What Huber and Knapp Have Accomplished In the Olde Synodical Conference

Hopeless (Moldstad), Helpless (Schroeder), and Hapless (Harrison) imagine that success means keeping people happy and continuing as thralls of Thrivent. I will explore the incestuous relationship between the sects and Thrivent fairly soon.

More importantly, the impact of Huber's Easter absolution and Knapp's double-justification have eliminated the Means of Grace from worship and from the ordinary thinking of the clergy.

Some will say, "But we have Holy Communion and Holy Baptism. We talk about the Means of Grace." The Roman Catholics do too - but there is never enough grace in the Roman Means of Grace to get someone out of their mini-Hell for the semi-saved, Purgatory.

All the Protestants talk about baptism and the Lord's Supper (communion is an odious term for most of them). But the non-Lutheran Protestants treat the Sacraments as ordinances, laws that urge Christian to perform acts that affirm their faith. An ordinance does not confer grace at all.

Universal Objective Justification unites the Olde Synodical Conference with ELCA. Everyone is forgiven - everyone has already been forgiven. Although the implications of that falsehood vary somewhat, the Big Four end up in the same sinking boat together, figuratively and literally. The demons recognize one another and establish fellowship together. The Big Four (ELCA, LCMS, WELS, ELS) work together at all levels and troop off to Fuller Seminary together. They work together through Thrivent and Lutheran World Relief. Unionism and doctrinal indifference are so close that one is either the daughter or the mother of the other.

UOJ is not a harmless error because the the demonic doctrine is a repudiation of the Gospel. Here are the obvious results of UOJ:

• Clergy and laity no longer trust in the efficacy of the Word, so they are directed toward schemes, methods, and entertainment.
• The sermon is not an opportunity to create and sustain faith in the Gospel, but a chance to tickle people into membership and financial support. The Old Adam speaks to the Old Adam instead of the Spirit working through the Word alone.
• No one respects the divine call because every parish is a franchise business that must obey the franchise owners at headquarters.
• The fruits of the Spirit are almost entirely lacking because the Gospel has been replaced with a bogus substitute and angry tirades against faith. This naturally leads people into more rationalism and Pentecostalism, often a combination of both errors.
• Right and wrong are judged based on the franchise rather than the Ten Commandments. Adulterers and worse are hailed as saviors of the synod while anyone who questions the franchise is excommunicated, shunned, and covered with abuse. His or her family shares in the abuse if they do not join in shunning the dissenter.
• Since there is no Gospel, the UOJ sects are all law, man-made law. Mrs. Ichabod says, "Double predestination and double justification - they mean triple punishment and no forgiveness." Notice that clergy and laity only talk about material success now and never about fidelity to the Word, a reversal of the Biblical standard.
• The clergy plagiarize and the laity love it, because worship has become a joke.
• Genuine Biblical study is obsolete, because UOJ cannot bear the weight of casual reading, let alone serious scholarship (which any layman can do). Thus the new papalism - the priest will tell you what the Word of God says, and he is right because the Synodical Pope says so.
• Confessional study is "boring and irrelevant" for the same reasons.

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AC V has left a new comment on your post "Looking for Authority Instead of Studying the Word...":

Oh, and one more thing. The Book of Concord. Doesn't the Augsburg Confession, Apology; Article III. "Of Christ" sound like a paraphrase of Romans 4:25?:

"…Christ suffered and died to reconcile the Father to us; and that He was raised again to reign, and to justify and sanctify believers, etc., according to the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed." 

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AC V has left a new comment on your post "Looking for Authority Instead of Studying the Word...":

Couple of Luther quotes on Romans 4:25:

"Sin cannot remain on Christ, since it is swallowed up by his resurrection. Now you see no wounds, no pain in him, and no sign of sin. Thus St. Paul declares that 'Christ died for our sin and rose for our justification' [Rom. 4:25]. That is to say, in his suffering Christ makes our sin known and thus destroys it, but through his resurrection he justifies us and delivers us from all sin, if we believe this." - Luther, M. (1999). Vol. 42: Luther's Works, vol. 42 : Devotional Writings I (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (12–13). Philadelphia: Fortress Press.

"In Rom. 4:25 Paul says: 'Christ was put to death for our trespasses and raised for our justification.' Consequently, he who presumes that he is righteous in any other way than by believing in Christ rejects Christ and considers Christ’s Passion and resurrection useless. On the other hand, he who believes in Christ, who died—he himself at the same time dies to sin together with Christ; and he who believes in the resurrected and living Christ—he himself, by the same faith, also rises and lives in Christ, and Christ lives in him (Gal. 2:20). Therefore the resurrection of Christ is our righteousness and our life, not only by way of an example but also by virtue of its power. Apart from Christ’s resurrection no one can rise, no matter how many good works he does. On the other hand, through His resurrection anyone at all rises, no matter how much evil he has done, as this is treated at greater length in Romans. Perhaps another reason for Paul’s practice of mentioning the resurrection in his salutations is this, that the Holy Spirit was given through the resurrection of Christ and by this Spirit the apostleship and other gifts were distributed (1 Cor. 12:4 ff.). In this way, therefore, Paul declares that he is an apostle by divine authority through the Spirit of the resurrection of Jesus Christ." - Luther, M. (1999). Vol. 27: Luther's Works, vol. 27 : Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 5-6; 1519, Chapters 1-6 (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald & H. T. Lehmann, Ed.). Luther's Works (Ga 1:2). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

The Big Four were described in 1530.

Intrepid Lutherans: Chemnitz and the Two Tribunals - a Fitting Meditation for the Reformation

Intrepid Lutherans: Chemnitz and the Two Tribunals - a Fitting Meditation for the Reformation:

Chemnitz and the Two Tribunals - a Fitting Meditation for the Reformation

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The justification of the sinner through faith alone in Christ was the Gospel that thrilled Luther and that fueled the Reformation. Below is an excerpt from Chemnitz' Loci Theologici in which he beautifully pictures the "act of justification" as the Apostle Paul presents it in Romans 3.

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Paul clearly describes the act of justification in this way in Romans 3:

1. The conscience of the sinner is through the Law placed before the judgment tribunal of God (who is a consuming fire and in whose sight not even the stars are pure), is accused, convicted, and condemned, so that it is afflicted and pressed down by a terrifying sense of the wrath of God, Rom. 3:19 KJV: “… that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God”.
2. The heart thus contrite does not entertain Epicurean thoughts but anxiously seeks whether and how it can be freed from the comprehensive sentence of condemnation. From such thoughts come such passages as Ps. 130:3: “If You should mark iniquities ….”; Ps. 143:2: “Enter not into judgment …”; Rom. 7:24: “Who shall deliver me …?” Paul, by listing these points, shows that if anything can justify before God, it necessarily would be either the ethical system of the philosophers, according to the teachings of men, or the works of the divine law, because the Law has the promise of righteousness and eternal life. But Rom. 1:18 ff. shows that the teachings and ethical principles of philosophers cannot justify. And Rom. 3:20 says: “By the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified.” For the Law shows and accuses the sin present even in our good works, because “the Law is weak through the flesh,” Rom. 8:3.
3. Therefore God, “who is rich in mercy” [Eph. 2:4], has had mercy upon us and has set forth a propitiation through faith in the blood of Christ, and those who flee as suppliants to this throne of grace He absolves from the comprehensive sentence of condemnation, and by the imputation of the righteousness of His Son, which they grasp in faith, He pronounces them righteous, receives them into grace, and adjudges them to be heirs of eternal life. This is certainly the judicial meaning of the word “justification,” in almost the same way that a guilty man who has been sentenced before the bar of justice is acquitted.

It is manifest how much clarity this gives to the discussion of justification. The fathers in disputing this matter often spoke inadequately about justification. But in their devotional writings, when they were looking at the picture of the divine judgment or the divine judicial process, they handled the doctrine of this article very well.

The example of Bernard [of Clairvaux, 1091–1153] shows this clearly, because he was not involved in idle speculations but was exercising himself in the serious matter of repentance based on the doctrine and testimony of Paul. Gerson has some wonderful thoughts about the tribunal of God’s justice and the throne of His grace. For if we are discussing our common position before the tribunal of God, we are all subject to the tribunal of His justice; and because before Him no living person can be justified but all are condemned, therefore God has also set up another tribunal, the throne of grace. And the Son of God pleads for us the benefit of being called away from the tribunal of justice to the throne of grace. Therefore the Pharisee, because he was not willing to use the benefit of this calling, but wanted to enter into judgment before the tribunal of justice, was condemned. But the publican, who was first accused at the tribunal of justice, convicted and condemned there, later by faith called out to the throne of grace and was justified [Luke 18:9–14].

All these points so beautifully illustrating the doctrine of justification come from the correct linguistic understanding of the word “justification.”

Chemnitz, M., & Preus, J. A. O. (1999). Loci theologici (electronic ed.) (481–482). St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

POSTED BY REV. PAUL A. RYDECKI AT 6:00 AM

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Rehabilitating Martin Stephan — Lutheran Forum

I wonder if Pope Paul the Unlearned is Jack Kilcrease's source on Bishop Stephan.
Read McCain's foaming-at-the-mouth replies on this long thread.

Rehabilitating Martin Stephan — Lutheran Forum:

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Jack Kilcrease

Question: I was talking online with an LCMS pastor about early LCMS history and he asserted to me that Bishop Martin Stephan had syphilis. I don't recall reading this anywhere and when I googled it, I found only one, let us say, less than honest source. So does anyone know whether or not this was true?

Share · 3 hours ago · 

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    Joel A. C. Dietrich I haven't heard this...but if you want to know...I'd ask Dr. Lawrence Rast.
    

    2 hours ago ·  2 people
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    Jacob Corzine for the record, it could be named under its code word, 'the french disease'..
    

    2 hours ago
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    Jack Kilcrease Thanks. I've read that before, but I didn't try it on google. That yields nothing as well. I think someone is making things up!
    

    2 hours ago ·  1 person

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GJ - Jack Kilcrease is a constant source of entertainment. He confessed ignorance about the ELCA's biggest lawsuit ever. He demanded proof, which was easily available to anyone with strength enough to conduct a Google search. He was too indolent to carry on from an initial link provided by this  blog. So more information was provided by me and others. Then Jack got touchy.


I have a confidential source who gave me plenty to check on. Someone did additional research and confirmed that Stephan was syphilitic. As someone asked on the thread above, why did the storm break so suddenly?

After pretending not to notice for decades, Stephan's followers had physical proof of his dalliances with women, since women show symptoms of syphilis more readily than men, for obvious reasons. Stephan's rashes, his daughter's deafness, and his wife's illness all point to the same conclusion, regardless of the claims of the confidential source.


McCain is right about one thing in the thread above. The Saxons did not need Loerber spilling the beans to know Stephan was an adulterer. The bishop left his wife in Dresden but took his mistress, Louise Guenther, to America. In Europe, Stephan lived with Louise in the spa where his rash was treated, but sent his wife home, rejecting her. Louise joined him and lived with him later in Illinois.

If Kilcrease wants to play his game of arguing from silence, it will not change the basic facts. The real issue is not Stephan's adultery, but his doctrinal legacy through Walther.

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-------- Original message --------
Subject: Haven't seen you around.
From: Jack Kilcrease <jdk002@aquinas.edu>
To: brett.meyer@comcast.net
CC:

Brett,

I'm just curious.  You seem to have fallen off the face of the earth.  What happened to you?  I've missed your passionate diatribes against the false gospel of UOJ on the Ichabod lately.  Has there been a falling out between you in Jackson.  Just curious.

All the best,

Jack.

***

GJ - Kilcrease blocked me today on Facebook. Big loss! At the same time he wrote his little Wormtongue message to Brett Meyer, above.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Reformation Sunday, 2011":

Faithful divine service and sermon Pastor. To God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost be the glory forever and ever.

Amen.

In Christ,
Brett 

Neenah Church's Prayers Answered on ABC's Good Morning America - WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News. Deputy Doug Engelbrecht Has AC Prayers Answered

Neenah Church's Prayers Answered on ABC's Good Morning America - WBAY-TV Green Bay-Fox Cities-Northeast Wisconsin News:

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A Neenah congregation received an answer to its prayers on national TV.

The Good Morning America series "Show Me the Money" was in Neenah, where State Treasurer Kurt Schuller presented a check for nearly $10,000 to Trinity Lutheran Church.

The money came from savings bonds from church member Amy Larson, who passed away.

But they never made it to the church and sat as unclaimed property for 13 years.

Schuller presented the church with a check for $9.967.40.

"I am so proud and so pleased and thankful to the Lord to be able to present this check to this wonderful church," the state treasurer said.

"There was so much joy and there was so much emotion. It was just really exciting and fun to see how everybody was so excited about this gift that was given to us," choir director Naomi Laabs said.

The check presentation was made over the summer and the segment aired on Good Morning America on Friday.

Trinity Lutheran Pastor Doug Engelbrecht says the church used the money to replace ceiling fans with air-conditioning to help get through Wisconsin's muggy summer.

Plans for the Next Version of Luther versus the Pietist: Justification by Faith. CFW Walther's Immaculate Deception

Official synodical history is the worst source of facts--in any denomination--and controversy is the best. I enjoy reading both because the gap between the myth of origins and the raw data is as breath-taking as the Grand Canyon's 10-mile expanse. The American Indians saw that gap as a difficulty to be overcome, but the clergy see the distance to the other side as not worth attempting. 'Tis safer to repeat the official story, especially when it is teeming with lies.

CFW Walther's immaculate deception is one of the great frauds in history. Walther willingly followed a syphilitic adulterer to America, kidnapping his own niece and nephew from his father's parsonage - while his father was grievously ill. CFW pleged complete obedience to the bishop on the way over to America but took over the cult a few months later. Roman Catholics call that "mental reservation."

When the shoes of the fisherman were usurped, Walther insisted on total obedience. His bizarre and anti-Christian opinions were repeatedly established as canonical truthsl. Missouri was the only God-glorifying sect. All others had to submit or be driven away in a torrent of accusations. We can thank Walther-idolator Tom Hardt for associating Walther with Huber's false doctrine of Easter absolution and tracing the association of OJ/SJ with Huberism, via more plagiarism (from Knapp to Woods to Germany to America - There and Back Again, A Habitual Liar's Adventure).

The next version of the justification book will deal with Huber's Easter absolution nonsense, which one website identifies with early Universalism, and Huber's close affinity with Walther's Easter absolution claims. The book will also show that the LCMS was born in Pietism and never escaped the problems of that insidious movement.

The Olde Synodical Conference has fed everyone the line that they were the orthodox Lutheran alternative to the unionistic and Pietistic decay of the Muhlenberg tradition (General Synod, General Council, ULCA) - even though Muhlenberg, Bishop Stephan, and Adolph Hoenecke all went to Halle University, the mother ship of Pietism.

Calvin pretended to be Lutheran and signed the Augsburg Confession. He had to be flushed out of the tall grass by Westfall. Huber came to Lutheranism via Calvinism but never accepted Lutheran doctrine. Spener blended Calvinism with Lutheran doctrine and practice, never admitting that he stole the idea of cell groups from a Calvinist.

In Walther's day the clergy were either aggressive rationalists, favored by the system, or isolated Pietists, barely able to pass the state exam, since the rationalists dominated the process. Thus Walther was trained and nurtured in two forms of Calvinism, one the logical result of Calvin's magisterial use of reason, the other Spener's clever blend of Calvinism and Lutheranism.

As Chemnitz wrote, quoting the ancients, when the stream is muddied, we have to return to the source, putting aside the various doctrinal statements and studying the Word of God itself. That is where the UOJ Stormtroopers find themselves stranded in shallow waters. They can only quote a tiny group of double-justification fanatics to prove their case, ignoring the entire witness of the Scriptures so they can pixelate one part of one verse in Romans.

The UOJ Enthusiasts are responding to the corrosive effect of the facts by avoiding their favorite shibboleths. They no longer want to go into battle yelling, "Everyone is already forgiven, whether they believe it or not!" Instead, they use justification by faith in their writings while juggling words to indicate they only mean - "making a decision to trust in a previous, universal absolution."

Looking for Authority Instead of Studying the Word of God

LPC has left a new comment on your post "Jack Kilcrease Butters Up David Scaer for Another ...":

Jack is an example of what happens when you become a Waltherian. When you become a UOJer, you become dependent on an authority. You have to look for someone 'great'.

In LC-MS, there are plenty of professors specialising in historical and systematic theology, they have no one (after Walther Maier) that can be considered a specialist in exegetical theology.

The weakness in exegesis leads to dependence on an authority of what the Scripture means ( according to so and so etc).

Only the synodical conference Lutherans interpret Romans 4:25 like they do, the declaration of the whole world irrespective of faith to be justified.

Lenski does not believe this interpretation, neither does Walther Maier agree with that interpretation.

This is where the Synodical Conference people are unique and on their own because they are the only ones that interpret Romans 4:25 the way they do.

LPC

Wauwatosa theologian.

Luther Rocks: TLH - Still Relevant for the Times. James Tiefel's CGM Hymnal - Not

Luther Rocks: TLH - Still Relevant for the Times:

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TLH - Still Relevant for the Times

From Wikipedia: The Lutheran Hymnal (TLH) is one of the official hymnals of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod. Published in 1941 by Concordia Publishing House in St. Louis, Missouri, it was the LCMS' second official English-language hymnal, succeeding the 1912 Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-Book. Development of TLH began in 1929 as a collaborative effort of the churches of the Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America and became the common hymnal for both the LCMS and theWisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS). Containing 668 chorales, hymns, carols, and chants, plus the liturgy for the Common Service, Matins, Vespers, the propers, collects and prayers, the suffrages, canticles, psalms, and miscellaneous tables, TLH became an extremely popular and beloved worship resource in theLutheran church in North America, and attempts to succeed it in more recent years have often met with strong resistance.

The first attempt to replace TLH began in 1965, when the LCMS began work on the Lutheran Book of Worship and invited other Lutheran denominations in North America to participate in its creation. As a result of disagreement and compromise with the other churches involved in LBW's production, the LCMS objected to some of its content, and Lutheran Book of Worship was published in 1978 without the endorsement of the very church body that initiated its production. An LCMS revision ofLBW was quickly published in 1982 under the title Lutheran Worship. Lutheran Worship (LW) was intended to replace TLH as the official hymnal of the LCMS; however, many congregations were still unsatisfied with the final product, leading them to continue using TLH. According to a 1999 survey by the LCMS' Commission on Worship, approximately 36% of the synod's congregations were still using TLH as their main hymnal, and even more were continuing to use it in combination with LW and/or other hymnals and hymnal supplements. An even newer hymnal, Lutheran Service Book (2006), has restored many of the former hymnal's features in the hope that more widespread use can be achieved. In the WELS, TLH was effectively replaced by Christian Worship: A Lutheran Hymnal in 1993, and few congregations continue to use it on a regular basis.

The Lutheran Hymnal is commonly referred to by many to as the "Red hymnal," in contrast with LW, the "Blue hymnal". However, the "Red hymnal" moniker is somewhat misleading. The initial editions of TLH were in fact bound in blue, and the hymnal has been simultaneously available in both red and blue cover versions for much of its history. Although the red cover version is now more common, many congregations' pew racks are filled with blue-covered copies of the "red" hymnal. Generally, members of these congregations refer to TLH simply as "the old hymnal". The widespread use of Lutheran Service Book (LSB) [1] has begun the process of resolving the LCMS' hymnal controversy, as initial reviews have been generally quite favorable. Concordia Publishing House has announced that all TLH-related supplemental materials, including specialized accompaniment editions and the agenda, will go out of print when current supplies are depleted, but plans to continue to produce the pew edition for the foreseeable future. TLH remains an officially sanctioned hymnal of the synod, and it is unlikely that the synod will ever formally decommission it as an official hymnal.

Jack Kilcrease Butters Up David Scaer for Another Concordia Seminary,Ft. Wayne Gig

Jack Kilcrease nominates North America's greatest Lutheran theologian,
earning our favorite Catholic lecturer another free trip to Ft. Wayne,
where they routinely turn out Catholic and Eastern Orthodox priests.

Dr. Jack Kilcrease has left a new comment on your post "Infamous Huberists: From the New Gallery at The Sm...":

Though I am certainly flattered to be chosen for your hall of fame - don't you think Dr. Scaer would be more fitting than I? I mean, I'm small potatoes. I think he's probably the greatest living Lutheran theologian in North America at this point (Oswald Bayer would be the greatest in Germany). Just saying.

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GJ - The facts show Walther to have been a brittle, tyrannical, and fanatical usurper. Tom Hardt is a UOJ fanatic, so he did a fine job of connecting Walther with Huber. Hardt's praise of Walther  mercifully exposes the Kidnapper's alarming opinions.

The following quotations are from Hardt's essay - Justification and Easter, A Study in Subjective and Objective Justification in Lutheran Theology.

Hardt - "As a first observation it should be said that Walther’s homiletic treatment of the relationship between Easter and justification shows no sign of a gradual development. Our material covers the period 1840-1886, and all the sermons seem to possess the same degree of dogmatic clarity."

Walther - “As we were co-punished in Christ’s death, we are again co-absolved from our sins in His resurrection.“48

GJ - Walther's statement above is bizarre and profoundly wrong.

Hardt - "In 1844  we see an expression coined that was to become well known: 'That the resurrection of Christ is the fully valid justification of all men.'”51

GJ - The early use of Easter absolution suggests learning this fallacy from Stephan, Pietistic circles, or even the rationalists of Berlin where Walther was trained.

Walther - “Yet, my beloved, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not only the highest and final consolation of all men, because not until then is the consolation of the cross and death of Christ revealed and are both of them made consoling, but because it contains a consolation in itself which is not to be found in any other work of the redemption, not even in the passion and death of Christ. Consider only the following and you will soon agree with me. Whereas the passion and death properly speaking were acts of Christ, His resurrection was, on the contrary, properly speaking the act of His heavenly Father... This is, however, of the highest and most consolatory importance... Whereas the passion and death of Jesus Christ was the penitence and confession of the Son of God for the entire apostate humanity, His resurrection was, on the contrary, the heavenly Father’s absolution, subsequently solemnly and factually delivered in Christ to all men, publicly before heaven and earth.”57

Hardt - "Easter as an act toward the world in general is thus continued, repeated, in the means of grace, the Gospel in all its forms, which effectively convey the gift of Easter to individuals."

GJ - Hardt does not recognize that he and Walther are using Easter as the Means of Grace for the entire world, without the Word, without faith. This opinion is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, who works only through the Word and Sacraments. The Scriptures do not teach that  the Holy Spirit works again to create a second justification that validates the first one. Hardt is consistent with Olde Synodical Conference false doctrine - no wonder he is admired by Ft. Wayne, the ELS, and Jay Webber. High church Enthusiasts are still Enthusiasts, as witnessed in the Church of Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy.

Missouri Proceedings, 1860, Walther presiding -  "During the discussions a reference was made to the fact that within the Missouri Synod it had always been preached that: “Through the resurrection from the dead God has absolved all the world, i.e., set it free from sin; if now the world already is absolved and set free from sin, what is then the absolution or preaching of the Gospel in the church? Is it, too, a setting free, or merely a proclamation of the setting free that has already occurred? Answer: … precisely through the Gospel occurs the conveying of what is in God’s heart... a proclamation that really brings and gives the forgiveness… The absolution in the Gospel is nothing else than a repetition of the factual absolution which has already happened through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”63

GJ - WELS, Missouri, and the ELS do not teach the Biblical Means of Grace, but twist its meaning to say that the Gospel in Word and Sacrament simply states what is already true - they are already forgiven, whether they believe it or not. They were born forgiven, but they have to decide that they are forgiven, just like everyone else in the world. Walther is the hero who brought the false doctrine of Samuel Huber to the new world, later clothed in the double-justification language of Knapp (Woods' translation).

Hardt - "Another expression of considerable repute connected with Walther’s theology on Easter and justification is “objective justification” versus “subjective justification.” It has been investigated as to when this terminology was first used by Walther or men like him.68 It seems, as far as the investigations for this article permit us to see, that the terms were made known to Walther through an article in a theological paper in Germany, printed in 1867. Walther reprinted it in his Lehre und Wehre in the same year, and it can be said to throw clarity on the original meaning of the words."69

GJ - The article was printed in Germany in 1867, but the OJ/SJ language in English had been in use in the Knapp two-volume set (English translation) since 1831. Woods (Calvinist) was a super-star among mainline Protestant leaders in America, and Knapp was in print throughout the 19th century. Therefore one might expect that the OJ/SJ terms drifted across the ocean in English and drifted back in German. Walther was every bit as original as Paul Calvin Kelm, copying his false doctrine and gasping "Oh - this is so creative."

Note well - Walther introduced OJ/SJ terms originally from a Calvinist American used to explain the doctrine of a Halle Pietist.

Dr. Lito Cruz is correct in labeling all this a product of the Calvinists, smuggled into the Olde Synodical Conference by  Walther - the American Luther or the American Crypto-Calvinist?

Hardt - "The essential differences between Walther’s doctrine and Huber’s concerning universal justification can be summarized in the following way: First of all, we do not meet the slightest hint in Walther’s theology about God as being forced by His own essence to know of no contradictory tension between Law and Gospel. Walther at no place suggests that the unbeliever is no more under the wrath of God or that a second judgment is necessary to deprive the unbeliever of his first, universal justification. As early as 1846 Walther says in a sermon: “For that is indeed true: here everything depends on faith. He who does not apply to himself the victory of Christ in His resurrection through faith, upon him Law, sin, death and hell still have power. He experiences no power, no joy from this victory. For him Christ is still in His tomb.”72 So Walther upholds the truth of John 3:36: “The wrath of God abideth on him.” Within this frame all Walther’s statements on Easter and justification must be understood."


GJ - The first difference is not important for this discussion. The second one shows Hardt's inability to grasp basic Biblical, Lutheran doctrine. "Apply to himself" is synergistic at best, drifting toward Pelagianism, where man perfects himself.  This is not upholding the truth of John 3:36. The Synodical Conference is blind to the efficacy of the Word alone in the Means of Grace. We do not decide to believe in the universal absolution, a truly ham-fisted blend of universalism and decision theology. The Gospel Word creates and sustains faith in us by the work of the Holy Spirit. God declares us justified through faith in His Son's death and resurrection.


Hardt's Conclusion - "Not unimportant is the fact that Walther was well aware of Huber’s theology and its dangers. In his edition of Baier’s Compendium Theologiae Positivae, Walther inserted a page with very pertinent material concerning the Huberian controversy, dealing with the impossibility of saying that all mankind has received the remission of sins, pointing to John 3:36: “The wrath of God abideth on him.” As a professor of dogmatics Walther thus has seriously warned his students against Huberian aberrations.⁷⁵  In his ministry as a preacher of the Word he has certainly led his parishioners on equally safe paths. Also for coming generations his presentation of the relationship between justification and Easter has a lasting value."


GJ - Just as Joe Kron feared, Easter absolution (UOJ) had its place in the LCMS from the very beginning. However, the written evidence shows that Missouri was perfectly able to express justification by faith in Biblical, Confessional language - in its 1905 Catechism, in other statements before the 1932 Brief Statement (now canonized by the Enthusiasts). Concordia Publishing House prints a KJV catechism with no mention of OJ/SJ and once sold the WELS Gausewitz Catechism, which also managed to discuss the Chief Article without repeating Walther's fetish about Easter absolution.

Narrow-minded Lutheran has left a new comment on your post "Jack Kilcrease Butters Up David Scaer for Another ...":

"GJ - WELS, Missouri, and the ELS do not teach the Biblical Means of Grace, but twist its meaning to say that the Gospel in Word and Sacrament simply states what is already true - they are already forgiven, whether they believe it or not."

You nailed this one, Pastor Jackson. When arguing for weekly Communion, one reply I heard was, "I know I'm already forgiven, so why cut into fellowship time EVERY week and make those who can't Commune with us feel unwelcome EVERY week?"

Following this rationale, perhaps C&A should only be utilized on the non-Communion weeks, because I know I'm already forgiven. Besides, that "poor, miserable sinner" stuff is offensive to visitors.

Paul McCain Visits the Shrine of C. F. W. Walther: The Bicentenniel's Most Ironic Home Movie

Have you wondered why most Internet discussions about Lutheranism are about electing the next president and fussing about the most trivial details of official synodical history?

I do not wonder at all. Those in charge in the synods loathe Martin Luther's doctrine and spare no effort to eliminate all traces of it. They cannot deal with the facts of their own history and doctrine, so they dance around the edges. The leaders love to watch pastors bickering over trivia, because they derive their power from alienating people and manipulating the naive.

American Lutheran church history consists of telling the biggest lies and hiding the most facts possible. The Concordia Historical Institute has plenty of evidence about the criminal and unethical actions of C. F. W. Walther. The youngest of pastors who pledged themselves to their syphilitic, adulterous bishop--CFW -was schocked, schocked to find out about Stephan's errant ways. Sure. The bishop's family was booked for passage to America, but he only took his son and his long-standing mistress, Louise Guenther. His mistress was not a secret because Stephan was under house arrest for his affair with her and other wome, up to the moment he left for America. I think the court thought, "Good riddance." They took extensive testimony about Louise and others, so the matter was public, published in court documents. When a man takes his mistress but not his wife to a new location, he has broadcast his infidelity to the world. Those who pay attention to him should be jailed as his enablers. The cover-ups continue to this day, but synodical wrath is reserved for those who tell the truth.

Walther was the man who stole back the 40 acres given by the Society to the bishop. Fraudulently changing court documents is a crime. That would never happen today - except Jerry Kieschnick changed the will of an elderly woman and still became SP. No one seemed to mind. Christian News worried more about whether the conservative candidate du jour was Waltherian enough. Perhaps some grand theft larceny would have helped the other man seem more like CFW.

The LCMS could tell the truth about Walther, instead of having him hover six feet above the ground, more immaculate than the Blessed Virgin Mother. One of the Ft. Wayne heroes was actually in prison in Europe. The synod admits that much. They should brag that Walther ran from the police so fast that the cops never got to serve the arrest warrants for kidnapping his niece and nephew. Pastor Otten is a runner and a biker - he would appreciate that fact. Missouri hstorians rejoice that another pastor and 50 others drowned in the journey to America, sparing their beloved and irrereplacable leader, who would have been on the ship - if he had obeyed the law.

Walther involved his in-laws in the kidnapping, so his future mother-in-law was arrested for her role in Europe. He involved his lawyers in hiding the kids from his own father (a pastor) and the authorities. He also involved his future in-laws in the mob action against Stephan, although he never confronted Stephan about the adultery. Remember that when reading Walther's Pastoral Theology and Law and Gospel. Wonder no more why Missouri treats clergy so badly - Walther established the pattern.

Worst of all, Walther was a crack-pot theologian. I will explore that in the post above, giving people a chance to wipe their brows and get another cup of coffee.

Martin Stephan was investigated for many years. He installed a young
girl in his attic and lived with Louise Guenther at the spa, where he was treated for
syphilitic rashes. Three daughters were deaf, a symptom of congenital syphilis.
He was trained at Halle University, where Knapp taught double-justification.
Thus Stephan founded the Church Growth Movement in the Syn Conferance:
crypto-universalism combined with clergy adultery.

WELS' Doctrine Is Upside-Down: False Teachers Like Paul Kelm Are Rewarded. Sound Doctrine Is Banished.

AC V has left a new comment on your post "Infamous Huberists: From the New Gallery at The Sm...":

The ultimate irony is that today in WELS' brand of Lutheranism those who hold to UOJ terminology claim to be holding to the "old and universal method of teaching" and the one who holds to the "new phraseology and new modes of explaining doctrines" such as "Justification is by faith alone" is "compelled to relinquish his office, and go into exile."

***

GJ - The WELS posture of teaching sound doctrine and avoiding false teachers can no longer be maintained without loud guffaws and knee-slapping.  Above is one false teacher congratulating his cell group for promoting the false doctrine of Fuller Seminary and their Father Below, crowing that a new version of their odious newsletter will be published to promote the same bilge.

Infamous Huberists: From the New Gallery at The Smoking Gun

Pope John the Malefactor

Easter absolution sermon:
plagiarized from Huber.

AC V has left a new comment on your post "Since We Have So Few Lutherans Left, Let Us Celebr...":

More on Huber and UOJ terminology:

"Learned men are at this day agreed that Huber swerved from the Lutheran doctrines, in words rather than meaning; for what the Lutherans maintain respecting the love of God as embracing the whole human race, and excluding no one absolutely from eternal salvation, this he would explain in a new manner and in new phraseology. But this age having learned from numerous examples, that new phraseology and new modes of explaining doctrines produced as lasting and as pernicious disturbance as new errors, urged Huber to adopt the old and universal method of teaching, in preference to his own. And when he declared that he could not do so, and his patrons here and there threatened to produce disturbance, he was compelled to relinquish his office, and go into exile." - Murdock's Mosheim, Cen. xvi. sec. iii. Part ii. chap. L

The modern history of Universalism, from the era of the Reformation to the present time (Volume v.1) (page 21 of 36)

http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/thomas-whittemore/the-modern-history-of-universalism-from-the-era-of-the-reformation-to-the-prese-tih/page-21-the-modern-history-of-universalism-from-the-era-of-the-reformation-to-the-prese-tih.shtml

Jack Kilcrease, Roman Catholic college instructor.

Jack Cascione, President of the Jack Cascione Synod.

Tim Glende, Tyrant.

Jay Webber, Huber Professor of Universal Forgiveness,
Little Sect on the Prairie.

Stevie Kurtzahn, tireless opponent
of Shrove Tuesday pancakes.

Gurgle and Ski, who help me
spell-check this blog.

Richard Jungkuntz, godfather of radicalism, Seminex,
the first Lutheran seminary to train homosexual and lesbian candidates.

Paul McCain, salesman for the
Calvinist ESV.

Walther Conference Cancelled at Our Lady of Sorrows, St. Louis. Isn't the Cancellation Automatic Now?

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Quote of the Day: Luther and Paul":

The Walther Conference at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, has been cancelled, the second time this has occurred. It was cancelled after Herman Otten sent an outline of his speech to the synod hierarchy detailing what he thought Walther would have done if he were in leadership today. It was too much for them to bear, apparently.

Several years ago, SP Kieschnick had the Walther conference cancelled at St. Louis seminary specifically because many of the participants and attendees had sued the LCMS and Kieschnick over his election fraud. This occurred despite the out-of-court settlement that Kieschnick signed saying he would not retaliate against the whistle blowers. Then subsequently he violated the agreement again when he approved 114 or so delegate exceptions mostly from the liberal east coast portion of the LCMS, thereby securing his re-election, just as he had done three years before, the very action that brought on the lawsuit. After Kieschnick got away with that scot-free both times, the lawyer Doggert, or whatever his name was, resigned from the Lutheran Foundation, since Kieschnick showed he could act with impunity despite any legal process mounted against him:

Walther 2011 Conference Canceled:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reclaimnews/message/255

http://christiannewsmo.blogspot.com/2011/10/walther-200-years-after-his-birth-what.html

***

GJ - Sure, Paul McCain was going to let Cascione and Otten occupy Our Lady of Sorrows Seminary in Clayton and get the Bronzies all pumped up. That will happen right after  McCain outgrows his gun fetish.

I remember Bishop Sauer dealing with a group of German ethnic pastors. The "interest group" - as it was called - was entitled to meet and have their officers. They arranged a meeting when Ken Sauer was the LCA bishop in Ohio. He said he could not find the meeting place. That is even better than "I forgot" or Doug Englebrecht ducking a meeting and leaving a letter. How can someone say, "But you did know how to get there."

The Germans were pretty upset and mailed out a letter about it. Perhaps five people read it.

One reader was correct. Almost no one cares about Walther. The vast majority will never read anything about him, so the mythological lies will continue. His methods of grabbing power and bullying others will continue to be emulated by his descendants.

Three people kidnapped, mob rule, massive theft, land fraud -
let's build a shrine to our hero.

The Walther shrine, complete with BVM Walther statue.
Buy mini-statues from Christian News.