special Pleading.
The Gospel message converts or hardens the unbeliever because the Holy Spirit always accompanies the Word and always accomplishes God's will (Isaiah 55). Speak the Gospel to a Mormon missionary or a JW and he will sneer. Describe the efficacy of the Word to a Lutheran leader and the same thing will happen.
Calvinism
Calvinims is wrong because the work of the Holy Spirit is divorced from the Word and Sacraments. That is a consistent theme in Calvin's work. Therefore, Calvinism cannot be rescued from the charge of Enthusiasm.
The rationalistic component of Calvinism leads to Unitarianism. "Young Calvinist, Old Unitarian." That is a common saying that fits regions, denominations, and nations.
Luther
I am not a brand-name Luther. I do not follow Luther for any other reason than this - he is the greatest Biblical expositor of all time.
Some day in the future, the Recessional Lutherans will have to explain how they led their gullible followers away from the Scriptures and into the fold of Romanism and Eastern Orthodoxy. EO is just a coward's way of embracing Rome.
The UOJ Stormtroopers are raising up a generation of Unitarians.
***
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "L P Cruz, etc.":
I'm in the early stages of exploring Luther and the church that carries his name. It seems like many of the names you list as uopj storm troopers are guys I've read or heard about.(what is uoj??)I am just starting the book of concord (and the theology of the book of concord by Prues)...any other helps you would suggest in my search?
thanks
tv
GJ - Short definition Universal Objective Justification - Everyone in the world was declared forgiven the moment Christ died on the cross--or--the moment Christ rose from the dead. Everyone who died in the Flood - forgiven. Everyone in Hell is a guilt-free saint. Walther began this travesty, which he got from Pietism, in his Easter absolution sermon. Pieper and the Synodical Conference continued it. The Church Growth gurus like Valleskey and Bivens love UOJ.
Justification by faith means: those who hear the Gospel and believe in Christ as their Savior are forgiven their sins.
Those who are new to Lutheran doctrine should stick to a good Bible in the King James family of translations, the Book of Concord, and Luther's sermons.
Advanced Lutherans should stick to a good Bible in the King James family of translations, the Book of Concord, and Luther's sermons.
Theologians with a PhD should stick to a good Bible in the King James family of translations, the Book of Concord, and Luther's sermons.
