Universal Objective Justification Primer

Someone asked who has published against UOJ.

Here are the basics of the false doctrine commonly known as UOJ:

1. God declared the whole world righteous when Christ died on the cross, or else when Christ rose from the dead. (UOJ)
2. Everyone is forgiven, without faith. All the pagans of the world are forgiven.
3. Those who believe in Christ are forgiven again (Subjective Justification).

Walther got this pernicious doctrine from the Pietists, who converted him. He established it with F. Pieper and their acolytes. However, this doctrine is not found in the 1905 LCMS Catechism, proof that it was not widespread or even institutionalized.

The LCMS Brief Confession in 1939 made UOJ an article of faith.

J. P. Meyers (WELS) taught UOJ mixed with Decision Theology in Ministers of Christ.

Norm Madson (ELS, then CLC) taught UOJ. The common thread seems to be education at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.

In the 19th century, the Norwegians taught UOJ and the Swedish Augustana Synod argued against it. The General Council taught justification by faith but did not seem to argue against UOJ specifically.

Lenski rejected UOJ in his New Testament commentaries.

Robert Preus earlier emphasized UOJ and denied it was the same as the Atonement.

Preus' last book, Justification and Rome, never mentions UOJ and clearly states that people are only forgiven when they come to faith.

Before that LCMS Pastor Vernon Hartley published against UOJ. No one was able to refute him. (I met with him before he died.)

The advocates of UOJ admit that the term is new, that the Book of Concord teaches only justification by faith. They also admit that the New Testament term justification only means justification by faith.