Background for Sermon on November 11, 2018

http://bookofconcord.org/sd-righteousness.php 

The Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article III,
The Righteousness of Faith

 6] This article concerning justification by faith (as the Apology says) is the chief article in the entire Christian doctrine, without which no poor conscience can have any firm consolation, or can truly know the riches of the grace of Christ, as Dr. Luther also has written: If this only article remains pure on the battlefield, the Christian Church also remains pure, and in goodly harmony and without any sects; but if it does not remain pure, it is not possible that any error or fanatical spirit can be resisted. (Tom. 5, Jena, p. 159.) 7] And concerning this article especially Paul says that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

1. In the Gospel of John, believing and witnessing to the truth go together - and there is only one Truth in the Bible.
2. This is directly related to creeds, because the people witnessing were responding to the truth, the revelation of Christ Jesus. The witness is the result of God's revelation.
3. In the early Church, there were various Creeds and catechisms. Some poetical passages may very well be reminders of the memorized creeds or hymns they used. 1 Timothy 3:16.
4. Creeds are secondary to Scripture, but that does not make them "boring and irrelevant" as one WELS pastor said.
5. Apostates and unionists do not like creeds. Apostates have lost their faith, and unionists see all roads as leading to God. Both are hostile to faith.
6. Hymns and creeds are born in conflict, so they are valuable for that reason.
7. The Formula of Concord, 1580, came from 50 years of doctrinal strife after the Augsburg Confession. Luther considered himself a "theologian of the Augsburg Confession," as the Book of Concord editors did.
8. Confessions are not weighty chains that imprison us in the past - they are witness to Biblical truths, which inform us and keep us from making the same mistakes again.
9. The Book of Concord is a reference book, which we read in small sections at a time. Justification can be looked up in AC IV and V, the Apology, and FC III.
10. We can see for ourselves in the parts are in agreement with each other and with the Scriptures.

Chemnitz - Apology of the Book of Concord - Ending. 

The Zwinglians are like renters ordering the property owners around so there is peace and harmony. They came after the Lutheran Reformation and declared Sacraments did not offer forgiveness, and the "Holy Spirit did not need a vehicle, like an oxcart." They denied the Real Presence in Holy Communion.

 Universal Objective Justification is a perfect case of this, as Hoenecke falsely claimed, "protecting the Gospel," so much that now WELS-ELS-LCMS are in agreement with each other, and ELCA, against the Chief Article, against Luther, against the Scriptures.

Luther's Galatians

FC. III. 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. Luther's beautiful and glorious exposition of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians.

This is another provision, lest the topic be kidnapped by false teachers. The editors thought so highly of this work that they recommended it to everyone for additional study of Justification. How often is it cited and quoted by UOJ salesmen?

Romans 5:1-2 summarizes Romans 4 and then elaborates  further, after 5:2.

5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

5 δικαιωθεντες (Having been justified) ουν (therefore) εκ πιστεως (by faith) ειρηνην εχομεν (we have peace) προς τον θεον (with God) δια του κυριου ημων (through our Lord) ιησου χριστου (Jesus Christ).

2 δι ου (through Whom) και (also) την προσαγωγην εσχηκαμεν (we have an entryway) τη πιστει (by faith) εις την χαριν ταυτην (into this grace) εν η εστηκαμεν (in which grace we stand) και καυχωμεθα (and we boast or exult) επ ελπιδι (in the hope) της δοξης του θεου (of the glory of God).

Trinity Seminary ELCA and Its Leadership

The new head of Trinity Seminary is Seminex graduate Kit Kleinhans, formerly a professor at Wartburg Seminary.

 The new president of Capital University is Beth Paul.
Cap Seminary and Hamma Divinity School merged, and now the university is merging with the merger.

 As some have noticed, all the leaders are not men.
Many insights about ELCA bishops can be read here. To keep up with what is happening, always read the PR releases.

The decline of Trinity Seminary is probably connected to the disastrous lawsuit linked here, which involved ordaining someone completely unfit for the ministry and covering up key details about him and a synod staff person. WELS would say, "Nothing happened!" but the court said $37 million plus another $32 million.

"In addition to Thursday’s verdict, an attorney for the plaintiffs disclosed that separate settlements reached before the trial totaled $32 million. Those deals were struck with the Chicago-based denomination and the seminary in Columbus, Ohio, that Thomas attended."

The UOJ Shock Troops Reject the Scriptures Alone - The Plain Meaning of the Word - in Favor of Philosophy. Romanists in Disguise Eventually Join Rome

 Nothing in this Edward Preuss ecstatic statement is in harmony with the Scriptures.

Philosophy is a fascinating subject, for some. Its appeal is so great that they openly identify with a school of thought and make everything fit with that style of thinking.

However, identification with a philosophy is at war with the Scriptures, because the Scriptures judge all books.

Roman Catholic elites are trained in philosophy, especially those suited for powerful positions. Their continuing problem is that post-Kant, their Medieval system is subject to total destruction. But before that developed, they were devoted to Aquinas, who planted his flag on Aristotle.

The only way to study the Bible is to read the clear, plain meaning of the Word - setting aside all philosophical systems. Sometimes Luther used his training in philosophy, to employ the tools of philosophy against Roman dogma, but his weapon was always the Word.

The advantage laity have over clergy is their lack of synodical brain-washing. Seminaries train future pastors to be synodocrats. Those who conform best and think least are rewarded with non-parish jobs, high-carb dinners, and free deluxe travel. One could start a new synod simply from settled, hush-hush lawsuits each year.

So "I'm only a layman" is an advantage, not a liability.

Jesus said, "Search the Scriptures," not "Go to seminary" - a profound distinction. Christians - not just Lutherans - have always held that the Scriptures already contain every revelation we need to know to be a believer, a member of Jesus' family, forgiven through faith in Him by God's grace.

Examples
The efficacy of the Scriptures is a phrase used to express the power of the Word, but "efficacy" itself is also a word used in many examples in the New Testament. I elaborated on that in Thy Strong Word.

The Trinity is a term that was used much later to express the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, so it is shorthand for the revelation of the Godhead from Genesis 1 onward.

Justification and justify are court terms. They are always used in the New Testament with faith. Paul employed another phrase - imputed or counted - which we find in the Septuagint Greek version of Abraham's justification: Abraham believed and it was counted as righteousness.

Strange New Philosophies - Begone
The advantages of studying movements, philosophies, schools of thought are thus -

1. We spot the intruder, like a sprig of poison ivy growing up the fence.
2. We prove that the intruder is not expressed anywhere in the plain meaning of the Word - and remove it, roots and all.
3. We note where false teachers have expressed an unnatural love for other false teachers and a hatred for the plain meaning of the Word.

This phenomenon is apparent in the family tree of Bishop Martin Stephan, STD.

• Stephan was a Bohemian Pietist, called by a Bohemian Pietist parish and given special privileges as a Bohemian Pietist.
• Stephan was trained in part at Halle University, the center of Pietism, where we find the Easter absolution of the entire world (UOJ) taught by Rambach and others.
• Walther and his clergy pals clustered around one abusive Pietist, who died, then switched to another abusive Pietist, Stephan - who took them to America.
• The Stephanites were so full of themselves that they urged married people to divorce their spouses and escape to America with them.
• Scholars acknowledge that Walther learned his UOJ from Stephan.
• "Lutherans" who promote UOJ have been nurtured in Pietism - the Preus clan, ELS and WELS leaders.

The Following Fake Conservatives aka Fake Orthodox Lutherans - Deny Six-Day Creation by the Word of God

Those who promote Justification without Faith, UOJ - that is, without the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace - also deny the Creation of the universe in six days. If God does not work forgiveness through the Word, then these rationalists, by implication, do not credit God with Creation through the Logos. They deny John 1:3.

They reject Romans 4 and substitute their strange delusions about the entire unbelieving world being absolved of all sin, declared forgiven, and given the status of guilt-free saints. Where is this formula found? Nevermind.

Their hatred of faith is so great that they imagine grace is opposed to faith, and faith is the enemy of grace - a work of man. Did Jesus say, John 16:7 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you. 8 And when He is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on Me..."?

The professors scream in class about "making faith a work," as if they have never read the Fourth Gospel. John 6: 28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." Irony is wasted on our current works-saints, as it was in the olden days.

Everyone is forgiven without the Word?
Then Creation by the Word is denied.

If they deny the Chief Article, are they orthodox, confessional, or apostate? They are not Lutherans if the Book of Concord, quoting Luther, says Justification by Faith is the Chief Article.

 Creation by the Word - denied.

 Creation denied - lactation from a statue of Mary - affirmed.

UOJ joyfully confessed - so, Creation denied.

 Church Growth gimmicks confessed - Creation denied.

 God's Creation - compromised, denied.

Justification of the World? - No Justification by Faith.
Creation denied.

Hitler Videos - All Six - Back by Popular Demand

Hitler Finds Out That Glende's Lawsuit Has Failed


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Hitler Finds Out about Confessional Lutheran Memes on Facebook





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Hitler Discovers the Ichabod Videos



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Hitler Finds Luther's Sermons Posted on Ichabod





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Hitler Wants an Easter Egg Hunt and Live Bunnies



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Hitler Loses the UOJ War


Hitler tries to stop the Rolf Synod from stirring up the justification by faith debate:

Background for Reverends Hategood, Fauxdoktor, and Wolfszähne

These passages if read you will,
peace find you will.

Background for Reverends Hategood, Fauxdoktor, and Wolfszähne

Brothers, colleagues, members of the clergy:

A conflict has broken out in a small corner of Lutherdom. Someone is insisting on Justification by Faith, which must be addressed at once. You have commissioned yourselves to take on this task, out of duty and love for Universal Objective Justification.

Since you are Scriptures-alone pastors, I have listed some passages for you to study. Hammer this thick-headed fellow with the truth, but only from the Word of God, lest your arguments go astray. You know the passages or can look them up, so I will simply outline the easy yoke for you to bear;

Genesis 3:15 - God promised the Savior, so what was His intent, in giving Adam, Eve, and humanity this hope?

Genesis 15:5-6 - God promised an ever-growing and everlasting kingdom through Abraham's line, through the Savior. Abraham believed this Messianic Promise, and it was counted as ______?

Why are Jews called children of Abraham, not children of Moses?
Luke 13:16, 19:9).

Lazarus went to the bosom of Abraham in Luke. Why is Abraham the figure in heaven? Luke 16:19ff.

Why is Abraham an example in Hebrews 11 and in James?

Romans 4 KJV
Romans is the major doctrinal epistle of the New Testament, so unless y'all argue for contradictions in the Bible, Romans speaks for the Holy Spirit and all verses of the Bible agree with it. Have I lost anyone? Good.

4:1-3. One is either justified, declared forgiven, by works or by faith. There are no alternatives.

4:5-8. If by works, no grace - verse 5. If by faith, then it is by grace - verse 5. So it is a blessing, writes David, to be forgiven without works - that is - by faith - verses 6-7. Forgiving means not imputing, not counting sin - verse 8.

4:9-12.   The issue is not circumcision or lack of circumcision, but faith, the conclusion of his previous argument about Jews versus Gentiles - verse 9. Abraham was Justified by Faith without circumcision - verse 10. Circumcision was much later given as a seal of his Justification by Faith, which happened without circumcision - verse 11. This made Abraham "the father of all who believe" so they are also Justified by Faith - verse 11. And made him the father of Jewish believers - verse 12.

4:13-14.  The Promise is through the righteousness of faith - verse 13. If by law or inheritance, the Promise has no effect - verse 14.

4:15-17.   The Law works wrath, so the absence of Law means no transgression - verse 15. Therefore the Promise and forgiveness are through faith and grace. Faith does not exclude grace - verse 16. Abraham is the father of many nations through faith - verse 17. God even raises the dead through the Word - verse 17.

4:18 Abraham believed in God's Promise of a son leading to the Messianic Kingdom - verse 18. Almost dead in body, both Abraham and Sarah, he believed - verse 19 In faith, Abraham glorified God and trusted in His Promise - verse 20. He did not give up in doubt but believed - verse 21.

4:22   Therefore, his faith was counted or imputed as righteousness - verse 22.

How This Applies To Us

4:23 This was not written just for Abraham that faith was counted for him - verse 23. But it was written for us too, and righteousness will also be counted or imputed if we believe in Him Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead - verse 24. Who was delivered for our offenses and raised for our justification - verse 25.

Abraham's Example - Conclusion and Transition from Chapter 4
5:1-2 Because we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ - verse 1.  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

The Gospel of John - Ask Jesus

John 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

A Little Bit of Unionism History

S. S. Schmucker backed unionism with the Reformed (Calvinism).
His seminary was Gettysburg (we have been there).
The General Council, about half of the General Synod, broke with the unionists/revivalists and formed the Philadelphia Seminary (I was interviewed there). Together they formed United Lutheran Seminary and called a Presybterian woman as their first president, then fired her.

On the General Synod. I do not know their leaders well but they were unionistic with the Calvinists. The American Platform from S. S. Schmucker was to drop baptismal regeneration and the Real Presence. I imagine they thought that left JBFA a gem, but it all goes together.  S.S. would not talk to his son Benjamin, who became a genuine Lutheran.

 I talked to David Preus for the Michigan Synod, LCA, when he gave a speech saying the ALC was now willing to merge with the LCA. The former executives really regretted that merger, Crumley and Preus especially. He is first cousin of the sainted Jack and Robert Preus brothers. Hence this message from David:
"A short (75 pages) book of mine entitled Two Trajectories was published this year. It was written primarily for Preus descendants and briefly describes immigrant Norwegian-American church life and its legacy as it affected the various Lutheran church bodies and their members. The inability of Jack and his Missouri Synod followers to live peaceably with those of us who are now ELCA gets a critical airing."
They are all one with ELCA now, through UOJ.

Lots of Lutheran-Calvinist union congregations were started in Pennsylvania and Ohio. The LCA broke up a number of them, which shared equity and things like that in some kind of weird merger. But then, in the spirit of David Preus and communion with the Reformed, the LCA and ELCA began forming new "Lutheran"-Reformed congregations.

The original Wisconsin Synod (limited to that state) was unionistic at the core. So was the Michigan Synod which joined with WI to form WELS. That is the short version. In brief, lots of Lutherans were willing to give up the Real Presence, and that is a NO-GO, especially for a guy who saw grape juice and chicklet breads passed along the pews of the Disciples parish in Moline (now closed due to lack of interest). The altar said "Do This in Memory of Me" - the Sacrament is a ritual, symbolic, a memorial meal.

Some Lutherans used slightly different distribution formulas and some were vague. I only heard that once, where an Asian missionary alternated two formulas, one Real Presence and the other rather vague. 

1. There was a long period of deliberate unionism with the Reformed, where the Sacraments were no longer treated as sacraments, plus other idiocies.

2. In recent times, due to David Preus, that started over again with joint communion with many different denominations.

3. The "conservative" Lutherans long for that too and celebrate that by going to Fuller with ELCA and the Church of Rome.

WELS, the Little Sect on the Prairie, and the LCMS are all dedicated to unionism and doubtless more indifferent than S. S. Schmucker himself. In those day, questioning God's Creation would have meant an instant exit from any Lutheran group.

 When I wrote to David Preus about my opposition to communion with the Reformed, something he championed and led, he wrote back, mocking the Real Presence. The good die young.

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 In the late 1980s, Trinity Seminary was coaching its graduates on how the evade "the question" from call committees. This is the resulting lawsuit - which you do not want to read. Trinity is now a part of Cap University, ELCA.

Some distinguished professors and authors who taught at the seminary:

1. R. C. H. Lenski
2. H. C. Leupold
3. Matthias Loy

Herbert Carl Leupold on the Historicity of the Creation account in Genesis:

We are utterly out of sympathy with such an attitude; for it does not conform to the facts of the case. Nothing in the book warrants such an approach. It is rather a straightforward, strictly historical account, rising, indeed, to heights of poetic beauty of expression in the Creation account, in the Flood story, in the record of Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, in Judah’s plea before Joseph, and the like. But the writer uses no more of figurative language than any gifted historian might, who merely adorns a strictly literal account with the ordinary run of current figures of speech, grammatical and rhetorical.

Leupold. Exposition of Genesis. 1942. Introduction

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Dr. Herbert Carl Leupold, Columbus, Ohio, was born at Buffalo, N. Y., on July 23, 1891. He received his early education in the Lutheran parochial schools at Buffalo and later finished his elementary and secondary education in the Buffalo public schools. He received his pre-seminary and seminary training at the Martin Luther Theological Seminary at Buffalo, NY., which was discontinued when the Buffalo Synod became a part of the American Lutheran Church. Dr. Leupold graduated from the Martin Luther Seminary on June 24, 1914.

Thereupon he served as pastor of a mission, Ascension Lutheran congregation in Buffalo, and at the same time held an assistant professorship at the Martin Luther Seminary until 1922. He served as professor of historical theology at the Martin Luther Seminary from 1922 to 1929. In 1929, when the Buffalo Synod dosed Martin Luther Seminary, Dr. Leupold was transferred to the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary at Capital University, Columbus, O., where he became professor of Old Testament Theology, in which capacity he is serving at the present time. He was elected secretary of the Theological Seminary faculty in 1941.

Dr. Leupold received the Bachelor of Divinity degree from the Chicago Seminary in 1926 and the Doctor of Divinity degree from Capital University in 1935. Dr. Leupold has gained renown as an Old Testament scholar and an authority on liturgics. He has become a well-known lecturer and writer in these fields.

Dripping with Sanctimony - Buchholz Extends the Left Jackboot of Fellowship

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GJ - Buchie's appeals to Scripture and the Book of Concord are only citations. I could write, "Do some actual work, Jon-Boy." (Hamlet, V, scene  2).

But the appeals to Holy Mother WELS, to training at Mordor, oh my. My eyes were welling with tears - tears of laughter. There is nothing like the bullying and GA in WELS to beat UOJ into everyone.

But "the historical teaching of the Evangelical Lutheran Church?" Let the Buchholzian lying begin!

The original Synodical Conference Small Catechism by Gausewitz was Justification by Faith. Maybe they began "improving" on it after he died. It got almost as fat as the current LCMS debacle. But UOJ bare and shameless was not really there until the Kuske edition.

The LCMS did not officially teach UOJ in its catechism until this year, though the Walther-Pieper gang were always promoting it. The early LCMS catechisms were Justification by Faith. The KJV Small Catechism, which has sold 2 million copies! - is Justification by Faith.

Haha. Settled doctrine? I settled that above.

 You mean Rick Johnson, below?

Buchholz dumped all kinds of money on Rick Johnson, who flew the coop.

 Money? Money? If it's good for the Love Shack, it's good for me.

Lady on the right, "Is Ichabod here too?"

Basics of Universal Objective Justification - A Staggering Failure with Objective and Subjective Justification

 OJ is universal absolution without faith.
SJ is accepting that universal absolution without faith.

The language of doctrine has to be examined closely, since there is often a wide gap between claims and the ideas promoted. A lack of reading comprehension compounds the problem, so an ignorant and illiterate ministerium is easily led away by Judas goats.

All ye who enter here, abandon:

1. Synodical Conference history;
2. The authority of various individuals;
3. Attempts to let any book undermine the Book.
4. Answering personal attacks, since the Church does not rise or fall on whether you actually stole Halloween candy from children 45 years ago.

The history of doctrine is good to pursue, asking how we got into such a mess. However, starting with the history of doctrine will never end with clarity, because so much can be discussed without an edifying result.

Shortcomings in doctrine must answer to the Scriptures.

Universal Objective Justification falls into two parts, even before the adoption of Objective and Subjective Justification by misled Lutherans.

 Notice how the Calvinist translator's words parallel Walther's. Woods was not as frantic as later UOJers, who reveal what mission creep can do in the hands of false teachers: guilt-free saints in Hell (WELS).

Objective Justification
OJ does not bear any Scriptural scrutiny, but that scrutiny is required, no?  The  OJ dogma rests on a declaration, a statement from God that every single person in the world has been -

1. Declared righteous or innocent
2. Declared forgiven
3. Declared saved.

Those three points go together, but usually one or the other is emphasized. The OJists have taken the judicial decree to say it has nothing to do with faith and extends to the entire world. The Atonement is left strangely abandoned, because they correctly state that OJ is not the Atonement.

OJ "seats of doctrine" or proof texts are the moment of Christ's death and also the moment of His resurrection. Their conflicting times of Universal Absolution do not bother them.

1. "It is finished" is converted by them into "God has declared the unbelieving world righteous, forgiven, saved."
2. Justified by the Spirit is converted by them into - "God has justified the entire world." 1 Timothy 3:16

 WELS loves this, which is why Buchholz and Webber go around as toxic Team OJ. Is not imputation is connected to faith in Genesis 15 and Romans 4?

Questions for OJ

1. How can "It is finished" be stretched into a universal forgiveness of the world? Jesus' last Word is just what the words convey, the Lamb's sacrifice completed. The Atonement passages show that Jesus paid for the sins of the world, so one cannot take all of those explanations or any of them and fashion a divine pronouncement of universal absolution.
2. How can "justified in the Spirit" be expanded into another meaning and another time of universal forgiveness without faith? This statement within a poem/hymn/creed teaches that God declared Jesus (not the entire world) innocent, since death suggests sinfulness. 1 Timothy 3:16 is about the Savior, not world salvation. 
3. OJers grab the synonyms for the Atonement and exclaim, "The whole world is forgiven!" yet they deny a connection between the Atonement and their OJ. Let them learn that one cannot straddle two rowboats on the lake successfully.

 The Concordists said we should study Luther's Galatians on this topic, but the Quia Marias do not swear to reading anything.

Subjective Justification
"Rightly divide the Word of Truth" does not mean to cut Justification in half. Where in the Bible is one half and the other half? Or one side and the other side? And where is it a coin with an OJ side and that under-mentioned SJ side?

All this talk is intended to fool people into thinking that SJ is faith in Christ when it is not, and the OJ is the Atonement, when that is denied (and rightly so). Let me stop there - those two assumptions have cloaked and protected UOJ for decades. When those special terms are dropped, and Biblical language used, UOJ sinks faster than the S.S. Concordia.

 The sinking of the S.S. Concordia woke some up to the disaster called "our synod."

Subjective Justification is not faith in Christ, not even making a decision for Christ, but making a decision for world absolution, according to Walther himself.

While the Bible constantly teaches faith in Christ, the Enthusiasts hardly ever write about their SJ. Even when they do, they return quickly to their OJ "diamond" (Zarling), lest their gem crumble from lack of attention.

Abandoning Justification by Faith is only possible after rejecting the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace.

Biblical Language
A study of Biblical language will show no affinity between UOJ and the Christian Faith. The Gospel of John easily defeats these UOJ imposters, and so does St. Paul. Otherwise, we must assume that the Bible teaches Justification by Faith in the plainest possible words and UOJ in the secret code of the elite.

Walther was no genius. He was half-educated and had no grasp of the Biblical languages. One can easily see that his sermons are dogmatic assertions divorced from the Scriptures. In contrast, Luther's Biblical sermons are declarations of faith suitable for the Book of Concord - the Large Catechism.

Pastors must return to Biblical, expository sermons and be judged by the Word itself and not by whether they agree with David Scaer and David Valleskey.

Please show us the passage, O former President of Mordor, O fan of Church Growth, O alumnus of Fuller Seminary.

The Church of Rome Is the Canary in the Coal Mine Called the Mainline Church

 Archbishop Wilton Gregory turned a $15 million estate gift into a $2.2 million mansion for himself. But that is the least of all the problems. He was Cardinal Bernadin's protege. This well-researched story has some background on Wilton Gregory - not pleasant reading.

Long ago, unbidden, a woman told us about her son, a Roman Catholic priest. She assumed I was ELCA and began talking about how open-minded ELCA was. Cardinal Bernadin had been in a big scandal that was being tamped down. The facts were pretty clear, but when he walked across the stage, his clergy and colleagues applauded loudly. She said, "After a conference with Cardinal Bernadin, the cardinal said to my son - 'Stay healthy.'" There are many ways to say "Have a good day," but "Stay healthy" seems especially self-indicting.

That was around 30 years ago, when Rome was so battered by abuse scandals in the US and around the world that a special commission was commissioned. "Oh oh," I thought. Wilton Gregory was put in charge. The moment he appeared on the TV, I thought, "Rigged, just like WELS." One group was completely excluded from the so-called investigation and clean-up: SNAP. And who forced the issue on clergy abuse? - SNAP!

On a larger scale, that is just like a district praesidium members "investigating" their own corrupt scandals. They gather, follow the pre-arranged script, and absolve themselves.

Pope Francis, 30 years after the "investigation," is up to his mitre in world-wide scandals, cardinals in England, Australia, and America - exposed for their predatory behavior with men and boys. As Luther said in his day, "They worshiped the cardinals as gods who were satisfied with a woman."

 Pope Francis set Cardinal McCarrick loose again, just like the Michigan District WELS and the ELS praising and propping up Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, with help from Professor of Objective Justification Jay Webber.

The "conservative" Lutherans would have their people believe it is a problem in ELCA, but not in WELS, Missouri, or anywhere else. And yet the "conservatives" are perfectly happy working with ELCA through Thrivent, embracing the same dogma and diversions.

As they say in the crime business, Pope Francis is a dirty cop, so do not expect anything from him. The corrupt elected a pope who would keep their game going another 30 years. George Neumayer is worth reading on this topic, because he goes to the sources for information and knows the background of the prelates. I try to keep up at the cardinal level, but there are too many reprobates to remember them all.

The bigger the scandal, the greater the need to bury it, as the Lutherans know. When I mentioned the $40 million lawsuit against  ELCA (really a total of $70 million for years of child abuse by a known predator), Jack Kilcrease - UOJ expert and professor of apostasy at Jay Webber's online seminary - denied any knowledge of it. Though born in a WELS parsonage, Kilcrease went to an ELCA college and seminary. If he did not know, it never happened, we were supposed to think. I was happy to provide the link to the lawsuit.

In WELS, "nothing happened" is their favorite form of denial. In a similar case, the CP, a member of the odious Patterson gang, shouted "Nothing happened!" I asked, "Then why did the District President fly to the parish and have the church constitution changed?" The CP gulped from my knowledge of the facts. Gulping is such a satisfying response to the truth. The liar has a script but the words have to be swallowed quickly rather than shared.

If the lies and scandals are at the top, the members can be certain that the leaders are in office as the criminal lawyers for the pastors and teachers - thick as thieves, they all are (with some exceptions). Herman Otten is happy to spike the story entirely - even clergy murder - or bury the lead on page 17.

So follow the Church of Rome story and say "Thanks be to God that we are not like them papists." That is exactly what the thralls of Thrivent want the members to think.

 Belfort -The Wolf of Wall Street - spoke...

 at a Thrivent convention. Note the sign on the upper left and the cross + $ =