The Century of Regress

 

Everyone got all excited about the new century, known affectionately as Y2K,  or 2001 for the young'uns. I was hired to do some work with Cisco, a short-term project because they canned their own product, a home router. 

The change introduced me to teaching at Glendale Community College, connecting me with the University of Phoenix and giving me local courses on computers, writing, and the humanities. That led me into online teaching for UOP and then GCU. UOP was eventually merged into the State of Utah system, shrinking faster than wool socks in a dryer. GCU's physical campus grew exponentially and also online. 

Our country has gone into the gutter with dishonesty, deception, fraud, and crime. I listened to the speeches last night, a continuous roar of dishonesty and self-destruction. I wondered, "Do they really want to lead with the destruction of human life, as if that was virtue? Evil is good, and whatever is noble must be covered with their slime.

The best we can do is to rely on and absorb the two great treasures which are easily obtained and yet are scorned and vilified by the Great Ones. 

The King James Version

The treasures are first the King James Bible, which used the martyr William Tyndale and 50 great English scholars to produce a clear and precise masterpiece -

• The Old Testament, ancient and preserved in infallible Hebrew.
• The New Testament, early and precise in Koine Greek.

Martin Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz -

The Reformation

By chance, if there is such a thing, Luther became a Biblical professor, translated the Bible with the help of other genius translators, and battled the Church of Rome. His life was always on the line.

Reformation Seminary - Luther, Melanchthon, Chemnitz

 

Reformation Seminary 

Luther, was born in 1483 and died in 1546. He favored the Small Catechism and the Galatians commentaries (shorter and longer).

1. He was well trained could have become a leading figure.

2. The storm threatened his life (sword cut) and he pleaded for mercy, became an Augustine monk and priest.

3. He was urged to earn a doctorate in Biblical studies, which slowly dissolved his Medieval training and Roman Catholic rituals.

4. He kept what was Biblical and discarded papal dogma over time.

5. The printing press started its own revolution, in all languages. Profitable - for others.

6. He argued from the Bible and emphasized the sermon as central to Christian growth.

Melanchthon was born in 1497 and died in 1560. He was the author/editor of the Augsburg Confession and the Apology. He also wrote the Treatise on the Pope.

1. Melanchthon was considered the greatest language scholar after Erasmus.

2. His character was just as irenic as Luther's was polemical. 

3. The two worked closely together, which is clear with Melanchthon's work in the Book of Concord.

Chemnitz was born in 1522 and died in 1586. He was the senior editor of the Book of Concord, 1580.

1. He studied under Luther and Melanchthon.

2. Oddly, he cast horoscopes for a wealthy man, which gave him access to all the ancient Christian authors, invaluable for his battles with Rome and the sects.

3. After Melanchthon's death, Chemnitz began to pull the Lutherans (Evangelicals) together.

4. Chemnitz was widely ignored and probably still is, but his books are available in English.

5. He is most famous for the Book of Concord and the Examination of the Council of Trent.

A Missouri Synod Pastor Wrote To a Layman. Which Man Supports Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz?

 

From the Pastor -

Dear Tom,

Your unkind accusations betray the fact that you are NOT a Christian. I have answered you with direct quotes from the Holy Bible which you persistently dismiss, again showing you are NOT a Christian but are rather a person who mocks and rejects God's Holy Word!

The entire world is forgiven IN CHRIST, since God does NOT IMPUTE THEIR TRESPASSES unto them (in Christ). Outside of Christ, that is, without God-given faith in Christ, NO human being personally receives the forgiveness of sins and salvation! That is what the BIBLE TEACHES! If you have a problem with it, take it up with the LORD who gave us His Word!

I'll continue to pray that you sincerely repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and that you surrender your thoughts to His thoughts as put forth in Holy Scripture.

God's Word says: "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:6-9)

In obedience to God's command, I now drop this discussion, for I cannot cast the pearls of God before swine.

+++

Dear Pastor,

You must answer my question!!! Does objective justification teach that God has already justified the whole world without faith in Christ?  The answer is obvious, but you refuse to answer it because you are a deceptive and dishonest pastor.

You teach God has already justified the whole world without and prior to faith. In contrast I teach and hold to justification by faith in Christ as taught by Luther, Chemnitz, and Christ Himself. This is why you eagerly rush to mercilessly condemn me to hell as a non Christian.  You seek to destroy my faith in Christ and my baptism in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I am baptized and clothed in the righteousness of Christ in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. I am Christian because God has clothed me in the righteousness of Christ in my baptism in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. In contrast you teach the whole world is in Christ and clothed in the righteousness of Christ without faith and without baptism. I am in Christ and clothed in the righteousness of Christ by my baptism in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Here in my baptism God gives me faith, makes me His child, and clothes me in the righteousness of Christ in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ." Gal 3:26,27

I hold to this passage.  In contrast you teach the whole world is already in Christ and clothed in the righteousness of Christ without faith in Christ and without baptism into Christ. You teach against faith in Christ and against baptism into Christ. You teach another gospel not found in the Word of God.  You have fallen from grace. You are completely unworthy of being a pastor.

"I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: which is not another ; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As I said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed." Gal 1:6-9

Pastor, you clearly teach another gospel not found in the Word of God. God's Word teaches justification by faith in Christ. In contrast you teach that God has already justified the whole world without faith in Christ. The Word of God teaches we are in Christ and clothed in the righteousness of Christ in our baptism into Christ. In contrast you preach the whole world is already in Christ and already clothed in the righteousness of Christ without faith in Christ and without Baptism into Christ. 

Pastor, you are completely defeated. Your precious objective justification without faith in Christ lies in a faithless heap. It is time for you to admit your defeat and cease your hostilities against justification by faith in Christ, and against baptism into Christ. Repent. Stop condemning true Christians who hold to justification by faith and who cling to their baptism into Christ in the name of God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

In Christ,

Tom 

On Tuesday, March 5, 2024 at 12:00:47 PM CST, Pastor wrote:

Dear Tom,

Your unkind accusations betray the fact that you are NOT a Christian. I have answered you with direct quotes from the Holy Bible which you persistently dismiss, again showing you are NOT a Christian but are rather a person who mocks and rejects God's Holy Word!

The entire world is forgiven IN CHRIST, since God does NOT IMPUTE THEIR TRESPASSES unto them (in Christ). Outside of Christ, that is, without God-given faith in Christ, NO human being personally receives the forgiveness of sins and salvation! That is what the BIBLE TEACHES! If you have a problem with it, take it up with the LORD who gave us His Word!

I'll continue to pray that you sincerely repent of your sins and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and that you surrender your thoughts to His thoughts as put forth in Holy Scripture.

God's Word says: "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:6-9)

In obedience to God's command, I now drop this discussion, for I cannot cast the pearls of God before swine.

In Christ, my Savior and Lord,

Pastor

A Definition from a Book of Concord Illiterate, Posted on an Inept Discussion Blog. They Have Yet To Find Luther on Their Confused Quest, But They Have Pleased Their Father Below.

The Chief Article in the entire Christian doctrine is Justification by Faith, as taught by Luther, Melanchthon, and Martin Chemnitz. Both Martins earned their doctorates and Melanchthon deserved one, but he was judged too young looking.  Walther earned a bachelor's degree only but demanded that everyone obey his Pietistic notions and insights from Martin Stephan, STD.

Calling those who agree with "the entire Christian doctrine" are called "deniers" by Joe Krohn. That means the Apostle Paul was a "denier."

Note that the ludicrous faith-denying F. Pieper gang cut out Romans 4:24 in the sanctified Brief Statement 1932 - so they could chant, as Rolf Preus always did - "raised again for our justification, raised again for our justification." Apparently he used Wite-Out in his studies. 

This works wonders for Romans 4:24. Ask Rolf!

KJV Romans 4:24 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.

KJV Romans 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. 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Now we know the LQ story, in just a few words.

"The problem with the deniers is their view of hoi polloi. Try to pin them down and you get obfuscation and diversion. The Greek is quite plain in the objective sense. I would expect to see something along the lines of "oligoi" if OJ were not true. Christ stood in mankind's place and justice was served against sin, death and the devil in God's court." 

Joe Krohn, senior member of the LutherQueasies, Bible illiterate

The cover of Matt Harrison's ghosted campaign book needed some editing, so I helped to make it a bit more honest. Stephan, a Pietist, gave his STD to young women, which Walther worked into a riot to depose the bishop and steal his land, money, books, and personal items. Forcing Stephan across the river was a felony, kidnapping, and so were the thefts. Walther's circle was comprised of Pietists who followed Stephan and kept the secrets.

Book of Concord - Quia Fakes and Inerrancy Quakes.How the Lutherans Became Unitarians

WELS, ELS, and LCMS claim to have a quia subscription to the Book of Concord, but their allegiance really belongs to Understanding Church Growth. They mourn Peter Drucker!

The professors ridiculed the Apostolic KJV into the archives, using ridicule, while selling the Bad Bibles for their own profit - RSV, NRSV, NIV, ESV, Beck. 

Those who teach and confess the Book of Concord, using the KJV, are shunned, excommunicated, or - sob - forced to study the works of Waldo Vermin and Peter Drucker.

A few would rather have the truth of the Scriptures instead of cushy jobs, a fat retirement, and a building named after them.

The Reformation began with little more than the Apostles, but they also knew the power of God's Word.

Even the Great Commission is poisoned by their crypto-Unitarian slogans. Jesus commissioned the disciples to teach all nations through the Means of Grace, not recruit members for the Praise Band.

Let Us Pause To Consider Melanchthon - A Major Part of the Book of Concord

Melanchthon's Major Works - 

Studiously Ignored 

by 

Thrivent Lutherans Today

Loci Communi - Common Places

The Augsburg Confession, 1530

Apology of the Augsburg Confession

Commentary on Romans

I found an author who is studied even less than Luther - Philip Melanchthon. The rabid Objective Faithless Justification dolts hate Melanchthon even more than they hate Luther. The major authors of the German Reformation are Luther, Melanchthon and the genius who studied under both men - Martin Chemnitz. 

Craving

 

1. As pants the hart for cooling streams
When heated in the chase,
So longs my soul, O God, for Thee
And Thy refreshing grace.

2. For Thee, my God, the living God,
My thirsty soul doth pine;
Oh, when shall I behold Thy face,
Thou Majesty Divine?

3. Why restless, why cast down, my soul? \

Hope still; and thou shalt sing 

The praise of Him who is thy God, 

Thy health's eternal Spring.

4. To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God whom we adore,
Be glory as it was, is now, 

And shall be evermore.

Hymn #525 from The Lutheran Hymnal

This began with thoughts about food - craving foods we know are useless, even harmful. As one medical person said yesterday, "Check just the fresh produce and frozen vegetables at the giant grocery-snacks-beverage store - shopping all done."

When certain vegetables and fruits are tried instead of the fatty, salty, sugary prepared foods, craving for the new/old foods is lacking. New incentives help appetites - fresh, delicious, removing bad ingredients, losing weight, feeling better, and startling the doctor with the blood panel results.

When lots of frozen uncooked vegetables and fresh fruits are eaten, the desire for prepared meals fades, albeit with flashes of junk-food days. I can carve a pineapple in seconds and have a blast of vitamin C, manganese, and other vitamins, with delicious flavor and fiber. Fresh food is medicine, but most pharmaceutical medicines do not really work, though they may address some symptoms.

Flipping the food diet from fat-sugar-salt to vegetables-fruits-nuts-greens will create a craving for valuable but low-cost foods. 

The Congregation

We can set aside the worth of denominations. They devour the income of widows and orphans, grow fat and sluggish with feeding themselves at expensive restaurants, and impose programs invented and recycled by apostates and blasphemers.

Is the desired outcome of a congregation "happy campers"? I heard a Church Growth expert say that repeatedly at a costly conference at St. Paul, German Village, Columbus, Ohio. I do not know if the non-Lutheran speaker has been arrested yet - so many Fuller graduates are - but the congregation went from large to almost gone in a few decades of hard work spreading false doctrine.

I doubt whether a pack of balding, pot-bellied Boomers will provide church music that addresses the craving of individuals for peace, forgiveness, joy, and love. In fact, I am still waiting for a Baptist or Presbyterian hymn about Holy Communion. Did I overlook a masterpiece?

Just as slowly starving people become listless and hollow-eyed, so the congregations have become lifeless, uninterested, noiselessly moving away. The leaders are trying to hide the horror they see in front of them, worse than losing the ice cream king to death and finding out his money solves nothing at all.

Something To Crave

The basics of the Christian Faith are simple:

1. The pan-Christian Bible - King James Version - this is the only one which is faithful to the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek - Apostolic - New Testament. Lutheran leaders should not only be ashamed but deprived of food, chased by dogs, driven out of town, and pelted with manure. The KJV is truly ecumenical while being precise and faithful.
2. The great teachers - Luther, Melanchthon, and Chemnitz are enough for a lifetime and written for all of Christianity - not just a Midwestern abusive sect _________________ (fill in the blank).
3. The best hymnal - The Lutheran Hymnal. The apostate leaders have replaced the best hymnal with junkfood, often with their own awful "hymns."

Luther Said It First - 

And I Agree

Don't Get Me Started - But You Did Already

 

 

I was discussing Justification by Faith with another pastor, a long-time friend. How does Objective Justification persist in the minds of some, especially among clergy trained in that dogma?

Chemnitz reminded his Examination of the Council of Trent readers that the early councils paraded the Gospels before the sessions started, to reminded everyone that they were the true sources of Christian doctrine, not any creed or source written by man. They were not against creeds, confessions, statements by men - but they did not want to start at a given point and work out from there, a cancerous practice pursued today with great harm to minds and morals. 

One case in point serves as an example - if a synod staff member has engaged in heinous sins, the synod president tells him from the start that the felon is already forgiven. No, not that Christ died for his sins, but that he was forgiven even before he was born. Result? He continues his crimes and gets five years instead of his incredibly light lawyer-forged sentence. 

The attempted solution with Objective Justification, is to embrace almost as many books on their topic as the Roman/EO Immaculate Conception of Mary (recently celebrated).  The OJists circle the wagons around the timeless tosh of Walther, Pieper, and the false teachers of WELS, CLC (sic), etc. No one is ever going to escape that maze, because it is man's word and not God's Word. Worst of all, those who engage in hyperbole - like David Scaer - make everything worse, so the abused seminary graduates go through life blinded by their own obstinate rejection of the Chief Article.

The actual solution is to return to the Scriptures and let the Word of God be the exegesis of the Word of God. If one passage seems dark (our fault, not God's) then we use the bright, clear passages to shine their light on those places where the message is not as clear to us. 

Romans 10 - sometimes called the Means of Grace chapter - clearly teaches that forgiveness comes through faith and faith from hearing the Gospel of the Atonement (Isaiah 53 for Ft. Wayne, St. Louis, Mordor, and Eau Claire graduates). "Who has believed our Report?"

Or - my radical suggestion - study Romans 4 for the example of Abraham, justified by faith that it might be by grace. And even more pointed - this example being applied to all who believe (Romans 4:24-25, not just 25), then summarized by Romans 5:1-2. "We have access by faith into this grace..."

From the Secure, Undisclosed Warren of the Ichabunker

 Martin Chemnitz, like Luther and the Concordists, considered themselves
Theologians of the Augsburg Confession.

I just received from CPH my copy of the newly-published translation of the APOLOGY OF THE BOOK OF CONCORD from 1583, which defends the teachings of the BOOK OF CONCORD of 1580.  It was written by Martin Chemnitz and Nicolaus Selnecker (two of the six authors of the FORMULA OF CONCORD) and by Timothy Kirchner.

The APOLOGY was primarily directed against the Reformed Church's rejection of the Scriptural doctrines of the Two Natures of Christ and of the Real Presence of Christ in the
Sacrament of the Altar, and therefore it does not deal directly with the doctrine of the Justification by Faith Alone.

However, on page 428 of the APOLOGY I did find this confirmation of the precious doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone with the citation of John 3:16 against the Reformed doctrine of Election apart from faith (caps added):

"We are also not unaware that all who are truly repentant are elect and that such people certainly ought to conclude that they are elect and the children of God in and through Christ ON WHOM THEY BELIEVE.  Whomever God GIVES ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH FAITH (John 3 [:16]) must certainly be elect and God's dear child.  We also know that the question about salvation does not begin with the question about eternal election.  Rather, we follow the order of St. Paul in his letter to the Romans, where he first leads us to repentance or the knowledge of sins, then to FAITH IN CHRIST, then to the cross and suffering; then, when we have studied in this school for a while and have been tested and humbled under the cross and all kinds of temptations, we ourselves find how useful and beneficial it is that we are elected in Christ to eternal life and that no creature can separate us from His hands (Romans 8[:38-39])."

Election and Justification

Searching for images, I found this one from past blog posts.

I wonder why so many chatter about Justification and Election but neither read nor comprehend the Augsburg Confession and the Formula of Concord.

Consider What Chemnitz and Melanchthon Taught - From 2012

A. Berean has left a new comment on your post "Imputation Is the Foundational Issue - Says A. Ber...":

Justification - the Chief Article of Christian Doctrine as Expounded in Loci Theologici, by Martin Chemnitz. Translated by J.A.O. Preus. Published by Concordia Publishing House. Page 149.

Also in his Examination of the Council of Trent vol. 1, pg. 532, paragraph 17. Published by Concordia Publishing House. Translated by Fred Kramer.

---

solafide (http://solafide.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Imputation Is the Foundational Issue - Says A. Ber...":

Here it is to be noted that these three things are joined together: faith, Christ, and acceptance or imputation. Faith takes hold of Christ and has Him present, enclosing Him as the ring encloses the gem. And whoever is found having this faith in the Christ who is grasped in the heart, him God accounts as righteous. This is the means and the merit by which we obtain the forgiveness of sins and righteousness. “Because you believe in Me,” God says, “and your faith takes hold of Christ, whom I have freely given to you as your Justifier and Savior, therefore be righteous.” Thus God accepts you or accounts you righteous only on account of Christ, in whom you believe.

Now acceptance or imputation is extremely necessary, first, because we are not yet purely righteous, but sin is still clinging to our flesh during this life. God cleanses this remnant of sin in our flesh. In addition, we are sometimes forsaken by the Holy Spirit, and we fall into sins, as did Peter, David, and other saints. Nevertheless, we always have recourse to this doctrine, that our sins are covered and that God does not want to hold us accountable for them (Rom. 4). This does not mean that there is no sin in us, as the sophists have taught when they said that we must go on doing good until we are no longer conscious of any sin; but sin is always present, and the godly feel it. But it is ignored and hidden in the sight of God, because Christ the Mediator stands between; because we take hold of Him by faith, all our sins are sins no longer. But where Christ and faith are not present, here there is no forgiveness of sins or hiding of sins. On the contrary, here there is the sheer imputation and condemnation of sins. Thus God wants to glorify His Son, and He Himself wants to be glorified in us through Him.

Martin Luther, Luther's Works, Vol. 26 : Lectures on Galatians, 1535, Chapters 1-4, ed. Jaroslav Jan Pelikan, Hilton C. Oswald and Helmut T. Lehmann, Luther's Works (Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1999, c1963). 26:132-133.

SolaFide: Pretty clear, I think.

---

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Imputation Is the Foundational Issue - Says A. Ber...":

Ichabod - Thank you for highlighting, A Berean's excellent comment. Yes! The word "Imputation," is at the forefront of this universal objective justification controversy and discussion.

Luther correctly said: "Where there is the forgiveness of sins, there is life and salvation."

But it is here where the universal objective justification enthusiasts [UOJE] get tripped up, and never do get to first base:

UOJE [Universal objective justification enthusiasts] become hung up on the Atonement as a "be all" and "end all." They would rather just view Christ's universal sacrifice for sin as the one time imputation to the human soul. Their basic view of imputation is that when Christ died and rose; - that is what Luther talked about - "Where there is the forgiveness of sins, there is life and salvation." To them, that is the sum and substance of imputation. Hence, this is why UOJE often don't highlight the Holy Spirit's work in the salvation process. [John 3:8 in context] They essentially diss (ignore) faith. They bypass faith and actually believe that with the forgiveness of sins brought about by the Atonement, - that has brought [as Luther put it] "life and salvation" to all. So, then, their understanding is all based around the Atonement; that Christ's sacrifice was imputed, - not, faith.

On the other hand, those of us who believe Scripture, (and, the Confessions, concur); we believe that we, (by God's grace) are justified by faith. [Ephesians 2:8-9] We believe that the faith the Holy Spirit creates in us is imputed to us. We could almost use the words "infused" and "continually dispensed." Luther put it this way in his explanation of the 3rd Article of the Apostles Creed:

"In which Christian church He daily and richly forgive sins to me and all believers......"

Finally, I will point to an illustration, using an analogy. [And, I realize that no analogy is perfect]:

The universal objective justification crowds are stuck on the Atonement. To them that is their priceless "auto body."

But, the car doesn't travel (anywhere) without wheels and fuel. Hence, the Atonement without its (Holy Spirit) "imputation wheels & fuel" is useless. Without the Spirit's wheels and fuel, the human soul cannot personally partake of and benefit from Christ's all encompassing Atonement. Nor, (without Holy Spirit wheels and fuel) will that human soul travel to heaven. All that, though, does not matter for the universal objective justification enthusiasts still stuck in their Atonement auto. To them a car without wheels and fuel is a perfect and complete auto.

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org

www.moralmatters.org

***

GJ - The readers and I are grateful for the thoughtful contributions that arrive as comments.

Marquart Argues Using the Mormons' Method - and Gets Hosannas from the LCMS.

When conflicting teachings compete for the loyalty of Christians in the name of Scripture, one cannot simply "stick with the Bible itself" and ignore all these pesky "interpretations." The whole point is to recognize what is the correct understanding of the Bible, and to assert it against counter-claims. Failure to do so gives equal rights to all views and effectively robs Scripture of any and all sense of meaning. --- from the excellent new first volume of the Collected Works of Kurt Marquart--- http://www.icontact-archive.com/uHblR2dI7Fi7_HXIWX0D74OfvAz…

When this was quoted on Facebook, I countered -

Marquart does not agree with Luther or Chemnitz, and he rejected justification by faith. Check out this Luther quotation. The Marquart quotation is actually parallel to what the Mormon missionaries say, that there must be a second source, theirs, to nail down the Word of God.

 http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/05/blog-post.html

The Marquart quotation sounded exactly like the Mormon missionaries, who have this script. "I nailed down a piece of wood, but it still moved around. That is the Bible. So I put another nail in and that kept it in place. That is the Book of Mormon."

Luther, on the other hand, makes the opposite argument - that the Word of God is above and and better than all books.

"The Holy Spirit teaches man better than all the books; He teaches him to understand the Scriptures better than he can understand them from the teaching of any other; and of his own accord he does everything God wills he should, so the Law dare make no demands upon him."

Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 280. Pentecost Sunday John 14:23-31.     

Here is the problem - the Synodical Confererence has made Walther, not the Word of God, the last word on doctrine. Therefore, anyone who might be a teacher in the LCMS dare not criticize CFW Walther, BA, or his disciple Francis Pieper.

Marquart declares something and the Walther disciples say "Amen!" when Brother Kurt is dead wrong. The Bible itself has the clarity and power to settle all arguments.

Chemnitz made the point in Examination, which nobody reads, that the early church conferences paraded the Scriptures before the beginning to show that those Scriptures were the source to settle all disputes. This took me all of two minutes to find, searching the PDF with the word ancient.

 J-017 

"And Cusanus writes that the custom of the ancient ecumenical synods was to place the holy Gospels in their midst." Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 154. 

 J-018 

"For the book of the evangelist and apostles and the oracles of the ancient prophets plainly teach us what we are to think concerning divine matters. Therefore let us cease our hostile discord and take the solutions of the questions out of the divinely inspired sayings." [Constantine at Nicea] 

 Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 154. 

J-019

"If anything is said without Scripture, the thinking of the hearers limps. But where the testimony proceeds from the divinely given Scripture, it confirms both the speech of the preacher and the soul of the hearer." [Chrysostom, commenting on Psalm 95] 

 Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 156. 

J-020 

"Whatever is required for salvation is already completely fulfilled in the Scriptures." [Chrysostom, commenting on Matthew 22] 

 Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 157. 

 J-021 

"There is a short way for pious minds both to dethrone error and to find and bring out the truth. For when we return to the source and origin of the divine tradition, human error ceases." [Cyprian, Ad Pompejum] 

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 158.