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

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

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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

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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

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Publication Information

• Lutheran Library edition first published: 2019-08-22
• Version 4 update: 2019-08-22
• Copyright: CC 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
• Book Contents
• Download the eBook
• Publication Information

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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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/


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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.