The Wartburg Project report – page 1
The Wartburg Project January 2014
One of the delegates at the 2013 Synod Convention who did
not favor a synodically sponsored translation of the Bible also
spoke these encouraging words: “I also say to any brothers
who’d like to take their hand at translating the Bible: God
bless you. Have at it. I mean that in all sincerity. You will
learn a tremendous amount. You will grow…your people will grow. This will really be a great thing. I
can certainly think of worse ways for a person to spend his time.”
Working under the title, “The Wartburg Project,” a number of pastors and professors have now
undertaken a pilot project to test the feasibility of producing a new translation of the Bible. The name
Wartburg reflects the rather informal, unofficial nature of the project and the commitment of the project
to Luther’s philosophy of translation. (Luther translated the New Testament from the Wartburg Castle.)
The Plan
To get a test of the project under way, Professor John Brug is serving as the general editor and Old
Testament editor and Pastor Brian Keller is serving as the New Testament editor. A goal was to have five
to eight New Testament translators and eight to ten Old Testament translators. These men could also
serve as reviewers and on the editorial board which will be organized in about one year. Additional
people could later volunteer or be invited to serve as reviewers and in other capacities. Men recognized
as having gifts for translation work have already been contacted and have agreed to serve. None have
declined our invitation! The methods and organization have been developed, but they are still flexible.
They will be shaped by the initial translation efforts.
Work on this project is similar to serving the church through some board or committee or perhaps to
deciding to work on a book or a Bible class which might be published for the use of the church. A big
plus that will come from participating in this project, regardless of its ultimate outcome, is that
participants’ translation work will make a big contribution to their continuing education as teachers and
preachers of the Word.
The Process
The product to be produced by the Wartburg Project could best be called a translation/revision. It will not
exactly be a “translation” because it will not be totally from scratch, but it will not exactly be a “revision”
because it will not be based on any single template. Although our translation will be based on the Hebrew
and Greek texts, templates are being used as a starting point in the translation process. This will build on
the tradition of English and Lutheran Bible translation. The primary resources, of course, are the original
Hebrew and Greek texts.
A web-based translation, the World English Bible (WEB), is not copyrighted and in fact welcomes
translators to use it to produce other translations. The only requirement is that the name of the translation
must be changed if any revisions are made to it. This translation is a modernization of the American
Standard Version (ASV) which is in turn a modernization of the King James. The WEB is used as a
template only in a very loose sense of the word. The sample translations that have been completed so far
are more idiomatic than WEB and follow different rubrics. Often these rubrics can be implemented with
the touch of a button. For example, all the Yahwehs in a book can be turned to LORD automatically.
An additional side-benefit to having a public domain template like WEB in front of the translator while he
translates is that this tends to distance the translator from the NIV and other copyrighted translations.
Most translators, when they translate from scratch, would inevitably be influenced by the language of The Wartburg Project report – page 2
NIV84, which is engrained in their minds, and they would to a degree be making a revision of NIV
whether or not they intended to do so. Starting from a different template is a check on that tendency.
The second major resource for translators is the Concordia Translation (CT). Each volume of the
Concordia Commentary (CC) produces its own original translation of the text. These translations are
more wooden than a translation suitable for general use, but they form a good base for a our translation.
In addition, the CC provides detailed exegetical studies of all the major issues and options which a
translator would face. Concordia Publishing House has provided our project with electronic files of the
translations from the CC for our use. The first draft of a translation of Proverbs using the CT is near
completion. The CT is probably most useful for difficult Old Testament books.
In many respects, we will be “standing on the shoulders of giants,” by utilizing the work of many
individuals who have gone before us. The project will make heavy use of previous scholarship. The
translators should be more concerned about quality and clarity than in plowing new ground and making
new discoveries.
Support
In the initial stages the project will be carried out by unpaid volunteers. If translators and editors donate
their time, they would receive royalties proportionate to their contribution if a marketable product results
from the project. The advent of electronic and on-demand publishing gives us many options on how to
market the product. The Wartburg Project has many things in its favor:
• It would be inexpensive to produce.
• It would not put pressure on the ministerial education faculties.
• It would involve more pastors, as the People’s Bible and the hymnal project did.
• Involvement of teachers and laypeople in the evaluation phases would put the project closer to the
grass roots.
• The translators’ notes could provide the base for a Lutheran study Bible.
• This translation would have as its primary goal service to the people of the Lutheran church. It
would not be particularly concerned about academic prestige or universal acceptance.
• It would provide a translation which people could use with confidence since it did not have the
doctrinal errors which occur in other translations and in their translators’ notes. This would be
true regardless of whether it became our main translation or was used as a supplemental study
version.
Books with completed drafts: Matthew, Mark, Psalms, Joshua, Deuteronomy. A preview edition of
Matthew is available now on amazon.com here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HV3J3BG. We plan to
make this book available for free on Kindle for five days in late February or early March. We are able to
make improvements to our translation, so we welcome your input. Look for Psalms in late spring.
Books already in progress: Luke, Proverbs.
Books expected to be in progress or completed in 2014: John, Acts, Galatians, Ephesians, 1 and 2
Timothy, Hebrews, James, 1 and 2 Peter, Jude, Revelation, Song of Songs, Ezekiel, Ruth, Jonah,
Amos, and probably others.
Translator’s Prayer
Help me hand on your timeless Word in a timely way to our time and place. Bless my study and deepen
my understanding of your Word. Bless my efforts so that my work may be a blessing to me and to others.
For more information, contact:
Editor-in-chief, OT editor, Dr. John F. Brug -- brugj@wls.wels.net
NT editor, Pastor Brian R. Keller – pastorkeller@gmail.com
ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - The antidote trusts the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10.
Friday, January 17, 2014
The Donald's Pharisaical Prayer and Jeske's Men of the Absurd - WELS
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| Ski - Jeske staff member, Church and Change board member, embarrassment. |
From Pastor Don Are you to judge someone else's servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. - Romans 14:4
Dear heavenly Father, it is too easy for me to categorize people by how they dress, how they speak, what hobbies they like, what kind of worship style they dig, whether they talk too little or too much or by the way they spend their money. When the truth is, that's for you to do. They are your servants and they stand before you to receive their judgment. I want to be free from man made judgments about people. I want to reflect your truth about morality so others see how you want us to live, but I do not want to create my own morality as if I am the judge. I want to help wayward souls back onto your path but I do not need for them to be on my path. I am only one of your servants who stands along side of all the others. Remove from my heart the sinful pride that makes me trust my own opinions about the many choices we can make. Help me to give my parents and my children the freedom to choose without disdain from me. Make me an encourager of truth and love but help me leave room for the variety of approaches to everyday life. AMEN
Pastor Don Patterson
Pastor Don Patterson
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http://www.menofhisword.org/content.cfm?id=313
Sessions at a Glance
Jeske's Men of the Absurd
1. What Do I Do? Helping a Loved One Struggling with Addictions Mrs. Ski
Each year millions of Americans struggle with substance abuse or addiction. In fact, researchers suggest that nearly everyone can identify at least one person they love who is struggling with an addiction. The presence of this addiction is disruptive not only to those struggling with it, but often deeply impacts those closest in their lives. Learn ways to lovingly and productively engage, communicate and establish boundaries with a loved one struggling with addiction.
2. Christ Centered Marriage? I'm All In! Brian Lampe, Self-Appointed UPS Pastor to Everyone
Are you willing to explore new ways of thinking about marriage, love, and intimacy, and to work on personal goals for improving relationships? This workshop encourages the development of open communication, intimacy, and practical problem-solving—important areas of personal growth for a Biblical husband. Come to honestly discuss issues and receive encouragement that will lead to strengthening your supportive role through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
3. Time for Member Ministry…Leading Volunteers? Bill Meier
What is the difference between Member Ministry and recruiting volunteers? While on the surface these activities may seem the same, the outcomes you are praying for are quite different. Join us to explore the differences from an outcome and purpose perspective. In addition, share and discover more tactics/strategies of engagement in Member Ministry! Pray for better outcomes. WELS is going down the drain.
4. It’s Time to Include Them – God Has! Bill Truebenbach
People with an intellectual and developmental disability need to know how much Jesus loves them. This session will explore how you can be part of answering Jesus’ call to share that love to people with developmental disabilities, such as the Mequon faculty. It is time to get involved in disability ministry. It is time to provide those with a developmental disability hope in Jesus for eternity.
5. Loving Them Back Bill Bader
Every congregation has people leaving the Savior’s side. Reaching out to people who have strayed from Jesus is a vital part of Christian ministry. Learn the “How” and “Why” of this important work of loving all age groups back into the Shepherd’s fold.
6. The Bible Calls Them Chayil Bruce Becker
Proverbs 31 speaks about the “wife of noble character.” Before one can be a wife of noble character, she is first a woman of noble character and, prior to that, a daughter of noble character. The Hebrew word for “noble character” is chayil (חַיִל), i.e., “might, strength, power, or valor.” So, how do Christian parents raise a strong daughter, one who is of noble character? In this session, we will discover the keys to raising daughters who are chayil. It is never too early or late to begin. The time for fathers to act is now! But we won't talk about how often WELS clergy dump our wives for our girlfriends.
7. Put Down The Christian Check List and Let God’s Living Water Flow Dave Long
We all know the checklist of what good Christians say and do, but it’s easy to let that checklist become a roadblock to truly experiencing God’s love. In this session we will explore how God makes things new each day and what we can do to live every moment of our lives in His grace. Let’s see what happens when we take church out of the box and let God’s living water flow from within!
8. Passing the Bourbon to Your Sons Don Patterson - Whose Son Was Kicked Out of NWC
From the moment children are born, they are learning to understand life by watching their parents. Their hearts are wide open to receive the baton in the relay race called life. In this session we will explore the ways our parents have passed the baton to us as well as the various important ways that fathers, grandpas, uncles and leading men can pass the baton to the next generation. Cash bar follows.
9. Time-out! Are Church Growth Meetings Robbing Us of Our Passion? John Johnson
In business, many men say, “If I did not have to go to meetings, I would love my job.” Similarly, many in the church have lost their zeal for ministry because of its “business.” We must ask if meetings are getting in the way of Gospel work. As long as we have organizational systems, meetings are a must, but do they have to be so painful and often so unproductive? Absolutely NOT! Meetings can be transformed into something productive and energizing. Come and discover the basic changes which will make this shift possible at your church.
10. Is There Such a Thing as Enough Time for…Everything? Jeremy Mattek
Your job needs excellence. Your church needs a volunteer. Your wife needs a loving and attentive husband. Kids need someone to hang out with and someone to teach them important life lessons. Can you get it all done without disappointing anyone? Should you be expected to? And where do your needs fit in? As a man whose time is in high demand, your heart is pulled in many different directions, but so was the heart of our Lord Jesus. And it’s his heart alone that will help us find peace as we use the time we have to serve the needs of those around us.
11. The Brady Bunch—Blended Families and Me Mark Henrich
Remember "The Brady Bunch"? In their unique blended family, every issue was resolved within 30 minutes. Today with 42% of all Americans part of "blended families," the Brady Bunch is not so unique, nor do the challenges that come into our blended families all get neatly resolved in 30 minutes. In this session, we will travel through the joys and challenges of our blended families and leave with Biblical advice "for such a time as this," divorce and remarriage in the parsonage.
12. Transformational Leadership Mark/Avoid Jeske - Thrivent Board Member, Planned Parenthood Sponsor
You know things have to change in your congregation, but how do you get things done? How do you reach out to new people without alienating and antagonizing long-time members? What’s essential to Lutheranism and what can be thrown out? Pastor Mark Jeske has spent more than three decades working on self-agrandizement and will share insights in how to lead the change process.
13. Time to Conquer Porn Ski, Tim Glende, and DP Engelbrecht
Statistically, if two church-going, Jesus-loving men sit in a pew, one of them struggles with pornography. For tens of millions of American Christian men the results are horrific: shame, guilt, fractured marriages, wasted time, scarred children, damaged ministries, rewired brains, addicted bodies, and ravaged consciences. But there is hope. Time to Conquer Porn reveals the steps that recovering pornography addicts have taken to move from conquered to conquering. Whether you battle this sin or desire to help your friends/family who are addicted (yes, some are, we guarantee), check out Time to Conquer Porn so God can help you, and you can help them.
14. Now’s the Time to Share Our Hope! Rich Warnecke
Have you hesitated sharing the hope you have in your heart? Do you shy away from mingling in unfamiliar settings or with strangers? Building relationships first will help. When we develop trust, people are more willing to discuss personal, even spiritual, matters. This workshop offers a practical, role-playing approach to assist you in speaking to anyone, at anytime, about anything. Learn to read body language and improve social skills. Learn how to be confident in sharing the “hope we have in our heart” (I Peter 3:15) with anybody! Now’s the time!
15. A Time for Hope Amidst the Ashes Steve Stern
When our children or siblings break our hearts by their behaviors or life choices, how do we find a way to bring them back home? By sharing our own life experiences, talking about what works and what makes it worse, and looking at the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15, Chaplain Steve Stern shows every heart-broken parent there is hope that God’s redeeming love can prevail.
16. Weight Watchers’ Worthy Don Scheuerelin
With all of the competition for weight loss participants, how does Weight Watchers maintain itself? Accountability. Members are accountable to one another, to themselves and to the truth of the scale. Shouldn't this also be true among Christians? Shouldn't we be accountable to one another, to ourselves, and to the truth of Scriptures? In this session we will provide tools and skills for making accountability part of our daily walk with the Savior and with one another.
17. Tool Time: A Warrior’s Tool Box Phil Moore
This session will deal with the anger, guilt, forgiveness, grief and love that are experienced by a combat veteran during service, upon returning home and in the following years. Discussion is encouraged in a safe, honest, non-threatening and non-judgmental way. What goes on in this session stays in this session. Your leader, who has faced many of the same struggles, will provide Biblical tools and resources to deal with the difficulties faced by veterans. This session is for veterans and anyone who wants to help veterans (or victims of any trauma) in their struggles.
18. Start Your Own Bible Study Group! Steve Loehr
Learn how one congregation stepped out—literally—and started an off-site Bible study group. Discover how this Saturday morning group called “Band of Brothers” formed, flourished, and fostered other avenues of service. Join Steve in this session to discuss the challenges and rewards of stepping out in his and in your congregation.
19. A Forum on the Future of Men of His Word Russ Wagner
As we host our fifth Men of His Word Conference, we see our ministry blessed with growth and opportunity and the Intrepid Lutherans killed off by the District Presidents. The collective potential of Christian men immersed in the Word and following Christ is unlimited. Join us as we discuss ways to use that potential to strengthen each other through sharing and service. Help us develop and refine a vision for the future of Men of His Word as we explore the opportunities God places before us.
20. Youth Track- Times Change – Who Are You Now? Mike Westendorf
Who you are now is not who you will be. New experiences, mountain top highs and depressing valley lows will all conspire to shape your identity. Between 18 and 25, your identity formation peaks as you move from being your parents’ child to becoming your own man. In this session, we’ll look at your identity formation after high school, your shifting identity through life, and the one true foundation that never changes.
21. Youth Track- Permission to Plagiarize Willowcreek Bill Limmer
Most people inside and outside of the church think that God is a God of rules, regulations and restrictions…and God is saying, “You heard WHAT about me?!” God’s Word is not to limit us but to liberate us and give us the freedom that only the owner of the universe can give. The Triune God is the God of permission. Come to this session and hear God say, “Yes,” to you.
Abortion Funding - This Is How Thrivent Treats Their Friends.
LCMS and WELS and ELS Are Sucker, Promoting Thrivent
http://blogs.lcms.org/2014/thrivents-abortion-funding#.UtlRGatX4fE.facebook
LCMS responds to Thrivent’s ‘pro-abortion’ funding
By Paula Schlueter Ross
With the revelation that Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has provided funding to at least four Planned Parenthood affiliates as well as to the NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota Foundation, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s Office of the President has issued a statement of concern. (Click here to read the statement, “Thrivent Funding of Pro-Abortion Organizations: LCMS Concerns.”)
According to the Jan. 15 statement, “Today’s news indicates that Thrivent not only has suspended funding for pro-life, nonprofit organizations serving women and children in need, but now also directly supports organizations providing abortion services and pro-abortion advocacy.”
On Dec. 19, after learning that a Planned Parenthood affiliate was eligible to receive funding through its Choice Dollars program, Thrivent “temporarily suspended” one pro-choice and more than 50 pro-life organizations from receiving Choice Dollars funding while it conducts “a comprehensive review” of the program.
In the Choice program, Thrivent members can help direct funds to thousands of nonprofit organizations, including Lutheran congregations.
The latest news relates to a different funding program known as “Gift Multiplier” that’s available to Thrivent employees through the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation.
Concerns about the Gift Multiplier program were brought to light by the Rev. Michael Schuermann, senior pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Sherman, Ill., who told Reporter he “was contacted by some people associated with Thrivent who were familiar with the fact that this was going on.” (Schuermann also helped disclose in December Thrivent’s link to Planned Parenthood through its Choice program.)
The informants shared documentation of the Gift Multiplier funding that Schuermann posted to his website, daringlutheran.net.
The documentation lists five Planned Parenthood affiliates in Columbus, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa; Milwaukee; New York; and St. Paul, Minn., as well as the NARAL Foundation in St. Paul as Thrivent Gift Multiplier charities.
After Schuermann posted the information online and alerted LCMS leaders to the news Jan. 15, it was picked up and shared by other websites as well as numerous Facebook and Twitter users.
Schuermann said it’s “disappointing,” “sad” and “frustrating to see Thrivent — an organization that puts itself forward as Christian and Lutheran — engaging [with] and giving money to organizations that really, as Christians, we just cannot support.”
Many LCMS congregation members are among the 2.5 million members of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, a Minneapolis-based, Fortune 500 fraternal-benefits organization with more than $75 billion in assets derived primarily from Lutherans over the past 100 years. Thrivent members voted last year to open the organization’s membership to all Christians, which took place in June.
According to its website, Thrivent is “faith-based” and its “common bond” is Christianity.
Thrivent also issued a statement Jan. 15: “The Thrivent Gift Matching Program provides matching funds for contributions made by corporate employees and members of our field organization to nonprofit organizations. We are aware of the issue that has been raised, and we will address it as we review this program.”
A Thrivent spokesman told Reporter Jan. 15 that “the ‘hold’ on all pro-choice and pro-life organizations from the Thrivent Choice program remains in effect as we continue to conduct a comprehensive program review.”
Maggie Karner, director of LCMS Life Ministries, said all of the suspended pro-life organizations “already do wonderful mercy work, with limited resources, to serve women, children and families in need. They include LCMS Recognized Service Organizations, maternity homes, pregnancy resource centers, pro-life educational organizations, ultrasound services for pregnant women and organizations providing free resources.”
The Rev. Dr. James Lamb, executive director of the national pro-life organization Lutherans For Life (LFL), noted that “Thrivent claims to be ‘neutral’ on ‘controversial issues’ and yet they have once again closed the door to Lutherans For Life and other life-affirming ministries to receive Choice Dollars.
“LFL will lose nearly $2,000 monthly in contributions because of this decision,” Lamb said. “Now we learn that they continue to fund pro-abortion groups like Planned Parenthood and NARAL through their financial Gift Multiplier program. There is no neutrality in this. It is simply theologically impossible to claim to be ‘Christian’ and ‘faith-based’ and at the same time support the intentional killing of unborn children created by God and for whom Jesus died.”
According to the recent LCMS statement, the Synod “is in conversation with Thrivent regarding this matter and hopes it can be resolved in a way that upholds the sacred value of human life. We encourage Thrivent to clear up confusion with its members by unequivocally stating that it supports pro-life and pro-family values.
“We urge them to follow those words with action by restoring funding to the pro-life organizations that lost funding in December and by developing a policy that denies all funding for Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota Foundation.”
The statement also encourages Thrivent members to “voice their concerns and opinions directly to Thrivent,” and provides contact information to help them do just that.
Schuermann, who does not own Thrivent products himself, said he’s heartened to see that Thrivent leaders “are reacting, they are listening” and is “hopeful that they’ll see the error of this course of action and correct it so that people in good conscience can continue to use them as an investment and insurance provider.”
He, too, asks Thrivent members to “kindly and lovingly get in touch with Thrivent and just tell them that you don’t agree with [funding pro-abortion groups].”
Said Schuermann: “For now, I’m uncomfortable calling it sinful or unchristian to continue doing business with Thrivent, and I don’t want any Thrivent members to feel that way. But each of us should be letting Thrivent know that what they’re doing is wrong. And it needs to change.”
(See related Reporter Online stories: “Synod issues statement on Thrivent, Planned Parenthood” and“LCMS responds to Thrivent’s Choice Dollars statement.”)
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Why Not Write to Matthew the Fat, Mark the Bookkeeper,
And Pope John the Malefactor?
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| I would rather talk to the synod popes: you only have to kiss their rings. |
http://blogs.lcms.org/2014/thrivent-funding-of-pro-choice-organizations-lcms-concerns
Thrivent Funding of Pro-Abortion Organizations: LCMS Concerns
A Statement from the Office of the President
Following the news in December indicating that Thrivent Financial for Lutherans® has recognized Planned Parenthood of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota as potential recipients of funding through its Thrivent Choice Dollars® grant program, The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is saddened to learn today that through another program, that additional Thrivent contributions are being made directly to support pro-abortion providers. At least four Planned Parenthood affiliates throughout the United States, along with NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota Foundation, have received support from Thrivent through its Gift Multiplier program for Thrivent employees. The LCMS is currently seeking clarification on this issue directly from Thrivent.
Today’s news prompted Thrivent to provide the following statement: “The Thrivent Gift Matching Program provides matching funds for contributions made by corporate employees and members of our field organization to non-profit organizations. We are aware of the issue that has been raised, and we will address it as we review this program.”
Following initial feedback in December from Thrivent members and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, Thrivent responded by suspending Choice Dollars funding not only to pro-abortion organizations but to all pro-life organizations as well. According to a Dec. 20 statement from Thrivent, the fraternal-benefits organization was “temporarily suspending all pro-choice and pro-life organizations from the Thrivent Choice program, placing a temporary hold on the addition and removal of nonprofit organizations from the program, and conducting a comprehensive program review.”
Previously, the Choice Dollars program supported more than 50 pro-life organizations in the United States. These organizations include LCMS Recognized Service Organizations, maternity homes, pregnancy resource centers, pro-life educational organizations, ultrasound services for pregnant women, and organizations providing free resources to pregnant women and families in need.
Today’s news indicates that Thrivent not only has suspended funding for pro-life, nonprofit organizations serving women and children in need but now also directly supports organizations providing abortion services and pro-abortion advocacy.
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod always has been, and continues to be, clear and faithful in its biblical witness to the sanctity of all human life from conception until natural death. Just as our Lord cared for both the spiritual and physical needs of all humanity, His mercy motivates us to care for our neighbors, no matter how vulnerable or small.
The LCMS is in conversation with Thrivent regarding this matter and hopes it can be resolved in a way that upholds the sacred value of human life. We encourage Thrivent to clear up confusion with its members by unequivocally stating that it supports pro-life and pro-family values. We urge them to follow those words with action by restoring funding to the pro-life organizations that lost funding in December and by developing a policy that denies all funding for Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice Minnesota Foundation.
We encourage Thrivent members to voice their concerns and opinions directly to Thrivent at:
800-THRIVENT (800-847-4836)
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Kudu Don - Who Hosts Drunken Ladies Spiritual Retreats Will Be the Speaker for Mark/Avoid Jeske's Men of His Word.
Jeske's Groups Are Not on the DPs' Death Lists
------------------------ C A L L S A C C E P T E D -----------------------
Doebler, Rev Matthew D East Asia Administrative Committee 01/12/2014
Professor, Asia Lutheran Seminary
------------------------------ R E S I G N E D -----------------------------
Kuske, Rev John D Christ the Redeemer - Barre VT 12/29/2013
Sausage Factory, '85: The Class the Stars Fell On - Steve Witte,
Randy Hunter
Speaking of Steve Witte, a founder of Church and Chicanery -
Classic Ichabod - Saturday, March 20, 2010
Here Comes Doebler Cottontail, Hoppin' Down Chicanery's Trail
I told you DP Patterson would get rid of him so The Donald could develop the richy-rich Round Rock suburb for himself. Doebler got a $20,000 grant for this?
Source Are WELS congregations in Texas so devoid of the Gospel that they need live bunnies and an Easter egg hunt to draw visitors? Kudu Don Patterson did this last year, so I borrowed the bunny photo and replaced Dom Perignon's face with Doebler's. WELS Church Lady says Doebler is confessional. If Doebler is a confessional Lutheran pastor, then Glaeske is a conservative DP. For all you missionaries looking for a call, any call, and all the congregations and schools that are out of money - rent a bunny suit. The grant-givers love a touch of fleece. I am sure the ELS and WELS boards of doctrine will jump on this like hobos on a hotdog.
Search Easter egg hunts in WELS. Search Easter egg hunts in the LCMS.
Long-Time Actor - On the Televangelists Copied by WELS, LCMS
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| "I don't see no cat." |
I was on the professional stage for 30 years and I know theater when I see it. A large number of high profile TV or megachurch preachers are entertainers, not pastors or evangelists.
They hone their oratory skills and know how to rivet the listener's attention through voice inflection, emotional projection and other acting techniques. They are very good at what they do.
However, I am convinced that the ones who capture the imaginations of their listeners are often charlatans who do not believe a word of what they preach. A good salesman can sell anything and even an insincere religion is a powerful convincer.
These people will bear higher scrutiny when they stand before God Almighty. They are either complete nonbelievers or utterly self-deluded. Either way, they are false to the core and more concerned about mammon than God.
Evangelicals would be better served to find a small church with a devoutly sincere pastor who will shepherd them according to Biblical principles. He (it should be a man - beware of woman pastors) should speak to congregation in a steady and genuine manner without shouting, hectoring and storming about the stage. Jesus only seems to have yelled when he was angry such as when he cleared the temple with a whip of cords or upbraided the falsely pious Pharisees.
More discipleship and Christian growth is achieved in one small group Bible study than ten Sunday services.
If the pastor doesn't know your name, you don't have a pastor.
Former Fuller Student Rebukes Favorite Seminary of Bivens, Olson, and Valleskey - Not to Mention LCMS, WELS, ELS, CLC sic, and ELCA
Rebuke Letter Against Fuller Theological Seminary
Currently Reading:
Reason We Believe: 50 Lines of Evidence that Confirm the Christian Faith
by Nathan Busenitz
Category: Theology / Apologetics
Crossway, 2008
For some who are wondering why I no longer go to Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, I have decided to share a letter that I wrote to the President, Dean, and staff of Fuller just a month ago. This letter may come as a shock to some, and maybe not so shocking to others, but I feel that it is imperative that people know what is going on in that school. Those who are thinking about going to seminary or know anybody who is, please take the time to read this letter, because I believe you will find it to be very helpful and informative, especially if you truly love the Bible and are adamant about seeking after truth.
Here it is:
My name is Steve Cha, and I was a student who was in the MAT graduate program. I have recently left Fuller Theological Seminary after studying one year with the school. I felt burdened to share with you why I decided to leave Fuller after much contemplation. This will not be easy for me to say, but I feel that I need to do it for the sake of God’s honor and for the future of the school.
Over the course of the year (from Spring 2011-Spring 2012), I have had an uncomfortable and unsatisfying experience at Fuller because of its teaching, which, quite frankly, borders on heresy. I’m not talking about peripheral biblical issues like charismatic spiritual gifts or modes of baptism, but the core, foundational doctrines that all Christians should agree on, as established by the New Testament and illustrated by the 16th Century Reformation.
During my five quarters at Fuller, I have had professors who defied the trustworthiness of Scripture, questioned the literalness and existence of eternal hell/lake of fire, taught a form of theistic evolution over the six-day creation account established in the book of Genesis, hinted that Jesus may not be the only way to heaven, and shaped the gospel message and Jesus’ work on Calvary to make it fit the paradigm of a cultural mandate and social justice type of message instead of the orthodox view of what the gospel and the cross means, which is God’s punishment of sinners with eternal hell, Jesus’ sacrifice and atonement to satisfy God’s justice and wrath, Jesus’ imputed righteousness, salvation by faith in Christ alone, etc.
I have many examples and stories to share, but I’ll start with some of the key ones. It first started when I took the NT Gospels class with Professor Tommy Givens. Professor Givens taught a skewed understanding of the gospel message. In general, he taught an unorthodox view of what Jesus did on the cross, and had an unbiblical view regarding heaven, hell, and the afterlife (which he didn’t really believe in). In addition, the eschatological view Professor Givens taught is not what the Bible teaches regarding the future and Jesus’ Second Coming. Givens interpreted Matthew 24 (the “signs of His coming”) to be merely pointing to the destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70 and God’s judgment on the Pharisaic Jews, when the language of the text and its worldwide scope clearly show that it is talking about the final generation before Jesus’ Second Coming to earth. My big issue, however, is not with the professor’s eschatology error.
The real dangerous issue that came about was that Professor Givens defied a central pillar of Christianity by declaring that he did not believe that there was a place of individual eternal torment that unbelievers go to after they die. In essence, he didn’t believe in hell! He believed that people go out of existence when they die (which is exactly what the WatchTower teaches) and that the lake of fire in Revelation 20: 11-15 was symbolic and figurative! Furthermore, Givens made an unproven claim that the place of “outer darkness” that Jesus talked about in the Gospels was really God’s judgment that came upon the Pharisees duringRome’s destruction of theTempleand the Jewish people in A.D. 70 and didn’t apply to us today. This is clearly unbiblical and indicative of poor hermeneutical training, since the Bible shows that the references to outer darkness, place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, and fiery furnace is the reference to eternal hell, not to some temporal earthly judgment of the past, with no real relevance today.
So why doesn’t Professor Givens believe in the traditional view of hell? It is because he implied that he cannot imagine a “loving God who can torment people in hell forever” (which is exactly what Rob Bell believes), and Professor Givens made another speculative claim that the orthodox idea of hell was based on Greek mythology and had no basis from the Old Testament.
Tommy Givens even stated in class that mainstream evangelical preachers and theologians, such as John MacArthur, R.C. Sproul, Greg Laurie, and David Jeremiah were all wrong in their view of eschatology and to some degree the gospel message and the Christian life!
Because Given’s view of hell was a serious heresy that tampered with the foundational doctrines of Christianity, I reported Given’s unorthodox views of “the afterlife” to the student affairs office, and the office told me that they would take care of this issue. I don’t know what ever came about with the school’s dealings with Professor Givens, but I must say that if he has not repented of his view and continues to teach what he does in class, Fuller Seminary is obligated by the command of Scripture to deal with such a professor and dismiss him from the faculty until he repents. I say this not to hurt or defame Professor Givens, but in with a strong desire to see Givens restored to the truth.
I seriously pray that Professor Givens is not a wolf-in-sheep’s clothing. If his view of the afterlife is like that of Jehovah’s Witnesses and mainstream Judaism, then he is most likely following another gospel and another Jesus, and he must not ever be in a position to teach other students who can be easily misled, even if the school is post-conservative evangelical. If his students listen to his false teaching, then they will also teach the wrong things to other in the future and needlessly incur God’s divine chastening.
There are numerous other aberrant doctrines and teachings I can point out from other classes, but I want to say that my decision to leave Fuller was finally cemented after taking Systematic Theology I with Professor Margaret Shuster. For the first few weeks, it seemed as if Shuster were teaching nearly everything correctly, until she got to the issue of anthropology and the six-day creation account. She did not honor what God stated plainly in Genesis 1 about how He created the world. Instead, Professor Shuster bought into the error of the secular humanistic thought and taught a false, distorted, and illogical view of how the world came about, teaching a form of theistic evolution that nearly matches the views of atheist scientists. She even taught that Adam and Eve evolved from “Neanderthal species,” a view that is entirely unbiblical and based on speculative theory from the secular world.
I find her beliefs very disheartening and discouraging. Just the fact that evolution has done more damage than good to the morale and cause of Christianity during the last century (leading to ungodliness, atheism, and immorality throughout the world) already is an indication that the theory is suspect and has been one of Satan’s most powerful tools to cast doubt on the clarity and trustworthiness of Scripture, most specifically sections like Genesis 1-11, which is the foundation to the rest of Scripture.
Predictably, Professor Shuster’s teaching on theistic evolution confused and caused some heated debate in the classroom, and why wouldn’t it? Most of the students grew up believing that God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh (which is why the world runs on a seven day cycle, and why God instituted the Sabbath law forIsrael). Most importantly, these students believe in the simplicity, perspicuity, and integrity of God’s Word, which the unbelieving academic world seeks to demolish everyday with their anti-Christian theories and futile speculations.
What Shuster said next shocked me. She made this statement (which I hope is not true, but if it is, I am speechless): “What I am saying about creation and anthropology may seem shocking, but I am actually one of the more conservative teachers on staff. At least I am trying to give a historical place to Adam and Eve, whereas most other professors within Fuller don’t…”
If this statement is true, then I cannot, in good conscience, get my graduate degree from Fuller Theological Seminary, especially if this degree is going to represent me and my teachings for the rest of my life. Fuller may be a popular seminary name to have on a resume, but it is simply not worth it for me because Fuller is so theologically suspect. It is truly sad I had to make this decision and now take the time to write such a letter to you, considering I had hope for Fuller and my Christian education when I came to the orientation. I even read Fuller’s Statement of Faith that made it seem like it was solid in Christian foundational doctrines, when in fact it is not and is somewhat deceptive.
I understand Fuller’s desire to be as open as possible to students from many denominational backgrounds, but that simply cannot work because it ends up accommodating everyone’s views (even if they are wayward and unbiblical), and still offending some. It’s ironic that Fuller claims to be open and accommodating to all denominational backgrounds (even to Catholics and Seventh Day Adventists), but most of the professors and staff are anti-conservative evangelical.
Fuller’s evangelical teaching is so different than the orthodox teachings of many popular preachers, even on TV shows and radio stations, and is even at odds with one of Fuller’s most known graduates, John Piper. How does John Piper’s teaching square with what Fuller teaches currently? Even over the course of the my year at the school, I have examined the types of books I was assigned to read for class, and I noticed a pattern amongst almost all courses, in which books were written by Catholic priests like Gustavo Gutierrez and open theist writers like Clark Pinnock, yet Fuller never incorporates course books from conservative evangelical preachers who have boldly stood up for the integrity of God’s Word and get persecuted in the process, even by the liberal “evangelicals.” Most of the books I read from Fuller had a water-downed view of the gospel, oriented very specifically toward a social justice, liberation theology, feminist, and cultural mandate type of crowd, and should not have been the books assigned for the courses, especially if Fuller’s aim is to train students who will be faithful expositors and teachers of God’s word.
Because Fuller does not have a very high view of Scripture and opens up Bible books to many interpretations, it confuses students and makes them unsure of what to believe about the Bible or how to teach God’s Word for future ministry. Fuller seems to encourage and tolerate students who question key doctrines of the Christian faith, having them dabble over futile speculations, historical theories, and man-made traditions, all of which does incredible damage to the student’s sanctification and Fuller’s reputation.
It pains me to say this, but some of these students are so confused as to what they believe about their faith that they are not fit to be pastors once they graduate. I learned the truth of this when one of my Fuller classmates named David told me about a time when he was trying to obtain signatures from Fuller students to stop homosexual/gay agendas being pushed into public grade schools and their textbooks. David told me that most of the Fuller students refused to sign the petition because they didn’t know what to think about homosexual agendas and/or thought there was a better way to approach the situation.
In essence, they were okay with the homosexual agenda being legitimized and taught in public schools. Any soundly educated and regenerated Christian should know the answer to this dilemma, whether it is homosexuality or pedophilia, abortion, incest, bestiality, murder, or any other transgression of God’s law that would be taught and legitimized in a public forum. In fact, David told me that he was able to get more signatures at a local Albertson’s (from the unbelieving world) than from students at Fuller!
Do you find this terribly tragic?
In conclusion, my point in writing this letter is to bring awareness of what is going on at Fuller Theological Seminary and what needs to be corrected according to what Scripture says. I am not here to spread any hate messages or hurt anyone. I do not presume to be better than anyone in the school or presume to know everything there is to know about life. My aim is to simply confront and rebuke the position of my past instructors and of Fuller Theological Seminary based on what Scripture presents so that Fuller can be the school God desires it to be. Although Fuller is not quite as aberrant and liberal asPrincetonor Yale Seminary, it is clearly heading in that direction. And if Fuller Seminary persists and continues to go that route, then the Lord will have no choice but to remove its lampstand out of its place (Rev 2:5). I humbly ask that Fuller return to sound, biblical Christianity, especially if it wants to see more of God’s blessing poured out on the school and its students.
I have a feeling that some of the students and even staff members at Fuller are on that wide gate path that Jesus talks about in Matthew 7, and the fruit of their teachings pretty much affirms it. If Fuller Seminary is serious about the warning Jesus makes in his rebuke and eschatological judgment passage, as well as His repeated the authority of Scripture, then I pray that the school will immediately see to it that all necessary corrections are made, even if it shall be uncomfortable and inconvenient in the early stages. As much as we naturally want to be people-pleasers, our first priority is to be a God pleaser, even if it shall lead to persecution, insult, and death. The way is very narrow, but the ultimate end is rewarding.
Scripture mandates that, according to Jesus’ message about the 7 Churches in the book of Revelation, Christian organizations like Fuller Seminary return to orthodox, biblical Christianity so that it will not have to be subject to God’s discipline. I only desire to see God’s blessing and favor over Fuller, but this cannot happen if it continues to experiment and tolerate theories that are unbiblical and sometimes heretical. Remember that we will all stand before the Bema Seat Judgment one day (2 Corinthians 5), and our lives will be assessed based on how faithful we were in carrying out God’s word in this life.
How do you think Fuller Theological Seminary will do on that day? Be like the Bereans and read the Scriptures honestly, and you will know the answer. It’s not too late to change. Make the appropriate changes while there is still time.
Sincerely,
Steve
- See more at: http://stevecha.net/rebuke-letter-against-fuller-theological-seminary/#sthash.fb6YD50x.dpuf
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