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| Thomas Cole, Italian Sunset |
No Compromise
Yesterday my copy of Luther's Romans Commentary came in the mail. I paid 97 cents for it.
Mrs. Ichabod said, "Ninety SEVEN cents? Cents?" She was stunned. In fact, many classic books are available for almost nothing on the used market. I used to own the book, but a collector got it from an earlier book sale. Justification by faith opponents have renewed my interest in the book, so I am taking notes, taking no prisoners.
I was reading through chapters 1-5 last night, marking key passages. The volume is rather slim. Robert Preus said the introduction gives the book away - no need to read more in most cases. (He was speaking of the liberal agenda in most theology books.)
The introduction of Romans destroys UOJ many times over. Not a single UOJ argument stands up to chapters 1-5.
But what are Lutherans doing during October this year? In Missouri they are promoting the Apocrypha, but that project will probably end up with several landfills named in honor of Paul McCain, as CPH pays the operators to take the pulped copies back.
In WELS, they are preparing everyone for the Midwest Inquisition. They have used a Schwan grant to buy a strappado, a rack, and several sets of thumb screws. These instruments of grace will encourage laity and pastors to do works of penance before they are reconciled to their grieved, but patient overlords. Brotherly admonition will soften the resistance to the New NIV, UOJ, and emergent church venues like Appleton, Chicago, Phoenix, and Indianapolis.
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| Thomas Cole, The Cross at Sunset |
The UOJ Stormtroopers have divorced the Holy Spirit from the Word, so they are Enthusiasts. The Protestants they denounce (while studying with them) are far better off, because they connect forgiveness with faith. UOJ does not. By arguing against faith, UOJ Enthusiasts have blinded themselves to the Word and no longer believe in Christ.
One cannot call the atoning death of Christ the absolution of the world and remain within the flock, except to rend and scatter the sheep. In that regard, they have served their Father Below with excellence, energy, and eagerness.
They are busy as bees, condemning the efficacy of the Word while filling the world with their own words. They never stop writing in favor of Unfaith Odious Justification.
Wauwatosa Is Modern Theology
To understand WELS, read up on their Wauwatosa Theology. They produced a three-volume set in honor of themselves, titled The Wauwatosa Theology. They have written essays extolling the virtues of The Wauwatosa Theology, which boils down to rejecting all Confessional writings and starting over again with their own long-winded essays and books.
Needless to say, they owe their attitude to Walther, who did the same.
WELS trained a significant segment of the ELCA radicals, because they came from Northwestern College in Watertown and became Seminex leaders - Jungkuntz the most famous. Some want to call them liberals, but it really began with their anti-Confessional Wauwatosa cult. Wayne Mueller is a perfect example of it, promoting Church Growth while denying it, singing the praises of UOJ, and claiming the Confessions mandate the invention of new doctrine. See the graphic below for the staggering stupidity of Wauwatosa - or is it just blind arrogance and pride?
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| The Confessions expect us to invent new dogma? Really Wayne? And you were a seminary professor and First VP of WELS. And you were replaced by James Huebner. He mocks the efficacy of the Word and brags about Fuller Seminary. Wauwatosa lives. |
Once the Confessions are kicked under the bus, everyone knows, anything goes. Never try to argue the Book of Concord with a WELS pastor or official.
- First of all, most of them know nothing about the Symbols.
- Secondly, the vast majority dismiss the Book of Concord as "boring and irrelevant," not worth studying (unlike Groeschel, Stanley, Warren, and Sweet).
They imagine they know the Bible, since they memorized NIV passages ever since parochial school with Mrs. Zweckzustandenberg, but they do not. They have been trained to conform, to follow the leader, so they walk off the cliff if the first sheep leads them there.
When they work with ELCA, grabbing all the Thrivent loot they can, they discuss doctrine with that much bigger church they covet for its enormous buildings and endowment funds. "Do you believe everyone on earth is forgiven, without faith? You do? So do we!"
In both cases, WELS and ELCA, the power and majesty of God's Word is not on the agenda at any time. For both groups, universal absolution absolves them of any responsibility in whatever they do, whatever they teach.
