The Book of Concord Series - The Four Walther Sects Do Not Agree - They Are Lacking a Confession of Faith - "It is necessary that the chief article of the Gospel be preserved, to wit, that we obtain grace freely by faith in Christ..."

 

Dr. Lito Cruz is correct - the four Walther sects in America do not agree with each other, so they lack a confession of faith. Concord means harmony, and harmony is missing, especially among their own inbred kin.

The LCR, too small to be in the Walther Four, also spit and hiss among themselves, but that may have slowed down, due to a lack of spitters and hissers. 

Decades ago, the WELS elite - to stretch the term a bit - made clear that they were not in prayer fellowship with ELCA while serving on at least one board with ELCA. Doubtless they had a Wayne Mueller type step in to say this to his wise guys - "Don't let me catch you praying!"

WELS does not like the ELS at all, but they are in mutual fellowship. When an ELS congregation formed a congregation in Ohio, only one (1) WELS pastor showed up for the festivities. 

Adding the LCR to Walther's Fab Four and ELCA, six sects+ are devoted to the same version of the Chief Article - except the sick six all oppose Justification by Faith. On the most important points of doctrine, "scholars are divided," but they are painfully united in Objective Faithless Justification, a daisy-chain of dogma.

Rolf Preus - "A feature of micro synods that form because of a dispute over doctrine or practice is that the point of division assumes a prominence among the articles of faith confessed. Typical is the fixation on fellowship."

LCR in Wikipedia 

"In 1951, the Orthodox Lutheran Conference (OLC) was formed by pastors and congregations of the LCMS who were critical of the theological changes occurring in that body.^[3] The OLC itself split in 1956 when Paul E. Kretzmann, a professor in the OLC's seminary, suspended church fellowship with some congregations after they charged him with teaching error in class. Those congregations formed the Concordia Lutheran Conference,^[4] while most of the others, along with Kretzmann, later joined with other conservatives leaving the LCMS to organize as the LCR.^[5]

After the 1959 convention of the LCMS, conservative members of the synod began holding State of the Synod Conferences to discuss the problems they saw. Kretzmann, Wallace McLaughlin, and Harold Romoser, who all had been involved in the formation of the OLC, were also involved in these conferences. At the first conference, a 200-page book of documentation prepared by pastor Herman Otten of Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, Missouri, was presented. It listed every controversy within the LCMS since 1950, with sections on Martin Scharlemann, Jaroslav Pelikan, Martin Marty, the Common Confession, and Biblical authority and inspiration. The conference on May 15–16, 1961, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was attended by over 400 laymen and pastors who hoped to make progress on their concerns at the synod's upcoming convention in 1962. However, the State of the Synod Conference was not permitted to have a booth at the convention and the issues of concern were not addressed. As a result, St. Matthew's Lutheran Church in Detroit, Michigan, whose pastor, Cameron A. MacKenzie Sr., was a leader in the conferences, left the synod.^[6]

In early 1964, a group of pastors and laymen meeting at Trinity Lutheran Church in New Haven, Missouri, agreed that the time had come to form a new church body. The LCR was officially formed on April 28–29, 1964, at Emmaus Lutheran Church in Chicago. Notably, neither Otten nor Trinity Lutheran joined the new body. MacKenzie was elected as the first administrator and Romoser as the first coadjutor. By 1965, the LCR had seven member congregations, with applications from three more and ten other congregations in fellowship.^[6]

The LCR discussed church fellowship with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) in the 1960s, but finally decided, in July 1970, that the differences regarding the doctrine of church and ministry were divisive of church fellowship.^[7]

In 1972, St. Matthew's in Detroit left the LCR because of what it saw as improper involvement of the LCR in the congregation's affairs. Four other congregations were removed from membership in 1973 because they sided with St. Matthew's. Three more congregations, including Rosomer's, left for the same reason in 1976.^[6]

The Fellowship of Lutheran Congregations (FLC),^[8] is a group of congregations that left the LCR in 1979 after a dispute concerning the proper procedure of excommunication,^[9] namely, whether the person being excommunicated had to be present when the voters' assembly considered the question.^[6] The congregations of the FLC joined the Concordia Lutheran Conference in about 2004.

For a time in the 1990s, the LCR was in official church fellowship with the Illinois Lutheran Conference (ILC). The ILC was organized in 1979 after three congregations left the WELS in protest after a pastor was suspended due to claims he made regarding the King James Version of the Bible.^[10] There was controversy between the ILC and the LCR regarding the "appearance of evil" (1 Thessalonians 5:22) and the doctrine of church and ministry. The LCR severed the fellowship because of differences discovered during the controversy over the "appearance of evil".

In February 2006, five congregations and four pastors suspended church fellowship with the rest of the LCR when, in the wake of a disagreement regarding the doctrine of the ministry, an LCR congregation was dissolved through legal action by certain members, most of whom were female, who disagreed with their pastor. This led to accusations of female suffrage by one side and legalism by the other. The LCR was never asked by either side of the congregation to adjudicate the division. The congregations that suspended fellowship in February 2006 withdrew their membership from the LCR in April 2006 after a special convention called to address the controversy refused to discuss the matter of female suffrage and the aforementioned dissolution. A position paper titled The Ministry and Auxiliary Office with Respect to Legalism^[11] that was presented at that conference in an attempt to resolve the controversy has since been adopted unanimously by the remaining congregations of the LCR. Another LCR position paper titled Liberty or Death,^[12] written to draw attention to different kinds of legalism, was subsequently adopted in July 2007. Those congregations that withdrew membership with the LCR have declared church fellowship with each other^[13] and have since organized the Orthodox Lutheran Confessional Conference (OLCC).^[14] A sixth congregation, in Hudson, Michigan, later withdrew from the LCR over the same issues, and remains independent."

The editor requests an extended break to get some Dramamine - possibly an antidote against dogmatic drama.

The Book of Concord Series - Augsburg Confession and Its Apology - Twin Deathblows to the Objective Faithless Justification Wolves

 

The Roman Catholics wanted to have a special roast for Martin Luther, but Philip Melanchthon led the effort for the Augsburg Confession, in Latin - the Augustana, 1530.

The theologians and the laity signed the Augsburg Confession, which became the standard for almost all Lutherans. However, those who idolize CFW Walther and his syphilitic bishop Martin Stephan, have a bizarre and toxic response to Philip and to the foundational Augsburg Confession. The leaven of salvation without faith has been sprinkled and dumped on the ELCA, WELS, ELS, CLC (sic), and micro-minies. We only need to look at the "Sparkle creed" to know where this is leading. Objective Faithless Justification is the half-way house for sophisticated Universalists, drunks, adulterers, and Bad Bible Boosters.

This should be read carefully, but the yahoos of the various synods have no use for the Scriptures, only for their Pasadena passports to Paradise.

The OJists are like the murderers who carefully and daintily show the police where the crime and its evidence never happened. "See, now you can go back to the police station." If I say, Romans 4, the OJists scream in horror. If I point out the opening verses of Romans 5 as a summary of Romans 4 (plus Romans 1-3), they shudder and begin calling me names. Blasphemy is their soothing lotion, which has a purifying effect, for scholarly libraries full of denials.

The Defense or Apology of the Augsburg Confession has a beautiful expansion on the meaning of Justification by Faith. It is named Article II or Article IV of the Apology, another excuse for seminarians and scholars never reading it.

"The peacock is an image of heretics and fanatical spirits. For on the order of the peacock they, too, show themselves and strut about in their gifts, which never are outstanding.  But if they could see their feet, that is the foundation of their doctrine, they would be stricken with terror, lower their crests, and humble themselves.  To be sure, they, too, suffer from jealousy, because they cannotbear honest and true teachers.  They want to be the whole show and want to put up with no one next to them.  And they are immeasurably envious, as peacocks are.  Finally, they have a raucous and unpleasant voice, that is, their doctrine is bitter and sad for afflicted and godly minds; for it casts consciences down more than it lifts them up and strengthens them."

What Luther Says, II,  p. 642 (W-T 2, No. 2152; SL 22, 1842).

Overturning the Reformation - Using and Abusing the Adiaphora - Matters of Indifference

Luther and Melanchthon provided the initial materials promoting and defending the Reformation.

Martin Chemnitz studied under Luther and Melanchthon, combining the previous work of Lutheran Melanchthon, continuing the work of his professors with the help of his colleagues.

X. Church Rites.

From the Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Epitome

Which are [Commonly] Called Adiaphora or Matters of Indifference.

1 Concerning ceremonies or church rites which are neither commanded nor forbidden in God’s Word, but have been introduced into the Church for the sake of good order and propriety, a dissension has also occurred among the theologians of the Augsburg Confession.

STATUS CONTROVERSIAE: Chief Controversy concerning This Article.

2 The chief question, however, has been, whether, in time of persecution and in case of confession, even if the enemies of the Gospel have not reached an agreement with us in doctrine, some abrogated ceremonies, which in themselves are matters of indifference and are neither commanded nor forbidden by God, may nevertheless, upon the pressure and demand of the adversaries, be reestablished without violence to conscience, and we may thus [rightly] have conformity with them in such ceremonies and adiaphora. To this the one side has said Yea, the other, Nay.

AFFIRMATIVE THESES: The Correct and True Doctrine and Confession concerning This Article.

3 1. For settling also this controversy we unanimously believe, teach, and confess that the ceremonies or church rites which are neither commanded nor forbidden in God’s Word, but have been instituted alone for the sake of propriety and good order, are in and of themselves no divine worship, nor even a part of it. Matt. 15:9:In vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

4 2. We believe, teach, and confess that the congregation of God of every place and every time has the power, according to its circumstances, to change such ceremonies in such manner as may be most useful and edifying to the congregation of God.

5 3. Nevertheless, that herein all frivolity and offense should be avoided, and special care should be taken to exercise forbearance towards the weak in faith. 1 Cor. 8:9; Rom. 14:13.

6 4. We believe, teach, and confess that in time of persecution, when a plain [and steadfast] confession is required of us, we should not yield to the enemies in regard to such adiaphora, as the apostle has written Gal. 5:1: Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage. Also 2 Cor. 6:14: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers, etc. For what concord hath light with darkness? Also Gal. 2:5: To whom we gave place, no, not for an hour, that the truth of the Gospel might remain with you. For in such a case it is no longer a question concerning adiaphora, but concerning the truth of the Gospel, concerning [preserving] Christian liberty, and concerning sanctioning open idolatry, as also concerning the prevention of offense to the weak in the faith [how care should be taken lest idolatry be openly sanctioned and the weak in faith be offended]; in which we have nothing to concede, but should plainly confess and suffer on that account what God sends, and what He allows the enemies of His Word to inflict upon us.

7 5. We believe, teach, and confess also that no Church should condemn another because one has less or more external ceremonies not commanded by God than the other, if otherwise there is agreement among them in doctrine and all its articles, as also in the right use of the holy Sacraments, according to the well-known saying: Dissonantia ieiunii non dissolvit consonantiam fidei, Disagreement in fasting does not destroy agreement in faith.

NEGATIVE THESES: False Doctrine concerning This Article.

8 Accordingly, we reject and condemn as wrong and contrary to God’s Word when it is taught:

9 1. That human ordinances and institutions in the church should be regarded as in themselves a divine worship or part of it.

10 2. When such ceremonies, ordinances, and institutions are violently forced upon the congregation of God as necessary, contrary to its Christian liberty which it has in external things.

11 3. Also, that in time of persecution and public confession [when a clear confession is required] we may yield to the enemies of the Gospel in such adiaphora and ceremonies, or may come to an agreement with them (which causes injury to the truth).

12 4. Also, when these external ceremonies and adiaphora are abrogated in such a manner as though it were not free to the congregation of God to employ one or more [this or that] in Christian liberty, according to its circumstances, as may be most useful at any time to the Church [for edification]. (Source: https://bookofconcord.org/epitome/ )

***

GJ -

WELS-LCMS-ELCA-ELS-CLC (sic) were so weak in Biblical doctrine and the Book of Concord that they worked together to destroy their own sects, boasting about their superiority while banning the King James Version. Evidence? above and below.

American Lutherans - All Synods - Began Their Self-Destruction 100 Years Ago

The Bible is a matter of indifference, according to the really cool Lutherans. And why not? Protestants invited the Roman Catholic leaders into the American Bible Society at the very beginning. The same happened in Europe with the much worse United Bible Societies.

Were not the ecumenical agencies building and improving, from the Great Depression onward?

They played Magician, concentrating on one hand (a better, clearer Bible!) so nobody cared about the other hand (verses and words eliminated by the Improvers). They  watered down faith in Jesus Christ and His Divinity, using Greek texts that very few scholars and leaders could see or discuss or question. The magicians who know the tricks can easily bamboozle those who do not see the obvious.

Protestants felt warm and cozy about their friendships with Roman Catholic leaders. The genius of Roman Catholicism is its foundation in the greedy, and horribly corrupt visible institution - Holy Mother Church.

Lutherans began discovering that Luther was much more Roman than the Reformation allowed. Here are some of the baby steps that Lutherans and many Protestants (especially Episcopalian) have already taken to get in bed with Whore of Babylon (Revelation 17):

The Dirty Dozen

1. Forcing the three-year lectionary, acting as if the historic lectionary was deficient.
2. Honoring saints and famous people instead of Jesus first
3. Promoting gay liturgical garments and paraments - when not wearing old jeans and yardwork shirts
4. Insisting on the non-canonical Apocrypha and making those boring and uninspired books higher in value than the Scriptures.
5. Encouraging famous pastors to join Rome and pull more high profile victims.
6. Making it essential to burn incense.
7. Sprinkling the congregation because priesthood does.
8. Favoring the priest or father title because it is Roman and more glorious.
9. Wearing albs, which became a license to purchase CM Almy costumes, extravagantly expensive, demanding more and more frills - mitres for the pseudo-bishops, copes to add another expensive garment, giant wooden staff crosses (crossiers) to impress the audience. Add communion sets on sale for only $8,000.
10. Gathering semi-secretive groups, like the Society of the Holy Trinity (STS in Latin, appropriate for most of them).
11. Relying on leaders to tell them what to do and knowing that the hierarchy will never allow a Biblical debate on anything.
12. Teaching against Justification by Faith and denying that grace comes to us only by faith in Jesus Christ the Savior, the Son of God, Romans 5:1-2.

The Book of Concord Series. "Send in the Clowns. Where Are the Clowns? Don't Worry, They're Here!"

The passage of time can make us more aware of trends or oblivious to them. Synodical cheerleaders remind me of the book title - Wishful Drinking, by the late Carrie Fisher, the princess who died too young.

I was baptized as a baby at Plymouth Congregational Church, Moline. The parish became United Church of Christ perhaps, before closing. My parents moved us to First Christian Church, Moline, also called Disciples of Christ. That church no longer exists. I left the Church Growthism at First Christian to join Salem Lutheran Church, formerly Augustana Synod, then LCA, and now ELCA.

At the age of 16 I was suddenly exposed to liturgical services, classical hymns, and sermons. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the clown acts of the Disciples of Christ parish a feature in the Missouri Synod, the Wisconsin Synod, and other places of ill repute.

No matter what they claimed from the Book of Concord, the LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) leaders became completely unfaithful. There are three basic options in all of Christendom:

1. The real Bible (KJV) teaches the efficacy of the Word from Genesis 1:1 to the end of time. So does Luther and the Book of Concord. That includes Justification by Faith and the Means of Grace.
2. The Zwingli-Calvinists teach the magisterial use of reason and Objective Justification. The leaven of rationalism reduces them to the style of the Unitarian-Universalist cult over time. Baptists and Pentecostals are more in line with this group, because infant baptism horrifies them as proof of Roman Catholicism. 
3. The Church of Rome teaches the sacred nature of Holy Mother Herself, from the infallible Pope down to the trafficking business of Mother Theresa. Claiming age and grandeur, they draw important people into the incense purified bosom of Holy Mother, bowing and scraping to be counted as worthy slaves. The Eastern Orthodox are closely related but not as dogmatic. These two groups borrowed the pageantry and entertainment values of the occult. The Vatican is deliberately Satanic in its architectural design.

Misdirection of the I's - Magic

Everything works well if nobody asks the real questions. If the new Lutheran asks about this Augsburg Confession thing or the NIV, the clever pastor will emphasize soccer camp and the puppets. OK, the puppet fad was short-lived. There is always a new fad to follow, because it worked so well in an affluent suburb.

The Book of Concord Series. Misleading and Self-Serving Terms.

"Thrilled To Be in Agreement with Objective Faithless Justification"

The LCMS, ELS, and WELS got together to acknowledge and publish their delight in agreeing with Objective Faithless Justification. The Church of the Lutheran Confession (sic) did not participate, but they agree. There are a few other breakaway groups still licking their wounds about something and staying separate. The ELCA agrees with the concept of everyone in the world already forgiven and saved, which explains why the LCMS-WELS-ELS works with them through Thrivent Financial (dabbing eyes).

"Confessional"

This term suggests the synods named above agree with the Book of Concord - ELCA only with the Augsburg Confession (so they say). Because no  synod teaches Justification by Faith - but instead repudiates the Chief Article, not one of them is "confessional"

"Orthodox"

The term orthodox is especially confusing, since they 

• love every modern translation but hate the KJV, 
• rely on corrupt and fake Greek New Testament texts, and 
• lean heavily toward the dogma of Zwingli, Calvin, Barth, Tillich, and Schuller.

 From the Babylon Bee

"Teach Inerrancy"

The term "inerrant" has become quite weak, because the supposed conservative seminary, Fuller, did not accept the accuracy of Biblical history or geography but claimed they taught inerrancy. Saying the Word of God is wrong about history and geography is not inerrancy, but Fuller - bless their pea-picking granite hearts - got even worse, in touch with all the modern apostates, by repudiating their former weak stance.

"Bible-Believing"

WELS tried this out in their ads. ELCA and its predecessors spent so much time making fun of the Scriptures while degrading their seminaries into radical beehives. Denying Justification by Faith is not in harmony with Bible-believing.

"Conservative"

If the sects and synods adhered to the King James Version and the Book of Concord, they could be called conservative. All the books and documents are clear - the demons of apostasy have taken over Lutherdom, the process starting when the KJV revision promoted fake New Testament texts (Vaticanus and Sinaiticus) and invited blatant false teachers to help manage the Revision. The process was slow, allowing the ELCA make the rest look "conservative."

Quia Subscription to the Book of Concord

Dr. Lito Cruz observed that the quia term probably came from the bowels of Calvinism. Throwing a lot of terms around is a good way to confuse and mislead people. If the knot-heads want to use the term, they should recognize that teaching the efficacy of the Word - which is throughout the Bible and the Book of Concord - is foreign, even hateful to them.

"Friendly"

That description is so funny that I have to rest a while for a good, long bout of laughter. The friendly spin reminds me of the Appleton Alcoholics posting their fake blog trying to mock this one, spewing hatred from their pickled minds, afraid to use their own names.

The emails were just as hilarious. They concluded that the 19,172 messages sent to Ichabod were written by me! They were not sure that I actually went to Notre Dame, earning two degrees. Their other claims made me worry that airplane glue sniffing was a powerful and widespread addiction. 

Frosty Bivens borrowed the Mark Zarling claim that Objective Faithless Justification was the Chief Article of the Christian Faith.

The editors of the Formula of Concord clearly repeated the Biblical doctrine of Justification by Faith, taught by Luther and Melanchthon. Would someone explain how all the Lutheran synods and sects missed that?

The Book of Concord Series. Title Page.

 

The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are portrayed in this Duerer painting.

Ancient Creeds - 

All Denominations

The Apostles Creed, not known.

The Nicene Creed, 325 AD.

The Athanasian Creed, late 500s.

Creeds can be a summary of Scriptural truths - Apostles Creed - or a declaration of truths to oppose false doctrine. Passages in the New Testament appear to be hymns, brief creeds, and catechisms.

Augsburg - or Augustana Era - Evangelicals, 1530

The Augsburg Confession (Augustana in Latin) was formulated to distinguish the Evangelicals (Lutherans) from the dogmas and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. The Apology (Defense of the Augsburg Confession) was written to clarify and expand upon the principles of 1530 creed. 

Philip Melanchthon was the leader, since Luther had to be protected from murder. Clergy and laity convened to establish the Scriptural foundation of the Reformation. They were risking their lives, and many Evangelicals/Protestants - the terms Lutherans used - paid the price with imprisonment, torture, and execution.

Formula and 

Book of Concord Era, 1580

Luther died in 1546 at the age of 63. Melanchthon died in 1563, also at the age of 63. Factions grew up among the Evangelical Protestants. Martin Chemnitz, trained by Luther and Melanchthon, led a small group of superlative clergy who fashioned the Formula and the final contents of the Book of Concord in 1580.

The Formula of Concord dealt with a number of topics which cover a number of the problems of today - ignored by the vast number of apostate and agnostic clergy leaders today.

"Conservative" Lutherans today (WELS-ELS-LCMS-CLC) sneer at these two passages from the Augsburg Confession, which they claim to follow.

But - of course! - CFW Walther, his gang, and the syphilitic Bishop Martin Stephan - all knew that everyone is born forgiven and saved. Dr. Lito Cruz asked, "If a baby is born forgiven, how does he know?"

The 1580 title page of the Book of Concord, Dresden, is not especially helpful for moderns, not that they value the English version. ELCA co-published one edition with the LCMS. Why?

The Book of Concord Series. The Nature of Confessions of Faith.

 

The Book of Concord can be viewed backwards in time. In 2023 there are ordained Lutheran pastors - and other denominations - who ridicule and broadcast their contempt for the Christian Faith. Those blasphemies come from a history of resisting expressions of faith in Jesus Christ, 

• the Son of God, Savior, 
• born of the Virgin Mary, 
• miracle worker and teacher, 
• who cured lepers and the blind, 
• bore the cross, died for our sins, 
• rose from the dead, and ascended into Heaven.

Another six-fold creed is found in 1 Timothy 3:16,  a passage used and abused by those who claim the entire world was absolved of all sin and saved the moment Jesus rose from the dead, truly the dogma of the Devil.

KJV 1 Timothy 3:16

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: 

1. God was manifest in the flesh, 
2. justified in the Spirit, 
3. seen of angels, 
4. preached unto the Gentiles, 
5. believed on in the world, 
6. received up into glory.

This verse is both hymn and confession, concise and poetic, in complete harmony (concordia - Latin, harmony) with the Scriptures.

Confessions of faith die in the darkness, as the popular pundits say, so people reject the apostates, go back to the Scriptures, and enlighten their generation.

The Book of Concord, 1580, is the result of Lutherans working together to repudiate false doctrine and clarify the use of the Scriptures. The Book of Concord was signed and published 50 years after the Augsburg Confession risked the lives of Evangelicals by stressing the truth of the Bible against the destructive dogmas of the Church of Rome.