Our Bethany scholars (laymen interested in doctrine) had a long discussion on Justification by Faith and terms used. I am not going to unravel it all, because that happened while our neighbor was facing surgery... and worse. Mike is still in very bad shape.
I resist a number of Synodical Conference traditions:
- Defending Walther, Pieper, and that group, because they have no standing in Lutheran doctrine.
- Looking at SynCon history, because that leads nowhere, especially with all the lying about LCMS and WELS origins.
- Adding terms that are not only borrowed from other denominations and sects but used in the same erroneous way (Objective Justification).
First of all, someone who discusses sound doctrine is obliged to teach clearly. Clever games cannot be tolerated. Following the Scriptures, we emphasize sound (aka hygienic, healthy) doctrine and reject error (cancerous or gangrenous dogma).
Objective Justification cannot be used because the term is new and outside of the Scriptures and the Lutheran Reformation. We use some terms merely as shorthand that are not employed by the Scriptures, such as the Trinity and the Means of Grace. Chemnitz deals with this in The Examination of the Council of Trent.
Strangely, no one wants to use the Biblical term efficacy, though Luther and the Book of Concord used the Biblical word-group as foundational. See Thy Strong Word, a free PDF, for details.
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| Read the Efficacy Motherlode, made possible because I. studied. Greek. |
Ambiguity has to be utterly quashed in all doctrinal discussion. WELS is famous for cleansing the false statements of their Church Growth OJ leaders by saying, "That c-a-a-a-a-a-a-an be understood correctly." They have used that stretched out double-think act so long that Mark and Avoid Jeske is the true leader of WELS.
Unfortunately, the LCMS has a long history of teaching Justification by Faith while allowing the gradual encroachment of Justification without Faith to enter its teaching. Now OJ is dominant, taught by Matt the Fatt, Pope Paul the Plagiarist, David Gotta Scaer, and the dimwits at LutherQueasy and Dead Last Lutherans.
The 1987 Justification Theses of the LCMS are a perfect example of blending opposites together. J. Michael Reu exposed this practice as a proof of unionism, blending opposites in the same statement. He was Iowa Synod, which mastered that technique, and now Reu's seminary is run by Louise Johnson, a lady with no real pastoral or academic qualifications.
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| LCMS-WELS-ELS! They welcome study at Fuller, Willow Creek, Trinity Divinity, and love all doctrine but the one they subscribe to - quia maria style, wink, wink. |
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| From Reu to Louise Johnson - Wartburg Seminary. From Krauth to Theresa Latini - Philadelphia Seminary. Progress. |
Ban Theses
Walther did a disservice when he lectured on his Law and Gospel theses, a book full of contradictions.
The hyper-canonical (judging all books and improving on the Bible)
Brief Statement of 1932 mixed correct comments with brazen error and simply cited Scriptures.
David Valleskey pulled the same trick, except he cited a favorite Fuller expert on "spoiling the Egyptians." He was visibly angered when I said, "They took the jewels and gold, not the Egyptian garbage." The entire (tiny) Ohio conference gave me the silent treatment that night because I disagreed with an infallible Mordor professor. One pastor also disagreed openly with Valleskey: "WELS has changed doctrine." WELS pushed him out of the ministry and would not commune him for he taught the efficacy of the Word.
If some of the OJ yakkety-yaks would open the Book of Concord, they would find a book of Biblical exposition, drawing the doctrinal lessons out of the Word.
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| Dare you to disagree with these divines? They approved UOJ and Church Growth - who are you to raise your hand against them! Touch not the Lord's anointed! |
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| John Sparky Brenner cannot write Justification by Faith,but he did a good job of exposing Walther's effort to prove OJ with his Calvinistic view of predestination. |
Predestination Was Kidnapped To Prop Up OJ and Drive Away Those Who Disagreed with Pope Walther the Infallible
