How Low Can the LCMS Go?

Kent Hunter (left), The Church Doctor,
To Heal St. John's, Marysville, Ohio

St. John's in Marysville is one of the founding congregations of the LCMS. The Loehe congregations began a synod and invited the Missouri (Walther) guys to join. Later, the Loehe contribution was overlooked in the histories, as if Walther founded the LCMS.

St. John's is reputed to have a lot of members, but only a few of them come to church on Sunday. So The Church Doctor will fix things up. I met Kent Hunter and talked to him on the phone. He is close with Paul Kelm (WELS, DMin in Church Growth, Concordia, St. Louis).

Kent Hunter and Waldo Werning were the featured speakers--with Leonard Sweet--for the much lamented 2005 Church and Change Conference. It was euthanized by popular demand, not without some bellowing from The Moose Report.

Kent has a double doctorate, one might say. The first is from an ELCA seminary. The DMin is from Fuller Seminary, which, as Larry Olson bragged, has more LCMS graduate students than both Concordias put together. Larry forgot to mention all the WELS trainees.

Here is what one website said about The Church Doctor:

About Church Doctor Ministries
The purpose of the Church Growth Center is to participate in the transformational change of Christians and churches for the effective implementation of the Lord's Great Commission to make disciples of all peoples (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Church Growth Center is a non-profit ministry, evangelical in tone and Christ-centered. Ministry is conducted through three primary channels, reciprocally related: resources, educational events, and consultation services. These ministries are headquartered at the Church Growth Center in Corunna, Indiana. The scope of this ministry is interdenominational and international. Many of the ministry's resources have been translated into other languages.

"It is my passion, as founder and president of the ministry, to come alongside churches and help them be more effective at reaching the lost for Jesus Christ. It is my perception that there are already enough Christian in the world—to easily reach the world for Jesus Christ. But, they need to be motivated, focused and directed. It is this leveraging activity of ministry that summarizes the efforts of the Church Growth Center." – Dr. Kent Hunter

Joy Lead Partners

Mike Breen – President
As rector and team leader of St. Thomas' Church in Sheffield, Mike used LifeShapes to grow the largest church in the north of England, with 80 percent of the congregation under age 40. On staff at Community Church of Joy in Glendale, AZ, and as a teacher for Fuller Seminary in California, Mike helps church leaders in transition and coaches church planters on how to be effective in our contemporary culture.

Kent is a true missionary in every sense of the word. He loves the Church and loves creating healthy mission-oriented congregations. Kent has helped Community Church of Joy in developing a real heart and skills for mission. As a Board member for our Leadership Center and a speaker at many of our conferences, Kent has brought tremendous passion and breakthrough thinking to Joy and a multitude of leaders.

Dr. Walt Kallestad
Community Church of Joy

Note that Breen is on the staff of Community of Joy. Dr. Walt likes Hunter. Breen teaches at Fuller. Hunter and Kallestad have DMins from Fuller. Larry Olson has a DMin from Fuller. The world mission, American mission, and synodical leaders of WELS and Missouri are Fuller trained. It's one big happy family.

Community of Joy is an ELCA congregation. Many in ELCA are ashamed of Joy. Kallestad believes in entertainment evangelism. His article in The Lutheran shocked and appalled Lutherans.

The Synod Minder asks - "But have you actually been to a Joy service, Greg?"

Yes I have. It was superficial and tedious at the same time, with a big focus on how many ways someone could give money to the organization.

"But did you tell Dr. Hunter his sin?"

I spoke to him on the phone. Frosty Bivens declared it was slander to suggest Paul Kelm endorsed a Kent Hunter workshop. I had it in writing, but Bivens immediately claimed that it was possibly some kind of trick or accident. Hunter explained that he asked for and received an endorsement from Kelm, in writing. Thus Bivens cried "Slander" because the plain facts were told. I gradually learned that this was pandemic among the Church Growth syndicate members.

I questioned Hunter's non-LCMS education as an LCMS pastor. He said, "You ask a lot of questions." Later I met him at the Purple Palace, during the McCain administration, when he was speaking to the Council of Presidents. Boy, the LCMS sure has grown since then. Or maybe they did not listen to him.

Funniest Comment - Ever

You are a gutless coward!

Signed

Anonymous

***

Repeating his hilarious triumph:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Funniest Comment - Ever":

Although it's signed anonymous, it doesn't make the observation any less true.

Commentary on WELS Schools

A Model WELS Church Worker Family And Their Beloved School, Wauwatosa

Sunday, April 1, 2007

From Lutheran Notes, Bruce Church.

Future Class-Action Lawsuit Versus The WELS

What follows is an advertisement that will be sent to students of the WELS prep schools and MLC (Martin Luther College) in in future, say, around 2011:

Do you not exactly feel prepared for college and life, at least outside the WELS system?

Did you:

o Attend a WELS prep school, either Martin Luther Seminary (MLS) or Martin Luther Prep (MLP)?
o Have a parochial school certification but cannot teach in public schools without further training, and cannot teach in Lutheran parochial schools because there are no jobs available?
o Did you drop out of MLC along the way, but now cannot place decently in a good secular college because you lack credit in many hard classes?

If you answered yes to at least one of the questions above, that is because you attended one of the WELS prep schools and/or WELS college, and they provided a religious-classical education when what you really needed for life was a modern education, that being shop class, or advanced placement classes in, to name a few, physics, calculus, statistics and economics. These are normally provided free from your local public high school, but you missed the boat. What's really scandalous is the prep schools made the students learn Spanish and German (formerly Latin and German) all out of books with no audio visual aids. So even in 2007 a prep student will have 4 years of Spanish and 2 of German and still not be able to speak the languages, much less remember much of it--because a language one has never conversed in is a language one forgets most of.

Do you wonder why your WELS pastor and/or teachers encouraged you to attend prep school and/or MLC in the first place when you really weren't all that particularly spiritual, nor all that interested in doctrine, history, languages and the classics, and certainly was not pastor and teacher material then, and never would be?

What you need to know is that back in 2007 the WELS was faced with a 5 million dollar operating expense deficit. How the synod got into this predicament is they allowed too many students into MLC in the 1990s. Then during the Dot Com Bust of 2001 they didn't have calls for the deserving candidates, much less the students whom the WELS customarily tells to hit the road and get lost after pocketing a lot of their student money. That's right, each student pays 10,000+ dollars per year to attend MLC, much of it in the form of student loans the student must pay back. Since then MLC has been running behind by a few million dollars, but then in 2007 it became
5 million dollars in the red. What is really scandalous is that even though the synodical schools have been around for over a hundred years, they just started to form endowment funds in the last few years. So the synodical schools have been living hand to mouth, and lately from students' pockets to mouth.

So in 2007 a synod advisory body suggested closing MLS to close the gap between expenses and revenue, but the pastors would have none of it. At first the pastors were going to sign a petition asking the synod to downsize its bureaucracy and solve the deficit that way, but that fizzled out. The reason is that in the WELS the pastors and teachers hold fifty percent of the vote at conventions. They also control most of the news since there is hardly any scandal sheet worthy of the label. Only the Christian News of the LCMS occasionally contains un-censored information on the WELS. Since the laymen only read the glossy WELS magazines about the synod, and hear only what the leaders want them to hear, the WELS is similar to a fully employee-owned corporation even though the clergy and teacher only get half the votes at conventions. Employees are not about to lay each other off, nor tell synod desk jockeys to go out and start mission churches, because that's hard work. Also, the route where the WELS downsizes by not filling positions as people move or retire doesn't work too well since many pastors work in the WELS until they are 70 or older.

Here's some of what laymen should hear but will never hear it from the top, nor from their pastors. The WELS schools utilize their resources and campuses poorly.
o There are few teachers assistants, but full professors do everything from giving repetitive lectures to grading papers. This robs the graduate students of good jobs, ones that could be part of the federal student jobs program even, and not cost the synod a dime.
o The class sizes are just 15 to 25 when many classes could easily be held in larger rooms and auditoriums so professors or teachers assistants would not need to give the same lecture to two or more classrooms per day or per week. There should be no, say, History 101 Section A, B, C and D, since all 200 students should be in one section.
o The facilities are not rented out much, but just sit idle when they could be making the synod money.
o Before closing MLS, or along with closing MLS, the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (WLS) should be combined with MLC at New Ulm. That's because there is more than enough room to fit 150 seminary students on New Ulm's campus now that enrollment there has dropped. Besides, there are many eligible women for the future pastors to date on MLC's campus, especially now that MLC has a masters degree program. This means many women students will be the same age as the seminarians, and have about as much education to boot. Besides, the WELS is tired of pastors who found their wives while dating in bars in Milwaukee because driving to New Ulm is too far. The trip across "the River", an allusion that compares the Mississippi River to Isaac's obtaining a wife, Rebbecca, from across the Mesopotamian River, is a whopping 399 miles, or about 7 hours and 6 minutes without any breaks.

The 1920s-era seminary in Mequon is built in the old brick style without insulation, and wastes a lot of heat. At anyone time there are only 150 students there. Also, there is a lot of mowing and grounds work. The sem property in Mequon is in a prime location just a couple miles from the shore of Lake Michigan, and could sell for many millions of dollars, enough to build nice dormitories and a better chapel at MLC. That brings up another scandal--that the WELS can't build anything over a few stories tall, thereby wasting a lot of real estate and money per square foot of livable area, and wasting a lot on heating.

o The Synod could be downsized in two says. Some ministries could be spun off so they fund themselves. For example, WELS Lutherans for Life need not be anywhere in the synodical budget (if it is now). Also, retired pastors could be utilized who would be paid for their services as they deliver them rather than a more expensive salary for full-time workers. The synod's administrative budget should be only 10% at most. Missions could also be spun off, just like the ELS synod has Thoughts of Faith fund and control all their missions overseas.

Ok, back to the latest scandal. After twiddling their thumbs in a meeting, someone suggested that the MLC and the two prep schools just increase their enrollment. That's pretty much how the budget for these schools was met in the past. Many students who had no business being in a school meant to prepare people for the ministry and parochial school teaching were allowed to attend for various reasons--all of them bad reasons. Often the reason was the parents were too busy working to parent, and the prep school served as a surrogate parent. So the other students had to put up with these unruly, unparented students who often had a lot of money to spend on entertainment.

So these WELS pastors, all of whom make well north of 40 grand per year when housing, insurance and perks are factored in, decided to balance the synodical budget on the backs of students who will be lucky to make even 30 grand if they face the job market or college market with only a classical education. Yes, they said that they figured the WELS would grow and there would be enough pastor and teacher slots, but if they had to bet on it with their own money, they'd pass. In other words, these WELS pastors pulled a "Jim Bakker" on you. That's the evangelist who sold condominiums in a project that his accountants said would go bust. However, Jimmy Bakker had faith that it would all work out. Anyway, a lot of people lost their shirts, Bakker went to jail, because the judge did not buy off on Bakker's assertion that having faith in the project was not the same as transacting business in "good faith":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Bakker

So, please sign the attached form to join the
the lawsuit. Thank-you.

Sincerely,

Mr. Lawyer

***

MLS Veteran has left a new comment on your post "Commentary on WELS Schools":

I agree with many of the criticisms in this article.

If you are seeking an education with the intent of going on to a secular university or college, you may want to rethink attending a prep school, especially if you would not be a day student.

I was always told by pastors, professors, teachers what an elite education I would be receiving.

After graduating, I was shocked at how well some of the public school students I was competing against were trained in math and science.

This was particularily a weak spot for MLS. The humanities were definitely emphasized at the expense of math and natural sciences.

Also, there are no career counselors at MLS (aside from encourage you to continue on to becoming a Lutheran teacher or pastor). Nor was there any "college fairs" where secular universities would come to school to talk about their institutions or academic programs. Finally, there was no help in finding scholarships or grants to the secular universities.

However, I must emphasize that MLS and Luther Prep are not in the business of educating students for the outside world. Technically, you cannot fault them for that.

HOWEVER, STUDENTS WHO WANT TO ATTEND A PREP SCHOOL SHOULD BE CLEAR THAT THESE ARE SOME OF THE SHORT COMINGS OF ATTENDING A WELS PREP SCHOOL !!!

That, and the infamous freshman, "Zex" year at MLS, should be factors in considering whether or not to attend a WELS prep school :)

Beautiful, Beautiful Zion...

Anonymous said...
Let me give you one little example that teaches UOJ- Romans 3:23,24, that PCK quoted earlier. You probably don't want to discuss Greek grammar because they probably didn't teach that to you at that wonderful Roman Catholic institution, Notre Dame.

***

GJ - Notre Dame was not very Roman Catholic when I was there. My doctoral advisor was John Howard Yoder, a Mennonite. Another reader on my dissertation was Stan Hauerwas, Methodist, considered one of the best theologians in America. The head of the graduate program in theology was Robert Wilken, LCMS, who studied at Concordia Seminary with Herman Otten. My program advisor was T. Hommes, Dutch Reformed. My professor in Talmudic Judaism was Jewish. One professor left the convent to marry her Jesuit priest beau. Another professor left the convent to marry her book seller beau. One professor was a Biblical feminist (Elisabeth Schussler Fiorenza). She is married to a liberation theologian, Frank. Both were kicked out and upstairs to endowed professorships at Harvard.

I was known for defending traditional Lutheranism in class and for making fun of liberals like Paul Tillich. One doctoral student said goodbye to me after I disagreed with Elisabeth Schussler-Fiorenza in class. He assumed I would be kicked out of the program. She told me soon after that she liked having students in class who had actually been out of school, who were able to form their own opinions.

What most MDivs from unaccredited seminaries miss is this simple fact - universities do not try to impose the robotic obedience expected at the liberal seminaries of WELS, ELS, LCMS, and ELCA today. The free exchange of ideas (at the Sausage Factory? - never!) is a normal experience at a good school. People from all traditions have a chance to question and to debate.

The Romans Catholics gave an LCA pastor a free ride for a PhD and tossed in some extra pocket money to write a dissertation on - buckle your seatbelts - a Lutheran seminary professor. Get over it, Rev. Mouse. After all, it's not the ecumenical study that's a crime. It's the cover up. Bivens, Valleskey, and Werning have all denied their study at Fuller. Olson's buddy blew smoke in the faces of CN readers, claiming that Olson went to Pasadena for the Rose Bowl Parade. Ahem.

If Fuller is so wonderful, why do these syncretists deny studying there? If Fuller is so bad that they lie about it, why did they go there in the first place? I am looking forward to a sensible, sober answer to that question.

UOJ in Romans 3?
Someone, probably Mouse, posted a comment proving Romans 3:22ff was UOJ. I took the Romans class with Panzer (nickname for Panning). I think Panning was pretty good. He did not push UOJ, which is why it took me time to absorb the truth about the Synodical Conference's UOJ error.

KJV Romans 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

UOJ is an excellent example of propositional theology. First a well-intentioned dolt declares a proposition, then ignores Scripture while proving his case. All his followers march in step. They think they are marching to Zion even when they smell brimstone.

This passage clearly states that the righteousness of God comes by faith to all believers. Yes, all have sinned. NT Greek has no punctuation. We have to supply it. The logical antecedent (that which goes before) for being justified (v. 24) is all that believe.

The labored rationalism of PCK (aka Mouse) would have God's grace come to every single person on earth, without faith, without the Word, without the Means of Grace. That is the doltish opinion of J. P. Meyer in Ministers of Christ, NPH. That is what WELS promotes and Pope John the Malefactor endorses. His Beatitude, Rolf Preus, endorses UOJ some days, justification by faith alternately.

Professor Lenski is the only Lutheran to publish an extensive commentary on the entire New Testament. Here is what he said about the passage in Romans:

"The fact that this declaration of righteousness is only for believers, is pronounced only upon them, has already been stated in v. 22 in the plainest language and need not be repeated; the fact that unbelievers exclude themselves has thus also been clearly implied." (p. 250)

The Sausage Factory at Mequon teaches its bovine and ovine students to reject Lenski, so the typical Wisconsin product will automatically denounce Lenski.

The aptly named pastor, Papenfuss (Pope's Foot), admitted to the Kokomites he excommunicated that he knew nothing of UOJ until he went to seminary.

One reader said UOJ was ideal for Lutherans who want to pope. I thought about it and had to agree. UOJ is another name for Universalism. Pope JP II (or Deuce, as he was known around the Vatican) promoted a kind of Universalism. The bottom line for those poping is - believe whatever you want, disbelieve anything, but join the biggest and the best: Rome.

Hindu Episcopalian Open Communion - Syncretism

Hindu God Shiva, Dancing
When controversy speaks for itself (updated)
Posted by Mollie

From Get Religion:

Los Angeles Times reporter K. Connie Kang had another interesting story on the Godbeat or, in this case, the gods beat. Yes, the Episcopalians are involved.

It seems that the Diocese of Los Angeles hosted an interfaith service with Hindus at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral there on Saturday. Kang simply reported it without any analysis, which I think is good for an initial story on what turned out to be a rather controversial event. She described how a Hindu nun blew into a conch shell to begin the Indian Rite Mass. A band from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (aka Hare Krishna) chanted during the service.

The article is full of fascinating quotes from participants and observers:

During the service, the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, issued a statement of apology to the Hindu religious community for centuries-old acts of religious discrimination by Christians, including attempts to convert them.

“I believe that the world cannot afford for us to repeat the errors of our past, in which we sought to dominate rather than to serve,” Bruno said in a statement read by the Rt. Rev. Chester Talton. “In this spirit, and in order to take another step in building trust between our two great religious traditions, I offer a sincere apology to the Hindu religious community.”

The bishop also said he was committed to renouncing “proselytizing” of Hindus.

***

GJ - As Reu taught, doctrinal indifference and unionism go together. Just ask David Valleskey, Paul Kelm, and Larry Olson (DMin, Fuller Seminary). This goes beyond unionism (different Christian confessions worshiping and studying together) to syncretism (worshiping with a non-Christian).

But Fuller Seminary is not just unionistic. The school has embraced syncretism for decades. They welcomed Paul Y. Cho (S. Korea) as a special lecturer. Cho combines ancestor worship, occultism, and Pentecostal cell groups. Cho was so blatant that his own denomination, the Assemblies of God, kicked him out. ("Big Trouble for the World's Largest Church, Christianity Today) The Lutherans said, "This is where we want to study!" And they did. LCA and ALC (ELCA now). LCMS. ELS. WELS. Olson bragged about the hordes of LCMS pastors studying at his alma mater, Fuller. Makes a man proud to see the ranks of syncretists growing.

Even the mini-micro Lutheran groups flock to Fuller. Several Lutheran break-away sects have made Fuller their seminary, just as much as WELS and Missouri have.

The Wisconsin and Missouri sects are completely saturated with Fuller doctrine and methods. They are apostate synods, embracing a pagan materialistic philosophy.

The way to succeed in the LCMS and WELS is to study at Fuller, mouth the silly platitudes of Fuller, and march in step with the other praying predators.

ELCA Exiles Like Fuller Too - Fuller Is Clearly the Seminary for All Alleged Lutherans

http://www.lcmc.net/seminary_info.htm

SEMINARY INFORMATION

The following seminaries are in a working relationship with LCMC. This is not an exhaustive list of seminaries, nor is it an endorsement of any of these seminaries.

Many of these seminaries have made special provision to meet LCMC’s expectations for Lutheran historical and theological training. Individuals are encouraged to contact these seminaries and find out which can meet all, or some, of our general expectations.

Individuals interested in preparing for ministry in the LCMC are encouraged to approach a district’s ministry committee for guidance and fulfillment of the candidacy process.

(It is important to individuals and ministry committees to remember the list of general academic expectations serves as a guideline. Remember also that the wording, “or its equivalent”, may be considered by ministry committees when assessing academic or other expectations of a candidate for ministry.)


---------------------------------------

Bethel Seminary
Joseph Valentine Dworak, M.A.
Director of Admissions and Recruitment
Bethel Seminary
3949 Bethel Drive
St. Paul, MN 55112
work: 651-638-6288
fax: 651-635-2479

www.Bethel.edu
____________________

ILTEP (The Independent Lutheran Theological Education Project)
The Claus Harms House
429 N. Sawyer Ave.
Oshkosh, WI 54902
(920) 231-1287

www.iltep.org
____________________

The Master's Institute Seminary
2700 Rice St.
St. Paul, MN 55113
(651) 765-9756
info@themastersinstitute.org
Seminary Coordinator: Wanda Newgren
President: Rev. Michael Bradley

www.themastersinstitute.org

_____________________

North American Baptist Seminary

Admissions Office
1525 S. Grange Avenue
Sioux Falls, SD 57105

info@nabs.edu
1.800.440.6227

___________________

Salt Lake Theological Seminary
Dr. James L. Wakefield
Salt Lake Theological Seminary
PO Box 2096
Salt Lake City, UT 84110-2096

Street address:
Dr. James L. Wakefield
Salt Lake Theological Seminary
699 East South Temple, Suite 324
Salt Lake City, UT 84102-1142

jlw@slts.edu
801-581-1900

www.slts.edu


--------------------------------------------

LCMC also has (or has had) students attending the following seminaries: (District Ministry Committees will assist the student in how to fulfill the LCMC Lutheran educational requirements.)

Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio
Fuller Seminary, Pasadena, California
Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota
Trinity Seminary, Newburg, Indiana
Trinity Southwest University, Albuquerque, New Mexico

(ELCA seminaries may accept students as ecumenical students – further conversation with the seminary can clarify these options).


--------------------------------------------------

Other theological and ministry training options are available for those interested in contract calls, for lay theological training, and for continuing education for pastors. District ministry committees may have more information than noted here.

Beyond the River Academy

(Training for Rural Ministry)
Pr. Keith Mentor
4313 Main St.
Elkhorn, IA 51334
712-764-5678

http://beyondtheriveracademy.org

***

A. Nony Mouse has left a new comment on your post "ELCA Exiles Like Fuller Too - Fuller Is Clearly th...":

Have you ever discussed the LCMC beforeon your blog? By not explaining what this group is all about, I'm sure you're thinking your readers will pass over the initials and think you're talking about the LCMS. I know what the LCMC is, so don't berate me for writing this--but I'm sure many of your readers are totally unfamiliar with it. Why don't you enlighten them?

GJ - I assume a high level of literacy and motivation among my readers, two qualities sadly lacking in you, Mouse.

1. I have discussed the LCMC before.
2. I provided a link, so even the dyslexic could unravel the mysteries of LCMS versus LCMC.
3. The headline gives away the topic - ELCA exiles. Missouri Synod Lutherans are ELCA wannabees, not ELCA exiles.
4. People can look up more on the topic by using the label list. As most people can see, the LCMC has already appeared before.

However, I could see how people might think this post was about WELS. One WELS pastor suggested his members join a Baptist church if they moved to a place where WELS was not (most of the US). WELS leaders and pastors have people reading non-Lutheran material all the time. The way to get ahead in the WELS ministery is to be as non-Lutheran and anti-Lutheran as possible, drinking in wisdom from Trinity (Deerfield), Willow Creek, Fuller Seminary, and that Moses of the Twenty-first Century - Leonard Sweet.

We're Marching to Zion...

PCK has left a new comment on your post "UOJ and Church Growth Presentations, Disguised as...":

"GJ - Sorum is the WELS equivalent of Leonard Sweet. Valleskey is the Fuller-trained liberal who espouses UOJ and evangelism. Why bother? Everyone is forgiven and righteous, especially the guilt-free saints in Hell. (That's WELS doctrine, not Luther's.)"

I guess I just don't see how objective justification is that hard to understand. WELS certainly does not solely teach Objective Justification. There are passages such as 2 Corinthians 5:19: "that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them." When Paul uses the word "world", is he referring only to those who believe? I can't say he does. He must mean that the whole world was reconciled to God through Christ payment on the cross. Through that payment God is not counting their sins against them.

Consider Jesus' final words on the cross "It is finished." What is finished? His work of paying for the sins of the world...that is what is finished. His complete payment, his perfect sacrifice is finished. God the Father was pleased and appeased. His anger over sin subsided. His payment was perfect.

Consider Romans 3:23-24: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Note that the Greek word for justified is a present passive participle, nominative masculine plural. What modifies it? That's right, all, the Greek word pantes,in verse 23 which happens to be a nominative masculine plural pronoun. Therefore all have sinned (no one can be excluded) but also all have been justified, declared not guilty, through the redemption, the buying back from sin that came by Christ Jesus.

While this is true, that Christ paid for the sins of the whole world, this gift is not automatically given to all people. People are not automatically saved. That is where subjective justification comes in. You have passages such as John 3:16-18: "John 3:16-18 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." From this passage, this forgiveness and eternal life only comes through faith, the organon leptikon, the receiving hand given to us by God through which we receive Christ's blessings.

Consider Ephesians 2:8-9. For it is by grace you have been saved (we have been saved through God's undeserved love, as seen through his perfect sacrifice on the cross) through faith (however, this salvation through God's grace, displayed in Christ on the cross, is only ours through faith.)

Christ did pay for the sins of the entire world, but unless that blessing is received through faith, it is of no value to the unbeliever. It is a gift they reject. And due to their rejection they are condemned to hell. It is only through faith that Christ's complete payment for the sins of the world is credited to man.

If you plan on posting this, please post the whole thing, and not bits and pieces. Thank you.

***

GJ - This guy has pluck, posting anonymously and telling me how to use the comment. I copied it verbatim.

I am not going to argue Greek grammar on a blog aimed at everyone. I quoted Lenski before, and all other Greek exegetes agree with him - justification in the New Testament is justification by faith alone. The same can be said about justification in the Book of Concord: justification by faith.

Robert Preus was clear about this in his last book. I quoted him on the subject. He also quoted theologians who have been paraded as UOJ advocates, deceptively so, I might add.

Reconciliation is not justification. I wrote a chapter on this, so everyone can read that. It is linked on this page - and my name is on the book. I do not have to defend the truth anonymously.

Let me give one little example that destroys UOJ. "Abraham believed and it was reckoned as righteousness." What did Abraham believe and when? He believed in the coming Messiah, long before the Atonement. He was justified by faith, Paul's inspired doctrine in Romans 4. How could he have righteousness before the Brief Statement Moment of Absolution? UOJ contradicts itself consistently.

Let us look at the Moment of Absolution itself, which varies by three Jewish days. For some, it happened when Christ died. For others, it happened when Christ rose from the dead. If God declared the entire world righteous, then where is that Word of Universal Salvation. The ELS partner of WELS says the world was saved.

I would like to see one Scripture passage or one Book of Concord passage where the entire world is forgiven of its sin, without faith, without the Word, without the Means of Grace.

UOJ emerged from Pietism in the 19th century, as its advocates must admit. UOJ is new. UOJ is not Christian.

Rev. Mouse Needs Anger Management And - A Lutheran Education

A. Nony Mouse has left a new comment on your post "Rev. Mouse Unleashed: Frog in Kettle Simmers":

You wrote: "Anyone who has preached a sermon according to the Scriptures, taught according to the Word, baptized, or communed someone has spread the Gospel."

Your explanation of the word "evangelism" is correct, but let's use it in the sense almost everyone uses it today--What have you ever done that could be considered deliberately sharing law and gospel with an unbeliever? Have you ever worked in a mission field? HAve you ever done a door to door canvas? Have you ever had a Bible class with your former congregations about how to share law and gospel with their friends, neighbors, family and co-workers?

***

GJ - Correct, but... That is Kelmian logic. I could list many things that Baptistic WELS clergy call evangelism. They have to go to Fuller and Willow Creek to understand real evangelism. Le't not trouble ourselves with the Means of Grace when we can entertain people into the Kingdom. My purpose now is to convert the synodical leaders to Lutheran doctrine. The evangelism work I do goes all over the world, and I will leave it at that.

***

More Mouse:

I' ve never seen anyone make such a big deal about the schools he attended--accredited or not. By the way you brag about your schools so much, methinks you're trying to impress your readers. It even seems as if you're trying to equate the words "accredited" with "orthodox."

***

GJ - Since we do not know who you are, Rev. Mouse, your statements are difficult to judge. We all know WELS has a thing against education, unless it is in-house, Willow Creek, Trinity Deerfield, or Fuller Seminary. I have noticed Olson and Kelm calling themselves Dr. on the strength of a D.Min. in Church Growth. I would call that bragging about nothing. The D.Min. was invented by seminaries as the equivalent of an STM. No one wants to pick up an STD today, even from Fuller.

I read Olson's D.Min. paper from Fuller, jabbing myself with a compass to stay awake - or was it to keep from laughing out loud in the sanctum sanctorum of the MLC library?

Doctorates are rare in the Wisconsin sect. So is intelligent debate. Get out the yellowed dog notes and repeat after me: WELS is perfect.

I would not equate unaccredited with orthodox, if that is what you imply. I have the advantage of age, experience, and education. Everyone has a unique perspective, but few have an original one. Obviously Mouse has a deep need to engage my arguments. For that I am glad. Perhaps I can rescue him from the swamp of apostasy.

I follow Wesley's maxim: "If you can't convert them, at least make them angry." In that I consider myself a rousing success.

Rev. Mouse Unleashed: Frog in Kettle Simmers

The Frog in the Kettle is a Church Growth book promoted by WELS to get congregations and pastors involved in Reformed doctrine and practice.


Rev. A. Nony Mouse has left a new comment on your post "UOJ and Church Growth Presentations, Disguised as...":

You wrote: "Valleskey is the Fuller-trained liberal who espouses UOJ and evangelism."

So, if you espouse evangelism you're a liberal? Dr. Jackson, what have you ever done that could be considered evangelism? And please don't mention this blog. All I've ever seen here is slander and libel.

On another note, if you condemn these men for the schools they attended, you should be condemned most of all--Augustana? Waterloo? Yale? Notre Dame?

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GJ - Anyone who has preached a sermon according to the Scriptures, taught according to the Word, baptized, or communed someone has spread the Gospel. I am surprised Mouse knows so little of Lutheran doctrine. In fact, that is why so many Lutheran ministers are discouraged and demoralized. They listen to the doctrine of demons and think they need a a palace with a 20 acre parking lot to be considered evangelists. The apostates are only gathering more materialistic apostates around them, giving them what their itching ears want to hear.

People who spread the doctrine of Fuller Seminary in the name of evangelism are apostates, not liberals. I should have used a more precise term.

I attended accredited schools when I was a member of the LCA. The Wisconsin sect looks down on all other sects and their schools but their leaders run off to Fuller, Willow Creek, and Concordia Seminary for training. I suggest that Mouse go after Kelm for being a WELS pastor and earning a Concordia D.Min..

Here are some other known Fuller Seminary alumni from WELS:
David Valleskey
Frosty Bivens
Wally Oelhaven
Fred Adrian
Larry Olson
Reuel Schulz
Harry Haggedorn
James Huebner
Robert Hartman
Joel Gerlach
Norm Berg.

Rev. Mouse should condemn me for attending the unaccredited Sausage Factory in Mequon. The faculty condemned Reformed doctrine in one classroom and promoted it in another. I count at least three Mequon professors who have studied at Fuller Seminary, according to their own boasts.

Rev. Mouse - when you write to these gentleman, please copy me. I will post your messages, one and all, to Ichabod. The readers will patiently wait for your response.

Perhaps you would like to read the hundreds of quotations from orthodox Lutheran authors. All you see is slander and libel? Pehaps that is all you see. I will concede that statement about what you see.

LQ fanatics condemned me for graduating from Notre Dame as an LCA member. Meanwhile, their favorite faculty members (Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne) were earned doctorates from the same school. When I pointed that out, they fell silent.

Sabre of Boldness

Rev. Aaron Moldenhouer Receives Sabre of Boldness for 2008

The Sabre of Boldness was awarded to Rev. Fr. Aaron Moldenhauer, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Beecher, Illinois, on Thursday night, January 17th, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the thirteenth annual Sabre ceremony, sponsored by the editors of Gottesdienst. Fr. Moldenhauer is a recent graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, who for reasons of conscience was compelled to leave the Wisconsin Synod during his vicarage year and colloquize into the Missouri Synod. For this he has endured considerable scorn by many who were close to him. Fr. Moldenhauer was unable to attend the ceremony, but his wife Tabitha was present to receive the award for him.

Bearers of the Sabre
1996 The Rev. Peter C. Bender
1997 The Rev. Jonathan G. Lange
1998 The Rev. Dr. Edwin S. Suelflow
1999 The Rev. Gary V. Gehlbach - Eastern Orthodox Mole
2000 The Rev. Peter M. Berg - Eastern Orthodox Mole
2001 The Rev. Dr. John C. Wohlrabe
2002 The Rev. Erich Fickel
2003 The Rev. Dr. Wallace Schulz
2004 The Rev. Charles M. Henrickson - UOJ
2005 The Rev. Edward J. Balfour
2006 The Rev. Bishop Walter Obare
2007 The Rev. Dr. Ronald Feuerhahn

***

GJ - I admire Pastor Balfour and Dr. Feuerhahn, but this award is rather comical, especially since the judges think joining another synod is something akin to martyrdom. The battles during the Reformation and after the death of Luther meant: burning to death (Dr. Robert Barnes), dungeons, exile, and persecution by the government itself. Today Christians in China are gladly going to prison for the faith. Christians around the world are still being slaughtered, especially by Muslims.

I see no one on the list in prison. One man did risk his life.

Kelm Understands Universal Objective Justification

UOJ Stormtrooper on Vacation

Paul Kelm, WELS (D.Min. in Church Growth, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis) is one of the few to grasp the real meaning of Universal Objective Justification.

Probably no one has been taught the weirdness of forgiveness without faith until he has studied at the Sausage Factory (Mequon), the Frozen Food Seminary (Mankato) or the two Concordias. Many of those students think UOJ means the Atonement, but it does not. As I have told various people, the misinformed and badly educated have had their eyes opened by the actual statements of UOJ champions. The scales fall off their eyes when they realize that UOJ is not the Atonement but an alien religion divorced from the Christian faith.

Apart from the Midwestern sects of Lutheranism, the same ones flocking to Fuller and Willow Creek, no organizations have embraced UOJ in all of Christianity.

But Paul Kelm has an important insight, which may explain matters for people. He likes to make everything upside-down. He has this statement in one of his theological treatises:

"It's just easier for many people to work backwards from the subjective to the objective in their thinking. In fact, upside-down evangelism may start with gospel and work back to law, stating the solution as a prelude to the problem and clarifying both at the cross." [This is Moravian Pietism]
Paul Kelm The Evangelism Life Line (WELS), Fall, 1985 p. 5.

Moravian Pietism starts with the Gospel and works back to the Law. That explains the peculiar nature of WELS. On the one hand, they publish articles in FIC (False Teachers in Collusion) and books at NPH (Valleskey, et al). They always say, "The whole world has been forgiven." The ELS says the whole world is saved.

On the other hand, they lash people with the Law. WELS blames its members for its financial meltdown and loss of members. The ELS extends the Left Foot of Fellowship to anyone who dissents, even UOJ warrior Preus.

LutherQuest (sic) chants "Anathema sit. Anathema sit (Let him be damned)," if anyone questions their beloved UOJ. Wait guys. Everyone has been forgiven, declared righteous. It's over, man, as you say so eloquently. How come the Book of Concord fans are condemned while the Hottentotts are forgiven? Why is Hell filled with guilt-free saints while Ichabod is full of condemned sinners?

Paul Kelm has explained it well. Start with the Gospel, move to the Law.

Luther said if we do that, the listener will look at us the way a cow looks at a newly painted fence.

And that is the proper look for UOJ laity.

LutherQuest (sic) Fulminating for Universal Objective Justification

UOJ Stormtroopers Reason with a Layman.

The word sic is Latin for thus, meaning - that is their error not mine. LutherQuest (sic) is anything but a quest for Luther.

The sign of a weak argument is fulmination. False teachers literally foam at the mouth when they are challenged with God's Word, Luther, and the Confessions. Brett Meyer, a layman, chose to ask LQ denizens about their robotic advocacy of justification without faith.

A Missouri Synod pastor posted this on LQ:

Brett,

Your words are very frightening to me. Why? Because I fear that you are leading people to believe that there is no forgiveness for people...

You also frighten me, because you are flat-out lying about Rev. Preus' position on justification. Here are his words, from the beginning of his forward to Herman Preus' paper....

The same pastor used Methinks on one of his signed LQ posts at the same time an anonymous poster used Methinks on Ichabod while accusing me of being a follower of Osiander! That could be a coincidence, but I did find it odd that a pastor in his prophetic role of rooting out false doctrine would make a charge anonymously, whatever his name might be. UOJ Stormtroopers have their own rules, I have seen.

Brett Meyer has been excruciatingly polite with these people.

To clarify matters about Rolf Preus - he is on both sides of the issue. He has agreed with the Book of Concord and swung over to UOJ again. He asked for and received a rough draft of the justification chapter of Thy Strong Word. He responded by email that he agreed with it. Subsequently, before the book was available, Rolf falsely declared on LQ that he had my book, and denounced it. As I recall, he publicly agreed with justification by faith again, but doubled back on his own words.

A dentist posted some good comments on LQ about the weakness and falsity of UOJ. He persisted for a long time. Then he reappeared to rescind all of his previous posts. He sounded pulpit-whipped to me.

If the UOJ Stormtroopers on LQ had a case, they would not need to be so nasty to a layman, resorting to name calling and false accusations. Their defense of forgiveness without faith can be summarized as:
1. Read our previous posts.
2. Read Walther and his disciples.
3. Ignore Luther, the Book of Concord, and historic Christianity.

Lambeth the Bellwether of Protestantism

Note the density of Lutherans in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

From Virtue Online:

First of all, Lambeth 2008 will mainly be made up of liberals, as most of the orthodox will be attending GAFCON in the Holy Land with only a handful attending Lambeth 2008. Most of the orthodox will stay away from Lambeth thus saying, in so many words, '"We have had enough and we will discuss what it means to fulfill the Great Commission." The predominant voices at Lambeth will be liberals, not conservatives, with the loudest most strident left wing voices coming from the U.S., Canada, the UK, Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

While V. Gene Robinson, the openly homoerotic Bishop of New Hampshire, has not been given an official invitation to Lambeth he will attend "on his honeymoon" with his partner and will hold seminars on sodomy to anyone who wants to attend. Dr Williams made it clear in an announcement about Lambeth that Gene Robinson has not been invited to the Lambeth Conference. "It is proving extremely difficult to see under what heading he might be invited to be around," said Williams.

Recently, a Church of England bishop opined that if homosexuality was not on the table at Lambeth, then it would be the 800 pound gorilla in the communion that would come back to haunt it.

Furthermore, it has been the singular concern of the Archbishop of the West Indies, the Most Rev. Drexel Gomez, that if the conservatives stay away from Lambeth, then the Liberals will use it as an opportunity to overthrow Resolution 1:10, the lynchpin resolution of Lambeth 1998 that says sexual behavior is only appropriate between a husband and wife. Certainly the liberal bishops will be ably assisted in this action by the Anglican Consultative Council with acquiescence from Dr. Williams and a hearty push by liberal and revisionist TEC bishops.

***

GJ - The Lambeth Conference is significant because the Archbishop of Canterburgy calls it once every 10 years. Bishops have to be invited to attend. As readers can see, the confab has some legislative authority, but that is easily overlooked. If the traditionalists pass a rule, it is bypassed. If the apostates pass a rule, it is the Eleventh Commandment.

The Episcopal Church in America has repeatedly violated its own guidelines in order to make the new radicalism the norm. That began with the illegal ordination of women and moved forward from there. Why wait to change the rules? Violating the rules will change them without a vote.

The socialists in England worked on incremental changes in their country, until England was almost completely bankrupt. This method has worked well for Episcopalians as well.

Let us not start clucking our tongues. Only a comatose Lutheran could say things are different in his own synod. The radicals nibble along the edges the same way. Synodical leaders do not read Luther and cannot spell Chemnitz, so they ape what they learn at joint meetings with ELCA, whether sponsored by Thrivent Insurance or blessed by the Fuller/Willow Creek bunch.

Lutherans follow the Episcopalians, a few years later.

WELS Schools - Lower Enrollment, Higher Costs

Enrollments

• Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, WI: 173
On-campus: 132 (seniors–40, middlers–45, juniors–46, PSI–1)
Off-campus: 41 (vicars–40, emergency service–1)

• Martin Luther College, New Ulm, MN: 692 on-campus (education–509, pre-seminary–171, unclassified–12)

• Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, MI: 218
111 boys and 107 girls (seniors–56, juniors–56, sophomores–55, freshmen–51)

• Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, WI: 328
166 boys and 162 girls (seniors–80, juniors–75, sophomores–95, freshmen–78)

***

GJ - Let's do the math. They once had four preps and two colleges, with higher enrollments and much lower tuition. Now they have closed two prep schools and one college, raised tuition to a Lexus level, and...

***

MLS Veteran has left a new comment on your post "WELS Schools - Lower Enrollment, Higher Costs":

Wow, those enrollments at the 2 prep schools really are low.

Perhaps we are comparing apples to oranges, however,

Back in my day, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, there were almost no area WELS Lutheran High Schools.

Now, there are quite a few.

So perhaps many of the students who normally would have went off to high school away from home now attend a nearby Lutheran high school.

It really is a big decision for both parents and students to leave home at 13 or 14.

How many would really want their young 'uns to face the infamous "Zex" year?

***

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Schools - Lower Enrollment, Higher Costs":

After what poor MLS had to go thru just to stay alive for another year, who would be inspired to go there? Who knows when the threat of closing will pop up again and no doubt it will. It's hard to get someone interested in spending that much money with the 'powers that be' forcasting doom and gloom.

GJ - The Church Growth wolves want missionaries so they can travel all over the world to supervise them, have global conferences, and feel important. CG gurus do not like synodical schools at all. Schools are trending downward, to use the management-speak WELS loves to use.

UOJ and Church Growth Presentations, Disguised as Evangelism, Martin Luther College

Or - The Blind Leading the Bland

Forty-one pastors, teachers, and staff ministers from across the synod are making presentations at Martin Luther College (MLC) in New Ulm, Minn., on Wed., Jan. 23, as part of the school's annual Evangelism Day.

MLC is presenting the one-day event in partnership with WELS Commission on Evangelism and WELS Commission for Parish Schools

Among the speakers is Rev. David Valleskey, former president of Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, who will be one of the leaders of a workshop on "Preparing a Personal Witness."

Rev. E. Allen Sorum, seminary professor, will be giving the keynote address.

***

GJ - Sorum is the WELS equivalent of Leonard Sweet. Valleskey is the Fuller-trained liberal who espouses UOJ and evangelism. Why bother? Everyone is forgiven and righteous, especially the guilt-free saints in Hell. (That's WELS doctrine, not Luther's.)

California Suit Against WELS High School Rejected by Judge

Will Tinky-Winky Join the Appeal as a Friend of the Court?

A judge rejected the claim against the WELS California Lutheran High School that the school discriminated against two students because of alleged lesbian inclinations. The attorneys will appeal the decision. The Ninth Circuit is great for writing new laws people never imagined before.

The judge ruled that a religious school has a right to religious opinions. My question is: WWFS?

What Would Frosty Say?

The specific nature of homosexual sin is different from heterosexual sin, but its essence is identical: a failure to be and behave as God’s revealed will demands. Divine law remains the perfect tool to expose and convict sinners of their sin, and the unconditional gospel remains the perfect tool to comfort and empower forgiven sinners to enjoy life in Christ. God’s Word remains “living and active” for us and others. There is no need or room for revulsion or pessimism as we share the pardoning and purifying Word with our sometimes weak and wounded family members in Christ.

Share proper information

It is likely that you won’t always have the perfect words to say, and it is almost certain that you won’t have all the answers. But you can do some homework and choose your words carefully. Don’t weigh in prematurely with an inflexible answer to the “nature vs. nurture” question. Consider the possibility that both genetic and environmental factors may be involved, just as they often are in heterosexual sin, alcohol and drug abuse, or a variety of other addictions. Be quick to acknowledge that issues of sexual orientation can sometimes be challenging, but God’s grace and power is more than sufficient to give his people power to cope with reality.

In fostering fruits of faith, keep in mind that sanctification is not to be equated with marriage and heterosexual activity. Christians who lack heterosexual impulses may please God with celibate chastity that might involve a lifelong struggle against homosexual tendencies. To counsel them to “go and get attracted to the opposite sex” betrays a misunderstanding of sanctification and invites unnecessary frustration for those already burdened.

***

GJ - I am a little confused. No, not about that.

Frosty Bivens, a Fuller Seminary liberal, seems to be promoting the line that people are born homosexual (a fact I have never witnessed in a hospital nursery). Also, he has repeated a previous WELS declaration that there is no difference between homosexual and heterosexual sin. This moral equivalency argument was copied from ELCA, by the way.

Moral equivalence is a popular logical fallacy. The Communist Revolution was just the same as the American Revolution (minus the slaughter, torture, and tyranny). The Boston Tea Party was terrorism, we are led to think by the elite. I know some fish and crabs got over-caffeinated, but how many humans died in the Boston Tea Party?

Sinful inclinations are inherently sinful, even though they are internal or mental.

KJV James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: 14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

WELS cannot even hold to the doctrine of Creation. God created men and women to long for a permanent, married, heterosexual relationship. Without desire there would be few marriages and even fewer babies.

I hate to bring up Luther when discussing doctrine with Lutherans. Luther makes them angry while Sweet calms them down. Luther consistently emphasized the impact of mental sin, that prevention of mental sin by force only inflames the sinful nature. The only solution is the Gospel Promises for those who realize their sin. Frosty seems to approve of an unnatural mental sin, as long as it is repressed.

Frosty is a major cheerleader for UOJ, so he is not likely to understand the Biblical concept of godly contrition and justification by faith.

Notice how easily one moves from UOJ to Situation Ethics. Naturally one can find enough in his article to fool a traditionalist. This is just a half-way step to outright advocacy, which will arrive when the closets empty in WELS.

Confidential to Frosty - the judge says, "It's OK to be Biblical."

Septuagesima Sermon

KJV John 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. 10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. 11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Septuagesima Sunday

1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. 25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

KJV Matthew 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Collect
Lord God, heavenly Father, through your holy Word You have called us into your vineyard; Send, we beseech You, Your Holy Spirit into our hearts, that we may labor faithfully in Your vineyard, shun sin and all offense, obediently keep Your Word and do Your will, and put our whole and only trust in Your grace, which You have bestowed upon us so abundantly; through Your Son Jesus Christ, that we might obtain eternal salvation through Him; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, world without end. Amen.

TLH Hymns:
331 – Yeas, As I Live Jehovah Saith
123 – O God Our Help in Ages Past
387 – Dear Christians One and All Rejoice
495 – From Greenland’s Icy Mountains

Justification by Faith and the Great Seduction

1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

"Now, although both, the planting and watering of the preacher, and the running and willing of the hearer, would be in vain, and no conversion would follow it if the power and efficacy of the Holy Ghost were not added thereto, who enlightens and converts the hearts through the Word preached and heard, so that men believe this Word and assent thereto, still, neither preacher nor hearer is to doubt this grace and efficacy of the Holy Ghost, but should be certain that when the Word of God is preached purely and truly, according to the command and will of God, and men listen attentively and earnestly and meditate upon it, God is certainly present with His grace, and grants, as has been said, what otherwise man can neither accept nor give from his own powers."
Solid Declaration, Article II, Free Will, 55?56, Formula of Concord, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 903. Tappert, p. 531f.

When people discuss justification by faith, other matters often intrude. Paul addresses this in the epistle for today.

Someone—either Paul Kelm or one of his buddies—introduced those arguments in the last week. Here they are:

Is it the Church Growth Movement when we learn how to remove or reduce barriers to communicating the gospel clearly? If I better know the mind of an unbeliever, might I better be "all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some?" If I give thought to having adequate parking at our church knowing that if I don't the first-time visitor might drive off, does this mean I am a CGM flunkie? Or is it possible that I'm so in love with Christ and his powerful Word that I will bend over backwards to remove every possible barrier which might keep a person from coming into contact with the Word and hearing it clearly?

First of all, what does the Bible teach about the order of salvation?

The Law does not save but the Holy Spirit does work through the Law. In salvation, the Law works to soften the hearts of the audience, so they hunger and thirst for righteousness. Many people think of Law preaching as aimed at gambling, intoxication, and all the obvious carnal sins. Most of those people are ministers. They actually think Law preaching will have Gospel fruits. The longer they hammer at the Law, the better the results will be.
There are several problems with this. One is that the Law does not bear fruit. Only the Gospel promises will bear fruit. More importantly, people do not have their faith strengthened by hearing the Law alone.

The Law is comprised of condemnation, threats, and punishment. Luther addressed carnal sins from time to time, but he condemned two great matters in the sermons I have read. One is lack of faith in God’s Word. The other is false doctrine.

Lack of Faith in God’s Word
I wrote before, that this saying came up more than once in Isaac B. Singer’s stories – “If God wants vinegar to burn, it will burn.” That is a vivid way of saying, “God can do anything through His will and Word.” Humans doubt. That is the Old Adam at work. We resist giving credit to God for His infinite power while trusting in our own.

We also doubt God’s wisdom and love.

KJV Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

Questioning God’s love and power is rebellion against His Word, a sin that leads to many other sins. Doubt in God’s Word is the foundational sin.

Luther was surrounded by carnal sin in his time—not that it is absent in ours. The Medieval preachers had scared people to death with Hell and Purgatory for centuries. Preaching against carnal sin had no effect on the congregations, except to make people respond to Law preaching with Law responses. It is just like a requirement in school. If the instructor says, “A 700 word paper with two references,” the results will be 700 word papers with two references. When the Medieval priest said there was a price to pay (reparation, still in effect) for a given sin, the listener said, “OK, how much do I pay?”

The effect of preaching only the Law could be seen in the Medieval Church. The religious were so corrupt, greedy, and immoral that some think Christianity was ready to collapse forever.

Luther aimed at his era in two ways. He assailed their doubt in God’s Word and preached against false doctrine. One writer said this is what caused the Reformation – identifying false doctrine. Other writers and preachers spoke about the Gospel Promises, but they did not identify the errors of the visible Church. Law preaching against false doctrine made the Vatican furious and the Reformation, already simmering for 100 years, exploded.

The effect of the Law is to soften hearts and to make people crave what the Gospel alone can provide – forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

Gospel Promises
We are born sinful and cannot save ourselves. We do not even have the inclination to believe in the true Word of God. There is a natural belief in the divine. Most people believe in some sort of Creation, some system of right and wrong.

Proper Law preaching shows people that false systems of salvation are bound to crush people or give them false hopes. The study of world religion shows that. All the world religions concentrate on what man does for God to receive salvation. The Christian faith alone teaches what God does for man, without a charge.

Gospel in the Old Testament
Someone sent me a book, The Jewish Trinity. The point of this complicated book is to show how often the Trinity appears in the Old Testament. The author appears to be a Jew trained in rabbinic thought. The English translations, especially the NIV, bury the strange Hebrew constructions of plurals (Elohim – gods) with singular verbs. The obvious parallel is John, where Jesus said, “The Father and I, we are One.” The author’s point is to show how the Trinity was not new to Jews at the time of Jesus, explaining why the disciples believed in Jesus and the people easily moved from implicit faith in the Trinity to explicit faith in the Trinity, Jesus as Savior.

So correct Judaism is really Christianity before the Incarnation. Many accepted that in the time of Jesus and afterwards. A reaction built up and Judaism officially rejected Jesus as the true Messiah. Nevertheless, the clues are there in the Old Testament and Jews continue to take that final step into explicit faith in Christ. As I have seen in the stories of Isaac Singer, Polish Jews believed in eternal life and a personal Messiah.

Justification and the Gospel
The passage from the Formula of Concord teaches clearly what the Scriptures reveal. All that the Church needs is faithful preaching of the Gospel Promises and attentive listening to the Word. The Holy Spirit will always work through that Word, creating and sustaining faith. Through faith we receive the Gospel Promises.

What are those promises? The chief Promise is forgiveness and salvation. “Believe and you will be saved. Believe and you will be forgiven. Believe and you will have eternal life.”

Believe and be saved
KJV Luke 8:12 Those by the way side are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

KJV Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

KJV Romans 10:9 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.
Believe and you will be forgiven.
KJV Acts 26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

KJV Romans 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Believe and you will have eternal life.
KJV John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? 27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

Faith in Christ means faith in God’s Word. Doubt about God’s Word means doubt about Christ, the power and love of God. The only purpose of God’s Word is to bring Christ to us, to show us the way of salvation, and to build up our faith so that we do not depart from eternal life.

Justification by faith leads to the fruits of the Christian faith. The famous Roman passage is often used to address justification, but notice how it also discusses the ongoing benefits of salvation:

KJV Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

The Formula of Concord passages is plain and clear for anyone to understand. If the preacher proclaims man’s word, it is not God’s Word. Man’s word is not accompanied by the Holy Spirit. There are many successful gatherings where God is barely mentioned in the entire service. The minister and people are celebrating themselves and not worshiping God.

Likewise there are faithful ministers everywhere who preach the true Word of God to people who are indifferent, lazy, or just plain hostile to the Gospel. Adulterers hate the Word of God because they have lost faith but crave the appearance of being godly. The last thing they want to hear on Sunday is the way of salvation. Also, Satan hates the way a mortal man, a weakling with so many faults, can defeat him—the Prince of this world—with the Word. “One little Word will fell him.” So Satan rages against faithful Christians, faithful ministers, faithful congregations. People see the turmoil and say, “O look at how troubled they are, for all their talk about being true to the Word. We have better insights, true peace, and the biggest parking lot in the city.”

We are not to doubt the work of the Holy Spirit in any setting, but attach ourselves to the true Word and cling to that. Those who remain on the True Vine (John 15) bear fruit.

God brings judgment to the false teachers. They have their moments acclamation, but God plagues them with inner doubts. That is why false teachers fly into a rage when their doctrine is questioned. That is also why they spend so much energy lying about everything. First one thing must be covered up, then another and another. In time they become so used to lying that their habits edge them over the cliff into personal ruin. Satan enjoys ripping the scales from their eyes at the last minute. Far better to remain in a cottage than reign for a moment in Satan’s cathedral.

People give themselves away. If someone would drive away from a church from the lack of a good parking place, that person will stay for material reasons too. If a minister believes in material means for saving people, he will place all his trust in the material and none of it in the Word.

Strangely—or not so strangely—false teachers hate being quoted. Even more they hate having their pearls of wisdom placed next to the statements of Luther, Chemnitz, and others. They do not trust God’s Word to do God’s work according to His will, but they trust their word and their wisdom will accomplish what God is unable to do without them. The shallowness of this false-gospel is too obvious.

God has given us a wonderful treasure in this Gospel, that Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world and for each and every one of us. The Holy Spirit distributes this treasure through the invisible Word of preaching and teaching, the visible Word of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.
· Some want to distribute garbage from the dumpsters of Fuller Seminary and some are eager to grasp it.
· Some have the real Treasure of the Gospel offered to them in a dozen ways and turn it away, or turn from it over time.
· Still others grasp the Gospel at the last minute and find salvation in the moments before death.

KJV John 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.