Saturday, August 24, 2019

The Objective Justification Peanut Grinder

The grinder was used at Melo Cream was roasted peanuts and graham crackers. The grinder's finish was silvery.  The gears inside meshed to grind the ingredients into small bits for donut toppings.

One Gear - Mainline Apostasy against Faith

Hello Pastor Greg,


I am on page 14 of The Path to Understanding Justification and already I see what is wrong with most dogmatic books. Truly it has angered me how Justification is viewed as stated in Confessing the Gospel  "faith cannot be a cause of one‘s justification."

Thank you for this book.

All the best and blessings

In Christ

----

GJ - Yes, they start with a philosophical construct and use Scripture dishonestly in their circular reasoning.

They do not derive doctrine from Scripture but use philosophy to make up stuff or enforce their old dogmas.

In Christ,


Pastor Jackson

----

Another Gear - Deliberate, Bad Translations

Hello,

I am currently reading your book The Path to Understanding Justification. What I keep seeing is the changing of the genitive case. It really bothers me. And the one that bothers me the most is Romans 10:17. My church unfortunately uses the NIV and when my pastor read it out loud I immediately knew something was wrong. That verse does not say “words about Christ.” I went home and pulled it up in the Greek. My Greek may be elementary, but I know the genitive case when I see it. And now I am reading your book, and I am seeing this misuse again. It really frustrates me.

Anyway, I am enjoying the book. Thank you!

Romans 10:17 New International Version (NIV)


17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.


Romans 10:17 King James Version (KJV)

17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

ΠΡΟΣ ΡΩΜΑΙΟΥΣ 10:17 1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

17 αρα η πιστις εξ ακοης η δε ακοη δια ρηματος θεου

In the context of Romans 10, ακοη (hearing) really means hearing the Report, Paul's cited Gospel of Isaiah 53, or one could say by implication - faith comes from preaching the Isaiah 53 Report. 
Faith from the Report, the Report from the Word of God (Isaiah 53).
The anatomy of forgiveness and salvation is summarized as faith coming from the preached Word of God.



A Third Gear - The Calvinist Claw Machine

Where would the Calvinists and OJists be without their Claw Machine?

The pluck a verse or just a phrase from the Bible and build their Tower of Babel on it - or a few others.

That is why a careful exegesis of the passages sends the Objective Justification Hive into a storm of philosophical quotes. They have no weapon to defeat the Word of God, so they depend on the words of men.


Friday, August 23, 2019

Hummingbird Addiction - Four Feeders.
Don't Tell - Fifth One Ordererd

Hosta flowers are living feeders for hummingbirds.

The appearance of hummingbirds in the backyard garden Butterfly Bushes led me to order one (1) hummingbird feeder. As they say about other addictions, the first is the fatal one.

Too smart to start? - Don't bet on it.

Not even once? - Wait until one flits in and out of a Bee Balm, a Hosta, or a Butterfly Bush flower.

My excuse was simple. The bird feeders were useless with a gang of destructive squirrels raiding and breaking them. I should have sought counseling then and there.



Ranger Bob made it worse, like most addict's friends. "I have a feeder and a hanger." He placed a newly painted hanger a short distance from where everyone enjoys the porch view of the front garden.

The kitchen window feeder took weeks to attract a wary hummingbird. The rose-Joe Pye-Hosta-Bee Balm garden feeder attracted several hummingbirds at once.

We have comfortable seating for four on the front porch, so Bob, Mrs. Ichabod, Sassy and I can enjoy the garden in the shade.

Bob brought two more feeders and I placed them on the beam holding the porch roof - total four (4) feeder, three in the front.

As people explain, hummingbirds are territorial, so one will chase the rest away from his feeder. The solution is to have more feeders. Sometimes the Slippery Slope is not a fallacy but the real thing.

I enjoyed cleaning and filling the two initial feeders and filling the two new ones from Bob. Four feeders, various sizes are filled with ruby red fluid and await droves of hummers.

Creation principles certainly explain how a slight change in flora will alter the creatures attracted. Our big changes last fall were the Daisies, the Bee Balm sale-to-end-all-sales, Cat Mint, and the installation of Joe Pye Weed around the rose garden. We had a big increase in pollinator plants for bees, butterflies, and hummers, added to the previous plants. The spring rains increased the bounty of all the plants, so the birds gathered where the most food on the cul-de-sac could be found.

Plant it and the beneficial bugs and creatures will come.

Gardens Go Wild - Back to Creation
Another factor in gardening is one often ignored by the suburban neatniks so unlike urban rednecks. If someone lives on a river and near some woods, many attractive features are already in place. But when everyone has a mown lawn, a few bushes, and some trees, few places for food, shelter, and nesting can be found.

Our far backyard is completely wild, with tall weeds, piles of leaves, and opportunistic plants like Pokeweed. Our green wall, growing where birds perch, blocks our view of the neighbor's back yard and provides even more food and shelter. The jungle there not only has Poke berries, but raspberries and Trumpetvine, Poke is the favorite food of 60 species of birds. Trumpetvine is associated with hummingbirds, including the feeders.

These wild areas are also important for the over-wintering of beneficial bugs.



The Analogy
For decades, Lutheran churches (and many others too) have sought to achieve that ideal space, which attracts vast throngs of people. For that dubious goal they have been eager to get rid of the solemn dignity of worship and replace it with rock music, rock auditorium lighting, and self-centered talks. "I am not going to preach," says polysynod Time of Grace Pastor Mike, "I am just going to talk about Jesus."

The Word is God's creation and always enjoys the divine power and efficacy of the Almighty. Those churches which emulate man's latest fads are going to attract people who harbor a deep love for the latest and caustic scorn for the eternal verities.

However, those who understand the Scriptures and enjoy the blessings of an abiding faith in the efficacious Word - those people will gather an impressive array of people who - according to divine purpose - seek ways to express their trust in the Gospel and love for the Savior.

 "If this is wrong, why does Mirthless Mark support me?"

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Blurry Copy - Blurry Meditating in the Church of the Lutheran Confession (sic)


 Luther often referred to the Gospel as the Treasure in his writings. 


---
c
***

GJ - There is the fruit of Church Growth and Objective Justification in this dying sect.

 Luther's Biblical Doctrine of the Word





Hello Pastor Greg,
I am on page 14 of The Path to Understanding Justification and already I see what is wrong with most dogmatic books. Truly it has angered me how Justification is viewed as stated in Confessing the Gospel „faith cannot be a cause of one‘s justification“.
Thank you for this book.
All the best and blessings
In Christ

----

Yes, they start with a philosophical construct and use Scripture dishonestly in their circular reasoning.
They do not derive doctrine from Scripture but use philosophy to make up stuff or enforce their old dogmas.
In Christ,

Pastor Jackson


Table Talk Edition - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry



You can request a copy of this or any Lutheran Library e-book by sending an email to editor@lutheranlibrary.org with the title and format you'd like.
Enjoy the book!

Publication Information

  • Lutheran Library edition first published: 2019-08-22
  • Version 4 update: 2019-08-22
  • CopyrightCC BY 4.0
“Luther was in the habit of talking much to the friends who gathered round him at the evening meal in his home at Wittenberg. In these talks he revealed himself with a frankness which has few parallels in history. Fortunately for posterity, there was a Boswell present in the person of John Goldschmidt, or, to give him his Latinized name, Aurifaber, who made copious notes of the talk of the master. Not satisfied with what he heard himself, he applied to other friends who had been longer guests at Luther’s table than himself; and from their recollections he supplemented his own…

On This Page

Reverence for Luther

“One more example may be given of German reverence for Luther. Heine was Jewish by birth, and a religious skeptic, and as a critic he often employed his unrivaled mastery of gibes and sarcasms in sneering away German reputations. But of Luther he wrote: —
“Honor to Luther! Everlasting honor to the dear man to whom we owe the recovery of our noblest rights, and through whose labors we live today! It becomes us ill to complain of the narrowness of his views. The dwarf who stands upon the shoulders of the giant may certainly see farther, especially if he puts on spectacles; but he cannot bring to the prospect the lofty emotion and the giant heart of the other. It becomes us the less to judge his faults severely, as his very faults were of more service to us than the virtues of a thousand others. The fine discernment of Erasmus, and the gentleness of Melanchthon, had never done so much for us as the divine brutality of Brother Martin.”

Book Contents

  • List of Illustrations
  • Introduction.
  • Book 1.
    • Of The Works Of God.
    • Of The Word Of God.
    • Of Jesus Christ.
    • Of The Law And The Gospel.
    • Of The Church.
    • Of Preaching And Preachers.
    • Of Confession And Absolution.
    • The Lord’s Supper.
    • Good Works.
    • Of The Devil.
    • Prayer.
  • Book 2.
    • Of Death.
    • Of The Resurrection Of The Dead And Life Eternal.
    • Of Marriage.
    • Of The Jews.
    • Of Ecclesiastical Legends.
    • The World And Its Ways.
    • Of Princes And Rulers
    • Of The Use Of Learning.
    • Of Comedies.
    • Of The Power Of Music.
    • Of Singing.
    • Of Germany.
    • Of Languages.
    • Of The Schools And Universities Of Germany.
    • Of The Turks.
    • Of Heroes And Wise Men Of Antiquity.
    • Of The Fathers And Doctors Of The Church.

Download the eBook

A. Berean Asked about Objective Justification Seven Years Ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Gerhard


A. Berean has left a new comment on your post "Justification by Faith Is the Chief Article of Chr...":

Dr. Jackson,

For the benefit of the readers of this blog, could you briefly summarize the difference between Objective/Subjective RECONCILIATION and Objective/Subjective JUSTIFICATION? Since there is that connection between atonement and reconciliation can one make the claim that the whole world has been reconciled? The same question could be asked concerning redemption. In Greek, there's a difference between λυτρωσις and απολυτρωσις. So in that sense is there an Objective and Subjective aspect with regard to redemption?

Just some possible topics for consideration...

Respectfully,

A. Berean

***

GJ - There is quite a difference between Christ dying for the sins of the world and justification by faith.

The objective and subjective terms ought to be dropped. They came from the Woods translation of the Halle Pietist - Georg Christian Knapp.

When an issue has been muddied up by heretics, the Biblical terms should be used exclusively.

The Gospel is Christ dying for the sins of the world. That message, conveying Christ to us by the Holy Spirit at work in the Word, creates and sustains faith. This Gospel-energized faith receives the Promises offered.

Christ redeemed the world because He paid the price for the sins of the world. That does not mean that all the Sikhs and Hindoo and Eskimeaux and cannibals and Humanists were declared absolved and saved. Quite the opposite is true.



John 3 reveals two groups of people in the world.

The unbelievers are condemned.

Those who believe in Christ are forgiven and saved.

KJV John 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

ELS Pastor Jay Webber has been shopping his favorite term  - "in Christ" - around Lutherdom. The only way someone can be "in Christ" is to believe in the Savior. We need more pastors who spend some time gardening.

The parable of the True Vine is clear. John 15:1-10. In that passage, "in Christ" means being part of the True Vine, bearing fruit. Abiding in Christ means active participation in the Means of Grace.

Andreae got the Book of Concord project going.
McCain thinks he is Andreae, but he is really Samuel Huber.
---

Adolph Hoenecke has left a new comment on your post "A. Berean Asks about Objective and Subjective":

A huge Thank You to Dr. Jackson for saying the terms objective and subjective should be removed. They make the simple truths of the Gospel more complex than needed.

***

GJ - Martin Chemnitz said it earlier, and he was quoting the early Fathers (not to be confused with Stephan, Walther, and JP Meyer).

They actually brought out the Scriptures during their conferences and urged one another to set aside the various man-made confessions in favor of the Word alone. When the streams are muddied up, return to the source, they said.

I appreciate the faithful and the studious readers. The vast majority of the clergy are too indolent or too scared to deal with the issues and defend the truth.


---

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "A. Berean Asks about Objective and Subjective":

Ichabod -

The Scriptures you have quoted under the Apostle John picture illustrate a major Gospel paradox. Salvation issues forth entirely by God's grace. But, it is faith that justifies. That personal belief is such that makes it possible for the human soul to be at peace with God because the forgiveness of sins offered by the sacrifice of Christ, is received by the individual.

What is often overlooked is the verse:

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish." [John 3:14,15]

How were those Israelites saved from the poisonous snake bites? They looked up in faith at the bronzed serpent prepared by Moses. And, in the same token the human soul is saved (spared eternal damnation) by believing in Christ [looking to Christ for salvation].

Nathan M. Bickel

http://www.thechristianmessage.org/
http://moralmatters.org/


***

GJ - Pastor Bickel, the UOJ specialists play the role of Calvinists versus the Arminians. Ironically, they think justification by faith is Calvinism.

Let me unwind this a bit. In the later part of the Reformation, when the Arminians (Remonstrants) battled the Calvinists, they argued against Calvin's robotic double pre-destination. The Arminians said faith was a decision or virtue.

The graphics below show some of the many statements about faith in the Book of Concord.

Walther lived in two realms. He earned a bachelor's degree in a rationalistic university. He joined one Pietistic circle with his group of clergy wannabees. When their leader moved away and died shortly afterwards, they joined Stephan's Pietistic cell group ministry. Most of them could not get a call because of the rationalistic state church.

Walther never had a solid Lutheran education. Apparently, many LCMS clergy were asleep during theirs, because these facts are known and described at great length in Zion on the Mississippi. There is no reason to regurgitate Walther's attitudes, since he did not grasp justification by faith any better than his guru, Bishop Martin Stephan.

Warning people against faith is absurd.

The Formula of Concord













Answers to the Ashes Ashes Test


ELCA Seminary Shrinkage
Objective Justification and Church Growth


  1. Gettysburg-Philly finally merged and went into cat-fight mode over their female Presbyterian president schocking heterosexual past, hidden from the screaming wenches in the student body. Worst new seminary name? - United Lutheran. Hahahaha.
  2. LSTC, a merger of seven seminaries, was ordered to raise about $100 million or lose their accreditation. So tiny.
  3. Luther in St. Paul is selling off land to stay solvent.
  4. Trinity in Columbus (Hamma-Cap merger) moved into portable classroom at the university after $40-80 million in lawsuits from ordaining a known predator. That is diversity in action!
  5. Southern Seminary was multi-denominational but so weak they moved onto a college campus. 
  6. Pacific in Berkeley was high over the Pacific Ocean, but sold out to Muslims so they could rent some office space and join the multi-denominational grad school union. So much to share with so few!

 They believe the Holy Spirit is locked in a closet - but watch out when She gets loose. They know all about loose - loose doctrine, loose budgets, loose everything.

Briner: (Southwestern Texas Synod) has some of the fastest-growing cities in the entire U.S. along the corridor of San Antonio to Austin and beyond. We have people of all ages moving in, but they’re not generally coming to church. So we have an incredible opportunity there, but a lot of it is thinking about how are we different. We’ve become a really settled people who have become very comfortable with the way we’ve always done things. So trying to figure out, how do we be open to the Spirit and be open to the Spirit’s work? Because I’m telling you what, the Spirit is up to something …
Bishops: Amen. Yes, she is.

Ashes Ashes We All Fall Down TEST

  1. The seminary is old but going downhill fast in enrollment. - Both LCMS seminaries, Mequon, all ELCA seminaries.
  2. The school may be in name only, because the total enrollment is 1, 2, or even 0 students.  - ELDONA, Bethany ELS, CLC (sic).
  3. The faculty members are not scholars faithful to the Word, but safe teachers who will indoctrinate the students in worshiping the denomination. - WELS, ELS, LCMS
  4. The early history of the school is forgotten or ignored, because a few people with very little money taught the basics of their denomination's doctrine. WELS-LCMS are lying about OJ being their original doctrine.
  5. The seminary now teaches the opposite of what the early professors taught - not only in the ELCA - but also in the LCMS and WELS. - ELCA, WELS, LCMS
  6. Enormous sums of money have been spent to remodel the buildings, but the students are expected to pile on debt to keep the seminary going. LCMS-WELS-Schwan
  7. The school is selling off assets, including the main campus, to keep going. ELCA
  8. The school teaches Church Growth and universal salvation. ELCA-WELS-LCMS-ELS-CLC (sic)
  9. Scandals and crimes are covered up, but dissent from the new radical dogma is treated as a scandalous felony. ELCA-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic)
 10. When the Invasion of the Body Snatchers reminds you of your own synod. - All of them.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Greek Lesson - Mark 10




Parser tells us the I.D. of the word

Lenski's Mark Commentary - download as a PDF

Skipped by mistake last week -

9:39 ο δε ιησους ειπεν μη κωλυετε αυτον, ουδεις γαρ εστιν ος ποιησει δυναμιν επι τω ονοματι μου και δυνησεται ταχυ κακολογησαι με

tachycardia - heart beating too fast, all Greek.
Kalimera - Good day in Greek. 
Cacophony - kakos - Bad noise
Hemerocallis - beautiful for a day


42 και ος αν σκανδαλιση ενα των μικρων των πιστευοντων εις εμε, καλον εστιν αυτω μαλλον ει περικειται λιθος μυλικος περι τον τραχηλον αυτου και βεβληται εις την θαλασσαν



ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΡΚΟΝ 10 


10 κακειθεν αναστας ερχεται εις τα ορια της ιουδαιας δια του περαν του ιορδανου και συμπορευονται παλιν οχλοι προς αυτον και ως ειωθει παλιν εδιδασκεν αυτους

και προσελθοντες οι φαρισαιοι επηρωτησαν αυτον ει εξεστιν ανδρι γυναικα απολυσαι, πειραζοντες αυτον

ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις, τι υμιν ενετειλατο μωσης

οι δε ειπον μωσης επετρεψεν βιβλιον αποστασιου γραψαι και απολυσαι
Apostasy

και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις προς την σκληροκαρδιαν υμων εγραψεν υμιν την εντολην ταυτην

απο δε αρχης κτισεως αρσεν και θηλυ εποιησεν αυτους ο θεος

ενεκεν τουτου καταλειψει ανθρωπος τον πατερα αυτου και την μητερα και προσκολληθησεται προς την γυναικα αυτου
proskollaó: to glue to, fig. to cleave to
Original Word: προσκολλάω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: proskollaó
Phonetic Spelling: (pros-kol-lah'-o)
Definition: to glue to, to cleave to
Usage: (lit: I glue one thing to another), I join (unite) closely, cleave (to), follow as an adherent.


και εσονται οι δυο εις σαρκα μιαν ωστε ουκετι εισιν δυο αλλα μια σαρξ

ο ουν ο θεος συνεζευξεν ανθρωπος μη χωριζετω


συζεύγνυμ - yoked together, in Moby Dick, spliced together

10 και εν τη οικια παλιν οι μαθηται αυτου περι του αυτου επηρωτησαν αυτον (the same)

11 και λεγει αυτοις ος εαν απολυση την γυναικα αυτου και γαμηση αλλην μοιχαται επ αυτην

polygamy - many marriages

12 και εαν γυνη απολυση τον ανδρα αυτης και γαμηθη αλλω μοιχαται

13 και προσεφερον αυτω παιδια ινα αψηται αυτων οι δε μαθηται επετιμων τοις προσφερουσιν
Rebuking the wind, Peter rebuking Jesus, Jesus rebuking him.

14 ιδων δε ο ιησους ηγανακτησεν και ειπεν αυτοις αφετε τα παιδια ερχεσθαι προς με και μη κωλυετε αυτα των γαρ τοιουτων εστιν η βασιλεια του θεου

15 αμην λεγω υμιν ος εαν μη δεξηται την βασιλειαν του θεου ως παιδιον ου μη εισελθη εις αυτην

16 και εναγκαλισαμενος αυτα τιθεις τας χειρας επ αυτα ηυλογει αυτα

Mark 9:36

17 και εκπορευομενου αυτου εις οδον προσδραμων εις και γονυπετησας αυτον επηρωτα αυτον διδασκαλε αγαθε τι ποιησω ινα ζωην αιωνιον κληρονομησω

18 ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτω τι με λεγεις αγαθον, ουδεις αγαθος ει μη εις ο θεος

19 τας εντολας οιδας μη μοιχευσης μη φονευσης μη κλεψης μη ψευδομαρτυρησης μη αποστερησης τιμα τον πατερα σου και την μητερα

20 ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτω διδασκαλε ταυτα παντα εφυλαξαμην εκ νεοτητος μου

21 ο δε ιησους εμβλεψας αυτω ηγαπησεν αυτον και ειπεν αυτω εν σοι υστερει υπαγε οσα εχεις πωλησον και δος τοις πτωχοις και εξεις θησαυρον εν ουρανω και δευρο ακολουθει μοι αρας τον σταυρον

22 ο δε στυγνασας επι τω λογω απηλθεν λυπουμενος ην γαρ εχων κτηματα πολλα


1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)