Institute of Lutheran (sic) Theology -

 

Faculty - Institute of Lutheran Theology <-Click the link for clearer images.

ELS Pastor Jay Webber earned his STM at the ILT website, which also trains and ordains women pastors. Webber is fanatic repeater of Objective Faithless Justification dogma.

Floyd Luther Stolzenberg was removed from the LCMS clergy list and kept off the WELS list, so Jay Webber and Roger Kovaciny backed him in supporting the Ukraine fiasco (Schwan funds). 

I was a bit shocked that someone was starting up an online Lutheran (sic) seminary, so I posted about 14 times about ILT - click here for all of them. I was asked again recently, so I looked over the content of the website, shockingly shallow and silly - "Reformational." Church-Growthy is more accurate.

The entirely faculty is mostly MDiv, with a few one step higher - MTh. The PhDs are shown on the top level but probably represent very few of the classes taught online. The doctrinal standards are vague, perhaps a bit to the right of ELCA.

Jack Kilcrease, SJ, erased so many of his comments on this blog that someone made it into a new verb - "kilcreasing" a statement immediately after posting. I solved the problem by advancing his wisdom to the permanent part of the post being questioned.

Jack Kilcrease attended an ELCA college and seminary, but earned his PhD from the Jesuits (one of eight "conservative" Lutheran professors to do so. He was not accepted as a pastor in the LCMS. 

ILT charges a lot of money but suggests a way to graduate with no debt. 

This is Lutheran theology today. 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany - "This is the light of the universities which is to lead men to God, but rather leads to the abyss of hell. The light of nature and the light of grace cannot be friends. Nature wants to feel and be certain before she believes, grace believes before she perceives. For this reason, nature does not go further than her own light. Grace joyfully steps out into the darkness, follows the mere word of Scripture, no matter how it appears. Whether nature holds it true or false, she clings to the Word."

 

Complete Sermon here -> 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 2:1-12.
Epiphany - The Story and Spiritual Meaning of This Gospel

OF THE FAITH OF THE WISE MEN.

93. The wise men here teach us the true faith. After they heard the sermon and the word of the prophet they were not slow to believe, in spite of obstacles and difficulties. First they came to Jerusalem, the capital, and did not find him, the star also disappearing. Do you not think they would have said within themselves, if they had followed human reason alone: Alas, we have traveled so far in vain, the star has misled us, it was a phantom. If a king were born he should of course be found in the capital and lie in the royal chamber. But when we arrived the star disappeared and no one knew anything about him. We strangers are the first to speak of him in his own country and royal city! Indeed, it must be all false!

94. Besides, his own people are troubled and do not care to hear of him, and direct us from the royal city to a little village. Who knows what we shall find? The people act so coldly and strangely, no one accompanies us to show us the child; they do not believe themselves that a king is born to them, and we come from afar and expect to find him. O how odd and unusual everything appears at the birth of a king! If a young pup were born, there would be a little noise. A king is born here, and there is no stir.

Should not the people sing and dance, light candles and torches and pave the streets with branches and roses? O the poor king whom we seek! Fools we are to permit ourselves to be deceived so shamefully.

95. Having been flesh and blood, doubtless they were not free from such thoughts and views, and they had to battle for their faith. Natural reason could here not have held its own; if they had not found the king as they had expected, they would have murmured and complained and said: The devil must have led us here. A king cannot have been born since everything is so quiet and nothing is going on. There is more noise when a child is born to our shepherd, and a calving cow is more talked about than this king.

96. Reason and nature never proceed any farther than they can see and feel. When they cease to feel they at once deny God’s existence and say as Psalm 14:1 says. “There is no God,” therefore the devil must be here.

This is the light of the universities which is to lead men to God, but rather leads to the abyss of hell. The light of nature and the light of grace cannot be friends. Nature wants to feel and be certain before she believes, grace believes before she perceives. For this reason, nature does not go further than her own light. Grace joyfully steps out into the darkness, follows the mere word of Scripture, no matter how it appears. Whether nature holds it true or false, she clings to the Word.

97. For the sake of this very strife and struggle, by which the wise men accepted the word of the prophet and followed it into such wild, unnatural appearance of a royal birth, God comforted and strengthened them by this star which went before them more friendly than before. Now they see it near, it is their guide, and they have an assurance which needs no further question. Before it was far from them, and they were not certain where they would find the king.

98. So it is always with the Christian, after affliction has been endured God becomes more dear to him and is so near and so distinctly seen that man not only forgets anxiety and affliction, but has a desire for greater affliction. He gradually becomes so strong that he does not take offense at the insignificant, unattractive life of Christ. For now he experiences and realizes that to find Christ it must appear as though he found nothing but disgrace.

99. Even so the wise men must have been ashamed of themselves if they had doubted and had said, as perhaps they did say secretly in their hearts:

We were so successful, let us travel a little farther on and seek new kings.

I call this buffoonery, as Dame Gay, i.e. nature, conducts herself in the presence of divine words and works. For from the fact that the wise men were so much rejoiced when they saw the star we can infer that they were in such temptation and were heavy-minded when everything appeared so inconsistent. Their joy indicates that they were perhaps despondent and tempted with unbelief. There was cause enough if you look at nature alone.

Hence Christ says, Matthew 11:6: “Blessed is he whosoever shall find no occasion of stumbling in me.” Blessed indeed, but how difficult since appearances were against Christ’s presence.

100. When the wise men had overcome their temptation and were born again by the great joy they were strong and took no offense at Christ, they had overcome in the trial. For although they enter a lowly hut and find a poor young wife with a poor little child, and find less of royal appearance than the homes of their own servants presented, they are not led astray.

But in a great, strong, living faith they remove from their eyes and their minds whatever might attract and influence human nature with its pretense, follow the word of the prophet and the sign of the star in all simplicity, treat the child as a king, fall down before him, worship him, and offer gifts.

This was a strong faith indeed, for it casts aside many things which impress human nature. Perhaps there were some people present who thought: What great fools are these men to worship such a poor child. They must indeed be in a trance to make of him a king.

101. This is the kernel of the Gospel, in which the nature and character of faith is explained as an assurance of things not seen. It clings alone to the words of God and follows the things that are not seen, as alone conveyed in the word of God, and looks askance at many things which urge it to disbelieve the Word. What nature calls playing the fool faith calls the true way. Nature may be wise and clever, faith remains nature’s fool and idiot, and thus comes to Christ and finds him. St. Paul’s words, 1 Corinthians 1:25 apply here: “The foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” For feeling and believing do not get together.

Try This Scenario, Shared by a Military Officer, One of My Graduate Students

 

I have written this before, but some of you have not memorized all the posts, so I am repeating my earlier post about the upcoming election, from a military perspective.

The officer was a little amused about the younger students having problems with online learning, plus all the demands of their lives. I will paraphrase what he said to me, in blue.

I need to take this class while I am flying various places around the world. I will have very poor Internet connection but I expect to be online from wherever I am.

Most people plan what they are going to do, to achieve a good result. The military plans backward. We start at completing the final step, then the one before that, and before that. We finish by planning our starting moves.

When the class was over, everything he did was accomplished to perfection, and he was always on time. 

I have no way to prove anything, but some think the US military is actually in control, working to bring the whole corrupt apparatus down. When Biden won and so many were in despair, I wondered at how disjointed everything was, such as assuming a fair election, a VP who refused to challenge the count, and much more. A done deal. Since then the consequences have set up a complete collapse, as if the initial worries were set aside but are now coming back with a roar.

I posted a version of this graphic when it first came out in 2010.

Some examples are:

• Disney's true history has been exposed, with Hollywood, about the abuse of children.
• Hollywood itself is in a state of collapse.
• Biden is worse than a joke, and his own election workers are bailing out.
• The VP is hidden away and kept from national issues.
• Epstein's Island and his billionaire buddies are in the spotlight.
• Ghislaine Maxwell's resume reflects her late father's.
• The Church of Rome is openly Woke! and the pope is the chief criminal.
• Mainline Lutherans, including the Waltherians, are hemorrhaging members.
• ELCA has lost half its members and its seminaries are in shambles.

I do not have any special connections - I just read as many sources as possible. I said to one military wife, "You must be busy there." She did not respond. Dead silence. 

Maybe I am completely wrong. But if I am, everything will come down on us. We cannot exist as a free, Christian, Constitutional Republic without vast changes happening very soon.

How Should We Then Live? - Francis Schaeffer - YouTube Videos - The first video, Romans, reminds me of my parents saying in the 1960s, "We are turning into Rome!"

United Methodists and Episcopalians in America Are NothingCompared To Their African Counter Parts

The Episcopalians in America have a lot in common with the Methodists here - they are shrinking fast while their African counterparts are growing. American managers are radical Leftwing, and the Africans are the opposite. 

Now that the United Methodists have given the Left Foot of Fellowship to the conservatives leaving the denomination, will the African churches - with many more members - resist American leadership?

ELCA is diverse!

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany - "Thus the mass, i.e. the Lord’s Supper, has been so abused by saying mass for souls in purgatory and by the selling of indulgences, that the whole world by shedding tears of blood day and night could not bewail it sufficiently."

 

Complete Sermon here -> 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 2:1-12.
Epiphany - The Story and Spiritual Meaning of This Gospel

52. They then meddled even with the work of the devil and followed the example of the souls or spirits appearing and praying for help and believed everything that these spirits said without fear or hesitation. Thus the mass, i.e. the Lord’s Supper, has been so abused by saying mass for souls in purgatory and by the selling of indulgences, that the whole world by shedding tears of blood day and night could not bewail it sufficiently.

Thus the devil has permitted himself to be conjured and constrained to reveal the truth and has turned our faith and sacrament into play and mockery to his own liking. All this is the result and reward of our overcuriousness, which has not been satisfied with the Scriptures of God and has made our true and faithful God and Father a fool and clown, who pretends to teach us by his Word and yet does not care to teach us that which we ought and necessarily need to know. For this reason he serves us right in permitting us to become the devil’s pupils, inasmuch as we despised his school.

53. But you say: Should we then deny that wandering spirits go astray and seek for help? Answer: Let wander who will, you listen to what God commands. If you hold all these spirits in suspicion, you are not sinning; but if you hold some of them to be genuine and honest, you are already in danger of erring. And why? Because God does not want you to seek and learn the truth from the dead. He himself wants to be your living and all sufficient teacher. To his Word you should cling. He knows best what to tell you about the living and the dead, for he knows all things. But whatever he does not want to tell you, you should not desire to know, and give him the honor to believe that he knows what is not necessary, profitable nor good for you to know.

54. Therefore you should freely and unhesitatingly cast all such ghostly apparitions to the winds and not be afraid of them; they will then leave you in peace. And should it seem, that perhaps in your house you hear a hobgoblin or rumbling spirit, then make no ado about it, but be assured that it can not be a good spirit come from God. Make the sign of the cross and firmly hold to your faith. Has he been sent by God to chastise you, like Job, then be ready to endure it willingly, but should it be the spirit’s own sport, then defy him by strong faith and joyfully depend on God’s Word.

Depend upon it he will not attack that.

However, I hold that none of these hobgoblins are ordained of God to molest us, but it is their own mischief to terrify the people, because they have no longer any power to harm. If they had any power to harm, they would surely not engage in much racketing, but do their evil work before you could be aware who had done it. But if a good spirit were to visit you, it would not occur with such noise and frivolity. Do this and manifest strong faith and you will find that such a spirit is not of God, and will cease its work. If you have not such faith, then he will have easy work, for then God’s Word which alone he fears is not with you.

55. The words of the Scriptures upon which you should boldly rely are Luke 16:29, where Abraham said to Dives in hell, who desired the departed Lazarus to be sent to his brothers living on earth, but Abraham refusing to do this, said: “They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them.” From these words if is plain that God will not have us taught by the dead, but have us abide in his Word. Therefore, no matter how and where a spirit comes to you, do not ask whether he be good or evil, but bravely, quickly and defiantly cast into his teeth the words: “they have Moses and the prophets,” and he will soon understand what you mean. Is it a good spirit, he will only love you the more for adhering so gladly and firmly to the Word of your God. Is it an evil spirit, as are all those that are noisy, he will soon bid you adieu.

Again, another word of God is spoken by Moses in Deuteronomy 18:11: “When thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

There shall not be found with thee any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through fire, one that useth divination, one that practiceth augury, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or a consulter with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer.”

Here you are told that it is an abomination in the sight of God to consult the dead or the spirits, and it is strictly forbidden. To this word of Moses Abraham looked when he did not permit Lazarus to come back to the earth. You can also use this passage against these spirits, saying: “Thou shalt not consult the dead, saith the Lord.”

56. God has insisted on this so firmly, that there is no example recorded in the Scriptures, where the saints have ever consulted the dead about anything. And this is the third argument that you can use against these spirits: No one ever heard or read of an example in the Scriptures as to such spirits and their work, hence the whole must be condemned and avoided as of the devil.

A Member Asked about Daily Prayer

Many decades have passed with the invented term "making disciples," leading to catastrophic decline in those foolish enough to grasp more gimmicks and fewer Biblical insights. Lutheran clergy, who should know better, abandoned the efficacy of the Word and pursued the latest thing. The power of the Holy Spirit through the Word is energy for our prayers.

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

A member asked about daily prayer, so this is a basic outline, not the only one, to be followed up with a video.

Jesus was not busy enough.

KJV Mark 1:34 And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him. 35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and they that were with him followed after him. 37 And when they had found him, they said unto him, All men seek for thee.  38 And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

Too Busy

My graduate students have insisted there is no such event in Mark, Jesus being told they have work to do when the disciples found Him praying. I point toward Mark 1, even Mark 1:37 to make sure they see the irony. 

People find a quiet time to pray in the morning or at the end of the day, which is more favorable for prayer and not being rushed to get things done.

1.

Make the time for prayer every day, because of its many benefits and the example of Jesus Christ.

2.

Concentrate on the Savior, because the entire Bible is the Book of the Holy Spirit (Luther) about Jesus Christ and His Father. Addressing the Savior is a good way to concentrate on Him, Who is our closest friend. 

3.

One way to begin is addressing the titles of Jesus, which are often ignored today - My Good Shepherd, the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, both man and God, Teacher, miracle worker, healing the deaf and lepers and raising the dead, dying on the cross for our sins, rising from the dead, ascending to Heaven to guide us.

4.

Expressing thanks to our Good Shepherd could include Isaiah 40, Psalm 23, and New Testament references to His work - such as John 10. Starting with thanksgiving to Him emphasizes the many blessings which are poured out on us. We should be especially thankful for His protection and for the ways in which He turns hurtful people and events into small and large miracles.

5.

Our prayers should always include a confession of sin through faith in Jesus Christ, our only access to grace. 

6.

Our emotions are weak because there are so many ways in which we experience pain, sorrow, grief, and hatefulness. Prayer is an excellent way to ask for help from our Good Shepherd. As Luther said about the lost sheep, "He is as anxious for me as I am for Him." (graphic)

Daily Luther Sermon Quotes - Epiphany - "However, that heretics originated from the Scriptures, is true. From where else should they have come? There is no other book that teaches the Christian faith but the Scriptures."

 

Complete Sermon here -> 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 2:1-12.
Epiphany - The Story and Spiritual Meaning of This Gospel

The knowledge of Christ and of faith is so above the natural man that only God’s grace can work it in us. Flesh and blood can not reveal it unto us, but only the Father in heaven, as Christ says, Matthew 16:17. Even greater saints than Augustine, Benedict, Gregory and others like them have erred in these things. At the time of the apostles there were already such teachers, against whom St. Paul wrote all his epistles in order to keep the faith altogether free from works and human doctrines.

48. And that you may marvel still more, the whole Christian church in its early days, and at its best, erred in these things, only Peter, Paul and Barnabas standing firm and holding that neither law nor good works are profitable and necessary for salvation. St. Luke clearly states it in Acts 15. There were great saints there, the apostles and their disciples who insisted and would have continued to insist that the law and good works were necessary for salvation, had not St. Paul and Peter declared against it.

And even they themselves would not have known this had not God by miraculous signs from heaven confirmed them in their opinion that only faith is profitable and necessary for salvation, as we read, Acts 10:48.

44. More than this, although St. Peter knew all this and helped to defend it, yet at Antioch he also erred and made improper use of his Christian liberty, and only St. Paul understood him, as he writes, Galatians 2:11. Not as though St. Peter believed that he must keep the law, but that he did not at once make proper use of his Christian liberty, which he well understood thinking that he had to hesitate for the sake of others, This was wrong and was censured by Paul.

Therefore, it amounts to nothing whatever if those works of the saints are referred to which they did outside of the Scriptures. They are deceiving just as well and even more than the errors of heretics and false teachers, because real and true holiness adorns such infirmities altogether too much.

God permits such things in order that he might hold us to his Word and doctrine without which there is neither life nor light, even if all the angels were to teach such things.

45. In the third place, they hold up to us the saints’ interpretations of the Scriptures, and consider them a great light. They finally adhere to them and believe that in these interpretations they possess something that no one could reject, and claim again and again in order to keep us away from the pure Word that the Scriptures are obscure and make many heretics.

46. Is not this a masterpiece of blasphemy? But who guarantees them that the fathers are not also obscure? Or who will give us the guaranty that the fathers did not err in their interpretations? Indeed it is well known that they did often err, often contradicted themselves, often contradicted each other and very seldom were unanimous in their agreement. God permitted this to happen to make uncertain also the interpretations of the fathers and to warn us on all sides not to depart from the Scriptures. And yet we stumble here and do not permit ourselves to be guided by the Scriptures. Therefore we should know that it is not true when they say: The fathers give light to the obscure Scriptures. They are doing injustice to the fathers, and belie them. The work of the fathers was not to give light to the Scriptures with their comments, but rather to set forth the clear Scriptures and thus interpret Scripture by Scripture only without any additions of their own.

47. However, that heretics originated from the Scriptures, is true. From where else should they have come? There is no other book that teaches the Christian faith but the Scriptures. Therefore, as no one can become a Christian except by the Scriptures, so also can no one become a heretic but by the same Scriptures. Christ is indeed a sign spoken against and set for the falling and rising of many. Should we on that account reject him or set up another Christ by his side? You do not at the same time need wine and bread, but should we on that account quit tilling the farm and the vineyards or start others besides them? Satan is the enemy of the Scriptures and therefore he has decried and calumniated them by this clamor and blasphemy.

48. But what does this Gospel teach? In the first place, these wise men did not inquire after the chief priests and do not ask: Where is Annas or Caiaphas, or how did this or that man live? But they ask: Where is the newborn king of the Jews? Yes, Christ permits them, as a warning to us, to go astray and to seek him in Jerusalem in the holy city among the priests, the learned and the royalty. He is not found in the holy place nor in the holy customs. Nor did they receive as an answer any human opinions, but only what the Scriptures say about Christ, which alone are to be sought among the holy people and in holy places.

49. Sufficient examples are here given to show us that disregarding all human works, teachings, comments and life we should be mindful only of the clear Scriptures, and as to the life and teachings of the saints preserve the right not to rake or snatch up everything that they teach or live, but rather to sit in judgment on these things and accept with discretion only that which is compatible with the Scriptures. But what is their own, without Scripture proof, we should consider as human inventions and avoid, as St. Paul teaches: Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. 1 Thessalonians 5:21. Moses has also indicated this, Leviticus 11:3, Deuteronomy 14:6, where he describes clean and unclean beasts, that all animals which are not cloven footed and ruminant are unclean. These are the men who are not cloven footed, who spend their lives carelessly, rake up whatever comes before them and follow it. But the clean animals are those men who by the spirit act with discretion in all external things and doctrines. Whatever they see harmonizing with the Scriptures they keep, but whatever is without Scriptural foundation and mere human inventions they dismiss, no matter how great and famous the saints who taught it may be. For no saint has been so perfect as to be free from flesh and blood, or the continued struggle with flesh and blood, so that it is scarcely possible that all their teachings and works were spiritually perfect and are to be accepted as examples. Human nature and reason often concurred in their work, and these are not to be trusted at all. Hence Moses commands us to be cloven footed and Paul to discern the spirits and not to accept all the works and doings of men.

Tom Fisher's Latest Letter

 

Dear Pastor Jackson,

I have been studying your book on justification again. No true Christian is able to accept the twisted, confusing false dogma of OJ/SJ. OJ is universalism. SJ is synergism.

I have also been studying your book on the KJV.  I continue to be impressed with the faith of Yale's Nils Dahl who said, "The text! The text! We have the text!" Contrast the faith of Nils Dahl with the faithless blasphemers of the TEXTUS RECEPTUS, KJV, and Luther's Bible.  God the Holy Ghost chose these Bibles for the Reformation and rejected the Vaticanus family of corrupted Bibles. God the Holy Ghost is the Spirit of truth who guides us into all truth, and attaches Himself to the pure Word of God in the TEXTUS RECEPTUS, KJV, and Luther's Bible. No true Christian rejects and ignores these Bibles, but uses and studies them as God's pure efficacious Word.  So what shall we say of these wicked "Lutheran" pastors who continue to harden themselves against God the Holy Ghost?  I think they are not afraid to speak a word against God the Holy Ghost and the Bibles He has chosen. 

In Christ,

Tom Fisher

Bergoglio Is Not Happy - So the Dissenting Priest Is Canned

 

Roman Catholics who despise Pope Francis, SJ, call him "Bergoglio" to spite him. In fact, one person alone is the authority over all Jesuits - The General. Therefore, Francis is under the Jesuit General, no matter what.

Italian priest struck off for calling Francis an ‘anti-pope usurper’

An Italian priest has been struck off after calling Pope Francis an “anti-pope usurper” in his New Year’s Eve homily.

Father Ramon Guidetti’s speech to the congregation at St Ranieri church in Guasticce, a hamlet in the Tuscan province of Livorno, was a tribute marking the first anniversary of the death of Francis’s predecessor Benedict XVI.

In a video of the homily, which lasted more than 20 minutes and was shared online, Guidetti refers to the Argentinian pontiff – whose former name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio – as simply “Mr Bergoglio”, before describing him as “a Jesuit Freemason linked to world powers, an anti-pope usurper”.

Guidetti went on to say that Francis had a “cadaverous gaze, into nothingness”, unlike “good Benedict”.

He was reportedly applauded by some of his flock. His excommunication, however, came swiftly. Simone Giusti, the bishop of Livorno, issued a decree saying Guidetti had “publicly committed an act of a schismatic nature” and ordered him to be “removed from the office of parish priest of St Ranieri in Guasticce”. The bishop warned other priests “not to participate in any of his celebrations or other cult practices” as that would incur “the very serious penalty of excommunication”.

Guidetti, who was known locally to have made previous anti-Francis remarks, said he was proud to have been excommunicated, adding it was “a mark of pride to be out of this church, which is a tyranny”.

“I am calm,” he told Radio Domina Nostra, a radio show hosted by Alessandro Minutella, another priest who was excommunicated after attacking Pope Francis. “But astonished at the speed at which the guillotine came down. I will frame the decree and hang it on the wall – it will be something I will boast about.”

Francis was appointed pope after Benedict resigned in March 2013.

His papacy has been embraced by progressives, but he has endured battles with a deeply conservative faction of the church, who are irked by the attention he has given to issues such as social inequality, the climate crisis and refugees. In December, he approved a ruling allowing priests to bless unmarried and same-sex couples in a significant change of position for the Catholic church.

Some of the pontiff’s detractors believe his appointment was invalid because of Benedict’s resignation.

Church Real Estate - The Wrong Goal

In the last century, denominations would seek out land to start new congregations, often with a parsonage nearby. The members got to pay for the package, sometimes with discounts, like the church that got a rent deal because they could not shoulder the synod's mortgage scheme.

The big old churches expanded in time and soon they were fixing the entire roof, reworking the plumbing, and installing a new furnace. One furnace guy charged $40,000 to fix the furnace and tore it to pieces. No one could figure out how to put it back together, so the congregation dissolved. They continued to gather for some time, to discuss what happened.

Each congregation can now send the service to everyone's home rather than getting people to the aging church building, especially during bad weather, pandemics, and fake pandemics. The Mother Church is often a high crime area. If not, the travel time can be a problem because of distance.

One tiny sect has the goal of grabbing the ownership of congregational properties, which can be done by changing the parish constitution and playing various games. 

Pick Your Universalism - #1 - The Cross - #2 - the Resurrection

 

This is the basic empty grave absolution of the world, not original with CFW Walther B.A., or even with Martin Stephan, STD, but widely taught in Pietism and in Calvinism.

Those who claim the entire world has been absolved of all guilt will always use the fallacy of emphasis. They find a nugget and fashion it into false doctrine, often with great glee and fierce looks at those who dare to disagree.

One key passage is frequently the source of Objective Justification nonsense. Readers will find that the 1 Timothy 3:16 passage is used to promote the Watherian absolution of the entire world...without faith. Later, the scheming Walther used predestination "to prove" that faith is a work of man. 

KJV 1 Timothy 3:16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

This verse can be seen as a creed or short hymn, certainly poetic with six aorist participles. "Without controversy" can be translated literally as "confessionally." However, the Lutherans who use the word "confessional" every few minutes - and in their Facebook titles - are those who reject and ridicule Justification by Faith.

1. Manifest in the flesh
2. Justified in the Spirit
3. Believed on in the world
4. Received up in glory.
5. Seen of angels
6. Preached unto the Gentiles.

The second phrase - justified in the Spirit - is twisted into claiming that the Holy Spirit absolved the unbelieving world when Jesus rose from the dead. In fact, Jesus Christ is sinless in His divinity, not from a declaration or a change over time. His resurrection proved what was always true, He was both man and God, two natures, one person. To claim that Jesus - without sin - was declared without sin is another mental pretzel fashioned by the Objective Justification mob.

Walther - borrowing from Bishop Stephan STD - makes the resurrection of Christ the absolution of the entire world, a claim without any basis in the Scriptures, but popular in Pietism and Calvinism. 

 Jay Webber is fond of Rambach. One discussion was here. Webber argued in favor of Rambach but against Chemnitz, which the Intrepid Lutherans found abusive and amusive.

Luther's Epiphany sermon points out that the so-called intellectuals twist words around rather than teaching the plain Word of God. The content of 1 Timothy 3:16 is an expression of Christ's glory, not mankind's absolution without faith.

The Objective Justification beehive likes to merge 1 Timothy 3:16 with Romans 4. The 1932 Brief Statement facilitates that error. But let's start with the actual passage.

KJV Romans 4:23 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.

Missouri Synod B.S. - 1932

"Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 4:25..."

 By citing Romans 4:25 and not the verses before 4:25, the LCMS and its copycats repeat the false doctrine of Walther, Stephan, and Rambach. The New NIV (but not the older one) is loved by the Synodicals because Romans 3 has everyone being justified. 

New NIV 

 Romans 3:24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

 

Knapp was a famous Pietist and Woods was a famous Calvinist.

Like Brenner in WELS, Jack Kilcrease was trained by Jesuits.

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Epiphany - "In the second place they point us to tradition and the examples of the saints to strengthen and prove their man-made teachings. And this is very effective and leads many souls to destruction. It leads away from the Scriptures and faith in such a smooth unsuspecting manner that no one is aware of it. Thus they point to St. Benedict, Gregory, Bernard, Augustine, Francis, Dominic and many other saints, whom we all recognize as holy men and say that they observed such human ordinances and regulations and by virtue of them became holy men. Tell me how can the simple-minded Christian withstand such arguments and still keep the faith?"

 

Complete Sermon here -> 

Luther's Sermons - Matthew 2:1-12.
Epiphany - The Story and Spiritual Meaning of This Gospel

II. THE ATTITUDE OF HEROD TO THE ARRIVAL OF THE WISE MEN.

“And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.”

34. Why are they troubled? Were not the Jews waiting for Christ who was promised them by God, as we have seen from Genesis 49, 10? Were not Simeon and Anna and many more pious people at Jerusalem at that time looking for Christ’s coming and rejoicing in it? That Herod was troubled, there was good reason. He feared the loss of his kingdom because he well knew that he was a foreigner and merited the ill will of the Jews. He also knew that the Jews looked for the Christ who should deliver them as Moses had done. Troubled by his conscience, he feared an insurrection against him and that he be driven from his kingdom. On the other hand the Jews feared Herod and the Romans, believing that to have a new king would mean much bloodshed for them. They had before this, to their own great misfortune, revolted against the Romans and Herod, hence they were minded like the people of Israel in Egypt, who, when Moses was to lead them out and they were oppressed more than before, murmured against Moses. This was a sign of their weak faith, just as this fear of the Jews at Jerusalem indicates unbelief, and more trust in human than divine power.

35. However, the true believers were not frightened, but rather rejoiced.

And when the Evangelist says that all Jerusalem was troubled together with Herod, he does not mean all the inhabitants and citizens of the city, but speaks after the manner of the Scriptures, viz., that when it mentions a city only and not its inhabitants also, it means not all who dwell in it but the majority of them. Thus it is often said in the book of Joshua that he destroyed this and that city, killing all the inhabitants and whatever lived in it, but meaning only the largest part and number of them. “And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written through the prophet, and thou Bethlehem, land of Judah, art in no wise least among the princes of Judah: for out of thee shall come forth a governor, who shall be shepherd of my people Israel.”

36. Here we ask, why did not Christ lead these wise men to Bethlehem by the star instead of allowing his birth, which was now known, to be learned from the Scriptures? This was done that he might teach us to adhere to the Scriptures and not depend on our own wisdom nor the teaching of any man. The Scriptures have been given for a purpose. In them he desires to be found, and nowhere else. Whoever despises and rejects these shall and will never find him.

We have also heard, in Luke 2:12, that the angel also gave the shepherds a sign, but not to Mary nor to Joseph nor to any other men, no matter how pious they were, but gave to them only the swaddling clothes and the manger in which he was wrapped and laid; that is, the writings of the prophets and the law; in these he is wrapped, they contain him, they speak only of him and bear witness of him; they are his sure sign, as he says himself. “Ye search the Scriptures because ye think that in them ye have eternal life; and these are they which bear witness of me.” John 5:89.

And Paul says: “A righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets.” Romans 3:21. Furthermore, we have also heard that Simeon and Anna represent the Scriptures, which manifest Christ and bear him in their arms. And according to Luke 16:29-81, Abraham would not grant the request of Dives in hell that Lazarus be sent to his brothers, but points to the Scriptures, saying: “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if one rise from the dead.”

37. Against this divine doctrine our learned men have until now set up all kinds of means to learn the truth. We must speak of a few in order to guard ourselves against them. In the first place they have set up innumerable laws, statutes, articles and teachings invented by men, such as clerical canons, orders, regulations, etc.; all of which are without doubt not the swaddling clothes and the manger of Christ, neither do they represent Simeon nor Anna. St. Paul has earnestly warned us against such teachings and urged us to abide in the Word of God alone. For all human doctrines are dangerous and cause us to depart from the faith, just as Solomon was led astray by strange women, and as Paul says, Titus 1:14, “That fables and commandments of men turn away from the truth.”

38. If any one were to use human doctrines as he eats and drinks and wears clothing, they might be harmless. No one eats or drinks or clothes himself for the purpose of becoming holy and being saved thereby. Such an opinion or conviction would be base folly for anyone. His intention and desire to become holy rests upon this, that he strives firmly to believe in Christ and thus become holy and be saved. Such intention is correct and the desire good. Hence let him who fasts, labors, wears the garments of monks or priests, or keeps the rules o! his order, consider this just as he considers eating and drinking, not as making him holy by doing it, or as making him unholy by omitting it. Let him know that he can become holy only through faith. Doing this he will be safe and human teachings will do him no more harm than eating and drinking or the wearing of clothing. But where are they that are doing this? Among a thousand there is scarcely one, for they usually all say: If I do not become holy and am not saved by such a life, order, regulations and work, what a fool I am to walk in them and observe them.

39. It is therefore not possible for human doctrines not to lead away from the truth, as Paul says. For one of two things must take place, viz.; They will either be despised and rejected when it is understood that they will not make us holy nor save us; or they will ensnare and deaden conscience and conviction if it is believed that they do make us holy and must therefore be kept. In this case faith is destroyed and the soul must perish. There is no help nor rescue. For true faith cannot exist nor can it tolerate that anyone should conscientiously hold something else to be necessary to become holy and be saved than faith in Christ alone. Therefore, whoever has this faith can not trust in human teachings, but observes them when and wherever he pleases, being lord over them. But he who follows human doctrines without having faith, can never apprehend faith, remains forever a slave of human commandments and will never do a really good work, as St. Paul says, Titus 1:16. For this reason we must hold fast to the plain teaching of Scripture which presents Christ only, and that by faith in him we become true Christians and then freely do all kinds of good works to the good of our neighbor, as has often been said.

40. In the second place they point us to tradition and the examples of the saints to strengthen and prove their man-made teachings. And this is very effective and leads many souls to destruction. It leads away from the Scriptures and faith in such a smooth unsuspecting manner that no one is aware of it. Thus they point to St. Benedict, Gregory, Bernard, Augustine, Francis, Dominic and many other saints, whom we all recognize as holy men and say that they observed such human ordinances and regulations and by virtue of them became holy men. Tell me how can the simple-minded Christian withstand such arguments and still keep the faith? It must be an apostolic or evangelical spirit that will here remain firm. Oh, how sure they are and how boldly they parade! When they produce such examples of holy men they think that they have kindled a great light.