The Ending of Mark's Gospel

 Jack - you agree with this drivel and dare to criticize someone singing from the same page of the ELCA hymnal? The patron saint of being offended is not pleased with you.

 Jack! How dare you argue against ELCA-LCMS unity!

I looked into the 12-23-2019 issue of Christian News and found Voelz replying to Jack Cascione about the ending of Mark's Gospel. One of the more obvious acts of violence against the New Testament text is stopping Mark 16 at verse 8, "for they were afraid."

Usually they are subtler. Footnotes call into question the norm. Isaiah 7 "Behold, a virgin will conceive..." Footnote [d] for virgin - "or, a young woman." Now even the "conservative" Lutherans are arguing for "a young woman."

"The young woman will conceive and give birth to a son." NIV with the [d] footnote activated. LCMS-ELCA-WELS sermonette - "That is quite a miracle. Yes, the miracle of birth. And Christmas is all about babies. We all love babies, don't we? Not Thrivent or ELCA, but that is so minor. We need love, not arguments over such trivial matters. At least come half-way with us and say you will consider our reasonable position."

Voelz' complaint is that Cascione did not address a textual issue with a textual argument. Voelz' rebuttal continues without a textual argument! "Oh those Missourians," as Pope Benedict supposedly said. (Source - Paul McCain's erased blog)

I dealt with the arguments twenty (20) years ago - Textual Work on the Ending of Mark.

The real scandal is not that Concordia, St. Louis is liberal - after all, they deny Justification by Faith. The fragrance of scandal arises from charging over $100 for a dubious, two-volume commentary on Mark.

Missouri has copied the weakness of Walther's Biblical knowledge into the 21st century. If they spent more time reading Luther and less time polishing the Walther mythology, they could become Lutherans.

The New Rome

 Biblical leaders - they are as wise as doves, as innocent as serpents.

This week, I was reading Clyde Manshrek's Melanchthon: The Quiet Reformer. I began on this topic in college and read his book then. Manshrek was a student of Roland Bainton at Yale, a school known for producing classics in church history. Many have read Eric Metaxas books - Luther or Wilberforce. Metaxas went to Yale.

Manshrek's point about the Imperial Diet at Augsburg was

• The papal party won on non-biblical sources;
• The Lutherans won on the Scriptural arguments.

Following the Yale tradition, I gathered material for years - on the topics of Justification, the Means of Grace, and the efficacy of the Word.

These are the arguments for Objective Justification, the uncharted but highly promoted dogma that God declared the entire world righteous, forgiven of all sins, absolved, and therefore saved.

1. CFW Walther and his acolytes taught OJ. (Never mention Stephan or Huber.)
2. Rambach and Quistorp taught OJ. (Do not mention Halle Pietism!)
3. JP Meyer and subsequent WELS professors taught OJ. Mark Zarling and Frosty Bivens - OJ is the Chief Article. Oh really? Check out what the Holy Spirit teaches.
4. Dr. Robert Preus taught OJ, but he did not write Justification and Rome (wink - it disappeared down the memory hole).
5. The LCMS, WELS, ELS, and CLC (sic) joyously agree in teaching OJ.
6. The new NIV Bible teaches OJ and even says in Romans 3 - "all are justified. All, ALL, ALL!" (Do not quote the Greek words, please. Never mention all the Left-wing denominations that contributed to this paraphrase or use it gladly. It's not unionism if they all agree.)

The "Satanic argument, the wrong path!" according to Ft. Wayne graduate Pastor Phil Hale. The Scriptures are the wrong path to understanding Justification?

Genesis 15:6 King James Version (KJV)

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

Romans 1:16-17 King James Version (KJV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Romans 3:22 King James Version (KJV)

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

Romans 4:23-25 King James Version (KJV)

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.

Romans 5:1-2 King James Version (KJV)

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 3:22 King James Version (KJV)

22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.

Philippians 3:8-9 King James Version (KJV)

8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: