ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Monday, August 22, 2011
When the going gets weird...the weird turn pro...hunter thompson
When the going gets weird...the weird turn pro...hunter thompson
Well, this explains a lot of the cyberstalking, misogyny, and bullying you see on Lutheran message boards and blogs coming from CPH executive and Lutheran pastor Paul T. McCain.
LCMS has some explaining to do if this website is funded or expensed to the Missouri Synod or CPH.
This doesn’t reflect well upon the CPH or the LCMS.
Even if cyberbrethren is his personal blog site, he’s still an officer of the CPH and by extension he makes the denomination look like stereotypical bitter clingers.
I’m from the Midwest not the South, we use colorful metaphors to dismiss this kind of behavior, “redneck hillbilly”--- a throwback to another time.
This is not the appropriate venue to talk about gun prowess precisely because this person is an officer of a publishing house and a pastor who makes frequent mention of it everywhere he presents himself on an international basis.
It’s conduct unbecoming a pastor--especially the VDMA on pistol grips.
“My VDMA 1911 .45 Pistol: An Homage to the Smalcaldic League and the Lutheran Reformation
April 12th, 2011
I received a set of custom grips for my 1911 handgun, and decided to have inscribed on them the symbol that was widely used by the Lutheran princes throughout the Reformation era, the famous: VDMA, standing for the Latin motto Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum. This symbol was inscribed on swords, cannons and armor used by the Smalcaldic League which was formed to be a mutual defense organization, against the Catholic princes trying to overthrow the Reformation in the various territories of Germany that had embraced it.
Here is a photo of my 1911 with my VDMA grips, following that, another brief explanation of the VDMA symbol, as usual for a really large version of the image, click on it and then click on it again and you’ll have it.”
April 12th, 2011 at 21:37 | #5
Reply | Quote
Okay, get mad at me, but this is obscene.
April 13th, 2011 at 00:17 | #12
Reply | Quote
In this day and age it will cause offense to others as it did to me, despite what our Lutheran forefathers did. I think it might have been better to keep that picture to yourself.
With respect, Pastor, I also found this disturbing.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.”
There are many who will not understand the historical context of what you are saying, and will see this as an endorsement of using force to bring the Word of God to people.
This image bothered me, even though I’m a fan of Lutheran history and the wife of a gun collector.
April 13th, 2011 at 10:12 | #19
Reply | Quote
This is very creepy…
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- ◦April 13th, 2011 at 12:15 | #22
Reply | Quote
It’s creepy because you’re not in the same position as the Lutheran princes in the Smalcaldic League who faced the real threat of Catholic aggression. Putting VDMA on a pistol while living in 21st century St. Louis is just silly and, yes, more than a little weird. It’s like those Goth kids in high school who like to pretend they live in the Middle Ages. It’s a phase you hope they grow out of, but apparently some people never stop playing pretend.
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ptmccain
April 13th, 2011 at 12:34 | #23 Reply | Quote
Thomas, you probably could have made your point, or maybe not, without resorting to silliness, but…regardless…let me assure you that next time I take the 1911 to the range, I will shoot several magazines with great joy, in your honor, celebrating my Christian and American rights and freedom to do so. That you don’t “get it” is unfortunate, but that’s ok. Some people who have an animus over against guns never will. I gladly join the fathers of our faith who placed VDMA on their weapons to remind themselves that their struggle against evil was a struggle for the Word of God’s truth and purity. Precisely because I live in Saint Louis, Missouri, I carry firearms to defend myself and my family, aware, at all times, that while flesh and grass fade, the Word of the Lord endures forever. - ◦
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What Luther Says.......False Teachers Are Peacocks
J-642.1
"The peacock is an image of heretics and fanatical spirits. For on the order of the peacock they, too, show themselves and strut about in their gifts, which never are outstanding. But if they could see their feet, that is the foundation of their doctrine, they would be stricken with terror, lower their crests, and humble themselves. To be sure, they, too, suffer from jealousy, because they cannot bear honest and true teachers. They want to be the whole show and want to put up with no one next to them. And they are immeasurably envious, as peacocks are. Finally, they have a raucous and unpleasant voice, that is, their doctrine is bitter and sad for afflicted and godly minds; for it casts consciences down more than it lifts them up and strengthens them." What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 642. ( ripped off from Ichabod The Glory Has Departed )
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PT McCain, CPH Ambassador and VDMA Pistolero
McCain Still Fueling Ichabod Hits
McCain:
The First Amendment does not apply at blog sites, they are all moderated, in varying degrees. I’m saying the editors of this blog would be well advised to exercise a bit more responsible oversight re. the comments posted here. Kind of what I already said. I’m totally for the ordination of women, just asking (sic) anyone. [insert big eye roll here]
Vehse:
Paul, the suggestion would be mutual except that your posts on BJS and the other Lutheran blogs provide readers the best opportunity to see just what kind of person currently works as Publisher and Executive Director of Concordia Publishing House and calls himself an “LCMS pastor.”
Wallenstein:
And yet you never allow anyone to post on Cyberbretheren the kinds of comments you regularly post on other people’s blogs. Editor McCain: Why not raise the issues in private with the LCMS pastors who run this site. Thanks.
More Wallenstein:
The LCMS as an organization has way too many internal problems in order to be effective. Most of the blog postings are negative. Where’s the good news? Steadfast, ALPB and Lutherquest have convinced me that the LCMS is full of mean-spirited pastors who are constantly at each others throats. Look at Pastor McCain argue in public with Pastor Scheer and with other “Confessional” pastors over on ALPB. Embarrassing. Blogs such as this one have convinced me that the LCMS is a sick organization that needs to be reformed. Koinonia cannot happen soon enough. Call us laymen impatient, but please consider that we have only been waiting 40+ years for the LCMS to re-tool. Ok, carry on………
Rev. Paul T. McCain : I wish they would be more active, and I’d suggest that Carl Vehse be disinvited from bloviating all over this forum.
Timothy Shenks: What’s this with “they” being more active, as if you don’t know who “they” are? Rev. McCain, you know full well that the BJS webmaster is the same person who administers some of your own personal websites.
Wallenstein: Would Pastor Harrison please rein in Editor McCain. He is making a lot of enemies here and over on ALPB. This onetime Pastor does not reflect well on the public image of CPH. The LCMS pays him handsomely to blog all day. HE is yet another reason why I refuse to give a penny to District or Synod.
The “Willow Creek Lutherans” shun CPH materials in favor of Willow Creek (Duh!). “Confessional” Lutherans are your biggest customers, and you spend hours insulting them on various blogs. How pastoral is that? Way to alienate your customer base, Editor McCain.
Wallenstein:
And yet you never allow anyone to post on Cyberbretheren the kinds of comments you regularly post on other people’s blogs. Editor McCain: Why not raise the issues in private with the LCMS pastors who run this site. Thanks.
More Wallenstein:
The LCMS as an organization has way too many internal problems in order to be effective. Most of the blog postings are negative. Where’s the good news? Steadfast, ALPB and Lutherquest have convinced me that the LCMS is full of mean-spirited pastors who are constantly at each others throats. Look at Pastor McCain argue in public with Pastor Scheer and with other “Confessional” pastors over on ALPB. Embarrassing. Blogs such as this one have convinced me that the LCMS is a sick organization that needs to be reformed. Koinonia cannot happen soon enough. Call us laymen impatient, but please consider that we have only been waiting 40+ years for the LCMS to re-tool. Ok, carry on………
Rev. Paul T. McCain : I wish they would be more active, and I’d suggest that Carl Vehse be disinvited from bloviating all over this forum.
Timothy Shenks: What’s this with “they” being more active, as if you don’t know who “they” are? Rev. McCain, you know full well that the BJS webmaster is the same person who administers some of your own personal websites.
Wallenstein: Would Pastor Harrison please rein in Editor McCain. He is making a lot of enemies here and over on ALPB. This onetime Pastor does not reflect well on the public image of CPH. The LCMS pays him handsomely to blog all day. HE is yet another reason why I refuse to give a penny to District or Synod.
The “Willow Creek Lutherans” shun CPH materials in favor of Willow Creek (Duh!). “Confessional” Lutherans are your biggest customers, and you spend hours insulting them on various blogs. How pastoral is that? Way to alienate your customer base, Editor McCain.
Clyde Nehrenz:
I conclude from all of Mr. McCain's entries on Luther Quest since he imposed himself here, that although holding the prestigious position of Publisher at CPH he is, as a person, simply a nasty little man.
McCain:
Oh, now Clyde, there you go again . . .
For whatever reason, you have spent decades slandering and defaming and bearing false witness against faithful pastors and teachers of our Synod, so you'll have to excuse me if I do not pay much attention to your vituperative remarks here.
For whatever reason, you have spent decades slandering and defaming and bearing false witness against faithful pastors and teachers of our Synod, so you'll have to excuse me if I do not pay much attention to your vituperative remarks here.
Joe Krohn Answers in Public
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Survey Says!
1. Did Jesus’ death cover the sins of the entire world? I think the key is Christ’s righteousness and how it is received. Focusing on the cross especially from our perspective – post Calvary- discombobulates things. This way we can talk of all believers of all time in the same way. However there is still this problem with sin. God promised that Christ would deal with it and He certainly did by atoning for them in mans place.
2. Were the sins of the entire world taken from men and laid upon Jesus? Again, too much focus on the cross. They were atoned for. As John the Baptist says…the Lamb of God who takes (present tense – ongoing) away the sins of the world…Jesus forgives through faith.
3. Does the righteousness of Christ now stand as the universal substitute before God for the wickedness of mankind? The righteousness of Christ only benefits those who have faith in Christ; this is as it was from the Garden of Eden until now.
4. Does man’s unbelief and wickedness undo the completed sacrifice on the cross?
No. 5. What is added to Jesus’ work to complete the work of salvation? Nothing. Jesus said ‘It is Finished’. [GJ - This question is slanted, like several others, and may tickle the ears of those who equate atonement, justification, and salvation, as DP Buchholz did while pretending to critique the Kokomo debacle.]
6. Is faith a cause of salvation? No. Or does faith merely appropriate salvation? We are saved by grace for Christ’s sake through faith.
7. Is faith man’s contribution to salvation? No. This is synergism.
8. Is it man’s responsibility to produce repentance? He can’t…it is the work of the Holy Ghost worked through the Means of Grace. [GJ - The Holy Spirit works through the Law to foster repentance, and the chief sin, the foundational sin, John 16:8, is unbelief. That said, the "Means of Grace" is man's term for the work of the Gospel in the Word.]
9. Is it man’s responsibility to produce faith? Same as #8. I can't belabor the point enough that Christ's work of the cross (REDEMPTION) is not the forgiveness of all men's sins. It is the PAYMENT for them and it is objectively true and for (non-imputed) the benefit of all men of all time. In Luther's explanation of the Second Article of the Apostle's Creed there is no forgiveness; only redemption.
Remember...the Apostle's Creed is a CONFESSION OF FAITH and the "I, we's and me's' are the believers and NOT all men. "The Second Article. Of Redemption. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. What does this mean?
--Answer. I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned creature, purchased and won [delivered] me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, in order that I may be [wholly] His own, and live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, even as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true."
The Resurrection and the Forgiveness of Sins are Third Article of the Apostle's Creed and our true Christian confession of faith. As believers we are totally reliant on God and specifically the Holy Ghost regarding our salvation. We are 100% passive.
He does the work from atoning for our sins and working faith, forgiveness, justification and righteousness. It is outside of us...Christ's righteousness is outside of us and it is only through faith worked by the Holy Spirit that we receive this righteousness; otherwise we die in our sins. (John 8:24)
This was most certainly true for the believers of the Old Testament as well as all of those living in the New Testament. Here is Luther's explanation to the Third Article: The Third Article. Of Sanctification.
I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. What does this mean?
--Answer. I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.
***
GJ -Joe Krohn is willing to deal with public false doctrine out in the open.
VP Patterson and Ex-SP Gurgle are being underhanded, secretive, and popish - standard WELS clergy behavior. Patterson and his Facebook friend, Tim Glende, are both hotter than Georgia asphalt for UOJ and Church Shrinkage false doctrine.
Gurgle was the finger-puppet for UOJ/CG when he was SP, but he was the dream candidate of "conservatives" when he descended to that office. Mark Schroeder became the new dream candidate of "conservatives" to trick them again. Some pastors do not learn.
This excommunication is another test of whether Lutherans can base their discussions on the two foundational truths of the Scriptures and Confessions:
- The efficacy of the Word alone.
- The work of the Gospel through the Means of Grace alone.
The questions above came from a WELS pastor. The Syn Conference pastors are not used to working from the two foundational truths, because their history rests upon a false view of Walther, his toxic amalgamation of Pietistic Enthusiasm and Lutheran doctrine.
Their precious double-justification scheme is identical to Knapp, Schleiermacher, and the Second Day Adventists.
Knapp was a Halle Pietist, very influential, and still in print today.
Schleiermacher was a Halle liberal, the pivotal figure in modern theology, foundational for Karl Barth, the official (adulterous, Marxist) theologian of Fuller Seminary.
Gurgle and Patterson, with their Mequon counterparts, agree completely with the precise wording of the Seventh Day Adventists on justification:
According to the 1888 Message Study Committee ("1888 MSC"), the 1888 message reveals many "fresh, beautiful truths . . . that are not usually understood today."[1] One such "truth" is the concept that Christ's death at the cross accomplished a legal or objective justification which is universally and unconditionally applied to all men.[2] This doctrine is said to derive from the observations that Christ has borne the sins of "all men" and has died the second death for "every man." It is viewed as the basis for the present life enjoyed by all men. This legal justification, also referred to as a corporate justification, is distinguished by its proponents from justification by faith, or "experiential" justification, and should not be taken to imply universal salvation wherein all men would be saved, some even against their will. The especial merit of such universal legal justification, as seen by the spokesmen for the 1888 MSC, is that it provides foundational proof and an earnest of the loving initiative taken by God to bring about man's salvation. When the full import of God's initiative on man's behalf is recognized, it is believed to be pivotal in galvanizing the sinner's complete devotion to, and saving faith in, Christ.
When there is precise agreement with the Seventh Day Adventists on justification, down to the explanation about how justification by faith "works," people should take notice. The Adventists are not Christian.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
"Thrivent Not Overwhelmingly Bad."
Even with Mark and Avoid Jeske on the Board?
Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post ""Thrivent Not Overwhelmingly Bad."Even with Mark a...": (W)ELS will gladly exchange the lives of a few unborn ELCA called worker babies for a chance at matching funds from the brownie sale. After all, the proceeds from the brownie sale go toward new recess toys for the children Thrivent didn't get a chance finance their dismemberment in the womb.
Part II
In my search for more OVERWHELMING Thrivent sins, I discovered this article, run just a couple of weeks ago!
(Best part is highlighted....)
Jim James
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This is a WorldNetDaily printer-friendly version of the article which follows.
To view this item online, visit http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?pageId=330389
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
TESTING THE FAITH
WND Exclusive
Is your church killing America?
'Holiness preachers help support devil and his diabolical plan to destroy souls'
Posted: August 07, 2011
5:11 pm Eastern
WND
 |
Apple Computer is known for its open support of homosexual activism; Johnson & Johnson is a leading provider of abortifacients; and Google's support of probably the most abortion-loving White House administration ever is well-known.
So why is a Christian church denomination using its pension fund to invest in those companies?
That's the question raised by a Wesleyan pastor who says his church is sponsoring immorality by its choice of stocks that comprise the church's pension fund.
Rev. Dale Walker pastors a Wesleyan church congregation in Tennessee and also operates a financial management firm.
What are Christians told to do? Get the "1599 Geneva Bible"
He said he became concerned in June 2008 when he discovered that companies that promote pornography and operate casinos were among those in which the church denomination's pension fund had investments.
He first went to his district superintendent and then he took the issue to a pastor's forum.
"I went to that pastor's forum to share our concerns from the church and I sincerely thought in my heart they did not know about this. As I shared my concerns, I was interrupted by some of the speakers that day as I spoke," Walker explained.
"It became very apparent that he was not pleased with the way the conversation was going. There is really no easy way to say that we as Wesleyan holiness preachers ... help support the devil and his diabolical plan ... to destroy souls," Walker said.
Walker said he believed the pastor's forum was the appropriate place to bring up the issue of his displeasure with the pension fund investment portfolio. He says that he thinks his comments at the forum were omitted from the report that was to be submitted to the denomination's general board.
"So apparently the ability of pastors to be able to profit from abortion, pornography, tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and related issues wasn't something they wanted to deal with at that time," Walker said.
"We're to preach against it in our pulpits but I don't guess we have the ability to talk to our leaders about it," Walker added.
Walker said that he was told that since he didn't participate in the pension plan that he had no right to make comments about the fund.
| Listen to Walker: |
Walker's district superintendent, Marlon Hotle, said he supports Walker's concerns.
"I understand his concerns and know that he's sincere in his desire to get the denomination to clean up its investments," Hotle said.
Hotle also says the resolution his district is submitting to the general conference is designed so that even if it's ignored on the program, it can still be heard.
"If it's not recommended, then a delegate can stand on the floor and move its adoption. I don't know what the general board will do with it, but we have started the process, submitted that resolution and will call for it to be read if they did not recommend it," Hotle said.
"So one way or the other it will be in the conference," Hotle added.
Walker also said he believes other pastors are in denominations whose retirement funds are also in companies he believes are questionable. He adds that he's sure they don't know it.
"There are thousands of pastors across America working to help the wonderful people in their community and the families that have been affected by abortion, the families that have been affected by alcohol, gambling, all of these things," Walker stated.
"They don't even realize that it's a possibility that their own denomination may be helping to participate in the moral decline and funding the moral decline of America," Walker said.
Walker says Christian financial adviser's Ron Blue's investment firm, Ronald Blue and Company, manages the Wesleyan Church's pension funds. The Wesleyan Pension Fund website also says that Ronald Blue and Associates manages the funds.
Ronald Blue and Company has not responded to WND's request for an interview.
But the the Wesleyan Pension Fund website provides a list of mutual funds that include stock offerings from both domestic and foreign companies.
An example is the American Funds Growth Fund of America R3 Fund, which includes stock from Apple Computer, Amazon, DirecTV, and Google.
Apple Computer is known for its open support of the radical homosexual movement, giving in to activists and removing pro-family "apps" for its iPhone.
The Large Cap S&P 500 Index Fund includes established health care, beauty aid and pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson. The Christian investment firm The Timothy Fund reports on its "Hall of Shame" web page that the company is a leading provider of abortifacents.
Human Life International confirms that New Jersey-based Johnson & Johnson's partner, Ortho, is the maker of what is technically called a "Low Dose" abortion pill.
A survey of other church-related investment portfolios shows that other religious organizations' mutual funds also have holdings in companies that are controversial.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans'
Aggressive Allocation Fund owns
stock in Amazon.com, Philip Morris International, Google, DVD rental company
Netflix, Johnson & Johnson, and Time Warner Cable, which also appears in The
Timothy Fund's "Hall of Shame".
Thrivent Financial has not
responded to WND's requests for an interview.
Through a company called Guidestone Financial Resources, the Southern Baptist Convention offers investments that their website claims are in line with Christian values.
Guidestone explains the portfolios are "socially screened."
"Since 1918, Guidestone has been meeting the needs of ministers, church workers, and employees of hospitals, universities, colleges, seminaries, retirement and children's homes, and other institutions. Guidestone is a diversified Christian financial services provider, offering retirement, insurance, investment management, property and casualty coverage," the site said.
Guidestone's prospectus goes into detail on whether the mutual funds consist mostly of government securities, stocks from financial institutions and whether the fund invests the participant's money in assets that have Moody's Triple-A rating.
The prospectus also lists other fund companies that participate in the fund.
The same prospectus however, provides little detail on the actual companies in which the fund's assets are invested.
It isn't until the prospective investor clicks on The Portfolio Holdings button on the Prospectus and Reports page that any details of the actual composition of the funds are revealed.
The Holdings document finally tells the clergyman investor that companies like Costco, Hyundai, General Electric, pipeline company Kinder, Morgan Partners and supermarket giant Safeway are among the companies in the fund portfolios.
However, among those companies are cable television and broadcast giant Time-Warner and Amazon.com.
Guidestone responded to WND's request for an interview saying, "We cannot comment further than what is provided in the prospectus."
The Ninth Sunday after Trinity
The Ninth Sunday after
Trinity, 2011
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
The Hymn # 628 Shepherd of Tender Youth 3:74
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 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
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon
Hymn #283 God’s Word 3:90
Faith and Works
The Communion
Hymn # 175 When I 3:93
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 # 50 Lord Dismiss Us 3:86
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 # 50 Lord Dismiss Us 3:86
KJV 1 Corinthians 10:1
Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our
fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all
baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same
spiritual meat; 4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of
that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with
many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the
wilderness. 6 Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not
lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
KJV Luke 16:1 And he said
also unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and
the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods. 2 And he called
him, and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of
thy stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward. 3 Then the steward said
within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the
stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed. 4 I am resolved what to do,
that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their
houses. 5 So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and
said unto the first, How much owest thou unto my lord? 6 And he said, An
hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down
quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou?
And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill,
and write fourscore. 8 And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he
had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser
than the children of light. 9 And I say unto you, Make to yourselves friends of
the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye fail, they may receive you into
everlasting habitations.
Ninth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly
Father, who hast bountifully given us Thy blessing and our daily bread: We
beseech Thee, preserve us from covetousness, and so quicken our hearts that we
willingly share Thy blessed gifts with our needy brethren; that we may be found
faithful stewards of Thy gifts, and abide in Thy grace when we shall be removed
from our stewardship, and shall come before Thy judgment, through our Lord
Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost,
one true God, world without end. Amen.
Faith and Works
This parable can be misunderstood and often is. During the
Reformation, the Roman Catholic leaders used it to promote salvation by works,
and that is still done today by many Protestants. One could easily say that all
religions are converging on a scheme of salvation by works, which is what the natural
man (unaided by the Word of God) understands.
Adding to the discomfort is the strange example of the
unrighteous steward, who is admired for his shrewd behavior. Thus it is easy to
bypass this lesson and find something less jarring.
If anything, this parable proves what Jesus meant by
teaching parables as riddles, lest “they see and be saved.” Casual listeners
cannot grasp this one and believers need to study it in the context of the
entire Scriptural message.
The Parable
KJV Luke 16:1 And he said also
unto his disciples, There was a certain rich man, which had a steward; and the
same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.
The phrase “a certain rich
man” is used to show this is a parable, a short story with a lesson. The rich
man had a manager for his estate. We no longer say “steward” but that was once
a term used for those who took care of property and kingships, having
responsibility but not ownership.
The manager was in trouble
because he was accused of being wasteful. Perhaps he was lazy or corrupt.
Luke 16:2 And he called him,
and said unto him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy
stewardship; for thou mayest be no longer steward.
This means there was no room
left for the steward to plead his case and ask for mercy. He has to bring the
books up to date, give an account of his management, because he was no longer
trusted.
KJV Luke 16:3 Then the
steward said within himself, “What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me
the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.”
At this point the manager
was in deep trouble. He cannot live by physical labor and he does not want to
be a poor beggar in the streets. He has been able to live in great comfort
because of the owner’s wealth. So the parable sets up the main action quickly,
with most of the details reserved for what the manager did.
KJV Luke 16:4 “I am resolved
what to do, that, when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me
into their houses.”
Knowing he must be fired for
bad management, he hatched a plan so that he can be a manager somewhere else.
He will make the business partners indebted to him rather than his master.
Certain details give this
away. The olive oil and wheat are large amounts, so the wealthy man is
undoubtedly a commodities broker. Large amounts are involved, like when the
Skakel family got into coke (from coal). They bought and sold trainloads.
KJV Luke 16:5 So he called
every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, How
much owest thou unto my lord?
Only two examples are given,
but the text literally says that he called “every single one.” The words
suggest a large number of business partners, all owing a large sum from
previous transactions.
KJV Luke 16:6 And he said,
An hundred measures of oil. And he said unto him, Take thy bill, and sit down
quickly, and write fifty. 7 Then said he to another, And how much owest thou?
And he said, An hundred measures of wheat. And he said unto him, Take thy bill,
and write fourscore.
Here are two signs of
shrewdness. One is that the manager had the partners rewrite the bills. As
Lenski noted, he is not going to defraud his master (openly), but he will
engage these wealthy men in fraudulent paperwork. The partners will owe the
steward far more than the owner, because the steward will be able to put them
out of business and throw them into prison.
I dealt with an insurance
agent like that. He was breaking all the rules to take a client away from me.
That led to an application that was clearly illegal for that particular
contract – against company policy, due to a conflict in disability coverage.
Suddenly he did not want to sign that application.
KJV Luke 16:8 And the lord
commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of
this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.
The wealthy man praised his
dishonest manager, because the steward found a way to get a job with another
firm, rather than dig or beg for a living. Doubtless the wealthy man had
engaged in a number of sharp deals himself, so he saw the survivor’s instinct
in his servant.
The ending perplexes many
for good reason.
KJV Luke 16:9 And I say unto
you, Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that, when ye
fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations
The Catholic Church teaches
that this parable reveals the necessity of works, because this statement seems
so obvious. They emphasize faith formed (or perfected) by works. Thus they can
say “justification by faith” without qualms, because they practice mental
reservation. They are not alone, because many Lutherans will do the same thing.
I have a WELS meditation, which is labeled “justification by faith,” but its
content is justification without faith.
Numerous Biblical passages
teach justification by faith and others emphasize good works. Most people
resolve this paradox the wrong way.
The Word of God does not
contradict itself. That is why people need to know the basics of the faith and
not be dazzled by someone’s stellar performance on one particular text.
The Bible teaches faith and
works, as represented by the Ten Commandments. The first three Commandments
show us our relationship to God, which is one of faith. This is the most
important part of the Ten Commandments, because spiritual problems lead to sins
against our neighbor. False doctrine is not trifling, because it argues against
the truth of God’s Word and the majesty of the Holy Spirit. Those who play
games with God’s Word will invariably end up damaging themselves, often fatally.
They are like the men who broke into a power substation to steal copper. If
they had thought about the danger of interrupting major electrical circuits,
they might have gone somewhere else. One died. The other was injured and
arrested. The painful pun in the news story said the accomplice “may face
additional charges.”
The Second Table teaches us
our relationship to others. No one can see our faith, but they can see our
works. Also, we can judge our faith by our works. If we lie, steal, covet, and
bear false witness, our faith must not rest in God but in ourselves.
Two false teachings about
good works are obviously wrong and toxic when examined. One suggests that we
should do good works for God, to help Him. Many wealthy people are told that
their sins are forgiven when they donate large sums to fund another building
“for the glory of God.” They usually have their names on the building. If that
is too crass for a chapel, they have their names inside on a list of donations.
When I visited the Schwan-funded chapel at Concordia Seminary St. Louis, I
noticed his name, big and bold, in the donation tablet, prominently placed for
everyone to admire.
That sort of trickery makes
people think they can do anything as long as they pay for their sins by giving
away large sums of money. Their motivation is not to help someone else but to
atone for their sins. The church officials have no trouble loading students
with crippling debt while they glory in their expensive chapels. Luther
wondered why rich people put up churches so quickly, long before the old ones
were breaking down and falling apart. Meanwhile, Lazarus lay at the gate
getting nothing.
Compassion would have
officials living frugally so students could graduate with little or no debt,
worshiping in humble buildings, as the founders often did until they could
afford something better. I have to wonder about academic leaders letting a
student get a load of debt to pay for salaries while knowing a church vocation
will not happen for that individual. There are many ways to rob and deceive
someone.
A second argument for good
works is that performing them for others will gain entrance to heaven. That
should strike people as ludicrous – feeding and clothing the poor to obtain
heaven. That is Pharisaic logic, doing good to get something good in return.
Unbelievers are keenly aware of that kind of thinking.
That is the great, hearty
joke in the parable, which comes into focus in one more verse.
KJV Luke 16:10 He that is
faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust
in the least is unjust also in much.
The least is mammon. Most
people measure worth in money. I used to wonder why so many mobsters were so
greedy. No matter how much they made, they always wanted more and killed for more.
They measure their worth in money, their so-called honor in money. That is also
why the most wealthy are also unbelievers. Mammon is their god, and there is no
room for the true God at their altar of holiness.
The wealthy owner loved
mammon and the steward did too. So did the business partners. All were shrewd
in their dealings. The owner could not keep a manager who wasted his mammon.
The steward could not give up his life of mammon. The business partners were
quite willing to cheat their partner to have more mammon for themselves.
This is background for the
joke. God already provides for us, believers and unbelievers alike. People put
all their emphasis on the least, the mammon, and often very little on the most,
the Word of God.
So Jesus is saying, “Be as
shrewd with the Treasure of the Word as these people were with mammon. They
moved mountains for their mammon. Be as energetic in preserving and teaching
the One Truth of God, the Gospel.”
Even today, people say,
“This is a good church. Look at the fine buildings. They are successful.” The
worst false teachers live like kings, so people admire that too. My favorite
example is the TV preacher and his father who did this when a painter came to
collect on a bill for the mansion. One man held him down while the other
slugged him. That was in the papers. I never heard him speak on The Rich Man
and Lazarus but I would have paid money to be there so I could snicker at key
points.
Some think that is so
clearly a problem with other churches, but they see it in their own districts,
circuits, and congregations. I know many ministers who have been sent into
poverty by the cruelty of false teachers, who already have plenty for
themselves. But the false teachers cannot abide anyone questioning them. They
substitute verbal beatings for physical beatings, because they cannot get away
with fisticuffs. The results are the same. Since all turn away, falsehood is
rewarded and advanced. Truth is sent packing, but God turns evil into good by
moving the Gospel rain to another place.
Luther made a good point
about the overall theme of this parable. The parable reveals admiration for
shrewdness about mammon, but that admiration is in the eyes of unbelievers.
One might even say about a
woman, “She is a shrewd flirt.” That is, she knows how to get her way. That
does not commend her behavior but only states she has mastered her craft.
Or, “He is a genius at
lying.” That does not suggest we should all join that person and model our
behavior after his. As one factory supervisor told me, “I do not work with
angels. They are crude, gross people. They are not believers. But they are
disgusted with ministers who are unfaithful, who do not live according to the
Word. And they know who is doing that.” Thus the factory workers look at the
adulterous ministers and say, “They have no faith. That is obvious.”
The Jewish argument style is
from the lesser to the greater. If people can be so keen about mammon (the
lesser), then believers can be just as energetic about the pure Word of God
(the greater). One is already provided by God for everyone, with extra for
sharing. That is the mammon of unrighteousness. It does not forgive sins. It
does not cure illness. It does not grant salvation.
The other is also provided
in abundance. The Means of Grace are offered across the world in many different
ways.
The Word teaches the
importance of good works, that they naturally come from sincere faith. Those
who abide with the True Vine, Christ, will bear fruit. John 15:1-10.
A good tree (sound doctrine)
must bear good fruit. An evil tree (false doctrine) must bear corrupt fruit.
The Law recognizes sinful behavior,
but the Gospel defeats and quells our sinful nature. The Law is diagnosis. The
Gospel is the medicine.
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