Ignorance Enlivened by the Straw Man Fallacy

"I don't care what people say
UOJ is here to stay
Sound off, one, two..."

A. Nony Mousehas left a new comment on your post "No, No, Nanette":

No, Greg, you're wrong. UOJ IS the same as the Atonement. I think you're just trying to stir up more trouble. I feel really sorry for the poor folks who are led astray by you, and they lose the comfort of the Atonement-UOJ. On their deathbeds, they will stuggle as they look to their weak and trembling faith, rather than to Christ crucified and risen!

***

GJ - First let me address the ignorance of Rev. A. Nony Mouse (WELS).

Here is a quotation from Robert Preus, when he still supported UOJ (and the Church Growth Movement). Both go together.

Cited by Jack Cascione, another UOJ Stormtrooper:

THE PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE – "OBJECTIVE JUSTIFICATION"

The doctrine of objective justification is a lovely teaching drawn from Scripture which tells us that God who has loved us so much that He gave His only to be our Savior has for the sake of Christ’s substitutionary atonement declared the entire world of sinners for whom Christ died to be righteous (Romans 5:17-19).

Objective justification which is God’s verdict of acquittal over the whole world is not identical with the atonement, it is not another way of expressing the fact that Christ has redeemed the world. Rather it is based upon the substitutionary work of Christ, or better, it is a part of the atonement itself. It is God’s response to all that Christ died to save us, God’s verdict that Christ’s work is finished, that He has been indeed reconciled, propitiated; His anger has been stilled and He is at peace with the world, and therefore He has declared the entire world in Christ to be righteous.

***

GJ - I have gathered most of the material on this subject in Thy Strong Word. Those quotations have shown people the error of their thinking, which can only come from being carefully taught error in one of the synodical seminaries. As they often said at the Sausage Factory in Mequon, "Doctrinal error usually starts in the seminary faculty." No kidding. At least Robert Preus had the courage to repudiate his former position, which was tied to his Norwegian heritage.

The equation of UOJ and the Atonement is wrong, just plain ignorant. Dr. Preus confessed a common error in the passage above, taken directly from Walther's infamous Easter Absolution sermon: to wit - UOJ is God declaring the entire world righteous, forgiven, full of grace without the Means of Grace, enjoying the Promises of God without hearing the Promises of God, guilt-free without knowing what guilt is.

Thus endeth the lesson on ignorance.

The Straw Man fallacy. One sign of a weak argument is the use of a logical fallacy or even a string of them. The Straw Man fallacy is distinguished by the hothead saying, "This is what you claim and it is wrong."

Mouse's Straw Man is - "You direct people to have faith in their faith." That is a common canard (French for duck) from the UOJ troops. How they march in formation - always in the wrong direction.

No, Mouse. Justification by faith teaches people to trust in the redeeming work accomplished for them by Christ. The Go

Purring Along

A reader was concerned that nasty, anonymous people were shutting me down. No, they encourage me, even more than the many pleasant people who phone and email me.

One person sent a long list of what was wrong with me and signed his name - Anonymous. He is probably a minister of the Wisconsin sect. They start with the Gospel and move to the Law, as Paul Kelm has taught them. "Everyone is forgiven (UOJ) and this is what is wrong with you." Since they move to the Law, they never move off the Law.

Apparently the Law does not condemn anonymous, spiteful, ridiculous messages. The civil law does cover such behavior over the phone.

I often wonder, "Did these guys have a mother? Were they abused and neglected children?" Apparently they really were abused and neglected. The old standard of WELS schooling was:
1. Drop the kid off in the fall.
2. See the child at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
3. Minimize contact, lest the poor thing be spoiled.
4. Surround the child with hazing, emotional and physical abuse.
One WELS layman said he followed the WELS norms and never realized how much his only son was suffering.

Seeing parents at odd times was considered an emergency. "Why are you here?" is asked in an alarmed and questioning tone of voice.

That is why East Coast is eager to see the parochial schools shut down. They encourage a weird, robotic attitude that justifies itself at all stages, no matter what is done. All I need to hear is, "In our circles..." to know pompous fertilizer will follow, by the truckload.

Any time I comment on well known Wisconsin sect tendencies, I can count on a new anonymous message. I am sure Bailing Water was shut down (three times) by that approach, plus contacting friends and relatives of the blogmeister each time. WELS is good at shutting down discussion of WELS.

Issues in WELS began to build up opposition to SP Gurgel. Then he showed up at a meeting, visibly annoyed, and attendance was frightned away. It doesn't take much to scare away the girly-men of WELS. Issues in WELS, never very daring, is almost comatose today.

But Church and Change is not shut down. They criticize and make fun of WELS all the time, but they do it as apostates. They have a huge website and following. They are eagerly planning their next doctrinal fiasco.

There you have the most obvious sign of apostasy in the WELS leadership - modest discussion sites are shut down while crypto-Baptist sites are linked from the main WELS website (until Ichabod reported it).

Ichabod posts may fluctuate in the next semester. I started teaching at a third online university and I study journalism (master's degree) on the side. Sometimes the written work is going to pile up. The petty vindictiveness of WELS is not going to change. I know that. But I am not gong to stop writing about apostasy. The only way to silence me is for WELS to start studying the Confessions.

Tom Cruise and Scientology

Some people are exposing the actual doctrines of Scientology. They have vowed to destroy it. The cult is strange and abusive, but there are a number of high-profile adherents. Hollywood makes fun of traditional Christianity but defends Cruise.

Click this link for a scary Tom Cruise interview.

Some well known Scientologists include:
Tom Cruise and his third wife.
John Travolta.
Kirsti Alley.
The woman who does the voice for Bart Simpson.
When Kirk Douglas gave an award to Travolta, the Grease star held the aging actor's head firmly and kissed him on the mouth.

L. Ron Hubbard began Scientology with his book Dianetics. Recently I found a book trying to unite all secret mystery religions. The poor slob spent 20 years studying them all and finding universal truths in them. He was close to being included as a member in one of them. He said he declined. Maybe he was lying.

The book made a good point about all the secret religions being similar. Same author - Satan, I would say.

Some young women identify with Wicca (witchcraft) as a means of obtaining power or meaning in life. When something like that comes up in class, there is also noise for neo-paganism or an affinity with an earlier religion. One student announced she was an ordained priestess of Egyptian paganism. She was also extraordinarily rude with everyone else.

No, No, Nanette

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Repeats Two Justifications":

I also believe in UOJ. I believe and teach it the same way you do about the atonement or reconciliation. We're talking about the same exact thing, but using different terms.

***

GJ - Anonymous is a popular name for those who comment.

Sorry - no one can use the favorite labels of false doctrine and say, "I agree with you." Besides, the statement above is too brief to know exactly what the author means.

Some think OJ is another term for the Atonement. I thought that and used the term OJ in Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant (first printing). I corrected that in the second printing.

The assumption of UOJ = Atonement led some to conclude falsely that denying UOJ was denying the universal nature of the Atonement.

UOJ is peculiar to the Walther circle and (as far as I can tell) the Norwegian Lutherans. That is perhaps why Robert Preus stuck with UOJ for a long period of time.

UOJ would make a good dissertation for someone with access to the German Pietistic works.

The essence of UOJ error is this:

1. That God declared the world free of sin the moment Christ died on the cross or alternately the moment Christ rose from the dead.
   
2. That everyone is already forgiven of all sin.
   
3. That everyone is already saved.
   
4. That people believe once they hear they are already forgiven and saved.
   
5. That they are not really, truly forgiven and saved unless they accept that they are.

The Christian Church has always used technical terms as short-hand for conclusions to lengthy conflicts. The term Trinity is non-Biblical but useful. (Many abuse the term nevertheless.) We should avoid terms without a foundation in the Scriptures and Confessions.

Pope John the Malefactor's Malignant Influence

Pope John the Malefactor: "Everyone is forgiven. The Hottentots are forgiven. The residents of Hell are forgiven, guilt-free saints. But if anyone disagrees with my ambiguous, confused, and contradictory doctrinal opinions, I will extend the Left Foot of Fellowship to them. Amen? Amen! Now where are my round-the-world tickets?"

ELS Pastor Jesse Jacobsen, The Plucked Chicken:

GJ - I am taking note of an ELS blog because it deals with UOJ. I know the author from years ago. Unfortunately, Pope John the Malefactor was teaching at at the Frozen Food Seminary in Mankato, laying UOJ thickly and crudely on his students, including Jesse Jacobsen.

I give Pastor Jacobsen credit for dealing with the issue out in the open, not ducking and hiding from the implications of UOJ. If Lutheran pastors continue to do this, they will find that UOJ is untenable and unChristian.

It shouldn't surprise us, but those two points harmonize and reinforce each other rather well:

The lost are condemned not because of the guilt of their accumulated sin, but because they do not believe in Christ.

The Holy Spirit proclaims righteousness upon the world because the Lamb of God has made atonement for all of its guilt.

Someone may object to this terminology for some reason, but at this point I see no problem with calling the unlimited atonement made by Christ "objective justification," especially because His resurrection proves that it was accepted by the Father.

As always, I am open to criticism, though God's Word really isn't.

***

GJ - The Wisconsin Sect and the Little Sect on the Prairie are stuck with their own infallibility doctrine. They are never wrong, have never been wrong, and cannot accept any error among any of their leaders or writers. That leads to obnoxious errors being repeated and defended without thinking them through.

The blog shows that Jacobsen is facing the issue and has made some progress. For example, by quoting John 3:18 in his blog, he has refuted his own conclusion: "The Holy Spirit proclaims righteousness upon the world because the Lamb of God has made atonement for all of its guilt."

KJV John 3:15 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.

The foundation of doctrine must be the infallible and inerrant Word of God, not the propositions of Walther's disciples (F. Pieper, J. P. Meyer). Luther and the Book of Concord teach that the Atonement is the treasure, that the Holy Spirit distributes this treasure through the preaching office. Righteousness is declared through the Gospel and received in faith, not absorbed universally via osmosis.

Is it any wonder that the ELS and WELS are confused about the public ministry? Here is their Jedi Master of UOJ:

J-586

I. "Objectively speaking, without any reference to an individual sinner's attitude toward Christ's sacrifice, purely on the basis of God's verdict, every sinner, whether he knows about it or not, whether he believes it or not, has received the status of a saint. What will be his reaction when he is informed about this turn of events? Will he accept, or will he decline?"
J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, A Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, p. 103f. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

II. "Before Christ's intervention took place God regarded him as a guilt-laden, condemned culprit. After Christ's intervention and through Christ's intervention He regards him as a guilt-free saint."
J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, A Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, p. 107. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

III. "This applies to the whole world, to every individual sinner, whether he was living in the days of Christ, or had died centuries before His coming, or had not yet been born, perhaps has not been born to this day. It applies to the world as such, regardless of whether a particular sinner ever comes to faith or not."
J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, A Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, p. 109. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

J-587

“About 300 years earlier Johann Gerhard expressed the same truth in these words: ‘By raising Christ from the dead God absolved Him from our sins, which had been imputed to Him, and accordingly He absolved us also in Him.’ Gerhard was professor of theology in Jena. He did not write a Brief Statement, but he did write a book on Lutheran dogmatics consisting of 20 volumes. He died in 1637.”
J. P. Meyer, “The Holy Spirit Creator,” The Northwestern Lutheran, September 24, 1950, p. 310. [GJ Note how Gerhard is slandered. See the post below. J. P. Meyer was a professor at Northwestern College in Watertown, president of Martin Luther College (nee Dr. Martin Luther College) in New Ulm, professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (1920-1964), president of the seminary (1937-1963), and author of the notes used in dogmatics class. He published Ministers of Christ in 1963 and died the next year at the age of 91. WELS cannot admit Meyer was a false teacher, but they stopped printing his little book.]

J-588

“The Judge in heaven examines this evidence. He declares His verdict. It is one of acquittal. Man’s debt of sin is no longer charged against him. Sinful man is free!”
WELS Conference of Presidents, “Every Sinner Declared Righteous,” 1954 tract.

J-585

Letters to the Hartman and Pohlman Families




“Faith Lutheran Church

3215 West Judson Road

Kokomo, Indiana 46901



August 30, 1979



Mr. and Mrs. David Hartman

R. R. #1, Box 90

Kokomo, Indiana 46901



Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hartman,



In response to your letter of August 18, 1979, it is our understanding that your ‘no’ vote on June 20th against supporting the biblical doctrine of the WELS was based at least in part, on your failure to accept the following statement – included in your letter – all of which are in agreement with the teachings of the WELS, namely that:

‘Objectively speaking, without any reference to an individual sinners’ [sic] attitude toward Christs’ [sic] sacrafice [sic], purely on the basis of God’s verdict, every sinner, whether he knows it or not, whether he believes it or not, has received the status of a saint.’
‘After Christs’ [sic] intervention and through Christs’ [sic] intervention, God regards all sinners as guilt-free saints.’
‘When God reconciled the world to Himself through Christ, He individually pronounced forgiveness to each individual sinner whether that sinner ever comes to faith or not.’
‘At the time of the resurrection of Christ God looked down in hell and declared Judas, the people destroyed in the flood, and all the ungodly, innocent, not guilty, and forgiven of all sin and gave unto them the status of saints.’


I trust this is the information you desire.



Sincerely yours in Christian love,



Michael Liebner, Acting Secretary

Faith Lutheran Church Voters’ Assembly”[39]









“Faith Lutheran Church

3215 West Judson Road

Kokomo, Indiana 46901



November 19, 1980



Mr. and Mrs. David Hartman

R. R. #1, Box 90

Kokomo, Indiana 46901



Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hartman,



In accordance with the recommendations of the Southeastern Wisconsin District Panel of Review the voters of the Faith Lutheran Church have approved a resolution terminating your membership in the congregation unless and until such time as you accept the doctrine of justification as practiced by the WELS.



We encourage you to reassess your position on this matter and pray for a favorable decision so that once again we can work together for His Kingdom.



Yours in Christ,



Michael Liebner, Secretary”

***

GJ - I was given xeroxes of the letters to Hartman/Pohlman families in Kokomo. Like I said before, friends, I have been everywhere. The letters are reproduced verbatim above and in Thy Strong Word. The Wisconsin Synod excommunicated the two families for not accepting the Kokomo Statements, then accused the two families of creating a parody of justification. No, the parody is from WELS, defended by WELS, with the Amen Corner in the ELS yelling "Hoo-rah" and deceiving their pastoral students.

UOJ does not bear the weight of careful Biblical study. UOJ is anti-Christian and anti-Lutheran.

The fruits of UOJ are:

1. Fellowship with Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek Community Church.
   
2. Fellowship with ELCA - joint worship and joint religious projects.
   
3. Fellowship with the Church of Rome. The same Pope John the Malefactor who marched in a religious procession at Bethany's Frozen Food chapel excommunicated ELS pastors for disagreeing with His Holiness.
   
4. Fellowship with the Church of Rome, Part Deux. No one in the ELS objected when a Roman Catholic archbishop gave a public lecture at Wisconsin Lutheran College. How could they object?
   
5. Silence on the Church Growth Movement.
   
6. Silence about Willow Creek training.

WELS: Stop Slandering Gerhard

J. Gerhard, Post-Concordist, Is Often Accused by WELS of Embracing UOJ

J-559

"The entire Scripture testifies that the merits of Christ are received in no other way than through faith, not to mention that it is impossible to please God without faith, Hebrews 11:6, let alone to be received into eternal life. In general, St. Paul concludes concerning this [matter] in Romans 3:28: Thus we hold then that a man becomes righteous without the works of the Law—only through faith."
Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas: Repristination Press, 2000, p. 165.

J-560

"Therefore, the fulfillment of this promise to Abraham is in no way to be interpreted to mean that Abraham's seed became righteous and saved without individual faith."
Johann Gerhard, A Comprehensive Explanation of Holy Baptism and the Lord's Supper, 1610, ed. D. Berger, J. Heiser, Malone, Texas: Repristination Press, 2000, p. 167.

WELS Repeats Two Justifications

Who killed justification by faith?

Not At Ease with Two Justifications

Q: We are taught that Christ justified us when he was on the cross, and then we are told that we are justified again when God converts us. Objective and subjective justifications confuse me all the more. I thought there was one justification of us. If we were justified at the cross, why do we need justification again? Reading previous posts and questions on this do not make this issue click for me.

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

A: Perhaps all that I can do for you is to point you to the Bible statements dealing with this subject and in this way allow the Holy Spirit to grant you contentment along with the awareness of his truth. First focus on Romans 4:25 and 2 Corinthians 5:19. "He [Christ] was delivered over to death for [because of] our sins and was raised to life for [because of] our justification. . . . God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them." These are sample passages that assure us that our justification and that of mankind was reality at the time of Christ's death and resurrection on our behalf.

Then you may focus on passages like Romans 3:28 ("We maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.") and Romans 4:5 ("To the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."). These are sample passages that assure us the individual sinner is also declared righteous as he is brought to grasp Christ's righteousness by faith.

The terms objective (or universal) and subjective (or individual) justification are merely terms coined to let all of Scripture speak to our hearts and to describe the truths clearly revealed. Let the twin truths stand as Scripture does. You simply say, "I thought there was one justification of us." And the Apostle Paul simply says, "We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5). May you find contentment in Christ and his Word.

***

GJ - False teachers are consistent from denomination to denomination. They deceive their adiences without any sense of shame. I have noticed that Rolf Preus and others on LutherQuest follow the same deceptive line as the WELS AnswerMan. Notice the citation of Romans 4:25. Why do they isolate that verse from a whole chapter on justification by faith? The Bible does not really feature verse breaks. They were imposed a long time ago. Chapter breaks were also imposed, but they tend to follow theme changes.

AnswerMan claims Twin Truths, but OJ and SJ are not in the Scriptures, the Book of Concord, Luther, Chemnitz, et al.

OJ and SJ are the Twin Peaks of Pietism.

So let's look at Romans 4:24-25, adding just one verse for our focus:

KJV Romans 4:24 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.

No UOJ Stormtrooper has offered a single verse where God declared the world to be righteous. Oddly, Rolf Preus never wants to deal with my verbatim quotations from his father's last book, a book edited by Rolf and brother Daniel, another UOJ Stormtrooper. Robert Preus was exceptionally clear on one point - that justification is by faith, that righteousness comes to us only through justification by faith.

The UOJ thesis is that righteousness was imputed, declared, given to the entire world the moment Christ died or the moment Christ rose from the dead. The Resurrection Moment is clinched, they claim, by Romans 4:25. But is it really? The verses above link imputation to faith. No one can escape that, so the UOJ fanatics avoid quoting Romans 4:24.

UOJ is a proposition searching for a foundation in Scripture. Everything is avoided that might fuzz up their false doctrine. That is a logical fallacy called Special Pleading. Notice how the 2 Corinthians passage shows that the public ministry is the proclamation of the Atonement (reconciliation). The old things are passed away for the believer, the individual "in Christ." The old things are not passed way for the whole world. But Christ did die for the sins of the world. That is the Atonement Gospel, the Holy Spirit's energy in creating and sustaining faith: the Word of Reconciliation.

KJV 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 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. 6:1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.

Rolf Preus is hilarious in his affirmation of the UOJ heresy. He must not know church history very well. He accuses Luther (and those who agree with Luther) of being an Arminian. That's MDiv for decision theology. The MDivs are always invoking their most obtuse technical terms from THEO 101 to make the laity gape at them for their superior learning. I will link the topic from Wikipedia, to refresh the memory of LutherQuest (sic) denizens. "Apt to teach" is a Biblical requirement for ministers. Blowing smoke is not.

Rolf's favorite false doctrine leads to decision theology, as J. P. Meyer shows so clearly in his seminal UOJ (WELS) book:


J-586

I. "Objectively speaking, without any reference to an individual sinner's attitude toward Christ's sacrifice, purely on the basis of God's verdict, every sinner, whether he knows about it or not, whether he believes it or not, has received the status of a saint. What will be his reaction when he is informed about this turn of events? Will he accept, or will he decline?"[41]
J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, A Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, p. 103f. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

As I wrote in Thy Strong Word: "This statement, with its question at the end, sounds oddly Baptist: decision theology. Will he accept or decline? One can see that the generic Protestant doctrine behind the Church Growth Movement existed before WELS leaders rushed off to study at Fuller Seminary. It also explains why they love a generic Protestant school that rejects the Means of Grace."

Those Eloquent False Teachers

Below is a collection of brilliant statements by the false teachers irritated by this blog:


On Justification by Faith

"You are a bad person."


On WELS Covering Up for Murderers and Sex Offenders

"That is old news."


Their Refutation of Luther, Chemnitz, Chytraeus, and the Book of Concord

"Stop posting all those quotations."


On Kelm/Parlow Plagiarism of Baptist Sermons

"You didn't talk to Kelm and Parlow first."

"You should copy your sermons the same way. Then I would like them."


On a Missouri Pastor Signing His Name (Unlike WELS Pastors)

"He didn't know better."


Why Doesn't Rev. Mouse Sign His Name?

"I am afraid of being slashed and burned on Ichabod."


Rev. Mouse's Assessment of Ichabod

"You are a gutless coward."

Romans 10 versus Universalism Disguised as UOJ

This UOJ Stormtrooper was dancing in the street. He thought he finally found a UOJ Biblical reference while staying at a Marriot Inn. Then Ichabod told him, "That was a Book of Mormon, you doofus."

Compare UOJ opinions with the clear teaching of Romans 10, where the Means of Grace is highlighted in the preaching office.

KJV Romans 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

KJV Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Clearly, righteousness comes only through faith in Christ.

UOJ is not Christian and the dogma is certainly not Lutheran.

The UOJ Stormtroopers are born forgiven, they say, born without sin, but their email is very ugly.

KJV Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.) 8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Bailing Water Bails Out

John has bailed out of the Bailing Water blog, the third of three to stop working the blog.

Any suggestion that coercion was involved would be a violation of the Eighth Commandment.

No one has stopped the Church and Change website, but President-in-Waiting Wayne Mueller's son is involved that agency of apostasy.

One of the latest dust-ups was over Bailing Water identifying the Kelm/Parlow team plagiarizing Baptist sermons and posting them as their own on the St. Mark's website. Several apologists had these amusing thoughts:
1. Lots of ministers do that. The popularity fallacy.
2. The copied sermons themselves might have been copied from yet another website. Two wrongs make a right - fallacy.
3. Someone had to sit down with Kelm and Parlow and tell them their sin privately, even though Parlow is not known to respond and Kelm is oblivious.
Etc. Etc. Etc.

The WELS Stormtroopers pounce on critics like hobos on a hotdog, unless the critics are making fun of traditional worship and orthodox doctrine. Those critics are just trying to make Holy Mother WELS even more perfect.

It remains to be seen whether WELS has improved under the new SP. It will take a lot more courage than the ministers have shown so far.

I do not fault a layman for giving up. Apostasy has a thousand friends--in many denominations--but the orthodox have to solo.

Holy Mother Fuller Seminary Comforted by Fake Babies

Mother Tiger Lost Cubs: Zoo Fooled Her with Tiger-Wrapped Piglets

Extensive Internet searches for funny animal photos yielded this picture of a tigress feeding tiger-striped piglets. (I apologize to feminist tigers for using the term tigress.) The tigress lost her cubs and became sick with grief, so the zoo wrapped piglets in tiger-skin and tossed them into the cage. Either way, someone was going to eat well that day.

Mommy tigress warmed to her fake babies right away and began feeding them.

Alma Mater means nursing mother, so Ichabodians can see a similar relationship between Fuller Seminary and the Lutheran piglets. They wrap themselves up in Reformed doctrine to be nursed by a unionistic, occultic Reformed-Pentecostal school. Strangely, only ELCA sounded the alarms about Church Growth. When a new CGM parish was destined for Texas, organized opposition forced the project to move to Yorba Linda, California, where it died amidst drunken-sailor spending.

When the ELCA pastor at Community of Joy (Glendale, Arizona) promoted entertainment evangelism in the august pages of The Lutheran, fire warning lights blinked on throughout ELCA. Neuhaus gave a lecture against Church Growth at the Ad Fontes gathering in Pennsylvania. A Lutheran seminary professor screamed and threw the offending issue of The Lutheran from the pulpit.

Meanwhile, in the conservative old Synodical Conference (WELS-ELS-LCMS) all was quiet as Fuller piglets seized power and extended the Left Foot of Fellowship to the few critics of their Alma Mater, Fuller.

Willow Creek Community Church--a suburban mall of pop culture, easy listening, and a Christ without a cross--beckoned with lascivious grace. Conservative Lutheran leaders doubled-down and learned at WC as well. Many conservative pastors joined the Willow Creek Association, which suddenly became secretive after its LCMS members were listed in Christian News.

Is This Your Synod?

Traditional Episcopalian Congregations Want To Leave With Their Property. The Presiding Bishop Wants To Own It.

Virtue Online:

Thirdly, the notion that properties must be held for future generations is laughable. There are some 7,000 parishes in The Episcopal Church whose average attendance is less than 70 with the average age of about 66. In little more than a decade, most will close with the Columbariums full. The larger parishes, with hundreds of members, are evangelical. They are the ones that are leaving and want the properties their people built and paid for. And why shouldn't they? Why should they pass their buildings on to a dysfunctional church that has no gospel to proclaim except Millennium Development Goals, unbiblical notions of inclusivity and diversity that saves no one and nothing?

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GJ - The Lutherans are in the same bind. The plums of the past are prunes today, withered and dry, liberal and empty, with plenty of endowment money. Lutherans are too timid to break away from Holy Mother Synod.

Giant Satellite Lands

The giant US spy satellite finally landed, on a bluff in Mankato, Minnesota.

Seriously, this is a sink hole caused when tons of salmonella-laced ice cream were buried far away from corporate headquarters. The melting mass undermined the soil and opened up the sinkhole. A casino and several pawn shops were lost during the cave-in.

Something more permanent may be used to fill the sinkhole, such as unsold copies of "Rock and the Christians Role," by Rev. Mark Freier.

Zip, STS

The Holy Trinity Society is in town again.
Hide the incense!

Pastor Zip has left a new comment on your post "WELS Pastor in ELCA-LCMS Feminist Holy Communion S...":

His blog.

Since you've asked, Pastor Jackson, permit me to correct an impression that seems to be at the center of this particular post. The pastors who have subscribed to the Rule of the Society, and thus (to use your phrasing) joined that ministerium, serve in several different Lutheran churches in North American and Australia. Thus far, no WELS pastor has subscribed to the Rule. The conclusion to your post is not accurate.

Retreats of the Society are open to all -- Lutheran or other church, clergy and lay -- and include time for common theological study and reflection. Because of that, it is not unusual for someone to attend in order to avail himself of that opportunity -- and not participate in all retreat activities. While I have met WELS pastors at Society events, we neither expect nor encourage any attendee to act contrary to the discipline of his church.

The Rev. Steven P. Tibbetts, STS
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Peoria, Ill.

***

GJ - Finally, a pastor who signs his name and lists his blog. I like that. Laity sign their names all the time, phone, and email me.

I find a bit of a conflict here. The Society is rather Roman in nature, but recognizes women's ordination at the same time. The Concordia, Ft. Wayne debacle seems to have involved a fair amount of deception. Either the STS deceived the seminary president, or the seminary president deceived the public.

Subscription to the Rule of the Society is not really the issue. If a WELS pastor communed, he expressed common cause with this pan-Lutheran feminist Romanizing group.

My Methodist advisor at Notre Dame attended Mass daily. The Roman Catholic students explained it in two words: "Ritual starved." I imagine WELS pastors feel ritual starved too. Some must crave the Church of Rome. They have a pope at GA. They are infallible when in agreement with the Synodical Pope. Etc.

WELS Layman

For a small fee, we will teach you how to have an exciting church.

The old WELS just ain't what she used to be....what's the difference between this conference and 'church and change'? Seems to be another wolf in sheep's clothing!

http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2601&collectionID=960

http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?1712&cxDatabase_databaseID=1&id=9209&magazine=Forward%20in%20Christ

God forbid anyone should be uncomfortable in their worship experience... Please keep up the good work.

WELS Layman

***

GJ - I hear from all over. I omit names and identifying facts because I know how vindictive the Wisconsin Synod apostates are. Too bad the faithful must suffer under the benighted leadership of Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek graduates.

James P. Tiefel (nicknamed Teufel) is a dyed-in-the-wool apostate. His hymnal managed to be the worst and the most obnoxious of all Lutheran hymnals: feminist revision of hymns, feminist butchering of the Creeds, sloppy sentiment songs posing as hymns, Church Growth hymns, Pietism in the liturgy, etc. The design of CW (Can't Worship) was identical to ELCA's hymnal. I wonder why. Lots of credit to ELCA sources in CW. Once again, I wonder why.

CW (notice Lutheran disappearing from all WELS products?) was so bad that the ELS dropped out and created their own hymnal. The CW editor will teach y'all how to worship. Save your money and drop in at Willow Creek, a few miles away. At least they are honest about their agenda.

***

Brian P Westgate has left a new comment on your post "WELS Layman":

Prof. Tiefel was on the liturgy committee, so you can blame him for some of the problems in that portion. He didn't agree with everything that happened there, and some stuff he did agree with then he no longer agrees with. He didn't have much control over the hymn section, since the hymn committee had more votes than the liturgy committee. They were the ones that cut stanzas, brought in bad hymns, etc.
In other words, it's not all his fault, so it might be appropriate to spread the blame around.

***

GJ - Note that the ELS quit the project to create their own hymnal, then publicly denied that they quit the joint project. To wit, Erling Teigen published a letter in Christian News to that effect. No one who knew about the conflict was fooled. After all, why would two denominations who "cherish their fellowship" publish two hymnals at the same time? The ELS version had more confessional material in it but also plenty of ELCA credits.

The Reconciliation Error of Universalism (Objective Justification)

This UOJ Stormtrooper realized he made a big mistake when he didn't buy a John Deere. Nevertheless, he was happy to realize he was already forgiven.

KJV 2 Corinthians 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. 16 Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 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. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Where Are the UOJ Warriors?
I challenged the UOJ Stormtroopers to cite one place in the Scriptures or the Book of Concord where God declared the world forgiven without faith, without the Word, without the Means of Grace.

No one could name a single instance where God said, "The entire world is forgiven, without faith." Yet the proclamation of UOJ is the heart of their addled cult and the energy behind their Church Growth fever. All their experts start with Walther and his disciples. The WELS heroes are J. P. Meyer, whose Ministers of Christ was bad enough to be taken out of print; and Sig Becker, who also got the Real Presence wrong while muddying the waters.

I decided to post the main reconciliation passage, where the word is used in various forms. This is the Seat of Doctrine (sedes doctrinae) for UOJ fanatics, so it is easy to see how badly they have bungled their New Testament studies.

Let's start with the original Greek word, without going overboard. The original secular meaning may help but it does not always facilitate more understanding. For example, where does one start with the English word draw? Context is very important. A picture is drawn. Butter is drawn. Well water is drawn. After posing for a portrait for 10 hours, your face looks drawn.

People are always saying that the Greek word repent means: Change your ways. Actually, it means regret in secular Greek. Meta means after; noia means mind.

So some research into a word helps but cannot be definitive by itself. "Scripture interprets Scripture." The clear passages explain the ones that seem dark to us. In addition, we have to stick with the plain meaning of the Word of God, not the twisted logic of academics who defend error to keep their jobs.

Reconciliation
The word is used for exchanging money, such as getting four quarters for a dollar. This secular meaning is probably the reason why UOJ Stormtroopers fixate on forgiveness without faith. Ignorance and lack of study are two more reasons.

Reconciliation is also used for a husband and wife getting together again.

KJV 1 Corinthians 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.

So the UOJ Stormtroopers are always saying, "There was an exchange. If Christ took on our sinfulness on the cross, then the whole world must have been forgiven when Christ died."

Then again, they also use the resurrection of Christ for their Moment of Universal Absolution. Walther's Easter sermon seems to be their main argument for this calendar change. They claim both as the Moment, so there is really no hope of reconciliation in their timetable.

The context of reconciliation in 2 Corinthians 5 makes it clear that the word is used as a synonym for the Atonement.

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.

The Gospel is the Word of the Atonement/reconciliation. Christ has already paid the price, so this proclamation is the Holy Spirit's means of distributing the gracious favor of God to all who hear and patiently hold fast the divine Promises.

Clearly, absolution comes from the Ministry of Reconciliation (the public ministry) and the Word of Reconciliation (preaching the Gospel).

Romans, Too
The clamoring fanatics, who study their yellowed dog notes, but never the Book of Concord, say, "Romans will prove our case." One gambit is Jesus justifying the ungodly. How could he justify the godly? Their argument is pretty weak, even for graduates of The Sausage Factory or the Frozen Food Seminary.

KJV Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Justification by faith is the reason why we are saved from God's wrath. Those who remain unbelievers have God's wrath abiding on them. The exchange is clearly the Atonement. We joy in the Lord because we have received (believe in the Promises of) the Atonement. Receive is often a synonym for believe in.

The UOJ Stormtroopers cannot defend their weak position, which should be consistent throughout the entire Bible. How can they reconcile their bizarre opinion with this passage?:

KJV John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

When Brett Meyer was being extremely polite on LutherQuest (sic), the false prophets there piled up on him and began calling him names. They hauled out their old bromides, such as "Your faith is in faith," and assured him he was going to Hell for holding fast to justification by faith. Their UOJ opinion was backed by their previous posts (norma normans?) and by various synodical papers of the last 100 years.

***

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "The Reconciliation Error of Universalism (Objecti...":

The extensive discussion on Luther Quest entitled Universal Objective Justification was extremely enlightening. A few things are very clear in that thread.

First, the clear differences between UOJ doctrine and Biblical Justification were clearly defined. Pastor Rolf Preus seems to be the lead on that board concerning most topics including UOJ. He personally recommended H.A. Preus' The Justification of the World, where he contends with the doctrine of Biblicaly faithful Professor Weenaas. This article is certainly held in high regard in the UOJ circle as Pastor Rolf Preus urges it the same treatment as Scripture when he says we should read, mark, learn and inwardly digest it. The article shows the high degree of disgust they hold for the faith worked by the Holy Spirit. When it works in favor of their doctrine it is faith worked by the Holy Ghost (at this point being only a withered hand that receives what was already declared). When it condemns their doctrine it is faith that is a work of man which is a damnable heresy.

The discussion also detailed the impetus behind this new doctrine. Assurance. They've rejected the Holy Spirit and because of that do not have any assurance of forgiveness, righteousness or justification. They have then created a new Gospel which gives them this assurance outside of the body of Christ and without the Holy Spirit.

It is also an example and warning to anyone who rejects God's gracious Word. The hardening of the heart is imperceptible to those who reject and the blasphemy that results can be astonishing in its blatant denial of God's pure Word.

Brett Meyer

A Winning Packer

J. I. Packer


Virtue Online

"Liberal theology without the gospel has the smell of death rather than of life" -- J.I. Packer

In a wide-ranging interview, the Canadian Anglican theologian J.I. Packer talked with David W. Virtue about the state of the Anglican Communion at the Anglican Mission in the Americas (AMiA) Winter Conference in Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Packer, 81, is a British-born Canadian Christian theologian in the Calvinistic Anglican tradition. He currently serves as the Board of Governors' Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is considered to be one of the most important evangelical theologians of the late 20th century.

Packer was educated at Corpus Christi College, obtaining the degrees of Bachelor of Arts (1948), Master of Arts (1952), and Doctor of Philosophy (1955). In a meeting of the Oxford Inter-Collegiate Christian Union, Packer committed his life to Christian service. He taught briefly at Oak Hill Theological College in London, and in 1949 entered Wycliffe Hall, Oxford to study theology.

He was ordained a deacon (1952) and priest (1953) in the Church of England, within which he was associated with the Evangelical movement. He was a lecturer at Tyndale Hall, Bristol 1955-61 and Librarian of Latimer House, Oxford 1961-62 and Principal 1962-69. In 1970 he became Principal of Tyndale Hall, Bristol. From 1971 until 1979 he was Associate Principal of Trinity College, Bristol, which had been formed from the amalgamation of Tyndale Hall with Clifton College and Dalton House-St Michael's. In 1979, Packer moved to Vancouver to take up a position at Regent College, eventually being named the first Sangwoo Youtong Chee Professor of Theology, a title he held until his retirement.

He is a prolific writer and frequent lecturer, but he is best known for a single book, "Knowing God". He is a frequent contributor to and an executive editor of Christianity Today. Packer served as general editor for the English Standard Version, an Evangelical revision of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible.

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
1/24/2008

VIRTUEONLINE: Dr. Packer, you sit in Vancouver, British Columbia. You have seen the collapse of a united Anglicanism in your city and area and it is a microcosm of what is going on in many places. How do you read the present fractures and controversies within the Anglican Communion?

PACKER: It is true that the Diocese of New Westminster is where the modern Anglican troubles began. They began with the decision of the bishop to accept the request of his Synod to start blessing gay unions and drawing up a liturgy for the same. When he did this, he was able to claim "local option" in way among Anglican provinces of settling questions about what Diocesan policy should be. Local option is a corollary from the principle of subsiduarity originally focused on the Roman Catholic fence. Another name for local option is pluralism in practice and there was a time when Anglicans thought that such freedom of thought was Anglicanism in practice. That opinion was revised when applied to blessing gay unions in the Anglican Communion. It is by no means one. The Lambeth '98 Resolution 1:10 declared categorically that such unions were off limits, so when New Westminster opted for gay unions it was like throwing a stone into a pond. The ripples went out to the edge of the pond in all directions. The impact of New Westminster's actions was increased by the action of New Hampshire diocese, electing Gene Robinson. Accepting and consecrating Robinson was Bishop Michael Ingham who was prominent among the consecrators of the wider Anglican Communion. The orthodox became increasingly antsy and the southern hemisphere Primates, the South by South community protested in stronger and stronger language. One reason they did so is that they had a straight forward evangelical faith and they were up against Muslims who saw homosexuality as absolutely off limits and they could foresee what the Muslim world would say to the community as if it were preached as a form of holiness.

***

GJ - Time Magazine explains more about Packer in this link.

Someone Who Doubts UOJ

There is no connection between these photos and the article below.

Lutheran Notes - some interesting comments about UOJ and translating.

Friday, January 25, 2008
Universal Objective Justification, or UOJ

***

GJ - I expect to have a comment from Anonymous any second now. He is angry that UOJ is not in the Bible, the Book of Concord, the post-Reformation theologians, and Lenski.

I've only done preliminary research into the subject, but in the Lutheran Confessions and the Bible, there's no such thing as Universal Objective Justification (UOJ). Also, there's no such thing as Objective Justification (OJ) or Subjective Justification (SJ). There is only Justification by Faith via the Means of Grace, the Word and Sacraments, period.

Of course, I'll continue to study the issue more. Already , I've gathered information off the Web and blogosphere, as well as one of Martin Franzmann's pro-UOJ papers and his Roman's commentary (1968), and I'll have Dr. Gregory Jackson's book Thy Strong Word any day now. The book can be found online for free. Chapter 5 on Justification is the anti-UOJ chapter in Thy Strong Word, which can be found online, too.

The LCMS, WELS, ELS, CLC* synods, and perhaps other micro-synods, were all affected by European Pietists via C.F.W. Walther (1811-1887). It seems the doctrine that drove the Pietists' piety the most was UOJ. They believed that everyone was already forgiven, but the gift of forgiveness of sins was not accepted by everyone. Therefore, they felt compelled toward emotionalism so they would feel as though they really had faith, and feel as though they were saved. Not surprisingly, the role of the sacraments and the ministry of the keys
in justification were downplayed. In reality, UOJ is a form of decision theology, or enthusiasm, which separates justification from the Word and sacraments, and make it a matter of mere mental or emotional process.

*Concordia Lutheran Conference, not to be confused with the Church of the Lutheran Confessions.

Where did the Pietists get this UOJ doctrine? No one seems to have done the research yet, and that’s because the powers that be don't want to know. It’s similar to how SDA don’t want to know where E.G. White really received her inspiration from, i.e., plagiarism. The information is probably locked up in German Pietistic tracts and manuals on some dusty bookshelf in a library or archive back in Germany. However, we know that C.F.W. Walther transmitted some Pietistic doctrine to the LCMS, WELS, ELS and micro-synods such as the CLC. (Okay, ELS might qualify as a micro-synod, too. They only have a decent seminary and college thanks to Schwan’s generosity.)

I'm supposing that one of the main driving passages behind UOJ (and Pietism) was a common German mistranslation of 2Co 5:19, one of three passages commonly cited as supporting UOJ: Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 4:25. Here is the NIV for 2Co 5:19:

that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

The Greek has the present active participle of katallassw, meaning "reconciling." The English translations as early as the KJV all have "reconciling," which is correct:

KJV 2 Corinthians 5:19 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.

YLT Young's Literal Translation 2 Corinthians 5:19 how that God was in Christ -- a world reconciling to Himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses; and having put in us the word of the reconciliation,

ASV 2 Corinthians 5:19 to wit, that God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not reckoning unto them their trespasses, and having committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

However, most German translations have the past tense "reconciled," as though Jesus didn't just kick start the ministry of reconciliation, but actually reconciled the entire world at some point, unbelievers and all. UOJ enthusiasts say that the world was plumb reconciled when Jesus died, or else when he rose. Here are the German mistranslations translated via an unbiased machine translator: German-English Translator: http://imtranslator.com/default.asp

EIN Einheitsubersetzung (1980) 2 Corinthians 5:19 Ja, Gott war es, der in Christus die Welt mit sich versöhnt hat,
Translation: Yes, it was a God who has reconciled the world
with himself in Christ

ELB Revidierte Elberfelder (1993) 2 Corinthians 5:19 nämlich daß Gott in Christus war und die Welt mit sich selbst versöhnte,
Translation: namely the fact that God was in Christ and reconciled the world with himself

LUO Luther Bibel (1912) 2 Corinthians 5:19 Denn Gott war in Christo und versöhnte die Welt mit ihm selber,
Translation: Since God was in Christ and reconciled the world with himself,

LUT Revidierte Lutherbible (1984) 2 Corinthians 5:19 Denn Gott war in Christus und versöhnte die Welt mit sich selber,
Translation: Since God was in Christ and reconciled the world with himself,

MNT Munchener NT (1998) 2 Corinthians 5:19 weil Gott war in Christos (die) Welt (mit) sich versöhnend,
Translation: because God was the world (with) being reconciled in Christos,

SCH German Schlachter (1951) 2 Corinthians 5:19 weil nämlich Gott in Christus war und die Welt mit sich selbst versöhnte,
Translation: because since God was in Christ and reconciled the world with himself,

Luther, and the writers of the Lutheran Confessions were familiar with the Greek, Hebrew and Latin, so they interpreted 2Co 5:19 correctly--as meaning Justification by Faith, not UOJ. Their German translations of 2Co 5:19 might have been a little sloppy, but they had no idea that years later people would contrive UOJ based on a mere three passages, and the tense of one verb in 2Co 5:19.

UOJ was an unknown concept to the Confession writers, and first emerged in the fevered imagination of the Pietists, yet some Lutherans today try to anachronistically read (i.e., isogesis) UOJ into Luther's Works, and other documents of the period. If you look at any such passages claiming to be UOJ in Luther or the Confessions, the justification is always connected with the Means of Grace, not some supposed declaration of the Father that the entire world is guilt free. Just thinking of how audacious it is to put such words in the mouth of the Father boggles the mind!

So this Pietistic doctrine, perhaps popular among many German Lutherans in the 19th C, came over to the U.S. When it was adopted as official doctrine for the first time in the LCMS' Brief Statement of Doctrine (1932), most German Lutherans probably were still reading from German Bibles where it said "reconciled" rather than "reconciling."

Major backers of UOJ include a handful of LCMS theologians, some deceased, including Martin Franzmann, the WELS theologian, Siegbert Becker. UOJ is found in the "This We Believe" NPH pamphlet put out by the WELS. Of course, all these theologians grew up with German spoken in the home, no doubt, so they imbibed the mistranslation of 2Co 5:19 early on, it would seem. Nowadays, all the synods with UOJ in their belief statements rigorously enforce this doctrine.

LCMS: Brief Statement of Faith, Adopted 1932: Of Justification
http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=570
Excerpt: Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 4:25;...

WELS: This We Believe: IV Justification by Faith
http://www.wels.net/s3/uploaded/4421/eng.pdf
Excerpt: 1. We believe that God has justified all sinners, that is, he has declared them righteous for the sake of Christ. This is the central message of Scripture upon which the very existence of the church depends. It is a message relevant to people of all times and places, of all races and social levels, for "the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men" (Romans 5:18). All need forgiveness of sins before God, and Scripture proclaims that all have been justified, for "the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men" (Romans 5:18).

CLC: This micro-synod buys into UOJ as espoused in the LCMS’ Brief Statement of 1932:
http://www.concordialutheranconf.com/content/history.cfm
excerpt: At Okabena we reaffirmed our original subscription to Holy Scripture and the Confessions, including the Brief Statement of 1932, and rejected the false confessions aforementioned.

http://www.concordialutheranconf.com/doctrine/brief_1932.cfm
excerpt: Brief Statement of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod in the By-Gone Days of Its Orthodoxy (1932) Still by God's Grace the Scriptural Position of the Concordia Lutheran Conference

ELS: The ELS believes the same things the WELS does, basically:
http://www.evangelicallutheransynod.org/believe/els/webtc.html/
excerpt: By His perfect life and His innocent sufferings and death Jesus has redeemed the entire world. God thereby reconciled the world to Himself, and by the resurrection of His Son declared it to be righteous in Christ. This declaration of universal righteousness is often termed "objective justification."

ELS/WELS/LCMS:
The ELS is just as fanatical as the Wisconsin sect in promoting UOJ. Missouri has done the same, but tries to hide the UOJ behind justification by faith. The 1987 Theses of Abomination are an example of this verbal trickery.

Bruce Church

Sexagesima Sermon

The Sower and the Seed, by Norma Boeckler

Sexagesima Sunday

KJV 2 Corinthians 2:19 For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. 20 For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face. 21 I speak as concerning reproach, as though we had been weak. Howbeit whereinsoever any is bold, (I speak foolishly,) I am bold also. 22 Are they Hebrews? so am I. Are they Israelites? so am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? so am I. 23 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool ) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. 24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28 Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 30 If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. 31 The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 32 In Damascus the governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison, desirous to apprehend me: 33 And through a window in a basket was I let down by the wall, and escaped his hands. 12:1 It is not expedient for me doubtless to glory. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord. 2 I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (whether in the body, I cannot tell; or whether out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) such an one caught up to the third heaven. 3 And I knew such a man, (whether in the body, or out of the body, I cannot tell: God knoweth;) 4 How that he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. 5 Of such an one will I glory: yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities. 6 For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me. 7 And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. 8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. 9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.

KJV Luke 8:4 And when much people were gathered together, and were come to him out of every city, he spake by a parable: 5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. 8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. 9 And his disciples asked him, saying, What might this parable be? 10 And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 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. 13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away. 14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection. 15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

Collect
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You that through Your Son Jesus Christ You have sown Your holy Word among us: We pray that You will prepare our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, that we may diligently and reverently hear Your Word, keep it in good hearts, and bring forth fruit with patience; and that we may not incline to sin, but subdue it by Your power, and in all persecutions confront ourselves with Your grace and continual help; through Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Sexagesima

The Hymn #123
The Invocation p. 15
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual 2 Cor. 11:19ff
The Gospel Luke 8:4-15
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #295
The Sermon
The Sower

The Offertory p. 22
The Hymn #294
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #49

The Sower

This is one of the easiest parables to understand and one of the most important. Jesus explains each section, but people ignore His explanation or substitute their own.

The disciples wanted to know what this parable meant, indicating that there were two levels of teaching. Jesus taught the Word to the masses and explained His Word in detail to the disciples. That is why people heard and did not comprehend. The same continues today. Many people are glad when they first hear the Gospel. They do not receive continued instruction and never really grasp the Promises of God.

Luke 8:11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

So we have directly from Jesus that the seed represents the Word of God. Seed is quite a marvel in itself. Seed is completely alive and yet only a potential plant. The seed will germinate with just a little water. There is a whole industry in making sprouts from the germination of certain seeds. The sprouts are quite fragile and need tender care to take root and grow.

One of the first errors of new gardeners is to plant seed in good soil, water the seed, rejoice when it pokes above the ground, and neglect it at its most fragile time. I used to do that until I learned to keep watering the new seed.

The Word of God is alive and full of potential, but it needs to be scattered. When I bought seed, I got large amounts of it. Knowing that certain kinds of seed, like lettuce, will grow like grass, I scattered it wherever there was soil and sun. One person asked, “Is there lettuce growing in your planter?” Lettuce was growing everywhere.

When people get timid about the Word of God, they fail to spread the Word as they might. The big fear, stoked by Reformed doctrine, is that God’s Word is ineffective unless it has man’s help, man’s reasoning power, and man’s marketing ability. Jesus used the metaphor of the seed for a good reason. Seed is just waiting to grow.

5 A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side; and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

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.

The Word of God is effective (efficacious – same word) but Satan pounces on every opportunity to get rid of it. This can be seen in every faithful congregation. As soon as the Gospel begins to take root, people rush in to invent turmoil and destroy it.

This part of the parable, as Luther said, includes those who begin to have faith and lose that faith. They are apostates, fallen from the Christian faith. A biography about John D. Rockefeller describes one such Baptist. The young man was brilliant and graduated from Harvard, winning a prize in philosophy, a chance to study in Europe. The rationalism at Harvard began to eat away at his faith. At one point he told his father, a Baptist seminary president, that he no longer believed in the basic truths of the Christian faith. This also happened to a lesser extent to the Baptist theologian (Yale professor) who helped found the University of Chicago. The man became fascinated with the higher criticism (so-called) and had many doubts about the Bible. He was supposed to establish a school of Baptist orthodoxy, but he was cautioned not to speak about his views. Thus the ultra-traditionalist Rockefeller created a school run by and for liberals.

Now there are many young people with no background in the Bible. When they are converted by the Word they are like seedlings needing protection and nourishment. One big foot of rationalism will crush that fragile faith. Cults know that and take advantage of new Christians. Apostates who cannot teach God’s Word but still teach religion work hard to destroy that faith. I told one college class how I did not fit in with world religion departments because I believed in God. One woman who took world religion classes at the school I mentioned said, “That’s true. They are atheists.”

Another Baptist-Evangelical example is Billy Graham’s early professional friend, Templeton. He was so well known as an evangelist that he was able to enter Princeton as a graduate student, without going to college. Templeton was thrown to the wolves who took over Princeton after its liberal-conservative split. Guess who won that one? Templeton lost his faith completely. Late in life he was asked about Jesus. Tears filled his eyes and he said, “I miss Him.” There is some evidence that he died in faith.

There are many ways that Satan crushes the Word growing in people’s hearts. It’s good to remember that the word sabotage comes from the French word for wooden shoe. Sabot is still used as a military term. When the peasants were angry with a farmer, they used their wooden shoes to stomp the fields where the new grain was growing – sabotage. Now they make crop circles and charge for tours.

6 And some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

Luke 8:13 They on the rock are they, which, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no root, which for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

These are the short-term believers. Paul warned against ordaining new believers as pastors. They are the ones who have great joy at first but fall back into temptation. No one can really tell at first.

Many people have dealt with shallow-rooted plants. Maple tree seeds love to helicopter down into gutters where wet leaves provide them a good start. We had a gigantic tree in our backyard in Moline. I remember a spring when we had hundred of maple trees growing in the rain gutters. Not one had a chance to turn into a tree. Likewise, bird seed on a flat roof will sprout in the soil and leaf litter, grow a little, and wither away.

Those who exploit the joy of new faith hasten the fall of their disciples. If people measure the Christian faith by a lack of trials, a life without the cross, they are mistaken. If they think believing in Christ will make them money, they may make tons of money while becoming unbelievers. (One group of professional Gospel singers confessed, if that is the word, that they did not believe what they sang. That was no surprise to me, since I noticed how choreographed they were, just too packaged.)

False assumptions make people leave the faith. The assumptions often come from bad teaching, which appeals to the Old Adam in all of us. We do not want to suffer for the Gospel, but it is pleasant to read about others who have. If we turn an experience of the cross into God hating us, then we have missed the whole lesson of the crucifixion, that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believed in Him might not perish but have life eternal.

The experience of the cross deepens our faith and helps us understand, as best we can, what the true cross of Christ was. God lets the cross bear down on us for a time, but not forever. When relief comes, we see how God works.

The false assumption is – the cross is never laid on the shoulders of those who are faithful to God’s Word.

The correct teaching of the Bible is – the cross always accompanies God’s Word, because our sinful flesh, the devil, and unbelieving world rebel against the Gospel of forgiveness.

7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it.

14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

This parable sounds ominous. People lose the Word from it being snatched away from them, from being shallow when trials come along, and even from riches.

History shows that riches and luxury destroy the Gospel by choking it, just as rank weed growth destroys a crop. Many successful ministers and congregations have fallen from luxury rather than persecution. If someone is too handsome, too eloquent, and too popular, he often falls into snares and disgraces himself along with the Gospel.

America has more Christian ministers and churches than the rest of the world combined. America is the richest of all countries where Christianity is found. But the Third Word is where the faith is growing.

I talked with one layman about the irony of a future pastor’s son paying $8,000 per year for high school, even more for college, then spending 4 years in seminary. Congregations and synods are rich, but they will not share their wealth with their future pastors. Who will sow the seed? Their millionaire donors? Not likely.

8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold.

Luke 8:15 But that on the good ground are they, which in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it, and bring forth fruit with patience.

In spite of all the failures, the Word grows 100 fold. This happens through birth and baptism, through the family nurturing the children in the faith, and through conversion.

First they hear the Word with an honest and good heart. That is, they do not say, “How can I use this to sell more houses, more funerals, more flowers?”

Having heard the Word, they hold it fast. That is another way to translate – keep it. They bring forth fruit with patience. The Gospel will always bear fruit, but not from man forcing or demanding it. God is a very good manager. He has been running the universe for a long time.

One time my maple was covered with cottony maple scale. Some scientists from Dow told me how to cure this. They were all wrong, as I learned later. God sent a horde of ladybugs to the tree. Yes, they were the natural predators of maple scale. No human could arrange such a non-toxic destruction of a pest, but God does this every day, with infinite complexity. Yet we doubt how He manages His Word and will.

This parable teaches patience and trust in God’s Word. Sadly, one false teacher said it teaches people to test the soil. (He was promoting the demonic doctrines of Fuller Seminary, as a Lutheran.) One thing this parable does not teach is judging the soil or judging anything the sower does. The sower scatters the seed because he knows God will bring the bounty.

KJV 1 Corinthians 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

"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.