Ascension Day Service. May 5th, 2016. 7 PM Central Daylight Time.

Ascension Day, 2016. Holy Communion.

7 PM Central Daylight Time

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 7 PM, Central Daylight Time

The melody is linked under the name of the hymn.
The lyrics are linked under the number of the hymn.

The Hymn #221         Hark Ten Thousand Harps  

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    Acts 1:1-11

The Gospel                        Mark 16:14-20

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 216*            On Christ’s Ascension        

*Words copyrighted

And Ascended into Heaven

The Hymn #341                   Crown Him with Many Crowns       

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 #294                        O Word of God             

KJV Luke 24:49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. 50 And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them. 51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy: 53 And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

[The ending of Luke fits with the opening of Acts, which Luke also wrote.]

KJV Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

KJV Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. 17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Ascension

O Jesus Christ, Thou almighty Son of God, who art no longer in humiliation here on earth, but sittest at the right hand of Thy Father, Lord over all things: We beseech Thee, send us Thy Holy Spirit; give Thy Church pious pastors, preserve Thy word, control and restrain the devil and all who would oppress us: mightily uphold Thy kingdom, until all Thine enemies shall have been put under Thy feet, that we may hold the victory over sin, death, and the devil, through Thee, who livest and reignest with God the Father and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

And Ascended into Heaven

KJV Acts 1:1 The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: 

The opening of Acts is a remarkable statement, because the words connect the Actions of the Apostles with the Gospel of Luke. That is important for many reasons. We get a solid foundation and consistent narrative, from the Virgin Birth into the Apostolic Age.

These two works comprise 25% of the entire New Testament, more than any other writer. Another important feature of Luke is his care about historical details, down to the most minute ones. That was shown, as I wrote before, when "scholars" mocked Luke for using terms they knew did not exist - the leader of a particular city. Archaeology shoveled up an inscription giving the head of that city the same title - ethnarch - that was laughed at. Luke had that right. That is not a doctrinal matter and a minor historical matter, but it shows attention to detail. 

To borrow an illustration from the Mormons, God nailed down the Gospel with the historical precision of Luke and the first-hand witness of John the Apostle, the one closest to Jesus and the caretaker of Mary after the resurrection of Jesus. Besides that, physical evidence shows John's Gospel was very early, while archaeology shows he knew the geography of the region, more evidence of John's accuracy.

Although we do not need proofs beyond the power of the Word, which we have experienced, the refutation of the sceptics is delicious to dwell upon. That is why the apostate denominations have nothing to communicate with everyone. They doubt everything and flail about trying to make sense of a Gospel without faith or meaning.

The new edition of the Yale Divinity magazine is a perfect example. The dean is a Roman Catholic. They have a Jew teaching Hebrew, The faculty is loaded with feminists, including one who teaches "queer theology." Every article praises pluralism and diversity, but there is no diversity left on the faculty. They are are Left-wing and getting worse each year.

of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until the day in which he was taken up...

Jesus built up the faith of the Apostles and taught them their role in the future ministry they would undertake. This will be the work of the Holy Spirit, which is global, contrasted to the local ministry of Jesus. He kept the disciples together for three years to teach them carefully, preparing them for the horrible days of the Passion, but also for the resurrection. They experienced the utter abyss of despair and then the shock and "disbelieving for joy" of the resurrection. 

These days after the resurrection were very important for instruction and doubtless the gathering or ordering of the initial groups of Christians created by the preaching and miracles of Jesus.

Luther is not ambiguous about this - the Christian Church is built through preaching the Gospel, with an emphasis on the oral proclamation. One can only guess the thought process of those ministers who share a server so they can be spared the task of preaching, to spend more time planning the petting zoo for Easter, the Pentecostal carnival, all those things they imagine builds the congregation.

3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 

Jesus strengthened the Early Church for 40 days, teaching them and showing them proof of His resurrection. This was the solid foundation of the Apostolic Church. While many marvel at its growth, the base of the growth consisted of the preaching, teaching, and miracles from Jesus. When people trust God, there is nothing to stop them because they are guided and helped by God Himself.

The emphasis upon the Spirit in the Apstolic Age in two-fold, the guidance of the Spirit, as promised, the ministry of the Word, which is never without the Spirit.

4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

Luther summarized Mark in part by saying - 

3. But it is all in vain to hear the Gospel, if you do not believe it. Therefore all must be taught by God.

4. Unless you are constantly baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit until the end of your life, you will fall back again into unbelief.

This is the promise of Pentecost, given in such detail in the Gospel of John. Man often acts as if he is doing it all himself, but in using the Word man has the power of the Holy Spirit, which is always effective in the Word and prospers God's will.

Sometimes faith must call up the wrath and opposition of Satan, but even that is bridled so that it accomplishes the purpose of God. Some students of mine wrote about how many places the Apostles built congregations. I added, "Persecution was a major factor in spreading them, too." There was no doubt a desire to obey the command of Jesus to preach and teach all nations, but scattering a congregation in an urban area on a major road and sea hub was also beneficial.

The fire baptism is the hatred, slander, and opposition of those who cannot bear to have the Word challenge them. The Apostles endured that and most died young, violently, as St. Paul did.

It is noteworthy that Paul traveled so much and wrote so much but we do not have much biographical knowledge about him. The apostles and Luke were interested in the Gospel rather than the person. Now we have the reverse.

6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? 7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

Oddly, this question, which was batted down, is used by Karl Barth and others to speak of a restoration of all things, Universalism. The logic is the same as the UOJ crowd - "If Christ has paid for the sins of the world, then the entire world is free of sin - a restoration of all things. So all we have to do is tell people that they are already forgiven and saved." 

Needless to say, this quickly degenerates into social activism, because the Universalist message does not comfort and help those suffering from the terrors of the conscience. In fact, it hardens the hearts of those who wish to continue in their sins while failing to provide comfort for those who need and desire it. Thus people devour the Gospel not knowing  what it is, like a dog wandering into church and eating the Holy Communion elements. Unlike the dog, the unbeliever who is given a false Gospel is made worse and finally despises anything associated with the Gospel.

The universal affliction is sin and death, so the medicine for that problem is the Gospel received in faith and purified by the cross (fire).

8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 

Jesus commanded but He also gave the Apostles the power to do this impossible mission, which they accomplished beyond anyone's hope or imagination. How could the Gospel go to the uttermost part of the earth, and yet that Message did, with a speed that defies description.

One Harvard graduate said to a group of ministers, "The Gospel spread through the sword." I said to him, "You have that all wrong." He was perplexed and said, "Where did I get the wrong idea?" I said, "You went to Harvard and were taught wrong." I pointed out how the Gospel spread across the known world in one generation or so, simply by preaching the Wrod.

He was an ordained minister, a PhD in New Testament, and he was spreading lies. This troubled him and he talked to me afterwards. That statement and his own experience with liberals troubled him deeply as he began to have the scales fall from his eyes.

The bad flour, infested with flies, must be separated from the good flour, or soon it is all infested. That is even a warning on various grains in grocery stories. One simply cannot let those parasites remain feeding on the good food or none is left. That is our situation today. Too many nice guys have said nothing and done nothing, even when they tended to agree about the dangers of apostasy.

Some profess to be scandalized that the first four centuries of the Church were filled with fights about doctrine. But that was exactly what Paul taught, following Jesus - there must be divisions. The result was the clear emphasis upon the Trinity and the Two Natures in Christ.

9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. 

The Ascension of Jesus is the final miracle on earth that was performed with Him being visible. But it was not the last miracle. Holy Communion is a regular miracle effected the the Holy Spirit in the Word. Christ is not stuck in heaven but present in both natures.

God continues to perform miracles in caring for His children, and Jesus actively manages the Kingdom here on earth through the Holy Spirit. We take human management for granted. I used to watch it in the grocery store, as people talked to each other over their little radios in their ears. Clean-ups. Emergency supplies. The chatter seldom stopped. In a much greater measure God watches over and manages our lives so that His Name is glorified in what is accomplished.

10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; 11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Luther:

24. We must, therefore, conceive of his ascension and Lordship as something active, energetic and continuous, and must not imagine that he sits above while we hold the reins of government down here. Nay, he ascended up thither for the reason that there he can best do his work and exercise dominion. Had he remained upon earth in visible form, before the people, he could not have wrought so effectually, for all the people could not have been with him and heard him. Therefore, he inaugurated an expedient which made it possible for him to be in touch with all and reign in all, to preach to all and be heard by all, and to be with all. Therefore, beware lest you imagine within yourself that he has gone, and now is, far away from us. The very opposite is true: While he was on earth, he was far away from us; now he is very near.

25. Reason cannot comprehend how this can be. Therefore it is an article of faith. Here one must close his eyes and not follow his reason, but lay hold of all by faith. For how can reason grasp the thought that there should be a being like ourselves, who is all-seeing and knows all hearts and gives all men faith and the Spirit; or that he sits above in heaven, and yet is present with us and in us and rules over us? Therefore, strive not to comprehend, but say: This is Scripture and this is God’s Word, which is immeasurably higher than all understanding and reason. Cease your reasoning and lay hold of the Scriptures, which testify of this being — how he ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God and exercises dominion. Let us examine some Scripture bearing upon this matter.

Luther's Ascension Day Sermon - Mark 16:14-20

Ascension mosaic - San Frediano, a church in Lucca, Italy

Luther's Sermon on the DAY OF CHRIST’S ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN. Mark 16:14-20

This sermon, which is not found in edition c, dates from the year 1523 and appeared in three pamphlet editions in the same year under the title: “A sermon by Dr. Martin Luther on the last chapter of St. Mark. While the eleven were sitting at meat Christ manifested himself and reproved them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, 1523.”

German text: Erlangen Edition, 12:169; Walch Edition, 11:1256; St. Louis Walch, 11:931.

Text: Mark 16:14-20. And afterward he was manifested unto the eleven themselves as they sat at meat; and he up-braided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them that had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned. And these signs shall accompany them that believe; in my name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall in no wise hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken unto them, was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word by the signs that followed.

Amen.

CONTENTS:

CHRIST’S COMMISSION TO HIS DISCIPLES TO PREACH THE GOSPEL; CHRIST’S ASCENSION.
* The substance of this Gospel 1-2.

I. CHRIST’ S COMMISSION TO HIS DISCIPLES.

A. The Commission to Preach the Gospel.

1. How and why the Gospel is to be preached to all creatures 3-4.

2. The nature of the Gospel that shall thus be preached 5ff.

3. The way and means to preach the Gospel 6-7.

B. The Double Appendix Christ made to This Command.

1. The first appendix — faith and unbelief. a. How the papists interpret this falsely and how to refute their interpretation 8ff. b. The true sense and import of this appendix 9-10. c. How the whole institution of the monks and nuns is shattered to pieces by this appendix 11-13. d. An objection raised here and its answer 14-16.

2. The second appendix — holy baptism. a. Why Christ appointed holy baptism in connection with faith. (1) The first reason 17. (2) The second reason 18. (3) The third reason 19. b. That baptism is not work of man but a work of God

3. The third appendix — the signs, that shall accompany the preaching of the Gospel 21-22.

II. CHRIST’ S ASCENSION TO HEAVEN.

A. How and Why Christ’s Ascension is to be Laid Hold of by the Heart 23-24.

B. Why Christ Ascended to Heaven 24.

C. That Reason Cannot Grasp Christ’s Ascension, but Faith must do it.

1. The sense and import of this 25.

2. How this can be proved by passages of the Old Testament. a. The first passage 26-27 b. The second passage 28. c. The third passage 29. d . The fourth passage 30-33.

* That faith is an inexpressibly great thing 34.

THE SUMMARY OF THIS GOSPEL:

1. This text is explained contrary to the narrative of this Gospel, at which some take offense. They think that Mark omitted much here. But they are mistaken and do not take the pains to examine it; for Mark describes the total of all that happened from the time Christ arose from the dead until the Gospel began to be preached in all the world.

2. Therefore we must correctly understand some words in this Gospel, as when he says, “Afterward,” not on the day of his ascension, but on the evening of the day Christ rose from the dead, after ,he appeared to the two disciples on their way to Emmaus. Likewise that the Evangelist says, “And he said unto them”, did not occur this day, but later, on another day upon Mount Tabor in Galilee, whither Jesus had directed them, as Matthew says.

For the words in Matthew 28:18ff agree with these, “all authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you.” Also, when the text says: “After he had spoken unto them,” namely, forty days afterwards, as is recorded in Acts 1:3. Likewise, when the Evangelist says: “And they went forth,” is to be understood when they had visibly received the Holy Spirit etc.

SECOND SUMMARY:

1. The slowness to believe and the imperfections of the beloved saints are a great and strong consolation for us.

2. The apostles should preach the Gospel and nothing else; to all creatures and not only to the Jews, but also to the heathen, to princes and subjects, so that there may not be a place in the whole world where the Gospel is not heard.

3. But it is all in vain to hear the Gospel, if you do not believe it. Therefore all must be taught by God.

4. Unless you are constantly baptized with fire and the Holy Spirit until the end of your life, you will fall back again into unbelief.

5. For the sake of the unbelievers are the signs given, in order that thereby they might show the world, that what was preached to them was the Word of God. For the text speaks thus: “The Lord working with them, and confirming the Word by the signs that followed.”

6. The signs have already been performed, and therefore we consider the apostles of God holy; hence signs are no longer needed, by which we should know that their words and preaching are God’s Word.

7. But we should hearken to the answer given to the rich man: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.” Luke 16:29.

8. The signs here mentioned shall be performed also in a spiritual sense even unto the end of the world. For by means of the Gospel the prince of darkness with all his serpents will be crushed as is taught in Genesis 3:15. A new confession is heard from those who are converted. If unbelief at any time enter our hearts or spring up before us, we can soon banish it through the Gospel, so that we may learn not to trust in ourselves. Besides this believers will patiently bear with the infirmities of others, try to help them, heal them and do all for them they can. These signs the disciples did, could be done in a literal sense at the present day if it were necessary.

9. Christ in his bodily, visible form departs; for this was the best way to teach them that his kingdom did not consist in human ordinances.

Therefore St. Paul says to the Colossians: “If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances?” Colossians 2:20. Christ did this in order to rule in the hearts of believers, and be a high priest forever with the Father.

1. We are to consider today the article of faith in which we say: “I believe in Jesus Christ, who ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father.” Our Gospel lesson briefly reviews the story of this ascension. But Luke treats the matter at greater length and writes, The Lord gathered all the disciples together, fully forty days after his resurrection, just as he had often shown himself to them, and spoke with them and gave them commandment what they should do, and as they were assembled together and spoke with him out at Bethany, whither he had led them, some asked him, saying: “Lord, dost thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And he said unto them: “It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the Father hath set within his own authority. But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” And when he had said these things, he blessed them and bade them good night and departed from them and was taken up while they beheld him and a cloud received him out of their sight. And as they stood there, gazing after him, gaping at the heavens, behold, there came and stood hard by them two men in white apparel, who said: “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven.” Hereupon they returned from Bethany, from the mount of Olives, to Jerusalem and assembled in the upper room of the house where they were abiding, and continued with one accord in prayer, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus. This is the story of our Lord Jesus Christ’s ascension. Now let us consider the Gospel.

2. In the first place, there are in this Gospel two parts: one where the Lord commands the apostles to preach the Gospel in all the world; the other, treating of his ascension. We shall pass over the beginning of the text, where the Lord reproves their unbelief and hardness of heart, and take up the part where he says: “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.” Here you have in English what the Gospel really is, to wit: “He that believeth and is baptized, is saved.” In these words all is comprehended; he that has them, has the Gospel.

I. CHRIST’S MISSIONARY COMMISSION TO HIS DISCIPLES TO PREACH THE GOSPEL.

3. We have often said ‘heretofore that the Gospel, properly speaking, is not something written in books, but an oral proclamation, which shall be heard in all the world and shall be cried out freely before all creatures, so that all would have to hear it if they had ears; that is to say, it shall be preached so publicly that to preach it more publicly would be impossible. For the Law, which was of old, and what the prophets preached, was not cried out in all the world before all creatures, but it was preached by the Jews in their synagogues. But the Gospel shall not be thus confined; it shall be preached freely unto all the world.

4. There is no need, therefore, of commenting on the text as some have done, and saying that omnis creatura (every creature) means a man. For there is no indication in these words that the Gospel shall be preached to men alone, but it shall be cried out before the whole creation, so that earth shall not have a nook or corner into which it shall not penetrate before the last day. Such is the counsel of God, wherein he has decreed that even they who cannot read and have not heard Moses and the prophets shall, nevertheless, hear the Gospel.

5. What is the Gospel? It is these words which the Lord speaks: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”

We have often said — and I think we ought to thoroughly understand it by this time — that the Gospel cannot suffer us to preach works, however good and great these may be; for it seeks to pluck us down from our presumption and to set and plant us solely upon God’s mercy, that his work and grace alone may be extolled. Therefore, it suffers us not to rely upon our works. For one of these two must perish: if I stand upon God’s grace and mercy, I do not stand upon my merit and works; and, vice versa, if I stand upon any works and merit, I do not stand upon God’s grace. For, “if it is by grace,” says St. Paul, Romans 11:6, “it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace.” I cannot say that God owes me a reward, but I must confess that he has given it to me entirely as a free gift.

6. Hence, he that would preach the Gospel must cast aside all works that are calculated to make men just, and suffer nothing to remain but faith, or I must believe that God, without any merit of mine and regardless of all my works, has granted me his grace and eternal life, so that I am constrained to thank him and say: I rejoice, praise and thank God that he has freely and out of pure grace given me this most excellent boon. Likewise that the Gospel is, as Scripture says, nothing more nor less than a declaration of the honor, praise and glory of God. As we read in Psalm 19:1-2: “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.” Therefore, we must preach in a way that the glory and praise will be given to God and not to ourselves. Now, there is no greater praise and glory that we can give to God than this, that we confess that he, out of pure grace and mercy, takes away from us sin, death, and hell, and gives his beloved Son for us, and all his treasures to us. Such a confession must give glory and honor and praise to him alone.

7. And this is the trend of all those passages in the prophets where God boasts that he will establish a preaching that will show forth his praise; as when he says in Isaiah 43:21: “The people which I formed for myself, that they might set forth my praise.” As if to say: You hypocrites do no more than praise yourselves in your hearts and thus my praise must perish; for you make me a stern judge and an unfriendly God, so that secretly the people hate me and think within themselves: Ah, if we but had another God, one that would not require so much of us; such a one we would love.

Therefore, I will form for myself another people, which shall know me and love me. When they see that I will not regard their works but will give them every good thing freely, their hearts will teem with joy and will never weary of my praise.

8. Therefore, beware of glossing the text and seeking to improve upon the words of Christ. Our doctors and colleges have tried to better them and have said these words must be understood thus: “He that believeth” (understand: and doeth good works), “shall be saved.” Who authorized them to make that insertion? Do you think the Holy Spirit was too stupid to make it? Thus they have utterly obscured, yea, perverted, this precious statement with their insertion. Therefore, take heed and let no one make an insertion for you, but abide by the text as it reads and understand it thus: “He that believeth shall be saved” without his merit, without any works.

Why? For this reason: because God has caused to be preached and proclaimed unto us that he had his Son Jesus Christ come and take away sin and all evil. For he saw that we were not able to do it, that it was an impossibility for us to blot out sin with our works and powers. Otherwise he could have saved himself the trouble and expense of delivering up his own Son to suffer and die; and he has this preached to us in the Gospel.

9. Now what does such preaching call for? It calls for this, that! believe in it, for in no other way can! apprehend it. If you write it in a book, it will be of no use to any man, though you indulge in much thinking about it. Again, you may preach and speak about it, or hear it; it will be to no purpose. You must believe it and confidently rely upon it that the thing is as the Gospel says, that not your works but the Lord Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection takes away your sin and death. This you can not attain to except by faith.

10. Again, Christ says: “He that disbelieveth,” even though he be baptized, “shall be damned.” These words, too, you must allow to remain just as they are. For he does not say thus: He that disbelieves and does evil works besides; but, without any varnish he says: If thou hadst the chastity of all virgins, the sufferings of all martyrs, and, to be concise, if thou hadst all the works that ever were done by all the saints — if thou hadst all these in a heap, yet, if faith were lacking, all would be lost.

11. Therefore, this is the passage whereby all cloistery, priest-craft, monkery and nunnery is overthrown; for it is a lost case. Do what you will, the sentence is already passed and the decree is already gone forth: If thou disbelieve thou art condemned already. Thus heavily and mightily do these two sentences butt against all doctrine and doing that are founded upon the works and powers of man.

12. Now, place the two side by side, and you can rightly conclude: Where there is faith, there cannot be so many sins, but they will surely be swallowed up and exterminated by faith; where there is unbelief, you will never be able to do good works enough to blot out the least sin. Little, therefore as sin can stand in the presence of faith, so little can good works abide with unbelief. Therefore, nothing is needed, in order to do good works, but faith; and nothing more is required, in order to do sin and evil works, than unbelief. Thus it follows that he who believes has no sin and does nothing but good works; on the other hand, he who does not believe, verily, does no good work, but all he does is sin.

13. Therefore I say, however, you cannot have committed so many sins, neither is Satan such an invincible enemy of yours, but that all is taken away and forgiven as soon as you begin to believe. For through faith you have Christ as your own treasure, who was given to you for the very purpose of taking away sin; and who will be so bold as to condemn Christ?

For this reason, no sins can remain, however great they may be, if you believe. Thus, you are then God’s dear child and all is well, and whatever you do is all right. If you do not believe, you are damned, all you may do to the contrary notwithstanding; for since you have not Christ, it is impossible for you to blot out a single sin.

14. Now, since there is no other means for taking away sin than Christ, you might ask: How is it then, that we are nevertheless required to do good works; if as you say, all depends upon faith? I reply: Where faith is genuine it cannot exist without good works. Just as, on the other hand, where there is unbelief there can be no good work. Hence, if you believe, there must necessarily follow from your faith naught but good works. For, as faith brings you salvation and eternal life, so it also brings you good works; they cannot be restrained. Just as a living person cannot refrain from moving about, eating and drinking and laboring, it being impossible that such activities should cease while he lives, no one need command and drive him to do such works but — spare his life and he’ll do them; just as all this is true in the physical life, so nothing more is required, in order that good works may be done, than faith. Only believe, and you will do all of your own accord.

15. Thus, there is no need of your demanding good works of him who believes, for faith teaches him all that; and, being done in faith, all he does is well done and all are good and precious works, however insignificant they may seem. Faith is such a noble thing that it ennobles the whole man.

Now, it is not possible for a man to live on earth and not have anything to do. Hence all such works as are done by faith are precious works. On the other hand, where there is unbelief a man cannot be without works, either; therefore, such works are likewise all sin. Christ is not there, therefore all is lost. Hence, the statement of St. Paul to the Romans 14:23: “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” As though he would say, on the contrary: Whatsoever is of faith is all grace and righteousness; that is a foregone conclusion. Hence, there is no need of asking whether good works shall be done, for they come of themselves, unbidden. Such is also the sense of the Psalmist, Psalm 25:10: “All the paths of Jehovah are lovingkindness and truth.” That is to say, when God works and creates faith in us, all that we do is lovingkindness, and all is truth; that is, all is done sincerely and not from hypocrisy. It follows, however, on the other hand, that all the ways of men are not lovingkindness but sheerest wrath, not truth but mere sham and hypocrisy, because they spring from unbelief.

16. Beware, then, lest under any circumstances you gloss the text, and say:

Faith alone is not sufficient; works, also, are necessary in order to justify.

For it is sufficiently clear from what we have said that works contribute nothing to this end. Nothing does any harm but unbelief. Works are not sufficient. If faith were present, all would be well. Therefore, as works contribute nothing toward the evil in unbelief, so in faith they contribute nothing toward the good; but unbelief alone corrupts all works and faith makes all works good.

17. But there is still one more thing here, that Christ says: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” Here you might say: I perceive, then, that baptism is also required. To be sure it is, but baptism is not a work that we do. It is to be coupled, however, with faith, because God would not have faith to be hidden in the heart, but would have it burst forth and manifest itself to the world. For this reason, he ordained such outward signs, by means of which everyone may show and confess his faith, to the end that we may come to the holy cross. For, if faith were to be kept as a secret, hidden in the heart, we would be pretty sure of not having to bear the cross or to follow Christ; if the world knew not that we believed, we would not be persecuted.

18. In the second place, we would never be the means of leading a soul to repentance and faith if we did not openly confess the Gospel and observe an external sign whereby men might know who and where the Christians are. Now, God has so ordained that our faith should be manifested before the heathen; hence, whosoever is a Christian and has received baptism, is in danger of his life among the heathen and unbelievers. It is necessary that we receive baptism if we are Christians; or, if that is beyond our reach, that we say, at least: I sincerely desire to be baptized.

19. Moreover, the sign of baptism is given us also to show that God himself will help us, and that we should be certain of his grace, and that everyone be able to say: Hereunto did God give me a sign, that I should be assured of my salvation, which he has promised me in the Gospel. For he has given us the Word, that is, the written document; and beside the Word, baptism, that is the seal. So faith, which apprehends the Word, may be strengthened by the sign and seal.

20. But you see no work of man in this transaction; for baptism is not my work but God’s. He that baptized me stands in God’s stead and does not the work of a man, but rather it is God’s hand and work. God is the real worker. Therefore, I may and should say: God, my Lord, baptized me himself, by the hand of a man. Of this I may boast, and on this I am to rely, and say: God, who will not and cannot lie, has given me this sign to assure me that he is gracious to me and willing to save me and has through his Son given me all that he has. Thus, on our side there is nothing but faith alone; and on his side, only the Word and the sign. But we have dwelt upon this matter often enough and there is no need of enlarging upon it now.

21. The following portion of our text speaks of the signs that shall accompany them that believe. We will not discuss these either at present, but pass on to the other part that we have chosen to consider, and that treats of Christ’s ascension.

22. In passing, be it said, however: We must not suppose that the signs here mentioned by Christ are all the signs that believers will do, neither must we imagine that all the Christians will do them; but Jesus means: All Christians can and may do the signs. Or, if I believe, then am I able to do them; I have the power. Through faith I obtain so much that nothing is impossible to me. If it were necessary and conducive to the spreading of the Gospel, we could do easily the signs; but since it is not necessary, we do not do them. For Christ does not teach that Christians practice the spectacular, but he says they have the power and can do these things. And we have many such promises throughout the Scriptures; for example, in James 14:12, where Christ says: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.” Therefore, we must allow these words to remain and not gloss them away, as some have done who said that these signs were manifestations of the Spirit in the beginning of the Christian era and that now they have ceased That is not right; for the same power is in the church still. And though it is not exercised, that does not matter; we still have the power to do such signs.

II. CHRIST’S ASCENSION INTO HEAVEN.

23. Now we must consider the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the first place, it is easily said and understood that the Lord ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God. But they are dead words to the understanding if they are not grasped with the heart.

24. We must, therefore, conceive of his ascension and Lordship as something active, energetic and continuous, and must not imagine that he sits above while we hold the reins of government down here. Nay, he ascended up thither for the reason that there he can best do his work and exercise dominion. Had he remained upon earth in visible form, before the people, he could not have wrought so effectually, for all the people could not have been with him and heard him. Therefore, he inaugurated an expedient which made it possible for him to be in touch with all and reign in all, to preach to all and be heard by all, and to be with all. Therefore, beware lest you imagine within yourself that he has gone, and now is, far away from us. The very opposite is true: While he was on earth, he was far away from us; now he is very near.

25. Reason cannot comprehend how this can be. Therefore it is an article of faith. Here one must close his eyes and not follow his reason, but lay hold of all by faith. For how can reason grasp the thought that there should be a being like ourselves, who is all-seeing and knows all hearts and gives all men faith and the Spirit; or that he sits above in heaven, and yet is present with us and in us and rules over us? Therefore, strive not to comprehend, but say: This is Scripture and this is God’s Word, which is immeasurably higher than all understanding and reason. Cease your reasoning and lay hold of the Scriptures, which testify of this being — how he ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of God and exercises dominion. Let us examine some Scripture bearing upon this matter.

26. In the first place, Psalm 8:4-6 says of Christ: “What is man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him but little lower than God, and crownest him with glory and honor. Thou makest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet.” Here the prophet speaks to God concerning a man and marvels that God humbled, for a time, that man, when he suffered him to die, humbled him to the extent that it seemed as if God were not with him. But after a little while God exalted him, so that all things must obey him, both in heaven and on earth. To these words we must hold, to these words we must cling, in these words we must believe; for reason will not submit nor adapt itself to them, but says they are lies. Now, if all things are to be subject to this being and to fall at his feet, he must sit where he can look into the whole world, into heaven and hell and every heart; where he can see all sin and all righteousness, and can not only see all things, But can rule accordingly.

27. Hence, these are majestic and powerful words. They afford the heart great comfort, so that they who believe this are filled with joy and courage and defiantly say: My Lord Jesus Christ is Lord over death, Satan, sin, righteousness, body, life, foes and friends. What shall I fear? For while my enemies stand before my very door and plan to slay me, my faith reasons thus: Christ is ascended into heaven and become Lord over all creatures, hence my enemies, too, must be subject to him and thus it is not in their power to do me harm. I challenge them to raise a finger against me or to injure a hair of my head against the will of my Lord Jesus Christ. When faith grasps and stands upon this article, it stands firm and waxes bold and defiant, so as even to say: If my Lord so wills that they, mine enemies, slay me, blessed am I; I gladly depart. Thus you will see that he is ascended into heaven, not to remain in indifference, but to exercise dominion; and all for our good, to afford us comfort and joy. This is one passage.

28. Furthermore, in the second Psalm, verses 7 and 8, we read that God says to Christ: “Thou art my son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possessions.” Here you see again that Christ is appointed of God a Lord over all the earth. Now, if he is my friend and I am persuaded that he died for me and gave me all things and for my sake sits in heaven and watches over me, who then can do ought to me? Or if any man should do ought, what harm can come of it?

29. Furthermore, David says again in the 110th Psalm, <19B001>Psalm 110:1: “Jehovah saith unto my lord, sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” And further on, in <19B005>Psalm 110:5,6,7: “The Lord at thy right hand will strike through kings in the day of his wrath. He will judge among the nations, he will fill the places with dead bodies; he will strike through the head in many countries. He will drink of the brook in the way; therefore will he lift up the head.”

30. Again in still another Psalm, David says ( Psalm 68:18): “Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led away captives; thou hast received gifts among men, yea among the rebellious also, that Jehovah God might dwell with them.” And all the prophets took great pains to describe Christ’s ascension and his kingdom. For, as his sufferings and death are deeply founded in the Scriptures, so are also his kingdom, his resurrection and ascension. In this manner we must view the ascension of Christ. Otherwise it will afford us neither pleasure nor profit. For what good will it do you if you merely preach that he ascended up to heaven and sits there with folded hands? This is what the prophet would say in the Psalm Christ is ascended on high and has led captivity captive. That is to say, not only does he sit up there but he is also down here. And for this purpose did he ascend up thither, that he might be down here, that he might fill all things and be everywhere present; which thing he could not do had he remained on earth, for here in the body he could not have been present with all. He ascended to heaven, where all hearts can see him, where he can deal with all men, that he might fill all creation. He is present everywhere and all things are filled with his fullness. Nothing is so great, be it in heaven or on earth, but he has power over it, and it must be in perfect obedience to him. He not only governs and fills all creation (that would not help my faith any nor take away my sins), but also has led captivity captive.

31. This captivity some have interpreted to mean that he delivered the sainted patriarchs out of the stronghold of hell; but that interpretation does not benefit our faith any either, for it is not particularly edifying to faith.

Therefore, we must simply understand the matter thus: that he means that captivity which captures us and holds us captive. I am Adam’s child, full of sin and foully besmirched; therefore, the law has taken me captive, so that I am lettered in conscience and sentenced to death.

32. From this captivity no one can free himself, save only that one man Christ. What did he do? He made sin, death, and Satan his debtors. Sin fell upon him as though it would vanquish him, but it lost the day; he devoured sin. And Satan, death, and hell fared the same way. But we are unable to do this unless he be present to aid us. Alone, we must needs perish, But he, since he had done no sin and was full of righteousness, trod under foot Satan, death and hell, and devoured them, and took everything captive that fain would capture us, so that sin and death no longer can do harm.

33. This, then, is the power he causes to be preached, that all who believe in him are released from captivity. I believe in him by whom sin, death, and all things that afflict us, were led captive. It is a pleasing discourse, and full of comfort, when we are told that death is taken away and slain, so that it is no longer felt. However, it affords pleasure and comfort only to those who believe it. You will not find release from captivity in your works, fastings, prayers, castigations, tonsures, and gowns, and whatever more things you may do; but only in the place where Christ sits, whither he ascended and whither he led captivity with him. Hence, he who would be freed from sin and delivered from Satan and death, must come thither where Christ is. Now, where is he? He is here with us, and for this purpose did he sit down in heaven, that he might be near unto us. Thus, we are with him up there and he is with us down here. Through the word he comes down and through faith we ascend up.

34. So, we see everywhere in the Scriptures that faith is such an unspeakably great thing that we can never preach about it sufficiently nor reach it with words. It cannot be heard and seen, therefore it must be believed. Such is the nature of faith that it feels nothing at all, but merely follows the words which it hears, and clings to them. If you believe, you have; if you believe not, you have not. In this wise must we understand this article of faith, that Christ is ascended into heaven and sitteth at the right hand of God.

One Reader Got This Right - Mergers Are the Sign of Doctrinal Apostasy

I copied this article about a merged divinity school, Andover + Newton, merging with another divinity school, Yale Divinity + Berkeley Divinity.

The point I made was that all mergers are a sign of financial crisis, as mentioned in the book I just ordered - Financial Meltdown in the Mainline?

But an astute reader observed on Facebook:

"Money isn't the problem, theology is. If their theology stood on Biblical principles they wouldn't so much trouble financially. (I'm not saying -no- financial problems because the culture has moved away from believing absolutes and is not interested in those who teach about them). The Church has become irrelevant to the prevailing culture."

This new combination of four divinity schools reminds me of another one. so forgotten that I had to look up the history.

Walter Rauschenbusch attended Rochester Divinity School, where he learned the apostate Historical Critical approach to the Bible which prevails among all the mainline denominations. His father almost became a pastor in the early version of the WELS, but that is another story.

Walter Rauschenbusch was a leader in the Social Gospel Movement, which stood for political activism in the church. His Theology of the Social Gospel (Yale Divinity lectures) was a typical liberal re-writing of Christian theology, much like the Braaten Jenson Dogmatics used in the ELCA seminaries.

A hallmark of every mainline denomination is its adoration of Rauschenbusch, where they always downplay his rationalistic anti-Trinitarian views.

A faculty member of Colgate Divinity school wrote An Outline of Christian Theology (1898) that became, in the words of a leading historian, "virtually the Dogmatik of evangelical liberalism."

Liberal Baptist Colgate Divinity spawned Rochester, which promoted Biblical criticism and the theory of evolution. John D. Rockefeller funded a new campus for the merged Colgate Rochester Divinity School. An early feminist and activist women's school joined the splendid campus.

Crozer joined the mix in 1970, boasting of its training of Martin Luther King, Jr, whose activism came from the Social Gospel Movement that Rauschenbusch helped promote.

St. Bernard's Roman Catholic School of Theology entered a relationship with this merger of mergers with dogged determination, eventually building its own campus nearby.

But wait - there's more.

Bexley-Seabury-Western (Episcopalian) also joined this merger mania, selling its campus at Northwestern University (Seabury-Western) and affiliating with Crozer Rochester etc etc but now cuddles up with Trinity ELCA Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, a place where I often stopped for book sales.

No wonder I forgot chunks of this history. I am dizzy from the details, and I did not even mention the training of Leonard Sweet, at Colgate Rochester. When I was on a Leonard Sweet crusade (against, not for) - I noticed that Church and Changers in WELS loved his work. In fact, Paul Calvin Kelm worked to have the apostate Sweet-talk the sect.

Sweet and WELS

Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "New Ager Leonard Sweet Advises LCMS, WELS, ELS":

Leonard Sweet teaches a Satanic New Age cosmic christ which is being consumed by the Emergent Church ~ horns and all. WELS is now teaching this to your children.

From the Church and Change discussion concerning Kelm's invitation for Sweet to teach the WELS.

One of the church’s most important and provocative thinkers.
No church leader understands better how to navigate the seas of the 21st century. A writer of vast imagination, poise and charm. I can’t imagine a Christian leader in America who hasn’t read one or more of _______ _______'s books.
Some statistician-types will drown you in doom and gloom. _______’s
message is uplifting, hopeful and relevant.

John Huebner


Thanks for the hint. I heard _____ speak at an "emerging church" conference this year and he didn't disappoint. Great choice!

Michael Borgwardt

How about Galatians two and Acts 15? Unless it can be demonstrated that inviting Sweet or Hunter is contrary to clear Scripture, may it be that those who are "hurt" and suffering "consternation" are like the Jewish Christians who wanted to impose their religious culture on the Gentiles? The reason to ask how someone outside our fellowship sees the mission field is that we may be viewing reality through the narrow window of our own church culture. Our church's theology, based on Scripture, must remain unchanged. Our church's culture, the product of our history and experience, narrowed by homogeneity, may benefit from an outside perspective.

Why are some offended when Church and Change invites an author to speak on contemporary culture, but NOT when the World Mission Board and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary invite a Baptist seminary professor to TEACH a method of communicating the Gospel for two+ days at our seminary. Which has the greater likelihood of influencing our pastors? Is there another agenda here?

Paul Calvin Kelm

I issued no personal attacks. I raised questions ("May it be. . " "Is there. . .") Contrast this with the letter I responded to, which makes the charge "knowingly cause offense." Why is it permissible to question the love and theological integrity of those who believe there is value in hearing an expert from outside our fellowship describe the culture that is our mission field, but not permissible to question the legitimacy of these charges or the spirit that prompts them? I appreciate your passion. Try to appreciate mine.

I'm not on the Church and Change list serve. Others have forwarded SOME postings to me and posted my comments for me. You'll understand, therefore, if I'm no longer responding.

Paul Calvin Kelm

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viewpoint (http://viewpoint.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "New Ager Leonard Sweet Advises LCMS, WELS, ELS":

While the WELS leadership turns a deaf ear to parish pastors and the laity, it eagerly chases after heresy from outside WELS. Then they wonder aloud why people like me hold them in such disgust.

The Frog in the Kettle

Leonard Sweet: "It's all a myth---that frog that slowly boils to death without realizing its environment has changed. Wikipedia smashes another illustration."

The Frog in the Kettle, by George Barna.

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GJ - I know about that because I am Facebook friends with Sweet and Stetzer. I am one of the few Lutherans who could be friends with both men and not start a popcorn cathedral of rock (with huge grants and subsidies of course).

I am not at all surprised that Sweet does his research and citations from Wikipedia.

Anyone with a little experience around animals knows that God's creatures are much smarter than the average Church Shrinker.

One WELS member said to me, "Guess what? My WELS pastor is having us read a book - The Frog in the Kettle. Have you heard of it?"

I said, "Yes. And you are the frogs he wants to boil alive."

Sweet, WELS, Church and Change

Bivens bragged about attending Fuller Seminary, as Valleskey and Kelm did.
Bivens and Valleskey both denied it.

In defending Paul Calvin Kelm, Frosty Bivens called him "no mean theologian," praise intended to awe the audience.

Kelm was pointman for the Church and Change Leonard Sweet conference. Kelm's buddies begged him to dis-invite Sweet, but Kelm would not even answer his critics on the Church and Change listserve. I have published that conversation.

Those who read the link will see that Sweet is clearly in touch with the demonic. The blog author discovered the connections with the Evangelicals back in 2000. I was writing about it in the 1980s - and being ignored, as usual.

The Shrinkers start out in the Reformed-Calvinistic camp with their precious UOJ, but their itching ears soon hear the siren call of occultism. Paul Y. Cho, South Korea, was one of the early blenders of occult and Christian thought - the ultimate winner being his Father Below. I heard Cho and met him in Wheaton, Illinois.

Earlier than Cho was a WELS favorite - Norman Vincent Peale. That man's Power of Positive Thinkingwas largely plagiarized from an earlier occultic work. Peale was kelming before Kelm! My source for that claim is the final issue of a quarterly journal the LCA produced. I was editing an article for one of my professors and it was published in that issue, as I recall.

Swimming in the same cesspool is Napoleon Hill, whose Think and Grow Rich has influenced so many, including Robert Schuller, who rightly claims to have invented the Church Growth Movement. Hill wrote about communing with the ancient spirits who hovered in his office.

If you think Hill is old news, he influenced Mary Kay of cosmetics fame, and many others as well. A quick Googling linked Mary Kay, W. Clement Stone (insurance fortune and his own foundation) and Hill.

Where did it all begin? The Father of Lies is the founder of all this, but Asian religion has served as a good mediator. Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism are anti-confessional, a-historical, and perfect for combining their concepts with formulas for success.

Cho combined South Korean religion with Pentecostalism and earned rave reviews in America. He was a guest professor at Fuller Seminary, thus proving my Unified Field Theory of Church Shrinkage. In the name of success, the false teachers have used the demonic to destroy their own denominations.

Who is denounced? 

And who is paid lavishly for proclaiming these falsehoods and denying their associations?


The answers tell you how bad it is.