Luther did not teach himself or his organization. The false leaders of today do both, and they are doubly damned for doing so. They should know better - and certainly know enough that their hides bristle at the mention of Justification by Faith.
Like the papal leaders of the Reformation, the "conservative" Lutheran leaders cannot address the actual issues without giving themselves away, so they:
- Teach and worship the synod they serve so poorly;
- Teach themselves as infallible genius-level leaders;
- Impugn the motives and character of anyone who understands the Biblical doctrine of forgiveness and salvation.
My intuition tells me they have more training at Fuller-centric institutions and meetings than they have in Hebrew and Greek exegesis. That is another knee-slapper - the Church Shrinkers deny being at Fuller with one side of their forked tongues while bragging about it with the other side. They love their luxuries -derived from devotion to Church Shrinkage - and remember with advantages those days when they didn't have a pit to hiss in.
As John Slick Brenner predicted, the crimes are piling up for judgment and payment is due. Like the college president who said he knew the tax fraud scheme was wrong from the beginning but pleaded innocent, they will face a Judge far more righteous than a federal one.