Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Graebner on Evolution - Required Reading at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis


Evolution by Theodore Graebner

Theodore Graebner was a Missouri Synod professor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and defender of the Six Day Creation account of Genesis. Though he wrote Evolution many years ago, the points he makes are still valid. This small book can be very helpful to Christians who wish to “detox” from the religion of Scientism.

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Evolution in Text Books

“It is only in high-school texts…that the evolutionary theory as propounded by Darwin is still treated as if it enjoyed among scientific men the same respect as the multiplication table. Speaking in the Darwinian dialect we should say that the authors of these school-texts constitute a case of “arrested development.” – Theodore Graebner, from Evolution: An Investigation and A Criticism

Evolution and the Historical Fact of Christ’s Resurrection

“The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the central fact of our Christian belief and it is, rightly understood, the all-sufficient answer to the theory of evolution.
“Christ’s resurrection is an historical fact fully as much as the defeat of Xerxes at Salamis in 480 B. C, the discovery of America by Columbus in 1492, and the peace of Versailles of 1919 are historical facts, proven by the word and record of contemporary witnesses.
“But if Christ was raised then we have proof for the following tenets, all contradicting evolutionary speculation at so many vital points:
“1) The existence of a personal God who is concerned with human affairs;
“2) The reality of miraculous interference with natural forces;
“3) The truth of atonement and the redemption, and
“4) The inspiration of the Old Testament Scriptures (hence also of the creation account in Genesis).
”…a little patient study will bring to light the fact that each of these four basic ideas is dove-tailed, mortised and anchored so firmly in the fact of Christ’s resurrection, that you can get rid of them all only by denying that fact.

Download the eBook 

book cover

Some Thoughts on a Long Thread about Justification by Faith


Our Bethany scholars (laymen interested in doctrine) had a long discussion on Justification by Faith and terms used. I am not going to unravel it all, because that happened while our neighbor was facing surgery... and worse. Mike is still in very bad shape.

I resist a number of Synodical Conference traditions:

  1. Defending Walther, Pieper, and that group, because they have no standing in Lutheran doctrine.
  2. Looking at SynCon history, because that leads nowhere, especially with all the lying about LCMS and WELS origins.
  3. Adding terms that are not only borrowed from other denominations and sects but used in the same erroneous way (Objective Justification).

First of all, someone who discusses sound doctrine is obliged to teach clearly. Clever games cannot be tolerated. Following the Scriptures, we emphasize sound (aka hygienic, healthy) doctrine and reject error (cancerous or gangrenous dogma).

Objective Justification cannot be used because the term is new and outside of the Scriptures and the Lutheran Reformation. We use some terms merely as shorthand that are not employed by the Scriptures, such as the Trinity and the Means of Grace. Chemnitz deals with this in The Examination of the Council of Trent.

Strangely, no one wants to use the Biblical term efficacy, though Luther and the Book of Concord used the Biblical word-group as foundational. See Thy Strong Word, a free PDF, for details.

 Read the Efficacy Motherlode, made possible because I. studied. Greek.


Ambiguity has to be utterly quashed in all doctrinal discussion. WELS is famous for cleansing the false statements of their Church Growth OJ leaders by saying, "That c-a-a-a-a-a-a-an be understood correctly." They have used that stretched out double-think act so long that Mark and Avoid Jeske is the true leader of WELS.

Unfortunately, the LCMS has a long history of teaching Justification by Faith while allowing the gradual encroachment of Justification without Faith to enter its teaching. Now OJ is dominant, taught by Matt the Fatt, Pope Paul the Plagiarist, David Gotta Scaer, and the dimwits at LutherQueasy and Dead Last Lutherans.

The 1987 Justification Theses of the LCMS are a perfect example of blending opposites together. J. Michael Reu exposed this practice as a proof of unionism, blending opposites in the same statement. He was Iowa Synod, which mastered that technique, and now Reu's seminary is run by Louise Johnson, a lady with no real pastoral or academic qualifications.

LCMS-WELS-ELS! They welcome study at Fuller, Willow Creek, Trinity Divinity, and love all doctrine but the one they subscribe to - quia maria style, wink, wink.
From Reu to Louise Johnson - Wartburg Seminary.
From Krauth to Theresa Latini - Philadelphia Seminary.
Progress.

Ban Theses
Walther did a disservice when he lectured on his Law and Gospel theses, a book full of contradictions.

The hyper-canonical (judging all books and improving on the Bible)
Brief Statement of 1932 mixed correct comments with brazen error and simply cited Scriptures.

David Valleskey pulled the same trick, except he cited a favorite Fuller expert on "spoiling the Egyptians." He was visibly angered when I said, "They took the jewels and gold, not the Egyptian garbage." The entire (tiny) Ohio conference gave me the silent treatment that night because I disagreed with an infallible Mordor professor. One pastor also disagreed openly with Valleskey: "WELS has changed doctrine." WELS pushed him out of the ministry and would not commune him for he taught the efficacy of the Word.

If some of the OJ yakkety-yaks would open the Book of Concord, they would find a book of Biblical exposition, drawing the doctrinal lessons out of the Word.

 Dare you to disagree with these divines?
They approved UOJ and Church Growth - who are you to raise your hand against them! Touch not the Lord's anointed!
 John Sparky Brenner cannot write Justification by Faith,but he did a good job of exposing Walther's effort to prove OJ with his Calvinistic view of predestination.


Predestination Was Kidnapped To Prop Up OJ and Drive Away Those Who Disagreed with Pope Walther the Infallible


Notice How LCMS and Her Thralls Teach against Luther While Selling Luther Trinkets


LCMS Brief Statement - Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 4:25

 LutherQueasies kept the beer stein, but left the sound doctrine back in Germany.


WM: Here is a good example of Luther against UOJ, from p. 4 of the Gems:

"87. And I cannot reject this interpretation; for St. Paul also speaks in like manner in Romans 5:18: "As through one trespass the judgment came unto all men to condemnation; even so through one act of righteousness the free gift came unto all men unto justification of life." Although all men are not justified through Christ, he is, nevertheless, the only man through whom justification comes.

So, it is also here. Although all men are not illumined, nevertheless this is the only light through which all illumination comes. The Evangelist has used this manner of speech freely, and had no fear that some might take offense, and explains himself before and afterwards, and says: "The darkness apprehended him not, and his own received him not." These words are sufficient proof to prevent anyone from saying that the Evangelist meant to say that all men are illumined; but he did wish to say that Christ is the only Light that lighteth all men, and without him no man is lighted."

Third Christmas Day, or Principal Service. Jackson Lenker, Luther's Sermons, Vol. 1: p.146.

 LCMS/CPH honored the Reformation's 500th with trinkets and gimmicks. No indulgences? They sold a truckload to Marvin Schwan, RIP. Remember - Herman Otten put these clowns in the Purple Palace, lying about his collusion with Paul McCain.

Comfort for Christians - Jesus Savior Pilot Me

 By Norma A. Boeckler

Jesus Savior Pilot Me [Hymn]

“And when he was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him. And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish. And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. Matthew 8:23-26

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About Edward Hopper

Jesus Savior Pilot Me was written in 1871 by Edward Hopper. The tune Pilot was composed by John Edgar Gould. Martin in Songs of the Spirit writes the following:
Born in New York City, Hopper became a Presbyterian minister. After pastoring 2 Presbyterian churches in New York, he pastored a small church [Church of Sea and Land] in the New York harbor, ministering to many sailors. It was while he was there that he wrote this hymn anonymously. When asked to write a hymn for the Seamen’s Friend Society, he instead read this already published hymn. It was then that the people, who already knew this song, became aware of its author.

The Hymn writer

“Major D. W. Whit­tle told me the fol­low­ing in­ci­dent in con­nec­tion with this hymn:
‘I went with Gen­er­al O. O. How­ard to hold meet­ings for the sol­diers at Tam­pa, Flor­i­da, and one day while go­ing through the camp I found a young man dy­ing of fe­ver. I knelt by his side and asked him if he was a Christ­ian. He re­plied that he was not, but said that his fa­ther and mo­ther were Christ­ians; and he asked me to pray for him. I did so, but no deep im­pres­sion was made up­on his heart. I went away with a sor­row­ing heart and prom­ised to re­turn ano­ther day.
Two days lat­er I vi­sit­ed him again and, pray­ing with him, the Lord put in­to my mind to sing, ‘Je­sus, Sav­iour, pi­lot me.’ The dy­ing sol­dier said: ‘Oh, that sounds good; it puts me in mind of my be­lov­ed sis­ter in Mi­chi­gan, who used to sing this hymn for me be­fore I en­tered the ar­my.’ He want­ed me to re­peat it over and over again for him, and fi­nal­ly he asked: ‘Will Je­sus be my pi­lot in­to the ha­ven of rest?’ I told the young man that Je­sus would. ‘Then,’ he said, ‘I will trust him with all my heart.’ The next day I called to see him again, but his com­rade said: ‘He passed away dur­ing the night.’”
– From Story of Gospel Hymns by Ira Sankey

Video

Graebner Book To Debut Soon - On Evolution.

Message from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis: "Seminex won and reconquered the school while everyone was asleep. They nodded off in an opium pipe dream about huge numbers coming from Fulleroid teaching."


Alec Satin: Came across a reference to this in the second to last chapter of Graebner's book on Evolution, in which he writes,
 
"So marvelous are the provisions which are made up ensure the fertilization of plants that the dean of American botanists, Professor Asa Gray, exclaims: "If these structures and their operations do not argue intention, what stronger evidence of intention in nature can there possibly be? If they do, such evidences are countless, and almost every blossom brings distinct testimony to the existence and providence of a Designer and Ordainer, without whom, we may well believe, not merely a sparrow, not even a grain of pollen, may fall." (On this entire subject read Selina Gaye's "The Great World's Farm," published by the MacMillan Co., New York.)
 
Well, here is a slightly abridged version of The Great World's Farm.  It looks like something you might very well enjoy.
 


Last 30 Days - Floyd Luther Stolzenburg and Jack Hyles Enjoy High Numbers.
WELS Discussions Still Being Read Often

 What do WELS-ELS  and Jack Hyles have in commons?
Answer - Church Growth is their front for spiritual and marital adultery. Learn MOBBING from the best - join WELS-ELS.




 Hybels and Clinton - we call them guys "crick-jumpers" around here. WELS loved the Hybels message so much, they paid their mission pastors to learn spiritual adultery from him. Fuller was not close enough.