The
Path to Understanding Justification –
The
Forgiveness of Sin: Biblical Exegesis
by
Pastor
Gregory L. Jackson
Public Domain, Non-Profit
Illustrated by Norma A. Boeckler
Outline
Introduction – Doctrine, Not Dogmatics
Creation by the Word – Genesis
The First Gospel – Genesis 3:15
Eve’s Hope – Genesis 4
Abraham – Justified by Faith – Genesis 15:6
Isaiah 53
Psalm 22
The Gospel of John
Romans 1:16-17
Romans 3, 4, 5
Galatians
1 Timothy 3
2 Corinthians 5
Justified by Faith of Jesus
Introduction – The Path to Understanding Justification Is Biblical
Doctrine, Not Dogmatics
Justification has been taught two contradictory ways. The
traditional teaching has always been Justification by Faith. That is the well
known phrase used by the Holy Spirit and Paul, repeated as the Chief Article by
Luther, Melanchthon, and the Book of Concord editors. Various accolades have
been given to Justification by Faith:
A. “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.)[1]
B. “The
article of justification is the master and prince, the lord, the ruler, and the
judge over all kinds of doctrines; it preserves and governs all church doctrine
and raises up our conscience before God. Without this article the world is
utter death and darkness... The doctrine of justification must, as I frequently
urge, be diligently learned; for in it all the other articles of our faith are
comprehended. And when that is safe, the others are safe too.” [2]
C. “The
article on which the Church stands or falls.”[3]
However, the great and wise, the Pietists and Rationalists,
ever since Halle University’s F. Schleiermacher, have defined Justification as
God declaring the entire world forgiven and saved, apart from faith. These
scholars and institutions include:
A. F. Schleiermacher
B. Halle
University’s Knapp and Rambach
C. Halle
University’s Bishop Martin Stephan and his disciple C.F.W. Walther
D. Francis
Pieper and his acolytes
E. Karl
Barth and his co-author Charlotte Kirschbaum
F. J.P.
Meyer
G. ELCA
H.
LCMS – Concordia Publishing House, Higher
Things, both seminaries, Christian News
I. All
the mainline, apostate denominations
J. The Evangelical
Lutheran Synod
K. WELS
Dogmatics works have paved the broad path toward understanding
Justification as universal absolution without faith. That is not to condemn a
dogmatics book – or set – as evil in itself, but to warn against a cathedral of
erroneous dogma constructed by a man, an adulterous couple, or a team of
academics. Mankind is cursed with a perverse loyalty to one author, one
denomination, or one dogma, easily becoming blind to the One Book where
everything is plainly and redundantly taught by the One, True, Triune God.
Many would like to trap us with one tarbaby or another:
·
This is how I was taught – or – how you were
taught.
·
Our fathers (an earlier generation of clergy) taught
this. Blood is thicker than doctrine in the small groups.
·
Will you abandon the teaching of your church?
·
Are you calling (fill in the blank) a false
teacher?
·
Would you commune with (fill in the blank)?
Not surprisingly, dogmatics textbooks flourished in the period
where Calvinist scholastics were attacking the Lutherans, who were then pulled
into the same kind of games using Latin terms to categorize doctrine. Although
this era has been hailed as the Age of Orthodoxy, Lutheran works degenerated
into Pietism. Spener cleverly used Arndt as a springboard for his Pietism
essay, his agenda, his attack from within.
Schleiermacher exploited the subjective slant of Zwingli
and Calvin, so theologians emerged who would argue not for Biblical doctrine or
their denomination’s doctrine, but “my theology.” Look at some of those
disasters:
1. Knapp’s
theology – unreadable, even in English
2. Schleiermacher’s
Christian Dogmatics
3. Barth
and Kirschbaum’s Church Dogmatics
4. Tillich
Systematic Theology (three empty
volumes)
5. Pieper’s
Dogmatics
6. Braaten
Jenson Dogmatics
7. The LCMS
Dogma-tanic, two volumes, $90.
At this, the beginning of the End Times, the LCMS has
defined Justification as world absolution without faith, both in its new
dogmatics and its prolix Small Catechism. Yet, no one is blushing. Praising
Luther and Dr. Walter A. Maier in one breath, they promote Rambach and Knapp in
another.
Catechisms
Someone must one day explain the vicious habit of promoting
special Talmudic editions of Luther’s Small Catechism. Instead of relying on
Luther’s plain words, they feel compelled to explain everything in their words,
taking a pocket edition into the realm of one volume encyclopedia, damaging
young minds with the drivel of Kuske’s edition or the latest LCMS and WELS
efforts. I bought pocket editions with pocket change for my confirmands, and
they loved Luther’s words. Gausewitz’ original edition, which can hardly be
found, is merely Luther’s Small Catechism with the Scriptures added to back up
those points.
The Path Is Biblical
Rather than fall into the hopeless meanderings of
denominational or personal dogmas, we have to return to the original source, as
Chemnitz noted in his Examination, a tradition started by the earliest
conferences. They paraded the Scriptures to emphasize returning to the source
rather than debating this or that creed.
Biblical exegesis sounds like a terrifying term used to
intimidate seminary beginners and inspire members with awe, especially when
coupled with “I studied Greek!” The word exegesis has a beautiful meaning from
the Gospel of John.
18 θεον ουδεις εωρακεν
πωποτε ο μονογενης υιος ο ων εις τον κολπον του πατρος εκεινος εξηγησατο
God
– no one has ever seen. The only-begotten Son, Who is in the bosom of the Father,
He is the exegete (has made the Father known, or, has declared Him).
GJ
translation
This is the method used by the
Book of Concord, not starting with obscure Latin terms and slogans from the
recent past, but deriving doctrine from the Scriptures. No wonder the Church Growthers
call the Confessions “boring and irrelevant” and the Wisconsin sect fears a
real study of the Book of Concord.
Therefore, the only correct way to reach an understanding
about Justification is to declare – from the Word itself - the plain meaning of
God’s unique and inerrant revelation, setting aside all human authorities.
[1]
Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Article 3, The Righteousness of Faith, #6.
[2] E.
M. Plass, ed, What Luther Says: An Anthology, 3 volumes. (St. Louis: CPH,
1959), 2:703-704. Cited by M. Zarling, borrowed by F. Bivens.
[3]
The origin of this statement is discussed in The Gospel Coalition, Justin
Taylor, 2011 retrieved from https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/luthers-saying/
