WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "Letter to WELS District President Jon Bucholz, Pre...":
My prayers go out to Pastor Rydecki and to all those who support him. Funny that those "other" pastors "ain't" been suspended (?) Pastor Buchholz has dishonored his position as District President; this is not acceptable behavior on his part. I am very VERY disappointed in the COP and seminary leaders actions of not wanting to have an honest discussion over the Doctrine Of Justification. This issue has been brewing for some time, and did not just come to light earlier in the week!
Sorry about the comment that Pastor GJ had to moderate. (aka he did not post it) I'm sure the drugstore will provide you with more smelling salts. Everyone needs to read that letter. I will pass it up the line....WAY UP! The WELS is in trouble, and the leaders must face issues that dwarf the perils of the Intrepids.(well at least one Intrepid for now) See the verses from Galatians chapter 3:
"Even as Abraham BELIEVED GOD AND IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, IN THEE SHALL ALL NATIONS BE BLESSED. So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham."
"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
"But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith is come, we are no longer under a school master. For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptised into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise."
Here are some passages form David J Valleskey's We Believe-Therefore We Speak: (Warning, it is not like the Galatians verses.)
"It is important for the evangelist to understand what faith is. Perhaps the simplest definition is that faith is the hand that receives the the benefits of the finished work of Christ. It is the hand into which God places the forgiveness of sins and justification won by Christ."
"Faith is not the cause of justification. To say, "A person is declared righteous in the sight of God...because of having believed," is to fail to distinguish properly the relationship between faith and justification. Faith is not in any way that which brings about the sinner's justification. The cause of justification is the perfect life and sacrificial death of Christ. Faith is simply the way by which the individual sinner apprehends the salvation won by Christ."
Brother David, you got's some splainin' to do! Yes you borrowed from Pieper, Walther, and Millard J Erickson. I/we cannot let this go, and one cannot hide behind Matthew 18. The Matthew 18 crawl space is getting a little crowded these days.
In Christ,
Rebecca
