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| 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 -
- We spot the intruder, like a sprig of poison ivy growing up the fence.
- We prove that the intruder is not expressed anywhere in the plain meaning of the Word - and remove it, roots and all.
- 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.
