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http://vdma.wordpress.com/2010/09/12/intrepid-lutherans-on-plagiarism/

Intrepid Lutherans on Plagiarism

September 12, 2010 by Rick

Recently, Intrepid Lutherans hosted a poll dealing with the topic of pastoral plagiarism. This poll asked the question: “Is it acceptable for a pastor to commit plagiarism?” Here are the results of their poll:

• No. Plagiarism is fraudulent misrepresentation — 166 votes – 87%
• Maybe, if everyone else is doing it — 1 vote – 1%
• Maybe, if it’s not copyrighted — 9 votes – 5%
• Maybe, if it helps spread the Gospel — 14 votes – 7%

This poll was then followed by a series of blog posts on Intrepid Lutherans. Each post is a worthwhile read:

• Plagiarism and Pastoral Fraud
• Plagiarism and Pastoral Fraud – Part 2
• Plagiarism of Sectarian Sources in the WELS – A Case in Point
• Plagiarism of Sectarian Sources in the WELS – A Case in Point (cont’d)

It is good that Intrepid Lutherans attempted to tackle this issue. They made many good points, and appear to have brought some WELS pastors to repentance. There is rejoicing in heaven when a sinner repents. (Luke 15:7).

However, what about the WELS pastors who were confronted privately by other laity & pastors, and they refused to repent? What about a District President who appears to justify plagiarism by saying that “many WELS pastors” do it?

Plagiarism is a Sin. It is foolish to attempt to justify plagiarism because (allegedly) many WELS pastors routinely take credit for other people’s work. Church leaders who say this not only defend sin, they defame other WELS pastors who are children of God.

It is likewise foolish to attempt to justify plagiarism because one is allegedly spreading the gospel. Plagiarism is a sin, and the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23). The Gospel brings life, therefore, the Gospel is the antithesis of sin. Trying to excuse sin for the sake of the Gospel is damnable heresy. (Romans 6:15).

Why do so many religious leaders think that the rules do not apply to them? What causes such arrogant pride, that those whose full time vocation is to teach Law & Gospel and to conquer sin, would so brazenly engage in sin, and teach others to sin? Oh pastors, the rules do apply to you! Do you think that because you are pastors, God will be more lenient? No, those “who teach will be judged more strictly.” (James 3:1).

How long shall we wait for repentance? How many times should we call to repent? Should we wait a year for pastoral repentance? Should we wait a year and a half? Should we wait two years for repentance? Is it too much to expect that pastors would be forthright and honest? Is it too much to expect that WELS pastors would not teach others to sin by their bad example? Is it too much to expect that when confronted a WELS pastor would confess his sin and repent? Or should we expect unending deceit until Christ returns?

Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny. [Matthew 5:25-26].

Be clear that the judge spoken of by Christ in Matthew 5 is not the District President. When Christ demands an accounting of His shepherds and how they have cared for His flock, the District President will not be able to defend. District Presidents cannot save (Psalm 146:3), and God does not tolerate those who teach His children to sin.

… if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to sin! Such things must come, but woe to the man through whom they come!

… if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell. [Matthew 18:6-7, 9].

The “wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23). Therefore, repent. Then “produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves,” We are WELS pastors who grow the church. For out of the very stones God can make true Christians. (Matthew 3:8-9).

It is good that Intrepid Lutherans were able to proclaim truth, and call some to repentance. However, what about the rest of the WELS? There needs to be repentance. And there also needs to be resignations from those church leaders who have engaged in sin and refused to repent, and also those who have defended and protected sin.

Augustine - By the Front Door

Church Mouse has an interesting post, in honor of Augustine of Hippo, where he described the conversion of Augustine as "entering through the back door."

From Thy Strong Word:

People think of St. Augustine as a religious leader of the distant past, but he was once a famous, hedonistic pagan. His mother Monica gave him Christian instruction as a child and prayed for his conversion to the faith. Augustine’s unique intellectual gifts made him a powerful intellectual leader, the finest orator at a time when great speeches were the pathway to fame. He was so brilliant that the Scriptures seemed beneath him. In addition, Christianity was one of many religions of his day, like ours, and not very successful in the marketplace of ideas. Monica never ceased her prayers. Another burden in her life was an unbelieving husband. One day, as Augustine felt the weight of his sins, he was overwhelmed with a sense of contrition. Weeping under a fig tree, he heard a child’s voice sing out a Latin song, “Tolle, lege. Take and read.” The song had no religious content, but Augustine felt compelled to pick up the Scriptures where he read the damning words of the Law and the comfort of the Gospel:

Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Romans 13:13

J-128
Augustine wrote: “I wanted to read no further, nor did I need to. For instantly, as the sentence ended, there was infused in my heart something like the light of full certainty and all the gloom of doubt vanished away.” Augustine then went to tell his mother Monica, who “leaped for joy triumphant, and she blessed Thee, Who art ‘able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.’” (Ephesians 3:20)

Monica prayed to have a believing son, but God gave her one of the greatest of all teachers of Christianity. Augustine became a bishop and served the African church, writing such classics of the faith as his Confessions and The City of God. It is impossible to study Christian thought apart from Augustine or find a topic he did not write about, using the gifts abundantly given him by God. At the last bookstore I visited, not long ago, I saw the famous biography of Augustine in paperback, a testimony not to Monica, but to the kind and loving Father Who blessed Monica far beyond her ability to think or ask. That power gave her, like many heart-broken mothers afterwards, the faith to pray, the hope to find comfort in waiting, and the patience to wait for the effectual working of the Triune God, who can use a child and a secular song to fashion a bishop and theologian.

J-129
"In like manner, St. Paul says that God's ability is thus proved, in that He does exceeding abundantly above and better than we ask or think. Ephesians 3:20. Therefore, we should know we are too finite to be able to name, picture or designate the time, place, way, measure and other circumstances for that which we ask of God. Let us leave that entirely to Him, and immovably and steadfastly believe that He will hear us."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p.179f.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)

---

Augustine is one of the best examples of being converted by the Word of God. Therefore, he entered the Christian Church through the front door, the only door.

Another is Grace Fuller, the wife of the founder of Fuller Seminary:


According to Kittel, the Greek word “energeia , energia” is derived from “to be at work.” The words are found in the pre-Socratic period in the sense of activity or energy. Although we cannot make automatic conclusions from the previous use of the word, as shown in the English word “gay,” it is worth noting that Moulton and Milligan list a few examples of the word-group before New Testament times. More importantly, as the list above shows, the word group is used exclusively for divine and demonic activity. Therefore, Paul distinguishes between the word of man and the Word of Proclamation (akoe). The miraculous creation of the Thessalonian mission itself is proof of the divine power of the Word. They received the Word and the Word converted them to faith in Christ, making them thankful and Paul ceaselessly grateful. Nothing in the Scriptures suggests that people make a decision for Christ after weighing a carefully crafted and skillfully executed presentation.

J-110
"This Word works in the Thessalonians what Paul states in 1:3; it came to them with the power of the Holy Spirit and much assurance (1:5); it turned them from the idols to the living God, to Him who raised up Jesus from the dead, the Savior from the wrath to come (1: 9, 10). This effect, wrought by the Word, convinces all believers, all who experience this blessed effect, that this is, indeed, God's Word."
R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of Thessalonians, Columbus: The Wartburg Press,1937, p. 261.

The conversion of Grace Fuller, wife of the founder of Fuller Seminary, is told with great force and conviction, illustrating the very point made by Paul in this passage.

J-111
"Mrs. Barnhill looked at me and said, with such a loving look in her gray eyes, 'Oh, Grace, Christ said, 'No man cometh unto the Father but by Me,' and, my dear, you have no way of approach to a holy God unless you come through Christ, His Son, as your Saviour.' "The Scripture which she quoted," Mrs. Fuller continues, "was the Sword of the Spirit, and at that moment Unitarianism was killed forever in my heart. I saw the light like a flash and believed at that moment, though I said nothing. She had quoted God's Word, the Spirit had used it, and, believing, I instantly became a new creation in Christ Jesus. She might have talked and even argued with me about it, but instead she just used the Word."
J. Elwin Wright, The Old Fashioned Revival Hour and the Broadcasters, Boston: The Fellowship Press, 1940, p. 54.

As Grace Fuller realized, the proclaimed Word has the power to slay the elegant doubts of Unitarianism and to energize faith in the Gospel in an instant. Therefore, believers have an abundant witness in the Scriptures about the power, clarity, and effectiveness of the Word, but they also have the added benefit of experiencing the energy of the Law and Gospel, which kills the dead old skeptical sinner and creates a new man who loves God and wants to serve Him.

Unbelievers can never understand that Christians subordinate their intellectual powers, their human reason, to the faith divinely created by God. Nor can unbelievers perceive that faith does not oppose reason, nor does it become irrational. Instead, reason serves faith. Many of those who are quoted in this volume are the leading intellectuals of all time, as shown in their vast learning, their demonstrated ability in many languages, and their timeless writings. One nun asked, “How can Martin Luther, who lived 500 years ago, write things which touch me so deeply today?” The answer is – He lived in the Word, more than any other religious leader of any era, so all his utterances have the divine power of the Word today. Under the Law, he experienced all the terrors of Hell as he dwelt upon the wrath of God. When the Holy Spirit finally penetrated the Medieval legalism and philosophy which the Reformer knew so well, the comfort of the Gospel burst upon him, giving him comfort, peace, joy, and a genuine love of God.

J-112
"It is the assurance of the writers (1:1) that this is truly 'God's Word,' but the relative clause: 'which is also effective in you, the believers,' adds the evidence in support of the fact that this is truly God's Word, namely its divine effectiveness in the Thessalonians believers."
R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of Thessalonians, Columbus: The Wartburg Press, 1937, p. 261.

J-113
"To me He spake: Hold fast to Me, I am thy Rock and Castle;
Thy Ransom I Myself will be, For thee I strive and wrestle;
For I am with thee, I am thine,
And evermore thou shalt be Mine:
The Foe shall not divide us.

The Foe shall shed My precious blood, Me of My life bereaving.
All this I suffer for thy good; Be steadfast and believing.
Life shall from death the victory win, My innocence shall bear thy sin;
So art thou blest forever.”
Martin Luther, “Dear Christians One, and All, Rejoice,” The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #387, verses 7-8.

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

Since by man came death, by man came also the Resurrection.
Art by Norma Boeckler.



The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn #479 Zion Rise 2:13
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
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #427 How Firm a Foundation 2:18

Romans 5 and Justification by Faith

The Communion Hymn #314 Lord, Jesus Christ 2:49
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 # 508 Thou Whose Almighty Word 2:72

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

Fifteenth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee for all Thy benefits: that Thou hast given us life and graciously sustained us unto this day: We beseech Thee, take not Thy blessing from us; preserve us from covetousness, that we may serve Thee only, love and abide in Thee, and not defile ourselves by idolatrous love of mammon, but hope and trust only in Thy grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Romans 5 and Justification by Faith

Highpoint of Romans 4

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 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.

The Holy Spirit revealed through Paul that Abraham was the first of many, not just a single figure in the Bible. The Word of God teaches us that we are also counted righteous (imputation, reckoning) if we believe on Him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. The entire sentence should be quoted and cited and not just Romans 4:25 in a misleading way.
Romans 4:25 explains the glorious work of God in the Atonement (delivered for our offences) and the resurrection. There is no claim that the world was absolved of its sin and forgiven the moment Christ rose from the dead.

Lenski:
“Our” transgressions, “our” being declared righteous, as in other similar expressions, speak of the believers alone because in them the purpose of Christ’s death and his resurrection is fully realized. The fact that Christ died also for those who deny him and bring swift destruction on themselves (2 Pet. 2:1) does not need to be introduced here. The two “our” prevent us from making “because of our justification” signify the justification of the whole world instead of “our justification,” “our” referring to us believers (personal justification). It is this justification with which the entire chapter deals and constantly also emphasizes faith.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1936). The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans (328–329). Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern.

Transition to Romans 5:1-2

The highpoint of Romans 4 is the transition to Romans 5:1-2, the classic statement of justification by faith. All of Romans 4 should be read as the introduction to Romans 5 – that is, as an extended explanatory passage teaching faith in the Word of God. Very much like the Gospel of John, Paul begins with a spiritual truth and expands upon it by repetition, giving more and more meaning to the term as it is repeated and explained. Justification by faith in Romans 3, 4, and 5 is like the Bread of Life in John 6 or the Good Shepherd in John 10.

KJV Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

To derive justification without faith (UOJ) from Romans 4:25, right in the middle of Paul’s justification by faith chapters, is an act of criminal dishonesty. The Missouri Synod absorbed the toxins of UOJ slowly, not even reflecting them in their 1905 catechism. Once established as a doctrinal norm, UOJ sped the transition to the doctrines of Enthusiasm and the works of the flesh.
Even more dishonest is using Romans 5, which begins explicitly with justification by faith, to promote justification without faith.

Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

The particle “therefore” is critical to understanding Romans 4. The word signals that Paul has already established justification by faith in the previous section. In chapter 5, Paul is elaborating on what that means for people who believe in the Savior. In other words, justification by faith is the singular theme of Romans 4 - not the imaginary absolution of the world found in Walther, the Brief Statement, and subsequent Synodical Conference teachers. Only in justification by faith can we have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. This peace is not the world’s peace, but the peace of having our sins forgiven through faith in the Gospel. That is precisely why Luther taught that faith is justification.
That does not make justification a work, as anxious Walther disciples want to claim. God creates and sustains individual faith through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the Word. God creates the faith, which is a gift, and declares us forgiven of our sins. This alone glorifies God, unlike UOJ, where people are instructed to make a decision after being told that Hitler, Mao, and Judas Iscariot are guilt-free saints, thanks to UOJ. A study of the word “peace” in the New Testament shows that the word is always connected with salvation. Justification by faith means forgiveness of sin and peace with God, Who is seen as He is – loving, kindly, and merciful.

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace

Someone who does not grasp this clause should not be allowed to teach or preach as a Lutheran, for these words condense the preaching office of the Church, according to the Scriptures and the Confessions. Simply put, these words remind us of the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace. God has united His grace to His appointed instruments or means. Therefore, it is impossible for anyone to receive God’s grace apart from His instruments – the Word and Sacraments.
Forgiveness is grace, because we have not deserved forgiveness for any or all of our sins, much less a complete and free forgiveness from God. However, the false teachers of UOJ want us to agree that God has already bestowed His grace upon the entire world by absolving the world of its sin, without the Word and Sacraments, without any means, without faith.
The UOJ opinion is a version of Calvinism, which divided into two streams of Enthusiasm. In its original form, the audiences were told, like UOJ – you are already saved, now believe what is already true. Breaking with double-predestination Calvinism. the Arminians argued for man’s decision, so they typically say, “God has done this much for you. Now you must complete the transaction by making a decision for Christ.” This is called synergism, making man part of the formula. True Calvinism is rare, except among the UOJ fanatics. Most people in the Calvinist tradition favor the Arminian decision for Christ. Both forms of Calvinism are Enthusiasm, inheriting from Zwingli a mockery of the efficacy of the Word, a rejection of God acting through the visible Word of the Sacraments. As a result, the UOJ philosophy of the LCMS, WELS, and ELS finds itself at home with Pietists, Baptists, Pentecostals, and Presbyterians.
Romans 10 ( to be considered later)—the Means of Grace chapter in this epistle—explains why all the blessings of the Gospel come from the Word alone and never apart from the Word. The combined efforts of the Enthusiasts, in making the Word attractive, germane, relevant, and relational all betray a profound lack of trust in God’s appointed Means of Grace. Reaching for an effective method, as they claim, they shun the Holy Spirit’s work in favor of man’s alleged wisdom.
Faith receives the grace of God, and the Bible teaches us consistently how important this faith is. Faith is the most frequently found word in the New Testament, often extolled by Christ.

Examples of faith:

KJV Matthew 8:10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

KJV Matthew 9:2 And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.

KJV Matthew 15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

KJV Mark 10:14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.

KJV Luke 18:42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.

Three Statements of God’s Grace
KJV Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

“Christ died for the ungodly!” is used as support for UOJ, but that can be tested by reversing the meaning – Christ died for the godly! That makes no sense – even Unitarians would reject that statement. Christ died for the unbelieving world. The UOJ philosophy combines the atoning death of Christ with justification, creating an amalgamation that is false to both. As unbelievers, continuing in sin, we have no strength. Only the Gospel Promises can give us strength through this gracious forgiveness received in faith. Trying to convert others through love or relationships is a denial of God working through the Word.
Paul is reminding us that God provided for our forgiveness and salvation before we could even imagine it.

Lenski, Romans 5:6
The aorist “Christ died” is historical and appears again with emphasis in v. 8. It is true that Paul is addressing the Roman Christians, and that his “we” includes himself, and we may admit that all of them came to faith after Christ had died. Yet Paul’s words are not restricted to these believers, to their ungodliness before they came to faith. The preceding
chapter deals with Abraham who was justified exactly as were these Roman believers but was justified a thousand years before Christ died. With him Paul in chapter 4 combines all his seed of the old covenant era who also lived before Christ’s death. That should not be overlooked when discussing chapter 5. The fact that Christ died for the ungodly applies to all believers from Abraham, yea from Adam, onward. Ungodliness was the characteristic of all of them before they believed, and for them Christ died as he did for us later believers, not as those who would eventually become godly people but as originally being ungodly people. The fact that his death occurred at a specific time in history makes no difference as far as its relation to the ungodliness of even the believers for whom he died is concerned. Rev. 13:8.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1936). The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans (344–345). Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern.

Romans 5:8-9
KJV Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

The Scripture often describes God’s work in groups of three. This is the second of three statements, each one offering more perspective. Weakness is an attribute of sinfulness, an obvious attribute of those who remain in sin and have no power to leave it, even though they participate in numerous self-help programs. We are alike in that regard, having no strength on our own – weak, fallible, and flawed. But Christ died for us sinners, and because we are justified by faith, we are spared from God’s wrath through the sacrifice of our Savior.

Romans 5:10-11

KJV Romans 5:10 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.

The terms “reconciled” and “reconciliation” are useful for the UOJ Enthusiasts, because they want to have entire world forgiven by an exchange, one for the other, the literal meaning of the word. Atonement is an English construction from at-one-ment. The original Greek term was used for making change, such as four quarters for a dollar, but it is misleading to take a secular term and apply a doctrinal meaning to it, without regarding the context and the rules of Biblical interpretation.
Grace only comes to us through the Means of Grace, so if we imagine this verse promises grace without God’s appointed instruments of grace, the premise must be wrong. The Bible is not logical, according to man’s rules of logic, but it is consistent, without error or contradiction, as Luther said in his Large Catechism (Baptism).
The UOJ premise takes this verse to mean that the moment Christ died on the cross, His righteousness was exchanged for man’s sinfulness, one for the other, God’s Great Exchange, so that the entire world became absolved from sin.
God established the reconciliation (the Atonement) so that man was reconciled to God, knowing his sins were redeemed on the cross. This was, as Lenski stated, man’s need. God already loved the world, but man remained a weak sinner, an enemy of God, until the Gospel was preached to him. The distinction between the Atonement and justification is made twice in two verses.
1. Were reconciled, being reconciled. The objective act of God’s work on the cross is true, whether anyone believes it or not. Being reconciled means being justified by faith.
2. By whom we have now received the Atonement (reconciliation).

Receiving is also used by John’s Gospel as synonymous with believing.

KJV John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

KJV John 17:8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.

Lenski, Romans 5:10:
God always loved the world (John 3:16). It was this love which dated from all eternity that caused him to give his Son into death for the ungodly world (v. 8). God needed no reconciliation, nothing to change him, for God is love—why should he change? The whole trouble was with us, with what we had made ourselves (enemies), with the state into which we had placed ourselves (sin, godlessness). The view is inadequate that, as it so often happens in the case of men, so it happened in the case of God and of us, that we had mutually fallen out with each other, and that reconciliation was completely one-sided, even doubly so: we were wrong, we alone; a change had to take place in our case, and we could not make it ourselves, God had to make it. It took the sacrificial death of his Son to do it.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans. Columbus, Ohio : Lutheran Book Concern, 1936, S. 352.

Romans 5:12-18
KJV Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence 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.

Many is not the same word as all, and yet the UOJ fans cannot comprehend this important difference. All have sinned (verse 12), but many (verse 16) are justified by faith. This passage is directed especially at those who are justified by faith, to show the results of forgiveness.
Does verse 18 declare that every single person on earth has been declared forgiven, given the status of guilt-free saints? The free gift of salvation is offered to all and is available to all.

Romans 5:19

KJV Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

If Paul meant to say that everyone is already justified, without the Word, then he must be confused in his use of “many” once again. The false premise is the confusion of the universal Atonement, objectively true, and the distribution by the Holy Spirit of this treasure, through the preaching of the Gospel.
To declare everyone forgiven without the Gospel is a complete negation of the preaching office and the ministry of the Word in all forms. That negation is the reason why UOJ is never explored and never really defended. The talking points are simply repeated endlessly and the Book of Concord Lutherans are attacked as outside the Kingdom.

WELS Fox Valley High Sponsors False-Teaching Plagiarist Ski for Sex-Ed Talk To Teens

NKJ Proverbs 17:12 Let a man meet a bear robbed of her cubs, Rather than a fool in his folly.


This announcement has also been sent to all elementary schools in the federation. "Younger parents are welcome to attend, but please leave the younger children at home for this sensitive topic. "

Ski and Playboy model MariQueen.NKJ Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.


Plagiarism and bad spelling are dual plagues at the high school level:
Ski does both.
Please "foward" this.


FVL Schools Community Parents’ Night
Topic: Sex Ed-”Taking on Taboos”
Presenter: Pastor Ski from The CORE
Date: Thursday, September 30
Time: 7:00 PM
Place: FVL Auditorium

[X]

FVL Mission:
preparing teens for
lives of Christian service
and for eternity

Talking openly about sex to their middle school or high school-age children is something many parents dread. But, today—more than ever—that conversation needs to take place. Christian parents are looking for the right things to say and the right way to say it. Pastor Ski will help parents and students break the sound barrier and look at this topic through the lens of God’s Word. This presentation is designed for parents and students from grades 6 and up to attend TOGETHER. Younger parents are welcome to attend, but please leave the younger children at home for this sensitive topic. Audience questions are encouraged. Please bring your cell phone to text or call in your questions! (Paper provided for non-cell phone users!)

Invite your neighbors and friends with children the age of your children. How great it would be to have everyone talking about this important topic from a Biblical perspective. Tickets available from the FVL School Office or the office of any FVL School. Thanks to Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Christian Family Counseling, and WEMI-Christian Family Radio for their help in making this event possible.


Ski also posed with former Gospel singer, turned raunchy, Katy Perry.

***

GJ - Source - http://www.fvlhs.org/resources/septemberfoxtracksforweb.pdf - page five.

A concerned WELS parent from Fox Valley sent the link. This proves that writing Synod President Schroeder, District President Englebrecht, and the underlings will accomplish nothing.

Confessional Lutheran pastors would have trouble becoming hall monitors at Fox Valley High.

Address and Phone:
5300 North Meade Street
Appleton, WI 54913-8383
Phone: (920)739-4441
Fax: (920)739-4418
Website: www.fvlhs.org.

Principal - Mr. Paul Hartwig
Faculty Senate
Mr. Alan Nolte, Chairman
Rev. David Wenzel, Religion
Mr. Dave Kolander, Math
Mr. Peter Sehloff, Soc. St.
Mr. Al Wrobel, Science
Rev. Ron Gorske, For. Lang.
Mr. James Neujahr, Fine Arts
Mr. Nathan Nolte, Tech. Ed./Bus.
Mr. Joel Kramer, Phy. Ed.
Mr. Tom Welch, Guidance
Mr. Gene Strusz, Athletic Dir.
Mr. Paul Grubbs, English.

"Satan's Sex Ed" was plagiarized from Rev. Craig Groeschel. Rev. Groeschel warns pastors to give him credit for his original material, but apparently Ski never does that.

Don't bother writing WELS Pastor Tim Glende. He will block your email. Send certified letters and see if anyone will even acknowledge them. Glende should invite his pal Rev. Floyd Luther Stolzenburg to help out with this real, relevant, relational lecture. Everyone would love to hear Floyd's stance on adultery, abortion, and working with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.



For weeks, Pastor Tim featured himself posing with a starlet on his Facebook page, as his wall photo.
Yes, he is married,
just like Ski.

---

Response to a recent visit to The SORE:

electronicoptimist said...

If witch-hunting is what being a true Christian is about.. I will be the one at the Asherah Pole. You have spun what happens there to receive atta-boys and have distorted the truth. When confronted you say I am defensive. Wouldn't you be? You project and mind-read in your writings as oppossed to 'benefit of the doubt' or state things objectively for others to determine.

As far as buying/using canned materials.. were you aware that these were for sale at the Men's Conference this past spring? Were you aware that this was sponsored by WELS churches (none of which was The Core/St. Peter)?

Signed,
I hate sycophants

September 10, 2010 9:10 AM

WELS Church and Change Eats This Up - Mequon Grad is DP for LCMS - Devours Sweet and Jeske

WELS-trained LCMS DP loves Sweet.
He is also gonzo for Jeske.
Heather has two mommies?
But Jeske has two DPs.
GJ Note - Wolves run in packs and kill for fun.

http://www.crosstalkblog.com/2010/09/new-age-teacher-leonard-sweet-coming-to-a-church-near-you-crosstalk-thursday/

New Age Teacher Leonard Sweet–Coming to a Church Near You? Crosstalk Thursday

Posted by Ingrid Schlueter in New Spirituality, Religion on September 8th, 2010 | 9 responses

Thursday’s Crosstalk will be addressing the increasingly popular teachings of Dr. Leonard Sweet. Tune in live at 2pm Central or listen to the archived show later.

Dr. Leonard Sweet is making his way into otherwise conservative evangelical churches, schools, colleges and organizations by speaking on things like postmodern culture and theology or “education in the age of Google.” But why would pastors and teachers from churches and institutions that are supposedly faithful to biblical Christianity promote and listen to a panentheist and New Age teacher like Leonard Sweet? Guest Sandy Simpson will explain what Leonard believes and teaches. It’s shocking. We will also be offering Warren Smith’s excellent book, A Wonderful Deception, which contains an entire chapter on Sweet and his “Quantum Spirituality.” During the program, we will address Leonard Sweet’s recent attempts to distance himself from his earlier book, and point out that he continues to promote eastern mysticism.

The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod is one supposedly biblical denomination that has increasingly brought Leonard Sweet in for teachers conferences, convocations and educational seminars as keynote speaker. The South Wisconsin District of the LCMS is bringing Sweet in for a full DAY seminar at Lake Country Lutheran High School. (October 9, 2010) But why? Why would those who claim to believe in the authority of Scripture and the true Gospel of Jesus Christ bring in someone who thanks occultist David Spangler for his spiritual influence? (See below.) As preparation for the broadcast, please see this excerpt below from former New Ager Warren Smith’s book chapter on Leonard Sweet and his Quantum Spirituality. It’s a warning about how heretical occult teachings are no longer viewed as such in many churches. Unless God’s people learn to biblically discern these things, they are easy targets for deception.
Here’s the excerpt:

Leonard Sweet, in acknowledging Willis Harman, Matthew Fox, M. Scott Peck, and the others he refers to as “New Light leaders” in [his book] Quantum Spirituality, states:

I believe these are among the most creative religious leaders in America today. These are the ones carving out channels for new ideas to flow. In a way this book was written to guide myself through their channels and chart their progress. The book’s best ideas come from them.

Speaking of spiritual “channels,” Sweet expresses his personal gratitude in [his book] Quantum Spiritualityto channeler and veteran New Age leader, David Spangler. Spangler, in attempting to cast off the negative stereotype of a New Age channeler, would now more likely describe himself as a conscious intuitive.

A pioneering spokesperson for the New Age, Spangler has written numerous bookslieves over the years that include Emergence: The Rebirth of the Sacred, Revelation: The Birth of a New Age, and Reimagination of the World: A Critique of the New Age, Science, and Popular Culture. His book Revelation: The Birth of a New Ageis a compilation of channeled transmissions he received from his disembodied spiritguide “John.”
At one point in Revelation, Spangler documents what “John” prophesied about “the energies of the Cosmic Christ” and “Oneness”:

As the energies of the Cosmic Christ become increasingly manifest within the etheric life of Earth, many individuals will begin to respond with the realization that the Christ dwells within them. They will feel his presence moving within and through them and will begin to awaken to their heritage of Christhood and Oneness with God, the Beloved.

Unbelievably, in a modern-day consultation that bears more than a casual resemblance to King Saul’s consultation with the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7), Leonard Sweet acknowledges in Quantum Spirituality that he was privately corresponding with channeler David Spangler. In Quantum Spirituality, Sweet writes about what he calls his “new cell” understanding of New Light leadership, then closes his book by thanking Spangler for “his help in formulating this ‘new cell’ understanding of New Light Leadership.” Sweet writes:

Philosopher Eric Voegelin’s word “cosmion” refers to “a well ordered thing that has the character of the universe.” New Lights offer up themselves as the cosmions of a mind-of-Christ consciousness. As a cosmion incarnating the cells of a new body, New Lights will function as transitional vessels through which transforming energy can renew the divine image in the world, moving postmoderns from one state of embodiment to another. I am grateful to David Spangler for his help in formulating this “new cell” understanding of New Light leadership…

Leonard Sweet’s Quantum Spirituality and David Spangler’s The Reimagination of the World were both published in 1991. It seems obvious from their books that both men are attempting to distance themselves from the more faddish, consumer-oriented elements of the New Age—but without actually dispensing with the term New Age itself. To the casual reader, it might look like Spangler and Sweet are actually speaking against the New Age.

In fact, quotes taken out of context might even make it appear this is true. But this is definitely not the case. Sweet and Spangler are just doing some New Age/New Spirituality public relations. They are both redefining and refining the term New Age as they try to strip the term of its Shirley MacClainesque pop aspects and put it more in the realm of seemingly authoritative science.

The term New Age would no longer be associated with occult spiritual beliefs but rather with a period of time—a new era—in which their seemingly scientifically based spiritual beliefs would manifest. It would no longer be a New Age Spirituality. It would now be a universal “New Spirituality” for a new era—the coming “New Age.” This New Age would be equated with a planetary era and a planetary ethic that would reflect a passionate concern for the environment and all of humanity. This new era would also reflect the new “civility” called for by Sweet’s “hero,” the late New Age leader M. Scott Peck. (Online source)

LCMS Tuition Robbery

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Maybe Because Bruce Church Told the Truth about Sk...":

The LCMS is on a different trajectory than other shrinking denominations. Liberal denominations closed and consolidated seminaries as needed, and they always kept tuition low. Even now you can attend many liberal seminaries for $5 or $6 grand per year, much less than the $21,600 LCMS seminaries cost for the M Div programs.

Now students can't afford an M Div, so they are going alternative routes, according to the stats. Some fear not receiving a call, or being weeded out, so why get an M Div?

Meanwhile, the workers at synod HQ and in the districts are pulling down handsome salaries, and Kieschnick is currently trying to sell his $640k McMansion. Moreover, retirement age pastors are getting their salaries and pensions at the same time so they never retire, even as the synod loses 25,000 members per year. Concordia Seminary St Louis endowment fund is up to $80 million.

I think that the high salaries are a contributing cause to why the synod is going south in membership. But the LCMS leaders would rather keep their exorbitant salaries than turn the synod around. As in the liberal denominations, they are content to run the synod into the ground as long as they are being paid handsomely.

Time of Jeske

John has left a new comment on your post "WELS, LCMS, Or Just Plain New Age?":

Jeske isn't worth the time to listen to/watch, regardless of the initials that follow his name.

TOG is all about Jeske/donations/buying CD's and DVD's. Nowhere can one find him directing folks to a church or pastor near them to learn more about their salvation. You've got to tune in to TOG.

Mark and avoid TOG. Isn't it ironic when one considers Jeske's first name?

Romans 4 - From Luther versus the UOJ Pietists - The New Draft

Chapter: Exegetical Essay on Justification

Biblical passages have been abused to promote the false doctrine of Universal Objective Justification. People need to be armed against the frequent claims that “God has already declared the entire world forgiven.” The following pages will show that the UOJ argumentation is groundless and a base perversion of the Word of God. These studies began with laymen urging me to study these issues, so I am writing this chapter with them in mind. For that reason I am using my Greek text but offering an explanation that does not require knowledge of that language.

The LCMS Brief Statement

Of Justification

17. Holy Scripture sums up all its teachings regarding the love of God to the world of sinners, regarding the salvation wrought by Christ, and regarding faith in Christ as the only way to obtain salvation, in the article of justification. 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; that therefore not for the sake of their good works, but without the works of the Law, by grace, for Christ's sake, He justifies, that is, accounts as righteous, all those who believe, accept, and rely on, the fact that for Christ's sake their sins are forgiven. Thus the Holy Ghost testifies through St. Paul: "There is no difference; for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus," Rom. 3:23, 24. And again: "Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law," Rom. 3:28.

The Missouri Synod approved the Brief Statement of 1932, the final effort of Francis Pieper, who was drafted by C. F. W. Walther to follow… in his steps. Unfortunately, many have treated this document as superior to the Book of Concord, supplanting the Confessions by making the Brief Statement of a Midwestern sect the final word on all doctrinal matters. Since this paragraph ties their doctrine to three passages, they need to be examined in context.

Romans 4:25 and 5:19

“The sins of the world were forgiven the moment Christ rose from the dead.”
KJV Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

That is a common claim, one that bears scrutiny. If the verse does not say what is claimed, the false foundation is removed. Clearly, the citation is only part of a statement, but the statement itself is found within the context of a chapter. We all know that chapter divisions in the Bible are rather arbitrary, assigned many centuries after the fact. Nevertheless, they follow the change in themes clearly visible in Romans.

Romans 4

Romans 4 has a theme, clearly articulated. The chapter teaches us about Abraham as the father of faith. He is the example to follow in this matter of justification, being declared free of sin by God.

KJV Romans 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

In Romans, Paul offers the alternatives of faith or works, justification by faith (already established) or justification by works.

KJV Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

KJV Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

Throughout the Bible and the Confessions, justification is always justification by faith, as the most ardent UOJ advocates have admitted. This is especially true of Abraham, because the issue is raised – How was he counted or reckoned as righteous?

Romans 4: 9Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

No one can claim from this section that anyone is counted righteous without faith.

KJV Romans 4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect: 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

The champions of UOJ rail against faith, belittling faith, mocking faith as if it were bad, dangerous, and a work of man! This shows the effect of false doctrine, hardening and blinding men, so they see what God extols as bad. Abraham was not righteous because of a work—circumcision—but received circumcision as the seal of the righteousness of faith.
Abraham was justified by faith before he was circumcision:

KJV Genesis 15:5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Abraham was justified by faith before God commanded circumcision, which can be seen in the time between his justification and the instigation of circumcision.

KJV Genesis 17:10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.

Lenksi:
Abraham’s faith was so reckoned. His faith reached out to the Heir, to Christ. The moment it did this it became in God’s accounting perfect righteousness for him. He is our spiritual father, and all of us, like him, are accounted righteous by God in the same blessed way. He is never our ancestor due only to an outward religious connection of Christianity with Judaism.
4) There are two kinds of reckoning. Paul carefully distinguished between them, for only the one kind applies here. Now to the one working the pay is not reckoned according to grace but according to obligation; but to one not working (at all) but (only) believing on him who declares the ungodly one righteous his faith is reckoned for righteousness.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1936). The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans (291). Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern.

Romans 4:13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

This language is especially important, because it is reflected in one of the Formula of Concord’s articles – The Righteousness of Faith. One of the best ways to change doctrine is to get people used to a new vocabulary. The righteousness of faith bridges the historical gap between Paul, the 1580 Book of Concord, and us. New terms and meanings must come from the outside, alien to the long line of faithful Gospel teachers. Objective Justification, Subjective Justification, General Justification, and Universal Justification are new words, foreign to Lutherans and opposed to the clear and precise Promises of God.

10] These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves. 11] This faith is a gift of God, by which we truly learn to know Christ, our Redeemer, in the Word of the Gospel, and trust in Him, that for the sake of His obedience alone we have the forgiveness of sins by grace, are regarded as godly and righteous by God the father, and are eternally saved.
Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article III, The Righteousness of Faith.

KJV Romans 4:16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 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.

Faith is not opposed to grace because the word means trust in God, Who moves us to believe in His mercy in Christ because of the Holy Spirit working in the Gospel Promises. This is the Christ-centered and God-glorifying doctrine of the Christian Church, no matter who has changed or diluted or amalgamated it. True, the revivalists have damaged the original Biblical meaning of faith, by making man’s faith a healing and saving virtue. But, to paraphrase Luther, we should not be like the man who knifed his brother to death when trying to protect him from an attacking bear. The solution to revivalism and New Age salvation-by-positive-thinking is to teach against it, using the Word of God as a weapon, not to copy and paste sermons and ape their pathetic attempts at entertainment evangelism.

Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness

The context is Abraham believing he will be the father of many nations and acting on that Promise of God. Once again, this important term “imputed” (counted, reckoned) is used. He believed and he was counted righteous. His actions were works of faith, which glorify God, not works of the Law, which cause men to boast (see the Pharisee and the publican parable).

Highpoint of Romans 4

23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 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.

The Holy Spirit revealed through Paul that Abraham was the first of many, not just a single figure in the Bible. The Word of God teaches us that we are also counted righteous (imputation, reckoning) if we believe on Him that raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. The entire sentence should be quoted and cited and not just Romans 4:25 in a misleading way.
Romans 4:25 explains the glorious work of God in the Atonement (delivered for our offences) and the resurrection. There is no claim that the world was absolved of its sin and forgiven the moment Christ rose from the dead.

Lenski:
“Our” transgressions, “our” being declared righteous, as in other similar expressions, speak of the believers alone because in them the purpose of Christ’s death and his resurrection is fully realized. The fact that Christ died also for those who deny him and bring swift destruction on themselves (2 Pet. 2:1) does not need to be introduced here. The two “our” prevent us from making “because of our justification” signify the justification of the whole world instead of “our justification,” “our” referring to us believers (personal justification). It is this justification with which the entire chapter deals and constantly also emphasizes faith.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1936). The Interpretation of St. Paul's Epistle to the Romans (328–329). Columbus, Ohio: Lutheran Book Concern.

Transition to Romans 5:1-2

The highpoint of Romans 4 is the transition to Romans 5:1-2, the classic statement of justification by faith. All of Romans 4 should be read as the introduction to Romans 5 – that is, as an extended explanatory passage teaching faith in the Word of God. Very much like the Gospel of John, Paul begins with a spiritual truth and expands upon it by repetition, giving more and more meaning to the term as it is repeated and explained. Justification by faith in Romans 3, 4, and 5 is like the Bread of Life in John 6 or the Good Shepherd in John 10.

KJV Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

To derive justification without faith (UOJ) from Romans 4:25, right in the middle of Paul’s justification by faith chapters, is an act of criminal dishonesty. The Missouri Synod absorbed the toxins of UOJ slowly, not even reflecting them in their 1905 catechism. Once established as a doctrinal norm, UOJ sped the transition to the doctrines of Enthusiasm and the works of the flesh.

Appreciation

Jukjs2 (http://openid.aol.com/jukjs2) has left a new comment on your post "From a WELS Blog":

I think the reason these CORE people find traditional WELS pastors boring is because they find the Gospel boring. They think the means of grace are boring. The constant repetition of bland praise choruses is boring to me. Sermons that contain nothing but Third Use of Law bore me to tears. Therapeutic "practical' sermons have me looking at my watch and humming eighties pop hits.

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Scott E. Jungen has left a new comment on your post "Appreciation":

For those of you who think Dr. Jackson and Ichabod are way off-base in their description of WELS and its leadership, read the series of posts under "From a WELS Blog." Notice "gvonseng" and "electricoptimist" do not post their real names.

Notice the tone of their posts, all attacks. Notice the usage of terms like "pharisee". Did someone warn you that's how you would be answered by a CORE member or the WELS leadership? Hmmmm?

Now, contrast Daniel Baker and myself. Notice I use my real name, and I'll assume Mr. Baker does the same. Mr. Baker has done a fine job of expressing his concerns about the CORE. I attempt to do the same, although I am guilty of using a bad pun or two. Notice our lack of childish name-calling and such. The differences are plain to see.

So,"gvongseng" and "electricoptimist" feel free to continue following false teachers and munch popcorn in a theater. Please, leave the WELS to the true Confessional Lutherans who are still around. We would rather be in the throne room of a King.
Scott E. Jungen

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Daniel Baker has left a new comment on your post "Appreciation":

Mr. Jungen is completely right in his analysis. I've had to turn on the "moderate comments feature" do to some of these people, not because they have content I'm afraid of, but because they are using profane and grotesque insults. It's rather disturbing.

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Scott E. Jungen has left a new comment on your post "Appreciation":

Daniel,

Thank you. I believe people attacking you is a sign that they cannot refute your arguments, so they turn to name-calling and foul language. Keep up the good work.

Scott E. Jungen

Emulsifying Pastors

Popcorn theater churches depend on emulsifying pastors.

Oil and water do not mix. If someone attempts a mixture, they soon separate. Keeping them blended requires an emulsifier.

Sound doctrine does not mix with false doctrine, so how can Enthusiasm be sneaked into a congregation, school, or synod? Emulsifying pastors make it happen. They are not completely loyal to one area (orthodoxy) or the alternative (Enthusiasm), but argue for the mixture to remain in suspension.

Too many people focus on the easy targets, whose fanatical devotion shows they are completely in the camp of Enthusiasm. This blog has fallen into that temptation more than once. The midwives of full-blown apostasy enable this treachery with their clever statements:
1. This is a g-r-e-y area of Scripture. (Stretch out g-r-e-y in an agony of contemplation.)
2. That c-a-n be understood correctly. (Stretch out c-a-n, as if considering a new element, a work of art, or a table loaded with food.)
3. We should spoil the Egyptians, repeating an old slogan, never hinting that Augustine never meant to copy pagan religion but to use the tools of the classical age.

An emulsifying agent creates a blend, and emulsifying pastors argue for:

1. Blended worship.
   
2. Blended doctrine.

The emulsifier argues that his orthodoxy, his DNA, and his superb training allow him to hold Lutheran doctrine and Enthusiasm in suspension, an explosive blend guaranteed to yield enthusiastic Lutherans.

The three partners of the Synodical Conference have promoted this view, as subtle as a zephyr, for decades. The results are obvious, but no one wants to admit anything. The emulsifying pastors never cease their work, acting shocked if anyone asks questions, falling into memory lapses when the facts are repeated - as if that mattered. "I am not sure about that." "I don't remember that." The emulsifying pastors have changed worship to match their agenda: Blended worship - a mixture of Emergent Church paganism and good ol' fashioned Lutheranism. They even have a blogs to promote their emulsion - Blended Worship is just one of them.

Here is one example, found on a blog called Blended Worship. Worship really is "purpose" driven. (WELS pastor Aaron Christie, article in a WELS publication.) Let's look at the footnote references:
1. Apology, Augsburg Confession.
2. Timothy Maschke, Gathered Guests. LCMS author - liturgical.
3. Reggie McNeal of Emergent Church fame.
4. Rick Warren - whose motto is copied in the title.
5. David Valleskey - the WELS emulsifier-in-chief.
6. Marva Dawn - Missouri's expert in women's ordination.

Two Lutheran references lead people into the non-Lutheran agenda - four references. Clever.

Rev. Marva Dawn, LCMS

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gangloff (http://gangloff.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Emulsifying Pastors":

In case you ever thought Eve was foolish, there are people today who will sell their souls for popcorn. Worse still are the people who offer the popcorn. Next time look around for the Devil. You might actually see him.

Why Are Apostate Leaders So Bitterly Opposed To Their Own Heritage?

Apostate leaders have one advantage over all their opponents. People assume the apostate leader can be persuaded based upon their common tradition. They take a box of chocolates to a knife fight and wonder why they end up bleeding to death.

An apostate is someone who has fallen away from the faith, a former believer. That perspective is essential in understanding how these people work.

They turn against their past to advance themselves and do not like to be reminded about what they no longer believe. People think they are reminding the DP of what he knows and believes, but the meeting comes across as a guilty conscience speaking to the DP about his betrayals.

His hardened heart does not want to be reminded. He will strike back, and his victims wonder what happened.

One LCA clergy couple said they were going to meet with their bishop and tell him what was wrong with the LCA. I said, "I know this guy. He cannot stand any kind of confrontation. He will have a colitis attack and say very little, but he will get even every way he can." I suggested they work out a new plan for leaving.

I told one person to expect raging when he met with an LCA pastor. Instead, the man was sugary sweet. But he knew so little that he claimed Christians believed in the Immaculate Conception of Jesus! Next he refused to look up the term in a nearby religious dictionary. I can understand why laity might mix up the Virgin Birth of Christ with the alleged Immaculate Conception of Mary, but a Lutheran pastor should a) know the difference, and b) want to look up the topic.

WELS began as a Pietistic unionistic sect and started to turn Lutheran under the influence of Bading and Hoenecke. Missouri sent some head-slaps their way, too. The 19th century saw a gradual movement away from revivalism and Pietism in the Muhlenberg (LCA) tradition, toward the Book of Concord - thanks to the Henkels and the General Council split.

WELS has returned to its Pietistic and unionistic past, thanks to the unceasing efforts of the Doctrinal Pussycats, college and seminary professors, and lick-spittles. They have added another (lower) level by adopting entertainment seeker services--with food--and New Age paganism. Remember when they denounced Missouri for going liberal and denying it? WELS does that without remorse. Remember how they said, "Synods are like fish, rotting from the head"? Look at The Love Shack and Sausage Factory.

WELS dined out on Missouri unionism for decades. They read Christian News and exclaimed, and I quote, "I thank God every day that I am not in the Missouri Synod." (or like this publican)

WELS' entire program is based on unionism. They go to false teachers to learn, and invite false teachers like Space Cadet Sweet to lecture them. And they love it! Fox Valley devours Groeschel and Swindoll because both men are unionistic Pietists. They are all singing from the same page of the hymnal, and it is "Shine, Jesus, Shine." And the non-Lutherans are making them pay for it, big time.

The WELS (and Missouri) DPs have been promoting unionism, synergism, and entertainment for decades. To go to Englebrecht and complain about unionism, synergism, and entertainment is tantamount to criticizing his mother - Holy Mother WELS, the inerrant and infallible alma mater. Is he going to smile and crack open his Book of Concord?

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clittle (http://clittle.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Why Are Apostate Leaders So Bitterly Opposed To Th...":

The spineless and odious posturing of religious leaders needs to end now. They only provide a disservice to listeners.