Partners with WELS and LCMS - ELCA presiding bishop says church is 'always being made new' - News Releases - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. ELCA 20% Down in 25 Years

ELCA presiding bishop says church is 'always being made new' - News Releases - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: "   

In his report, Hanson said the theme reflects how the 4.2 million-member church is a church deeply rooted in Scripture. "If we lose our deep rootedness in Scripture, in the Lutheran Confessions, in the church and in Christ, we will lose confidence in the Holy Spirit. We will lose faith," he said."

'via Blog this'

Mueller agrees with ELCA and making everything new.
UOJ is why WELS influenced ELCA's formation, via Watertown professor Richard Jungkuntz

Humpty Dumpty Threatens in Private - Makes False and Slanderous Accusations. I Respond in Public

Jack Kilcrease asked for his own Photoshop.
Has he thanked me? No.

jackkilcrease@hotmail.com

10-19-2012

Dr. Jackson,

I think we can be both honest that it was you who sent a mass e-mail to my employer about my list of favorite movies on my blog. I removed some of them even before I saw your article (Joel Lillo told me about your post only later) not because I'm ashamed in any way of my choices (in fact, it never even occurred to me that anyone would care!), but because I just didn't want to cause any trouble for my employer if people misunderstood my tastes. BTW, people at the Institute didn't take it seriously at all. They initially actually believed your name was Ronald McGovern and google searched you. They found a person who had recent fallen out of a building and been subject to a major head trauma, and so, the theory went for a while, that this person who had done this was suffering from a major brain injury. Another person thought it was simply "some psychotic" (direct words). So, this didn't do me any damage. I'm still on to teach New Testament survey next semester and they tell me that they're looking forward to meeting me in a few days at the conference.

Let me come to the point of my e-mail. I think that if your honest with yourself, you will recognize what you did is very sinful. In fact, impersonating someone and trying to get a person fired is in the region of criminal behavior. Following Matthew 18, I call you to repent from this sinful act. You may think that I am a sinful person for liking Kill Bill or whatever, but that's not a justification for lying about who you are and trying to harm me out of revenge. Whatever I've done, your actions are clearly sinful. Period.

Beyond that, I have fairly strong evidence of your sin. I've saved your admission on my blog that it was you. I've saved the harassing blog post you put up at the same time the e-mail was sent (not a coincidence). I've saved your e-mail itself. I have roughly 900 friends on Facebook and a pretty good readership on my blog. If I so desired, I can share all these pieces of evidence and reveal your sin to the whole world. BTW, I'm not embarrassed about any of the evidence. I think that you thought that you were going to embarrass me. But, in my world, who doesn't watch Quentin Tarratino movies? Many of my pastor friends have the same lists as I do. People view your attempt to get me fired as pretty crazy. My boss said in an e-mail response "I have no problem with your taste in movies."

Bear in mind, there are a lot of more moderate people who like you and what you’re about that would feel disgusted by your behavior in this incident. Also, your hardcore followers, even the most loyal ones, are going to have a very, very hard time with this. I have a hard time even seeing Brett Meyer say "Well, Dr. Jackson had to lie about his identity and try to get Jack fired. That's what Jesus would do." What you did is very hard to defend.

Now, I suppose you could lie and say that Ron Smith isn't you- right? You were a little ambiguous in your admission, so that could give a Brett Meyer some wiggle room.

But again, this would be another lie. Do you think that God would approve of this? What do you think Jesus would do? Do you think that Jesus is on your side and approves your behavior? Seriously.

I don't want to embarrass or hurt you. I believe that God calls us not to take revenge on others. So, I'm offering you a deal.

My side: I will not write a blog post about the incident and expose your criminal and dishonest behavior. I will also either edit or remove any posts that mention you (For example: in the "Rydecki Situation" post, I will remove references to you and what I think of your manner of argumentation). I will also never mention you on Facebook or on my blog again. I will of course continue to criticize your ideas, but I will not talk about you and your rhetoric specifically. I will also never comment on your blog again, and I won't comment on any of the blogs of your followers.

Your side: By October 31, you need to remove any reference to me on your blog. You need to erase all posts about my person or family members. The one exception is that you can still keep "Kilcreasing" as a word in your theological dictionary. I'm giving you until the end of the month so that you can save face with your followers and so that they don't notice the elimination of these posts. I know you need to save face with them. This is America after all, and you are of course free to continue to criticize my ideas. In fact I invite it. I will continue to criticize your theology as well. Nevertheless, you need to attack ideas and not people. I will do the same thing.

[GJ - The threat! Oh Noes!]
If you do not take this deal, I will reproduce your e-mail, the comment on my blog and the other evidence on my blog and on Facebook. I will explain to everyone what you did and, again, I'm having a hard time seeing how even the people most loyal to you will be able to defend this.

There's no need to respond to this e-mail (you of course can, if you want). I will monitor your blog and see if my name category and the posts in general mentioning me are gone by November 1st. If they are not, I will do what I have to do. If by November 1st you do take them down, I will at that point edit my blog and purge it of any reference to you or your followers.

All the best,

Jack Kilcrease.

---

PS - More Kilcrease delusions:

Dr. Jack KilcreaseOctober 20, 2012 8:04 AM

Dr. Jackson (as both Guerilla Lutheran and Ron Smith),

If you want to contact my department head at Aquinas, I highly encourage you to do that. I'm certain he will take you very seriously. My wife definitely wants you to do it. She would find his reaction especially amusing. So knock yourself out!

Of course, Dr. Jackson, we all know that seriously theologians lie about their identity and try to get people who they disagree with fired. That's what Jesus would do, right?

[GJ - I did not post anything to Kilcrease's odious blog. I suggest sealing all airplane glue containers tight before writing, Jack. It will help the clarity of your thought.

***

GJ - Poor Jack. I did not do anything more than reproduce his list of favorite films, from his blog. Like others, he is offended when his published information is published.

I thought it was odd that his list of films changed soon after I mccained it. He imagines that I wrote to his blog. I do not write to any blogs. Why would I want to associate myself with his Dreck?

No, I did not contact his ELCA online seminary. Why would I? The list of films is typical for ELCA clergy, and Jack was trained by ELCA - college and seminary both. He finished at that Jesuit school in Milwaukee, Brickette or something like that.

Jack is welcome to run a search on the emails, since I do not use fake names or fake emails. 

The odd thing is the assumption of lying, false identity, criminal intent. Those are serious charges. He probably knows that his pal Paul McCain did what he is accusing me of, on Tim Glende's anonymous blog. Joel Lillo, another Appleton WELS pastor, used to post there too. The Glende blog folded soon after the attack aimed at me. It was not worth noticing, even though it was indeed illegal and lawsuit-worthy. I find it interesting that the Appleton gang is so close to ELCA types, back and forth, real friendly-like. I wonder if they get any work done, between moving The CORE from place to place.

Jack's deal is as funny as his threats. Everyone keeps saying my blog is not read and does not matter, but the efforts to silence me are constant.

I want ELCA pastors to waste their money learning drivel from Jack Kilcrease. I want his blog to produce more and more bilge. Glende's surrender and silence has left me short of material some days. Could it be that Kilcrease was also posting on Glende's blog? Not that it matters.

I am still trying to sort out the accusations above. If there is nothing wrong with making Boogie Nights a favorite film, why erase it from the list? If there is nothing wrong, according to the ELCA seminary online, why fuss about it?

If someone complained my favorite film was Music Man, with Robert Preston, I would smirk, not issue threats and deals.

Watch my blog, everyone, and see nothing disappear. 

Jack has emulated his bosom buddy Paul McCain in making personal attacks against me in various places, often where I would never see them. My wife caught him at it on Facebook. His response was not an apology but a long, accusing message, followed by blocking her so she could not no longer see what he was up to. We laugh about the puerile behavior of both UOJ stylists.

My only mission is to convert nominal Lutherans to Luther's doctrine. Jack is a hard sell - I confess.

---

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Humpty Dumpty Threatens in Private - Makes False a...":

Yup, a UOJer would like the movies that Jack Kilcrease likes, and also not be afraid to publish the list on his blog in an anti-Pietist fashion, or should we say, antinomian fashion:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/10/profile-of-jack-kilcrease-theologian-of.html

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Guerilla Lutheran has left a new comment on your post "Humpty Dumpty Threatens in Private - Makes False a...":

Open Letter to monkey-Dr. Jack Kilcrease,

I laughed out loud at your letter to Dr. Jackson. Precious. You talk about how nobody cares about your cinematographical antinomialistic indiscretions.

The "Theologian" doth protest too much.

Yes, it was I, not Dr. Jackson. I contacted your employer about your favorite movies because I was bored by your rhetoric. Your talk of *sin* is really over the top. I sign up for an anon email address and you call it sin? Boogie Nights??!!! I just figured a Christian College would want to know the sort of immorality one of their Adjunct professors was promoting. I would've contacted Aquinas too, if their name had been mentioned in your Google profile. As I compile the email addresses of the Board of Directors of ILT, with the intent of mass emailing them as well, I must confess, I am considering emailing Prof. Marko at Aquinas as well.

The other reason I contacted one of your employers about your Favorite movies is because you had the audacity to presume to teach a man like Pastor Rydecki, a faithful Christian pastor who is "risking it all" to question a dubious version of justification. (Something tells me he doesn’t enjoy the same movies you do.) You also have the audacity to presume to teach anyone else! Your favorite films illustrate that you lack Christian discernment; not only in their own perversity's sake, but also in that you are not even aware that you ought to be ashamed for enjoying them. In moments of weakness, I believe, all Christians do things or enjoy things they know to be wrong. The difference between you and I is that I am ashamed of those things. You publish them as "favorites".

UOJ is most certainly a Satanic lie. I hope you don a cloak of humility and read (before rebutting) what men like Dr. Jackson and Pr. Rydecki have to contribute. By professing that it is not purity and Innocence, but faith that grants a person heaven, you are making Faith a false god. That is dangerous. In reality, righteousness is the thing that God demands, and by his Grace he offers it to us in Christ’s sacrifice, through faith. This Righteousness (through faith) is accredited to the individual, but the righteousness is won by Christ; and the faith created in us by the Holy Spirit. I’ve said it poorly, but I hope you read those who’ve taught me.

But let me address one last thing. Let’s ponder a comparison between two courses of action: 1 Taking on a false name to expose a bona fide false teacher. 2. Publishing your real name and your real ungodly immoral tastes in film while attempting to belittle those thrice your age with thrice your wisdom.

Hmm…

Ron (alias) the guerilla Lutheran

---

LPC has left a new comment on your post "Humpty Dumpty Threatens in Private - Makes False a...":

This is what I notice about UOJers, they are happy to show how antinomian they can be and proud of it too.

For example I heard a UOJ pastor at Issues etc one time say that he purposely drinks alcohol in front of Babtist ministers. St. Paul said we should not flaunt our liberty so I do not understand why the apparent need to offend other people.

LPC

***

GJ - You are right, Dr. Cruz. Steadfast Waltherians sponsor a juvenile No Pietists Allowed section. The Missouri Synod was founded as a Pietistic sex cult to provide cover for Bishop Martin Stephan, STD, leaving his sick wife and children. Walther and the other ex-clergy pledged lifelong obedience to their syphilitic bishop.

Pietism is not the banning of cigars and booze, but the organization of life around cell groups, which was Stephan's speciality and WELS-LCMS' new love in the Church Growth Movement.

---

LPC has left a new comment on your post "Humpty Dumpty Threatens in Private - Makes False a...":

I also notice that Jack has a very wild imagination and he uses deduction a lot.

How can one assume that person X is impersonating person Y through an email?

What led him to such deduction?

LPC

***

GJ - Dr. Cruz - do not look for an apology from Jack Kilcrease!

Luther and John 1:29 - Commentary - Galatians 3:13

Crown of Thorns, by Norma Boeckler
http://www.normaboecklerart.com

KJV Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Galatians Commentary, Kregel edition, p. 163f.

Cliffnotes for UOJ Enthusiasts.

Luther wrote this section against the papalists who denied that Christ was made a curse for us (p. 163).

All the weight of the argument falls on the phrase "for us" (p. 164). If this is denied, that He was made a curse for us, then comfort is taken from the message of the cross.

Luther:
"But we must wrap  Christ, and know Him to be wrapped in our sins, in our malediction, in our death, and in all our evils, as He is wrapped in our flesh and blood.

But some man will say, it is absurd and slanderous to call the Son of God a cursed sinner. I answer, if thou wilt deny Him to be a sinner and accursed, deny also that He was crucified and dead. For it is no less less absurd to say that the Son of God (as our faith confesseth and believeth) was crucified and suffered the pains of sin and death, than to say that He is a sinner and accursed." (p. 165)

St. John called Him "the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world." John 1:29 (p. 165f)

This verse Luther connects with Isaiah 53:6


KJV Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the
LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

The Holy Spirit speaks in the person of Christ in Psalm 40.

KJV Psalm 40:12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon
me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart faileth me.

Luther:
"For this testimony is not the voice of an innocent, but of a suffering Christ, who took upon Him to bear the person of all sinners, and therefore was made guilty of the sins of the whole world." (p. 166)

"And this is a singular consolation for all Christians, so to clothe Christ with our sins, and to wrap Him in my sins, thy sins, and the sins of the whole world, and so to behold Him bearing all our iniquities." (p. 166f.)

At this point Luther expounded on the real meaning of John 1:29, not the absolution of the world of unbelievers.

Luther:
"Now sin being vanquished and death abolished by this one Man, God would see nothing else in the whole world, if it did believe it, but a mere cleansing and righteousness. And if any remnants of sin should remain, yet for the great glory that is in Christ, God would not see them." (p. 168)

The importance of this argument can be seen in the next section.

Luther:
"But now let us see by what means these two things, so contrary and repugnant, may be reconciled in this one person Christ. Not only my sins and thine, but the sins of the whole world, past, present, or to come, take hold upon Him, go about to condemn Him, and do indeed condemn Him. But because in the self-same person, who is the highest, the greatest, and the only sinner, there is also an invincible and everlasting righteousness; therefore these two do encounter together, the highest, the greatest, and the only sin, and the highest, the greatest, and the only righteousness." (p. 168f.)

Luther often portrayed Jesus as the Hero, the great Hercules who battled Satan and won in a ferocious battle, showing that this was indeed the conflict of the ages, throwing all the punishment of sin for all time against the Son of God.

Luther:
"Forasmuch then as Christ reigneth by His grace in the hearts of the faithful, there is no sin, no death, no curse; but where Christ is not known, there all these things do still remain. Therefore all they who believe not, do lack this inestimable benefit and glorious victory. For (as St. John saith), "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4." (p. 170)

Luther is arguing against the papal doctrine of works added to faith, fides formata, faith formed by love. This applies with the same force against Universal Objective Justification, because the UOJ Enthusiasts are the greatest, windiest, most burdensome salesmen of works the world has even seen.

They are always bragging about their great accomplishments--which are few, meager, and subsidized by others. They constantly motivate their foolish disciples with the whip of the Law, telling them that thousands are going to Hell because they have not done enough. And they foam at the mouth against justification by faith, because it robs them of their self-glory, self-esteem, and self-centeredness.

Luther:
"Let us receive this most sweet doctrine, so full of comfort, with thanksgiving, and with an assured faith, which teacheth that Christ being made a curse for us, (that is a sinner under the wrath of God), did put upon Himself our person, and laid our sins upon His own shoulders, saying, "I have committed the sins which all men have committed." Therefore He was made a curse indeed according to the law, not for Himself, but, as Paul saith, for us." (p. 171)

What does this say about Walther, Pieper, and the Synodical Conference? They are blatantly anti-Luther, anti-Gospel, and false teachers.

They constantly cite Romans 4:25 for UOJ (but never Romans 4:24). They chant John 1:29 to teach the opposite of the Evangelist's message. They call justification by faith "Calvinism," while they are enrolling themselves at Fuller Seminary, Gordon Conwell, Trinity Divinity, and the gay activist Drive Conferences.

Is that Paul Calvin Kelm driving the hay wagon?
Why yes it is.
WELS has really beaten him savagely for his published false doctrine
and public embrace of false teachers.
Synod President Mark Schroeder has kept Kelm employed at one synodical job after another.
"We're getting more Confessional."
More to confess, but not more Confessional.

---

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Luther and John 1:29 - Commentary - Galatians 3:13...":

Ichabod -

I quote Luther from your blog posting:

>>>>> Luther:
"Forasmuch then as Christ reigneth by His grace in the hearts of the faithful, there is no sin, no death, no curse; but where Christ is not known, there all these things do still remain. Therefore all they who believe not, do lack this inestimable benefit and glorious victory. For (as St. John saith), "this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith." 1 John 5:4." (p. 170) <<<<<<

I see the LCMS and the WELS wrapping their denominations in their ragged security blanket foundation of the inferior translation and understanding of John 1:29. I just heard that erroneous understanding manifested yesterday when taking my grandson home from Bethel Lutheran School. He sang a song he learned at school with the wording that Jesus "takes my sins away," - not the song wording rendering the correct translation which says that Christ bare the sins of the whole world.

Then, just recently, I saw an online comment from an adult individual which stated:

"I am perfect on the level of Christ himself through imputed righteousness (Rom 4)" [His words]

To that, I responded:

"You sound like an acquaintance of mine who expresses what you do by saying he has "sovereign immunity." And, then, he goes as far to conclude that he "can't sin" since he is so imbedded in the imputed righteousness of Christ. So, goes his understanding......." [My words]

I've stated before here on Ichabod and in one of my most recent topical messages how the youth are indoctrinated in universal objective justification. Lutheran schools lack Scripture's teaching of justification by faith alone. This (aforementioned) adult (I presume) is (sadly and pathetically) just another Universalist product of the same schooling.

I leave this comment with a three informational links, to support aforementioned comment thoughts:

"Pastor Nathan Bickel on UOJ in WELS. Aaron Frey Still Preaching in WELS. How Far Will He Go?”
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/07/pastor-nathan-bickel-on-uoj-in-wels.html

Part 1: The false teaching which molests the faith of Christians
http://www.thechristianmessage.org/2012/09/part-1-false-teaching-which-molests.html

Part 2: How does the false teaching of universal objective justification molest Christians’ faith?
http://www.thechristianmessage.org/2012/09/part-2-how-does-false-teaching-of.html

Pastor emeritus Nathan M. Bickel
Bay City, MI - Bethel Lutheran / WELS

www.thechrisianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org

Martin Luther Never Endorsed John 1:29 as Red Meat for UOJ

I was studying the Kregel edition of Luther's Galatians Commentary, waiting in the doctor's office. This was more involved, with a new specialist, so I had plenty of time.

As I wrote many times before, Galatians is large and dense because it is a commentary on the entire Bible, not just the verses in Galatians. The book is a summary of Luther's Gospel teaching, aimed at preventing errors in the future.

The Book of Concord and Luther agreed in seeing Galatians as a definitive statement about Christian doctrine and the Chief Article, which is justification by faith, not justification without faith.

Those who parade around as experts on justification, quoting John 1:29 to prove their point, should read the Galatians Commentary on John 1:29, starting page 165 in the Kregel paperback edition. It can be found in the section on Galatians 3:13.

I am simply going to mention this now, and go into detail later. John 1:29, according to Luther, does not mean "bear the sins of the world" in the sense of absolving all unbelievers, as the UOJ Hive claims.
The UOJ dogma is another case of turning the meaning of a passage upside-down. The UOJ spin can certainly qualify as a fallacy of emphasis, by inventing a world absolution when the revelation is about atonement.

I know everyone has a Kregel, so they can go over those pages carefully before I write more.

Profile of Jack Kilcrease, "Theologian of the Church" - His Words. Favorite Movies Kilcreased - The Ichabod Effect

http://www.blogger.com/profile/11362736419613180038

The Passion of the Christ,

Indiana Jones series,

Fight Club,

Apocalyse Now,

Ghost Busters,

Magnolia,

Boogie Nights, [absent below]

Punk Drunk Love,

Rushmore,

Royal Tannenbaums,

Kill Bill (Vols. I & II), [absent below]

Pulp Fiction,

Team America: World Police, [absent below]

Office Space,

Old School,

Zoolander,

Flirting with Disaster,

Dune,

Being John Malkovich,

Adaptation,

Blade Runner.

----

List at 6 PM today:

The Passion of the Christ, 

Indiana Jones series, 

Fight Club, 

Apocalyse Now, 

Ghost Busters, 

Magnolia, 

Punk Drunk Love, 

Rushmore, 

Royal Tannenbaums, 

Pulp Fiction,

Office Space, 

Old School, 

Zoolander, 

Flirting with Disaster, 

Dune, 

Being John Malkovich, 

Adaptation,

Blade Runner.

---

LPC has left a new comment on your post "Profile of Jack Kilcrease, "Theologian of the Chur...":

Theologian of the Church?

Is this an American practice of taking one's self seriously or is it just Jack Kilcrease? I think it is more of the latter.

Jack has a habit of inventing titles and applying it to himself. There was one time he described himself as UOJ par excellence, if I recall reading from his old posts.

LPC 

***

GJ - Do not blame America for Kilcrease, Dr. Cruz. The UOJ fraternity is known for self-puffery, so I blame Walther and Pietism. For instance, his UOJ pal, Paul Without A Call McCain, posted a completely copied post about Ignatius Antiochus. The first part was directly from the LCMS server, the second from the Roman Catholic site for the Catholic Encyclopedia. He let through a comment that talked about "your post." How it it "your post" when it is all copied?

I have an interesting comparison chart developing. Maybe I can finish it today.

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Pastor Joel Lillo, WELS has left a new comment on your post "Profile of Jack Kilcrease, "Theologian of the Chur...":

LPC,

What Greg did here was to reproduce for all the world to see (or at least for the dozen or so people who read this blog) Jack's list of movies he likes from his blogger profile.

Which brings up my original question to Greg: "And your point is...?"

***

GJ - Pastor Joel Lillo (Appleton area, WELS) seems unaware that the blogger profile is published for everyone to see. It is Jack Kilcrease's description of himself and his passions. Several readers have already wondered why a "theologian of the Church" considers Boogie Nights as a favorite film, since it glamorizes a porn star who died of AIDS.

Or - Jack did consider the film a favorite. The before and after list is interesting on its own.

Lillo and Kilcrease seem to read Ichabod every day, as many do. Page-views have changed from 2,000 per day to around 3,000 per day in the last week.

Normally, it takes a felony arrest in WELS to move the numbers up that much at once.

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narrow-minded has left a new comment on your post "Profile of Jack Kilcrease, "Theologian of the Chur...":

What's the big deal, you legalists? Don't you know the porn star who died of AIDS, most likely in a state of unrepentance, was forgiven two-thousand years ago?

***

GJ - Readers can see why I copy and paste blog material. The authors quickly erase what they previously boastfully published, blaming me for increasing their page-views by linking their blogs and copying their deathless prose.

Happy Birthday, Dr. John Warwick Montgomery. American Lutheranism Went To Pot When You Moved To Europe

Dr. Montgomery is licensed to practice law
in England, Wales, France,
California, DC, and the US Supreme Court.

John Warwick Montgomery earned doctorates in theology at the University of Chicago and at Strausberg. He has earned 10 degrees in all. His academic progress seemed to accelerate as he moved along. He graduated from Hamma Divinity, LCA, and taught at Waterloo Lutheran University, where I went to seminary. I believe he was the professor at WLU who nailed a famous speaker to the floor by a series of questions that led the poor Leftist to admit the opposite of what he had just tried to teach. I was awed by that and later concluded it could only have been Montgomery.

He worked with Walter Martin, a noted defender of the Christian faith. At some point he read the works of Lutheran orthodoxy and left the LCA. I know he investigated joining the Little Sect on the Prairie, but they are notoriously allergic to earned degrees and academic merit.

Montgomery has published more books than an entire faculty and practiced law in defense of the rights of Christians. My wife and I had lunch with him at the Chicago Inerrancy Conference, where we were leaving the LCA. It seems like yesterday.

(One LCMS pastor at that conference, who knew Al Barry as a district president, said, "Barry will do nothing about doctrine as the Synod President, because he has done nothing here, even when the facts were put before him.")

Montgomery meddled with my life much earlier than the Chicago Inerrancy Conference, which was probably about 1987. I was in Sturgis, Michigan, inheriting an entire library of books from a Missouri pastor who suddenly left the ministry. The books were being tossed away, so a member brought them to me - cartons and cartons of them. I gave many away to various people, including my dissertation advisor at Notre Dame, John Howard Yoder.

One book was a two-volume work, edited by Montgomery,  about the decline of the Lutheran Church. One of the contributors was an LCA missionary by the name of Faust. We knew his son at Augustana, and Pastor Faust was related to my father's best friend, aka Snortin' Norton, whose son was also an Augustana classmate. There are no degrees of separation in the Lutheran Church.

The Faust essay really struck home, because that was a man I knew, someone who preached at Salem in Moline, the congregation where I was confirmed. I read the book, which confirmed my suspicions about the departure of the LCA from the Biblical foundations of the Christian faith.

That thrown-away book began my movement out of the LCA, where only one side was ever presented.

But there is another connection besides. I included Montgomery on my mailing list for Martin Chemnitz Press, long ago. He was kind enough to order all my books. I said free shipping with large orders, and he availed himself of that discount. I recall the note on his order.

American Lutherans did not take advantage of Montgomery's vast learning. He said on his Facebook page:

At the same time, in the States, I find that a fair number of churchy Protestants, including evangelicals, think that salvation is a matter of leading the right kind of life, being sanctified, manifesting spiritual gifts--rather than relying on the sufficient sacrifice of Our Lord on the Cross . . . (To clarify, we live in the French Alsace, where Lutheranism is predominant.)
I went back to check on that page and saw that Moline classmate Michael Bauman, Hillsdale College, also wished John a happy birthday. Bauman is also involved in apologetics.

Montgomery is a prime example of a man who has dedicated his life to arguing the truth, no matter what.

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narrow-minded has left a new comment on your post "Happy Birthday, Dr. John Warwick Montgomery. Ameri...":

The pastor in Barry's district was certainly correct. Although he talked "confessional" and was correct on the social issues, Barry allowed CG and the Charismatic movements in the LCMS.

Steadfast UOJers, Walther Quest, and the rest of self-proclaimed "confessionals" are now happy because they once again have their guy on the SP Throne. This just goes to show that political power is more important than being truly Lutheran. I predicted two years ago that Mustachio Matt would be a repeat of Barry.

Instead of schmoozing with and aping the Methobapticostals under Kieschnick, the LCMS will now favor schmoozing with Rome/Constantinople. Be it "follow the bouncing ball on the screen" praise bands, or bells and smells, it doesn't matter as long as we're ABL (Anything but Lutheran).

Are Babtists ashamed of being Baptist? Are Methodists ashamed of being Methodist? The ECUSA, despite their imminent demise, is proud to be ECUSA. Rome and Constantinople don't apologize much. Why does the "Lutheran" SynCon seemed to be ashamed of being Lutheran?

Given the history and the establishment of the SynCon, I guess I shouldn't be shocked. Pietism is truly our default religion.

***

GJ - Given the enrollment of SynCon leaders, the promotion of those graduates from heretical seminaries, and the adoption of their idiotic ideas, it is difficult to imagine how the LCMS, WELS, or ELS could criticize anyone about anything.

When the LutherQuest (sic) bunch was jumping on me for synodical memberships, I pointed out that their hero, Al Barry, started in a church basement seminary in the Twin Cities, went to Bethany Seminary in Mankato, vicared in WELS, and became LCMS. However, those facts never emerge in his Concordia Historical Institute bio.

Liars  do not give up their lying habits.

The Last Radicals - NR / Digital Articles - National Review Online

Photo credit: Liz Copeland.

The Last Radicals - NR / Digital Articles - National Review Online:

There is exactly one authentically radical social movement of any real significance in the United States, and it is not Occupy, the Tea Party, or the Ron Paul faction. It is homeschoolers, who, by the simple act of instructing their children at home, pose an intellectual, moral, and political challenge to the government-monopoly schools, which are one of our most fundamental institutions and one of our most dysfunctional. Like all radical movements, homeschoolers drive the establishment bats.

'via Blog this'

***

GJ - I usually ignore National Review, for many reasons. However, this author makes a good point.

We home-schooled about 30 years ago and loved it. People wondered about how that could possibly work out. I suggested that most wealthy people had their children tutored at home, that Alexander the Great was educated that way. Alex did well, and so did our son.

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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "The Last Radicals - NR / Digital Articles - Nation...":

Ichabod -

Wonderful feline pic! Looks just like our domestic shorthair!

***

GJ - Liz is a childhood friend of the family. My mother and her mother taught in the same gradeschool, Garfield. I grew up among teachers and teachers' kids, went to PTA meetings for the desserts, studied in the school library during teachers' meetings. The Jackson kids went to school early, walking to Garfield with mom. It was more like a forced march in the military.

Liz is a very talented nature photographer, and she is a retired teacher.

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "The Last Radicals - NR / Digital Articles - Nation...":

Thank you for posting this. We were placed into a position where my wife is now home schooling our autistic son. There is a very active home schooling association near us, which draws from a large geographical area. Our son's former senior behavioral therapist, now a public school teacher, could not grasp the home schooling concept. She kept inferring that their is no regulation in place to deal with "deadbeat parents" who homeschool their children. I countered that with the suggestion that there are many deadbeat parents who send their children to public schools, which are highly regulated. It seems that homeschooling is done by parents who are willing to take on tremendous sacrifice because they love the children that the Lord has blessed them with.

***

GJ - I was homeschooled in a sense. My mother made sure I grew up with a library of books for all ages, subscribing to several different book clubs for youth. My father was very interested in politics and read in that area all the time. I attended many extra educational events, sometimes voluntarily.

My argument for homeschooling is - the teachers love their children, which is often not the case in the public system. There are head-cases in parochial schools too. Our son's teachers in two parochial schools were 50% - half of them terrific, half of them awful. I interviewed potential teachers for an area Christian school - dumber than rocks. I asked, "Who is C. S. Lewis?" Anger erupted - "Why do I need to know that?"

I am not surprised at the therapist's reaction, above. Homeschooling is a major threat to our socialist educational system, which is no better under the banner of charter schools. "Where the money is, there will the apostates be gathered." - The Gospel of Mark Jeske, 3:14.

Homeschooling means tailoring the education to the individual student and spending far more hours in education. We ran our effort seven days a week, all year, by request. Some results: fluency in Latin and Greek, a beginning in Hebrew. At least 100 significant books were read, such as the Iliad and the Odyssey. It also creates priceless moments.

I would dismantle 90% of the educational system and give the tax money back to the parents. The recipients could then spend the money exactly as they wished. No govmint charter schools. No requirement for a phony, bad education.

More Catholic Than the Pope - LCMS

bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "CPH Apocrypha - Best Pub Since the Book of Concord...":

The LCMS is going to have their youth gathering at a Catholic university (SLU), and President Harrison invites the youth from this very Catholic-looking office with about 50 crucifixes behind him.

I'd say having anymore than one crucifix per square meter of wall space is getting RCC, and Harrison has about 10 per meter. That's also why McCain loves working at CPH since there's about 400 crucifixes on display (for sale) at any one time. Also, Catholic St. Louis has the cemeteries with many stone crucifixes, even in the cemeteries for all the Bronze Age Lutherans (as Paul stated in his Walther mausoleum video):

CAMPUS MINISTRY Unwrapped Gathering on Jan 2, 2013:

http://www.lcms.org/page.aspx?pid=1380

LCMS President invites college students to attend "Unwrapped":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tsOHdD90jk 

Father Neuhaus became very important to LCMS seminary faculty and students,
once he formally became the Roman Catholic he always was.

Pope Paul Without a Call Installs CPH proof-readers at the Purple Palace.
Is that installation valid?

Few realize that McCain controls the aiming device in this photo.

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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "More Catholic Than the Pope - LCMS":

Ichabod and bruce-church:

Thank you for posting all this. The mystery [for me] has been finally unravelled; that is, for SP Harrison.

I've finally figured it out; the reason for SP Harrison's shovel ready mustache! The clue is his obvious fetish for crucifixes. His snow plow mustache readily hides his chapped lips.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tsOHdD90jk

As for CPH'S McNasty, I still do not have an explanation for his Mother Mary lactation fascination fetish. Maybe one of these days a McCaininite defector will reveal that to us.

***

GJ - I don't think defectors are allowed to live, Nathan.

Ichabod, The Glory Has Departed: More Bilge from WELS Church Growth Stars. Sound Familiar? Cal-Arizona WELS DP Five Years Ago

Ichabod, The Glory Has Departed: More Bilge from WELS Church Growth Stars:

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2007

More Bilge from WELS Church Growth Stars

The following is a verbatim quotation from Motley Magpie. Wisconsin Synod gave the Left Foot of Fellowship to the the Berg brothers, sons of Fuller veteran Norm Berg:

In businessman-like fashion, businessman Eberle predictably gets to the bottom line - the bottom line, “our outflow is greater than our inflow” (p. 8). While giving the Spirit his due he argues, “but numerous verses in Scripture can be quoted showing that the Lord expects results” (p. 10) that is, net growth. Given that he states, “I submit that any WELS congregation can grow as fast, or faster, than the fastest growing congregation in its community” (p. 9). He then adds the sweeping appraisal of an unidentified (and evidently well informed) WELS pastor,

Most [WELS pastors] are loathe (sic) to even consider that mega-churches in our area grow because they are well-led, high-performance, high-expectation, high-quality organizations. The fact that these [mega-churches] are theologically more conservative than us and more demanding of their members is conveniently ignored (p. 9)

- to which Mr. Eberle adds, “Since this is the case, it begs the question - Why aren’t there any WELS mega-churches?”

To state it syllogistically: conservative churches grow; the WELS is conservative; therefore, WELS churches should grow, and their “conservatism” should not be used as an excuse for “failure” (p. 11). Mr. Eberle is not the first to make this argument in the Wisconsin Synod. It was made in an 1985 essay with the admittedly improbable title “How to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects” by the Rev. Paul Kelm and in a 1987 essay, “The Call into the Discipling (sic) Ministry” by the Rev. Joel Gerlach who cites, then WELS executive secretary of evangelism,

Kelm, who noted that it requires 103 WELS communicants to enlist one new adult confirmand per year… [for] the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod… 73 communicants for each new confirmand, [and] the figure for the Assemblies of God (currently the fastest growing Protestant denomination in the USA) is 20 for each new member2 (see the footnote examination of this “statistic”).

Rev. Gerlach concludes,

Thereby hangs the tale. Apparently WELS Lutherans (sic) are not as determined as members of other denominations to become involved personally in sharing their faith with others.

For himself Kelm dismisses the heterodoxy-is-why-the-heterodox-grow factor this way,

True, [fast-growing conservative, biblical churches] may not be fully orthodox; but I fail to see where baptism by immersion and assorted other Protestant departures are any drawing card. In fact, growing churches are typically those whose doctrines and expectations of members are strict” (p. 2).

As if reading from the same script, Mr. Eberle dismisses the “rationalization” that only the apostate grow,

Churches identified as fundamentalist or orthodox have grown, often at an amazing pace. For these churches, orthodoxy seems to be an asset that assists growth, rather than hinders it. Surely you and I don’t believe that the pure Gospel, as taught within the WELS, is an impediment to growth (p. 9)?

So - this naïve definition of “orthodox” aside - a commonality of conservatism (strictness!), a few “assorted Protestant departures” aside, shows that conservative WELS ought to grow, “citius, altius, fortius” - contingent, I suspect, on whether it ingests new church growth hormones, the methods of growing churches.

***

GJ - I know a WELS pastor who dared take issue with Eberle. Soon District Pope Jahnke fired him this way. "I can fire you on the spot or you can voluntarily resign and get three months pay."

Let us consider the solemn declarations of Mr. Eberle, an expert on all churches due to his experience in mass mailings. Kelm is now at the mega-church of Eberle's dreams. Is it Lutheran? No. Is it conservative? No. The congregation appears to be a clone of Robert Schuller's generic, liberal pan-Protestant congregation in California.

Studies have shown...I love to use that phrase. Studies have shown that mega-churches simply take people from other congregations, the way mega-stores take people from Mom and Pop stores. The Church Growth Movement has done nothing to increase the total number of Christians in America. The four-letter synods (ELCA, LCMS, WELS) have slavishly followed Church Growth for decades and they have failed. Once healthy denominations are strangled by high costs, membership decline, low clergy morale, and lawsuits from adulterous Church Growth pastors.

'via Blog this'

WELS DP Jon Buchholz Justifies Himself Today in Phoenix. Where Is the Paper?

narrow-minded has left a new comment on your post "Reactions to DP Jon Buchholz Suspending Pastor Ryd...":

A post from Pr. Scheer from the above cited link: "In regards to the situation for Pr. Rydecki, he will not be writing more for Steadfast Lutherans. It was a mutual decision. Some of the information about his situation is still coming out. Because of these facts, his situation should best be discussed elsewhere."

I wondered how long Pr. Rydecki would last for failing to properly venerate Walther.

By the way, since Walther was assumed, was he also immaculately conceived?

Rewards the Calvinists,
punishes the Lutherans.
"Go back and read Bente's section on the Crypto-Calvinists.
I did, Buchie, and you are there.

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David Becker has left a new comment on your post "WELS DP Jon Buchholz Justifies Himself Today in Ph...":

I sent the following item to Christian News today. Pastor Rydecki confirmed its accuracy via e-mail:

Paul Rydecki's Church Leaves WELS, He Remains Pastor

The October 15 Christian News reported that Rev. Paul Rydecki was suspended as a Pastor in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. He remains pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico. That church now lists itself as “an independent confessional Lutheran congregation.” His church voted to disaffiliate from WELS on October 17, and that allowed Rydecki to remain as pastor there.

The following is a statement from Paul Rydecki commenting on his suspension as a pastor in the WELS.

(I then gave CN Pastor Rydecki's statement at this link: http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/2012/10/suspended-from-wels-why.html)

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Links about Justification by Faith 

and Justification without Faith (UOJ)

Pastor Rydecki's blog

Luther's Galatians endorsed by reader

Luther's Galatians on Gnesio Lutherans

Roman Catholic adjunct Jack Kilcrease as Humpty Dumpty

Calov, quoted by Robert Preus, repudiated the UOJ position of WELS

Kilcrease, the McCain tutor, equivocates.

Buchholz is anti-Luther

Pastor Bickel on Tossing Rydecki Under the Bus

Church and Changer Jeff Gunn and His Mequon Class of Shrinkers

Paul McCain and Jon Buchholz - Bedfellows of Apostasy

Abraham Is the Common Theme in Justification - Justification by Faith

Pastor Rydecki's Account of His Suspension - October 9th

Intrepid Account October 6th- Pastor Rydecki Suspended

LutherQuest (sic) Opposes Justification by Faith

Warming Up the Tar and Feathers on LutherQuest (sic)

Pastor Bickel Answers Jon Buchholz

Kokomo Statements - WELS UOJ - JP Meyer

Jack Kilcrease Showing Signs of Stress

Dr. Lito Cruz and Brett Meyer Dispatch the UOJ Stormtroopers on Extra Nos

Hunnius repudiated an early form of UOJ,
backed by P. Leyser, an editor of the Book of Concord,
a biographer of Chemnitz, and an early expert on justification.

CPH Apocrypha - Best Pub Since the Book of Concord with More Recall Notices Than a Ford Pinto?

Here is Paul McCain's epic fail - 

the total recall of The Book of Concord.

narrow-minded has left a new comment on your post "Paul McCain Promotes Apocrypha and Roman Catholic ...":

Since "No Call Paul" can't discern the Canonical Scriptures, and since his BOC was rejected (even by the mostly-UOJ profs), the CPH Apocrypha should be a hoot. Drink some more breast milk and kiss the Pope's ring, Paul.

While Luther cited the Apocrypha as good reading, he certainly did not consider it Canonical. Perhaps the LCMS/(W)ELS should properly discern the Canonical Scriptures, the BOC, and address their errors in doctrine and practice before taking on the Apocrypha.

I recall a parish in my district that frequently hosted vicars. Most of them went to Eastern Orthodoxy. The pastor was teased about what he did to cause the defections by other pastors, but I largely blame the Rome/EO education from The Fort.

***

GJ - One graduate of The Surrendered Fort said Eastern Orthodoxy was "just a matter of polity."

McCain posted an altered version of The Miraculous Lactation of Mary on his blog,
so Team Ichabod restored it and added Father McCain and the motto.

The scandal of crypto-Calvinism was having Calvin's books promoted in Wittenberg and Luther's shoved to the back. The Elector promoted Calvinists and punished Lutherans - just like SP Mark Schroeder and the Twelve Apostles (DPs) who hear revelations from the Holy Spirit echoing in their empty heads.

Northwestern Publishing House has admitted in print that crypto-Calvinism is no longer crypto.

The same can be said about those sinuflecting to Rome and Constantinople.

Johann Gerhard on Romans 5:18

http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/2012/10/johann-gerhard-on-romans-518.html#comment-form

Johann Gerhard on Romans 5:18

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Yesterday I posted a translation of Johann Gerhard on Romans 3 and on Romans 4.  Here's a translation of his interpretation of Romans 5:18.

(Translation copyright 2012 by Paul A. Rydecki.  All emphasis is in the original.)

http://books.google.com/books/download/Adnotationes_ad_priora_capita_epistolae.pdf?id=ivlGAAAAcAAJ&output=pdf&sig=ACfU3U03HFTTgvCzsSSlCEU0o_J4f0FUnA

 

Johann Gerhard

Adnotationes ad priora capita Epistolae D. Pauli ad Romanos (1645)

Romans 5:18 (page 177)

Ἄρα οὖν ὡς διʼ ἑνὸς παραπτώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς κατάκριμα, οὕτω καὶ διʼ ἑνὸς δικαιώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς δικαίωσιν ζωῆς·

This verse is a summary of everything that came before.  That I may briefly summarize, he says, what I have said thus far concerning the comparison between Adam and Christ, the matter boils down to this: Just as the guilt that was contracted from one transgression of Adam sentences all men to death, so the righteousness of Christ that is imputed to believers by faith justifies them, so that they are restored again to participate in the eternal life that had been lost in Adam and through Adam.

ὡς διʼ ἑνὸς παραπτώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς κατάκριμα. Just as through one offense (scil. guilt came) upon all men for condemnation. The Syrian version translated it: Just as through sin condemnation was to all the children of men.  The Apostle contrasts the transgression (τὸ παράπτωμα) of Adam and the righteousness (τὸδικαίωμα) of Christ.  Likewise, [he contrasts] the condemnation (κατάκριμα) that spread to all from Adam’s transgression and the justification of life (δικαίωσιν ζωῆς) that deduces its origin from the righteousness of Christ (ex Christi δικαιώματι)  and flows down to all.

οὕτω καὶ διʼ ἑνὸς δικαιώματος εἰς πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἰς δικαίωσιν ζωῆς. So through one Man’s righteousness (scil. the benefit overflowed) to all men for justification of life, that is, salvific justification.  For it is called “justification of life” because the end and consequence of it is life and eternal salvation.

[You ask,] But how did the righteousness of Christ overflow to all men for justification, since not all men are justified?  We reply: The Apostle is not speaking about the application of the benefit, but of the acquisition of the benefit.  If we wish to descend to the application, that universality must be restricted to those who are grafted into Christ by faith. For as the unrighteousness of Adam is communicated to all those who are descended from him by carnal generation, so the righteousness of Christ is communicated to all those who are grafted into Him through faith and spiritual regeneration.

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Mr. Douglas Lindee said...

Thank you, Rev. Rydecki, for translating these. I hope you have more in the hopper! It is a pleasure to read from the towering figures of the past, who have very evidently mastered the art of language and the history of the Church, and can thus express the meaning of Scripture so succinctly. I think of the thousands of gallons of ink that have been recently spilled trying to explain this verse in terms of justification's universal application, and shake my head. In fact, so much must be written because of the long route necessary to explain it in a way that it clearly doesn't speak. All of that ink. Wasted. Instead, Gerhard writes very simply, dismissing the connection of this verse to itapplication and explains regarding it:

"The Apostle is not speaking about the application of the benefit, but of the acquisition of the benefit. If we wish to descend to the application, that universality must be restricted to those who are grafted into Christ by faith. For as the unrighteousness of Adam is communicated to all those who are descended from him by carnal generation, so the righteousness of Christ is communicated to all those who are grafted into Him through faith and spiritual regeneration."

Frankly, this is what I have always thought regarding the meaning of this verse -- it's only talking about theacquisition of justification (though I admit to having studied it only in the NASB and KJV, along with the help of various concordances and lexicons). Sure, it's going to say all men with regard to the acquisition of justification -- are some men going to acquire it in some other fashion?

But it's application is much different: All men are sinful insofar as they are connected to Adam ("the First Adam") in their nature; likewise, all men are righteous before God only insofar as they are connected to Christ ("the Second Adam") in their nature. I am only connected to Christ in this way through Faith and Regeneration. I think I tried to express this in my now infamous post, Fraternal Dialogue on the Topic of "Objective Justification", but did a comparatively poor job of it, next to Gerhard. In fact, there is no comparison. This was very helpful. Thanks again!

My Opinion,

Mr. Douglas Lindee