We have to know our Christian teaching so well that nothing can move us from the truth. That is valid for clergy and laity alike, but a special obligation for clergy, even more for those who would be leaders. Some people are offended that I am a Doctor of Theology. Doctor is Latin for teacher - no harm in that. I had the chance to pursue a scholarly study of theology and Biblical studies. Training in adult education did not hurt either.
I used to complain that I spent too much time studying modern theology, since that was the program at Notre Dame. Now I realize how valuable that was in identifying the flaws of UOJ, which is modern, much later than the Reformation and the Lutheran Orthodoxy era that followed the Book of Concord in 1580.
UOJ arrived when Pietism was dying at Halle University. Old Professor Knapp published his lectures as the last of the Pietists at Halle, which was becoming rationalistic to a man, especially in the Biblical department. When the Calvinist Woods translated Knapp's wooden prose into English, he explained Knapp thus (see the graphic below):
All of modern Protestant theology looks to Schleiermacher as the turning point for them. Co-inky-dink: F. Scheiermacher studied at Halle and taught at Halle.
Schleiermacher taught the justification of the entire world, like Knapp, but pushed the boundaries farther along. This Universal Justification or world absolution is the common theme of modern Protestant theology. The modernists condemn faith as a contingency.
Grace means no contingency, the modernists say. It is not grace when faith is a contingency, a requirement - they claim.
Gather round, friends. Do you see how liberating this is? No one needs to believe anything at any time, because every single person has been forgiven by God's grace. That is the Gospel of modern Protestant Theology.
Even better. When someone brings up the importance of faith, the modernists respond, "But you are making faith a contingency. That destroys the whole concept of God's grace. There can be no contingency."
That is liberating, because the Bible becomes a convenient source for narratives, for new theology books, for careers where one can be an atheist tranny and still be paid for teaching about the Christian faith. Naturally, an atheist cannot really teach the Christian faith in any form but only about Christianity, a bad approximation that is bound to be anti-Christian.
UOJ came from Halle University and has the same DNA as modern Protestant theology. The same allergy to faith is constant. The same warnings are issued about making faith a contingency.
We have to part with all human philosophies and teachings, trusting only in God's Word.
KJV Romans 4:22 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.
I am a complete sentence and paragraph and chapter teacher. I cannot put a few words under the magnifying glass and ignore all the words around it.
Forgiveness of sin is contingent upon faith in the Gospel. In fact, there is no forgiveness without faith.
No one can merge UOJ with justification by faith. When they attempt this strange union, faith is the target and victim.
One should take note of these circumstances. The SynCon (short for Synodical Confidence Racket) has promoted a false view of Romans 4 ever since 1932, when F. Pieper departed, leaving a foul stench behind, the Brief Confession.
Generations of LCMS-ELS-WELS leaders have failed to identify the exegetical pratfall found in the Brief Confession listing Romans 4:25 in support of their lame world absolution.
Every time a SynCon pastor says "Raised for our justification!" to support world absolution, he is admitting to everyone that he is a false teacher, an inept false prophet, too ignorant to read all of Romans 4 and 5.
The same is true of other key Biblical passages.
Should I mention...am I being cruel? - Luther never taught justification except for justification by faith alone. He is so consistent and redundant that I am shocked the SynCons do not let that fact register.
What's that?
Mrs. Ichabod, "Sassy Sue knows more Luther than they do. She hears Luther read aloud."
I will concede that. Their error is one of ignorance. They know nothing of Luther.
The Word is enough. I do not need anyone to agree with me. Their titles do not impress me. I have known better teachers and scholars - honest ones at that.
I have to wonder about men who say one thing on the phone and another in person. I remember the Michigan District liars playing that game, learned during their secret initiation rituals (GA) at Mequon. Double-talk is not a skill but a sign of cowardice and unfaith.
This quotation, above, from Luther suffices. Faith alone justifies. Paul did not back down because of Peter's seniority.
Peter was a charter member of the apostles. Paul was a johnny-come-lately. All he had was his divine call and the Word.
 |
| Lamb of God symbol by Norma Boeckler |
LPC has left a new comment on your post "Contingency versus Imputation.Absolution without F...":
McCain and his theological luminaries attack Dr. Jackson saying that Dr. Jackson never had a "proper" Lutheran theological training, as if he and his gang had one.
I doubt if McCain had a proper theological training even though he has an MDiv. I mean it all depends on what you are being taught and who your teachers are. I do a lot of observation and the kind of calibre McCain exudes does not impress me nor the people I know .
For example, McCain as an MDiv can not argue. He can do ad hominem but that is arguing fallaciously and that is all that can be seen in McCain. He can not sustain an argument without resorting to name calling and prodding people to avoid anti-UOJ folks.
Really, McCain should blog about his Glock and be a full time pistolero instructor. He is cut out for that. For example, he can, I am sure, easily spot the safety lock of a pistol. That is visual activity, no brains are needed for that.
The case is not the same in doing safe theology. In theology you need to apply critical thinking a lot of times and it clearly shows McCain had no such training when he was doing his seminary degree.
Just my humble opinion.
LPC
