     Rev. David R. Boisclair (Drboisclair) Intermediate Member Username: Drboisclair Post Number: 489 Registered: 1-2002 |
George, there have been times that I have watched ELDoNA, and thought that they were trying to go back to orthodox Lutheranism. Their Repristination Press provided the church with a gold mine of forgotten theology. Their dedication to the orthodox theologians of the 16th and 17th century was in line with the spirit of Dr. Robert Preus; however, by simply embracing the sectarian views of a man who was rightly removed from his former synod's pastoral roster, they have cured me once and for all of any hankering I had for clericalism. You hit the nail on the head when you point out that they have removed in their heterodox confession the central article of our faith from the Second Article and placed it in the Third Article. Let me add to the list of their terms of detestation the word "parochial." Walther's theology is too parochial in their view, making their theology in contrast CATHOLIC. They ridicule Franz Pieper's speaking of God's inner forum in which He justifies the world of sinners for the sake of Christ, but that is established firmly and clearly in 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, specifically verse 19a: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them." This is the solid foundation of our biblical faith in Objective Justification, which stands firm forever against all that deny it. Even if Luther, Chemnitz, Hunnius, Gerhard, Calov, Quenstedt, Meisner, Karpzov, and a host of other Lutheran worthies were to declare our doctrine to be false, this one passage of Scripture would blow them all away with its clarity. Rydecki labors to find in Luther an understanding that the imperfect of "eimi" in verse 19 is present rather than past tense by variances he finds in the old editions of Luther's Bible. It doesn't matter if he did find that Luther understood that instance of "eimi" to be present rather than imperfect (past) tense. The Greek text stands firm against those who deny Objective Justification just like it stands against the Reformed who deny the Sacramental Union "touto ESTIN to soma mou." 2 Corinthians 5:19 teaches Dr. Pieper's divine inner forum in which for Christ's sake God has justified the entire world of sinners by forgiving their sins. This provides the substance of the message of reconciliation that we Christians are given to share with the world: BELIEVE, YOU ARE JUSTIFIED BY THE BLOOD AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF ANOTHER, JESUS CHRIST. This will stand firm against the gainsayers forever! This Easter bless God for His gracious objective absolution! "... He was raised again for our justification!" Don't let the legalists limit the precious Gospel! | ||
| Brett Meyer (Brett_meyer) Member Username: Brett_meyer Post Number: 147 Registered: 1-2008 |
You have each clearly shown how the Lutheran Synods teach contrary to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions. The Christian Book of Concord opposes your false gospel throughout, here are a few of the clear refutations of your teaching: 71] gbut we maintain this, that properly and truly, by faith itself, we are for Christfs sake accounted righteous, or are acceptable to God. And because gto be justifiedh means that out of unjust men just men are made, or born again, it means also that they are pronounced or accounted just. For Scripture speaks in both ways. [The term gto be justifiedh is used in two ways: to denote, being converted or regenerated; again, being accounted righteous. Accordingly we wish first to show this, that faith alone makes of an unjust, a just man, i.e., receives remission of sinsh. http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_4_justificati on.php 40] c Therefore it must follow that we are accepted with God, and justified by faith alone, when in our hearts we conclude that God desires to be gracious to us, not on account of our works and fulfilment of the Law, but from pure grace, for Christfs sake. What can our opponents bring forward against this argument? What can they invent and devise against the plain truth? gthere must be faith in Christ by which we are reconciled to God and first obtain the remission of sin. Good God, how dare people call themselves Christians or say that they once at least looked into or read the books of the Gospel when they still deny that we obtain remission of sins by faith in Christ? Why, to a Christian it is shocking merely to hear such a statement.h http://bookofconcord.org/defense_5_love.php BOC: 4] In opposition to both these parties it has been unanimously taught by the other teachers of the Augsburg Confession that Christ is our righteousness not according to His divine nature alone, nor according to His human nature alone, but according to both natures; for He has redeemed, justified, and saved us from our sins as God and man, through His complete obedience; that therefore the righteousness of faith is the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and our adoption as Godfs children only on account of the obedience of Christ, which through faith alone, out of pure grace, is imputed for righteousness to all true believers, and on account of it they are absolved from all their unrighteousness.h http://bookofconcord.org/sd]righteousness.php The Christian Book of Concord speaks to this error directly: 6] Let any one of the adversaries come forth and tell us when remission of sins takes place. O good God, what darkness there is! They doubt whether it is in attrition or in contrition that remission of sins occurs. And if it occurs on account of contrition, what need is there of absolution, what does the power of the keys effect, if sins have been already remitted?ch http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_10_repentance .php (FC SD III 57) 67] Concerning what is needful furthermore for the proper explanation of this profound and chief article of justification before God, upon which depends the salvation of our souls, we direct, and for the sake of brevity herewith refer, every one to Dr. Lutherfs beautiful and glorious exposition of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. Martin Lutherfs Galatians Commentary: g29. You cannot extricate yourself from unbelief, nor can the Law do it for you. All your works in intended fulfilment of the Law must remain works of the Law and powerless to justify in the sight ofGod, who regards as just only believing children.h P. 236 g74. But what is the process whereby Christ gives us such a spirit and redeems us from under the Law? The work is effected solely by faith. He who believes that Christ came to redeem us, and that he has accomplished it, is really redeemed. As he believes, so is it with him. Faith carries with it the child]making spirit. The apostle here explains by 2 saying that Christ has redeemed us from under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sons. As before stated, all must be effected through faith.h Page 253 g82. Note, the Son of God is put under the Law in that he redeemed us who were under it. For us, for our good, he effected all; not for himself. He purposed to manifest toward us only love, goodness and mercy. As Paul has it (Gal 3, 13), gChrist redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us.h In other words: For us, Christ put himself under the law and complied with its demands,designing every believer of this fact to be redeemed from under the Law with its curse.h Page 257 http://www.trinitylutheranms.org/MartinLuther/MLSe rmons/Galatians4_1_7.html In Christ, Brett Meyer | ||
| Franz Linden (Franz_mann) Senior Member Username: Franz_mann Post Number: 1897 Registered: 12-2004 |
Mr. Meyer, You either are ignorant of the history of the Reformation, or, more likely, willfully ignore the history of the Reformation. The sections from the Book of Concord you quote are dealing with the error of the papists that a man can be justified by his works. In that sense, what they say is absolutely correct. No one is justified by his works, but only through faith in Christ. The very fact that one is justified by faith apart from works proves that the justification must be a reality, for the faith of which Holy Scripture speaks is not a belief in anything that is not true. Test every other aspect of what faith is and see if it does not always go back to what is objectively true. Does God not exist until one believes Him to exist? Did creation not occur until someone believed it occurred? Did God not offer up His only-begotten Son until someone believed that He did? Were the Holy Scriptures not breathed out by God until someone believed that God breathed them out? It's a silly notion that you are arguing for, that faith can believe in something before it happens. This is typical of sectarians. They distantiate the orthodox writings of others from the context in which they were written and force them into another context altogether. Franz | ||
| Rick Strickert (Carlvehse) Senior Member Username: Carlvehse Post Number: 4559 Registered: 10-2003 |
Before responding to Brett Meyer, one may want to read the responses other Lutherans have previously made to his many earlier comments on the Brothers of John the Steadfast blog. | ||
| Brett Meyer (Brett_meyer) Member Username: Brett_meyer Post Number: 148 Registered: 1-2008 |
Rick, here are more links to my confession using Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions against those promoting the false Huberian gospel of faithless forgiveness in the Lutheran Synods. February 2014 http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=35105 November 2013 http://www.lutherquest.org/cgi-bin/discus40/discus .cgi October 2012 http://www.lutherquest.org/cgi-bin/discus40/discus .cgi January 2012 http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=4190&cpage=1#comm ents January 2008 http://www.lutherquest.org/cgi-bin/discus40/discus .cgi | ||
| Brett Meyer (Brett_meyer) Member Username: Brett_meyer Post Number: 149 Registered: 1-2008 |
Franz, you speak as if the Roman Catholic Church accepted justification without faith while promoting justification by works. The faithful Lutheran Confessions reject justification by works and do double duty by rejecting justification without faith. My quotes show that the Lutheran Confessions reject Objective Justification's teaching that the whole world was Redeemed - freed from being under the Law - and Reconciled to God without the gracious gift of faith in Christ alone. UOJ's foundational tenets are false. “142] But righteousness is faith in the heart. Moreover, sins are redeemed by repentance, i.e., the obligation or guilt is removed, because God forgives those who repent, as it is written in Ezek. 18:21-22. Nor are we to infer from this that He forgives on account of works that follow, on account of alms; but on account of his promise He forgives those who apprehend His promise. Neither do any apprehend His promise, except those who truly believe, and by faith overcome sin and death.”BOC, Article III: Of Love and the Fulfilling of the Law. 4] In opposition to both these parties it has been unanimously taught by the other teachers of the Augsburg Confession that Christ is our righteousness not according to His divine nature alone, nor according to His human nature alone, but according to both natures; for He has redeemed, justified, and saved us from our sins as God and man, through His complete obedience; that therefore the righteousness of faith is the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, and our adoption as God’s children only on account of the obedience of Christ, which through faith alone, out of pure grace, is imputed for righteousness to all true believers, and on account of it they are absolved from all their unrighteousness." http://bookofconcord.org/sd-righteousness.php The BOC condemns UOJ. In Christ, Brett Meyer |
