Mrs. Ichabod calls Barack Hussein Obama, "The Offender of the Faith." Recently, his supporters were miffed that some used Barack's middle name. He used it himself when announcing on TV how he would be a different kind of candidate.
Obama is really a Junior, named after his African father, who was a polygamist several times over. Senior was already married when he wed Junior's mother. He left his new wife and child in Hawaii to claim a scholarship at Harvard. Obama's white grandparents raised him and paid heavy-duty tuition to send him to an exclusive private high school (tuition about $14,000 a year now). The school has the fourth best sports program in the nation.
Obama also enjoyed the serenity of a multi-racial environment in Hawaii, where hardly anyone is one race or another. His prep school training got him to Columbia and Harvard, where his now-invisible wife Michelle served as his mentor. She already had a law degree.
I can understand Norm Teigen's remarks to some degree, based on his military experience. I just finished a book on the Black Panther tanks in WWII. The Black tankmen were treated like dirt during training and ignored while accomplishing incredible exploits for Patton in Europe. They fought for each other and they fought for respect. No one from that unit was given a Medal of Honor until decades later. They did not get a special citation for their unit until 50 years later.
In my home, Moline, Illinois, Blacks were not served at the family restaurant, the Hasty Tasty. (Please, no Moline comments. We thought a seven-course meal was a six-pack and a large bag of Fritos.) Blacks could sit down in the dining room, but no waitress would wait on them. We were in the North. We often discussed how the South was bigoted. The North was not. My father, in contrast, always served Blacks. It was never an issue at his business.
Here is the difference, where I part with Teigen: Barack's suddenly-retired pastor is a racial bigot in the pulpit, a Marxist in theology. I certainly understand the old rage, which was often justified in the past. I do not understand a U. S. Senator listening to a well-fed minister saying, "God _____ America." Oprah Winfrey, who is hardly a conservative, even less an orthodox Christian, quit that congregation two years ago because she could not tolerate the message.
Obama made matters worse with a moral equivalency logical fallacy. His grandmother "a typical white person" was no different from Rev. Wright when she expressed horror at being given a rough time by a Black panhandler. As far as I know, the grandmother who put him through private school did not mount a pulpit and attack people based on their race.
President Reagan did more for Blacks than any other president. He did that by transforming the economy with lower taxes, increasing the incentives for workers and small business owners. The Left would rather subjugate Blacks and Mexicans with socialistic programs which increase dependency without providing any solutions.
As I wrote before, we have three unpleasant alternatives for president so far, no real choice in agenda. The current fracas in the Democrat ranks will alienate one side or another. McCain will beat either one because of defections and sit-at-homes.
This election does depend very much on religion. Hillary was converted to social activism by her Methodist pastor. He sent her the Leftist Methodist social action magazine. She said once that she kept every single one of them.
Left-wing mainline activism stems from the Social Gospel Movement, which took root in the Federal Council of Churches. The FCC became so Communist that they changed the name to the National Council of Churches. Magic is defined as misdirection of the eye. "Oh no. The FCC does not exist anymore. We closed it down." That sounds like: "Church and Change. No that is gone. We closed it down."
One sure sign of apostasy is political activism replacing the Gospel while calling it The Gospel.
ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the National Council of Churches.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Obamagic Gone
Good Friday Sermon
KJV Isaiah 52:12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward. 13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: 15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
KJV John 19:1 Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. 2 And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, 3 And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands. 4 Pilate therefore went forth again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him. 5 Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! 6 When the chief priests therefore and officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Take ye him, and crucify him: for I find no fault in him. 7 The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. 8 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid; 9 And went again into the judgment hall, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then saith Pilate unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee? 11 Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. 12 And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend: whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. 13 When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14 And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! 15 But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16 Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away. 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. 19 And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin. 21 Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22 Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. 23 Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. 24 They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did. 25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. 28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. 31 The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. 32 Then came the soldiers, and brake the legs of the first, and of the other which was crucified with him. 33 But when they came to Jesus, and saw that he was dead already, they brake not his legs: 34 But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. 35 And he that saw it bare record, and his record is true: and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye might believe. 36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 37 And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.
NIV John 19:1 Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 2 The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 3 and went up to him again and again, saying, "Hail, king of the Jews!" And they struck him in the face. 4 Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, "Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him." 5 When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, "Here is the man!" 6 As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him." 7 The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God." 8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid, 9 and he went back inside the palace. "Where do you come from?" he asked Jesus, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 "Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realize I have power either to free you or to crucify you?" 11 Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin." 12 From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar." 13 When Pilate heard this, he brought Jesus out and sat down on the judge's seat at a place known as the Stone Pavement (which in Aramaic is Gabbatha). 14 It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. 15 But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. "We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. 16 Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus. 17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 Here they crucified him, and with him two others-- one on each side and Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, "Do not write 'The King of the Jews,' but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews." 22 Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written." 23 When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. 24 "Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did. 25 Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," 27 and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. 28 Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." 29 A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. 30 When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 31 Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jews did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. 32 The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. 33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. 35 The man who saw it has given testimony, and his testimony is true. He knows that he tells the truth, and he testifies so that you also may believe. 36 These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," 37 and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."
Good Friday
Hymn #174
The Invocation p. 5
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 6
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 7
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 9
The Epistle and Gradual Isaiah 52:12ff.
The Gospel John 19:1ff.
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Apostles Creed p. 12
Sermon Hymn #172
The Sermon
The Little Gospel
The Votum
The Offertory p. 12
The Prayers and Lord's Prayer p. 13
The Benediction p. 14
The Closing Hymn #52
KJV Isaiah 53:1 Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
UPON THE CROSS
People confused about justification by faith write, “What happened on Good Friday?” They fail to see the difference between the sacrificial act of Christ and the proclamation of that act. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, for you and for me. That is the Gospel message. The proclamation of the Gospel message is a work of the Holy Spirit, declaring to all those who believe in Christ that their sins are taken away.
Every child knows the meaning of this Old Testament prophesy. It was written centuries before Christ was born. Imagine someone from King Arthur’s Court predicting what would happen today. That is how distant this prophesy was (not in exact years), so far back in time that one can hardly imagine so many years. And yet, these verses, in fact the entire chapter is a vivid portrayal of the crucifixion of Christ.
Paul uses this verse in Romans 10, teaching us that faith comes by hearing. To be more accurate, he is saying that faith comes by preaching. It is not the act of hearing itself that brings about faith but the Holy Spirit working through the spoken Word of God. Faith comes by sermons, we might say. Who has believed our sermon?
KJV Romans 10:16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
God’s love for His people was so great that He began preaching the Gospel to us when Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden (Genesis 3:15). If Isaiah was early, think how ancient those words are that we remember tonight. God said to the serpent, “You will bruise his heel, but He will crush your head.”
From the beginning God placed faith in the hearts of people through the spoken Word. Most of the time He entrusted this Word to prophets. Christ appointed apostles who then trained pastors to serve under them. I know one person who does not accept any sermon as the Word of God. He said he can only be taught by direct quotation of Scripture. But Jesus said, “Whoever hears you hears Me.”
KJV Luke 10:16 He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.
Some people did not even pay attention to Jesus, who taught them:
KJV John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life
So we are inclined to say, “Who is this, a mere man, to tell us what God thinks and says?” But that is exactly what pastors have been called by God (through the congregation) to do. In the same way the head of the household is placed in that role to teach his family the Word of God. True, many men despise this role and reject it. But it is still God’s decision and appointment, God’s Creation and order. Those who acknowledge this as good and wise will benefit from it.
Faith grows from hearing the Gospel promises. The last two verses in this section are especially noteworthy in a remarkable chapter:
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Verse 4 tells us how terrible the crucifixion would be. Verse 5 teaches us what the crucifixion means. It would have a purpose. The Son of Man would be wounded to pay for our sins, beaten for our evil. His whipping would be to give us peace through the forgiveness of sins. “By His stripes we are healed.”
For those who believe in Jesus, and this comes only through the work of the Holy Spirit in the Word, these words are a great comfort. We already know this, but in hearing it again our faith is deepened.
Luther has two very good points to make about the crucifixion. One is that we should never dwell upon the cross in this way, saying, “Look at what those Jews and Romans did to the perfect Son of God!” That is all wrong and contrary to this lesson. Instead we should say when we meditate on the cross, “Look at what I did to Jesus. Those are my sins that He bore. I was the transgressor and He was whipped. I rebelled against God’s Law and He was humiliated and mocked. I am the cause of His suffering.” Otherwise, although the Romans and the Jewish leaders played a role, we miss the whole concept of His atoning death. If Jesus died because of THEIR sins and not because of MY sins, then I am not expressing faith in the cross.
Secondly, Luther correctly taught that the surest form of sorrow for sin is not weeping, or feeling bad, or outward and emotional signs of repentance. No, the surest sign of genuine repentance (a work of the Holy Spirit and not from our own efforts) is when we are forgiving toward others. Whenever we stew about wrongs committed against us, and many of these things do happen, since we do them to others as well, then we are saying, “I would like to enjoy complete and free forgiveness of my sins, but I will not give an ounce of mercy to anyone else.” That is a failure to grasp the meaning of forgiveness, a failure to be thankful for forgiveness.
Why did Jesus die on the cross? He was tortured to give us peace, not agitation. The first step is taking away our sins through His atoning death. God says, “Here is a great Treasure, an infinite source of forgiveness, the cross of My beloved Son, where He poured out His blood for your sins.” The more God teaches us this great truth, the more we trust it and grasp it as the greatest and most life-giving truth on earth. Through this trust in our hearts created by the Word God grants us forgiveness. God says, “You must do one thing absolutely to receive the forgiveness of sins. You must believe the Gospel of forgiveness.” In believing and holding on to this truth, we receive the what the promise offers.
In practicing this forgiveness we enjoy a double blessing. It is far better to be forgiving than to be full of revenge. (Unfortunately, it is also much more difficult, but it gets easier with practice.) And in addition—this is the second blessing—the person forgiven also enjoys this peace of God. Revenge and bitterness are doubly difficult on people, both in giving and receiving. It is very contagious. I knew one family where the youngest child was a blond angel. She was very sunny all the time. Not one day. I was at their home when she stormed in and whacked her older sister for some slight on the way home from school. It’s hard to sort out. One child said eloquently, “He hit me back first.” Somebody started something and it gets escalated. It spirals out of control, as we see all the time on the news. For those of us who care nothing for soccer – why would anyone riot at a soccer match?
To enjoy this blessing of forgiveness, we have to dwell on the meaning of the cross of Christ rather than whatever annoys us at the moment. I don’t mean to minimize this, because some people have really been the victims of various kinds of assault and robbery. I knew a woman who was beaten almost to death for a few dollars in the cash register. However, when we think about the immensity of God’s forgiveness of all of our sins, then we can be more expansive in forgiving others. We can do that for two reasons. One is that forgiveness is not wasted. If someone is forgiven and yet goes on doing more bad things, then God will add up the totals later. God is just and will be not be mocked. Secondly we can be forgiving because we need to be in that pattern of behavior, which belongs to Christ, rather than following the unbelieving world in exacting revenge.
The first place to begin practicing this forgiveness earned for us by Christ is within our own homes. That is where the greatest and most important conflicts arise. When we apply this lesson of forgiveness, we enjoy the benefits and see its blessings in our children, who also have the peace that passes understanding from this message of the Gospel.
Link to Live Worship Service, Good Friday, 1 PM Phoenix Time.
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Eagle Eye has left a new comment on your post "Good Friday Sermon":
Glad I could witness your first Internet Divine Service..Pleasingly humble. Ditto Jackson's demeanour. Prayed for whoever it was of the 17 who dropped out (Maybe they expected something grand) The simplicity of it all impressed me; because it was NOT grand. God is to be thanked that Jackson is willing to make Bethany's Divine Services available in this way, as your enemies are bound to cast jibes and sarcasm before long. That must be expected. Rejoicing that the pure Gospel is being made available from "Moscow to Manhattan for stranded Lutherans" - as one laymen who got this going said a while back on Ichabod.
Thanking God for the laymen who suggested this, and helped get it on the road.
The humble efforts of you all be mightily blessed of Almighty God (the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit), to the salvation of souls.
In Christ's name, AMEN.
Apologies am "Anonymous" for now. Looking forward to your Div. Serv. on Easter Sunday.
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GJ - Apparently Eagle Eye is a blogger. That is all I know. I have no problems with anonymous, edifying posts, as long as each Anonymous has a distinctive and consistent name.
Sad for the Wrong Reasons
One ELS pastor posted his sadness over the new ELCA report. He is sad for the wrong reasons. Let ELCA be ELCA, following The Episcopal Church down the rathole of apostasy. Anyone with a little common sense and no Biblical training can detect the mountains of self-righteous excrement in the ELCA report. The posturing and presumption show that ELCA no longer has the horsepower to argue a bad case well.
A better question for the ELS is - Why are you still in bed with ELCA?
"Oh no!" they cry out ovinely. "We are not in fellowship with ELCA."
No?
They have been working with ELCA for decades now through WELS. I am not sure how many planning events and actual sessions they sit down at. The ELS is not eager to share with me or with its own members and clergy. However, there is a clear pattern of WELS (We cherish our fellowship with the ELS) working with ELCA on a host of union projects. Has the new WELS SP stopped this? That is not likely. Has Pope John the Malefactor taken WELS to the woodshed over this? No reports have emerged.
The funding agency for union with ELCA and Missouri is Thrivent, the merger of LB and AAL. They used to compete in throwing dollars at pan-Lutheran activities. They joined forces some years ago.
The magazines and PR releases used to brag about WELS working with Missouri and ELCA. Many reports were copied into Christian News and the news flow stopped. No one said the money stopped. No one said the unionism stopped.
In fact, James P. Tiefel (nicknamed Teufel by his associates) had his own ecumenical worship events. Perhaps insurance money greased the wheels of unionism for him, too. The first one included every faith group (Roman Catholic, ELCA, Missouri, Evangelical) except the ELS.
If ELCA is so bad, then why work so closely with apostates?
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Joe Abrahamson has left a new comment on your post "Sad for the Wrong Reasons":
Greg,
It's ok to put the url of my post up if you want.
http://diatheke.blogspot.com
Sincere thanks for the criticism.
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GJ - I have known Joe for a long time. I was not picking on him, but on the general trend to say, "Look how bad ELCA is." Obviously WELS is on the same track as ELCA, as I have tirelessly pointed out for decades now. Proof is how people easily accept today what would have been career-ending a few years ago.
I will compare Bivens' fatuous advice to ELCA's fatuous report if I have time, energy, and enough coffee.
For Want of a Bishop...
NORTHWEST TEXAS: Diocese Cannot Find Three People Interested in Running for Bishop
By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
3/19/2008
The Diocese of Northwest Texas has a problem. It can't find enough candidates to run for bishop.
Outgoing Bishop Charles Wallis Ohl Jr.'s., legacy of persecuting fleeing evangelical parishes is apparently so unattractive no one wants to take his place. The diocese is also in a financial free fall since two significant donor parishes fled the diocese.
St. Nicholas Church, a parish with the largest average attendance in the diocese, left when the dissident majority chose not to litigate, because they felt this was neither good Christian stewardship, nor a good Christian witness. The majority of St. Nicholas Church, now Christ Church Midland, is part of the Anglican Communion under the ecclesiastical authority of the Church of Uganda.
Christ Church has already built a new church building, located on 16+acres of newly purchased land. It has received over $2,036,327 to pay for this, and has a remaining debt of less than $200,000. It also has operating fund pledges for 2008 of over $933,000, compared to roughly $500,000 when the congregation left the Diocese of NWT.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Bethany Lutheran
Video Services
On the Internet
The first Bethany Lutheran Worship service will be Good Friday at 1 PM Phoenix time.
Click on this link to get there:
Bethany Lutheran Worship
You will need broadband (cable or DSL) to get the service, plus speakers to hear the service. You will be watching it live on the Internet. We will make provisions for saving files and posting them on a website.
Double-click on the Bethany logo at the link to start the service. We start early to test some things. You will see the altar at that time.
You can use this link below to determine your local time compared to Phoenix, where we do not deal with the fraud of Daylight Savings Time:
Time Zone Comparisons
Easter Sunday's service will be Holy Communion at 8 AM Phoenix time.
Those who are interested are scattered from the East Coast to the West Coast. I used to say, "If I could only get you gathered together." Now we can do that through a webcam and the Internet. This was not possible a few years ago when I investigated. The quality seems to be quite good.
I started a blog for Bethany:
Bethany Lutheran Worship.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Not Everyone in the Big House Is WELS:
Herr Today, Gone Tomorrow
ELCA Synod Bishop Issues Statement after Arrest of Former Treasurer
Herr Today, Gone Tomorrow
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. B. Penrose Hoover, bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Lower Susquehanna Synod, Harrisburg, Pa., shared his sadness in a pastoral letter March 13 regarding events surrounding the charges and arrest of Barry R. Herr, the synod's former treasurer.
Herr, 61, was arrested March 13 and charged with misappropriation of church funds. The charges stemmed from months of investigation by the synod and the Lower Paxton Township Police Department into the misappropriation of endowment funds for which Herr was responsible. It was estimated that those funds were in excess of $1 million and that wrongdoing began in 1991.
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GJ - Paul Kuske's golden boy, Floyd Stolzenburg, had the same thing happen at his congregation. The female treasurer was arrested and the case made the Columbus Dispatch for a time. Stolzenburg opposed a police investigation, but the insurance company would not cover the loss without it. The congregation voted for the investigation.
Nobody in WELS was arrested for the misuse of designated funds when Gurgel was SP. Nobody was arrested in Gurgel's district when the MilCraft estate funds evaporated. Gurgel was district pope at the time.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Palm Sunday
KJV Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
KJV Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
KJV Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Almighty and everlasting God, who hast caused Thy beloved Son to take our nature upon Himself, that He might give all mankind the example of humility and suffer death upon the cross for our sins: Mercifully grant us a believing knowledge of this, and that, following the example of His patience, we may be made partakers of the benefits of His sacred passion and death, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
What Jesus Did For Us
In this remarkable passage from Philippians we have a summary of the ministry of Christ. The verses seem to be poetic and were probably memorized as an early Christian hymn or creed. (Hymns are creeds and often get written during times of religious crisis, when certain doctrines are under attack. For instance, the arch-liberal Harry Emerson Fosdick wrote “God of Grace” when the liberals were under attack. Christian Worship #523. “Lo the hosts of evil round us” are the conservatives.)
When we sing a hymn, it should be in complete harmony with the Word of God. And when we read a passage like this, we need to know what it means. We worship according to our beliefs, and our beliefs have a direct bearing upon our conduct as Christians.
We have a reason for using the same texts year after year, as Luther did, following ancient Christian tradition. There will never be a time when every Christian knows this passage from Philippians well enough. The Holy Spirit continues to deepen our knowledge and understanding of this passage when we listen to it and study it with diligence.
The apostle Paul urged the Philippians to conduct themselves with the mind of Christ. The introduction is found in the previous four verses:
KJV Philippians 2:1 If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
The four verses of introduction are a beautiful expression of how we should live as believers. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in Christ-like humility.” Instead of being self-involved, be considerate of others.
The foundation for this behavior is stated in verses 5-11. It is the Gospel. When we consider this passage, we should remember how it transcends all human efforts to achieve the same results, for no one could really object to the goals of the first four verses. Many people would call them Utopian, idealistic, and impossible. But the apostle bases his admonitions upon one thing only – the Gospel of forgiveness and what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross.
Many human books can smash us with the Law, but only the Gospel can comfort us and put us at peace. Man-made books tell us why we should behave in a certain way, and it is always connected to something beneficial. It is good for society, or for the family, or for inner happiness. But the Holy Spirit teaches us in a different way. God does not even place conditions on this. He does not say, “If your family is good to you,” or “If you want to get along at work,” or “If you want to get ahead.” This passage stands by itself even if someone is living in a Marxist dictatorship, in great wealth, or in the most miserable family. Whatever is done is faith glorifies God. Whatever is done without faith is a sin.
Therefore, this Gospel message has the power to create faith in an unbeliever, to strengthen our faith, and to encourage us to please God.
What was the mind of Christ?
The eternal Son of God, the creating Word at the Creation, accepted the state of humiliation when He lived among us as a mere man. Obviously He was never just a man but remained God-in-the-flesh. However, He allowed Himself to be regarded as a man and treated as an ordinary man most of the time. Whenever something happened, it was because Jesus allowed it to happen.
For instance, when the crowd tried to make Jesus a king, He refused. Likewise, when they wanted to kill Him, before His time, He passed through the crowd (indicating very clearly that His divine nature was not limited by His human body and nature). That is why the orthodox theologians write about Jesus’ state of humiliation. He accepted a lowly state, giving us an example of how we should live.
When we would have been tempted to flash our divinity frequently, if we had been in the same situation, Jesus took on the appearance of a slave (as the text says literally). It is worth remembering that Luther called John the Baptist the greatest prophet of all, because John said “This ordinary looking man is the Messiah.” It is far easier to believe in a glorious Messiah not yet seen than to look at a man standing there, someone known in the community, and say, “This is the promised Christ.”
So it was very difficult for Jesus to carry out His ministry, knowing all, and moving toward His crucifixion, and yet to teach from day to day and be viewed as a man, as an enemy to His people (according to the religious leaders).
8 And being found in fashion as a man,
he humbled himself,
and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross.
We should never imagine that it was easy for Jesus to accept the cross because of His divine nature. It was all the more humiliating to have His own people first cheer Him and then yell crucify Him, jeering at Him on the cross. Nevertheless, Jesus accepted this role, because He knew He would died on the cross for the sins of the world. Only God Incarnate could die on the cross. Only the perfect Son of God could atone for my sins and for yours.
God exalted Jesus, just as He will exalt every humble believer who serves Him with the mind of Christ.
Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him,
and given him a name
which is above every name:
10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
of things in heaven,
and things in earth,
and things under the earth;
11 And that every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
When believers are brought low by being faithful to the Word, they should remember this entire passage. The Word brings the Cross. The perfect Son of Man was not spared. All of us, who are sinners, will do no better. And even though our Old Adam rebels against bearing the cross, it brings us closer to Christ to know that whatever we might suffer is nothing compared to what He has done for us.
When I was a teen, most of my classmates were Lutheran. The entire class cheered once when Luther’s name was mentioned in history class. I was not Lutheran at the time. I was amazed that my friends had gone to classes for three years on Saturdays to be confirmed. In the Lutheran congregation I joined, every student had already memorized the catechism before starting confirmation, following what the Book of Concord says about Luther’s Small Catechism – the Head of the Household will teach in a simple way to his household. I was especially impressed because the confirmed students knew so much about the Bible and Luther.
The real challenge for all believers is to constantly remain attentive to the Word and willing to learn. Dr. Martin Luther was the greatest theologian of the Christian Church, with a genius IQ, having a knowledge of the Bible which staggers us today. Nevertheless, he also studied the catechism all the time. We can never know the basics well enough.
Some pastors never study again after leaving seminary. Some pursue graduate studies and then stop studying. Luther said that pastors who do not remain diligent in the Word should be “chased out of town and pelted with dog manure.” I have no hesitation in quoting him, because his comments are included in the introduction to the Large Catechism. We subscribe to the Large Catechism as a correct exposition of the Word.
The same may be said of adults. If parents and grandparents take the Word for granted and no longer appreciate the Gospel, what Jesus has done for them, it is taken away. We are viewing the collapse of organized Christianity in this coming generation. Congregations are worried about the lack of pastors and denominations are facing a precipitous decline in membership.
We should be happy when things stir us up to study the Word of God. Confirmation prepares students enough so they know where to go when they grow up and run into conflicts, challenges, and disturbing events. No one can know enough ahead of time, but we can have a foundation in the Word and Confessions. I like to have an adult class open up the Book of Concord and go through it, looking at each work within the Lutheran Symbols.
Once, when one student needed some help in taking notes for confirmation class, I started putting Lutheran quotes in the bulletin. Later I sent them to friends by email, to save them time and to inspire them. Now the quotations are read around the world. Many respond the way I do when I read them, re-read them, think about the meaning of each one – “Now I understand the Gospel better.”
The epistle for today is very clear. One day, everyone in the universe will acknowledge that Christ is indeed the Lord. Believers know this to be true. The comfort of the Gospel is knowing that God loves what the world despises, that He despises what the world loves.
TLH Hymns
160 – All glory, laud and honor
162 – Ride on, ride on in majesty
287 – That a man a godly life might live (Luther)
53 – Abide, O dearest Jesus
Quotations
Chrysostom: "If those who touched the hem of His garment were properly healed, how much more shall we be strengthened if we have Him in us whole? He will quiet in us the savage law of our members, He will quench the perturbations of the mind, drive out all sicknesses, raise us up from every fall, and, when the power of the enemy has been overcome, He will incite us to true piety and indeed will transform us into His own image."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 234.
"The body of Christ is to the sick a medicine, to pilgrims a way; it strengthens the weak, delights the strong, heals weariness, preserves health. Through it man becomes more gentle under reproof, more patient under labor, more ardent for love, wiser for caution, more ready to obey, more devoted to giving of thanks."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 234.
[Ignatius calls the Eucharist] "a medicine of immortality, an antidote, that we may not die but live in God through Jesus Christ, a cleansing remedy through warding off and driving out evils."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 234.
"How can there be any reason for the baptism of little children except according to this understanding: No one is free from defilement, even if he has lived but one day on earth. And because through the Sacrament of Baptism the filth of our birth is removed, therefore also little children are baptized." [Origen, Homily 14 on Luke]
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 250. Luke.
"For this reason the catholic church preaches that little children ought to be baptized, because of original sin, concerning which that most holy man well exclaimed: 'I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.'" [Chrysostom, Homily on Adam and Eve]
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 250f. Genesis.
"Transubstantiation is also one of the pillars that support the papalist kingdom...Rather, it is that they may retain and establish the sacrifice of the Mass, reservation, carrying about, adoration of the bread, and all the things which, outside of the divinely instituted use, have been joined to these things--for this reason they fight so persistently about transubstantiation."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 253.
"For Scripture never calls either Baptism or the Lord's Supper mysteries or sacraments. Therefore this is an unwritten (agraphos) appellation."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 29.
"They imagine that by means of these actions, motions, gestures, and ceremonies, with certain words added about sacrifice, oblation, and victim, they are sacrificing and offering the body and blood of Christ, yes, Christ, the Son of God Himself, anew to God the Father through such a theatrical representation (which is either a comedy or a tragedy) of Christ's passion."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 446.
"To institute a form of worship beside and without the Word of God, and indeed one to which is ascribed propitiation for sins, appeasement of the wrath of God, is a vain thing; it cannot please God; yes, it is idolatry. For 'in vain they worship Me with doctrines and commandments of men.' Likewise: 'Without faith it is impossible that a thing should please God.' Faith, however, 'comes by hearing, and hearing by the revealed Word of God.'"
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 493.
"That it lacks true, firm, and solid grounds in Scripture is, however, not the only thing we criticize in the papalist Mass; what we complain about most of all is that it is an abomination, conflicting with the doctrine of the Word, the sacraments, and faith--yes, that it is full of abuse against the unique sacrifice of Christ and against His perpetual priesthood, as this has been demonstrated at length by the men on our side in fair and honest writings."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 493.
"The papalist Mass, as we have described it in the beginning, militates against the one propitiatory sacrifice of Christ in many ways and is an affront to it. For there is only one propitiatory sacrifice that expiates and renders satisfaction for sins--the offering of Christ made on the cross (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:12)."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 494.
"The papalist Mass, as we have described it in the beginning, militates against the one propitiatory sacrifice of Christ in many ways and is an affront to it. For there is only one propitiatory sacrifice that expiates and renders satisfaction for sins--the offering of Christ made on the cross (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12, 26; 10:12)."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 494.
"In addition there is this perversion, that whereas Christ instituted the use of His Supper for all who receive it, who take, eat, and drink, the papalist Mass transfers the use and benefit of the celebration of the Lord's Supper in our time to the onlookers, who do not communicate, yes, to those who are absent, and even to the dead."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 498.
"For a sacrifice, according to Augustine, Contra adversarium legis et prophetarum, Bk. 1, and De civitate Dei, Bk. 10, is a work which we offer, render, and dedicate to God in order that we may dwell in Him in holy fellowship. A sacrament, however, is a holy sign through which God freely offers, conveys, applies, and seals His gratuitous benefits to us. It is therefore an extraordinary perversion of the Lord's Supper to make a sacrifice out of a sacrament, in the way the papalists speak of the sacrifice of their Mass, namely, that the representatory action of the priest procures for us the application of the benefits of Christ and that anyone who causes a Mass to be celebrated in his behalf by this work procures grace and whatever other things are ascribed to the Mass."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 498.
"If anyone says that the canon of the Mass contains errors and should therefore be abrogated, let him be anathema." [Chapter IV, Canon VI] Chemnitz: "The power, yes, the substance and as it were the soul of the papalist sacrifice is the canon of the Mass. Therefore they labor much more for its retention than about the canon of Scripture itself, which they are not afraid to corrupt by mixing in other, noncanonical books."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 508.
"...Whereunto there has been added from Holy Scripture, that only Norm and Rule of Doctrine..."
Concordia preface, 1580, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 4.
(3) "Great the need in every nation, Dense the darkness of sin's night; Let Thy Spirit bring salvation, Love's pure flame, and wisdom's light, Give the Word, Thy preachers strengthen With the prophets' power of old, Help them Zion's cords to lengthen, All Thy wandering sheep to fold."
Arthur Coxe, W. G. Polack, "Savior, Sprinkle Many Nations," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #510.
"It remains a hope for this age that the power of the Spirit operating through the Word of Life may even draw spiritual opponents into union in the truth for the building of God's great temple."
Arthur H. Drevlow, "God the HS Acts to Build the Church," God The Holy Spirit Acts, ed., Eugene P. Kaulfield, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1972, p. 12.
"Erasmus was willing to ascribe as much as possible to the grace of God, but he insisted that the 'human factor' of making one's self worthy of God's saving grace ought not be overlooked. The spiritual heirs of Erasmus are still with us today."
Arthur H. Drevlow, "God the HS Acts to Build the Church," God The Holy Spirit Acts, ed., Eugene P. Kaulfield, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1972, p. 13.
"Emphatically does Scripture state that the action of the Spirit covers the whole life from first to the last. He is the Spirit of Life for regeneration (John 3:5, 8): the Spirit of Sonship for adoption (Romans 8:15): the Spirit of holiness for sanctification (Romans 8:5): the Spirit of Glory for transfiguration (2 Corinthians 3:18); the Spirit of Promise for the resurrection (Ephesians 1:13). Only through the Holy Spirit are men drawn to the Author and Finisher of their salvation."
Arthur H. Drevlow, "God the HS Acts to Build the Church," God The Holy Spirit Acts, ed., Eugene P. Kaulfield, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1972, p. 15. John 3: 5,8; Romans 8:5; Romans 8:15; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13
"The word 'came' or 'happened' to the prophets. It confronted them with irresistible force (Jeremiah 20:7-9). 'The Lord has sent a word against Jacob, and it will light upon Israel' (Isaiah 9:8) like a stone that has been thrown; today one would think of an atomic bomb. It can destroy, and it may bring rejoicing of heart (Jeremiah 15:16); in any case it is irresistible (Isaiah 55:10f.). It proceeds from eternity and will stand forever, when all earthly things have withered and faded away (Isaiah 40:8). By the power of this divine Word the heavens and the earth were created, and they are preserved to this day by the same Word. This fact gives a 'word-character' to all the universe. All things, all creatures are words of God (Luther)."
W. Echternach, "Word and Words," The Lutheran Encyclopedia, 3 vols., ed., Julius Bodensieck, Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1965, J-313 III, p. 2499. Jeremiah 20:7-9; Isaiah 9:8; Jeremiah 15:16; Isaiah 55:10f.; Isaiah 40:8
"The objection that absolution is God's prerogative (Mark 2:7) is beside the mark, since the minister forgives sins not in his own name, but in God's name."
Th. Engelder, W. Arndt, Th. Graebner, F. E. Mayer, Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 113.
"The character of the Lutheran Church is reflected in her cultus. She lives and moves and has her being in the grace of God, which comes to men in the Means of Grace. Accordingly, she calls her people together in public worship to implore the grace of God, to appropriate the grace of God, to glorify the grace of God, and has provided a liturgy which fully meets these requirements of Christian worship. Her one great concern is to have men thoroughly instructed in the Gospel and fully assured of the grace of God."
The. Engelder, W. Arndt, Th. Graebner, F. E. Mayer, Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 20.
"The specific Reformed cultus, due to the Reformed denial of the efficacy and objective nature of the Means of Grace, represents a quest after the grace of God revolving around human agency and subjective experience. The Lutheran cultus places the grace of God nigh unto the sinner in the Means of Grace."
Th. Engelder, W. Arndt, Th. Graebner, F. E. Mayer, Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 21.
"On the contrary, with the Anabaptists and the Reformed Church in general, the Mennonites are Enthusiasts, lay great stress on the immediate working of the Holy Ghost, who is said to 'guide the saints into all truth.' In his Geschichte der Mennonitengemeinden John Horsch, a prominent Mennonite, states that the Holy Spirit is the 'inner word,' who enables Christians to understand the Scriptures. Without the inner word, or the light, the Scripture is a dead letter and a dark lantern."
The. Engelder, W. Arndt, Th. Graebner, F. E. Mayer, Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 260.
"Naturally, Universalists deny that the Sacraments are Means of Grace. Some Universalists observe three sacraments--consecration, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper. The act of consecration of children consists in the parents' pledging themselves to rear their children in the admonition of the Lord."
The. Engelder, W. Arndt, Th. Graebner, F. E. Mayer, Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 409f.
"The doctrine of salvation through the Means of Grace is distinctive of Lutheranism. The Catholic churches have no use for means of grace, for a Gospel and for Sacraments which offer salvation as a free gift. And the Reformed churches, while they hold, in general, that salvation is by grace, repudiate the Gospel and the Sacraments as the means of grace. It is clear that matters of fundamental importance are involved. The chief article of the Christian religion, justification by faith, stands and falls with the article of the Means of Grace. Justification by faith means absolutely nothing without the Means of Grace, whereby the righteousness gained by Christ is bestowed and faith, which appropriates the gift, is created."
The. Engelder, W. Arndt, Th. Graebner, F. E. Mayer, Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 4f.
C. F. W. Walther: "The characteristic feature of our dear Evangelical Lutheran Church is her objectivity, which means that her entire teaching is designed to keep man from seeking salvation within himself, in the powers of his nature and will, in anything he does or is, and to bring him to seek salvation outside of himself. The teaching of all other churches is of a subjective character; it trains man to base his salvation upon himself." "And this applies in a most marked manner to their denial of the Scriptural doctrine of the Means of Grace." F. Pieper, Lehre und Wehre, 36, 119.
The. Engelder, W. Arndt, Th. Graebner, F. E. Mayer, Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 5.
"Faith lives on the offer of the forgiveness of sins, as it comes to us in the certain promise and absolute guarantee of the Gospel and the Sacraments. Here, again, Lutheranism fully meets the sinner's need."
The. Engelder, W. Arndt, Th. Graebner, F. E. Mayer, Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 5.
Luther: "True, the enthusiasts confess that Christ died on the cross and saved us; but they repudiate that by which we obtain Him; that is, the means, the way, the bridge, the approach to Him they destroy...They lock up the treasure which they should place before us and lead me a fool's chase; they refuse to admit me to it; they refuse to transmit it; they deny me its possession and use." (III, 1692)
The. Engelder, W. Arndt, Th. Graebner, F. E. Mayer, Popular Symbolics, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 5.
"Rise, Thou Light of Gentile nations, Jesus, bright and Morning Star; Let Thy Word, the gladsome tidings, Ring out loudly near and far, Bringing freedom to the captives, Peace and comfort to the slave, That the heathen, free from bondage, May proclaim Thy power to save."
Herman Fick, 1885, "Rise, Thou Light of Gentile Nations," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #498. Isaiah 60:1.
(6) "Human reason, though it ponder, Cannot fathom this great wonder That Christ's body ever remaineth Though it countless souls sustaineth And that He His blood is giving With the wine we are receiving. These great mysteries unsounded Are by God alone expounded." Johann Franck, 1649, "Soul, Adorn Thyself with Gladness" The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #305. Revelation 19:8.
(1) (1) "Preach you the Word and plant it home To men who like or like it not, The Word that shall endure and stand When flowers and men shall be forgot. (2) We know how hard, O Lord, the task Your servant bade us undertake: To preach your Word and never ask What prideful profit it may make. (3) The sower sows; his reckless love Scatters abroad the goodly seed, Intent alone that men may have The wholesome loaves that all men need. (4) Though some be snatched and some be scorched And some be chocked and matted flat, The sower sow; his heart cries out, 'Oh, what of that, and what of that?' (5) Preach you the Word and plant it home And never faint; the Harvest Lord Who gave the sower seed to sow Will watch and tend his planted Word." Martin H. Franzmann, 1907-76, "Preach You the Word," Lutheran Worship, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1982, J-208 Hymn #259. Mark 4:;
(2) (2) "But your strong love, it sought us still And sent your only Son That we might hear his shepherd's voice And, hearing him, be one." Martin H. Franzmann, 1907-76, "In Adam We Have All Been One," Lutheran Worship, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1982, Hymn #292. John 10.
(1) (1) "Thy strong word did cleave the darkness: At thy speaking it was done. For created light we thank thee, While thine ordered seasons run. Alleluia, alleluia! Praise to thee who light dost send! Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia without end!" (v. 3) "Thy strong Word bespeaks us righteous; Bright with thine own holiness, Glorious now, we press toward glory, And our lives our hopes confess..."
Martin H. Franzmann, 1907-76, "Thy Strong Word," Lutheran Worship, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1982, J-311 Hymn #328.
(1) (1) "Thy word, O Lord, like gentle dews, Falls soft on hearts that pine; Lord, to thy garden never refuse This heavenly balm of thine. Watered by thee, let every tree Then blossom to thy praise, By grace of thine bear fruit divine Through all the coming days. (2) Thy word is like a flaming sword, A wedge that cleaveth stone; Keen as a fire, so burns thy word, And pierceth flesh and bone. Let it go forth over all the earth To cleanse our hearts within, To show thy power in Satan's hour, And break the might of sin." (Garve, 1763-1841) Carl Bernhard Garve, "Thy Word, O Lord, Like Gentle Dews," Service Book and Hymnal, Philadephia: Board of Publication, 1958, J-202 Hymn #254. Isaiah 55:10; Hebrews 4:12.
(3) "Gird each one with the Spirit's Sword, The sword of Thine own death-less Word, And make them conquerors, conquering Lord, Where Thou Thyself wilt come." Mary C. Gates, 1888, "Send Thou, O Lord, To Every Place," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #506. Romans 8:37.
"The most important of all the pastor's acts is his public preaching...A minister may be ever so good as a liturgist, ever so gifted as a ruler of his congregation, or in private pastoral work, but all this can never take the place of right preaching." (Walther, Pastorale, p. 76)
G. H. Gerberding, The Lutheran Pastor, Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1915, p. 275.
"To the Lutheran the sermon, as the preached Word, is a means of grace. Through it the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth. It is a constant offer of pardon; a giving of life, as well as a nourishing and strengthening of life. In the Reformed churches the sermon is apt to be more hortatory and ethical. It partakes more of the sacrificial than of the sacramental character. The individuality of the preacher, the subjective choice of a text, the using of it merely for a motto, the discussion of secular subjects, the unrestrained platform style, lack of reverence, lack of dignity, and many other faults are common, and are not regarded as unbecoming the messenger of God in His temple. Where there is a properly trained Lutheran consciousness such things repel, shock, and are not tolerated."
G. H. Gerberding, The Lutheran Pastor, Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1915, p. 278.
"It is the Word of God, that still remits and retains, that binds and looses. The pastor can only declare that Word, but the Word itself does effectually work forgiveness to him that rightly receives it. Not only can the minister carry this Word of God, this key of the kingdom, this power of God unto salvation, and apply it, but any disciple of Christ can do so."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 126f.
"Every time a believer in Christ sits down beside a troubled and penitent one, and speaks to such an one Christ's precious promises and assurances of forgiveness, he carries out the Lutheran or scriptural idea of absolution."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 127.
"The whole Gospel is nothing but a proclamation of the forgiveness of sins, or a publication of the same Word to all men on earth, which God Himself confirms in heaven."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 127.
Dr. Krauth: "The whole pastoral work is indeed but an extension of the Lutheran idea of Confession and Absolution."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 127.
"Such evangelical Confession and Absolution establishes and maintains the true relationship that should exist between an evangelical pastor and the members of his flock. Instead of a mere preacher, a platform orator, he becomes a true spiritual guide, a curate for the cure of souls. [curate and cure in italics] He encourages his members to reveal to him their weaknesses, their besetting sins, their doubts and spiritual conflicts, in order that he may instruct, direct, comfort and strengthen them with the all-sufficient and powerful Word of God."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 128.
[The popular idea about the Word] "He sees that he must repent and believe, but by his own reason and strength he cannot. He learns further, that he needs the Holy Spirit to enable him to repent and believe, but, according to the current opinion, that Spirit is not in the Word, nor effective through it, but operates independently of it."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 131.
"It is indeed a precious truth, that this Word not only tells me what I must do to be saved, but it also enables me to do it. [enables me to do it in italics] It is the vehicle and instrument of the Holy Spirit. Through it the Holy Spirit works repentance and faith. Through it He regenerates, converts, and sanctifies."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 132.
"And thus we might go on, and show that what is ascribed in one place to the Spirit, is ascribed in another place to the Word--proving conclusively that the two always go together. Where one is, there the other is also. The Spirit operates through the Word, whether it be the written, the preached, the sacramental, or the Word in conversation or reflection."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 134.
"In the Acts of the Apostles also we read how again and again the Spirit was given through and in connection with the Word. The Apostles depended on nothing but Word and Sacrament."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 136.
"Hence, wherever the Lutheran Church is true to her name and faith, she preaches the whole counsel of God, and relies on that for ingathering and upbuilding."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 136f.
"A true Lutheran pulpit cannot be a sensational pulpit, for discoursing worldly wisdom, philosophy, poetry, or politics. It must expound the Word, and never gets done preaching repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 137.
"It is God the Holy Ghost who must work this change in the soul. This He does through His own life-giving Word. It is the office of that Word, as the organ of the Holy Spirit, to bring about a knowledge of sin, to awaken sorrow and contrition, and to make the sinner hate and turn from his sin. That same Word then directs the sinner to Him who came to save him from sin. It takes him to the cross, it enables him to believe that his sins were all atoned for there, and that, therefore, he is not condemned. In other words, the Word of God awakens and constantly deepens true penitence. It also begets and constantly increases true faith. Or, in one word, it converts the sinner."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 145f.
"To the Word let the unconverted sinner go. Let him be careful to put no barrier in the way of its influence. Let him permit it to have free course, and it will do its own blessed work."
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 146.
"The same divine Saviour now works through means. He has founded a Church, ordained a ministry, and instituted the preaching of the Word and the administration of His own sacraments. Christ now works in and through His Church. Through her ministry, preaching the Word, and administering the sacraments, the Holy Spirit is given. (Augsburg Confession, Article 5.)
G. H. Gerberding, The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1887, p. 30.
"Though all the powers of evil The will of God oppose, His purpose will not falter, His pleasure onward goes. Whatever God's will resolveth, Whatever He intends, Will always be accomplished True to His aims and ends."
Paul Gerhardt, 1656, "Commit Whatever Grieves Thee," The Lutheran Hymnal, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1941, Hymn #520. Isaiah 55. Chapter Four.
Religious Glow Switches To Off Position
Months ago, a member sent me a link. "Do you know what kind of church Obama attends?"
Click here for Obama's congregation.
As an information maven, I knew plenty about the United Church of Christ already. I previously studied the website of Obama's congregation too. Nothing surprised me, except the frankness of the website. The nomination would have been derailed at once if a few reporters would have reported the basic facts about the UCC, Obama, and Wright.
Some people laughed at a recent magazine cover, because the editors put a white glow behind Obama. Go toward the light?
Rev. Wright is a racial polarizer and thoroughly anti-American. Until a few minutes ago, he was Obama's spiritual advisor. Wright married Obama to his precocious wife, Michelle.
Links to her Princeton thesis can be found here.
Wrights's earlier interview with Sean Hannity revealed him as a liberation theologian. Liberation theology is a fusion of Marxism and theological terms, with Marxism winning at every turn.
The UCC recognizes all religious documents as being on an equal level with the Bible, so a Muslim would have no trouble being a UCC member. Obama's recent Jesus talk reminds me of the radical Yale chaplain's bragging to cover his tracks. Sloane-Coffin said, "We talk about Jesus all the time."
Wright's church is being investigated for violating IRS rules about using a charity to promote politics.
The congregation's choir director was shot to death under mysterious circumstances.
Even New Yawkers Are Disgusted
An old Jewish curse: "May the police know your daughters by their first names."
Former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer was already known as a dictatorial monster when he was District Attorney. He constantly violated state and federal laws. When he was elected governor, he showed his incompetence in record time. He recently resigned as governor when everyone learned he was paying big bucks for an international crime syndicate to provide dates for him. The Harvard Law grad wants a plea bargain!
Kirsten, now famous, is four years older than Spitzer's eldest daughter.
Even atheists are disgusted by infidelity.
Why have WELS district popes made a reputation for themselves by protecting adulterous clergy (but only if they are buddies) while driving other men out of the ministry without cause?
If the laity knew how the Demonic Presidents worked, the offerings would dry up overnight.
Banned in New Haven, Connecticut:
Yale's Home Town
Background
A boy bought a bag of Skittle from another boy in New Haven, Connecticut. The candy-crazed buyer was stripped of his title as vice-president of the student council, banned from an honors dinner, and suspended from school. The system has a no-candy policy. The seller was also punished. Below - the effect of one commentator's remarks can be seen.
THE SKITTLES AFFAIR
Give props to legal eagle and radio host Mark Levin. At the opening of his show Wednesday, he highlighted the plight of New Haven, Conn., eighth grader Michael Sheridan, an honor student and school vice president who was suspended and stripped of his honors for buying a bag of Skittles candies from a classmate.
Levin gave out the phone number of the spokesperson for the New Haven school district, but asked his listeners to be civilized about the calling. The civilized part was easy. Getting through was another matter. Within ten minutes of the number's being given out, the New Haven school district's phone system crashed, as did its website.
Within an hour of that, the wheels were already in motion to clear Sheridan's name and restore his and the other student's good standing.
***
GJ - The moral of the story? If people stand up to evil and corruption, wisdom has a decent chance of prevailing. Few people want to say anything today. Perhaps Lutheran will rouse themselves from slumber after they read the Tinky-Winky ELCA Report.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Long-awaited ELCA Statement Available
Remember the hordes who joined the LCA and ALC after they published their feminist Liberal Book of Weirdness in 1978? No? True, the LCA and ALC lost members.
But, readers do remember all the feminists who joined WELS, after Wisconsin made the hymns and the Creeds safe for the N.O.W. to use without gagging on male terms.
No?
ELCA has published their new report:
Give Me Ten Men, Give Me Stout-Hearted Men,
which will finish the work started by their alliances with every Left-wing cause and every mainline denomination.
LCMS, WELS, and ELS pastors will cluck their tongues about this report, and say, "Thank God we are the (fill in the blank) synod." They will not tell their members how closely they work with ELCA, including Multi-cultural Ministries, which means Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Transsexual, Bisexual, Pansexual, and Questioning.
***
New spin on the "middle of the road" report.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Bethany Video Worship Services To Start
We are working on fine points of the Bethany Lutheran Church video services. We have an account set up for video streaming. Anyone with cable or DSL will be able to watch and listen by clicking on a link.
The service will be designed for people to participate, except we cannot feed everyone's responses into this kind of system. Those who have used teleconferencing know it is tricky with latency when people are singing and responding.
We can do video conferences easily across Oovoo.com, with a small group.
Interest is high, from the West Coast to the East Coast. No, not millions of people, but a number of traditional (but stranded) Lutherans.
Why do people feel alienated from the synods? A lot of us are like the farmer, taking his wife into town in the pickup. She said, "Why Bill, we never sit close together like we used to when we first met."
He answered, "I ain't moved."
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Governor of the Wrong State
NY Governor Spitzer made a huge mistake, not being confirmed in WELS, where only Nine (9) Commandments are taught.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Web Cam
A group of layman asked me about extending our services. We have a small group in three states worshiping together twice a month.
The laymen investigated and found a way to put the audio and video up (live) through a web cam. Those with a cam can view each other. Those without can click on the link, watch, and listen. They only need an Internet connection and broadband (cable or DSL). Dial up does not work with huge graphic files.
We used to videotape services for a man with ALS (Columbus). He and his wife said video made it seem like they were there.
We will be able to record the services and provide them through a website. We did an initial test the other day. The quality of the picture was superb. Sound is trickier.
We will not be able to match the production values of the big, honking Church Growth operations, but we will not hide the Lutheran name either.
Who Told You?,
Part II
"Who told you?" is a signal that someone has identified a scandalous WELS event, a warning to forget it, as the creatures forgot the Piper at the Gates of Dawn in The Wind in the Willows.
I drove by a town in Arizona where a former WELS member lives. He was in business so he saw through the Church Growth marketing of WELS.
He said one day, "The big Church Growth pastor's hand-picked successor left the ministry due to depression."
I said, "Really? What was her name?"
He shot back, "Who told you?"
I replied, "When a WELS pastor leaves the ministry suddenly over depression, a woman is involved. Just be glad it's a woman."
Lenski explained it a long time ago. He was a genius in New Testament exegesis but also a District President. That was when a DP could have an IQ bigger than his belt size. Lenski said, based on his experience, that a man who was unfaithful to the Word was also unfaithful in other areas of life.
Up the Creek
In a Yacht
When DP Janke said he was returning to his first love, the congregation, he failed to insert "huge and choice" in the message.
Janke has a call to Jefferson - not Johnson Creek, Wisconsin. Jefferson has had problems with declining membership and income. Doubtless Janke has the answers. Confirmation classes will be shorter in length, with only Nine Commandments to teach.
One anonymous person said I was peddling old news about DP Mueller and VP Kuske. Not at all, gentle readers. The same news is constantly recycled in WELS because people tolerate dictatorial and corrupt leaders. Their DP style is a template from Hell, where their master rules. They drive sound pastors out of the ministry while protecting clergy adulterers and blatant false teachers. They have bowels of Evangelical compassion for divorced pastors and unfaithful pastors, but hatred toward happily married pastors who are faithful to the Word and actually read the Confessions.
Observe another mark of WELS leadership - When they get into trouble, they leave town - or the country. DP Mueller was suddenly called to Russia. SP Gurgel went to Hong Kong, a move that might have been considered an act of war, except no one knows what the Wisconsin sect is in that colony.\
Holy Mother WELS is indefectible.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Tony Blair Will Teach at Yale Next Year
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair will teach at Yale next year. His son is earning a master's degree there.
Judica
Judica – The Fifth Sunday in Lent
KJV Hebrews 9:11 But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; 12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. 13 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: 14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
KJV John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 47 He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. 48 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? 49 Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me. 50 And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth. 51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. 52 Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death. 53 Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? 54 Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God: 55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying. 56 Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad. 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
Luther’s Prayer
Lord, it is certainly true that I am unworthy to have Thee come under my roof, but I am so needy and long for Thy help and grace so that I may become righteous. Therefore, I come to Thee, trusting in nothing other than the sweet words which I have heard, with which Thou invitest me to Thy Table and sayest to me, who am so unworthy, that I will receive forgiveness of my sins through Thy Body and Blood if I eat and drink thereof in this Sacrament.
Judica
The Hymn #246
The Invocation p. 15
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual Hebrews 9 :11-15
The Gospel John 8:46-59
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #40
The Sermon
The Great I AM
The Offertory p. 22
The Hymn #309
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #376
The Great I AM – And The Jewish Trinity
John 8: 57 Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham? 58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. 59 Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.
This passage should give every Christian believer goose-flesh, or, as Luther said about John 3:16 – We should write it with golden letters on our hearts.
This is one of many passages where the Trinity is established in the Old and New Testaments and the pre-existence of Christ is detailed.
An ELCA pastor sent me a book, The Jewish Trinity, by Yoel Natan. The author is Jewish, we may assume, trained as a rabbi perhaps, and certainly a Christian. He seems to have an affinity for Luther, but other than that I know very little.
I am studying the book slowly because so many details are included. I am glad I studied rabbinic literature under a rabbinical scholar at Notre Dame. Natan’s style is quite different from most theological books, original and rabbinical at the same time.
Lutherans have always emphasized the Gospel in the Old Testament, the Trinity revealed in the entire Bible, not just the New Testament. If we consider the basic concept, that must be so.
Natan is good at reminding us that much of the commentary and even the translators (NIV) have hidden the Trinitarian nature of the Old Testament, as if the Trinity is only implied and not clearly taught in the Old Testament.
Often we are influenced by the Darwinists, even if we do not realize it. The Darwinists think of religion as evolving, from animism (tree-gods) to polytheism to the Trinity to Unitarianism to an ethical society without God. The old-time apostates liked the Bible in a sentimental way, but they thought the Trinity was invented around 500 AD so it could not be in the New Testament or the Old Testament.
Another perspective would be – if the Trinity has always existed, why would God keep it a secret until the birth of His Son? Or, even more mysterious for the Unitarian view – How could so many Jews convert from strict Monotheism to Trinitarianism during the early years of the Christian Church?
Genesis 1 is Trinitarian, as we know from John 1. The Father commanded the Creation through the Word (His Son), and the Holy Spirit brooded over the waters.
The Angel of the Lord was not a mere angel but the Son of God before His incarnation. When Jacob wrestled with the angel, he was renamed Israel, because he wrestled with God. An angel is not ever called God except the Angel of the Lord.
KJV Genesis 32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.
The same is true of the Burning Bush. The Angel of the Lord called from the bush, which had two natures, one of natural growth, one of flames. The bush was not consumed but both natures were apparent.
KJV Exodus 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
Jesus’ response to his critics is unreasonable and ungrammatical unless He is truly God. “Before Abraham was, I AM.” The response is best printed with all capital letters because God’s Name in Exodus is I AM.
The Son of God has always existed, so only He can say, as Jesus, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”
Nor should we overlook that Jesus revealed Himself as the Savior to His people this way. He showed mercy to His critics who were assailing Him. The Word converts or hardens. When people reject the Word, more teaching of the Word will harden and anger them. People feel discouraged because of the rage caused by the Word, but they should be encouraged instead. The Word is having an effect. When people are upset and angry, they are thinking instead of being indifferent to the truth.
One effect of the rage is being rejected, persecuted, and pushed away by the unbelievers who cannot tolerate the truths of the Gospel. This is what Jesus experienced so many times. Some listened, held fast to the Word, and found peace and salvation in Christ. Others became furious and sought peace by destroying Christ. Even in the midst of this horrible crime, God converted people. The centurion said, “Surely this man was the Son of God.” The very concise Passion narrative tells us this because the Roman soldier was converted by the execution he oversaw. In the same way some Jews saw Christ fulfilling the Scriptures they knew so well. They believed and worshiped Christ, but found persecution as their reward.
This passage in John is extraordinary because the two natures of Christ are suggested by the Burning Bush, and this connects us with Holy Communion. Once the Son of God united His divine nature with His human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary, the two natures remained united throughout eternity.
Those who would deny the Real Presence of Christ in Holy Communion allow for His spiritual presence but not His presence united in both natures. When were they divided? Never.
"The same is true of other factions--the Anabaptists and similar sects. What else do they but slander baptism and the Lord's Supper when they pretend that the external [spoken] Word and outward sacraments do not benefit the soul, that the Spirit alone can do that?" Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 208. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11;
"For in Confession as in the Lord's Supper you have the additional advantage, that the Word is applied to your person alone. For in preaching it flies out into the whole congregation, and although it strikes you also, yet you are not so sure of it; but here it does not apply to anyone except you. Ought it not to fill your heart with joy to know a place where God is ready to speak to you personally? Yea, if we had a chance to hear an angel speak we would surely run to the ends of the earth."
Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed. John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983 II, p. 199.
"The devil does not rest yet, and hence he stirs up so many sects and factions. How many sects have we not already had? One has taken up the sword, another has attacked the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, others that of baptism."
Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, V, p. 266. John 4:46-54; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:12
"For we can definitely assert that where the Lord's Supper, Baptism, and the Word are found, Christ, the remission of sins, and life eternal are found. On the other hand, where these signs of grace are not found, or where they are despised by men, not only grace is lacking but also foul errors will follow. Then men will set up other forms of worship and other signs for themselves."
Martin Luther, What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, II, p. 914. Genesis 4:3.
"Both Baptism and the Lord's Supper qualify as Means of Grace because of the simple fact that they are visible forms of the essential Gospel message announcing the forgiveness of sins." Martin W. Lutz, "God the HS Acts Through the Lord's Supper," God The Holy Spirit Acts, ed., Eugene P. Kaulfield, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1972, p. 117.
"Since God has connected His most gracious promise of forgiveness with Baptism and the Lord's Supper, these also are true and efficacious means of grace, namely, by virtue of the divine promises that are attached to them."
John Theodore Mueller, Christian Dogmatics, A Handbook of Doctrinal Theology, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1934, p. 444.
"In reconciling the world unto Himself by Christ's substitutionary satisfaction, God asked no one's advice concerning His singular method of reconciliation. In like manner, without asking any man's advice, He ordained the means by which He gives men the infallible assurance of His gracious will toward them; in other words, He both confers on men the remission of sins merited by Christ and works faith in the proffered remission or, where faith already exists, strengthens it. The Church has appropriately called these divine ordinances the means of grace, media gratiae, instrumenta gratiae; Formula of Concord: 'Instrumenta sive media Spiritus Sancti' (Triglotta, p. 903, Solid Declaration, II, 58). They are the Word of the Gospel, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, as will be shown more fully on the following pages."
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1953, III, p. 103.
"We saw before that Scripture ascribes the forgiveness of sins without reservation to the Word of the Gospel, to Baptism, and to the Lord's Supper. Therefore all means of grace have the vis effectiva, the power to work and to strengthen faith." [Note: Augsburg Confession, V, XIII]
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1953, III, p. 108f.
"In fact, there is no basis for a real disagreement between Zwingli and Calvin. The situation here is analogous to the one that obtains in the doctrine of Christ's Person and Word and the doctrine of the Lord's Supper. In these doctrines Zwingli and Calvin and all Reformed will agree as long as they all teach that Christ's body can possess only a local and visible mode of subsistence or presence. Similarly, Zwingli and Calvin cannot differ materially in their teaching on the means of grace because they agree, first, that Christ's merit and saving grace do not apply to all who use the means of grace; secondly, that saving grace is not bound to the means of grace."
Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1950, III, p. 163.
"The Reformed, and all Reformed sects, deny the Real Presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper. Through this they detract from God's honor." Francis Pieper, The Difference between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 36. "Whoever denies the Real Presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Lord's Supper must pervert the words of Institution where Christ the Lord, speaking of that which He gives His Christians to eat, says: 'This is My body,' and, speaking of that which He gives them to drink, says: 'This is My blood.' [Also 1 Corinthians 10:16]
Francis Pieper, The Difference between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 40. 1 Corinthians 10:16.
"Furthermore, consider this: All doctrines of the Bible are connected with one another; they form a unit. One error draws others in after it. Zwingli's first error was the denial of the presence of Christ's body and blood in the Lord's Supper. In order to support this error, he had to invent a false doctrine of Christ's Person, of heaven, of the right hand of God, etc."
Francis Pieper, The Difference between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St. Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 41.