 |
| Jay Webber says JonBoy Buchholz give JP Meyer a bruising - or was it a big hickey? |
From a Reader
Hello Pastor Jackson:
Thank you for your work to uphold the doctrine of Justification by Faith at this time when some Lutheran theologians teach universal justification.
I read your posts about the debate on Facebook between Lutheran laymen and UOJ theologians.
I'm surprised that such a debate took place because I've found that theologians who believe UOJ are careful to keep it sotto voce when interacting with laity because UOJ contradicts what laity know to be fundamental Lutheran doctrine.
To illustrate UOJ teachings, you've published the following quotes from J.P. Meyer:
I. "Objectively speaking, without any reference to an individual sinner's attitude toward Christ's sacrifice, purely on the basis of God's verdict, every sinner, whether he knows about it or not, whether he believes it or not, has received the status of a saint. What will be his reaction when he is informed about this turn of events? Will he accept, or will he decline?"240
J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, A Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, p. 103f. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.
II. "Before Christ's intervention took place God regarded him as a guilt-laden, condemned culprit. After Christ's intervention and through Christ's intervention He regards him as a guilt-free saint."
J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, A Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, p. 107. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.
III. "This applies to the whole world, to every individual sinner, whether he was living in the days of Christ, or had died centuries before His coming, or had not yet been born, perhaps has not been born to this day. It applies to the world as such, regardless of whether a particular sinner ever comes to faith or not."
J. P. Meyer, Ministers of Christ, A Commentary on the Second Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1963, p. 109. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.
Every Lutheran layman learns the Small Catechism in his confirmation classes. In the Small Catechism in the explanation of the third article of the Apostle's Creed, Martin Luther explained how a person is justified:
I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him. But the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with his gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith.
On the Last Day he will raise up me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers.
Nowhere does Luther say that one needs to do something or make a decision to be saved, rather he says that one's actions play no role in salvation. Salvation is entirely the work of God.
Nowhere does Luther say that everyone is saved, rather he says that only believers (that is, those with faith) are saved.
I recall my confirmation training, with my 1943 CPH edition of Luther's Small Catechism and my King James Bible, in which the pastor taught the doctrine of justification:
Pastor: “How are we justified before God?"
Class: By faith
Pastor: “Whose faith, our faith?”
Class: No, the faith of Jesus. Galatians 2:16, KJV
Pastor: “After God justifies us by imputing the righteousness of Jesus, how is his action evident in our lives?”
Class: The Holy Ghost works faith in our hearts so that we believe God and lead God-fearing lives.
Could you imagine the reaction in a congregation if a pastor were to include UOJ in his Easter sermon? For example:
“The thief on the cross who confessed Jesus was saved. But you know what? The thief who mocked Jesus was saved too. And so were the Roman soldiers who beat Jesus, the crowd who told Pilate to crucify Jesus, and Judas Iscariot. In fact, everyone who ever lived is a guilt-free child of God and an heir of Heaven, regardless of whether he ever comes to faith or not. That's right, the whole world is saved whether they know it or not.”
On another subject, you recently published a post that included a photo of you standing underneath a statue of C.F.W. Walther. In light of the things you've written about Walther over the years, don't you think you were tempting fate by standing underneath the statue?
Thanks
Sleepless in Sedona
 |
