ChurchMouse Is a Good Source for Articles on the Current Situation in the Church

churchmousec (http://churchmousec.wordpress.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Rob Bell Tells How 'Love Wins' Led to Mars Hill De...":

Thanks for this, Dr Jackson.

People instinctively know right from wrong. This is something the Church of England hierarchy could also take note of with regard to church attendance and godly preaching. (Meaning: there would be more 'bums ['bottoms'] on seats' if the sermons were more biblical.)

Churchmouse

http://churchmousec.wordpress.com/

Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash faces fourth underage sex accusations - baltimoresun.com. Will SP Mark Schroeder Absolve Clash?

Where do digital files come from?

Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash faces fourth underage sex accusations - baltimoresun.com:

"A fourth accuser is coming forward to claim he engaged in underage sex with former "Sesame Street" puppeteer Kevin Clash.

On Monday, Florida-based attorney Jeff Herman filed his third lawsuit alleging that Clash, now 52, engaged in sex with minors. Herman also has filed suits on behalf of two of the previous three accusers.

All three cases allege civil — in other words, noncriminal — violations, and are pending in the Southern District of New York. All three seek unspecified damages."

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Let's See DP Buchholz and SP Mark Schroeder Deal with Mark Jeske's Abundant, Obvious Doctrinal Errors

quercuscontramalum (http://quercuscontramalum.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Mark Jeske Is the Rob Bell of Lutherdom":

Is there an "Incomplete Gospel & Not Enough UOJ" hotline to WELS HQ to report offenders? (Is that what the 2nd building is for? A call center and foreclosure lawyer war room?)

What is this "terminal sinfulness" they describe in #3 of Jeske's Quatro-Quatenus Theses? We're all already guilt free saints.

Further it states, "only through the innocent and death [ __________________ ] of Jesus Christ can anyone be saved." Jeske left a gaping hole where the Resurrection should be. Paul thought the Resurrection was necessary for conquering death (1 Cor. 15). Jeske must be slacking his Baptist conference attendance. They pound Romans 10:9. (But don't read v10 out loud at SynHQ.)

Jeske is a leader of men.

***

GJ - Almost any denomination, sect, or heresy could find aid and comfort in Jeske's statement of faith. The words have been carefully crafted to offend no one except God - and that is the greatest offense of all.

That says a lot - that Buchholz and Schroeder have left it alone.

Remember that when WELS is crying "False teacher!" Try not to smile.

Mark Jeske Is the Rob Bell of Lutherdom

David Becker pointed out the glaring omissions in the statement of unfaith posted at Time of Grace, the media ministry of the LCMS and WELS.

All the Church and Changers like Don Patterson adore Time of Grace because Mark Jeske is the real leader of WELS. Mark Schroeder is the overpaid managing editor of the PR releases, the talking head for The WELS Connection, the absolver of child abusers, the UOJ enforcer.

Jeske is also a bored member of Thrivent.

I was shocked and confused that Paul McCain quoted Luther's sermon verbatim on Cyberbrethen--even giving credit to the Reformer--so I decided to look up Mark Jeske's Statement of Faith.

My first thought was, "Where is the rest of it?"

I will copy it here, so you can copy and paste it, before asking your DP why Jeske is allowed to be on the air. The bold-face is in the original. Here are the capitalization errors and leaden English.

We believe in the triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe that God has revealed himself through his word, the Holy Bible, and that the Bible is divinely inspired and without error.

We believe that all human beings are terminally sinful and that only through the innocent and death of Jesus Christ can anyone be saved. 

We believe we are here on this earth to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to as many people as possible.

There are no references to the Ecumenical Creeds, the Book of Concord, or the Lutheran Church.

The statement on the Holy Trinity is vague enough to placate the Mormons.

The sentence about God and His Word is almost completely empty of meaning, little more than saying water is wet and the sky is blue. The Sacraments are missing, because that would annoy the generic audience Jeske covets. The efficacy of the Word would also arouse suspicion in those potential donors. Let everyone figure it out for himself.

"Terminally sinful" is one of the funniest statements I have seen, something I would reserve for the Icha-slang Lexicon. So - how does one recover from this terminal condition, Rev. Mark? There is no answer. No atonement. No redemption. No forgiveness. No justification by faith.

A bold confession of UOJ would really rock this page and send the prospective audience out the exits. The eloquent Jeske has mentioned "pre-forgiveness" on his entertaining show, so I am certain he is a stealth UOJ fan. His utter lack of faith confirms it.

The "terminally sinful" in ELCA would like this confession of unfaith too, because the resurrection of Jesus Christ is missing. So is eternal life.

Born of the Virgin Mary? Missing. As one Leftist minister-to-be said, "The resurrection and virgin birth are not important doctrines."

We are here on this earth to spread the news of a God without wrath sending His Son without a cross into a world without sin. (That was Niehbuhr's definition of liberal theology, and Jeske fits it quite well.) The last statement is really an ad for Time of Grace, a morsel of Law to tack onto this avalanche of grace.

"As many as possible" - that will take a lot of money.

David Becker's Point
Becker wondered in Christian News why WELS ripped into Pastor Paul Rydecki for teaching justification by faith while leaving Mark Jeske as their superstar with this pagan confession of unfaith.

In fact, WELS took years to "deal with" Mark Jeske, resulting in DP Jon Buchholz joining the chorus of Hosannas for Jeske at the convention. Buchholz was alleged to be a critic of Jeske, signing the secret Internet petition to do something about the heretic.

That same Buchholz swept down on Rydecki's congregation, slandering the faithful pastor, dividing the congregation, and foreclosing on the loan - IN FOUR MONTHS - after promising to study the issue with all concerned in the future.

Lutherdom's Rob Bell
Mark Jeske has already shown he will go the way of Rob Bell. Mark will continue to use a few Biblical words to decorate and highlight his pagan success philosophy, pleasing the rich donors and anesthetizing the vapid sheep.

ChurchMouse has also written about Rob Bell.

Rob Bell Tells How 'Love Wins' Led to Mars Hill Departure. Watch Mark Jeske Follow the Same Spiral

His Mars Hill congregation got the "No Bell" prize soon after Love Wins lost out.

Rob Bell Tells How 'Love Wins' Led to Mars Hill Departure:

By Katherine Weber , Christian Post Reporter

December 3, 2012|5:05 pm

Former megachurch pastor Rob Bell, founder of Mars Hill Bible Church in Grandville, Mich., recently shared how his 2011 book, Love Wins, led to a fallout with the congregation and forced him on a "search for a more forgiving faith."

Read more at http://global.christianpost.com/news/rob-bell-tells-how-love-wins-led-to-mars-hill-departure-85995/#HS6TMdw1Xk8USjIx.99 

Bell details this search in a recent interview with The New Yorker, and discusses his invitation to Christians interested in a different kind of church, "one that can keep pace with the rising 'waterline of culture.'"

"Bell is now loosely aligned with a cohort of pastors worldwide who are searching for ways to move beyond old-fashioned worship," Kelefa Sanneh of The New Yorker wrote in an in-depth, Nov. 26 feature on Bell, entitled "Hell Raiser."

The main issue discussed in Bell's recent interview regards Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, in which the former pastor questioned the existence of hell and the evangelical teaching that only those who believe in Jesus Christ go to heaven.

Bell received a vast amount of criticism for his book and even lost members of his Mars Hill Bible Church congregation. The New Yorker writes that "word went out that a prominent megachurch leader had rejected Hell, thereby embracing heresy."

Critics accused Bell of being a heretic, a political liberal, and a Universalist, among other labels.

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Bell told The New Yorker that the publication of his book resulted in a 3,000-person decrease in membership at Mars Hill Bible Church, which he founded in 1999.

"The book put pressure on the people around Bell, who found themselves having to defend statements they might never have heard, let alone approved," The New Yorker writes.

"Congregants reported that friends and family members were asking why they were allowing themselves to be led by a false teacher," the magazine continues.

Wife of the megachurch pastor, Kristen Bell, remembers staying home from service for some weeks because she could not stand the criticism her husband was receiving for his book.

"There was a cost," Bell told The New Yorker.

 "And part of the cost was, we couldn't keep doing what we were doing at Mars Hill," she added.

The Evangelical Alliance issued a review of the controversial book, saying that although Bell displays "brilliant communication skills" in Love Wins, he also communicates only part of the truth regarding hell, which can be "disturbing to those who believe in the other half of the truth."

Others, however, argued that those accusing Love Wins of being a book about simply heaven and hell were missing the bigger picture and message conveyed by Bell.

"[Love Wins] is a book that invites people to remember the life God is offering them and that encourages them to thrive as they joyously participate in that life," wrote Julie Clawson, a Christian blogger for the site OneHandClapping.

Bell, however, argued that he never meant to be controversial with his book.

"My interest is in what's true and where is the life and where is the heart and what inspires. And if that happens to stir up a few things, that's something I accept," Bell said at the time of his book's release, as previously reported by The Christian Post.

Ultimately, Bell and his wife chose to leave their West Michigan church and seek a new way of life in California, where Bell and Carlton Cuse, producer of the hit TV series "Lost", are teaming up to work on a "faith-inflected talk show."

Bell also holds retreats with fellow pastors near his Orange County home, and enjoys surfing. He is also working on a new book.

As The New Yorker points out, although many viewed Bell's Love Wins as a form of evangelical dissension, others view Bell as "a reassuring figure: proof that it's possible to challenge certain articles of faith without leaving behind faith itself."

"Before, he was a dissenter in evangelical West Michigan," Sanneh writes for the magazine. "Now he is a lifelong believer in secular Southern California. And, in that world, his faith may seem more distinctive – and more important – than his doubts."

Along with Love Wins, Bell is the author of The New York Times bestseller Velvet Elvis. In 2011, Time magazine named Bell one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.

Teaching Pastor Shane Hipps temporarily took over Bell's position at Mars Hill from Dec. 2011 until June 2012, when he announced that he would be stepping down from his position as lead pastor.

Mars Hill Bible Church is now led by Pastor Kent Dobson, son of well-known megachurch Pastor Ed Dobson.

Read more at http://global.christianpost.com/news/rob-bell-tells-how-love-wins-led-to-mars-hill-departure-85995/#HS6TMdw1Xk8USjIx.99 

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On Single Wage Earners and the Benefits. Bruce Church Will Probably Add Some Demographics

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Unorganized Family Time":

I would not want dual income families to take this the wrong way. But, so many skills used to be taught at home. The older siblings knew how to raise children. There were also babysitting opportunities in the neighborhood. With the prevalence of institutional child care, some of this is gone. Also, single parent families have halted the way that these skills have been transmitted to the next generation. Newer technologies allow the parents to encourage the children to continue to learn on their own. Formal education is important, but it is not the only way to knowledge. When family run businesses were more prevalent, children learned early many aspects of it.

***

GJ - We deliberately avoided the two-income family, and our son's family did as well. There are many benefits, such as the wife being the mother of the children instead of serving as the driver to the daycare or WELS Early Learning Center (daycare business).

Many times young children are split between baby-sitting services. How is that good for them - or the parents?

Home-cooked meals are bought from Boston Market (eee - awful).

Luxuries are often over-rated. They have little value on the resale market, which is how their price should be judged. A better investment is in children - giving them priceless time while they are growing up. I have seen parents spend all their early years making money and their later years dealing with serious problems in their spoiled, neglected, unsupervised children.

A wife who helps her husband in many ways will free him to do a better job in his profession.

Mrs. I did some part-time teaching, but she had time to take LI to computer coding classes and other special events. Besides, I always went on youth trips.

We had so many interesting times, making cookies as a family, baking bread from scratch, going to Shipshewana for the auction and flea market. This year we will enjoy the film that we enjoyed as a book. I read The Hobbit to LI five times. We listened to the Gordon Lightfoot records endlessly, sang the songs, and made up parodies to the songs.

The Aspen is rusted,
The tail-lights are busted.
Radiators leaking, the bench seats are squeaking.
The Bondo is cracking,
The bumpers need spackling.
Oh no.

In fact, I used to turn off the ignition to Aspen in the driveway and count the seconds it continued to diesel, until it finally gave up with a loud rattle, whoosh, and cloud of smoke. We laughed, doubled over.

This is the first version of the dragon Smaug.

---

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "On Single Wage Earners and the Benefits. Bruce Chu...":

I don't want to post the dismal statistics on single parenting and the results in the next generation, which everyone knows already, but I do want to make two observations: first, I know that when a family has two parents working full-time, that the daughters and sons are never taught to cook much at all, except for grilling and macaroni and cheese. So the next generations subsist on unhealthy processed foods and fast food, which pretty much explains the obesity epidemic, and heart and diabetes epidemics. A wife who can't or won't cook isn't valued quite as much by husbands and children, I think, and it costs the family more money on food, so that all contributes to family breakups.

The other observation is that many men don't want to get married, and women, too, for that matter, so it is ironic that gays are so gung-ho for marriage. Perhaps gays just want to be contrarian? Of course, gays like the modern marriage concept, but want nothing to do with the traditional concept of marriage where divorce was hard to get. So all they are getting is a devalued form of marriage, sort of like how everyone becomes millionaires after a currency is severely devalued. In other words, so what!

Sgt Stubby

Sgt. Stubby…..This will make you smile and bring a tear to your eye! | Ed Richards' Empower Network Blog:

by Ed Richards | on December 4, 2012

Sgt. Stubby…..This will make you smile and bring a tear to your eye!

My buddy Tomi B. sent me this in an e-mail and I just had to share it. It is just too good not to!

Sgt. Stubby - War Dog Hero

Meet America’s first war dog, a stray Pit Bull/Terrier mix, named Stubby. He became Sgt, Stubby, and was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat.

One day he appeared at Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticut; while a group of soldiers were training, stopping to make friends with solders as they drilled. One soldier, Corporal Robert Conroy, developed a fondness for the dog. He named him Stubby because of his short legs. When it came time for the outfit to ship out, Conroy hid Stubby on board the troop ship. In order to keep the dog, the private taught him to salute his commanding officers warming their hearts to him.

Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division in the trenches in France for 18 months and participated in four offensives and 18 battles. The loud noise of the bombs and gun fire did not bother him. He was never content to stay in the trenches but went out and found wounded soldiers.

Stubby entered combat on February 5, 1918 at Chemi Des Dames, north of Soissons, and was under constant fire, day and night for over a month. In April 1918, during a raid to take Schieprey, Stubby was wounded in the foreleg by the retreating Germans throwing hand grenades. He was sent to the rear for convalescence, and as he had done on the front, was able to improve morale. When he recovered from his woulds, Stubby returned to the trenches.

After being gassed and nearly dying himself, Stubby learned to warn his unit of poison gas attacks, continued to locate wounded soldiers in no man’s land, and since he could hear the whine of incoming artillery shells before humans could, became very adept at letting his unit know when to duck for cover.

He was solely responsible for capturing a German spy in the Argonne. The spy made the mistake of speaking German to him when they were alone. Stubby knew he was no ally and attacked him biting and holding onto him by the seat of his pants until his comrades could secure him.

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Second Sunday in Advent. Romans 15:4-13. Written for Our Learning

By Norma Boeckler

The Second Sunday in Advent, 2012

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10AM Central Time

The Hymn # 58 – Gerhardt              O Lord    4:49

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual      Romans 15:4-13

The Gospel            Luke 21:25-36 

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #71            Watchman     4.9 

 Watchfulness in the Word

The Hymn # 304 An Awesome Mystery            4.6

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 647 O Little Town   4.13

Second Sunday In Advent

Lord God, heavenly Father, who by Thy Son hast revealed to us that heaven and earth shall pass away, that our bodies shall rise again, and that we all shall appear before the judgment seat: We beseech Thee, keep us by Thy Holy Spirit in Thy word; establish us in the true faith, graciously defend us from sin and preserve us in all temptations, that our hearts may not be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, but that we may ever watch and pray and, trusting fully in Thy grace, await with joy the glorious coming of Thy Son, and at last obtain eternal salvation, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. 5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: 9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. 10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. 11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. 12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust. 13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

KJV Luke 21:25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. 29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; 30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. 31 So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. 32 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. 33 Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Watchfulness in the Word

KJV Romans 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Because we write so much, one more written document has less value today, especially since there are so many copies of the Bible available. In contrast, when written documents were rare and scribes were highly valued, whatever was put in writing was bound to be important.

This verse, as Lenski observed, has a great emphasis on writing, the verb used twice in the verse. Scripture itself means – the writing.

This cannot be over-emphasized, because there is only one book written by God – the Bible.

We also tend to water down the meaning of inspiration, because the original meaning is this – that the Scriptures are the revealed, the inspired, the God-breathed Word of God. What God says and what He wills – that is all written down.

In the ancient gatherings, long before American-style voting, church leaders gathered to discuss doctrinal issues. That was allowed because it is good for everyone to discuss what they believe and teach. Now it is no longer allowed. If an issue is dangerous to the synodical officials, because of its false foundations, the topic cannot be discussed at all. This censorship favors false doctrine.

So, in those ancient gatherings, as Chemnitz observed, they brought out the Scriptures themselves to remind everyone that the Scriptures alone judged those matters. That is not an anti-credal position, because Chemnitz was constantly involved in teaching, discussing, writing, and eventually in editing the Book of Concord.

He was saying, as we should today, that the written Word of God is the one and only canon. It is the ruling norm.

A confession (Augsburg, Formula of Concord) is a public witness about the Word of God. Man’s tendency is to take a recent writing and make that judge the accepted confessions of faith and even worse, the Word of God itself.

I remember the shock when the National Council of Churches’ RSV dropped the Virgin Birth from Isaiah 7:14. They had a lot of excuses, but the fact remains – they did not believe in it so they removed it. They were forced to back-track.

The Methodists took their own hymn, Deck the Halls, and removed the Virgin Birth, too. “Offspring of the Virgin’s womb” became “Offspring of the Chosen One.” The new words were not wrong, except they were meant to say, we no longer believe in the Virgin Birth of Christ. Of course, this was done quietly, secretly, deviously. You will still find sheet music today with the new words.

Likewise, the New NIV has added a word “all” to Romans 3 to make God say that the entire world was absolved of sin, without faith, without the Word, without the Means of Grace. This is completely harmonious with the Universalism of the Left, but definitely not harmonious with Lutheran doctrine, traditional Protestant doctrine, or the Bible itself.

For Lutherans to adopt the New NIV is to say, “This is what God would have said, if He knew doctrine as well as we do.” It is truly shameful and shows how low and degraded seminary and synodical leadership has become. They only follow the Word of God when it comes to tithing and they get that wrong, too.

were written aforetime were written for our learning

That means all things written, not just what we like, were written for our benefit and education in the faith. By writing them down and protecting them (divinely) from destruction, God gave us a universal measuring stick (canon) to judge all matters of faith, doctrine, and practice.

When I was asked by some Evangelicals about the Scriptures, since there are many approaches (99% of them wrong), I quoted what Nils Dahl said at Yale. He said, “There is one thing we know for certain – the text of the Bible.”

Dahl said that to bypass fascination with theories and the many speculations spun out of the dreams of various professors and doctoral students. I used to look at one journal, which was devoted to summarizing the theories of all the famous writers on any given topic (Theologische Rundschau). One article might be 100 pages in print, simply noting what each author said about something like “who wrote the Gospel of Mark?”

We live in an age where people are protective about what Uncle Fritz wrote in a paper, but not about what God wrote for us in the Bible.

Another statement should be the opinion of every Christian. I quoted that to these Evangelicals too. Luther – “If someone does not believe in the inerrancy of the Scriptures, there is nothing to discuss.”

Luther clearly taught the inerrancy and authority of the Scriptures, and his statement says more than many would admit today. The person who rejects inerrancy has already given up the real meaning of the inspiration, authority, and efficacy of the Word of God.

So, when people were discussing the purchase or study of the Apocrypha, I said, “If they do not know Galatians, why study the books not included in the canon.”

we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.

Because the Word of God is effective, studying and hearing the Word gives us patience (endurance in trials) and comfort.

What God wills is our good, and yet people run away from what is good and beneficial. They substitute all kinds of false religion and philosophies to fill up the void left by non-study and non-worship. One study will displace the other.

David Becker, a Lutheran layman, has recently observed that Mark Jeske’s so-called Time of Grace does not even confess the most basic truths of the Christian faith. That did not shock me, because I heard Jeske mouth the occult philosophy of Asians in one TV show. Someone devoted to Asian success philosophy (Paul Y. Cho) will find the Scriptures distasteful. Those who read a faithful Bible translation will find Cho disgusting and ridiculous. As one wit said, “I find Peale appalling and Paul appealing.” Norman Vincent Peale plagiarized his Power of Positive Thinking from an occult writer. Shocked? No.

Knowing God’s truth gives us hope. As I mentioned before on the Beatitudes, the last one struck me as all messed up when I was a child. Everything sounded bad, but the message stuck. When I finally realized what it meant, I could grasp what Luther meant about the “blessed holy cross” that we bear as Christians. If it is not taught, it is not understood. If people experience the cross without understanding it, they will be afraid and despairing, running back to their old, pagan ways. But when we understand the Word, patience and comfort are ours.

That does not require foreign languages or graduate study, but it does entail such things as setting aside time to worship, to listen, and to study during the week. The slight effort has great rewards, because the wisdom is God’s wisdom, not man’s.

5 Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: 6 That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.

Someone described our ecumenical age as a time when people gather because of a common set of unbeliefs – what they reject from the Scriptures.

The opposite is also true. Believing what the Word says makes us likeminded. We work together and enjoy those benefits. Grandchildren are a grandparent’s delight. People glorify God with one voice. It is a great experience, and it is God’s will that we enjoy that experience in this life and the life to come.

Graphic by Norma Boeckler

 "Again, both Jews and gentiles, in consequence of this same disordered idea, could not venture to eat of bread and meat offered to idols by unbelievers, though sold in the public market. They imagined that to eat thereof was to honor the idols and deny Christ, when in fact the act had no significance. For all kinds of food are clean, and good creatures of God, whether in the hands of heathen or Christians, whether offered to God or to the devil."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 29. Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

"The first difficulty was this: Some Jewish converts feared that deviating from former customs would be committing sin. Notwithstanding they had been taught the New Testament freedom regarding meats, days, clothing, vessels, persons, conditions, customs; that only faith renders us righteous in God's sight; and that the restrictions of the Law concerning the eating of flesh and fish, concerning holidays, places, vessels, were entirely abolished....

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 29. Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

"One consists of those weak in the faith, of whom we have already spoken. It is to this class alone Paul here refers. They are good, pious, common people, willingly doing better when they have the knowledge or power. They are not tenacious of their opinions; the trouble lies altogether in weakness of conscience and lack of faith. They are unable to extricate themselves from prevailing doctrines and customs. The other class are obstinate. Not satisfied to enjoy liberty of conduct for themselves, they must enforce it upon others, constraining them to their own practices. They claim that because certain liberty is permissible, it must be enjoined. They will not listen to real truth in the matter of Christian liberty, but strive against it."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 30. Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

"Suppose a wolf were to wound almost fatally a sheep, and you were to proceed with rage against the sheep, declaring it to be wrong in being wounded, that it should be sound, and you were violently to compel it to follow the other sheep to the pasture and to the fold, giving it no special care; would not all men declare you inconsiderate? The sheep might well say: 'Certainly it is wrong for me to be wounded, and unquestionably I ought to be sound; but direct your anger toward the inflicter of my wounds, and assist in my recovery.' So should these Romans have done and have faithfully repelled the wolf-life teachers."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 31. Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

"No one will open his eyes to the fact that mere human devices and doctrines are ensnaring souls, weakening consciences, dissipating Christian liberty and faith, and replenishing hell. Wolves! Wolves! How abominably, awfully, murderous, how harassing and destructive, are these things the world over!"

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 32. Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

"Recognizing the weak and wounded condition of the offender, Christ's doctrine comes in a friendly way, teaching the real truth about human laws--that of Christian liberty. It is patient, bearing with him who does not immediately abandon his erroneous ways, and giving him time to learn to forsake them. It allows him to do the best he can, according to what he has been used to, until he is made whole and clearly perceives the truth."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 33. Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

"Now, where Paul's Christian doctrine does not obtain, naturally each individual forgets the beam in his own eye and perceives only the mote in his neighbor's. One will not bear with the faults of the other; each requires perfection of his fellow...These puff themselves up and put on airs. Whoever is not just like them is held in disgrace, in disparagement and contempt. Only themselves are worthy of admiration...They are not aware of the secret satanical pride in the inmost recesses of their hearts, which pride is the very reason they haughtily and meanly despise their neighbors for their imperfections."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 35. Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

"Now, the Christian hatred of sin discriminates between the vices and the individual. It endeavors to exterminate only the former and to preserve the latter. It does not flee from, evade, reject nor despise anyone: rather it receives every man, takes a warm interest in him and accords him treatment calculated to relieve him of his vices. It admonishes, instructs and prays for him. It patiently bears with him."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 35f. Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

"Observe, however, what the devil has accomplished through the Papists. It was not enough for them to throw the Bible under the table, to make it so rare that few doctors of the holy Scriptures possessed a copy, much less read it; but lest it be brought to public notice they have branded it with infamy. For they blasphemously say it is obscure; we must follow the interpretations of men and not the pure Scriptures. What else is their proceeding but giving Paul the lie here where he says the Bible is our manual of instruction? They say it is obscure and calculated to mislead."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 41 Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

"Mark you, the real mission of the Scriptures is to comfort the suffering, distressed and dying. Then he who has had no experience of suffering or death cannot at all understand the comfort of the Bible...It is the province of the Word alone to comfort. It must therefore meet with patience first. It is jealous and will not permit human relief on a level with itself, which would be to frustrate the purpose of patience and suffering."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 44. Second Sunday in Advent, Romans 15:4-13.

Former Mormon missionary on FBI Most Wanted list » Anderson Independent Mail

Former Mormon missionary on FBI Most Wanted list » Anderson Independent Mail:

"A former Mormon missionary is on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list in the shooting death of an armored car guard in 2004. The FBI suspects that he could be hiding among Mormons unaware of his status.

In 2004, police allege, after a lavish life of parties and expensive cars, Jason Derek Brown shot armored-car guard Robert Keith Palomares in the head, killing him, outside a movie theater in a Phoenix suburb, then fled on a bicycle with $56,000 in cash."

'via Blog this'

Unorganized Family Time

The author of this book shares the same name (almost) with
Mrs. I's father, so we thought this was funny.

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Lasting Values":

Spending time with your children when they are younger often seems to produce interesting side benefits, as exemplified with your experience with the Atari. I had one of their game consoles, along with a Commodore Vic 20. I used to collect movies on Betamax and our oldest son does this in different way.

When growing up, this kept him out of the trouble that so many boys could get into. I had a black and white darkroom. All three of our daughters have taken an interest in either photography or art. One of them uses her creative skills in a bakery. Another works with custom clothing and the modeling of it.

Many parents would like to keep their children in organized activities. The unorganized activities at home seem to often stir the interest in children.

Mrs. LI took this photo, which is on Facebook.
We are contemplating the intricacies of Internet Protocol version 6.

***

GJ - We had a darkroom, too. A lot of kids got to make their own light pictures and see them develop in the darkroom.

We had the most fun with the Atari and video arcades. Soon the home games were better than the arcade games.

One granddaughter could dual-boot (Windows/Linux) very early and now studies Java and Mandarin in high school.

We were not keen on organized school activities. Instead, we did everything as a family and had great discussions in the car - on short trips and long trips. I enjoyed the Atari games and often destroyed LI in them, but he took advantage of youthful coordination and energy to repay me in those same games. Needless to say, I was shut out by the same strategies I discovered.

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Unorganized Family Time":

I would not want dual income families to take this the wrong way. But, so many skills used to be taught at home. The older siblings knew how to raise children. There were also babysitting opportunities in the neighborhood. With the prevalence of institutional child care, some of this is gone. Also, single parent families have halted the way that these skills have been transmitted to the next generation. Newer technologies allow the parents to encourage the children to continue to learn on their own. Formal education is important, but it is not the only way to knowledge. When family run businesses were more prevalent, children learned early many aspects of it.

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LPC has left a new comment on your post "Unorganized Family Time":

Huh? Your g daughter can do Java?

Looks like she knows more than the students I have seen so far.

I would love to have her as a student, I can probably discuss with her if she might have a theory on whether or not P = NP, i.e. polymorphic time complexity.

LOL.

LPC

From a Layman Who Only Reads Luther and the Triglotta

Hi,
Just wanted to let you know I watched the service from last Sunday and really liked the sermon, I intend to watch them each week.

The Concordia is coming great but slow, I am in the Apology article VII. and 2 Peter in the Scriptures.

It's really funny that I have found nothing that would lead me to believe this UOJ nonsense, quite the contrary it has done nothing but confirm more deeply in Justification by Faith.

Just a quick story, The organ had not been even turned on for 20 years after the organist died and when they found out my wife could play they asked her to play Christmas hymns. Well we got the organ working (it actually did not work either)!!!!!

Sunday after service they asked her to play and she played Silent Night and  there was not a dry eye.

Princess Kate Endorsement

He dood it again - source for massive post on Ambrose? Here it is, verbatim from No Call Paul:

Source  for extended entry

Yup - The Catholic Encyclopedia.

UOJ Is Not Even Christian, So Let's Not Call It "Conservative Lutheran" But a Heresy from Halle Embraced by Slow-Witted Members of SynCon Sects and Break-Offs

Here's your "conservative Lutheran UOJ" guy!
Bwa-ha-ha-ha.

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Brett Meyer and Dr. Lito Cruz Answer Simpleman":

Simpleman, I don't disagree with your assessment.

"Conservative Lutheran UOJer" is an oxymoron.

It's interesting that most UOJists correctly define the doctrine of one Justification solely by Faith in Christ Alone - they just condemn it. 

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Brett Meyer and Dr. Lito Cruz Answer Simpleman":

A. Berean, "From their (OJ/SJ) standpoint, the Law condemns all men and the Gospel says that God has forgiven all men."

Berean is correct. In fact, it's worse than that. A popular version of UOJ, which ELS Pastor David J. Webber teaches, confesses that God the Father looks at the whole world of believers and unbelievers as in Christ and forgiven all sin - and that God the Father looks at all believers and unbelievers outside of Christ and they all are under His wrath.

Pastor David J. Webber, "In Christ, as God looks at the world through Christ, all are under divine mercy and are forgiven, and are therefore invited to believe and be saved. But outside of Christ, as God looks at the world apart from Christ, all are under divine wrath and judgment, and are condemned. The same people - namely all people - are under consideration in each case."
http://extranos.blogspot.com/2010/03/grinding-my-ax.html
(Page 35 when converted to PDF)

Where in Scripture or the BOC does God say that He looks at believers in Christ as being outside of Christ and are under his wrath?

So (W)ELS excommunicates those they say commit the heresy of teaching men are justified solely by faith in Christ alone while announcing God's forgiveness on the whole unbelieving world who reject Christ and are under the Law. I believe Proverbs 17:15 speaks to this, "He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord." 

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Simpleman Jones has left a new comment on your post "UOJ Is Not Even Christian, So Let's Not Call It "...":

I would definitely not call LCMS and WELS pastors non-Christian. And I would still call them, like Buchholz, Patterson, and Lillo, conservative Lutherans.

I'm still waiting to hear from those Lutherans who teach universal objective justification concerning my assessment.

Until then, I have a question concerning the Knapp quote. I don't know anything about him, but his quote sounds like he taught the right thing, but just used the wrong phrase.

"Objective justification" is the wrong phrase.
God "proffers pardon to all through Christ" is a correct idea. For "proffers" means that He offers it to all (not that He already gave it to all)...which is atonement.

His "subjective" word then describes justification by faith.

***

GJ - I figured you were a troll, Tim Simpleman, so why not use your real name? 

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "UOJ Is Not Even Christian, So Let's Not Call It "...":

Simpleman, let's take Siegbert W. Becker's essay on Justification. If we are to place the best construction on that effort by Sig to write, proof read and then publish that essay we would say he meant every thing he said.

Now, it is clear that Sig does not believe men are forgiven solely by the Holy Spirit worked faith which God works through the Means of Grace alone. Christ's Gospel declares that men are only forgiven by faith in Christ.

It's clear also that Sig does not attribute eternal salvation to Justification. Christ's Gospel teaches that Justification is eternal salvation: justification of life.

Also clear that UOJists like Buchholz, Schroeder, Webber, Moldstad, Harrison etc believe and teach that if men are Justified solely by faith in Christ alone then faith becomes a work of man and is synergistic - which is condemned by God. Scripture teaches exactly the opposite.

Clear to is the fact that UOJ anathematizes one Justification solely by faith in Christ alone. Scripture teaches what UOJ condemns.

Every teaching of the various versions of the doctrine of UOJ contradicts Scripture and subsequently contradict the Lutheran Confessions.

What then is your thought process in which those who teach and defend UOJ to the point of excommunicating those who have faithfully taught one Justification solely by faith in Christ alone - are considered Lutheran? Even conservative Lutherans? And since Buchholz clarified just how wide the gulf is between UOJ and Justification by Faith Alone - how is it you consider him a Christian?

Interested in your explanation as I believe it's also held by the Intrepid Lutherans and others. 

Answering Simpleman

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Brett Meyer and Dr. Lito Cruz Answer Simpleman":

What's helped me in sizing up the UOJ debate is my previous studies and experience talking to (more like debating) Baptists, Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, etc. The UOJers remind me of these other groups who like to cite passages that supposedly prove their literalistic interpretation, and they think are debate enders, e.g., "...the Lamb who took away the sins of the world." The key is to realize that each side has these supposed debate ending passages, which fact blunts their force. One must look for a more convincing case to be made from the many passages that don't necessarily lend themselves to any literal interpretation, and from history.

For instance, the Baptists put up a good case until one looks at the archaeological evidence which shows that in the early church, the pools used for baptism were nowhere deep enough for immersion baptism, and the mosaics all depict baptism by pouring from a shell or pitcher. Thus, all the Baptist's arguments are just pseudo-scholarship. It is interesting to note though that Dr. Siegbert W. Becker received his doctorate from a Baptist seminary. Anyway, I find it sad that UOJers are content to quote their supposed proof passages, and are content having such a shallow theology as UOJ.

For example, the first and last book-length treatment on UOJ came from the 19th C and was by Preuss.

The doctrine of faith or the doctrine of works?

=====

Becker awarded Naumann Fellowship:
http://www.wels.net/news-events/forward-in-christ/may-1984/becker-awarded-naumann-fellowshlp

...doctorate from Northern Baptist Seminary, Chicago.

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A. Berean has left a new comment on your post "Brett Meyer and Dr. Lito Cruz Answer Simpleman":

Simpleman Jones, I encourage you to keep doing what you are doing, namely trying the spirits whether they are of God - trying them against the Scriptures (both English and Greek).

When examining this doctrine, it is of vital importance to keep in mind the proper distinction between Law and Gospel. Article V of the Formula of Concord does a wonderful job setting forth these two great doctrines of the Bible to the glory of God. One of the problems set forth by the OJ/SJ teaching is that the Law and the Gospel are contradictory. This is NOT the teaching of Holy Writ (Gal. 3:21; Rom. 3:31). From their (OJ/SJ) standpoint, the Law condemns all men and the Gospel says that God has forgiven all men. So one is under both spheres at the same time. From the scriptures, (specifically Romans and Galatians) one finds that he is either under the curse and condemnation of the Law OR under grace (Rom. 6:14; Gal. 3:10-14). From passages such as Romans 3:19-20, and 5:18a that all men by nature are under the condemnation of the law. BUT, Romans 8:1 tells us that for those who are in Christ Jesus there is no condemnation.

As I said before, Art. V of the Formula of Concord sets forth a wonderful distinction between the Law and the Gospel. If you have the opportunity, read it. The effects of this OJ/SJ teaching spread to all the doctrines of the Bible.

***

GJ - The essentials of the Book of Concord and many more resources can be found under the Ichabod masthead, but I have made it easy for Berean and others by linking and posting below.

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/05/formula-of-concord-v-law-and-gospel.html

The Formula of Concord

V. Law and Gospel

1] As the distinction between the Law and the Gospel is a special brilliant light, which serves to the end that God's Word may be rightly divided, and the Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles may be properly explained and understood, we must guard it with especial care, in order that these two doctrines may not be mingled with one another, or a law be made out of the Gospel, whereby the merit of Christ is obscured and troubled consciences are robbed of their comfort, which they otherwise have in the holy Gospel when it is preached genuinely and in its purity, and by which they can support themselves in their most grievous trials against the terrors of the Law.

2] Now, here likewise there has occurred a dissent among some theologians of the Augsburg Confession; for the one side asserted that the Gospel is properly not only a preaching of grace, but at the same time also a preaching of repentance, which rebukes the greatest sin, namely, unbelief. But the other side held and contended that the Gospel is not properly a preaching of repentance or of reproof [preaching of repentance, convicting sin], as that properly belongs to God's Law, which reproves all sins, and therefore unbelief also; but that the Gospel is properly a preaching of the grace and favor of God for Christ's sake, through which the unbelief of the converted, which previously inhered in them, and which the Law of God reproved, is pardoned and forgiven.

3] Now, when we consider this dissent aright, it has been caused chiefly by this, that the term Gospel is not always employed and understood in one and the same sense, but in two ways, in the Holy Scriptures, as also by ancient and modern church teachers. 4] For sometimes it is employed so that there is understood by it the entire doctrine of Christ, our Lord, which He proclaimed in His ministry upon earth, and commanded to be proclaimed in the New Testament, and hence comprised in it the explanation of the Law and the proclamation of the favor and grace of God, His heavenly Father, as it is written, Mark 1:1: The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And shortly afterwards the chief heads are stated: Repentance and forgiveness of sins. Thus, when Christ after His resurrection commanded the apostles to preach the Gospel in all the world, Mark 16:15, He compressed the sum of this doctrine into a few words, when He said, Luke 24:46,47: Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day; and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations. So Paul, too, calls his entire doctrine the Gospel, Acts 20:21; but he embraces the sum of this doctrine under the two heads: Repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 5] And in this sense the generalis definitio, that is, the description of the word Gospel, when employed in a wide sense and without the proper distinction between the Law and the Gospel is correct, when it is said that the Gospel is a preaching of repentance and the remission of sins. For John, Christ, and the apostles began their preaching with repentance and explained and urged not only the gracious promise of the forgiveness of sins, but also the Law of God. 6] Furthermore the term Gospel is employed in another, namely, in its proper sense, by which it comprises not the preaching of repentance, but only the preaching of the grace of God, as follows directly afterwards, Mark 1:15, where Christ says: Repent, and believe the Gospel.

7] Likewise the term repentance also is not employed in the Holy Scriptures in one and the same sense. For in some passages of Holy Scripture it is employed and taken for the entire conversion of man, as Luke 13:5: Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. And in 15:7: Likewise joy shalt be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth. 8] But in this passage, Mark 1:15, as also elsewhere, where repentance and faith in Christ, Acts 20:21, or repentance and remission of sins, Luke 24:46-47, are mentioned as distinct, to repent means nothing else than truly to acknowledge sins, to be heartily sorry for them, and to desist from them. 9] This knowledge comes from the Law, but is not sufficient for saving conversion to God, if faith in Christ be not added, whose merits the comforting preaching of the holy Gospel offers to all penitent sinners who are terrified by the preaching of the Law. For the Gospel proclaims the forgiveness of sins, not to coarse and secure hearts, but to the bruised or penitent, Luke 4:18. And lest repentance or the terrors of the Law turn into despair, the preaching of the Gospel must be added, that it may be a repentance unto salvation, 2 Cor. 7:10.

10] For since the mere preaching of the Law, without Christ, either makes presumptuous men, who imagine that they can fulfill the Law by outward works, or forces them utterly to despair, Christ takes the Law into His hands, and explains it spiritually, Matt. 5:21ff ; Rom. 7:14 and Rom 1:18, and thus reveals His wrath from heaven upon all sinners, and shows how great it is; whereby they are directed to the Law, and from it first learn to know their sins aright-a knowledge which Moses never could extort from them. For as the apostle testifies, 2 Cor. 3:14f, even though Moses is read, yet the veil which he put over his face is never lifted, so that they cannot understand the Law spiritually, and how great things it requires of us, and how severely it curses and condemns us because we cannot observe or fulfil it. Nevertheless, when it shalt turn to the Lord, the veil shalt be taken away, 2 Cor. 3:16.

11] Therefore the Spirit of Christ must not only comfort, but also through the office of the Law reprove the world of sin, John 16:8, and thus must do in the New Testament, as the prophet says, Is. 28:21, opus alienum, ut faciat opus proprium, that is, He must do the work of another (reprove), in order that He may [afterwards] do His own work, which is to comfort and preach of grace. For to this end He was earned [from the Father] and sent to us by Christ, and for this reason, too, He is called the Comforter, as Dr. Luther has explained in his exposition of the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity, in the following words:

12] Anything that preaches concerning our sins and God's wrath, let it be done how or when it will, that is all a preaching of the Law. Again, the Gospel is such a preaching as shows and gives nothing else than grace and forgiveness in Christ, although it is true and right that the apostles and preachers of the Gospel (as Christ Himself also did) confirm the preaching of the Law, and begin it with those who do not yet acknowledge their sins nor are terrified at [by the sense of] God's wrath; as He says, John 16:8: 13] "The Holy Ghost will reprove the world of sin because they believe not on Me." Yea, what more forcible, more terrible declaration and preaching of God's wrath against sin is there than just the suffering and death of Christ, His Son? But as long as all this preaches God's wrath and terrifies men, it is not yet the preaching of the Gospel nor Christ's own preaching, but that of Moses and the Law against the impenitent. For the Gospel and Christ were never ordained and given for the purpose of terrifying and condemning, but of comforting and cheering those who are terrified and timid. And again: Christ says, John 16:8: "The Holy Ghost will reprove the world of sin"; which cannot be done except through the explanation of the Law. Jena, Tom. 2, fol. 455.

14] So, too, the Smalcald Articles say: The New Testament retains and urges the office of the Law, which reveals sins and God's wrath; but to this office it immediately adds the promise of grace through the Gospel.

15] And the Apology says: To a true and salutary repentance the preaching of the Law alone is not sufficient, but the Gospel should be added thereto. Therefore the two doctrines belong together, and should also be urged by the side of each other, but in a definite order and with a proper distinction; and the Antinomians or assailants of the Law are justly condemned, who abolish the preaching of the Law from the Church, and wish sins to be reproved, and repentance and sorrow to be taught, not from the Law, but from the Gospel.

16] But in order that every one may see that in the dissent of which we are treating we conceal nothing, but present the matter to the eyes of the Christian reader plainly and clearly:

17] Therefore [we shall set forth our meaning:] we unanimously believe, teach, and confess that the Law is properly a divine doctrine, in which the righteous, immutable will of God is revealed, what is to be the quality of man in his nature, thoughts, words, and works, in order that he may be pleasing and acceptable to God; and it threatens its transgressors with God's wrath and temporal and eternal punishments. For as Luther writes against the law-stormers [Antinomians]: Everything that reproves sin is and belongs to the Law, whose peculiar office it is to reprove sin and to lead to the knowledge of sins, Rom. 3:20,7:7; and as unbelief is the root and well-spring of all reprehensible sins [all sins that must be censured and reproved], the Law reproves unbelief also.

18] However, this is true likewise that the Law with its doctrine is illustrated and explained by the Gospel; and nevertheless it remains the peculiar office of the Law to reprove sins and teach concerning good works.

19] Thus, the Law reproves unbelief, [namely,] when men do not believe the Word of God. Now, since the Gospel, which alone properly teaches and commands to believe in Christ, is God's Word, the Holy Ghost, through the office of the Law, also reproves unbelief, that men do not believe in Christ, although it is properly the Gospel alone which teaches concerning saving faith in Christ.

20] However, now that man has not kept the Law of God, but transgressed it, his corrupt nature, thoughts, words, and works fighting against it, for which reason he is under God's wrath, death, all temporal calamities, and the punishment of hell-fire, the Gospel is properly a doctrine which teaches what man should believe, that he may obtain forgiveness of sins with God, namely, that the Son of God, our Lord Christ, has taken upon Himself and borne the curse of the Law, has expiated and paid for all our sins, through whom alone we again enter into favor with God, obtain forgiveness of sins by faith, are delivered from death and all the punishments of sins, and eternally saved.

21] For everything that comforts, that offers the favor and grace of God to transgressors of the Law, is, and is properly called, the Gospel, a good and joyful message that God will not punish sins, but forgive them for Christ's sake.

22] Therefore every penitent sinner ought to believe, that is, place his confidence in the Lord Christ alone, that He was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification, Rom. 4:25, that He was made sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him, 2 Cor. 5:21, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption, 1 Cor. 1:30, whose obedience is counted to us for righteousness before God's strict tribunal, so that the Law, as above set forth, is a ministration that kills through the letter and preaches condemnation, 2 Cor. 3:7, but the Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, Rom. 1:16, that preaches righteousness and gives the Spirit, 1 Cor. 1:18; Gal. 3:2. As Dr. Luther has urged this distinction with especial diligence in nearly all his writings, and has properly shown that the knowledge of God derived from the Gospel is far different from that which is taught and learned from the Law, because even the heathen to a certain extent had a knowledge of God from the natural law, although they neither knew Him aright nor glorified Him aright, Rom. 1:20f.

23] From the beginning of the world these two proclamations [kinds of doctrines] have been ever and ever inculcated alongside of each other in the Church of God, with a proper distinction. For the descendants of the venerated patriarchs, as also the patriarchs themselves, not only called to mind constantly how in the beginning man had been created righteous and holy by God, and through the fraud of the Serpent had transgressed God's command, had become a sinner, and had corrupted and precipitated himself with all his posterity into death and eternal condemnation, but also encouraged and comforted themselves again by the preaching concerning the Seed of the Woman, who would bruise the Serpent's head, Gen. 3:15; likewise, concerning the Seed of Abraham, in whom all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, Gen. 22:18; likewise, concerning David's Son, who should restore again the kingdom of Israel and be a light to the heathen, Ps. 110:1; Is. 49:6; Luke 2:32, who was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities, by whose stripes we are healed, Is. 53:5.

24] These two doctrines, we believe and confess, should ever and ever be diligently inculcated in the Church of God even to the end of the world, although with the proper distinction of which we have heard, in order that, through the preaching of the Law and its threats in the ministry of the New Testament the hearts of impenitent men may be terrified, and brought to a knowledge of their sins and to repentance; but not in such a way that they lose heart and despair in this process, but that (since the Law is a schoolmaster unto Christ that we might be justified by faith, Gal. 3:24, and thus points and leads us not from Christ, but to Christ, who is the end of the Law, Rom. 10:4) 25] they be comforted and strengthened again by the preaching of the holy Gospel concerning Christ, our Lord, namely, that to those who believe the Gospel, God forgives all their sins through Christ, adopts them as children for His sake, and out of pure grace, without any merit on their part, justifies and saves them, however, not in such a way that they may abuse the grace of God, 26] and sin hoping for grace, as Paul, 2 Cor. 3:7ff , thoroughly and forcibly shows the distinction between the Law and the Gospel.

27] Now, in order that both doctrines, that of the Law and that of the Gospel, be not mingled and confounded with one another, and what belongs to the one may not be ascribed to the other, whereby the merit and benefits of Christ are easily obscured and the Gospel is again turned into a doctrine of the Law, as has occurred in the Papacy, and thus Christians are deprived of the true comfort which they have in the Gospel against the terrors of the Law, and the door is again opened in the Church of God to the Papacy, therefore the true and proper distinction between the Law and the Gospel must with all diligence be inculcated and preserved, and whatever gives occasion for confusion inter legem et evangelium (between the Law and the Gospel), that is, whereby the two doctrines, Law and Gospel, may be confounded and mingled into one doctrine, should be diligently prevented. It is, therefore, dangerous and wrong to convert the Gospel, properly so called, as distinguished from the Law, into a preaching of repentance or reproof [a preaching of repentance, reproving sin]. For otherwise, if understood in a general sense of the entire doctrine, also the Apology says several times that the Gospel is a preaching of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. Meanwhile, however, the Apology also shows that the Gospel is properly the promise of the forgiveness of sins and of justification through Christ, but that the Law is a doctrine which reproves sins and condemns.