Lutheran Notes NIV Embrace of UOJ

This Reformer was once influential
in the Lutheran Church.

Lutheran Notes:

NIV easier to misconstrue as teaching UOJ than KJV in Romans 5

If one reads Roman 5:18 in the NIV, it could be easily misconstrued to support UOJ (Universal Objective Justification). However, the KJV is not so easily misconstrued as teaching UOJ:

KJV Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

NIV Romans 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

In a previous post I commented on how common German translations of 2 Co 5:18-21 could easily be misconstrued as teaching UOJ. This might explain why UOJ took hold, and has staying power, in certain German American synods (LCMS, WELS, ELS, CLC*), but not anywhere else that I know of. Specifically, German speaking immigrants saw UOJ in German translations of 2Co 5:18-21. Later, by the time UOJ came under serious question in the 1970s and thereafter, the NIV New Testament, which first came out in 1973, had a translation of Rom 5:18 that could be easily misconstrued as teaching UOJ.

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

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GJ - The Church of the Lutheran Confession (sic) is ambiguous about UOJ, but the Concordia papists are demented about it. Does anyone know where Concordia's portable seminary is now?

The Feminist Living NIV is a joke of a translation.

Generations of in-bred Lutherans have not improved on the KJV or The Lutheran Hymnal.

J. P. Meyer Still Admired on the Holy Hill

From Thy Strong Word, the J numbers help people find the quotations in the chapter.
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.

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Brian P Westgate has left a new comment on your post "Universal Objective Justification Primer":

Believe it or not, I never read "Ministers of Christ."
Could you perhaps put up a section some time where he mixes in decision theology? Dr. Meyer is still revered on the "holy hill".

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GJ - I put his Baptist statement in bold print above. No Baptist would accept this wacky parody of justification, but the old Synodical Conference gradually made it their Rosetta Stone.

Three of the four Kokomo Statements are directly from Meyer. The fourth is from the Norwegian/Augustana conflict in the 19th century.

UOJ is a clear case of false doctrine growing. The hyperbole of Walther's Easter Absolution sermon has morphed into the Little Sect on the Prairie agreeing with Wisconsin - everyone is saved. That is the ELS position and the foundation for the last failed Wisconsin evangelism program.

Sig Becker is now considered the Fifth Evangelist at the Sausage Factory in Mequon. His lectures are podcast to the innocent. Those who despise Becker's opinion on Receptionism (he loved it) should consider his position on UOJ (huge fan, huge). Both errors require a denial of the efficacy of the Word.

Lutherans Confess This

284 All this has been said regarding secret sins. But where the sin is quite public so that the judge and everybody know it, you can without any sin avoid him and let him go, because he has brought himself into disgrace, and you may also publicly testify concerning him. For when a matter is public in the light of day, there can be no slandering or false judging or testifying; as, when we now reprove the Pope with his doctrine, which is publicly set forth in books and proclaimed in all the world. For where the sin is public, the reproof also must be public, that every one may learn to guard against it.
The Book of Concord, The Large Catechism, The Eighth Commandment

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GJ - This must be the least known section of the least used book in the Lutheran Church, for everyone acts as if Luther never wrote it, the Concordists never approved it, and Lutherans never subscribed to it.

This Luther paragraph covers two areas.

First, where a judge has ruled, it is not slander to say (for instance) that Al Just murdered his wife (WELS, Arizona) or Scott Zerbe (WELS, Michigan) had an affair with a minor girl in the congregation where he vicared, or DP Ed Werner (Dakota Montana, WELS) molested a host of girls in his own congregation. All three men went to state prison for their crimes. WELS never admitted to the crimes.

Second, when false doctrine is public, it is not slander to say someone is a false teacher. False doctrine is almost always public because servants of their Father Below cannot keep quiet. They solemnly intone about a wide range of topics, always in the wrong, always eager to silence anyone who contradicts their prattle.

The Eighth Commandment is falsely applied by false teachers in two ways. The most dangerous way is their constant excusing of toxic doctrine:

1. This is a g-r-e-y area of Scripture.
   
2. It c-a-n be understood correctly.
   
3. He was in my class. I drank a lot of beer with him. (This is the strongest defense in WELS.)

A murderer destroys himself and ends one person's life. A false teacher murders the souls of many. The corruption of WELS in the carnal sin department is simply testimony to their foundation of false doctrine, which is far more serious and almost beyond remedy.

Synodical Minders have no problem with gossiping about people they consider their enemies. They do not even stop with the main target, but move on to menace and abuse the family members as well. Friends are afraid to be seen with the official pariah because they know they will be tainted as well. Since every synod considers itself the One True Church, no one wants to be on the outside looking in, frozen out by former friends and current relatives. When Joel Gerlach left the WELS temporarily (as recorded in official minutes) his father-in-law threatened to disown him. He came back to the fold - the wolf-pack of Fullerites.

A favorite ELS taunt is "Teigenite," which is used to threaten someone. "Are you a Teigenite?" Being a Teigenite means losing out on synodical perks and trips, perhaps feeling the Left Foot of Fellowship administered with papal firmness.

All the synods would benefit from wide open discussion of doctrine. That would clarify a host of problems steadily getting worse. Instead, there is a universal fear of dealing with anything beyond governance.

Are voters the answer (Cascione) or do we need a bevy of bishops to bless our benedictions (ELDONA)? Yes, hordes of Lutherans traveled to Minnesota in the winter to solve that dilemma. OK, a few trekked there.

The Word of God must be applied to all examples of false doctrine. The response may be Satanic rage and threats or seductive flattery. If we believe the Word is effective, we will use the double-bladed sword of Hebrews 4. The other matters will take care of themselves.