From: Tom Fisher <tomfisher99@yahoo.com>
To: Pastor Greg Jackson <greg.jackson.edlp@gmail.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 12, 2022, 03:46:00 PM CDT
Subject: Letter to LCMS President Harrison
Please post the following letter I wrote to LCMS President Harrison and signed my name. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ especially in Holy Communion.
June 12, 2022
Dear Pastor and President Harrison,
I am always thankful for the pastoral care you gave me years ago at Zion!! I was so upset and troubled about the liberalism in our dear synod. Now I am even more deeply troubled by LCMS pastors and even district presidents changing Christ's last will and testament into a Calvinistic covenant during the words of institution. This Sunday morning central Illinois district president Mark Miller changed Christ's last will and testament into a Calvinistic covenant during the words of institution. Now "that little word 'testament' is a short summary of all God's wonder and grace fulfilled in Christ." (Martin Luther, LW, vol. 35, pg 84). I firmly believe Christ my Testator gives me His last will and testament, bequeathing to me forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Holy Communion. Luther confirmed this when he said: "So in this matter, you must above all else take heed to your heart, that you believe the words of Christ, and admit their truth, when He says to you and to all, ' This is my blood, a new testament, by which I bequeath to you forgiveness of all sins and eternal life." (Martin Luther, LW, vol 35, pg 84) It is unthinkable and impossible for me to agree to any changes to Christ's last will and testament... Why?... Because it is a horrible sin to me to change Christ's last will and testament. Martin Chemnitz the second Luther, shares my belief:
"For since Christ instituted His supper in the form of a testament, it is also not allowed at another time to distort even a man's covenant, if it is confirmed by adding or subtracting: how much greater sin it is therefore to change or mutilate the testament of the Son of God." (Martin Chemnitz, Ministry, Word, and sacrament, CPH, 1981, pg. 122). Now many in our synod we're very unhappy when our new hymnal held to this little word 'testament' in Holy Communion. Many argued against this favoring 'covenant' instead. But "that little word 'testament' is a short summary of all God's wonder and grace fulfilled for us in Christ." (Martin Luther, LW, vol 35, pg 84) So our synod wisely held with 'testament' in opposition to all the corrupted modern translations (NKJV, ESV, NIV etc.) Trusting Luther's Bible and the King James Bible and the clear meaning conveyed by the Greek word itself: 'testament'.
Pastor and President Harrison, I urge you to please confirm LCMS pastors and district presidents hold to Christ's words as they stand in the Bible and our liturgy. "That little word 'testament' is a short summary of all God's wonder and grace fulfilled in Christ." (Martin Luther, LW, vol 35, pg 84)
I am unable to partake of Holy Communion from LCMS pastors and district presidents who change Christ's Last Will and Testament into a Calvinistic covenant.
In Christ,
Tom Fisher
