These synod presidents can listen to Luther's Galatians complete, the audio provided free from Audio Gutenberg. It will shock and amaze them - no Objective Justification!
Reformation Sunday is coming up, reminding us that it is the Awkward Sunday of the Church Year. ECLA took care of that by making it Reconciliation Sunday, praising every confession of faith except its own. What better Sunday to have a trans ex-Jesuit priest give the sermon - reminding everyone still attending that reconciled has a new meaning in ELCA.
The topic is more sensitive for the New Synodical Conference, the soi-disant conservative wing of ELCA, the LCMS-ELS-WELS. They are all one, big, happy family under the umbrella of Thrivent, so they can say, "We had to spend that money working with ELCA or they would have given it all to ELCA!" That is a nuanced leadership, knowing how to spin each doctrinal pratfall.
Leading the Left Wing of ELCA's Right Wing, Missouri set the proper tone in 2017 by celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation with Gerhard's Complete Works. I did not remember him being in the Reformation either, but that had the bonus effect of confusing the theologian Gerhard with the hymn-writer Gerhardt. Once the clergy figured that out, the celebration was over and CPH was remaindering the Luther socks, Luther dog collar, and Luther dog t-shirt. "Here I stand" was all about wearing socks, something I did not realize until 2017.
I can only imagine what 2030 will bring as the same sects celebrate Melanchthon as they celebrated Luther. That would be a good time for the overpaid and underworked Lutheran leaders to throw themselves weeping on the Pope's neck, hoping that the terms of reunification would not be made too harsh.
To prevent the next debacle, here are some take-aways for sermon planning. For pity's sake, don't repeat Tiefel's Reformation sermon (made up on the way into St. Paul's, New Ulm) - shouting "Grace Alone! Faith Alone! Scriptures Alone!" holding up his fingers for the count. WELS pastors are trained to take the finger count seriously. How many fingers am I holding up? "Offithur, five, I mean three. Don't move your hand around." I was not moving it around.
I. First Take-Away: Romans 3 does not teach "all are justified." That is a deliberate mistranslation by the NIV and promoted by the Universalist Mainline denominations. Romans 3 does teach, in Greek and English,
Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
II. Second Take-Away: Romans 4 does not teach that the entire world was absolved of sin when Jesus rose from the dead. Romans 4 does teach -
Romans 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;
24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;
25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
III. Third Take-Away: As the summary of Abraham being justified by faith in Romans 4, Romans 5 does not teach the myth of Objective Justification. Romans 5 does teach -
5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Romans 3 -5 Thus Destroys Objective Justification
The poor slobs who study at Ft. Wayne, St. Louis, Mordor, and the Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie! - they spend three beer-soaked years learning the Objective Justification of ELCA and all the Mainline denominations.
Objective Justification is the love-child of Pietism, and most American denominations were born of Pietist mission organizations, including especially the Stephanites.
They only need to study a decent Bible in English to see what a con-job their leaders have accomplished:
- Baal instead of the Triune God
- Walther instead of St. Paul
- Scaer instead of Dr. Walter A. Maier.
What about those who call themselves "Doctor" and teach the opposite of Romans? Hmm? Why is Abraham so important in the New Testament?
