raklatt (http://raklatt.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Universalism in WELS":
One gets tired of WELS being right about Romans 3:23 and wrong about Romans 3:24.
Should they read one more verse, Romans 3:25, they would learn something about faith being important in the propitiation, and that it was Jesus who was declared righteous, not us.
That is so important that Paul repeats it in Romans 3:26.
How is it that the WELS sophists continually ignore what they are being told in Scriptures?
The news gives us sound-bites. The WELS gives us word-bites. Both are incomplete, misleading and often very, very wrong.
Read on. Study well.
4 comments:
Well said.
I was singing (OK, attempting to sing) the Te Deum Laudamus today and was later thinking about Universalism. "When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers." Has the Church had it wrong for the last 1,600 years? Partly, for Rome and Constantinople teach faith-plus-works. The Universalists, on the other hand, teach that one doesn't have to believe to be saved. Orthodox Lutheranism is again proven correct, yet we are quick to throw away this gift from God in order to be "relevant."
I've had discussions with two WELS pastors concerning this text. It is always sidestepped. Here is an excerpt from one of my emails:
"Objective Justification speaks to a forgiveness of sins apart from faith, but the Bible does not speak this way. It always speaks a message of repentance and forgiveness through faith in Jesus who is our justifier and our righteousness. (Romans 10:4)
In fact those very verses (Romans 3:20-26) come from the section entitled ‘Justification by Faith’ in the NIV. Objective Justification turns or burns on verses 22-24. The Concordia Study Bible calls out a parenthetical thought starting at the end of verse 22 and continuing through verse 23. (see attached file for commentary for entire section) I understand that to mean: “22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe [There is no difference, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God] 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” So the meaning actually says according to the study notes: “22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe 24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Because believers are sinners and fall short of the glory of God)."
The KJV's punctuation helps to set this off. The modern translations have butchered this text.
Oh and by the way...the next time your pastor talks about UOJ, ask him how it works with Abraham, since he lived with all the other BC Christians and the work of the atonement had not happened. You'll probably get the same answer I always get...or don't...
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