Joseph Schmidt has left a new comment on your post "Syn Conference Caught Knapping - Origin of Missour...":
I printed off about 46 pages worth of comments (read about 26) at the Extra Nos blog about UOJ, and the UOJ theologians did not make a very good case for the entire world being absolved from sin without faith.
***
GJ -
UOJ arguments:
- Confuse the atonement with justification by faith.
- Ignore the obvious refutation of their position in Romans 4:24-25, in all of Romans 4 and 5, while citing only one verse (Romans 4:25).
- Sidestep John's treatment of faith, especially John 3:18, while citing John 1:29.
- Criticize the Kokomo Statements while endorsing them.
- Limit their authorities to the Synodical Conference while refusing to acknowledge George Christian Knapp, the author of their folly.
- Deceive their audience about the novelty of their position, much like the Roman Catholic divines who claim the Church has always taught the Assumption and Immaculate Conception of Mary.
3 comments:
The arguments in defense of UOJ are an excellent way of getting the truth out of it's proponents. They would like for the world to think that the doctrine is assumed, that it was the central doctrine since Genesis, that it is in complete agreement with Justification by faith alone, that the Roman Catholic Church agreed with it, that without it there can be no Justification of the sinful world and that to reject it is the pinnacle of rationalism.
Through UOJ God has allowed the Lutheran's (sic) to make fools of themselves, falling prostrate in front of Holy Mother Synod. UOJ falls flat on it's face if a person, by the grace of God, believes that the Word alone is efficacious, acknowledges Synod can be in error and simply tests the Spirit's with God's Word and the Lutheran Confessions.
UOJ is also a lesson to Christ's Church that without the Holy Spirit men will feast on rotten meat all day long and ask for more. Never being able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2 Timothy 3:5-9, "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as their's also was."
In Christ,
Brett Meyer
Martin Luther was opposed to UOJ.
"As before said, they regard faith of slight importance; for they do not understand that it is our sole justifier. To accept as true the record of Christ--this they call faith. The devils have the same sort of faith, but it does not make them godly. Such belief is not Christian faith; no, it is rather deception." And here, "You see how they make faith of no value to themselves, and so must regard as heresy all doctrine based upon it. Thus they do away with the whole Gospel. These are they who deny the Christian faith and exterminate it from the world. Paul prophesied concerning them when he said (1 Tim 4, 1): "In later times some shall fall away from the faith." The voice of faith is now silenced all over the world. Indeed, faith is condemned and banished as the worst heresy, and all who teach and endorse it are condemned with it. The Pope, the bishops, charitable institutions, cloisters, high schools, unanimously opposed it for nearly four hundred years, and simply drove the world violently into hell. Their conduct is the real persecution by Antichrist, in the last times."
Luther also made these statements concerning faith, "Note, faith justifies the individual; faith is justification. Because of faith God remits all sins, and forgives the old Adam and the Cain in our nature, for the sake of Christ his beloved Son, whose name faith represents."
Luther, "You cannot extricate yourself from unbelief, nor can the Law do it for you. All your works in intended fulfilment of the Law must remain works of the Law and powerless to justify in the sight of God, who regards as just only believing children."
Above Luther quotes are from http://www.trinitylutheranms.org/MartinLuther/MLSermons/Galatians4_1_7.html
Luther confirms, "The Scriptures ascribe no righteousness to Abraham except through faith. The Scriptures speak of Abraham as he stands before God, a man justified by faith. Because of his faith God extends to him the promise: "In thee shall all nations be blessed."
Abraham was justified because he believed. Paul's argumentation runs like this: "Since this is the unmistakable testimony of Holy Writ, why do you take your stand upon circumcision and the Law? Was not Abraham, your father, of whom you make so much, justified and saved without circumcision and the Law by faith alone?" Paul therefore concludes: "They which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham."
The faith of the fathers in the Old Testament era, and our faith in the New Testament are one and the same faith in Christ Jesus, although times and conditions may differ."
http://www.bibleteacher.org/luthercom_3.htm
Dear Joseph,
I am glad you made a great effort to examine the evidence for yourself. Your approach is miles apart from the other people that I know. Some people I know won't even look at the evidence and the arguments. They have chosen to play blind.
The justification by faith that is taught by the BoC has already defined what is the faith that justifies in here AC IV.
1] Also they teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for 2] Christ's sake, through faith, when they believe that they are received into favor, and that their sins are forgiven for Christ's sake, who, by His death, has made satisfaction for our sins. 3] This faith God imputes for righteousness in His sight. Rom. 3 and 4.
This faith that believes that one is received into favor and one's sins are forgiven for Christ's sake because Christ has made satisfaction for his/her sins, such faith, God imputes for righteousness in His sight.
I doubt if anyone else can improve better on that formulation. It is plain.
LPC
Post a Comment