The Expert in New Testament Scholarship Got Justification Wrong - WELS AnswerMan

WELS AnswerMan

Q: In Bible class the New Testament Commentary of R.C.H Lenski was mentioned. It was commented by someone that they thought Lenski was Reformed. Could you please comment on his New Testament Commentary as well as on his denominational/synodical affiliation? I love using his commentary in my personal devotions, but I would like a bit more info on where he came from and what his various doctrinal/theological biases (read quirks) were.

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A: R.C.H. Lenski was trained as a pastor at the old American Lutheran Church seminary in Columbus, Ohio, and eventually became a professor there. This was at the time when the ALC was still fairly conservative and before it joined with the more liberal LCA and AELC to become the ELCA.

Lenski's commentary was for the most part very good. Most WELS pastors acquired a set of Lenski's commentaries and used them as one resource for NT study since these commentaries reflected a conservative Lutheran theology. One major drawback of Lenki''s commentaries was his rejection of universal justification - a belief shared by most ALC pastors of his time.

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GJ - The Wisconsin Synod, like Missouri, likes to pride itself on its ability to study the Bible. For both synods and many in the ELCA, Lenski is the ultimate 20th century New Testament scholar. No one else provided extensive exegesis for the entire New Testament. There are some shorter commentaries, but nothing like Lenski.

Lenski knew the history of dogmatics quite well, as shown in his comments on various passages.

Notice that AnswerMan did not address the real issues, but danced around them as maladroitly as Rolf Preus and Wilken did on the radio show.

AnswerMan should have said,

1. "We think God declared everyone free from sin, whether they believe or not. Lenski refuted us with Biblical scholarship.
   
2. We think everyone in Hell is a guilt-free saint, but Lenski showed that was impossible.
   
3. We think everyone is already saved, but Lenski undermined our opinions with scholarship.
   
4. We think Lenski is a great Biblical scholar, but we prefer the decision theology of J. P. Meyer, because J. P. taught at The Sausage Factory."

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "The Expert in New Testament Scholarship Got Justif...":

"This was at the time when the ALC was still fairly conservative and before it joined with the more liberal LCA and AELC"........"

How about?
There was a time when the WELS was still fairly conservative before it joined Willow Creek, Fooler Seminary, and some of their pastors became card carrying members of the Ed Stetzer Fan Club. Back then, there was hope because there was much opposition to false doctrine.

Humble Suggestion For Reducing Pork in the Synod Budget

Church and Change's Campaign To Oust the Synod President

I could not find a photo of Gurgel on the Holy Word, Austin website, so I had to PhotoShop Kudu Don Patterson into this picture.
Gurgel squandered the MilCraft estate
and got the synod into a losing lawsuit.
Gurgel went through the Schwan grants
and devoured designated funds.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE's Real Message":

It is evident that the C&Cers have set-up their southern headquarters at Patterson's church with the arrival of president in exile Gurgel.

Patterson's odious network and web of control sprawls further than even you know.

Patterson has been following the lead of Jeske and aspires to become a TV evangelist..through his own radio/tv programming..."a reason for hope" As you listen to Patterson's and Jeske's messages it is hard to tell if they are Lutheran or Methodist.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE's Real Message":

You got it. With Kudu Don all the synod will get is someone with a big head.

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GJ - Karl Gurgel was told to leave the office of Synod President, WELS. If not, the alternative suggested was unpleasant.

Gurgel's return as a pastoral member of Patterson's staff is a clear message to all the Shrinkers - Patterson is his man to oust SP Schroeder.

Gurgel's 14 years of incompetent leadership closed Northwestern College in the name of saving money. (Mark Jeske loved the idea.) SP Mischke let Church Growth doctrine take over WELS, but Gurgel fanned the flames and emptied the coffers to support it. First Veep Wayne Mueller ran the show, according to some observers. When Wayne quit in a huff, after Schroeder became SP, pastors and laity were overjoyed.

Why is WELS paying back WELS in the current budget crisis? Because Team Gurgel spent designated funds on their pet projects, blamed the synod treasurer, fired him, and went their merry way. The treasurer drove Gurgel to work every day, but good ol' Karl had no trouble throwing his friend under the bus.

Gurgel and Patterson share the same stewardship concept. Holy Word has 500 members, many of them wealthy. Patterson owns two properties - his ranch and his suburban house. But Patterson needs synod subsidy so he can have a free vicar each year.

Gurgel's participation in the Church and Change campaign shows that he has no respect for the office he once held. A parish pastor has barely begun to get settled after two years in a new church, something Gurgel might remember from long ago. A synod leader is going to need even more time to accomplish anything.

Mormon Beehives Prove They Are Also Schwaermer

Joseph Schmidt sent me a link to a Mormon beehive doorknob. The linked photo seems to be protected, so I decided not to copy it.

I was going to mention Mormon fondness for the beehive symbol. Here is an interesting article from Mormon No More. Mormon girls were trained to be busy as bees.

Note the beehive in the center. Milwaukee.

Readers might assume this beehive is at The Love Shack, WELS headquarters, but it is found at the Public Service Building where the trolleys gathered. Now it is the WE Building. I hope they do not have two buildings in a row.

The caption seems to be wrong. This appears to be the Beehive House.
"The Bee Hive, Masonically, is an emblem of Industry....When and why the hive of the bee entered Freemasonry as a symbol no one knows....In the book, The Early Masonic Catechisms, the bee in Masonry is mentioned as early as 1724..." (The Craft and Its Symbols, by Allen E. Roberts, Macoy Pub., 1974, p.73)
Utah Lighthouse Ministry

There is also the Beehive House, with the symbol on top. I decided not to buy the stock photo for $49! I found one for free.

The Beehive House was built in 1854 and served as the official residence of Brigham Young when he was President of the LDS Church and Governor of the Utah Territory from 1854-1877. The home has now been restored and furnished to reflect living conditions of that period. Visitors can step back in time during a free 30 minute tour of the house. Things To Do in Salt Lake City

Beehive House

It was a good tour, too; I'd never felt so inspired by Brigham Young. The way he lived his life was just amazing. Did you know that he'd let his children interrupt him at any time, for any thing? That's the kind of father I want to be, though I'd definitely have to practice a lot of patience.

One thing he said really hit me, though: "Eight hours of work, eight hours of sleep, eight hours of play." It's perfect! Since hearing that, I've tried to live it. Nathan Cunningham

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GJ - Brigham Young had around 55 wives - the exact number is unknown.