Review of Making Disciples - On Amazon.com

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5.0 out of 5 starsWhat does it really say? Translations or merchandising?

By Java Dude on October 27, 2016

Format: Paperback

While reading this book, and this applies to all others I have read by the same author, you will have the treat of ready access to a deep and wide resource in the form of Dr. Jackson’s education, teaching, and preaching. With advanced degrees from Yale and Harvard (GJ - Notre Dame, rather than Harveard - but two of my ND professors now occupy endowed chairs at Harvard), Jackson’s writing reflects a disciplined approach he honed in the process. He has a love for footnotes and quotations from sources. Jackson will bring into play tools from original languages of the Bible, history, geography, philosophy and of course theology, and use them to craft a narrative that is unusually comprehensive. Lucid and refreshingly succinct, Dr. Jackson carves with precision to his points.

Making Disciples is not merely a discussion of the venerable “Great Commission” found in the closing verses of Matthew 28. That subject is vivisected, to be sure, but an historical background of the English versions of the Bible is also presented, along with Luther’s German Bible and the Vulgate Latin. All of this serves to add context and relevance to the discussion itself without distraction. Jackson writes with a density not to be found in many wordy so-called Christian books that flood the best seller lists. He’s not being paid by the word here, and he doesn’t profit a couple million dollars each time he takes to pen, as do the megachurch rockstars so long in enthusiasm and short in academia. Dr. Jackson writes from mind and heart and the reader is a benefactor.

After reading Making Disciples, you will learn how Bible versions often contain agendas carefully inserted into the translation, along with footnotes that work to undermine the original Greek meaning, here and there again, to bend the Bible to suit the particular theology being advanced. Many examples are provided from both Testaments, laid bare and naked, and they can be startling to behold. A question is made to whether some new versions are actually new at all, or simply a profitable exercise in Bible merchandising.

A call to appreciate again (for some of us) and anew (for younger of us) the King James Version is made by Jackson, and solid argument provided to bolster its accuracy and beauty. To overcome some of the difficulties of the KJV, Jackson recommends the 21st Century translation, available on Amazon in book form, and also online at BibleGateway dot com. I have begun including KJV21, as it is also known, in my own studies and enjoy it.

I highly recommend this short book to anybody with respect and love for the inerrant Word.

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5.0 out of 5 starsA thorough treatise on the error of "make disciples" by ...

By Glen on September 10, 2016

Format: Paperback

A thorough treatise on the error of "make disciples" by Lutheran Bishop Gregory L. Jackson. For more history information about the destructive philosophy of Pietism check out his blog: [...]

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GJ - Reviews really help in the teaching office of the church. Many of the books I might want to study or buy begin with reading some book reviews. One does not have to be a professional book reviewer to post a review.

Thank you for everyone who wants to help. Thanks, Java Dude and Glen.

Start by going to the Pastor Gregory L. Jackson author page and picking a book to review.

My Summary of Universal Objective Justification - The False Gospel of the Synodical Conference. From 2013

The WELS Conference of Pussycats went looking for false doctrine,
and found it - in justification by faith.

The Scriptures
Justification by faith is taught by the Holy Spirit, throughout the Scriptures. That is the Chief Article of the Christian Faith.

The Lutheran Reformation
Luther, Melanchthon, Andreae, Chytraeus, and Leyser contributed in various ways to the Book of Concord, 1580. All taught justification by faith. On this distinguished list, no one taught or even implied any version, flavor, or nuance of Universal Objective Justification.

Samuel Huber's UOJ
Samuel Huber, a former Calvinist, promoted the first version of Universal Objective Justification, shortly after the completion of the Book of Concord. He was serving on the faculty of Wittenberg University. Polycarp Leyser and A. Hunnius defeated the efforts of Huber, who became a wandering exile from Lutheranism.

Huber's UOJ sounds exactly like WELS UOJ today. And that is really no different from the eructations of Eduard Preuss, the St. Louis professor who turned Roman Catholic apologist - everyone is already forgiven. When Christ died on the cross or (alternately) rose from the grave, God said, "OK, every single Hindu, atheist, cannibal, and polytheist is forgiven and saved." No one ever recorded that statement in the Scriptures, but the UOJ Stormtroopers tell me that universal absolution is the whole point of the Bible and the Reformation.

Pietism influenced Calov, but not enough to make him spew UOJ.

Robert Preus admired Quenstedt's detail and precision in theology.

Lutheran Orthodoxy Fading
If the Lutheran Reformation, Luther and Melanchthon, are all neglected today, the next generations of Lutheran scholars are treated with even greater indifference. The list in Robert Preus' two-volume work is filled with names that mean nothing to most of us. Preus was the last in a line of Americans who really knew those writings - Lenski and Hoenecke being among them.

The age of Lutheran Orthodoxy became mixed with Pietism, so the list in Robert Preus' work is not one of scholars totally devoted to Luther and the Book of Concord. He stated that Calov was influenced by Pietism. I imagine Sebastian Schmidt was a Pietist, because Schmidt seemed to produce a lot of UOJ material that Preus quoted in his earlier days.

Pietism as the Great Filter
All of the America Lutheran church bodies came over from Pietism, and they were established in Pietism.

Muhlenberg was a Pietist from Halle University. He established the ULCA branch of the LCA/ELCA. 

Bishop Stephan was a Pietist who studied at Halle. He taught his version of justification to CFW Walther, and Walther never changed.

Loehe was a Pietist who founded the Ft. Wayne seminary and the LCMS. His men invited the Stephan cult to join them. Loehe was flushed down the memory hole by Walther, but he was a positive influence on the LCMS in many ways. 

The Walther ministers were trained in rationalism and associated themselves with two Pietist leaders, the second one being Stephan. Absolute obedience to the guru was demanded and enforced.

The Swedish and Norwegian Lutherans who came over in the 19th century were also Pietists, which means the entire history of American Lutheran church bodies was one of dominant Pietism. 

Adolph Hoenecke, the WELS dogmatics professor and author, graduated from Halle

Halle was the center of Pietism, so Halle and Spener were sacred cows.

UOJ and Pietism
Rambach is a convenient historical marker for Pietism, Halle, and UOJ. The first baptism hymn in The Lutheran Hymnal was written by Rambach.

Knapp is the direct connection between the Synodical Conference (WELS, LCMS, ELS) and UOJ. The Halle professor taught there forever, and his published lectures pre-date the voyage of Stephan's sex cult to Perryville, Missouri.

Knapp was so dominant in the 19th century that his dogmatics book (in English) was used in all the mainline seminaries in America. The English translation used the language of two justifications, so fondly used by all the Waltherians today. 

UOJ and Mainline Universalism
Hoenecke's mentor at Halle, Tholuck, was a self-proclaimed Universalist.

UOJ became the dogma of all mainline Protestant bodies, so the Synodical Conference (for all its posturing) simply blended with the liberal unionistic bodies it was so keen to criticize. 

That is why the SynCons are so comfortable with ELCA unionism today - they all teach the same dogma of universal absolution - in the name of pure grace.

Did Justification by Faith Survive in the Synodical Conference?
Walther ruled over his sect, following the example of Bishop Stephan. He picked the subservient F. Pieper to parrot his teaching, which he cloned from Stephan. Nevertheless, it was a Germanic group, so access to Luther was easy. Missouri produced a gorgeous set of Luther's works in German, high quality paper and binding. I once owned that set and sold it to a WELS Quisling.

Gausewitz (WELS) was respected enough to be president of the Synodical Conference. His original catechism contained not a word of UOJ. Mark Schroeder should dig up Gausewitz' body and burn him at the stake. No wait. His First VP, James Huebner, has done one better - making Gausewitz disappear completely from Grace, Milwaukee. 

The LCMS German catechism taught justification by faith in 1905.

The English KJV catechism being sold by CPH teaches justification by faith, not UOJ. "2 Million Sold!" Harrison should excommunicate Paul McCain.

Adolph Hoenecke - WELS took forever to translate his work.

WELS - And ELS - Allergic to the Book of Concord. Brett Meyer Observations. Wayne Mueller's Attack on the Book of Concord. From 2011

Wayne Mueller Think about this, ELS and LCMS fans - the former WELS VP and Seminary Professor uses the Book of Concord upon which to wipe his disgusting feet.
Use of Symbols and Scripturesin the Church and Ministry Debate

http://essays.wls.wels.net/bitstream/handle/123456789/3382/MuellerSymbols_0.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y

(W)ELS is not restricted to the Lutheran Confessions. Wayne Mueller states that appeals to the Lutheran Confessions did not resolve the UOJ controversy. He fails to explain that the reason the Lutheran Confessions did not end the controversies and why the Lutheran Confessions do not limit the (W)ELS in matters of doctrine and practice is because they reject the BOC as being the faithful explanation of God's chief articles of Christian faith which they as professing the Lutheran name have sworn and oath to uphold. There are far more quotes than these but this should help begin the discussion concerning the glory of the (W)ELS.

What a drag - to be a WELS pastor, a Church and Changer,
and Wayne Mueller's son.

"We apply the Confessions as a limited standard to judge those doctrines which they directly or incidentally addresses."

Page 5

"IV. Application of the Confessions to the Present Controversy

Appeal to the Lutheran symbols did not resolve the inspiration of Scriptures controversy. No, our confessions do not have the last word when it comes to determining what we are to teach. That belongs to Scripture. When, therefore, the matter of the inspiration of Scripture becomes a contested doctrine in the church, as it has, God expects us to state what Scripture states. It is not necessary to call a council of all Lutherans to determine what the Lutheran stand will be: Scripture has already determined that. We are not restricted to those doctrines laid down in our confessions. (Harold Wicks, Scripture is the Course and Norm for the Christian’s Faith and Life,’ Our Great Heritage, Vol. I, p 84)"

Page 6


"We are not restricted to those doctrines laid down in our confessions. This is the very procedure followed in the confessions themselves. The Augustana did not restrict itself to those points treated in the Apostles’ Creed. The Formula of Concord [1577], in turn, did not restrict itself to those doctrinal statements found in the Augustana [1530], the Apology [1531], or the Smalcald articles [1537]. It went beyond them, because the framers of these documents considered it wise to do so. This is especially true of its Article on God’s Eternal Foreknowledge and Election. (Harold Wicks, "What is Doctrine According to Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions,’ Our Great Heritage, Vol. I, p 841"

Page 7



"Appeal to the Lutheran symbols did not resolve the objective justification controversy.

(Note Vernon Harley’s use of the Confessions to limit exegetical conclusions in his "Exegetical Study of Scripture Passages Generally Used to Teach ‘Objective’ or ‘Universal’ Justification" 1984, p8) "This is basically why they contend so strongly for ‘objective’ justification and go a step further than our Lutheran Confessions insisting that Objective Justification is the Chief article of the Christian Faith, while our Confessions give that honor to justification by grace through faith" (Formula of Concord, S.D. III, 6, p. 540 in Tappert)."

Page 7

http://www.wlsessays.net/files/MuellerSymbols.pdf

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GJ - Judging from LI's experience, I would say that the Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie does a better job than The Sausage Factory - when it comes to using the Book of Concord.

However, since UOJ Wisconsinites dominate both sects, the results are the same. The ELS pastors know Lutheran doctrine better, but the ELS leaders parrot the WELS line on everything.

John Shep wants people to know that he coined the line, "When Mischke drinks beer in Milwaukee, Orvick burps in Mankato." Shep is now an ELCA pastor.

First of all, WELS pastors do not know Lutheran doctrine at all. What they know, they despise. There are exceptions, but they have to stay under the WELSian radar, and away from the WELS KGB.

WELS does a poor job of teaching the Confessions, so no one has the capacity to read and teach the Confessions - not that they care to do so. Wayne Mueller, another advocate of UOJ and Church Growth, is typical in his snotty attitude about the Book of Concord.

Everyone must look at the claims of WELS and the reality. The gap is breathtaking, like looking across the Grand Canyon the first time. That is always the WELS approach - a boastful claim for the public, a snide and arrogant attitude for the brothers. Their quia subscription might as well be a Chia subscription to the Book of Concord.

A Chia subscription to the Book of Concord - is just as meaningless as a quia subscription to a book they neither trust nor comprehend.
But it will grow on you. ---

2016 Update

 No, they are rationalistic Pietists.

GJ - In 1987, WELS always made a point of sticking their noses in the air whenever the LCMS was mentioned. But bad times make strange bedfellows. The three Synod Presidents have one thing in common - they disregard the Book of Concord completely and teach against the Chief Article of the Christian Religion - Justification by Faith. Now they rejoice in their joint proclamation of Universal Objective Justification - forgiveness without faith, universal absolution nowhere mentioned in the Scriptures yet spawned in Halle in the era of Pietism.

Jointly, they despise Christian News, which is really their free public relations machine and spiker of the news. One is far more likely to read about the crimes of the ELS-WELS-LCMS church workers in the press than in the synodical rags or Christian News.

Many think Hillary Clinton is a rape and abuse enabler. The synod presidents and Christian News are even more so. The so-called Lutheran leaders and their submissive, xerox-room editor are certain that the truth would hurt their synodical business. They suppress felony arrests, the FBI raid at WELS headquarters, murders, and the rites of sodomy (unless they are Roman Catholic).

 Strategic leaking through kin works - how well?
Deniability was invented by Richard Nixon,
perfected by WELS clergy.

The irony is, these leaders gladly promote falsehoods in order to protect their fiefdoms. They surround themselves with cronies so incompetent that the leaders look rather intelligent in comparison. The truth would make them stronger, albeit out of work. Their falsehoods have the same effect as the drunken destruction of Ulm Cathedral. The polluting efforts of the Lutheran alcoholics are gradually eroding the structure they pretend to cherish.

 The New Ulm WELS members are
as dedicated to eroding the Church
as the Ulm drunks are.

Here is a game WELS clergy play. They pretend to be sympathetic when they ask people about what is wrong. But be warned - WELS clergy are like mushrooms - they are the fruiting bodies of fungus. They have no value except to send their spores into the air, to land and draw nutrition from rot and decay, which they facilitate. WELS clergy gather information to use against critics. "Where did you get that from? Who told you?" They realize that addressing a problem, even the destruction of a parish, will only harm their own careers. Everything told them will be used against the dissenter.

Any falsehood will do. If someone leaves the congregation, "he moved away from our town," which is odd when the same person is still around.

The Mordor Class of 1970 is passing into history. Six men have destroyed more churches than the Chicago Fire, grabbing colossal salaries drawn from Other People's Money in the process. Christian News gets about $220,000 per year in donations to help protect their dogma, their destructive programs, and their overblown reputations.