Friday, May 24, 2019

Walther and His Predestination Controversy - Or - The Error of Modern Missouri.
Walther's Flank Assault against the Chief Article

Walther and the Predestination Controversy or The Error of Modern Missouri by Schodde et al.

24 May 2019 
Schodde, George Henry, Allwardt, Heinrich August, Gohdes, Conrad B., Lenski, Richard C. H., Schmidt, Frederick Augustus, Stellhorn, Frederick William, Tressel, Walter E. 
Walther And The Predestination Controversy, The Error of Modern Missouri 
 Lutheran Book Concern   1897   Ohio Synod, Iowa Synod, Missouri Synod, General Council,General Synod 
 Lutheran Library Publications   Schodde, Allwardt, Gohdes, Lenski, Schmidt, Stellhorn, Tressel,Election, Predestination, Predestination Controversy, Intuitu Fidei, Walther, Calvinism, Book of Concord,Justification
The rise of the Synodical Conference under the LCMS has made Universal Objective Justification the Shibboleth of American Lutheranism. Quite simply, if you do not accept UOJ, you are not considered a “Confessional Lutheran”.
Towards the end of his life, C. F. W. Walther brought forth a teaching of election which many Missouri and other American Lutherans could not reconcile with the Scriptures or the Lutheran Confessions. The resulting “Predestination Controversy” split the Lutheran Church.

The Lutheran Church Unanimous

“Since the publication of the Formula of Concord, for some 300 years, the Lutheran Church has unanimously held that the doctrine of our Confession and of the following teachers of our Church harmonized perfectly also in the article of predestination. Modern Missourians are the first “Lutherans” who assert the contrary; it is to be hoped that they will also be the last.”

Table of Contents



Summary Contents of the Volume

  • Introduction.
  • I. The Present Controversy on Predestination
    • I. Historical Introduction.
    • II. The Formula Of Concord And The Old Lutheran Dogmaticians.
    • III. The Doctrine Of Predestination In The Missouri Synod.
      • A. Before The Year 1877.
      • B. The Synodical Report Of The Western District For The Year 1877.
      • C. The Synodical Report Of The Western District For The Year 1879.
      • D. Altes und Neues And Lehre und Wehre Before The General Pastoral Conference At Chicago In The Autumn Of 1890.
      • E. The General Pastoral Conference In The Autumn Of 1880.
      • F. After The Pastoral Conference In The Autumn Of 1880.
      • G. Comparative Summary.
        • 1. What Is Predestination?
        • 2. What Has God Regarded In Election?
        • 3. What Is The Relation Especially Of Faith To Election?
        • 4. In What Sense Does The Formula Of Concord Speak Of Election?
        • 5. Is Man’s Conversion And Salvation In Every Sense Independent Of His Conduct?
        • 6. May We Speak Of Man’s Decision Or “Self-Determination” In Conversion?
        • 7. What Is The Difference Between The Lutheran And The Reformed Doctrine Of Election?
        • 8. How Must The Doctrine Of The Dogmaticians Of The Seventeenth Century Be Regarded?
        • 9. How Is The Doctrine Of Modern Missouri To Be Regarded?
      • H. Appendix: An Ally Of Modern Missouri In Germany.
    • IV. The Doctrine Of Predestination In The Ohio Synod.
  • II. “Intuitu Fidei”
    • Part 1. What Do The Lutheran Church Fathers Teach Regarding “God Elected In View Of Faith”?
    • Introductory Remarks.
    • 1. Over against Romanism
    • 2. Sola Fide and Intuitu Fidei
    • 3. Dr.Samuel Huber
    • 4. Correct Understanding of Testimonies
    • 5. Missouri’s New Discovery
    • 6. Missouri Holds Fast the Doctrine of Our Old Teachers and Also Rejects It
    • 7. Meeting of Synodical Conference in Chicago
    • 8. Quotations from Orthodox Publications and Teachers
      • A. Authors Of The Formula Of Concord: David Chytraeus, Jacob Andreae, Christopher Koerner, Martin Chemnitz, Selnecker
      • B. Original Subscribers And Defenders Of The Formula Of Concord: Aegidius Hunnius, The Wittenberg Faculty., The Wuertemberg Theologians., John Wigand., Matthew Vogel., G. Mylius., Stephen Gerlach., Daniel Arcularius., John George Sigwart., Luke Backmeister And Jacob Coler (and Chytraeus)., David Lobech., John Winckelmann., Adam Francisci., Polycarp Leyser., Solomon Gesner., Wolfgang Mamphrasius., John Pappus., Andrew Schaafmann., Philip Nicolai., John Habermann (Avenarius)., Matthias Hafenreffer., Luke Osiander., John Coler., Concluding Remarks.
      • C. The Immediate Pupils Of The Subscribers Of The Formula Of Concord: Introduction., Leonhard Hutter., Frederick Balduin., John Weber., David Runge., George Stampel., Joachim Zehner., Esaias Silberschlag., Wolfgang Franz., Balthasar Mentzer., Peter Piscator., John Schroeder., Luke Osiander, Jr., Albert Grauer., John Foerster., John Gerhard., Justus Feuerborn., Nicolas Hunnius., Conrad Dietrich.
    • Part 2. Do Our Lutheran Fathers Depart From The Confession When Teaching That The Election Took Place In View Of Faith?
      • Does Missouri Claim Our Fathers Departed From the Confession?
      • Did Missouri Hold To Her Present Doctrine in 1872?
      • Colloquy in Columbus 1879 and Following
      • Scriptures, Ordination to Salvation, Acta Huberiana, Wuertemberg Men
    • Part 3. Is The Doctrine That God Has Elected Men To Salvation In View Of Faith Found In Our Lutheran Confession?
      • Intuitu Fidei Found In the Book of Concord
      • The Formula of Concord
      • The Eleventh Article
      • Missouri Guilty of Misusing The Confession.
  • III. A Testimony Against The False Doctrine Of Predestination Recently Introduced By The Missouri Synod.
    • General Introduction.
    • Introduction To The Doctrinal Discussion.
    • The Blue Island Theses.
      • Thesis 1.
        • Wider Sense
        • Confession and Universal Counsel
        • Dr. Luther’s Preface to Romans
        • Wider Sense – Gospel
      • Thesis 2.
        • Missouri – Faith in Election – Faith in Justification
        • Missouri Doctrine Of Election And The Biblical Doctrine Of Grace
        • Thoughts of a Troubled Heart
        • Chemnitz, Contingency
        • If You Are To Be Saved
        • Romans 11:33
        • Missouri Repeating Role of Old Israel
        • Election Revealed in Scripture
        • Certainty of Salvation Conditional
        • A Missourian On The Witness Stand
        • Luther To A Heart Troubled About Predestination
        • The Windy Thing on Legs
        • Dr. Walther’s Postil
        • Is It A Mystery Why God Did Not Ordain All To Eternal Life?
      • Thesis 3.
        • Election Revealed In The Gospel
        • Confession on “Election Revealed In The Gospel”
        • Words of Confession as Chief Point of Controversy
        • Missouri and The Thoughts of Reason
        • Is Redemption Only For The Elect?
        • The Eight Points
        • Missouri’s False Construction Of The Eight Points Refuted
      • Thesis 4.
        • We Place No Merit In Man
        • Dr. Walther’s Proof Of Our Synergism
        • Luther, The Confession, The Scriptures Speak As We Do
        • Baier and Huelsemann Speak As We Do
        • Quenstedt Speaks Likewise
        • Faith Impels God
      • Thesis 5.
        • The Point Of The Controversy
        • Matthew 22:1-14
        • Chemnitz on Matthew 22:1-14
        • Romans 8:28-30
        • “Foreknow”
        • Ephesians 1:3-6
        • 2 Thessalonians 2:13
        • 1 Peter 1:1-2
        • Obedience
        • Review of Scripture Passages
        • The Analogy of Faith
        • What Elect Means
        • Election and the Preacher
  • The Predestination Controversy: How It Happened.
    • How the Predestination Controversy “Broke Out”

Essays included

In three sections by Lutheran authors well respected at the time, the history of the Predestination Controversy and the points in conflict are clearly presented and compared with extracts from the writings of the framers of the Lutheran Confessions and other Church Fathers.
This book is also available in separate editions as:

Download the eBook 

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David Scaer's 54 Year Opposition to the Maier Clan Teaching Justification by Faith.
Scaer Wins the Waldo Werning Award for Vendettas

David Scaer was obsessed in his opposition to WAM II's Justification by Faith, which he found also in WAM III. Did not Dr. Walter A. Maier teach the Chief Article? - Yes, and Scaer resented  that.


 Otten gave the show away on the back cover of his Walter A. Maier book, or perhaps he was selling to both sides of the issue, as he claimed.

"The controversy over subjective justification* and over the theology of Walter A. Maier II goes back in the Missouri Synod to 1965, when Jack Preus had the board of Concordia Theological Seminary call him to the Springfield faculty. In the four years which followed, during which Jack continued as president, it is unlikely that he did not know Maier II’s positions. The students did!"

Scaer, David P.. Surviving the Storms: Memoirs of David P. Scaer. Luther Academy. Kindle Edition. #5623.

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GJ - *Subjective Justification in the Scaer lexicon may mean Justification by Faith, but he pollutes the term by shoe-horning it into Calvinistic dogmatic terms.

Objective Justification is not the Atonement, as Dr. Robert Preus said in his famous essay that Cascione ordered him to write.

Objective Justification always means - "justification" gives it away - that God has declared the entire world forgiven and saved.
Therefore, their Subjective Justification means accepting God's universal absolution. The justification term always includes the declaration of forgiveness, which is clearly by faith alone, apart from the works of the Law.

From Scaer

Objective vs. Subjective Justification 

"While biblical inspiration and authority was foundational for Pieper’s Christian Dogmatics, Franz Pieper was absorbed with the doctrine of objective justification throughout his three volumes. Also known as universal justification, it distinguished the Missouri Synod from other synods as no other doctrine in the second half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century did. At the heart of the doctrine was that God justified the entire world in the resurrection of Christ."

Scaer, David P.. Surviving the Storms: Memoirs of David P. Scaer. Luther Academy. Kindle Edition. #5539.

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ELCA Bishop Forced To Resign
- What? Adultery Is a Career Booster in WELS

 Robert Rimbo, bishop of the Metropolitan New York Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. “I’m really happy to go on the record about this because our stance is pretty straightforward: Lutheran pastors have the freedom to officiate at the marriage of whomever they want in the State of New York.” Seminex graduate - OJ.

The topic is sensitive, but, sadly, inevitable.  It has reached into our own lives today, as Lutherans here in New York.  Some of you have already heard the sad news that our bishop, the Rev. Dr. Robert Rimbo, resigned on Wednesday when it was revealed that he has had an extramarital affair with another adult.   This is not a crime under the law of the land, but the constitution of our church quite rightly requires his resignation.


The email I received shared the devastating news that my Bishop, Robert Rimbo, had resigned not only as bishop but he also resigned from the roster of ordained persons in the ELCA following allegations and charges of clergy sexual misconduct.
https://dirtysoledpastor.com/2018/01/29/4th-epiphany-metoo-and-ibelieve-will-set-us-free/

Even Older News

Rev. Thomas Blevins, a top official of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has resigned from his denominational position and the church's clerical roster after church charges of sexual abuse.
Blevins, 52, a former bishop of the Lutheran Church in America, has headed the ELCA Department for Synodical Relations since it was established in 1991.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1993-07-16-9307160116-story.html

***

GJ -

Because WELS Immaculata is without sin, they never report these scandals, which never happen.

Who told you?
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Thursday, May 23, 2019

David Scaer's Easter Absolution - Not Pietistic?



Objective vs. Subjective Justification 

"While biblical inspiration and authority was foundational for Pieper’s Christian Dogmatics, Franz Pieper was absorbed with the doctrine of objective justification throughout his three volumes. Also known as universal justification, it distinguished the Missouri Synod from other synods as no other doctrine in the second half of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century did. At the heart of the doctrine was that God justified the entire world in the resurrection of Christ."

Scaer, David P.. Surviving the Storms: Memoirs of David P. Scaer. Luther Academy. Kindle Edition. #5539.

In the OJ cult, no one teaches the Chief Article - they "deny Objective Justification."

 Where is this taught in the Bible?


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Objective Justification Is Not Calvinistic?

Dr. Robert Preus consulted with Calvinists about Objective Justification.


"At the time of the faculty’s conversations with Maier II, Robert Preus looked for support and found it among conservative friends in the Evangelical movement who admired him for his defense of biblical inspiration and inerrancy, including several faculty members of Westminster Seminary—Escondido, California, with its renowned Reformed scholar Michael Horton (b. 1964). Preus must have been aware, but chose to ignore that the Reformed see objective justification as a component of their doctrine of election, but it was hardly universal in scope as Lutherans have historically held it."

Scaer, David P.. Surviving the Storms: Memoirs of David P. Scaer . Luther Academy. #5653. Kindle Edition.

 *Michael Scott Horton (born May 11, 1964) is the J. Gresham MachenProfessor of Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary Californiasince 1998,[1]  (Wiki)

 Westminster Seminary California is a Reformed and PresbyterianChristian graduate educational institution located 25 miles north of San Diego, California, United States, in Escondido. It was initially a branch campus of Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia until 1982 when it became fully independent.
 Objective Justification is limited to the LCMS...and the Calvinists.
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Renewing the Challenge - Explain These Passages Together -
No Aquinas, Letihart, Pieper, Walther, or even Luther


LutherQuest (sic) has been hosting a rant against Justification by Faith, the Chief Article.I challenged them to explain the following three passages in relation to the issue.
  • Genesis 15:6
  • Romans 4 (maybe include the bridge verses, Romans 5:1-2)
  • Galatians 3:6-7


They ran like frightened rabbits, quoting a Calvinist, Aquinas, Pieper (of course). Lots and lots and lots of quotations, but they did not explain those three passages. To make things easier, I have done my own copy and paste below. Feel free to study the Word of God and pay attention to Professor Holy Spirit. Note three words - 
  • Believe
  • Counted
  • Righteousness.

Genesis 15:6 KJV

Genesis 15 6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Romans 4 - 5:2 KJV

Romans 4 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:
15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,
17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb:
20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
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.

Galatians 3:6-7 KJV
Galatians 3 6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

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Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Greek Lesson, Mark 4:1-20

The Sower and the Seed, by Norma A. Boeckler


Parser - tells us the I.D. of the word

Lenski's Mark Commentary - download as a PDF

ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΡΚΟΝ 4 1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

4 και παλιν ηρξατο διδασκειν παρα την θαλασσαν, και συνηχθη προς αυτον οχλος πολυς, ωστε αυτον εμβαντα εις το πλοιον καθησθαι εν τη θαλασση, και πας ο οχλος προς την θαλασσαν επι της γης ην
2 και εδιδασκεν αυτους εν παραβολαις πολλα και ελεγεν αυτοις εν τη διδαχη αυτου
3 ακουετε ιδου εξηλθεν ο σπειρων του σπειραι
Easy sentence, acoustics, then a verb and its infinitive
4 και εγενετο εν τω σπειρειν, ο μεν επεσεν παρα την οδον και ηλθεν τα πετεινα του ουρανου και κατεφαγεν αυτο
Look for connecting words, μεν δε to separate clauses and sentences. Esophagus.
5 αλλο δε επεσεν επι το πετρωδες οπου ουκ ειχεν γην πολλην, και ευθεως εξανετειλεν δια το μη εχειν βαθος γης
6 ηλιου δε ανατειλαντος εκαυματισθη και δια το μη εχειν ριζαν εξηρανθη
xeroxed
7 και αλλο επεσεν εις τας ακανθας και ανεβησαν αι ακανθαι και συνεπνιξαν αυτο και καρπον ουκ εδωκεν
choke, Polycarp
8 και αλλο επεσεν εις την γην την καλην και εδιδου καρπον αναβαινοντα και αυξανοντα και εφερεν εν τριακοντα και εν εξηκοντα και εν εκατον
Like John 10, the Shepherd the Noble, the Earth the Noble
9 και ελεγεν αυτοις ο εχων ωτα ακουειν ακουετω
10 οτε δε εγενετο καταμονας, ηρωτησαν αυτον οι περι αυτον συν τοις δωδεκα την παραβολην
11 και ελεγεν αυτοις, υμιν δεδοται γνωναι το μυστηριον της βασιλειας του θεου, εκεινοις δε τοις εξω - εν παραβολαις τα παντα γινεται
Mystery - something revealed only by the Holy Spirit; this means parable are not grasped by unbelievers and are taught by believers.
12 ινα βλεποντες βλεπωσιν και μη ιδωσιν, και ακουοντες ακουωσιν και μη συνιωσιν, μηποτε επιστρεψωσιν και αφεθη αυτοις τα αμαρτηματα
13 και λεγει αυτοις ουκ οιδατε την παραβολην ταυτην και πως πασας τας παραβολας γνωσεσθε
14 ο σπειρων τον λογον σπειρει
15 ουτοι δε εισιν οι παρα την οδον οπου σπειρεται ο λογος και οταν ακουσωσιν ευθεως ερχεται ο σατανας και αιρει τον λογον τον εσπαρμενον εν ταις καρδιαις αυτων
16 και ουτοι εισιν ομοιως οι επι τα πετρωδη σπειρομενοι οι οταν ακουσωσιν τον λογον ευθεως μετα χαρας λαμβανουσιν αυτον
17 και ουκ εχουσιν ριζαν εν εαυτοις αλλα προσκαιροι εισιν ειτα γενομενης θλιψεως η διωγμου δια τον λογον ευθεως σκανδαλιζονται
skandalon is the trigger of the trap, so the verb does not mean scandalized but fall into the death-trap, etc
18 και ουτοι εισιν οι εις τας ακανθας σπειρομενοι ουτοι εισιν οι τον λογον ακουοντες
19 και αι μεριμναι του αιωνος τουτου και η απατη του πλουτου και αι περι τα λοιπα επιθυμιαι εισπορευομεναι, συμπνιγουσιν τον λογον και ακαρπος γινεται
μεριμναι του αιωνος τουτου = worries of this present time, akarpos is not polykarpos
20 και ουτοι εισιν οι επι την γην την καλην σπαρεντες - οιτινες ακουουσιν τον λογον και παραδεχονται και καρποφορουσιν εν τριακοντα και εν εξηκοντα και εν εκατον

 From one seed - it is not a flower but actually a compound flower with hundreds of smaller flowers, seeds. The plant is also an aircraft carrier  for beneficial insects of all kinds. The seeds are loaded with nutrition, oil, and protein. The plant has a potent sweet, honey-like fragrance.

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