Team Ichabod Is Discussing Justification by Faith, UOJ, Legalism, Antinomianism. Some Research

The McCain-Harrison administration has presided over this bombastic, ponderous, self-important veneration of Objective Justification, a Barthian Calvinistic repudiation of the Chief Article.

Gentlemen: Inspired by Pastor Jackson's research as reported in Ichabod, I have examined the first English language Small Catechisms used in the Synodical Conference synods from the 1890s up to (in the case of the 1943 LCMS Catechism) the present by some conservative Lutherans, to determine how the doctrine of Justification is presented: UOJ or JBFA.  Here are my findings: (Caps added)

1. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TO THE SIX PARTS OF LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM by Wilhelm Loehe, 1893: Qu. 480 What does the Holy Ghost do for you?  A: He forgives my sins.  Qu. 481 Yours only?  A. No.  And the sins of ALL BELIEVERS.  Qu. 482 Why do you say, of ALL BELIEVERS?  A: Because the forgiveness of sins can be received ONLY IN FAITH.  (This Catechism was published in the United Synod of the South by the translator, Edward T. Horn.  Wilhelm Loehe originally worked with Walther and the LCMS, before founding the Iowa Synod.  Although not a Synodical Conference Catechism, Loehe's Catechism did reflect the teaching of the Synodical Conference at the time of its translation.)

      2.   DR. MARTIN LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM BY DR. J.C. DIETRICH, CPH,  1902: Qu. 305 Why do you say in this article: I believe in the forgiveness of sins?  A: Because I am fully assured that I cannot by my own power or my own works be justified before God, but that forgiveness of sins is bestowed upon me by grace, THROUGH FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  For where there is forgiveness of sin there is also true justification.  Qu. 306 What is justification?  Justification is that act of God by which, from pure grace and mercy, for the sake of Christ's merits, He forgives the sins of a poor sinner WHO TRULY BELIEVES IN      CHRIST, and receives him to eternal life.  Qu. 307 How then do you become just before God and obtain eternal salvation?  A: Not by the merit of works, or by an indwelling and infused righteousness [UOJ?] ,           but only through the grace and mercy of God, for the sake of the merit of Christ alone, which I have apprehended and appropriated by TRUE CONFIDENCE OF THE HEART.  Or: By the most holy obedience, and       by the suffering and death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, not by any other works  To this I CLING WITH UNDOUBTING FAITH and upon this I FIX MY HEART'S ENTIRE CONFIDENCE....Qu. 309 But how can         it be said that we are justified alone by grace, alone for the sake of Christ's merit, ALONE THROUGH FAITH, and still through the Word of God and the Sacraments?  A: We are justified 1. By the grace and                   mercy of God, as the efficient cause; 2. For the sake of Christ's merits, as the meritorious cause; 3. THROUGH FAITH ALONE, AS THE ONLY INSTRUMENTAL CAUSE, OR THE HAND WHICH GRASPS SALVATION;  4.         Through the Word and Sacraments as the means of grace, which either convey or seal salvation. (LCMS Catechism)


       3. EXPLANATION OF LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM, Lutheran Synod Book Co. [ELS] 1906? (1964 printing, two years before first new ELS Catechism:)  Qu. 218 What precious gift does the Holy Ghost, in the                     Christian Church, grant YOU AND ALL BELIEVERS?  A: The Holy Ghost daily and richly forgives ME AND ALL BELIEVERS all our sins.


       4. A SHORT EXPOSITION OF DR. MARTIN LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM by Heinrich Schwan, CPH 1912: Qu. 197 Who receives this forgiveness?  A: Although it has been PROCURED for ALL MEN, and is offered               by the Gospel to ALL THAT HEAR it, yet ONLY THOSE WHO BELIEVE THE GOSPEL AND THUS ACCEPT THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS ACTUALLY BECOME PARTAKERS OF SUCH FORGIVENESS.  Qu. 198 What, then,             do we, together with our Church, confess regarding the forgiveness of sins, or justification?  A: That we receive forgiveness of sins and are justified before God, not by our works, but by grace, for Christ's                 sake, THROUGH FAITH.  Qu. 199 Can EVERY BELIEVER be sure of the forgivenesss of sins and of his salvation?  A: Yes, he can and should be, because God's promise is sure.  (LCMS Catechism)


       5. DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM by Carl Gausewitz, Northwestern Publishing House [WELS] 1917 (Unrevised 1946 edition.)  Qu. 260 What do you confess with these words [I believe in the                 forgiveness of sins]?  A: I believe that the Holy Ghost in the Christian Church on earth daily and richly forgives all sins to ME AND ALL BELIEVERS. ..Qu. 262 Why do we say that the Holy Ghost forgives our
           sins, whereas we are justified before God by the redemption of Christ?  A: The Holy Ghost by the Gospel awards the righteousness of Christ to us, and gives OUR FAITH ASSURANCE THEREOF.  Qu. 263  To                 whom does God forgive sins?  A: TO ME AND ALL BELIEVERS.  "Our works are all rejected, all claims of merit pass for naught."


       6. LUTHER'S SMALL CATECHISM (Revised Schwan Catechism/Intersynodical Edition) CPH, 1943: Qu. 187 Why do you say, I believe in the forgiveness of sins?  A: The Bible assures me that God daily and richly               forgives all sins to ME AND ALL BELIEVERS. ..Qu. 192 How do you accept this forgiveness of sins?  A: I accept this forgiveness BY BELIEVING THE GOSPEL.  (LCMS Catechism)


       7. LUTHER'S CATECHISM (Revised Gausewitz Catechism) NPH [WELS] 1956: Qu. 258 What do you confess with these words [I believe in the forgiveness of sins]?  A: I believe that in the Christian Church on                   earth the Holy Ghost daily and richly forgives all sins to ME AND ALL BELIEVERS IN CHRIST. ..Qu. 260 Why do we say that the Holy Ghost forgives sins, whereas we are made righteous before God through               the redemption of Christ?  A: The Holy Ghost brings the righteousness of Christ to us by the Gospel and gives us THE FAITH TO BELIEVE IT.  Qu. 261 To whom does God forgive sins?  A: God forgives sins to                ME AND ALL BELIEVERS.

Drive-Buy Doctor Kintz. Have you no shame? Using Luther to sell foolish trinkets and his name to promote the Calvinistic Pietism of Bishop Stephan and Pope Walther? Is it not enough for the LCMS to jointly write a Book of Concord with an ELCA activist while decrying that activism? Must the synod also embrace the apostate dogma of ELCA and cover it with gold and silver paint to make everyone forget it is Dreck?

CPH books are brought to the gullible, courtesy of Calvin, Rambach, and Stephan, STD.

 Didya buy your Here I Stand socks from CPH? 

 It was beginning in 1966, with the first new ELS Catechism, that the Catechisms of the synods which had once been part of the Synodical Conference began to change how they presented the doctrine of Justification in such a way as to bring in UOJ, but up until that point in time JBFA was STILL being taught in the Synodical Conference Catechisms to the laity of those synods, while UOJ was being taught to college students, seminarians and pastors through such doctrinal theology texts as those by Franz Pieper, JT Mueller and EWA Koehler.  --WM

 These clowns now have an enormous CPH "Small" Catechism that carefully explains two Justifications, one where the entire world is forgiven without faith, the other where one must agree that the  world is forgiven without faith, to be be forgiven.

Initial Draft - John's Gospel of Faith, From the Disciple Jesus Loved

 Norma A. Boeckler

I have sent out an illustrated version of the Gospel of John, where I try to let the Fourth Gospel speak for itself. This is the first draft.

I have put some explanatory introductions in each chapter. I will be adding some footnotes and other materials, with an emphasis on the text itself, not on a bunch of theories.

Norma A. Boeckler has provided a beautiful set of illustrations for the book, which will be published in full-color and through Kindle - full color.

If you are known to me and want to review the early version, let me know by email and I will send the Word document dropbox link. I am limiting this draft to those genuinely interested and excluding those who never really grew beyond their WELS GA hazing - such incorrigible little boys.

The Creation Garden in Autumn

Ranger Bob's watch-kitty took up her station on the front porch, staying there all day for several days. She kept a sprig of cat mint for her meditations there.

Most people are slowing down for autumn, often doing the wrong things for the next season. So much can be done in cool, wet weather to make next year more interesting and productive. It rained buckets, and filled my barrels and buckets with rainwater.

Most herbs grow tenaciously and provide all kinds of benefits. Joe Pye.

Many herbs and unusal plants can be ordered, planted, or moved during this time. Our artist-in-residence loves butterflies, so I sent Norma A. Boeckler the ultimate butterfly plants - Joe Pye - from Growers Exchange.

Any plant - and that includes fall bulbs - will spread its roots during the fall and winter. Ranger Bob, our lawn crew, and the Creation Garden will dig in daffodils. The bulbs are not tasty to critters, and they multiply in the ground rather than shrinking.

We moved the Summersweet (Cinnabon aroma) up front and Ranger Bob noticed it right away. I would do that just for the 24/7 fragrance, but it is also a beneficial bug and butterfly plant.

 Wild Ginger is a big, leafy fun plant.
Everyone says, "What is THAT?"

We will move the Big Leafy Weeds around, because they spread through their "roots" and provide an impressive, tall fence. They produce eerie elvish flowers on stalks in the spring. Serious gardeners call them Wild Ginger Hidden Lily.

 "The Chaste Tree has died. The only way to move one is to buy a new one."
Oh, look what happened to the dead tree.

The Chaste Tree seemed to die during a hot, dry move, but it is now leafed out and poised to nurture bees in the spring, when they nestle in the pure blue flowers and collect its pollen.

 My Elephant Ears are the size of mouse ears.

Treasure the Garden Trash
Let me be blunt, for once. Garden trash is good for the spring garden. Neatniks want to cut down stalks, rake up leaves, and engage in all kinds of devilment. The Creation Garden should not be confused with the living room of a house, which cannot clean itself.

Zillions of beneficial creatures use that decaying trash for food and housing. Acres of grass are rather boring and comparitively boring. Carbon in leaves feed fungi, which feed all plants. Bacteria are the bread of life.

Our dental hygienist was carrying on about bacteria. I said, "They are really the foundation of all life." I was going to add that she made her living from bacteria and should bless them. If we go to the depts of Creation, we find microbes (bacteria, protozoa, fungi, nematodes) storing and swapping water and nutrition. They are the bottom of the food pyramid, so why donate their work to big lawn bags, hauled away, replaced by toxic man-made chemicals?

There is no creature so vile that it cannot feed on another one, whether in life or death. It is not the Disney circle of life, but God's Creation - perfect design, perfect engineering, perfect management.

Jessica Walliser hypnotized me with her beneficial bugs, and Sharon Lovejoy filled me in about many creatures. I used their wonderful books to fill in the gaps between rose monoculture and roses protected by squadrons of fascinating beneficial bugs - plus spiders galore.

This year I had a definite improvement over June Bug destruction (using milky spore added to the soil) and almost total victory over aphids. I once tolerated an initial influx of aphids, destroying white roses especially, then aphids losing out to beneficial bugs - which used them for baby food. But this year I saw almost no aphid damage at all, but a constant buzz of various insects and the chatter of birds enjoying their feasts. To borrow a phrase, this is a cloud of witnesses about God's Creation, design, and purpose.

Many of the new books show gardeners how garden trash is a shelter for such creatures as rove beetles, how webless spiders patrol the yard for food. Those who use pesticides outside are like the sharpshooters who video themselves pulling out a gun and shooting themselves in the foot. That is not something to boast about.

So if the lowlilest and least known creatures can have a very special and important purpose - like springtails reducing garden trash to food for others - then we must have even more to do.

Some ask, "Springtails? What are springtails?" That is my point. They are among the most abundant creatures on earth, yet most people do not know the first thing about them.

 Hybels made a living telling all the denominations how great he was.He retired early in the midst of scandals. No problem - WELS loves adulterous false teachers. He could work there.

The Willow Creek Splash - Shallow Waters Make a Lot of Noise
I have grown old reading reports about Willow Creek Community Church's brilliant plans - most of them emanating from WCCC.

Remember the oafish guy who could not attract attention so he would do a cannonball into the pool? Yes, that is Willow Creek, always making a lot of noise about themselves. I had a member who was a pioneering chemist. He said, "If still waters run deep, shallow waters make a lot of noise."

WC (which also means water closet in Britain) was the exemplar of the church that grew from nothing. An informant says that WC really began with wealthy Dutch Calvinists who wanted a church where Masonic Lodge membership was welcome, which was not true in the strictly Calvinist churches. The Great Bill Hybels started in an ordinary church when the Masonic offer was made. The first parish was forgotten, like the Lutheran Confessional Synod. Ex nihilo - WC was born from the marketing skills of brilliant Bill.

No wonder WELS trooped over to WC and gave scholarships so their mission pastors could be just as misled and anti-Sacrament as their leaders.

So WC has a legalistic answer for every problem, and everyone else should too. And yet the staff was Anti-Law (Antinomian) as legalists often are. No wonder WELS loved their WC - so close to the Love Shack, so close in philosophy.

 LCMS and WELS churches became members of the Willow Creek franchise, yet bragged about their opposition to unionism - (fellowship with false teachers).

Are You Attritional?

Behind the Church Shrinkage Movement (now Missional, but really Attritional) - is this toxic thought - "If we get everybody busy, everyone will want to come here and be friends with all the other busy people. We will give them a purpose to come here and support our vast architecture and glittering reputation."

However, this is just like gardening. Provide the nutrition, and everything will happen according to God's plan. The nutrition in the congregation is the Gospel, invisible in teaching and preaching, visible in the Sacraments.

Jesus clearly taught this in John 15. Remaining on the true Vine makes us fruitful. Through faith in Him - forgiveness - we become even more fruitful. We have so few gardeners now that nobody thinks of picking peas and seeing them flower to produce more peas, cutting roses and seeing more grow. 

The congregation that trusts the efficacy of the Gospel will see divine results over time.

Orchids on Our Altar

Today we remembered Gary Meyer, who passed into eternal life four years ago this week.

The beautiful orchids on the altar were given by Alicia Meyer, in memory of her husband. Alicia has always been a booster for our altar roses, which can be spectacular or modest. These orchids were especially beautiful.

We sang Gary's favorite hymn at the end of today's service:

"I'm But a Stranger Here"
by T. R. Taylor, 1807-1835

1. I'm but a stranger here,
Heav'n is my home;
Earth is a desert dread,
Heav'n is my home.
Danger and sorrow stand
Round me on every hand;
Heav'n is my fatherland,
Heav'n is my home.

2. What though the tempest rage,
Heav'n is my home;
Short is my pilgrimage,
Heav'n is my home;
And time's wild wintry blast
Soon shall be overpast;
I shall reach home at last,
Heav'n is my home.

3. There at my Savior's side
Heav'n is my home;
I shall be glorified,
Heav'n is my home;
There are the good and blest,
Those I love most and best;
And there I, too, shall rest,
Heav'n is my home.

4. Therefore I murmur not,
Heav'n is my home;
Whate'er my earthly lot,
Heav'n is my home;
And I shall surely stand
There at my Lord's right hand.
Heav'n is my fatherland,
Heav'n is my home.

Hymn #660
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Hebrews 4:9
Author: Thomas R. Taylor, 1836, alt.
Composer: Arthur S. Sullivan, 1872
Tune: "Heaven Is My Home"

NWA EDITORIAL: Give it back! Bible college should return criminal enterprise money

NWA EDITORIAL: Give it back

Bible college should return criminal enterprise money

By NWA Democrat-Gazette

Posted: September 23, 2018 at 1 a.m.

• 
  

Crime, if about anything at all, is a pursuit of ill-gotten gains. The very point of most crime, nonviolent and violent, is the undeserved and fraudulent acquisition of something valuable, whether it's a free six-pack lifted from the corner convenience store or $20 million scammed from customers by Charles Ponzi.

In proverbial terms, as in the actual book of Proverbs, "The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity tossed to and fro of them that seek death."

That sounds awfully serious. Death for a six-pack? At risk of interpreting the Good Book, it might be talking in spiritual terms, along the lines of the wages of sin and such. One could argue that's getting even more serious.

Arkansans have witnessed a more-than-fair share of lying tongues lately among those who sought and accepted the public trust, state lawmakers willing to commit crimes for their economic benefit. The last year and a half has brought indictments, guilty pleas and convictions after trials. Here in Northwest Arkansas, a Springdale Bible college known as Ecclesia has been at the center of a public corruption scandal. Two lawmakers, state Rep. Micah Neal and state Sen. Jon Woods, are now convicted felons because of the discovery they were taking kickbacks for directing taxpayer dollars to Ecclesia.

The two men pocketed tens of thousands in payoffs for using their influence to benefit Ecclesia, a private college several state lawmakers -- including some who have never been accused of any crimes -- eagerly funneled taxpayer dollars to because of its conservative Christian mission. Eleven lawmakers directed more than $717,000 to the 150-student school through the insufficiently monitored (by design) General Improvement Fund.

Woods has been sentenced to 18 years in prison and ordered to pay restitution. Neal, who cooperated with prosecutors, got a year of house arrest.

What about the college itself? Its now-former president, Oren Paris III, admitted his involvement in the scheme and received a three-year prison term. But the beneficiary of all this wheeling and dealing was designed to be Ecclesia College.

Arkansas' political leaders have tip-toed carefully around this public corruption scandal. At times, even those who had no involvement in crimes seemed resistant to addressing it. Was it professional courtesy, as though politicians owe such deference to a crooked colleague? Goodness, we hope not.

It took a series of convictions and sentencings before Gov. Asa Hutchinson's administration finally stepped up and suggested Ecclesia College ought to be relieved of the ill-gotten gains it received through the scheming politicians. The Department of Finance and Administration has asked Attorney General Leslie Rutledge's office to sue Ecclesia College to recover at least $600,000 of the grants it received through lawmaker-controlled General Improvement Fund allocations.

Rutledge's office is said to be reviewing the matter.

The college's attorney, Travis Story, said testimony showed the college, other than Paris, didn't know about any kickbacks and used the funding as promised. The receipt of the money happened long enough ago that it's past any statute of limitations for any lawsuit.

But just as public officials ought to have a higher standard of accountability than the average man on the street, shouldn't a Bible college operate beyond a letter-of-the-law interpretation? Does it truly not matter that the money was obtained through fraudulent means?

So far, it doesn't appear that Ecclesia is leaning toward doing what's right.

We'd argue state lawmakers, the crooked ones and the others who directed money to Ecclesia, should have never been devoting taxpayer dollars to a private religious school to begin with. And, before anyone gets their hackles up, just imagine how you'd feel if your tax dollars were diverted to a Muslim school or a Unitarian institution.

We prefer that state government stay out of picking winners and losers in questions of faith.

But certainly, Ecclesia ought to draw the line at benefiting from criminal activity.

 "We owe our income to your tax funds, but how we used it is our business, because we are a church!"

Gideon Has Finished Thy Strong Word: The Efficacy of the Word in the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions

Pastor Jackson,

I finished reading Thy Strong Word two nights ago; it took me about 9 months to read.  It's a lot of book for such a simple message, but being chock full of quotes there's a lot to read.  At one point,  I was thinking "this really is about the efficacy of the Word; I'd probably add a subtitle to that effect" -- only to look at the front cover to see the words "The efficacy of the Word in the Scriptures And The Lutheran Confessions."  This book is aptly titled, and when one reads it, they get exactly what the cover says is in the book.  It always returns to the central theme.

The book is very thought provoking in the context of the history not only of the Lutheran church, but Christendom in general.  But, I speak primarily of my short span of living on earth and worshiping with Lutherans -- most of them WELS Lutherans.

Like any other human institution, the WELS has suffered the assaults of Satan.  There's no human institution anywhere that hasn't been corrupted to one degree or another by the devil.  He just takes such great pleasure in taking any beautiful thing he can ruin.  Perhaps Paul's letters to the Corinthians would serve notice to the failings all human institutions in the future.  Fortunately we have God's Strong Word, which never fails because it isn't backed by scheming or marketing plans or cleverness or talented speech, but rather by God himself who made Heaven and earth.

And, yet it's hard to walk through this City of Man with all its synods -- and maddeningly so, where the Word is still yet preached and is efficacious.  Whether walking or worshiping with WELS or LCSM or any of the other micro-synods where there is a modicum of respect for God's Word, there is still yet much to be commended, but there is error too.  

How we got to the stage that Justification by Faith has come under such attack by way of the General Justification / Subjective Justification / Universal Justification is truly tragic because all error has consequences.  This too is theme in your book as you point out to the former Synodical Conference:  (I'll paraphrase and take a little liberty..) Yeah, just keep looking down the end of your noses at the ELCA; this is what you'll become eventually!!  You allow error to stand side by side with truth for expediency's sake!  You've studied this transformation in your other book on Liberalism.

That's just the way the Devil works -- incrementally.  For a time, error and truth will stand together in the same institution.  But, only for so long, as was the case with the ELCA.  It can be heart breaking because the truth is there when the Word is present.  For instance, I've heard David Scaer say many things I can agree with, then incredulously he said this:

Reduces justification to the act of believing???  ...and does not believe in it all???  Seriously??

I think comments like these confuse Faith and Hope.  Also, Atonement and Justification.  Others...

I'm guessing this is posturing against the error of decision theology, but to deny justification by faith in the same breath is another error (just as serious, maybe more serious), and a flat out denial of the efficacy of word and sacrament.  “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  - Romans 10:17  and "Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." 1 Corinthians 12:3  

Attempting to put the best construction on this quotation, I thought maybe that it was taken out of context, but how?  It is clear that the responsibility for "act of believing" is clearly God's and not man's.  It's an incredulous assertion that anyone can decide to believe anything. Just try believing 2+2=5 when one knows full well that 2+2=4.  One believes because one is either convinced (in matters of fact) or has been given the gift of faith (Arminian error not withstanding).  In this case Faith believes; it is God's act-- and no this does not deny the atonement.  And yes, man is indeed responsible for his sins-- but only in the absence of faith!  Faith is given him by God, which he cannot earn on his own.  He is only free to blow it up and destroy it.

These errors have consequences:  1)  They are a dangerous to one's faith.  Man on his own can only adulterate his faith with erroneous doctrine or notions -- "Shipwrecked Faith"  2)  Cause men to do dumb things in the ministry, primarily "selling the Gospel" with programs and gimmicks.  In short, helping God or doing Him a favor.  Compromising his Word to "make it more effective" in the form of a translation like the NNIV, which is tantamount to an assault on God's Word.

It is remarkable to me that in the span of the generations of pastors available to me within the WELS in particular, the change in attitudes by pastors when it comes these things.  It's a mixed bag.  Some pastors are buried in Church Growth, others are going along*, and others whom a few I have heard describe themselves as "troublemakers" buck the institutional trends.  Bucking that trend, as evidenced by some of the letters in your book brings a cross, for there are earthly consequences as well.  One pastor told me, "We're small, but that's ok."  I don't think he meant that he was satisfied with a small flock, but rather he understood that this was God's purview - not his.  

Quite refreshing compared to the church growthers who deny the cross when it comes.     

Getting back to the book,Thy Strong Word  really is a sourcebook of good quotations, a lot of (forgive the term) inconvenient or painful truths along the way.  But, it's not really all that bad when you realize that God's Word is indeed efficacious for us.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Gideon

* These are the guys that interpret the 8th commandment as "Don't offend anyone."

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, 2018. Luke 14:1-11. Believers See

 Norma Boeckler's books

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity, 2018

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Daylight Time

The Hymn #44            Ye Lands to the Lord              

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

The Sermon Hymn #203            Morning Breaks                  

 Believers See

The Communion Hymn #315      I Come O Savior             

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 # 361                  O Jesus, King

              

 Norma Boeckler's books

KJV Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

KJV Luke 14:1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. 2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; 5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? 6 And they could not answer him again to these things. 7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, 8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Seventeenth Sunday After Trinity

Lord God, heavenly Father: We beseech Thee so to guide and direct us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may not exalt ourselves, but humbly fear Thee, with our whole hearts hear and keep Thy word, and hallow the Lord's day, that we also may be hallowed by Thy word; help us, first, to place our hope and confidence in Thy Son, Jesus Christ, who alone is our righteousness and Redeemer, and, then, so to amend and better our lives in accordance with Thy word, that we may avoid all offenses and finally obtain eternal salvation, through Thy grace in Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God. world without end. Amen.

Sermon Introductory Material

Two issues often mentioned are 1) legalism; 2) Antinomianism. They have a close relationship because both come from a denial of the Gospel. The Objective Justification crowd would like to call itself all-grace and all-Gospel, but they cannot when they deny, repudiate, and silence Justification by Faith. The OJ hive does not  teach the Gospel, so they do not know what the Law is. Luther's sermon for this passage emphasizes that people must come to know that God is friendly, caring, and forgiving toward us. They must hear about the true nature of God - from the God-man Jesus - to have faith and receive God's forgiveness, blessings, 

and protection.

The OJ Pharisees do not believe in the Savior, so they are legalists about everything. They have written and unwritten laws that they fish out of their memories and declare at all times, bidden or unbidden. For example, no one can question a seminary professor or District President, because they are infallible. To question a potentate is to argue with the Holy Spirit, as one pastor said, perhaps not aware that is precisely the Roman Catholic claim about papal infallibility. The legalists lay down burdens on people that are not Scriptural and do not apply to the legalists. But they are also Antinomian, anti-Law. One of peculiar traits of WELS is that pastors say, "The Law is obsolete" and falsely use Paul's passage about the tutor (Law) leading us to Christ.

That is the paradox of ossified false doctrine. They teach the opposite of what they claim. Jesus is so forgiving that He cares not if no one believers, or if millions believe in many gods at once,  pagan and degenerate in worship. They are against faith but they insist that everyone believe in their dogma, which never appears in the Bible, Luther, or the Book of Concord. Their version of faith is not faith at all but agreement with them. God have mercy on those who question this, because they will show no mercy to their critics, no matter now kind and patient the critics are.

Their version of the Law is shouting at people that they are wrong to talk about faith in Jesus, because "you are not Christians - you are Faithians - your faith is in your faith!" But of course, the entire Bible teaches faith in Jesus as forgiveness, Justification by Faith, revealed by Genesis 15. Abraham believed he and his wife, an ancient pair, will begin the line that leads to the Messiah and the ever-growing and eternal Kingdom of God. Rather than emphasize the biological miracle, which is remarkable, this is really an emphasis on Abraham believing in the promised Messiah and His ever-lasting, ever-growing Kingdom. Centuries later, Isaiah 7 and 9 taught the Savior's divinity and His eternal Kingdom. TV has a feature on 8 kingdoms that no longer exist, all of them fading away in modern times - Portugal, Greece, Italy, etc.

Those who do not believe in Christ and war against His teachings are exactly like the Pharisees. That is why those Pharisaic warnings are in the Gospels, not only for historical truth but also for present parallels. The unbelieving Lutherans are works-saints, they are eager to say, but unforgiving and unwilling to see anything good. However, they covet anti-Means of Grace sects and want to make Lutheran worship over to be just like them. (Like First Christian, Moline? - once 3 services a Sunday, now empty, closed. No creed, no liturgy, coaching talks.)

God only works through the Word, but the Enthusiasts reject that and tell us to trust their words. How did God forgive the entire unbelieving world at once? "Trust us." Why baptize a child who was born forgiven, as they claim. "Never mind. Trust us." How does the Church grow and expand? They say, "According to our studies, by starting in the right place, using entertainment, avoiding all that traditional stuff like hymns and creeds and sermons. Ignore the spectacular failures and focus on our amazing very unique star attractions like Willow Creek and the Crystal Cathedral . Wait there's a new list."

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KJV Luke 14:1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. 2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy.

Two kinds of people were drawn to Jesus in a positive way. Those who wanted to hear Him speak about God, and those who were very ill or disabled. The rumor (logos) or report (hearing the message, Romans 10) went out everywhere about His teaching and His miracles. Jesus had such a reputation that the Pharisees were watching Him when a man with dropsy came in.

This is something we have to accept - that unbelievers see nothing good in Christianity, in Christians, or the Christian Church. That especially applies to the mice in the cookie jar. They want to be considered cookies, but they are only there to devour the cookies. Those are the apostates, who once believed, got into church vocations, and lost whatever faith they had. The religious unbelievers are no different from the Pharisees, who are their models. One can be ever-so-obsevant of the traditions of man and be an tireless opponent of the Christian Faith, so much easier from the inside than from the outside.

3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go;

Left unsaid is the obvious from our picture of Jesus and the times. Jesus already knew what was in the heart of man and did not need anyone's testimony. Therefore, he knew the man came for healing. Likewise, there is a reason this man appeared before Jesus. The Gospel was spreading among the people. If we read the Fourth Gospel carefully, we see how great the antagonism was from the earliest days. The more people saw Jesus as the Messiah, the more the union of Jewish religious leaders saw Him as the enemy, though some were secret believers.

Why did this outburst of trust in Jesus happen? They longed for the Savior, the Son of David, and knew the main prophecies about Him. The people and the religious leaders had the basic information, and Jesus fit them all and went far beyond expectations in His healing power and His powerful teaching. On the other hand, the religious leaders were captives of the Roman Empire and feared the end of their peace, their prosperity, and their power. They unbelief fed their fears and their hatred.

This spoken Gospel drew those hungering and thirsting for righteousness and those with grievous physical ailments. This spoken Gospel also antagonized those who worked all their lives for their positions and now saw that crumbling with Rome's wrath and posssible civil war. There is no war like a religious one.

Luther:

3. And this is the Gospel, as I said, that must be preached and heard before there can be faith. We must know that God is kindly disposed toward us and has sent his Son from heaven to help us. This the conscience must hear and believe; for if God were unfriendly and unmerciful toward us, it would avail little to know that all his creatures sympathize with us. If God is satisfied with us, no creature can do us any harm, as St. Paul says in Romans 8:31: “If God is for us, who is against us?” Let death, devil, hell and all creation rage; we are safe. Therefore it is the Gospel that must present to us the God-man as merciful. This is the fountain from which our heart can draw faith and a friendly confidence toward God that he will help both the dying and the living in every distress.

4. We notice this here in the man afflicted with dropsy. He had heard of the kindness of Jesus to others and now believes that he will show the same to him. Had he not believed, it would have been impossible to help him. The Gospel resounds in all the world, but it is not heard by everybody. The Pharisees also sat there; they saw these things with their own eyes and failed not to notice what a friendly man Jesus was, but they believed not; hence the Gospel could neither reform them nor give them help and comfort. Thus the Gospel is very universal, but the true laying hold of it is very rare. So much in regard to faith. 

We can see amusing but also sad examples of this. The denizens of LutherQuest (sic) were angered that our little crew, working on the Internet from a rented home, produced an enormous set of Luther's Sermons, illustrated in color, for a small amount of money. The LutherQuashers were offended - in this year of Luther's 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.

3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; 

Should they answer according to man's law or God's Son? Many times the opponents only want to remain silent so they can gather their evidence and build up a case. This was certainly true of the union of religious leaders, but they did not know that believers were among them, that the greatest Gospel preacher and writer would be a converted Pharisee of the Pharisees, Paul.

Thus it is God's gracious will that there be division among the believers and unbelievers, those who follow sound doctrine and those who follow diseased doctrine. (Sound doctrine in Greek is hygienic teaching.) Sometimes those most offended at first become the most studious and then see what God really is teaching. Luther tried to be the best monk of all and in that quest, that Luther quest, found the Scriptural answer was not in Enthusiams (dogma apart from the Word) but in the true Gospel of faith in Jesus.

5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? 6 And they could not answer him again to these things.

Most people care deeply about the suffering of animals. In fact, those who torture or abuse animals are already signaling that there is something deeply wrong with them. So this is almost univesal, as Jesus knew. Who would let an animal suffer because it was the Sabbath? They could not answer so they were silent.

That is why we need to recognize that the response of silence is the greatest (most antagonistic) response of disapproval. Anger is an earlier stage, because people think they can oppose an idea by expressing their ideas. And that is really good in sorting out religious differences. But silence - that represents seething emotions and an inability or unwillingness to oppose. Silence often moves to shunning, excommunication, and a storm of slander. The situation around Jesus was building to false accusations, the use of the government to silence and kill Jesus, and the trick of slander to make sure no one ever mentioned Him again.

Many of the insults heard against Christian believers are an example of angry opposition. For example, long before we moved to the South, I was called a "redneck." That still makes me smile because that is term used with pride in this area. Any solution that works and costs almost nothing is a "redneck solution," and good for laughs. When someone uses a minor insult to make me upset, I use it back and laugh about it. A cop stopped me when I had PhD on my driver's license (why I don't know). He said with contempt, "Oh a Phud. You are a Phud. Do you know that those initials stand for?" I said, "Sure - Patience, Hard Work, and Determination." That ruined his joke and he conceded, "I guess you are right."

A district VP said, "We get those pastors with a Luther complex." I said, "That's better than a Melanchthon complex." (I have great respect for Melanchthon but the poorly educated view Melanchthon as a compromiser, so that label fits them. I think they want to bury his essay on Justification by Faith in the Apology.)

The lack of a good answer is proof of error. We should always be prepared to give a reason for the hope within us. That is the key passage on apologetics - a good defense of the truth of God's Word. The Pharisees had no good answer, so they tried accusations, silence, and finally a political trial.

7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, 8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

I have seen people try to model this behavior, more as a show of their humility. But Jesus is really talking about actual humility, not show-humility. The religious got special haircuts in the Middle Ages, tonsures, to tell everyone, "He is a poor beggar. Give him money, which will bless you."

Some of our modern Uriah 'eeps give themselves away when they explode in anger when opposed in the mildest way. I saw that happen when I was invited to talk to someone. I suppose he was supposed to tame him. I challenged his promotion cell group Pietism. "I was asked." I said, "You could say No." Much, much later, this umble servant was exposed as a leader and pioneer of Church and Change, the synodical group that took over to inject their false doctrine into everything - now known as the Jeske Crime Family. That all made sense in retrospect. I would say something mildly and he would wildly wave his arms around and barely contain himself. It was like saying to a Mafia don, "We have to do something about crime. You should be a good example."

Humility comes from realizing the power and grace of God. Whateve place we are in, we have a a vocation in serving Him and reflecting the Gospel. There is no outside in serving as believers. We are inside the Kingdom, whether on earth, in a hospital bed, or enjoying eternal life. It is a Kingdom of grace and mercy, where God pursues us with the Gospel, includes us in His flock, and gently leads us on our path. 

I often think of Patton, who wondered "How could I end up as the leader of a fake army?" He was put on ice and headed up a ghost invasion army to fool Germany. That ended up being real genius, because the Germans assumed the Patton Army Group would lead the invasion, and it was still in England. That was such a distraction that an almost impossible landing was made possible through that deception. Many things, like Midway, were divinely ordered to make that happen.

So there are no "onlys." I am only a layman. I am only a mother. I am only a parish pastor. A pastor teaching his son Greek is preparing generations ahead of him for Gospel training. Children complain about their mothers being...typical mothers...until they realize decades later how important those lessons were.

We have seen 50 years of people doing canonballs into the swimming pool of the Church. They make a big splash and soak many people, who are in awe. But now...nothing. They are an embarrassment, whether cardinals or seminary professors or mega-church broken pastors. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

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