Saturday, June 11, 2016

Reactions to the Universalism of Otten, Cascione, McCain, Harrison, et al.
From 2013

How many Lutherans (apart from Bethany members) study
Luther's Galatians Commentary?
Instead, they read Sig Becker, Jungkuntz, and the Brief Confession of Universal Absolution.
Jay Webber mentioned, then ignored the commentary in his odious Emmaus meltdown.


Mr. Mcgranor has left a new comment on your post "A 21st Century Formula of Concord: RESURRECTION AN...":

Many a Lutheran is quick to play theological condemnation games.

Unfortunately you are in a Spiritual Church that you have limited control over. However even that limited control is not entirely asserted by you and others.

If Christ had not effected (sic) even the non-believer the universe would be in hell.

Still i (sic) understand the need to find precise definitive doctrine. At the same time, any doctrine that is not ultimate will not stand; whether it is on paper, or not. Or will stand even though it is not on paper.

This is not relativism; but as Philipp Melanchthon and His Philippist Party suggested--the Spiritual Church is absolutely true.

http://www.everypoet.net/poetry/blogs/dickgentile/philipp_melanchthon_and_his_philippist_party

---

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "A 21st Century Formula of Concord: RESURRECTION AN...":

Ichabod -

It is so true what you say:

>>>>> ...... Luther always praises the atonement and describes how Christ has graciously taken all our sins upon Him. However, he never confuses that with the imputation of righteousness..... <<<<<<

Cascione's own words, illustrate his confusion when he mischaracterizes those who reject universal objective justification:

>>>>> .....our own faith causes our own atonement. Hence, the Sovereignty of God would necessarily be more significant than an atonement that we are able to bring on ourselves....... <<<<<<

Cascione overlooks the reality of God's grace. He, apparently is putting words in the mouths of those who believe Scripture's "justification by faith alone." What is so difficult for these Universalists to understand? Can they not appreciate God's good grace, followed by faith? Can they not understand Ephesians 2:8-9? Why do they confuse this and then go on their mischaracterizing binges alleging that those who adhere to Scripture and Luther's teaching on "justification by faith alone" are out to lunch?

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org

---

He was not the leader and not the founder,
but Walther was the enforcer and pimp for his syphilitic bishop,
Martin Stephan, STD.


Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "A 21st Century Formula of Concord: RESURRECTION AN...":

I disagree with your analysis Mr. Mcgranor. Christ is of no affect to those who do not believe.

Galatians 5:3-5, "For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith."

The same response applies to Otten's teaching of the false gospel of Universal Objective Justification. In the previous post Otten makes the following statement.

Otten, "Christ reconciled the world to God by offering Himself as Propitiation to God for the sins of mankind. Paul declared that Christ "gave Himself a ransom for all" (1 Timothy 2:6). John wrote that Christ “has paid for our sins, and not for ours only but for the whole world" (1 John 2:2). William Beck correctly comments in a footnote on this verse in his translation of the New Testament: "His sacrifice wipes out our sins and changes God’s anger to love.”"

This false tenet of UOJ is destroyed by Christ's declaration in John 8:24, "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins."

Only through the Holy Spirit's faith, the righteousness of Christ, worked solely by God's grace through Word and Sacrament alone, is any man's sins forgiven.

UOJ declares God's forgiveness upon the unbelieving world outside of and before Christ's faith in man. This is rejected by Scripture in Romans 14:23, "And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatever is not of faith is sin."

UOJ is sin.

---

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "A 21st Century Formula of Concord: RESURRECTION AN...":

Link to Otten's war on the Scriptural doctrine of Justification as quoted in my comment above.

http://a21stcenturyformulaofconcord.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-vicarious-satisfaction-of-christ.html 

***

I'm taking notes here...
What?


GJ - The UOJ Enthusiasts claim to follow justification by faith, so why do they persecute and excommunicate justification by faith? They love every other dogma. They either adore Fuller dogma or keep their silence. But Luther's doctrine! - they loathe that.

If Herman Otten wants to create a 21st century Formula of Concord, why does he begin by selling a poisonous, hate-filled, lying book about Luther? Roman Catholics laugh about the lies in The Facts about Luther, the equivalent of those nuns' stories about "don't wear patent leather shoes, because they will reflect your underwear." Otten responded - it was for the money. He sells to both sides of an issue.

Not true.

Once I identified Otten with Enthusiasm and UOJ, he refused to mention anything I published. Otten only printed remarks against Thy Strong Word and spiked positive comments. That was "the other side of the issue."

And yet he is happy to sell Valleskey's pathetic UOJ-Church Growth textbook, We Believe...

I can hear the Fox Valley Andy Stanley Chorus saying, "But you only care about him selling your books."

I give away PDFs of every book I have written. Did NPH give away Liberalism? No, but I give it away as a PDF. Bethany Lutheran Church gave away several thousands in free books at two Emmaus conferences (ELS-WELS-LCMS), but the host did not want justification by faith discussed at a "free conference."

I have promoted the free exchange of ideas among Lutherans and other confessions. UOJ, in contrast, silences the Gospel with great venom and dishonesty.

Calvinism is the foundation of Lutheran Pietism,
and its rationalism leads to Universalism.