Way Too Funny Self-Incrimination - Westcott Hort Fan

"Although detailed methods vary, there are really only two ways to edit a Bible text. One is to print a text based on some sort of external control (the Textus Receptus, the text found in the majority of manuscripts, the text found in B/03). This may be useful, and may fit the publisher's assumptions, but it hardly constitutes editing. Its's more an exercise in reading an illegible hand."

https://www.skypoint.com/members/waltzmn/CanonsOfCrit.html

The Calvinist News - aka Christian News - Uses "Efficacy" Seven Times in This Issue!

Cub editor Phil Hale, of the Calvinist News, gets a free control-f test every issue, to see if he can distance himself from the Ladies Home Companion content of the previous ones. 

Here are the latest results for the February 3 issue:

• Control - f - Jackson = No examples, even though I send him free copies of books to review. Luther's Galatians? Phil? Phil? Anyone? Anyone? Walther, the American Calvin? You remember him from the Fort's idolatry class, don't you?
• Control - f - Justification by Faith  = No examples, even though it is the Chief Article of the Christian Faith. But, of course, it is just a phrase to young Phil.
• Control - f - Means of Grace = No examples
• Control - f - efficacy = Seven (7) examples! But efficacy was only involved with the potency of the Covid vaccine.

"Just a phrase," Phil says, "just a phrase."
As the mayor said in The Music Man, "Watch your phraseology, young man!"

The Cleverness of Subtraction in the Greek New Testament

 "The shorter version is the better one."

My first Greek New Testament was a Westcott and Hort, bought at The Source Bookstore in Davenport, Iowa. Soon after I had a UBS version, which listed variation sources at the bottom of each page. Both were bought around 54 years ago.

Any given GNT - or similar ancient work - is developed from various editions. I began buying books about text criticism at seminary, thanks to a clearance table in Kitchener-Waterloo. There I learned some of the basics and began scratching my head about this "science."

                                   "The shorter version is the better one."

This is completely illogical, but so handy for Wescott and Hort, who were secretly preparing their edition of the GNT while the KJV was being revised. Their favorite sources were Sinaiticus and Vaticanus (Aleph and B), both discovered miraculously by Tischendorf.

Aleph and B are the Minority texts, where many divine attributes of Jesus are missing. What do mainline and Church Growth pastors do to make their sermons more universal? They omit words to make the message more appealing to them and to a similarly unbelieving audience.

Theology students do the same. They may say "the resurrection of Christ," but not the "actual physical resurrection of Christ."

They may say "the virgin Mary" but not "the actual, Virgin birth of the Savior."

This is from memory, but I noticed the opening of Mark being "The Gospel of Jesus Christ" but lacking "the Son of God" in the Westcott/Hort. But other editions included "the Son of God." I believe my UBS GNT had notes on which manuscripts included "the Son of God.'

Do you see where I am going? The omission of "the Son of God" from Mark 1:1 is easily overlooked by believers. Multiply by 200 or so omissions in Westcott and Hort. 

An English Bible may or may not have the footnote, which is going to be short and unenlightening anyway. "Some witnesses omit the Son of God." A new translation is not only a chance to change the translation itself but also to omit the traditional text, the Majority Text, altogether.

This may help - the German rationalists imagined that the original Gospel of Mark lacked any claims for Jesus' divinity because "Jesus did not consider himself to be the Savior or the Son of God." Now we begin to smell the pot-roast cooking. A scientific text can eliminate those "additions" to the original (but minority) text.

                              "The more difficult one is the better one."

Now we see the beauty of several text criticism rules, which are self-serving and subjective. 

What do we mean by "more difficult"? Answer - the samples which contradict the Christian Faith are better and more reliably original, because they are more difficult for the believer. So, the Mark 1:1 verse omitting "the Son of God" is the historic kernel, the original version of Mark's Gospel. And Mark is the first Gospel written "because it is shorter than Matthew and Luke." 

The Gospel of John is set aside by the New Testament critics because of its emphasis on the Trinity and Jesus as the Son of God.

I am trying to explain how the modern Christian publishing business took the most of the business away from the KJV and believing writers, using the rationalism of 19th century Germany. It was not done immediately and in large doses, but slowly, carefully, earnestly, and persistently.

As the  education expert told me about WELS - the new seminary graduates mocked the KJV for several years before WELS made the NIV mandatory for all pastors. Those pastors who objected were given the Left Foot of Fellowship.

The Text Issue Is Easy To Simplify. Just Remember the Three Frauds - Tischendorf, Westcott, and Hort. The Bible Book

Tischendorf loved Sinaiticus (also called Aleph) and Vaticanus (also called B). His discovery and possession of Sinaiticus is full of questionable details.

Westcott and Hort secretly provided an ongoing Greek text for the Revision Committee of the King James Version. The committee was told to make only minor changes in the English and to leave the Greek text alone. They labored for 10 years, ignoring the direction they were given. That was like putting Paul Kelm in charge of Evangelism or anyone at WELS headquarters as stewards of the Schwan loot.

English-speaking people and many scholars were appalled at the result of 10 years of skullduggery. 

The results? - a constant removal of words from the KJV Majority Text (literally thousands of pieces of evidence) in favor of Sinaiticus (Aleph) and Vaticanus (B) - the Minority Text. All the modern, "scientific" texts are the same - the Tischendorf twins endorsed by Westcott and Hort.

But how delicious it is to frame the fraud with carefully chosen words. The Minority Text was baptized The Standard Text - or Nestle-Aland - used by the United Bible Societies, missions, Roman Catholic and Protestant alike. 

LCMS-WELS began braying that they did not want those old-fashioned words or those old manuscripts. They wanted a scientific text that came right from the workshop of Tischendorf, the Piltdown Man finder of Biblical manuscripts. LCMS-WELS wanted man's opinions, not God's Word, as proven by the New NIV's "all are justified" - wording which is not even in The Standard Text, not even translated in the classic Olde NIV.

A cursory exam shows that the NIV especially - and the Calvinist ESV - favor the wording errors of Fuller, Willow Creek, and the other Enthusiasts. 

Do you wonder why your ecclesiastical lords and masters shunned Luther on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation? That was the climax of the destruction of the Lutheran Church in this land. 

The New Book Walther, The American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies Has Arrived at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon

Some services take a photo of the delivery and send it to me, so keep your porches clean! WELS, LCMS Concordias, the Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie, and Lutheran School of Chicago in Chicago got copies. Christian News received or will receive two copies of Walther, The American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies. Galatians was locked up or thrown away at CN formerly Lutheran News.
I am glad to send free review copies to anyone who actually reviews a book. One WELS pastor asked for a free review copy of Thy Strong Word, kept it, denounced me, and wrote no review. That is what WELS friends are like - imagine the enemies in that sect!

Walther, The American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies

"Justified before we were born!" - Edward Preuss. The Objective Justification Enthusiasts eat that up. Walther thought that little book by Preuss was way cool, and the Synodical Conference still adores it, even thought that passage - cited by Dr. Robert Preus - is so close to Calvinism that you can taste the sulfur.
Walther, The American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies

Thoughts on the Efficacy of the Word

One reader wondered, in an email, about learning more from the same book of the Bible each time. Luther, the son of a mine owner, compared the study of the Scriptures to mining gold in a place of infinite capacity. The longer one delves, the greater the vein of gold becomes, and yet it is never exhausted. The wealth of spiritual treasures in the Bible is infinite and invulnerable to attacks.

Opposition is one of the best ways to gain from the Scriptures and learn even more. We have to learn the weapons of the opposition, take them away, and defeat them with their own words. That only works with a grasp of the Word, placing that above all human documents. If we start with human claims, to make sure no one in the synod hierarchy is offended, we will become worse than they are. I am sure many of them wink at each other as they repeat the same errors that made them swear an old on their precious dogma.

We are now exhausting the Seminex-Church Growth generation of apostates. Most people think in terms of the LCMS and St. Louis as the Seminex hatchery, but Northwestern College (WELS, RIP) in Watertown has an equal claim in starting Seminex. This will sound familiar. The Seminexers claimed nothing was changing, so they should be left alone. The Church Growthers in WELS said there was no Church Growth in the sect, and if there was, it was being promoted in a Scriptural and Confessional way.

Seminexers marched off to their own seminary, led by ex-WELS professor Richard Jungkuntz and another Watertown WELS martyred professor. The rivals to the Concordia Seminaries soon collapsed and took their gay faculty to the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, doing their best to collapse that school as well. Seminex became a dirty word and nobody sought to untangle their Objective Justification dogma, so everyone jumped onto the Church Growth bandwagon. Seminex called it - The Gospel - everyone is already forgiven because God is so full of grace. Anything else is The Law, works, and condemnation. Those who question this grace are legalists of the worst kind. Seminexers even bragged that they were "Gospel Reductionists" - everyone is already forgiven.

Some realize that these grace-mongers and Gospel Reductionists were packed with anger and condemnation. Fearful that people might counter with the Word, they switched to sociology, which is unprovable but remarkably flexible. The Lutheran Church is failing? So is the Masonic Lodge! 

Check out the many Church Growth gurus who mocked Scriptural worship and made singing with a pipe organ hilariously boring. Once they had most clergy allergic to Justification by Faith and traditional worship, they only needed to prod a few more to hand over the keys to the properties, pension funds, and foundation loot.

Myranmar - aka Burma - "Benefits" from Smartmatic

Madeline Albright and Senator John McCain with the recently deposed leader.
"Forced labor, human trafficking, and child labor are common in Myanmar.^[190] " Wiki

She was popular with Democrats and RINOs.

Smartmatic did its marvelous, miraculous work, just as they did in other countries.

National Freedom Day - February 1

 From Wiki

National Freedom Day is a United States observance on February 1 honoring the signing by Abraham Lincoln of a joint House and Senate resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. President Lincoln signed the Amendment outlawing slavery on February 1, 1865, although it was not ratified by the states until later.

Major Richard Robert Wright Sr., a former slave, believed that there should be a day when freedom for all Americans is celebrated. Wright invited national and local leaders to meet in Philadelphia to formulate plans to set aside February 1 each year to memorialize the signing of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by President Abraham Lincoln on February 1, 1865, which freed all U.S. slaves.^[1] One year after Wright's death in 1947, both houses of the U.S. Congress passed a bill to make February 1 National Freedom Day. The holiday proclamation was signed into law on June 30, 1948, by President Harry Truman. It was the forerunner to Black History Day and later Black History Month, officially recognized in 1976, though begun by Carter G. Woodson in 1926.^[2][3]

The Bible Book - Books and Authors To Study

Can anyone read this out loud without laughing?
The Dogmatics of Karl and his Schutzi-putzi turned Christianity into Marxist socialism, Ja?

III. Books and Authors for Text Research, Laity and Pastors Alike

 

 

            Edward Freer Hills (1912-1981) graduated in Latin from Yale University, Phi Beta Kappa. He earned several seminary degrees, did graduate work at the University of Chicago, and completed a PhD at Harvard University. His King James Version Defended is one of the best and most readable books on the topic. His style is plain, so his discussions of the following issues are easily comprehended by ministers and laity alike:

1. ·        The Johannine Comma, 1 John 5:7-8
2. ·        The ending of Mark, Mark 16:9-20
3. ·        The woman caught in Adultery, John 7:53-8:11
4. ·        The doxology of the Lord’s Prayer.

This one book contains a wealth of information about all the issues, including background about the individuals, though Tyndale has been overlooked. The book can be obtained on Amazon and also found as a $5 Kindle in the original title Text and Time.

Dean John William Burgon (1813-1888)

Burgon has a society named after him, the Dean Burgon Society, which keeps the flame alive for the King James Version. First of all, he was a sworn and published enemy of German rationalism, which was promoted by the Essays and Reviews edited by John William Parker. Burgon was appreciated for his sermons against the book. His writing is heavy duty, not light work to read, but much clearer after reading Hill. A good explanation of how Bibles became corrupted is detailed in his The Revision Revised: A Refutation of Westcott and Hort’s False Greek Text and Theory. The basic argument is clear and very much like Hill’s – the Bible is revealed for believers and must be studied and explained by believers. There is no middle ground or compromise, even though the denominations are feathering their nests with the constant flow of new, improved, but clearly dishonest translations.

The Bible Book, Part I - Corrupted Scripture Texts

Lower Criticism – The Text – Led to Higher Criticism – The Meaning of the Word

 

Older books, considered classics, are reprinted using the best possible original text of the author. The issue is not whether people can compare and edit the Bible texts, but how they approach their task. In the past, the Biblical text editors were men who considered the Bible the Word of God, the infallible and inerrant revelation of the Holy Trinity. However, the 19^th century was greatly influenced by rationalism, so various experts treated the Bible, not as the work of God for man, but another book by man about God. The British revision of the King James Version of the Bible was a perfect, but not unique, example. Given the goal of a modest revision of the KJV language (using the same Tradition Text as before), the team of Wescott and Hort secretly provided their own text of the New Testament. The language of the KJV had been modestly revised before – and we use that revision today – but the new Greek text emboldened academics to treat the Bible as just another book, no different from Homer’s Odyssey or Marco Polo’s Travels.

Perhaps I was influenced by my father’s name – Homer – and an uncle’s name – Horace – to immerse myself in classical culture, the so-called dead languages of Latin and Greek, the histories of Greece and Rome. People thought it was odd to waste my college years on Latin and Greek, even more so later. When I told the dean of our tiny seminary that I was also taking Hebrew, he said, “Why, Greg? You will not get academic credit for it.” However, I earned the prize at seminary for “best Hebrew scholar” by just taking the course and won a Hebrew Old Testament. I did more of the same at Yale, taking Hebrew exegesis of Genesis, Greek exegesis of Thessalonians, and a doctoral seminar that assumed knowledge of the Biblical languages. Besides that, my wife Christina earlier encouraged me to take German 1, 2, and modern literature – and she took Greek in college.

Although I dreamed of traveling the world on someone else’s budget, the study of languages more than satisfied that longing - by including ancient histories, pivotal battles on land and at sea, against great armies and against Herman the German. I am only listing these language adventures to point out the obvious – the typical pastor does not know Greek or Hebrew. The language of the Old Testament is apparently too difficult for the snowflakes of today. Language requirements for future ministers have slipped down to a summer term in Greek, $3,000 cash payment in advance, and nothing more. If Biblical languages are almost lost among the clergy, how much discernment can they have when dealing with the new Bibles? They are going to aim at the popular preferences, just as they decide on popcorn or peanuts, Coke or Pepsi, for their Sunday Seeker Services.

What will the pastor or lay leader say when the experts say, “The woman caught in adultery passage does not fit in the Gospel of John and is a late addition”? How will they respond to their own New Testament teachers dropping Mark 16:9-20? There must be a connection between selling Here I Stand socks for the Reformation’s 500^th Anniversary and promoting a butchered Gospel of Mark at an inflated price.

The following book is aimed at laity and clergy who want to know the issues and how to have reason for the hope within them. As I did with Walther, the American Calvin, I am starting the book with essential study aids and how to obtain them inexpensively.

New Title for the Book on the Bible

The tentative book title was sounding a like a government report on marshland habitats, so I changed it to this -

The Bible Book:

Corrupted Scripture Texts and Dishonest Translations

The Bible Book for short.

Without the Pen of the Author of Common Sense (Paine)...

“Without the pen of the author of Common Sense, the sword of Washington would have been raised in vain.”
-John Adams

December 23, 1776

THESE are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right (not only to TAX) but "to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER" and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery, then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth. Even the expression is impious; for so unlimited a power can belong only to God.

"General George Washington and the Continental Army's famously crossed the Delaware River on December 25-26, 1776."

Septuagesima Sunday, 2021. Workers in the Vineyard

Septuagesima Sunday, 2021

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

https://video.ibm.com/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Worship, 10 AM Central Time 

The Hymn #413        I Walk in Danger                                 

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       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
Hymn # 479        Zion Rise                     

Workers in the Vineyard

The Hymn # 652          I Lay My Sins on Jesus                              

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 # 199            Jesus Christ Is Risen Today

Prayers and Announcements

• In treatment, Christina Jackson (doing well), Rush Limbaugh, Mary Howell.
• Our country, our actual President, our military justice system.
• Those who spread the Gospel by Word, by art, by voice, by service.

Hans Brorson - "I Walk in Danger." He was a Danish Pietist known for this hymn and often associated with Thomas Kingo and Nicholai Grundtvig. He wrote the ethereal "Behold a Host Arrayed in White" and "Thy Little Ones, Dear Lord, Are We." Over 100 of his hymns are in the Danish hymnal.

1 Corinthians 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.  25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.  26 I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 3 And did all eat the same spiritual meat;  4 And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.  5 But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

KJV Matthew 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

Septuagesima Sunday

Lord God, heavenly Father, who through Thy holy word hast called us into Thy vineyard: Send, we beseech Thee, Thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, that we may labor faithfully in Thy vineyard, shun sin and all offense, obediently keep Thy word and do Thy will, and put our whole and only trust in Thy grace, which Thou hast bestowed upon us so plenteously through Thy Son Jesus Christ, that we may obtain eternal salvation through Him, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Workers in the Vineyard

KJV Matthew 20:1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder [Lenski - Christ manages the Church], which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

The first thing we notice about a parable is the introduction. Sometimes, the word parable is used. At other times, this introduction compares the Kingdom of God to certain actions or observations. Parables are quite short, and the shorter a literary device is, the more difficult it is to make it convey some meaning. The parables are so short that one is simply one sentence - The Kingdom of God is like leaven...Matthew 13.

The parables are examples of genius in communication, because each one is so full of meaning that it can be an entire sermon. Of course, there is also room for mischief. The Medieval analogy used is mocked by Jesus because the Church identified the first laborer as Adam. The penny was eternal life. So, was Adam dissatisfied with his penny, eternal life? Unfortunately, many such efforts started with an error and became the model for more of the same.

My liberal New Testament professor at seminary taught that no one understood the parables, though he wrote a book on them, an effort promptly forgotten. It was said about him and our college professor both, that they were obvious skeptics but loved to sing the hymns and hardly missed a Sunday.

The parables are short stories, given to us as great memory devices, because they connect the lesson with an easy-to-remember image or short story. They have special power because they are directly from Jesus. All those who would like to spend an hour with Jesus (a common question - "Who would you pick to have a conversation with, for just one hour?") can do so by reading His parables. Or His sermons in the Gospel of John. In other words, they do not take up much time, but they offer a wealth of insights. The Word is always connected to the divine power of the Holy Spirit, so that hour is never a waste of time.

This parable is clearly about God and whether we see the reward as earned - or due to His grace alone. We can see it as parallel to Paul, who worked harder than anyone as a Pharisee, observing all the rules and going out of his way to persecute Christians, only to discover righteousness came from faith and the grace of God. The Word, that is the risen Christ, converted him, and that was not an experience he could set aside. It changed his "good works" into a pile of dung compared to the excellency of knowing Christ and His mercy.

This parable can also be seen as establishment Christianity always begrudging their great past and thinking the reward is theirs alone because they were there in the beginning, according to their calendars.

2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

This is especially vivid for people who live in border cities like Phoenix. Next to the hardware store the day-laborers wait for someone to hire them. When a city grows more wealthy, the expectations grow for working in the hot, desert sun.

Luther explains the penny:

4. Hence the substance of the parable in today’s Gospel consists not in the penny, what it is, nor in the different hours; but in earning and acquiring, or how one can earn the penny; that as here the first presumed to obtain the penny and even more by their own merit, and yet the last received the same amount because of the goodness of the householder. Thus God will show it is nothing but mercy that he gives and no one is to arrogate to himself more than another. Therefore he says I do thee no wrong, is not the money mine and not thine; if I had given away thy property, then thou wouldest have reason to murmur; is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own ? 

People are forever comparing their situation to another's, so this is not simply about clergy and their work. Or laity and their work, whether in the church itself or in everyday life. One situation has just as many pitfalls and problems as any other, but it is easy to imagine a life of ease and comfort, or glamor and excitement. 

We often discuss this in Old Testament class, because I emphasize the Gospel in the Old Testament and cite examples from the New Testament. King David was unusually gifted in leadership, military action, and writing. He was not content with the glory he enjoyed but destroyed another's marriage and arranged a death to cover it up. And yet, from his example God made a perfect spokesman for contrition and forgiveness, for teaching God's grace and our position in His Kingdom. 

Luther:

5. Now in this way Christ strikes a blow first against the presumption (as he also does in today’s Epistle) of those who would storm their way into heaven by their good works; as the Jews did and wished to be next to God; as hitherto our own clergy have also done. These all labor for definite wages, that is, they take the law of God in no other sense than that they should fulfill it by certain defined works for a specified reward, and they never understand it correctly, and know not that before God all is pure grace. This signifies that they hire themselves out for wages, and agree with the householder for a penny a day; consequently their lives are bitter and they lead a career that is indeed hard.

3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

"Zion rise" includes this as a verse.

We can see where this is leading, and it is so easy to look at this as our work, our benefit which we earned.

The first-hired, the patriarchs or founders or pillars - they will receive more than the rest, either a bonus for them or less for the late-comers. One bishop said about charter members, "They are pillars of the church. They hold up the congregation, in more ways than one." In many cases they watch out for anyone who seems to threaten their authority. Synod practice the same scheme. A grandson has special benefits, even if he is the grandson of a carpet-bagger. 

5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

So here we see great opportunity for cashing in on ancient claims. "Whatever is right" has great promise for those already sweating and swatting pests in the vineyards. "If they get a penny, we get a penny per hour. If we get only a penny, they get fractions."

The penny or denarius was the pay of a Roman soldier for a whole day, so it was not a tiny amount. The issue is who deserves what at the end of the day and what do the longest workers receive.

8 So when even was come, the Lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

We still use that expression - "eleventh hour." Some came and worked one hour and got a day's wages! Paying last first only increased expectations and frustrations, but it would have been the same otherwise. This payment scheme certainly strikes at our own experiences. When those with the lowest wage got a two-year raise, the established workers asked, "What about us? We were there years ago, working at that wage! Unfair!"

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman [GJ - house despot or steward] of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

I still hear that language today. "Do you realize he is a ____? It was a ____ who helped found the synod!" This is said with a special, awed tone, as if the glories of the past have cast a permanent halo around all the descendants. One family has their own private printing firm - what better way to manage their history and win future elections? 

In many cases, a very destructive leader, is protected because he is a son or grandson of the pillar. They said about one, adding more nonsense to his protected status, "Can't we afford one of him in our beloved Church?" His advocacy became the norm and the traditionalists were paid to leave - and they did.

Luther calls it "storming the gates of heaven to get in through their works." The answer to this is Romans 3:23 - all have sinned equally, those who are forgiven and saved are justified by faith equally. The dying beggar at the gate who has faith in Christ is carried to Abraham's bosom while the unrepentant adulterer, and his flatterers, with all their money and frozen food, are cast down because they relied on their glorious works, which are now a burden to the recipients.

Free buildings cost money now but far more in the future. They are sterile in regards to the Christian Faith and become eyesores when the proposed need evaporates. In one case, a building at Fuller Seminary had to have its name chiseled off because the honored person was such a criminal predator. My favorite moment came when this Amazon of Evangelism had to cancel their own building plans because they were shrinking rather than growing. God takes His time for the payback, and the compound interest owed is a terrible burden and disgrace.

13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

This parable speaks to each one of us, because we are inclined to feel our losses and overlook our blessings. The last three verses are a message to each one of us. God is good, merciful, always eager to help us in ways that benefit us in the long run. An entire series of bad events can lead to what is good for us, so we must trust in His wisdom and bless the moment rather than chase the daydream.

Bad experiences seem to last forever - such as enduring a horrible job. And good experiences seem to be too short. But that means we should ignore the bad times and relish the blessed times. Often bad becomes good because we had a chance to help, to comfort, to strengthen, or in many cases - to observe and listen to a true saint. A saint is not a perfect person but a wise person. A wise believer is the source of courage, faith, hope, and laughter. 

Sometime people mourn that they caught onto the truth late in life. They were found idling at the eleventh hour. They are in this parable too. The Gospel found them. Idling does not find anything. They were called by the Spirit in the Gospel, however it came. I opened a book that included a chapter by a pastor I knew, a missionary, LCA now ELCA. His message on inerrancy had more meaning than anything by a great scholar and academic. The pastor who left the ministry had so many books that they filled the fellowship hall, and this one jumped out at me. A coincidence upon a coincidence (a member was the janitor at that church) upon a coincidence (the only missionary I knew in the LCA was related to my father's best friend, and we knew his son) upon a coincidence - Augustana College, etc.