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| Norma Boeckler - Mary and Martha with Jesus. |
One more volume will make this set complete. If I had the time and energy, I would finish tonight.
Lutherans are divided into three camps.
One reads Luther and follows his example in theology.
Another camp bows toward Fuller Seminary and all its cheap knock-offs, addicted to their free sermons and
trashy ideas. For some reason the Fullerites have no ideas or sermons of their own. They even plagiarize the emotions of Willow Creek's self-aggrandizing guru. Are the lazy attracted to Fuller, or do the Enthusiasts make ministers languid and slow of thought?
Paul Calvin Kelm is head of something called Leadership at Wisconsin Lutheran College, chiefly because he has devoted his life to being a follower of Zwingli's disciples.
The third camp loves the Church of Rome and Eastern Orthodoxy. They learn both loves at the two Concordia Seminaries. Not to worry - St. Louis sent two of its professors to Rome: Eduard Preuss and another Enthusiast.
Weedon, who was thrilled that his favorite liturgist was elected to the Office of the Antichrist, is now the court theologian at the Purple Palace, endorsed by shape-shifter McCain.
The Fuller and Rome encampments are not good candidates for conversion to Luther, so the faithful remainder, scattered here and there, will have to shore up their own abilities to teach sound doctrine and refute toxic opinions. Some clergy may do that. I expect more laity to be on their own from now on.
Luther is especially beneficial in his sermons. Reading them will help people think in Luther's Biblical categories.
Oddly enough, the non-Lutherans have preserved Luther. I bought my original 8-volume Luther set from Baker Book House, Grand Rapids. Our Redeemer put many of them on the Net, but God Rules (not a Lutheran bunch) put them all online.
Calvinists will post and print Luther's books, although they would never accept mine. Why? Luther is still the gold standard in Biblical theology.
I challenged various Lutheran groups to spend more time with Luther, to emulate him instead of the fifth stringers.
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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "More Thoughts on Luther's Sermons":
Pastor Gregory Jackson,
What you have basically described in your "More Thoughts on Luther's Sermons" posting, are 3 "bents" of Christianity:
(1) The Lutheran bent; (2) The Reformed bent; and the (3) Catholic bent
I am immediately reminded of the old familiar adage: "As the tree is bent; so grows the tree."
Nathan M. Bickel - emeritus pastor
http://www.thechristianmessage.org
http://moralmatters.org
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GJ - Fuller/Willow Creek are Arminian, at best, and far removed from Calvinism. The two are quite different. A faithful Calvinist will say that Fuller has destroyed more congregations than the Chicago Fire.
The Synodical Conference has merged the two with that term "Reformed," but that muddies the water. One might as well call Lutherans "Catholic Lite."
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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "More Thoughts on Luther's Sermons":
Pastor Jackson,
I should have known better than to try summarize and simplify your posted content. LOL! Thanks for the reminder distinction. Yes, Arminianism is different than Calvinism. Much different!
For all (general) intents and purposes, Arminianism and Calvinism are direct opposites - at least with the following major Scriptural realities:
Depravity of man -
Calvinism, says: "Total."
Arminianism says: "Partial."
Election -
Calvinism says: "Unconditional."
Arminianism says: "Conditional."
Atonement -
Calvinism says: "Limited."
Arminianism says: "Unlimited."
Grace -
Calvinism says: "Irresistable."
Arminianism says: "Resistable."
Salvation -
Calvinism says: "Once, saved; always saved."
Arminianism says: "A Christian can lose his salvation."
And, please correct me if I am wrong, as I am now computer weary, - and, will again attempt to "simplify:"
Lutheranism more or less agrees with Calvinism on the "Total Depravity" of man and on "Irresistable Grace," as explained by Luther in his "Bondage of the Will."
As to Arminianism, traditional Lutheranism basically agrees with Arminians on Atonement and Grace, and partially, on Salvation. Lutherans teach (or should teach) that holding to one's salvation is initiated and maintained by the Lord - by God's grace. "Ye are kept by the power of God through faith in Christ Jesus." [KJV] Armenians, though, [on the other hand] if I recall, believe that they can do their part (along with God) in maintaining "their" salvation.
Here, we have the "element" of faith, [again] - perhaps, somewhat, anathema to some of the UOJ crowd. Christians need to emphasize the Holy Spirit's role. Once they can do that, they can rid themselves of a universalism bent.
Nathan M. Bickel - pastor emeritus
www.thechristianmessag.org
www.moralmatters.org
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| Setting an example of non-conformity with Katy Perry. |
GJ - Both separate the Holy Spirit from the Word, and both place reason above the Word.
I hastened to say that because the UOJ/CG crowd is so confused about comparative dogmatics. When the UOJ Enthusiasts criticize faith as a virtue, they are using a Calvinist argument against the Arminians, who do teach that. The UOJ Stormtroopers are locked in Calvinism versus Arminianism because they seldom, if ever, study Luther or the Confessions.
When Kelm gave a required-for-graduation course at Wisconsin Lutheran College, the entire reading list was non-Lutheran, Church Growth. A student asked to be excused from taking his odious class in false doctrine. The dean said, "Did this come from Greg Jackson?" It had nothing to do with me, everything to do with Kelm, but that had to blame me anyway.
WELS and the LCMS are sects that pretend they love Jesus. As Luther wrote, they talk about Jesus but tear down the bridge to him, the Means of Grace.
A typical mod Lutheran preacher today is someone with a huge projection screen for mushy songs or "Christian" rock, and a band set-up in the chancel. It only lacks a pulpit for sermons, a font for baptisms, and an altar for Holy Communion.
The CORE (WELS) is starting a new series. It is called Weird - Going Against Cultural Norms. That happens to be another Craig Groeschel book - Weird Because Normal Isn't Working.
Here is one way to find the Groeschel materials.
Like I said before, people can emulate Luther and read his sermons free, or the Fullerite Groeschel - and buy his books and canned programs.
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| Katy Perry without makeup. |
