Wednesday, July 31, 2013

WELS Hates and Scorns the Book of Concord



narrow-minded has left a new comment on your post "Mark Schroeder and Praise Band Hootenannies.ALPB O...":

Augsburg Confession, Article XV: Of Ecclesiastical Usages.

1] Of Usages in the Church they teach that those ought to be observed which may be observed without sin, and which are profitable unto tranquility and good order in the Church, as particular holy days, festivals, and the like.

2] Nevertheless, concerning such things men are admonished that consciences are not to be burdened, as though such observance was necessary to salvation.

3] They are admonished also that human traditions instituted to propitiate God, to merit grace, and to make satisfaction for sins, are opposed to the Gospel and the doctrine of faith. Wherefore vows and traditions concerning meats and 4] days, etc., instituted to merit grace and to make satisfaction for sins, are useless and contrary to the Gospel.

I don't believe Article XV implies that adiaphora gives license to discard the Liturgy and have the church service resemble an AC/DC concert.

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GJ - Likewise, the Formula of Concord is even clearer on the subject, since so many conflicts arose after the actual signing of the Augsburg Confession. They even gave away Augsburg Confessions at the WELS convention!

The Formula of Concord proves to everyone that WELS scorns the Lutheran Confessions, because Wisconsin turns the article upside-down. We must hold fast to the matters of indifference when there is a confessional crisis. Can anyone deny that today, when Lutherans copy their sermons from Groeschel, Stanley, Driscoll, and Sweet - anyone but Luther?

The big movie screen and praise band of Pentecostalism are now required equipment for SynCon chancels - or rather - stages.

The Means of Grace are hidden away, and the pulpit is a lectern or Notebook holder for the next, exciting coaching talk.

Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Adiaphora, Article X.

10] We believe, teach, and confess also that at the time of confession [when a confession of the heavenly truth is required], when the enemies of God's Word desire to suppress the pure doctrine of the holy Gospel, the entire congregation of God, yea, every Christian, but especially the ministers of the Word, as the leaders of the congregation of God [as those whom God has appointed to rule His Church], are bound by God's Word to confess freely and openly the [godly] doctrine, and what belongs to the whole of [pure] religion, not only in words, but also in works and with deeds; and that then, in this case, even in such [things truly and of themselves] adiaphora, they must not yield to the adversaries, or permit these [adiaphora] to be forced upon them by their enemies, whether by violence or cunning, to the detriment of the true worship of God and the introduction and sanction of idolatry.

11] For it is written, Gal. 5:1: Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not again entangled in the yoke of bondage. Also Gal. 2:4f : And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage; to whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the Gospel might continue with you.

12] [Now it is manifest that in that place Paul speaks concerning circumcision, which at that time had become an adiaphoron (1 Cor. 7:18f.), and which at other occasions was observed by Paul (however, with Christian and spiritual freedom, Acts 16:3). But when the false apostles urged circumcision for establishing their false doctrine, (that the works of the Law were necessary for righteousness and salvation,) and misused it for confirming their error in the minds of men, Paul says that he would not yield even for an hour, in order that the truth of the Gospel might continue unimpaired.]

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "WELS Hates and Scorns the Book of Concord":

Sounded like someone just asked for a (W)ELS funded and approved sermon series about Sex - Satan's Sex Ed.

http://www.fvlhs.org/media/82684/fvl%20sex%20ed%20handout.pdf