Walther, The American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies

Part Two: Election without Faith, Walther Usurping the Book of Concord

Walther’s final move toward Calvinism also expressed his domineering personality, not unlike Stephan’s. Just as Stephan insisted he was the only Means of Grace in Germany, which was thus entirely lacking grace when he was gone, so Walther became the ultimate authority in his synod and those he could control. The Missouri Synod continues to treat Walther as the one who “answers all questions.” But they also partake in the crafts and assaults of modern apostate Biblical criticism and theology. Seminex won their battle because the foundation of the synod was poor in the beginning, like the creaking and leaning Millennial Tower in San Francisco.

Some indications of this trait are when Walther:

1.     Became the enforcer for Stephan, so he meted out punishment when the other pastors and teachers offended the future bishop.

2.     Decided a woman should divorce her husband, causing a lot of conflict in the parish.

3.     Kidnapped his niece and nephew from his father’s parsonage, to take them along to America, “because they wanted to go.”

4.     Used Stephan’s lawyers and Walther’s future mother-in-law to hide the children, letting the mother-in-law go to jail while he evaded the police warrant. She was not allowed on the ship by Stephan, who made her come with the later group.

5.     Signed the paper to make Stephan the bishop.

6.     Organized the St. Louis mob to arrive in Perryville to drive away Bishop Stephan.

7.     Used the real estate agent to conduct the kangaroo court dismissing Stephan.

8.     Robbed the bishop of all his land (120 acres), books, personal possessions, and gold, which gave the sect a library and a small fortune to avoid bankruptcy.

9.     Created division with his Calvinistic Election without Faith on the topic of Election, against the expressed statement written by Martin Chemnitz and supported by the editors and signers of the Book of Concord.[1]

---

[1] Walther’s Easter Absolution of the World is supported by the Pietist Rambach and Jay Webber, by opposed by Martin Chemnitz exegesis of 1 Timoth 3:16. Walther is consist in his error of going against Chemnitz – and the Scriptures – here.