From Gideon
Pastor,
I am again grateful for Thy Strong Word, and while reading the section on the 8th commandment (pp 300-301) I felt compelled to comment. I could not find the best example from the section to cite. It would be beneficial to repost all 7 paragraphs in your blog because each and every one were so edifying. But, if I must, I really appreciated:
"The youngest child can and should ask questions, using the Word as the ruling norm (norma normans). Women have just as much right to as about doctrine and practice as men do...Unfortunately, in many cases, the men have abrogated their responsibility and left the questioning to the women. The the men and the pastor cannot hide behind the headship principle and refuse to deal with the scriptural questions because a woman asks."
or simply:
"Christians can deal with the doctrine itself and measure whether it harmonize with the Scriptures and the Confessions. Having a doctrinal discussion is edifying for everyone"
Now there's a fresh idea! Test doctrine against the Scriptures and the Confessions! Maybe one might start with simply reading the Small Catechism ( the small one), and maybe familiarizing every family with the Large Catechism. Sadly this shouldn't be a "fresh idea" amongst Lutherans.
I have two more thoughts myself on the topic:
1. Another misuse of the 8th commandment comes in it's application as a pseudo-gospel. A person commits a sin. Another observes this to be wrong, and says "I should rebuke my brother." Yet another says, "No" and suggests reasons to justify why the sin was committed. "You don't know what's in their heart; don't judge." The sin persists and remains unchallenged.
Instead of calling the person to repentance, we simply give them a pass with the 8th commandment. This is very similar to examples you've cited. It takes real guts to confront a brother with their sin, and this abuse of the 8th such a shame because of the next point (the opposite view).
2. A congregant comes to his pastor with a grievance against his brother. "Pastor, rebuke my brother!" The pastor responds, "No, this is your christian duty." The congregant responds, "Nah.., I can live with this offense. I'll let it alone." The pastor's response, "If your brother has indeed sinned, should you not correct him? Would you jeopardize his soul because of your discomfort."
This is diametrically opposed to pseudo-gospel twisted version of the 8th commandment, and it's easy because using the 8th rightly it hard (like all the law, it mitigates against our fallen nature). It takes guts, courage....and, uh, faith.
In today's world of political correctness, it is especially hard because we have been conditioned by our culture to not offend others. But what did Jesus say about this?
And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire
-Mark 9:47, KJV
If your eye causes you to fall into sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
-Mark 9:47, EHV
...how much more if we should love our neighbor as the 2nd table of the law says would we then not help our brother do the same?
SDG,
Gideon
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