ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Our Little $1.2 Billion Art Museum Is Featured on NBC News
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| Crystal Bridges stretches across the Crystal Creek, where the Walton children used to play. |
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| Alice Walton took time to chat with Mrs. Ichabod and thank her for volunteering. We often see Alice at her favorite place. |
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| The photo-op with Alice turned into a family shoot a few minutes later. |
I recall an anonymous blog from Fox Valley WELS, calling our area "Podunk-land."
WELS staff only make the news for felony arrests.
Reformation Sunday, 2013.
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| John Huss stood up against the papacy and was executed. The Lutherans were accused of being Hussites, threatened with death. |
The Festival of the
Reformation, 2013
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10
AM Central Time
The Hymn #260 O Lord Look Down 1.4
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
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
The
Gospel
Glory be to
Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon
Hymn # 262 A Mighty Fortress 1:86
Matthew’s Strange Statement
The Communion
Hymn #259 Flung to the Heedless Winds 1.64
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 # 261 Lord Keep Us Steadfast 1.93
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 # 261 Lord Keep Us Steadfast 1.93
KJV Revelation 14:6 And I
saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to
preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and
tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to
him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven,
and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
KJV Matthew 11:12 And from
the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law
prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias,
which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Collect
O almighty, eternal God: We
confess that we are poor sinners and cannot answer one of a thousand, when Thou
contendest with us; but with all our hearts we thank Thee, that Thou hast taken
all our guilt from us and laid it upon Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and made Him
to atone for it: We pray Thee graciously to sustain us in faith, and so to
govern us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may live according to Thy will, in
neighborly love, service, and helpfulness, and not give way to wrath or
revenge, that we may not incur Thy wrath, but always find in Thee a gracious
Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and
the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
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| Martin Luther - sepia tone by Norma Boeckler. |
Matthew’s Strange Statement
KJV Matthew 11:12 And
from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent take it by force. 13 For all the prophets and the law
prophesied until John. 14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias,
which was for to come. 15 He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
Lenski:
In substance it is quite the same whether we say, the
kingdom itself “comes forward powerfully” or “is brought forward powerfully” by
John and by Jesus. This statement obviously characterizes the years “from the
days of John the Baptist until now,” from the day when John began to baptize
until now when Jesus was in the full swing of his work. Of course, “until now”
does not imply that this urging of the kingdom on men ceases at this moment;
the matter goes on. We have no reason to make the enemies of the kingdom the
agents of βιάζεται biazetai (when it is regarded as a passive) and to refer the verb to their violence
against it, letting the second clause express the same thought. The trend of
the entire discourse deals, not with violence against the kingdom, but with the
indifference and the dissatisfaction that hinder men from entering it with
zest.
Lenski, R. C. H.: The
Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel. Minneapolis, MN. : Augsburg
Publishing House, 1961, S. 437.
This is one of the strangest
verses in the Bible, and I have tended to skip over it. However, Lenski has a
good statement about it.
Jesus spoke these words and
they were considered important enough to be included in the primary Gospel of
the four. Matthew’s Gospel is dominant, treated as the one best known and most
often used. Since the Gospels are really quite small in size, a verse or two
means a lot.
Many more things could have
been described and quoted, so the inspiration of the Holy Spirit moved Matthew
to record this saying.
Jesus was commending the
work of John the Baptist and connecting it with His own. God’s plan was to use
special men to create His Kingdom. Moses and the prophets were men of action,
leaders who forced things to happen with God’s Word.
Moses was a preacher of
righteousness – a Gospel teacher.
The prophets warned and
comforted the people with God’s Word, always holding up the importance of faith
in the coming Messiah, the Savior.
Although the prophets seemed
to be failures in being hated and persecuted, even killed, they were part of
creating the Kingdom by the force of God’s Word.
John the Baptist was the
last great Old Testament prophet, in that sense, fulfilling Isaiah 40 and
ushering in the public ministry of Christ. For those favors he was beheaded.
Lenski translates the
difficult passage as –
Now from the days of John the Baptist until now the
kingdom of the heavens presses forward forcefully, and forceful people snatch
it.
They are forceful people
because they use the Word of God. They did not soften the effect by diluting it
with man’s wisdom, seeking popularity and acceptance. In each and every case of
persecution and death, the opponents said, “Now we fixed him. He is silent. He can
trouble us no more.”
But just the opposite was
true. The death of these men piled up sins against their persecutors and spread
the Word of God.
The crucifixion of Jesus did
not end His ministry, but began His world-wide mission, led by the Holy Spirit
and expanded among the apostles.
God’s plan is forceful
rather than passive. Unlikely people study and employ His Word. The divine
power of the Word necessarily causes God-ordained things to happen.
Reformation
The Reformation had so much
power because of two factors. One was the suppression of the Gospel for
centuries, so people felt the power of sin but not the comfort of God’s grace.
That was denied to the people and clergy, and the way of salvation was seldom
taught.
The second factor was the
printing press, which was new in the West. The hunger for the Gospel combined
with the instrument to spread that Word was simply explosive. For centuries
after the leading best-sellers were Bibles or books about the Christian faith.
Many want to concentrate on
the personalities of the Reformation and the history, but the real meaning of
the Reformation was the new emphasis upon justification by faith, which is
easily lost – due to man’s weakness for false doctrine.
Fundamental Problems
Someone was talking about
conservative Protestants recently. He said, in so many words, “They treat the
Holy Spirit as writing the Bible and convicting people of sin. In comparison,
the Pentecostals emphasize the fruits of the Spirit.”
The context clearly
suggested that sin was limited to the carnal sins. Therefore preaching the Holy
Spirit is to them the hammer of the Law and nothing more. Repentance is sorrow
for those carnal sins and promises to stop. A fundamental sermon could
therefore have no Gospel at all in it, and that makes people associate church
with guilt, lack of forgiveness, and a constant urging to make up, through
works, for sins committed.
The Pentecostals do not
emphasize the complete work of the Holy Spirit, in spite of their claims, but
neither do many of the Lutherans, who should know better.
Holy Spirit and the Word
Many spread erroneous
notions about the Reformation, such as Luther’s emphasis upon the Scriptures.
The Scriptures were not disputed until later, when the papal forces began
losing debates based upon the Word. Then they invoked the necessity of the
pope’s judgment. And no one taught the Bible was full of errors and
contradictions until the 18th century.
Luther’s most basic
teachings were the same throughout his career, which made it so inflammatory
among the false teachers:
- The Word of God is always efficacious, and
accomplishes exactly what it promises, without regard to man’s
understanding or logic.
- The Holy Spirit’s work of convicting us of sin
is the sin of not trusting Christ completely – “not believing on Me.” John
16:8. That is a far cry from convicting of the sins of gambling, drinking,
and running loose. Only one can be first and foremost. Since the
foundation sin is supposedly carnal, the antidote is bound to be works to
make for the sin. Thus Protestant Pietism tends to duplicate Catholic
piety, works paying for sins.
- Teaching the truth also involves showing what is
wrong with false doctrine.
Luther
would have been tolerated as a Gospel teacher, but he was not welcome to
identify the pope’s dogma with error.
Power of the Reformation
– The Word of Forgiveness
We had the privilege of
watching the old Luther film for a Reformation gathering. The 1953 movie, which
can be viewed on any computer for $2 from Amazon, is quite eloquent in
showing how Luther and a few others were powerless against the Catholic emperor
and the pope, yet the Reformation took over Europe with the power of the Word
alone.
People felt this power
because they did not even have access to the Gospel Word in the Middle Ages.
Books were hand-copied and chained to the walls at libraries.
A man who owned some books
had a great fortune, an estate. Melanchthon, who dearly loved books, was denied
his uncle’s collection because Philip remained faithful to the Evangelical
Lutheran cause.
Many people like to pile on
Melanchthon for not being another Luther, for being too eager to please, but
Melanchthon never left the Lutheran Reformation and gave us two superb
confessions – the Augsburg Confession and the Apology of the Augsburg
Confession. Luther praised Philip’s work. He and the Concord editors called
themselves “theologians of the Augsburg Confession.”
The Augsburg Confession and
the Apology are beautiful expression of justification by faith alone. If anyone
is confused about the issues, a reading of the articles on justification in
both confessions will easily end any confusion or doubts.
This is so important because
then, as now, people were lost and bewildered about the forgiveness of sins.
Medicine for the soul is even more important than traditional medicine. If the
wrong remedy is applied, or the right one is shunned, great harm, even eternal
harm can be done to the individual.
Besides that, religion is
the backbone of society. If a society is infected with the wrong religion, bad
results will follow. Likewise, education, the arts, freedom, and commerce
flourish when people follow sound doctrine, a healthy Christianity instead of a
toxic one.
Luther has a simple formula,
easy to remember – believing in Him is forgiveness, not believing in Him means
no forgiveness. This removes merit and works, because faith can only come from
the power of the Gospel.
The Means of Grace are the
instruments by which Jesus our Savior comes to us, in both natures. This is a
personal encounter, made more powerful by the many ways He arrives – in
preaching and teaching, in Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, in absolution, and
in the mutual consolation of fellow believers.
Jesus comes to us and
changes us by His presence. He abolishes sin so that the fruits of the Spirit
may grow abundantly in our lives.
I have watched many versions
of Luther’s story and the Reformation. The 1953 got it exactly right. Luther
surrendered himself completely to the Word of God. When Zwingli wanted him to
compromise about Holy Communion, he could not.
When the emperor and others
wanted him to compromise about the Gospel, he could not.
He saw life as a very short
time of trouble, bearing the cross in teaching the Word.
From Thy
Strong Word
J-801
"Thus we see what a very
splendid thing Baptism is.
It snatches us from the jaws of the devil, makes us God's own, restrains and
removes sin, and then daily strengthens the new man within us. It is and
remains ever efficacious until we pass from this state of misery to eternal
glory. For this reason everyone should consider his Baptism as his daily dress,
to be worn constantly. Every day he should be found in the faith and its fruits,
suppressing the old man, and growing up in the new; for if we want to be
Christians, we must practice the work whereby we are Christians. But if anyone
falls from baptismal grace, let him return to it. For as Christ, the Mercy
Seat, does not withdraw from us or forbid us to come to Him again even though
we sin, so all His treasures and gifts also remain with us."
What Luther
Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 61. Article on Baptism, 1529.
The Visible
Word
J-802
"If we call Sacraments rites
which have the command of God, and to which the promise of grace has been added,
it is easy to decide what are properly Sacraments. For rites instituted by men
will not in this way be Sacraments properly so called. For it does not belong
to human authority to promise grace. Therefore signs instituted without God’s
command are not sure signs of grace, even though they perhaps instruct the rude
[children or the uncultivated], or admonish as to something [as a painted
cross]. Therefore Baptism,
the Lord's Supper, and Absolution, which is the Sacrament of
Repentance, are truly Sacraments. For these rites have God's command and the
promise of grace, which is peculiar to the New Testament. For when we are
baptized, when we eat the Lord's body, when we are absolved, our hearts must be
firmly assured that God truly forgives us for Christ's sake. And God, at the
same time, by the Word and by the rite, moves hearts to believe and conceive
faith, just as Paul says, Romans 10:17: 'Faith cometh by hearing.' But
just as the Word enters the ear in order to strike our heart, so the rite
itself strikes the eye, in order to move the heart. The effect of the Word and
of the rite is the same, as it has been well said by Augustine that
a Sacrament is a visible word, because the rite is received by the eyes,
and is, as it were, a picture of the Word, signifying the same thing as the
Word. Therefore the effect of both is the same."
Apology of the
Augsburg Confession, XIII, #3-5. Number/Use Sacraments. Concordia Triglotta,
St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 309. Tappert, p. 211. Heiser,
p. 94.
The term Sacrament
is not directly from the Scriptures but expresses what the Bible teaches.422 In this area especially, one must not only ask about the terms
used, but also determine what an individual means by those terms. Many
expressions overlap. Those who do not accept the Biblical meaning of the
Sacraments will still use the term while calling the Sacrament only symbolic.
One can find this use among Presbyterians and Methodists as well. The
Methodists claim to teach the Real Presence of Christ in Holy Communion,
but their official doctrinal statement limits the presence to a spiritual
presence. Lutherans may rarely use the favorite Reformed term, ordinance,
instead of Sacrament. Lutherans may also write about the Sacraments being
symbolic, without suggesting that they are only symbolic. Thus the secret
bedfellows of the Reformed have a certain amount of confusion aiding them in
their nefarious attempts to create a pan-Protestant generic faith marked by the
absence of creeds, liturgy, and the Means of Grace.
J-803
"Although the Church
properly is the congregation of saints and true believers, nevertheless, since
in this life many hypocrites and evil persons are mingled therewith, it is
lawful to use Sacraments administered by evil men, according to the saying of
Christ: 'The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat, etc.' Matthew 23:2.
Both the Sacraments and Word are effectual by reason of the institution and
commandment of Christ, notwithstanding they be administered by evil men."
Augsburg
Confession, VIII. What the Church Is, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 47. Tappert, p. 33. Heiser, p. 13.
We live in an
era where Lutheran leaders believe they can slither around the topic of false
doctrine by teaching Lutheran doctrine while embracing Reformed methods. Thus
WELS District President Robert Mueller published a fine statement against the
Church Growth Movement while promoting Church Growth fervently within his
district. Likewise, CLC President Dan Fleischer wrote an equally eloquent
statement against the Church Growth Movement but also fanned the flames of
Reformed doctrine within his tiny fiefdom. The Evangelical Lutheran Synod has
prided itself on its opposition to the Church Growth Movement, but President
George Orvick has always supported the error, sometimes with calculating
silence, often with loud hurrahs for the false teachers of WELS.423 The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, under the conservative
leadership of Al Barry, Paul McCain, and Herman Otten, has harbored in its
bosom hundreds of Pentecostal ministers, not to mention congregations belonging
to another denomination, the Willow Creek Association.424
J-804
"You cannot of a truth be for true doctrine
without being unalterably opposed to false doctrine. There can be no 'positive
theology' where the God-given negatives have been eliminated from the
Decalog."
Norman A. Madson, Preaching to Preachers, Mankato: Lutheran Synod Book
Company, 1952. Preface.
Being for the
Means of Grace must also include opposing any system of thought replacing or
supplanting the doctrine revealed to us in the Scriptures and confessed in the
Book of Concord. Lutherans use the expression “Means of Grace” to show that
forgiveness of sin comes to us only through the invisible Word of preaching,
teaching, and absolution or the visible Word of
Baptism and
Holy Communion.
The Reformed do not downplay the Means of Grace. They utterly reject the
Means of Grace, as all junior seminarians know.425
J-805
"But just as the Word of God is the means of
Grace, it is also the means of judgment. 'He that rejected Me,' says Christ,
John 12:48, 'and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word
that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the Last Day.'"
Eduard Preuss,
"The Means of Grace," The Justification of the Sinner before God,
trans., Julius A. Friedrich, Chicago: F. Allerman, 1934, p. 63.
We owe our
confirmation youth the knowledge of the Means of Grace in an era where so much
confusion abounds concerning how we are forgiven of our sins by God. Lutherans
are not Protestants who happen to use the liturgy and creeds. Cults have their
greatest success with youth who have been poorly trained in their own faith,
whether it is Judaism or Christianity. The loss of confessionalism quickly
turns into apathy toward the Bible and a vague sense of righteousness based
upon good works. This leaves youth with no sense of God-given purpose, no place
to turn for genuine forgiveness, and no foundation for discerning between truth
and falsehood, good and evil. The mainline churches set up their youth for cult
membership by teaching tolerance for everything except confessionalism.
J-806
"To you, I must thank
especially. You made me realize that there is so much in the Bible that is yet
to be discovered. You definitely made confirmation fun and sweet! I have
learned so much from you and I hope that I never forget it. I want you to know
that without your teaching, I would not know the Means of Grace. Thank you so
much, again."
Katie Schmidt,
(newly confirmed), Church of the Lutheran Confession. Letter to Gregory L.
Jackson, 5-29-96.
J-807
"The Holy Spirit works
through the Word and the Sacraments, which only, in the proper sense, are means
of grace.
Both the Word and the Sacraments bring a positive grace, which is offered to
all who receive them outwardly, and which is actually imparted to all who have
faith to embrace it."
Charles P.
Krauth, The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology, Philadelphia: The
United Lutheran Publication House, 1871, p. 127.
J-808
"The Lutheran Church Faces
the World by clinging to the Means of Grace. The doctrine of the means of grace is
truly a most timely subject. For just in these last times, according to divine
revelation, there will be at work many spiritual brigands who will perpetrate
the grossest kind of deception."
Edwin E.
Pieplow, "The Means of Grace," The Abiding Word, 3 vols., ed.,
Theodore Laetsch, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1946, II, p. 322.
J-809
"For the joy
Thine advent gave me,
For Thy holy,
precious Word;
For Thy Baptism,
which doth save me,
For Thy blest
Communion board;
For Thy death, the
bitter scorn,
For Thy resurrection
morn, Lord,
I thank Thee and extol
Thee,
And in heaven I shall
behold Thee."
Thomas Kingo, "Like the
Golden Sun Ascending," #207, The Lutheran Hymnal, trans., George T.
Rygh, 1908 St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941.
J-810
"For this reason we shall
now relate, furthermore, from God’s Word how man is converted to God, how and
through what means [namely, through the oral Word and the holy Sacraments] the
Holy Ghost wants to be efficacious in us, and to work and bestow in our hearts
true repentance, faith, and new spiritual power and ability for good, and how
we should conduct ourselves towards these means, and [how we should] use
them."
Formula of
Concord, SD II. #48. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 901. Tappert, p. 530. Heiser, p. 246.
J-811
"Therefore God, out of His immense goodness and
mercy, has His divine eternal Law and His wonderful plan concerning our
redemption, namely, the holy, alone-saving Gospel of His eternal Son, our only
Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, publicly preached; and by this [preaching]
collects an eternal Church for Himself from the human race, and works in the
hearts of men true repentance and knowledge of sins, and true faith in the Son
of God, Jesus Christ. And by this means, and in no other way, namely, through
His holy Word, when men hear it preached or read it, and the holy Sacraments
when they are used according to His Word, God desires to call men to eternal
salvation, draw them to Himself, and convert, regenerate, and sanctify them. 1
Corinthians 1:21: 'For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew
not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that
believe.' Acts 10:5-6..."
Formula of
Concord SD II. #50. Free Will. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1921, p. 901. Tappert, p. 530f. Heiser, p. 246.
J-812
"Moreover, the declaration,
John 6:44, that no one can come to Christ except the Father draw him, is right
and true. However, the Father will not do this without means, but has ordained
for this purpose His Word and Sacraments as ordinary means and instruments; and
it is the will neither of the Father nor of the Son that a man should not hear
or should despise the preaching of His Word, and wait for the drawing of the
Father without the Word and Sacraments. For the Father draws indeed by the
power of His Holy Ghost, however, according to His usual order [the order
decreed and instituted by Himself], by the hearing of His holy, divine Word, as
with a net, by which the elect are plucked from the jaws of the devil. Every
poor sinner should therefore repair thereto [to holy preaching], hear it
attentively, and not doubt the drawing of the Father. For the Holy Ghost will
be with His Word in His power, and work by it..."
Formula of
Concord, SD XI. #76-77. Election. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1089. Tappert, p. 629. Heiser, p. 293.
John 6:44.
J-813
"In the Acts of the Apostles also we read how
again and again the Spirit was given through and in connection with the Word.
The Apostles depended on nothing but Word and Sacrament."
G. H.
Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia:
Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 136.
J-814
"The same divine Saviour now
works through means. He has founded a Church, ordained a ministry, and
instituted the preaching of the Word and the administration of His own
Sacraments. Christ now works in and through His Church. Through her ministry,
preaching the Word, and administering the Sacraments, the Holy Spirit is given.
(Augsburg Confession, Article 5.)
G. H.
Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia:
Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 30.
J-815
"But in extraordinary cases, does He not dispense
with means? Even there, means are employed; but in an extraordinary way. At
Pentecost the multitudes were converted through the Word, although this Word
was given under extraordinary conditions and circumstances, just as the
multitudes in the wilderness were sustained not without bread, but with bread
furnished in an extraordinary manner."
Henry Eyster
Jacobs, A Summary of the Christian Faith, Philadelphia: General Council
Publication House, 1913, p. 266.
J-816
"When the efficacy of Word
and Sacraments encounters man's unbelief and persistent resistance, their
efficacy is not destroyed; but it is transformed from an efficacy of grace to
one of judgment (2 Corinthians 2:16; 1 Corinthians 11:29)."
Henry Eyster
Jacobs, A Summary of the Christian Faith, Philadelphia: General Council
Publication House, 1913, p. 320.
J-817
"If the question is put,
'Why did God ordain so many means of grace when
one suffices to confer upon the sinner His grace and forgiveness?' we quote the
reply of Luther who writes (Smalcald Articles, IV: 'The Gospel not merely in
one way gives us counsel and aid against sin, for God is superabundantly rich
in His grace. First through the spoken Word, by which the forgiveness of sins
is preached in the whole world, which is the peculiar office of the Gospel.
Secondly through Baptism.
Thirdly through the holy Sacrament of the Altar. Fourthly through the power of
the keys and also through the mutual conversation and consolation of brethren,
Matthew 18:20.'"
John Theodore
Mueller, Christian Dogmatics, A Handbook of Doctrinal Theology, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 447. SA, IV, Concordia Triglotta,
p. 491.
J-818
"For we can definitely
assert that where the Lord's Supper, Baptism,
and the Word are found, Christ, the remission of sins, and life eternal are
found. On the other hand, where these signs of grace are not found, or where
they are despised by men, not only grace is lacking but also foul errors will
follow. Then men will set up other forms of worship and other signs for
themselves."
What Luther
Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 914. Genesis 4:3.
J-819
"From this it follows that
they act foolishly, yea, against God's order and institution, who despise and
reject the external Word, thinking that the Holy Spirit and faith should come
to them without means. It will indeed be a long time before that happens."
What Luther
Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 915.
J-820
"Give us Thy
Spirit, peace afford
Now and forever,
gracious Lord.
Preserve to us till
life is spent
Thy holy Word and
Sacrament."
Nikolaus Selnecker, "O
Faithful God, Thanks Be to Thee," #321, The Lutheran Hymnal, St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941.
J-821
"Since it is God's gracious purpose to remove
every hindrance to conversion by the means of grace, and it is still possible for a man at every point to
continue in his opposition to God, a man is never without responsibility over
towards the grace of God, although he may mock and say that, since God is the
one who does everything for our salvation, then a man has no responsibility
himself, as we see in Romans 9:19. Cf. Theses 17 and 18."
U. V. Koren,
1884, "An Accounting," Grace for Grace: Brief History of the
Norwegian Synod, ed., Sigurd C. Ylvisaker, Mankato: Lutheran Synod Book
Company, 1943, Romans 9:19.
Martin Luther Movie - Thrivent - Or Live-Stream the Classic Luther Film
This is not my favorite, but some people want to review the Reformation - and this is handy.
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The "original" one - the great one - can be rented from Amazon for live-streaming.
http://www.amazon.com/Martin-Luther-Niall-MacGinnis/dp/B002JAHW8M
 Martin Luther(47 customer reviews) |
The dramatic black and white classic film of Martin Luther's life made in the 1950s.
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http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=940DE5DA1339E23BBC4852DFBF668388649EDE
Martin Luther (1953)
THE SCREEN: TWO FILMS MAKE DEBUT; Niall MacGinnis Is Starred in the Presentation of 'Martin Luther' at Guild Theatre Ernest Gann's 'Island in the Sky' Bows at the Paramount -- John Wayne Takes Lead
A tough and unusual subject has been squarely and intelligently embraced in the film called "Martin Luther," which opened at the Guild yesterday. This subject is the classic intellectual and theological clash of the great sixteenth century German preacher with the Holy Roman Church. That clash was pitched on a level of high scholarship, to be sure, and the devious intellectual detail of it has been patiently laid down in this film. But the tensions of personal drama involved in the spiritual change that came over Martin Luther are indicated in it, too. The result is a brilliant demonstration of strongly disciplined emotions and intellects.
In any responsible handling of a subject such as this, there must be a great deal of discourse, which is perilous to the playing of a film. And diso??? there is, be???nd question, in his fully responsible job. Martin Luther was a thinker and a talker and then a writer, too, and the product of his mental activity was the gunpowder of his career.
Studious Dramatization
And so, in this studious dramatization of a decisive episode in human history, which has been produced by Louis de Rochemont Associates under the particular supervision of Lothar Wolff — and in cooperation, be it added, with the Lutheran Church Productions, Inc. — an actor who plays Martin Luther, Niall MacGinnis, begins talking almost at the start and either he or someone else is talking, virtually all the time, right to the end.
There are Luther's supposed conversations, first with his law student friends and then with the vicar of the holy order into which he enters in search of peace for his soul. There is his historic disputation at Leipzig with Dr. John Eck, out of which he is branded a heretic for challenging the sale of indulgences by the Roman Church. And finally, there is his bold appearance before Charles V at the Diet of Worms, at which time he refused to recant his doctrine of the individuality of man's faith and thundered his famous defiance, "Here I stand. I can do no other."
A Splendid Performance
Talk there is—plenty of it—but it is such clear and cogent talk, reflecting the fundamental conflicts of the churchmen and statesmen of the times, and it is done with such forceful delivery and in such well-staged and well-assembled scenes that it commands intelligent attention and stimulates the mind. And, in doing this, it develops a sense of passion and power.
Certain famous and memorable stories of Martin Luther's career are conspicuous by their absence from this picture — such as the story that Luther's questioning was inspired by his shock and grief when his best friend was killed in an electrical storm, or the story of his flinging an inkwell at the devil. There is little evidence, too, of the social and economic conflicts that were raging in Germany in Luther's time and which made the Reformation movement virtually inevitable. The history of Luther's challenge is here told in personal terms.
Thanks to a splendid performance by Mr. MacGinnis, under the direction of Irving Pichel, a man of strong will and ardent nature is portrayed in the title role. This Martin Luther is a titan, full of courage and integrity. And he is set off by men of equal fibre, as revealed in supporting roles. John Ruddock is personally temperate but intellectually severe as the Vicar von Staupitz, and Philip Leaver is sharp and cynical as Pope Leo X. Pierre Lefevre as Luther's good friend, Spalatin; David Horne as Duke Frederick of Saxony, Guy Verney as Melanchton and many others are fine and credible.
The settings and production, too, are excellent. The picture was filmed entirely in various parts of Western Germany and in the Weisbaden studios. As a fair and dignified re-enactment of history, it could hardly be surpassed. As an impress of personal drama, it applies powerful pressure to the mind.
MARTIN LUTHER, screen play by Allan Sloane and Lothar Wolff; directed by Irving Pichel. Produced by Lothar Wolff for Louis de Rochemont Associates in conjunction with Lutheran Church Productions and Luther-Film-Gesellschaft M. B. H. Released by Louis de Rochemont Associates. At the Guild Theatre.
Martin Luther . . . . . Niall MacGinnis
Vicar von Staupitz . . . . . John Ruddock
Spalatin . . . . . Pierre Lefevre
Melanchthon . . . . . Guy Verney
Carlstadt . . . . . Alastair Hunter
Duke Frederick, Elector of Saxony . . . . . David Horne
Prior . . . . . Fred Johnson
Pope Leo X . . . . . Philip Leaver
Cardinal Aleander, Special Emissary of Pope Leo X . . . . . Dr. Egon Strohm
Tetzel . . . . . Alexander Gauge
Brueck . . . . . Irving Pichel
Emissary . . . . . Leonard White
Charles V. Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire . . . . . Hans Lefebre
Katherine von Bora . . . . . Annette Carrell
ELDONA Justification by Faith Theses: 20-22.
Objective Justification - Not Recorded in Scripture, But Promoted by Huber and Pieper
Thesis 20
As asserted earlier, Thesis 19 says and gives everything that “Objective Justification” would attempt to say and give, but without changing God or putting words into His mouth. It holds forth not a preexisting forensic declaration (which is not recorded in Scripture) about the world being without sin, but simply the merit of Christ (and the assurance of the sinner’s righteousness thereby) that is the proper object of faith, as is clear from the early Lutheran exegetes and dogmaticians.26
Thesis 21
Regarding the proper object of faith: ought it be a pre-existing declaration/judicial pronouncement of
forgiveness (without words) or the acquisition of a judicial pronouncement of forgiveness? The latter has much testimony among our theologians prior to 1850, while the former is asserted with such vehemence by, e.g., Pieper,27 that it is said that the Gospel is gone altogether if such an assertion is not made. Such an assertion about this formulation that seems unknown (other than as something to be condemned as a part of Huber’s error) prior to the mid-19th century,28 is not only ridiculous on its face, but injurious to the Church, as it disparages the orthodox Lutheran fathers and leads to parochialism and disrespect for older Lutheran writings that is so prevalent today.29
Thesis 22
Regarding the proper object of faith: ought it be a pre-existing declaration/judicial pronouncement of
forgiveness (without any recording of God making such a pronouncement) or change in the heart of the immutable God without His saying that His heart has changed, or the acquisition of a judicial pronouncement of forgiveness and a new venue (Christ, the Mercy Seat) through which such a declaration may be received? In either case, there is an already made ‘thing’ to be communicated and trusted in; the difference is that the first two do not have specific testimony from Scripture to such an effect, while the later does.30
26 We commend to the reader the Rev. Paul Rydecki’s “The Forensic Appeal to the Throne of Grace,” especially to the quotes which appear in each appendix to that essay (as well as in its body). Unlike the snippets generally adduced by those who wish eisegetically to find the Lutheran fathers as supporters of “Objective Justification,” Pastor Rydecki translates the context
around such quotes, as well, and thereby demonstrates that those who would thus push the fathers into their service do so unfairly. The paper is available at http://tinyurl.com/n28ndt6
27 Christian Dogmatics, II:349–351
28 See the second footnote to Thesis 24.
29 If an appeal were made to Luther’s comments in his lectures on Galatians (AE, Vol. 26, p. 280), that in Christ’s death the world was set free from sin without reference to faith, one must also concede that there is no longer any death, as “death is conquered and abolished in the whole world so that now it is nothing but a picture of death,” except that Luther makes his intent clear when he says (p. 285), “I believe in the holy church.” This is plainly nothing else than if we were to say, ‘I believe that there is no sin and no death in the church.’” So, also, (p. 286) “Therefore, wherever there is faith in Christ, there sin has in fact been abolished, put to death, and buried. But where there is no faith in Christ, there sin remains.”
30 Cf. Hebrews 9:5 and Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2, etc.
Thus far the Theses.
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GJ - Thesis 20 strikes me as much clearer than 19; it is the turning point for the entire matter of justification.
The term forensic is used often among Lutherans, using the language of the legal system - the declaration of innocence. Objective Justification falsely declares that God has declared the entire world free of sin and guilt, absolved and saved (with some minor variations in language).
Luther, the Book of Concord, and the immediate post-Concord age of orthodox theologians agree with St. Paul - this declaration is individual rather than global, occurring the moment someone comes to faith in Christ through the work of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel proclamation.
Groups do not have faith. The entire world is almost without faith. Therefore a timeless global absolution is utter nonsense. Luther has made that point in sermons. No one can give his faith to another, nor can one person claim salvation based on the faith of anyone else.
Thus Objective Justification is a fabrication both in terminology and in meaning.
I would put Luther's great statement (in the footnote and graphic) in the text of the Theses, since the Formula of Concord does the same with various quotations. If the Objective Justification advocates want to say they stand with Luther, let them explain how their dogma squares with this Galatians Commentary commended for studying justification by the Concordists.
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| UOJ advocates are completely blind to the efficacy of the Word in the Scriptures and in Luther; thus, they blaspheme the work of the Holy Spirit in the Means of Grace. |
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