A family of children raised in WELS schools offered this opinion about the Book of Concord - "Could that be a manual for the Concord jet?"
Various reports from around WELS, the CLC, the Little Sect, and Missouri tell me the same thing - The Book of Concord is a no-show in all doctrinal discussions. The ruling norm (norma normans) is not the Word of God but the publications of the Synodical Conference. The ruled norm (norma normata) should be the Book of Concord, but it is judged irrelevant and boring. Lutheran pastors are too lazy and poorly trained to teach the Book of Concord and use it in sermon preparation.
Now that the CLC (sic) has weighed in on UOJ, we can see that 100% of Lutheran organizations have turned against Luther and the Book of Concord. The recent eructations of UOJ tell me that the guardians of heresy are growing frantic that their foundational error is under assault.
- Texas WELS had a UOJ conference.
- The Wisconsin Sect has published more UOJ baloney recently, resurrecting Church Growth leader Wayne Mueller to deliver another universal absolution article in FICKLE.
- WELS Meditations had another UOJ post, disguised as Justification by Faith.
- The WELS Intrepids (sic) thought they could balance on the Third Rail, and succeeded in admitting there was an issue. Given the Wisconsin propensity for lying and covering up, that was a real break-through.
- LCMS SP Harrison's new translation work suggests that the quest for unity will begin and end with some 19th century Midwestern Pietists.
6 comments:
A CTCR or CCM decision has "thus saith the Lord" authority, especially if it is contrary to Scripture and BOC. Word to the wise: Don't be in the minority position and verbalize it as a call candidate. You will be sorry, especially if you have $50,000-plus in student loans.
Harrison's new translation being:
Walther's Church and Ministry:
http://wittenbergtrail.org/group/whatwaltherreallysaid/forum/topics/harrisons-church-ministry?commentId=1453099%3AComment%3A406489&xg_source=activity&groupId=1453099%3AGroup%3A162345
Wow! That discussion over at Wittenberg is getting a little heated. I would never say that Walther was totally rotten, but why is he so venerated in American Lutheranism? Was he flawless? Did he receive some "revelation" that Luther did not? Luther was always clear in never placing himself above Scripture.
Yes, Luther was criticized for adding "alone" to Romans 3:28, but I just read an article stating many of the Church fathers did the same, even Chrysostom. If this is indeed true, the Eastern Church better rethink their faith-plus-works doctrine, since they so venerate Chrysostom.
People think that when they agree with Walther then by default they are agreeing with Luther. Another blunder.
One time I told a pastor here about how Luther preached, he said - but oh, he lived in a different time than we did, yet the pastor is nothing but a Waltherian in his theology.
Waltherians eventually learn to despise Luther.
LPC
CLC Church Immanuel Lutheran Church, Mankato MN teaches Universal Justification and Universal Salvation:
Are my sins forgiven? Can I be sure that I am saved? God’s answer to these questions is, “YES!” because God declares you and all people free from sin.
http://immanuelmankato.org/wordoftruth/006word_truth.htm
At least they are honest about the consequences of Universal Justification - damning as it is.
Ex-SDA Ballenger promoting the false gospel of UOJ and kicked out of the denomination because of it.
http://www.lmn.org/magazine/169/Ballenger.html
LCMS defining UOJ in no uncertain terms:
It is contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach:
That God's acceptance of His Son's perfect sacrifice does not have as its necessary concomitant the propitiation of His wrath against all sinners.
It is contrary to Scripture and the pure Gospel to teach:
That forgiveness of sins and justification for all have not been declared by God when He raised His Son from the dead, but have merely been acquired or made a possibility through Christ's atonement.
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/mosynod/web/just-01.html
Another (W)ELS essay teaching the false gospel of UOJ. Wendland ties the doctrine back to LCMS' Brief Statement.
Now we come finally to the Common Confession, where this doctrinal divergence has been supposedly resolved. As we approach it we naturally ask, “Will it contain an unequivocal statement on objective
justification? Will it rule out the thought that faith is first necessary before any justification of God’s part is
possible?”
http://www.wlsessays.net/files/WendlandJustification.pdf
Nice comments Narrow-Minded Lutheran and LPC.
No one has studied the development of doctrine from the time of Luther to the Synodical Conference--until now. Walther came along and said this is the way it is, and, oh, by the way, Luther believed the same thing, and everyone believed him without really checking it out thoroughly.
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