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Steps in Publishing The Sermons of Martin Luther. Volume V Printing - Finishing My Part of Volume VI Today.

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Today, God willing, I am finishing up Volume VI of The Sermons of Martin Luther. At the moment I am mining the gems of this volume, which is one of the most enjoyable of all writing efforts. I get to copy and paste the best from each volume. When Volume VIII is finished, I will gather all the gems for the final volume - Gems Mined from the Sermons of Martin Luther.

Here are the steps in getting one volume into production:

  1. I copied and pasted the 8 volumes of Lenker's edition into this blog, using an unlikely source, which used lots of open source material for promoting ads.
  2. When I realized the old Lenker sets were hard to find and expensive, I decided to recreate the set with illustrations. Norma A. Boeckler was happy to illustrate them.
  3. Various people volunteered to edit the blogged sermons, which I pasted into 8 Word files. Scanning errors were varied, strange, and tedious to locate. Laity and a pastor agreed to help.
  4. First I use control-f to find typical format errors. I look for other mistakes and send that to someone to edit.
  5. The edit suggestions come back on emails, spreadsheets, whatever works.
  6. I go over each suggestion and make the changes needed.
  7. I created a table of contents and collect the gems from suggestions made. Virginia Roberts and Mrs. Ichabod mine the gems.
  8. Norma A. Boeckler inserts her art into the sermon volume. We use DropBox to send these large files back and forth.
  9. I make "final" corrections and send them to Janie Sullivan.
  10. Janie does her work for Amazon and Kindle, and I approve the proofs.
  11. Amazon may raise issues with production, so I have to deal with those. 
  12. The first printings begin to go out, first in color, then in black and white. Each volume has a color version, a BW version, and a Kindle.
  13. Donations make it possible to send a box of Luther and Lutheran books to African seminaries. Two have been sent and a third is being prepared for sending. The box costs about $90 to print and send to our contact, $100 to mail to Africa, for a total of $190. 


A Word about the UOJ "Diamond" in the Large Catechism - This Is a Good One

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Zwingli's diamond was his verse in John 6:63 that the flesh  profits nothing. That was the way he saw it - typical of sectarians, who find a verse and build a systematic theology upon it, a house built on sand.

Book of Concord, Large Catechism, Lord's Prayer

88] Therefore there is here again great need to call upon God and to pray: Dear Father, forgive us our trespasses. Not as though He did not forgive sin without and even before our prayer (for He has given us the Gospel, in which is pure forgiveness before we prayed or ever thought about it). But this is to the intent that we may recognize and accept such forgiveness.

***

GJ - This is the point where the pinheads dance around, grinning like the cat who found the cream, and say, "Here is proof that Luther taught Objective Justification - forgiveness without faith. Here is the the Book of Concord teaching OJ. You are dastardly heretics for denying this great truth!"

But avast, one little thing is overlooked. This is Luther's explanation of prayer, and only those who believe in Christ pray the Lord's Prayer, The Perfect Prayer, as recently published by the Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry.

To see this in context, we also need to look at the Small Catechism, which Luther called one of his two books that needed to be kept - the rest could be thrown away. The Lutheran leaders have obeyed Luther too well and thrown they away away, keeping only this sentence in red. (The other book was his Galatians Lectures, but try to find a Lutheran pastor who has read it! The great team of Buchholz and Webber, the Laurel and Hardy of Justification, mentioned the book and ignored it.)



I believe in the Holy Ghost; one holy Christian Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

What does this mean?--Answer.

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Ghost has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith; even as He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith; in which Christian Church He forgives daily and richly all sins to me and all believers, and at the last day will raise up me and all the dead, and will give to me and to all believers in Christ everlasting life. This is most certainly true.

GJ - So WELS, for example, sells a gigantic meadow muffin against Justification by Faith and entombs a perfectly wonderful Small Catechism in exactly the opposite teaching. That is the Kuske Catechism, a book by a moron designed for zombies. And yet, this useless trash prepared the way for the New NIV with its invention of UOJ (in a feeble, conflicted way) in Romans 3.

Thus Luther clearly taught forgiveness through faith in Christ, and never even suggested forgiveness or salvation without faith. The person praying "forgive us our sins" is acknowledging the Atonement, not OJ, UOJ, General Justification, or any other manufactured dogma of Calvinism and Pietism. The Atonement means Jesus has not only died for minor sins and those sins we think we can conquer, but also for great and terrible sins.

Laurel and Hardy,
or Abbott and Costello?

Gems from Volume VI of Luther's Sermon, Lenker Edition. This Volume on Epistle Sermons Is Going into Production

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 Graphic by Norma A. Boeckler

Gems from Volume VI

Epistle Sermons, Starting with Advent

“The night is far spent, and the day is at hand.”

15. This is equivalent to saying “salvation is near to us.” By the word “day” Paul means the Gospel; the Gospel is like day in that it enlightens the heart or soul. Now, day having broken, salvation is near to us. In other words, Christ and his grace, promised to Abraham, are now revealed; they are preached in all the world, enlightening mankind, awakening us from sleep and making manifest the true, eternal blessings, that we may occupy ourselves with the Gospel of Christ and walk honorably in the day. By the word “night” we are to understand all doctrines apart from the Gospel. For there is no other saving doctrine; all else is night and darkness.

16. Notice carefully Paul’s words. He designates the most beautiful and vivifying time of the day - the delightful, joyous dawn, the hour of sunrise.

First Sunday in Advent


Put on the Lord – strengthens us

35. It is a very beautiful feature in this passage that it presents the very highest example, the Lord himself, when it says, “Put ye on the Lord.” Here is a strong incentive. For the individual who can see his master fasting, laboring, watching, enduring hunger and fatigue, while he himself feasts, idles, sleeps, and lives in luxury, must be a scoundrel.

First Sunday in Advent

The Author of Papal Doctrine

9. To this situation Paul’s teaching appropriately applies. The doctrine of the devil and his Papists is wholly destitute of compassion. In violent rage it compels immediate retraction from our doctrine of liberty. It excommunicates and curses the offender, casting him down four thousand miles below hell, if he does not recant in the twinkling of an eye and renounce every letter and tittle of his belief. From the fact of the rage manifested, as well as from the fruit of papistical doctrine, we perceive who is its author.

Second Sunday in Advent


The Christian Discriminates

15. Now, the Christian hatred of sin discriminates between the vices and the individual. It endeavors to exterminate only the former and to preserve the latter. It does not flee from, evade, reject nor despise anyone: rather it receives every man, takes a warm interest in him and accords him treatment calculated to relieve him of his vices. It admonishes, instructs and prays for him. It patiently bears with him. It does only as the doer would be done by in circumstances of like infirmities.

Second Sunday in Advent


Like the Self-Help Books Today

35. But how shall I express the situation? The calamity is beyond the power of words, even inconceivable. The evil spirit has accomplished his design; he has suppressed the Book and introduced in its stead so many books of human doctrine that we may well say we are deluged with them. Yet these contain only error, falsehood, darkness, venom, death, destruction, hell and the devil. This condition of things our abominable ingratitude has merited.

Second Sunday in Advent


Dealing with the Weak

51. When one is weak in faith and defective in conduct, the spirit of Christian unity, though deploring his condition, does not forsake him, much less disparage, reject or condemn him. His Christian fellow is interested in his welfare and conducts himself toward the weak one as he would himself be treated, and as Christ has indeed treated him in similar and more important matters.

Second Sunday in Advent


Praise the Father for the Son

63. Now, while Christ is our common blessing, as before said, we should at the same time ascribe all to the Father; for Christ is the Father’s gracious manifestation whereby our hearts are drawn to himself. So we should confidently love and praise the Father for his lavish blessings.

Second Sunday in Advent


Divine Leadership Cannot Be Shared

9. Where divine leadership is shared with any other than God or Christ, there must also be doctrine and commandments differing from the doctrine and command of Christ. Service of Christ must immediately fail; Christ must be rejected for the establishment of a new sovereignty. Plainly enough, no one can be servant of Christ and at the same time teacher of his own message. The two conditions cannot exist at the same time. How can one be a servant of Christ if he does not teach Christ’s message?

Third Sunday in Advent


The Mysteries

16. What, then, constitutes the mysteries of God? Simply Christ himself; that is, faith and the Gospel concerning Christ. The whole Gospel teaching is far beyond the grasp of our reason and our physical sense; it is hidden to the world. It can be apprehended only by faith; as Christ says in Matthew 11:25: “I thank thee, O father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding, and didst reveal them unto babes.” And as Paul tells us (1 Corinthians 2:7-8): “We speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, which none of the rulers of this world hath known.”

Third Sunday in Advent


Steward of the Mysteries of God

23. Thus we arrive at the apostle’s meaning in the assertion that a minister of Christ is a steward in the mysteries of God. He should regard himself and insist that others regard him as one who administers to the household of God nothing but Christ and the things of Christ. In other words, he should preach the pure Gospel, the true faith, that Christ alone is our life, our way, our wisdom, power, glory, salvation; and that all we can accomplish of ourselves is but death, error, foolishness, weakness, shame and condemnation. Whosoever preaches otherwise should be regarded by none as a servant of Christ or a steward of the divine treasurer; he should be avoided as a messenger of the devil.

Third Sunday in Advent


Joy Is the Natural Fruit of Faith

2. Joy is the natural fruit of faith. The apostle says elsewhere (Galatians 5:22-23): “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control.” Until the heart believes in God, it is impossible for it to rejoice in him. When faith is lacking, man is filled with fear and gloom and is disposed to flee at the very mention, the mere thought, of God. Indeed, the unbelieving heart is filled with enmity and hatred against God. Conscious of its own guilt, it has no confidence in his gracious mercy; it knows God is an enemy to sin and will terribly punish the same.

Fourth Sunday in Advent


The Gospel Promise

5. But what does the Gospel promise other than that Christ is given for us; that he bears our sins; that he is our Bishop, Mediator, and Advocate before God, and that thus only through him and his work is God reconciled, are our sins forgiven and our consciences set free and made glad? When this sort of faith in the Gospel really exists in the heart, God is recognized as favorable and pleasing. The heart confidently

Fourth Sunday in Advent


Peace from God

38. Note the beautiful logic and order of Paul’s teaching. The Christian is first to rejoice in God through faith and then show forbearance or kindness, to men. Should he ask, “How can I?” Paul answers, “The Lord is at hand.” “But how if I be persecuted and robbed?” Paul’s reply is, “In nothing be anxious. Pray to God. Let him care.” “But meanwhile I shall become weary and desolate.” “Not so; the peace of God shall keep you.” Let us now consider the last thought.

Fourth Sunday in Advent


The Text Summarized

44. Briefly, this text is a lesson in Christian living, in the attitude of the Christian toward God and man. It teaches us to let God be everything to us, and to treat all men alike, to conduct ourselves toward men as does God toward us, receiving from him and giving to them. It may be summed up in the words “faith” and “love.”

Fourth Sunday in Advent

Feeding and Defending, Bread and Weapon

1. It is written in the book of Nehemiah (Nehemiah 4) that the Jews, in rebuilding Jerusalem, wrought with one hand and with the other held the sword, because of the enemy who sought to hinder the building. Paul in Titus 1:9 carries out the thought of the symbol in this teaching that a bishop, a pastor, or a preacher, should be mighty in the Holy Scriptures to instruct and admonish as well as to resist the gainsayers. Accordingly, we are to make a twofold use of the Word of God: as both bread and weapon; for feeding and for resisting; in peace and in war. With one hand we must build, improve, teach and feed all Christendom; with the other, oppose the devil, the heretics, the world. For where the pasture is not defended, the devil will soon destroy it; he is bitterly opposed to God’s Word. Let us then, God granting us his grace, so handle the Gospel that not only shall the souls of men be fed, but men shall learn to put on that Gospel as armor and fight their enemies. Thus shall it furnish both pasture and weapons.

First Christmas Sermon


Godless Hypocrites in Sheep’s Clothing

13. In this expression is also condemned the conduct of godless hypocrites, who, though they may be clad in sheep’s clothing and sometimes refrain from an evil deed through cowardice or shame or through fear of heirs punishment, are nevertheless filled with evil desires for wealth, honor and power. No one loves life more dearly, fears death more terribly and desires more ardently to remain in this world than do they; yet they fail to recognize the worldly lusts wherein they are drowned, and their many works are vainly performed. It is not enough to put away wordly works and speech; worldly desires, or lusts, must be removed. We are not to place our affections upon the things of this life, but all our use of it should be with a view to the future life; as follows in the text: “Looking for the...appearing of the glory,” etc.

First Christmas Sermon


God Does Not Require Churches Built, But…

27. The way of God does not require us to build churches and cathedrals, to make pilgrimages, to hear mass, and so on. God requires a heart moved by his grace, a life mistrustful of all ways not emanating from grace. Nothing more can one render God than such loyalty. All else is rather his gift to us. He says (Psalm 50:14-15), in effect: “Think not, O Israel, I inquire after thy gifts and offerings; for everything in heaven and earth is mine. This is the service I require of thee: to offer unto me thanksgiving and pay thy vows. Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.”

First Christmas Sermon


Strong Unquestionable Security

45. Here is strong, unquestionable security. But our connection with it depends upon the steadfastness of our faith. Christ certainly will not waver. He is absolutely steadfast. We should, then, urge and enforce faith by our preaching and in our working and suffering, ever making it firm and constant. Works avail nothing here. The evil spirit will assail only our faith, well knowing that upon it depends all. How unfortunate our failure to perceive our advantage! for we ignore the Gospel with its saving grace.

First Christmas Sermon


Shaming All Hypocrites

59. Before the testimony of this text, all hypocrites, all ecclesiastics, must lie prostrate in defeat, no matter how much they may have fasted, prayed, watched and toiled. These exertions will avail naught; ungodliness and worldly lusts will still survive in them. Though shame may cause them to conceal evil expression, the heart is still impure. Could our works, apparel, cloisters, fasting and prayers render us godly, the apostle might more properly have said that a prayer or a fast, a pilgrimage or an order, or something else, had appeared teaching us to be godly. But emphatically it is none of these; it is the appearing of saving grace. This, this alone, nothing else, renders us godly.

First Christmas Sermon


What God Has Done for Us


These Two Words – Kindness and Love

8. These two words are to be accepted with their full and broad import. No distinction of person, as prevails among men, is to be made: for divine love and kindness is not secured by human merit; it is of God’s grace alone and given to all that bear the name of man, however insignificant. God loves not what is characteristic of one person, but of all. He is partial not to one, but kind to all. Therefore a man’s honor is perfectly maintained, and no one can boast of his worthiness, or need despair because of his unworthiness. All mankind may be equally comforted in the unmerited grace God kindly and humanely offers and applies.Had there ever been a meritorious individual or a work worthy of consideration, it surely would have been found among the doers of “works of righteousness.” But Paul rejects especially these, saying, “not by works of righteousness which we have done.” How much less reason have we to think the kindness and love of God has appeared in consequence of man’s wisdom, power, nobility, wealth and the color of his hair! The grace which cancels all our boasted honor, ascribing glory alone to God who freely bestows it upon the unworthy, is pure as well as great.

Second Christmas Sermon


Believing and Loving

9. This epistle instills the two further principles of believing and loving — receiving favors from God and granting favors to our neighbors. The entire Scriptures enforce these two precepts, and the practice of one requires the practice of the other. He who does not firmly believe in God’s grace assuredly will not extend kindness to his neighbor, but will be tardy and indifferent in aiding him. In proportion to the strength of his faith will be his willingness and industry in helping his neighbor. Thus faith incites love, and love increases faith.

Second Christmas Sermon

 

Can Only Laugh for Joy

13. But if you possess faith, your heart cannot do otherwise than laugh for joy in God, and grow free, confident and courageous. For how can the heart remain sorrowful and dejected when it entertains no doubt of God’s kindness to it, and of his attitude as a good friend with whom it may unreservedly and freely enjoy all things? Such joy and pleasure must follow faith; if they are not ours, certainly something is wrong with our faith. This act of faith the apostle in Galatians terms “receiving the Holy Spirit” in and through the Gospel. The Gospel is a message concerning the love and mercy of God so gracious as to bring with it to preacher and hearer the presence of the Holy Spirit; just as the rays of the sun bear in themselves, and transmit, heat.

Second Christmas Sermon


Share the Grace, Bear the Cross, Be Called Heretic and Insane

16. Your first desire will be that all men may obtain the same knowledge of divine grace. Hence your love will not be restrained from serving all to the fullest extent, preaching and proclaiming the divine truth wherever possible, and rejecting all doctrine and life not in harmony with this teaching. But take note, the devil and the world, unwilling that their devices be rejected, cannot endure the knowledge of what you do. They will oppose you with everything great, learned, wealthy and powerful, and represent you as a heretic and insane. Mark you, you will be brought to the cross for the sake of the truth, as was Christ your Lord. You will have to endure the extremity of reproach. You must endanger all your property, friends and honor, your body and life, until thrust out of this life into eternity. In the midst of these trials, however, rejoice, cheerfully enduring all. Regard your enemies with the utmost charity. Act kindly, ever remembering you yourself were once as they are in the sight of God. Faith and love certainly can do it. Note this: the truly Christian life is that which does for others as God has done for itself.

Second Christmas Sermon


God’s Grace Causes All This

37. We see how all these sayings overthrow works and presumptuous human mandates, and make clear the nature of faith, how the individual instantaneously and fully receives grace and is saved, works not aiding him in the matter but following as a result. Salvation by grace would be perfectly illustrated were God to produce from a dry log a live, green tree, the tree then to bring forth natural fruit. God’s grace is powerful and effective. It does not, as visionary preachers presume to teach, lie dormant in the soul;. nor is it an accessory to works, as the paint is an accessory to the wood. No, not so; it carries, it leads, drives, draws, changes. It effects all in man, making itself felt. Though concealed, its works are manifest.
Words and works show where it is present, as the leaves and the fruit indicate the nature of the tree.

Second Christmas Sermon


So Bountiful the Measure of Grace

45. Were such the case, Paul here must have spoken inconsiderately and might justly be accused of falsehood. But so bountifully does he represent to us the measure of grace, clearly no one can rely too much upon the washing of regeneration; it is of unlimited importance. No one can place too much confidence in it; there is always occasion for more. For God has embraced, in the Word and in faith, blessings too great for mortal life to comprehend or to receive were they to manifest themselves. As revelation begins, the individual dies; he passes out of this life, swallowed up in the blessings he now by faith apprehends in very limited measure. Thus more than abundantly are we justified and saved without works if we only believe.

Second Christmas Sermon


Guard Against False Preachers

60. Let us learn from this epistle how precious is the Gospel that proclaims these benefits, and what injury and destruction of souls they effect who silently ignore the Gospel and preach the works of the Law, yes, their own human doctrines. Guard, then, against false preachers and also against false faith. Rely not upon yourself, nor upon your faith. Flee to Christ; keep under his wings; remain under his shelter. Let his righteousness and grace, not yours, be your refuge. You are to be made an heir of eternal life, not by the grace you have yourself received, but, as Paul says here, by Christ’s grace. Again, it is said in Psalm 91:4, “He will cover thee with his pinions, and under his wings shalt thou take refuge.” And in the Song of Solomon 2:14, “O my dove, that art in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the steep place.” That is, in the wounds of Christ the soul is preserved. Observe, true Christian faith does not take refuge in itself, as the sophists dream, but flees to Christ and is preserved under him and in him.

Second Christmas Sermon


The Divinity of Christ in Hebrews

This is a strong, forcible, noble epistle, preeminently and emphatically teaching the great article of faith concerning the Godhead, or the divinity of Christ. The presumption that it was not written by Paul is somewhat plausible, because the style is unusually ornamental for him. Some are of the opinion it was written by Luke; others by Apollos, whom Luke represents as “mighty in the Scriptures,” opposing the Jews. Acts 18:24 and 28. Certain it is, no epistle enforces the Scriptures with greater power than does this. Hence it is evident the author was an eminent apostolic individual, whoever he was. Now, the object of the epistle is to establish and promote faith in the divinity of Christ, and, as already stated, scarce any portion of the Bible more strongly enforces this article of our creed. We must, therefore, confine ourselves to its words and treat it in regular order, item by item.

Third Christmas Sermon, #1


17. If these things are beyond the grasp of our reason, reason must surrender as a captive to these and like Scripture words, and believe. Could we comprehend this mystery by human reason, there would be no faith. Clearly enough, the words, “Through whom also he made the worlds,” make mentions of two Beings. And it is not less clear that the uncreated one through whom all things were made, also must be God. Just how this can be, the Scriptures do not teach. It must be received by faith. The Scriptures speak after this fashion: “The world is created through Christ, by the Father, in the Holy Spirit”; and though the meaning is not wholly clear, and easy of comprehension, there is good reason for the language. It is employed more by way of intimation than explanation — to imply that the Father derives not his substance from the Son, but the Son from the Father; and that the latter is the first original person in the Godhead.

Third Christmas Sermon



The Tongue Should Be Silent

25. You will notice the verse is even now clearer than the explanation. “The image of his substance,” “the effulgence of his glory” — these Paul’s sayings are clear enough. The tongue should be silent here to allow the heart to reflect.

Third Christmas Sermon


He dwells within us because of, and by, our faith, daily continuing to cleanse us by his own operation…

32. The apostle says “our,” “our sins;” not his own sin, not the sins of unbelievers. Purification is not for, and cannot profit, him who does not believe. Nor did Christ effect the cleansing by our free will, our reason or power, our works, our contrition or repentance, these all being worthless in the sight of God’, he effects it by himself. And how? By taking our sins upon himself on the holy cross, as Isaiah 53:6 tells us.

33. But even this answer does not sufficiently explain how he cleanses us “by himself.” To go further: When we accept him, when we believe he has purified us, he dwells within us because of, and by, our faith, daily continuing to cleanse us by his own operation; and nothing apart from Christ in any way contributes to the purification of our sins. Note, he does not dwell in us, nor work our cleansing through himself, by any other way than in and through our faith.

Third Christmas Sermon


Sin So Great that the Exalted One Must Intervene

35. Having once possessed faith, and purification being effected in us by Christ, we are then to perform good works, hating our sins and repenting of them. Under these conditions our works are really good. Before faith is present, they avail naught; rather they induce false confidence and trust. So heinous an evil are our sins, and so enormous is the cost of their purification, it was necessary that one exalted as we here read Christ was, must intervene to purge them by himself. What could the poor, vain attempts of us who are creatures, and besides sinful, feeble, corrupt creatures, accomplish where the demand was of such magnitude? One might as reasonably presume to burn heaven and earth with an extinguished brand. Our sins can be expiated only by a price commensurate with the God they offend. “Sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; having become by so much better than the angels, as he hath inherited a more excellent name than they.”

Third Christmas Sermon


Christ Opens Our Understanding

68. So we see this whole epistle lesson is simply armor to clearly maintain the article of faith that Christ is God, and Lord over all things even in his humanity. We note with amazement the perfect clearness of the Scripture teaching and that the defect is in ourselves, unperceived. Well does Luke speak (Luke 24:32) of Christ’s opening the understanding of the disciples to comprehend the Scriptures. It was not the Scriptures he opened, but their understanding; the former is plain, but our eyes are not fully open.

Third Christmas Sermon


The Brothel Keeper Is Better Than a False Preacher

16. The keeper of a public brothel is less a sinner than the preacher who does not deliver the true Gospel, and the brothel is not so bad as the false preacher’s Church. Even were the proprietor of the brothel daily to prostitute virgins, godly wives and nuns, awful and abominable as such action would be, he would not be any worse nor would he work more harm than those papistical preachers.

17. Does this astonish you? Remember, the false preacher’s doctrine effects nothing but daily to lead astray and to violate souls newly born in baptism — young Christians, tender souls, the pure, consecrated virgin brides of Christ. Since the evil is wrought spiritually, not bodily, no one observes it; but God is beyond measure displeased. In his wrath he cries, through the prophets, in unmistakable terms, Thou harlot who invitest every passerby! So little can God tolerate false preaching. Jeremiah in his prayer (Lamentations 5:11) makes this complaint, “They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.” Now, spiritual virginity, the Christian faith, is immeasurably superior to bodily purity; for it alone can obtain heaven.

St. Stephen’s Day


Love of God Requires Rebuking the Opposers of God

27. But who today would the world tolerate were he to attempt such censure of the Papists? Stephen’s love for God constrained him to his act. No one who possesses the same degree of love can be silent and calmly permit the rejection of God’s commandments. He cannot dissemble. He must censure and rebuke every opposer of God. Such conduct he cannot permit even if he risks his life to rebuke it. Love of this kind the Scriptures term “zelum Dei,” a holy indignation. For rejection of God’s commands is a slight upon his love and intolerably disparages the honor and obedience due him, honor and obedience which the zealous individual ardently seeks to promote. We have an instance of such a one in the prophet Elijah, who was remarkable for his holy indignation against the false prophets.

St. Stephen’s Day


Stephen an Example – Laymen Can Preach

34. The precedent of Stephen holds good. His example gives all men authority to preach wherever they can find hearers, whether it be in a building or at the market-place. He does not confine the preaching of God’s Word to bald pates and long gowns. At the same time he does not interfere with the preaching of the apostles. He attends to the duties of his own office and is readily silent where it is the place of the apostles to preach.

St. Stephen’s Day


Knelt To Pray for His Murderers

36. In the second place, Stephen’s conduct is a beautiful example of love for fellowmen in that he entertains no ill will toward even his murderers.
However severely he rebukes them in his zeal for the honor of God, such is the kindly feeling he has for them that in the very agonies of death, having made provision for himself by commending his Spirit to God, he has no further thought about himself but is all concern for them. Under the influence of that love he yields up his spirit. Not undesignedly does Luke place Stephen’s prayer for his murderers at the close of the narrative. Note also, when praying for himself and commending his spirit to God he stood, but he knelt to pray for his murderers. Further, he cried with a loud voice as he prayed for them, which he did not do for himself.

St. Stephen’s Day


Permit God To Work and Believe in His Wonders

47. It matters not whether or no we fully comprehend how such a vision is effected. It is not intended that the wonders of God be brought within our grasp; they are manifested to induce in us belief and confidence. Explain to me, ye of boasted wisdom, how the comparatively large apple or pear or cherry can be grown through the tiny stem; or even explain less mysterious things. But permit God to work; believe in his wonders and do not presume to bring him within your comprehension.

St. Stephen’s Day

 

Where Faith Exists, Its Fruits Must Follow

Well may the evangelist say Stephen was full of faith and power. Power here implies activity. Luke would says, “His faith was great; hence his many and mighty works.” For when faith truly exists, its fruits must follow. The greater the faith, the more abundant its fruits.

St. Stephen’s Day, #48


Let Works Be Alike

9. All the world talks about doing good, but if you would know how, listen: Do not as the fools who consider various works with intent to choose such as are in their own conceptions good, and to reject such as they deem bad, thus making a distinction of the works themselves. Do not so. Let works be alike; regard one the same as another. Fear God and be just — as already advised — and then perform the duty that presents itself. Then all will be well done, it matters not if it be the duties of a hostler or a teamster.

St. John’s Day


The Nature of Faith Is Commended and Illustrated

34. This epistle lesson harmonizes beautifully with the Gospel selection.
Here Righteousness receives the individual as a virtuous mother receives her child, or the bride her bridegroom. Thus, too, Christ took John to his breast as the beloved disciple. In both selections the nature of faith is commended and illustrated.

St. John’s Day



How God Was Godly and Acceptable – Not by Works

3. Therefore, it is settled that no one is justified by works; he must first be justified by other means. Moses says (Genesis 4:4-5), “Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering.” First, he had respect to Abel the person, and then to his offering. Abel being godly, just and acceptable in person, his offering was acceptable. The sacrifice was accepted because of the person, and not the person because of the sacrifice. “But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect.” In the first place, God had not respect unto Cain the person; hence later he respected not his offering. From this quotation we may conclude it is impossible for any work to be good in God’s sight unless the worker first be good and acceptable. Conversely, it is impossible for any work to be evil before God unless the worker first be evil and not acceptable.

The Sunday after Christmas


Madam Huldah Attributes All Merit to Works

7. In the second place, Madam Huldah, basing her position simply on works and attaching very little importance to the justified individual, proceeds still further and attributes all merit and supreme righteousness to the works following justification. She quotes James 2:26, “Faith apart from works is dead.” Not understanding this statement, she undervalues faith. Consequently she continues to hold to good works, presuming to require of God acceptance of the doer for the sake of the works. So the two continually strive against one another. God respects the individual, Cain the works. God rewards the works for the sake of the doer; Cain would have the doer crowned because of his works.

The Sunday after Christmas


Only Faith Can Make Us Children

23. The apostle’s design is to make plain the fact that, lacking faith, the Law, with all its works, constitutes us simply servants. Only faith can make us children. Not the Law, nor the works of the Law, nor human nature can create faith within us; the Gospel alone brings it. It is present when we give ear to the Gospel, the Word of grace, which Word is accompanied by the Holy Spirit when preached and heard in quiet sincerity. Witness the example of Cornelius and his family (Acts 10:44), who received the Holy Spirit simply upon hearing Peter preach.

The Sunday after Christmas


The Heart Resents the Tutor

12. Similarly, God’s Law impels us, through fear of death and hell, to forsake many evils. Like a tutor, it holds us to an honorable outward life. But by the Law no one becomes righteous before God. The heart remains an enemy to its tutor, hates his chastisements and would prefer freedom.

New Year’s Day


Not Without Faith in Christ

40. He who is under the Law, and works unwillingly, is a servant, as the preceding sermon declares. But whosoever has faith and cheerfully works, is a child; for he has received the Spirit of God, through Christ. Now, the apostle names Christ, referring to the faith that believes and abides in Jesus Christ. No other faith is effective, no other faith is the right faith, let one believe in God as he will.

New Year’s Day


Awful Wrath of God

49. Of olden time, many prophesied that in Antichrist’s day all heretics would unite in the extermination of the whole world. And today, under the rule of the Pope and the Turk, heresy has full sway. In the rejection and condemnation of Christ and the entire Scriptures, a rejection leaving nothing but the name, is easily proven that all heresies, errors and darkness existing from the beginning of the world, now reign. I often have fears for the condemnation of all men of the present age except those who die in their cradles. Yet no one sees and deplores the awful wrath of God overhanging us.

New Year’s Day


Putting on Christ

52. But what is meant by “putting on Christ?” The faithless will readily reply, “It means to follow Christ, imitating his example.” But in the same way I might put on Peter, or Paul, or any saint, and thus nothing special would be said of Christ. We will let faith speak here; it is faith which Paul so beautifully suggests in the words “put on.” Naturally, until baptism the individual has never followed Christ. In baptism he begins to follow. Therefore, Christ must be “put on” before he can be followed. And essentially there is a marked difference between putting on Christ and following his example. Reference is to a spiritual putting on - in the conscience. This is effected by the soul receiving as its own Christ and all his righteousness, and confidently relying on these as if it had itself earned them; just as one ordinarily receives his apparel. This spiritual reception is the putting on; such is the nature and character of true faith.

New Year’s Day


The Most Erroneous Are the Most Rational

16. Here the prophet clearly implies that wherever Christ is not, there darkness exists, whatever the appearance of brilliance. Nor does he allow the medium devised by the high schools, which say that between darkness and Christ exists the light of nature and of human reason. They ascribe darkness only to the grossly wicked and the weak-minded. They highly value this mediatory light, claiming it is a sufficient preparation for the light of Christ, and that although it is darkness in comparison to the light of Christ, yet it is in itself light. They do not perceive how far they err in imagining themselves enlightened. Usually the most erroneous of the schools are the most rational. “The sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light,” as Christ says in Luke 16:8. Yet they of the schools are not nearer the true light than are others. Rather they are farther from it. This could not be if the light of reason were helpful in obtaining the true light. Devils are wiser, more artful and crafty, than men; yet they are not therefore better. No, that kind of light is always at enmity with the true light. As Paul tells us (Romans 8:7): “The mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be.”

The Day of Epiphany


Leaders Were Once Christian

34. This prophecy of Isaiah had strong fulfillment in former times. Many of the nobility and of high standing among the gentiles embraced Christianity. Today, however, so perverted are these nations by the Turks and the Pope, the prophecy seems to have little bearing. And it is a remarkable fact that even other heathen nations have been led astray by the converted gentiles. But it is revealed that Antichrist shall mislead the entire Christ-restored world.

The Day of Epiphany


Persecution Promotes the Gospel

41. To accomplish an object with eminent success through the instrumentality of an enemy is characteristic of the divine hand. By the very fact of their furious attempts to exterminate the Word and the people of God, men but destroy themselves and only further God’s Word and his people. Therefore, it is good and profitable, to have enemies and persecutors for the sake of the faith and the Word of God. Incalculable comfort and benefit result. Psalm 2:1 is in point here: “Why do the nations rage, and the peoples meditate a vain thing” against Christ? The thought is, they violently strive to exterminate Christ, and fail to see that in so doing they but strengthen him.

The Day of Epiphany


To Praise Ourselves Is Blindness

58. Finally, Isaiah says, “They shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah.” The true, the special, work of a Christian is to confess his sins and his shame, and to proclaim God’s grace and work in himself. No man who fails to behold God’s grace and this light of the Gospel, can show forth God’s honor and praise. No man who clings to his own light, his own human nature, who values his own works, his own efforts, can perceive the grace of God. He continues in his old, blind dead Adam nature. He does not rise to behold the light; he prefers to sound his own praises. Isaiah exalts the people of wealthy Arabia because they are true Christians who proclaim only the praises of Jehovah, taught to do so undoubtedly by the light of grace and the Gospel.


The Day of Epiphany

My experiences in the mission field of South Dakota during the years 1892-1897 by Frank Albert Kiess, (1867-1942) - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry

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My experiences in the mission field of South Dakota during the years 1892-1897 by Frank Albert Kiess, (1867-1942) - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry:



"“Cyclones are very common in Dakota. I witnessed a cyclone when I was about 15 miles from shelter of any kind – out in the open prairie. When the first hail began to come down I hurriedly unhitched the ponies and let them go wherever their instinct directed them. I took down the top of the buggy and piled stones in the buggy to weight it down, then I wrapped myself from head to foot in a blanket."



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The LCMS, ELS, WELS - and ELCA! - Agree on Objective Justification

Luther's Concluding Statement for St. Stephen's Day

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 Rembrandt - The Stoning of St. Stephen, 1625
Luther opened his sermon saying - "Faith alone renders us godly; faith alone builds the temple of God — the believing hearts." #1

48. Who can number the virtues illustrated in Stephen’s example? There loom up all the fruits of the Spirit. We find love, faith, patience, benevolence, peace, meekness, wisdom, truth, simplicity, strength, consolation, philanthropy. We see there also hatred and censure for all forms of evil. We note a disposition not to value worldly advantage nor to dread the terrors of death. Liberty, tranquility and all the noble virtues and graces are in evidence. There is no virtue but is illustrated in this example; no vice it does not rebuke. Well may the evangelist say Stephen was full of faith and power. Power here implies activity. Luke would says, “His faith was great; hence his many and mighty works.” For when faith truly exists, its fruits must follow. The greater the faith, the more abundant its fruits.

49. True faith is a strong, active and efficacious principle. Nothing is impossible to it. It rests not nor hesitates. Stephen, because of the superior activity of his faith, performed not merely ordinary works, but wrought wonders and signs publicly — great wonders and signs, as Luke says. This is written for a sign that the inactive individual lacks in faith, and has no right to boast of having it. Not undesignedly is the word “faith” placed before the word “power.” The intention was to show that works are evidence of faith, and that without faith nothing good can be accomplished.Faith must be primary in every act. To this end may God assist us. Amen.

Volume 6, Epistles, St. Stephen's Day

Pope Francis Honors Dutch Abortion Activist with Pontifical Medal of Knighthood. Ploumen Lobbied for the HonorThe UniSynod Loves This Pope - ELCA-WELS-ELS-LCMS-CLC (sic)

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Pope Francis Honors Dutch Abortion Activist with Pontifical Medal of Knighthood:



"Pope Francis has conferred the title of “Commander of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great” on Lilianne Ploumen, a Dutch politician and vocal agitator for abortion rights.
Last year, Ploumen founded a pro-abortion organization called She Decides, which offers funding and support for international NGOs that provide, facilitate or campaign for abortion.

In an email to the Catholic Herald, Ms. Ploumen said that she was “very honoured” by the pontifical medal, which was sent via the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs last month.

In an interview with Dutch radio, Ploumen said she views the honor as a sign of the pope’s progressivism, as well as acknowledgement for her work in supporting abortion rights.

Ms. Ploumen said that the award came after much personal investment in contacts with the Vatican, which she defined as “lobbying.”

“Yes, because you know, the Vatican, especially under prior popes, had a rather rigid attitude when it came to the rights of girls and women,” she said.

The Order of St Gregory the Great was founded by Pope Gregory XVI in 1831, under the patronage of Pope St Gregory I. It is bestowed on those who have distinguished themselves in public service or given support to the Church."

 This pedophile Archbishop - Weakland - was the honored speaker at Wisconsin Lutheran College - WELS: Rembert Weakland. WLC tried to lie their way out of this, but it was a public lecture promoted all over Milwaukee - not that this particular detail mattered that much.


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Luther on Two Examples of Faith and Love. Matthew 8:1-13. Third Sunday after Trinity

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 Norma A. Boeckler


THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.


TEXT: Matthew 8:1-13. And when he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou made clean. And straightway his leprosy was cleansed. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

And when he was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, Lord, my servant lieth in the house sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And he saith unto him, I will come and heal him. And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

For I also am a man under authority, having under myself soldiers: and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.

And when Jesus heard it, he marveled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And the servant was healed in that hour.


I. TWO EXAMPLES OF FAITH AND LOVE.

1. Two examples of faith and love are taught in this Gospel: one by the leper, the other by the centurion. Let us first consider the leper. This leper would not have been so bold as to go to the Lord and ask to be cleansed, if he had not trusted and expected with his whole heart, that Christ would be kind and gracious and would cleanse him. For because he was a leper, he had reason to be timid. Moreover the law forbids lepers to mingle with the people. Nevertheless he approaches, regardless of law and people, and of how pure and holy Christ is.

2. Here behold the attitude of faith toward Christ: it sets before itself absolutely nothing but the pure goodness and free grace of Christ, without seeking and bringing any merit. For here it certainly cannot be said, that the leper merited by his purity to approach Christ, to speak to him and to invoke his help. Nay, just because he feels his impurity and unworthiness, he approaches all the more and looks only upon the goodness of Christ.

This is true faith, a living confidence in the goodness of God. The heart that does this, has true faith; the heart that does it not, has not true faith; as they do who keep not the goodness of God and that alone in sight, but first look around for their own good works, in order to be worthy of God’s grace and to merit it. These never become bold to call upon God earnestly or to draw near to him.

3. Now this confidence of faith or knowledge of the goodness of Christ would never have originated in this leper by virtue of his own reason, if he had not first heard a good report about Christ, namely, how kind, gracious and merciful he is, ready to help and befriend, comfort and counsel every one that comes, to him. Such a report must undoubtedly have come to his ears, and from this fame he derived courage, and turned and interpreted the report to his own advantage. He applied this goodness to his own need and concluded with all confidence: To me also he will be as kind as his fame and good report declare. His faith therefore did not grow out of his reason, but out of the report he heard of Christ, as St. Paul says: “Belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the Word (or report) of Christ.” Romans 10:17.

4. This is the Gospel that is the beginning, middle and end of everything good and of all salvation. For we have often heard that we must first hear the Gospel, and after that believe and love and do good works; not first do good works and so reverse the order, as the teachers of works do. But the Gospel is a good report, saying or fame of Christ, how he is all goodness, love and grace, as can be said of no other man or saint. For even if other saints have a good report and reputation, it is nevertheless not the Gospel, unless it tells alone of the goodness and grace of Christ; and if it should include other saints also, it is no longer the Gospel. For the Gospel builds faith and confidence alone upon the rock, Jesus Christ.

5. You see therefore that this example of the leper fights for faith and against works. For as Christ helps him out of pure grace through faith without any works or merits of his own, so he does for every man, and would have all to think thus of him and expect from him like aid. And if this leper had said: “Behold, Lord, I have prayed and fasted so much; I beg you to look upon this and on account of it make me clean” – if he had come in this manner, Christ would never have cleansed him. For such a person does not rest upon God’s grace, but upon his own merit. In this way God’s grace is not praised, loved, magnified nor desired; but one’s own works deprive God of his honor and rob him of that which is his. This is to kiss the hand and to deny God, as Job 31:27-28 says: “If my mouth hath kissed my hand; this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judges; for I should have denied God that is above;” and Isaiah 2:8: “They worship the work of their own hands,” that is, the honor and confidence they ought to give to God, they attribute to their own work.

6. Furthermore the example of love is presented here in the love of Christ to the leper. For you see here, how love makes a servant of Christ, so that he helps the poor man freely without any reward, and seeks neither advantage, favor nor honor thereby, but only the good of the poor man and the honor of God the Father. For this reason he also forbids him to tell anyone, in order that it may be a pure, sincere work of free and gracious love.

7. This is what I have often said, that faith makes of us lords, and love makes of us servants,. Indeed, by faith we become gods and partakers of the divine nature and name, as is said in Psalm 82:6: “I said, Ye are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High.” But through love we become equal to the poorest. According to faith we are in need of nothing, and have an abundance; according to love we are servants of all. By faith we receive blessings from above, from God; through love we give them out below, to our neighbor. Even as Christ in his divinity stood in need of nothing, but in his humanity served everybody who had need of him. Of this we have spoken often enough, namely, that we also must by faith be born God’s sons and gods, lords and kings, even as Christ is born true God of the Father in eternity; and again, come out of ourselves by love and help our neighbors with kind deeds, even as Christ became man to help us all.

And as Christ is not God, because he first merited divinity by his works or attained to it through his incarnation, but has it by birth, without any works, even before he became man; so we also have not merited by works or love sonship with God, so that our sins are forgiven, and death and hell cannot injure us; but without works and before our love, we have received it in the Gospel by grace through faith. And as Christ first became man to serve us after being God from eternity; so we also do good and exercise love to our neighbor, after we have become pious, free from sin, alive, saved, and sons of God by faith. Let this suffice concerning the first example, the leper.

8. The other example is like it in respect to faith and love. For this centurion also has a heartfelt confidence in Christ, and sets before his eyes nothing but the goodness and grace of Christ; otherwise he would not have come to him, or he would not have sent to him, as Luke 7:3 says.

Likewise he would not have had this bold confidence, if he had not first heard of the goodness and grace of Christ. In this instance also the Gospel is the beginning and incentive of his confidence and faith.

9. Here we learn again, that we must begin with the Gospel and believe it and not look upon any merit or work of our own as this centurion also advanced no merit or work, but only his confidence in the goodness of Christ. So we see that all the works of Christ exhibit examples of the Gospel, of faith and of love.

10. We also observe the example of love, how Christ freely shows him kindness, without any request or reward, as was said above. Moreover, the centurion also shows an example of love, in that he took pity upon his servant as upon himself, even as Christ also has had compassion upon us, and did the good deed freely, solely for the benefit of the servant, as Luke 7:2 says, he did it because the servant was dear to him; just as if he said: The love and affection, which he bore to him, impelled him to consider his need and to do this. Let us also do likewise, and see to it that we do not deceive ourselves and rest satisfied in that we now have the Gospel, and yet have no regard for our neighbor in his need. This having been said of these two examples, we will now also examine some details of the text.

II. THE EXPLANATION OF TWO THOUGHTS IN THIS GOSPEL.

11. When the leper here limits his prayer and says: “Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.” it is not to be understood as if he doubted the goodness and grace of Christ. For such a faith would be of no value, even if he believed that Christ was almighty, and was able to do and know all things. For that is living faith, which does not doubt that God is also good to us and is graciously willing to do what we ask. But it is to be understood in this way: faith does not doubt the good will God has toward a person, by which he wishes him every good; but it is not known to us, whether what faith asks and presents, is good and useful for us; God alone knows this,. Therefore faith prays in a way that it submits all to the gracious will of God, whether it is for his honor and our good, and yet it does not doubt that God will grant it, or, if it cannot be granted, that his divine will withholds it in great grace, because he sees it is better not to bestow it. But in all this faith nevertheless remains certain and sure of God’s gracious, will, whether he gives or withholds, as St. Paul also says in Romans 8:26, we know not how to pray as we ought, and as the Lord’s Prayer bids us to prefer his will and to pray for it.

12. This is what we have often said: we ought to believe without doubting and without limiting the divine goodness; but we ought to pray with the limitation, that it may be his honor, his kingdom and will, in order that we may not limit his will to time, place, measure or name, but leave all that freely to him. For this reason the prayer of the leper pleased the Lord so well and was soon heard. For where we submit to his will, and seek what is acceptable to him, he cannot refrain from doing in return what is acceptable to us. Faith inclines his favor to us, and submissive prayer inclines him to grant us what we pray for. As to the sending of the leper to the priests, why it was done and what it signified, enough has been said in the Postil of the ten lepers.

13. However, the saying of Christ: “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel,” has been discussed with solicitude, lest it should imply that Christ did not speak truly or that the Mother of God and the apostles were inferior to this centurion. Although I might say here that Christ is speaking of the people of Israel, among whom he had preached and to whom he had come, and that therefore his mother and disciples were excluded, because they traveled with him and came with him to the people of Israel in his preaching, nevertheless I will abide by the words of the Lord and take them as they stand; and for the following reasons. First, it is contrary to no article of belief that this faith of the centurion was without a parallel among the apostles or in the Mother of God. But whenever no article of faith openly contradicts the words of Christ, they are to be taken literally, and are not to be adapted and bent by our interpretation, neither for the sake of any saint, or angel, nor of God himself. For his Word is the truth itself above all saints and angels.

14. Secondly, such interpretation and adaptation spring from a carnal mind and intention, namely to estimate the saints of God not according to God’s grace, but according to their person, worth and greatness; which is contrary to God, who estimates quite differently, according to his gifts alone. For he never granted to John the Baptist to perform miracles, John 10:41, as many inferior saints did. In short, he frequently does through inferior saints what he does not do through great saints. He concealed himself from his mother, when he was twelve years old, and suffered her to be in ignorance and error, Luke 2:43. On Easter Sunday he showed himself to Mary Magdalene, before he showed himself to his mother and the apostles, John 20:14. He spoke to the Samaritan woman, John 4:7, and to the woman taken in adultery, more kindly than he ever spoke to his own mother. John 8:10. And when Peter fell and denied him, the murderer on the cross stood firm in his faith.

15. By these and similar wonders he shows that he will not have his Spirit in his saints limited by us, and that we are not to judge according to the person. He wills to bestow his gifts freely, according to his pleasure and not according to our opinion, as St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:11.

Indeed even of himself he says in John 14:12: “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do.” The purpose of all this is to prevent men from being presumptuous toward others and from elevating one saint above another and creating divisions. All are to be equal in the grace of God, however unequal they are in his gifts. It is his will to do through St. Stephen what he does not do through St. Peter, and through St. Peter what he does not do through his mother; so that it may be he alone who does all in all without distinction of person according to his will.

16. In this sense also is it to be understood that at the time of his preaching he found not such faith either in his mother or in the apostles, whether or not he found then or afterward greater faith in his mother and the apostles, or in many others. For it may easily be possible that at the time of his conception and birth he granted great faith to his mother, and afterwards never or seldom like great faith. At times he may have permitted it to decline, as he did when for three days she had lost him, Luke 2:48. He deals thus with all his saints; and if he did not, the saints would doubtless fall into presumption and make idols of themselves or we would make idols of them, and look more upon their worthiness and persons than upon God’s grace.

17. Now learn from this how foolish and void of understanding we are in regard to God’s works and wonders, when we despise the plain Christian man and think that only the “men with pointed mitres” and the learned know and understand God’s truth; whereas Christ here exalts this heathen with his faith above all his disciples. This is because we hold to persons and dignities, and not to God’s Word and grace. Therefore with persons and dignities we also plunge into every error, and then say, the Christian church and the councils have declared so; they cannot err, because they have the Holy Spirit. Meanwhile Christ is with those despised ones and gives dignitaries and councils over to the devil. Therefore note well, how Christ exalts this heathen. He surpasses Annas, Caiaphas and all the priests, scholars and saints, all of whom ought by right to be the pupils of this heathen, not to say that they ought never to be above him in their opinions and judgments. God sometimes grants to a great saint no faith and to a small saint great faith, in order that one may always esteem another better than himself. Romans 12:10.

III. THE DISCUSSION OF THE DOCTRINE OF PERSONAL FAITH AND THE FAITH OF OTHERS; ALSO, OF FAITH AND THE BAPTISM OF CHILDREN. “Lord, I am not worthy.”

18. Herein is the great faith of this heathen, that he knows salvation does not depend upon the bodily presence of Christ, for this does not avail, but upon the Word and faith. But the apostles did not yet know this, neither perhaps did his mother, but they clung to his bodily presence and were not willing to let it go, John 16:6. They did not cling to his Word alone. But this heathen is so fully satisfied with his Word, that he does not even desire his presence nor does he deem himself worthy of it. Moreover, he proves his strong faith by a comparison and says: I am a man and can do what I wish with mine own by a word; should not you be able to do what you wish by a word, because I am sure, and you also prove, that health and sickness, death and life are subject to you as my servants are to me?

Therefore also his servant was healed in that hour by the power of his faith.

19. Now since the occasion is offered and this Gospel requires it, we must say a little about alien faith and its power. For many are interested in this subject, especially on account of the little children, who are baptized and are saved not by their own, but by the faith of others; just as this servant was healed not by his own faith, but by the faith of his master. We have never yet treated of this matter; therefore we must treat of it now in order to anticipate, as much as in us lies, future danger and error.

20. First we must let the foundation stand firm and sure, that nobody will be saved by the faith or righteousness of another, but only by his own; and on the other hand nobody will be condemned for the unbelief or sins of another, but for his own unbelief; as the Gospel says clearly and distinctly in Mark 16:16: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” And Romans 1:17: “The righteous shall live by faith.” And John 3:16-18: “Whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. He that believeth on him is not judged: he that believeth not hath been judged already.” These are clear, public words, that every one must believe for himself, and nobody can help himself by the faith of others., without his own faith. From these passages we dare not depart and we must not deny them, let them strike where they may, and we ought rather let the world perish than change this divine truth. And if any plausible argument is made against it, that you are not able to refute, you must confess that you do not understand the matter and commit it to God, rather than admit anything contrary to these clear statements. Whatever may become of the heathen, Jews, Turks, little children and everything that exists, these words must be right and true.

21. Now the question is, what becomes of the young children, seeing that they have not yet reason and are not able to believe for themselves, because it is written in Romans 10:17: “Belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Little children neither hear nor understand the Word of God, and therefore they can have no faith of their own.

22. The sophists in the universities and the sects of the pope have invented the following answer to the question: Little children are baptized without their own faith, and on the faith of the Church, which the sponsors confess at the baptism; thereupon the infant receives in baptism the forgiveness of sins by the power and virtue of the baptism, and faith of its own is infused with grace, so that it becomes a new born child through the water and the Holy Spirit.

23. But if you ask them for the proof of this answer and where this is found in the Scriptures, it is found up the dark chimney, or they will point to their doctor’s hat and say: We are the highly learned doctors and we say so; therefore it is true, and you must not inquire any farther. For almost all their doctrine has no other foundation than their own dreams and imaginations. And when they prepare themselves most carefully, they drag in some quotation from St. Augustine or another holy father. But this is not enough in the things that concern the salvation of souls; for they themselves are, and all the holy fathers were, men. Who will be surety and guarantee that they speak the truth? Who will rely upon it and die by it?

For they say so without Scripture and the Word of God. Saints hither, and saints thither; if my soul is at stake, either to be lost or to be saved eternally, I cannot depend upon all the angels and saints put together, much less upon one or two saints, where they show us no Word of God.

24. From this falsehood they have gone farther and have even come to the point, where they have taught and still teach, that the sacraments have such power, that even if you have no faith and receive the sacrament (provided you have no intention to sin), you shall still receive the grace and the forgiveness of sins without faith. This they have inferred from the former opinion, that little children receive grace in this way without faith, solely by the virtue and power of the sacrament, as they dream. Therefore they also ascribe the same thing to adults and to all men, and utter such things from their own mind, and thereby they have in a masterly way eradicated and made void and unnecessary the Christian faith, and have set up human works alone by virtue of the power of the sacraments. On this subject I have said enough in what I wrote concerning the articles of the bull of Leo.

25. The holy ancient fathers have spoken somewhat better, although not clearly enough. They say nothing about this imaginary power of the sacraments, but they teach that little children are baptized in the faith of the Christian church. But since they do not explain thoroughly, how this Christian faith benefits the children, whether they thereby receive a faith of their own, or are baptized only upon the Christian faith, without faith of their own: the sophists rush in and interpret the language of the holy fathers to the effect, that children are baptized without faith of their own and receive grace solely by reason of the faith of the church. For they are enemies of faith; if only they can exalt works, faith must allow them to do so. They do not think for a moment, whether the holy fathers erred or they themselves understood the fathers aright.

26. Beware of this poison and error, even if it were the expressed opinion of all the fathers and councils; for it will not stand; it has no Scripture for its foundation, but only the imaginations and dreams of men. Moreover it is directly and manifestly opposed to the chief texts already mentioned, where Christ says: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” The conclusion from this is in short, baptism avails for nobody and is to be administered to nobody, unless he believes for himself; and without faith nobody is to be baptized, as St. Augustine himself says: Non sacramentum justficat, sed fides sacramenti (Not the sacrament justifies, but the faith of the sacrament).

27. Besides these there are others, like the brethren called Waldensians.

They teach that every one must believe for himself, and receive baptism or the Lord’s supper with his own faith; otherwise neither baptism nor the Lord’s supper is of any benefit to him. So far they speak and teach correctly. But it is a mockery of holy baptism, when they go on and baptize little children, although they teach that they have no faith of their own.

They thus sin against the second commandment, in that they consciously and deliberately take the name and Word of God in vain. Nor does the excuse help them which they plead, that children are baptized upon their future faith, when they come to the age of reason. For the faith must be present before or at least in the baptism; otherwise the child will not be delivered from the devil and sins.

28. Therefore if their opinion were correct, all that is done with the child in baptism is necessarily falsehood and mockery. For the baptizer asks whether the child believes, and the answer for the child is: Yes. And he asks whether it desires to be baptized, and the answer for the child is again:

Yes, Now nobody is baptized for the child, but it is baptized itself.

Therefore it must also believe itself, or the sponsors must speak a falsehood, when for it they say: I believe. Furthermore, the baptizer declares that it is born anew, has forgiveness of sins, is freed from the devil, and as a sign of this he puts on it a white garment, and deals with it in every way as with a new, holy child of God: all of which would necessarily be untrue, if the child had not its own faith. Indeed, it would be better never to baptize a child, than to trifle and juggle with God’s Word and sacrament, as if he were an idol or a fool.

29. Nor is it of any use that they make a threefold distinction in the kingdom of God: first, it is the Christian church; secondly, eternal life; thirdly, the Gospel; and then say children are baptized for the kingdom of heaven in the third and first sense. That is, they are baptized, not to be saved thereby and to receive forgiveness of sins; but they are received into the church and brought to the Gospel. All this amounts to nothing and is only an invention of their imagination. For it is not entering the kingdom of heaven, if I get among Christians and hear the Gospel. The heathen can also do that without baptism. This is not entering the kingdom of heaven, however, you may talk of the first, second and third sense of the kingdom of heaven. But being in the kingdom of heaven means to be a living member of the church, and not only to hear, but also to believe the Gospel.

Otherwise a man would be in the kingdom of heaven, just as if I threw a stick or stone among Christians, or as the devil is among them. All this is worth nothing.

30. It also follows from this, that the Christian church has two kinds of baptism, and that children have not the same baptism as adults.

Nevertheless St. Paul says there is only “one baptism, one Lord, one faith.” Ephesians 4:5: For if the baptism of children does not effect and bestow, what the baptism of adults effects and bestows, it is not the same baptism: it is indeed no baptism at all, but a sport and mockery of baptism, inasmuch as there is no baptism but that which saves. If one knows or believes that it does not save, he ought not to administer it. But if it is administered, it is not Christian baptism; for one does not believe, that it effects what baptism is to effect. Therefore it is another and foreign baptism. For this reason it were almost necessary, that the Waldensian brethren should have themselves baptized again, as they baptize our people again; because they not only receive baptism without faith, but even contrary to faith, and in mockery and dishonor of God administer another, foreign, unchristian baptism.

31. If now we cannot give a better answer to this question and prove that the little children themselves believe and have their own faith, my sincere counsel and judgment is, that we abstain altogether and the sooner the better, and never baptize a child, so that we may not mock and blaspheme the adorable majesty of God by such trifling and juggling with nothing in it.

Therefore we here conclude and declare that in baptism the children themselves believe and have their own faith, which God effects in them through the sponsors, when in the faith of the Christian church they intercede for them and bring them to baptism. And this is what we call the power of alien faith: not that anybody can be saved by it, but that through it as an intercession and aid he can obtain from God himself his own faith, by which he is saved. It may be compared to my natural life and death. If I am to live, I myself must be born, and nobody can be born for me to enable me to live; but mother and midwife can by their life aid me in birth and enable me to live. In the same way I myself must suffer death, if I am to die; but one can help to bring about my death, if he frightens me, or falls upon me, or chokes, crushes or suffocates me. In like manner, nobody can go to hell for me; but he can seduce me by false doctrine and life, so that I go thither by my own error, into which his error has led me. So nobody can go to heaven for me: but he can assist me, can preach, teach, govern, pray and obtain faith from God, through which I can go to heaven. This centurion was not healed of the palsy of his servant; but yet he brought it about that his servant was restored to health.

32. So here we also say, that children are not baptized in the faith of the sponsors or of the church; but the faith of sponsors and of the church prays and gains faith for them, in which they are baptized and believe for themselves. For this we have strong and firm Scripture proof, Matthew 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-16. When some brought little children to the Lord Jesus that he should touch them, and the disciples forbade them, he rebuked the disciples, and embraced the children, and laid his hands upon them and blessed them, and said: “To such belongeth the kingdom of God” etc. These passages nobody will take from us, nor refute with good proof. For here is written: Christ will permit no one to forbid that little children should be brought to him; nay, he bid them to be brought to him, and blesses them and gives to them the kingdom of heaven. Let us give due heed to this Scripture.

33. This is undoubtedly written of natural children. The interpretation of Christ’s words, as if he had meant only spiritual children, who are small in humility, will not stand. For they were small children as to their bodies, which Luke calls infants. His blessing is placed upon these, and of these he says that the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Will we say they were without faith of their own? Then the passages quoted above are untrue: “He that disbelieveth shall be condemned.” Then Christ also speaks falsely or feigns, when he says the kingdom of heaven is theirs, and is not really speaking of the true kingdom of heaven. Interpret these words of Christ as you please, we have it that children are to be brought to Christ and not to be forbidden to be brought: and when they are brought to Christ, he here compels us to believe that he blesses them and gives to them the kingdom of heaven, as he does with these children. And it is in no way proper for us to act and believe otherwise as long as the words stand: “Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not.” Not less is it proper for us to believe that when they are brought to him he embraces them, blesses them, and bestows upon them heaven, as long as the text stands that he blessed the children which were brought to him and gave heaven to them. Who can ignore this text? Who will be so bold as not to suffer little children to come to baptism, or not to believe that Christ blesses them when they come ?

34. He is just as present in baptism now as he was then: this we Christians know for certain. Therefore we dare not forbid baptism to children. Nor dare we doubt that he blesses all who come thither, as he did those children. So then there is nothing left here but the piety and faith of those who brought the little children to him. By bringing them, they effect and aid that the little children are blessed and obtain the kingdom of heaven; which cannot be the case unless they themselves have their own faith, as has been said. So we also say here, that children are brought to baptism by the faith and work of others; but when they get there and the pastor or baptizer deals with them in Christ’s stead, he blesses them and grants to them the faith and the kingdom of heaven: for the word and deed of the pastor are the word and work of Christ himself.

35. With this agrees also what St. John says in his first Epistle,1 John 2:13: “I write unto you, fathers; I write unto you, young men; I have written unto you, little children.” He is not satisfied to write to the young men; he also writes to the children, and writes that they may know the Father. From this it follows that the apostles baptized children also, and held that they believe and know the Father, just as if they had attained to reason and could read. Although somebody might here interpret the word “children” as adults, as Christ designates his disciples sometimes: yet it is certain that here they are meant who are younger than the young men; so that it is evident he is speaking of young people who are under fifteen or eighteen years of age, and excludes nobody down to the first year: for these all are called children.

36. But let us examine their reason why they do not think children believe.

They say, because they have not attained to reason they cannot hear God’s Word; but where God’s Word is not heard there can be no faith. Romans 10:17: “Belief cometh of hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Tell me is this Christian to judge of God’s works by our thinking, and say, Children have not attained to reason, therefore they cannot believe? How if through this very reason you have already departed from faith, and the children come to faith through their unreason? Dear friend, what good does reason do for faith and the Word of God? Is it not reason which resists in the highest degree faith and the Word of God, so that nobody can come to faith by means of reason? Reason will not endure God’s Word unless it is first blinded and disgraced. Man must first die to reason and become, as it were, a fool, and even as unreasonable and unintelligent as a little child, if he is to become a believer and receive the grace of God; as Christ says in Matthew 18:3: “Except ye turn, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.” How often does Christ hold before us that we must become children and fools, and condemn reason?

37. Tell me also, what kind of reason had the little children whom Christ embraced and blessed, and upon whom he bestowed the kingdom of heaven? Were they not still without reason? Why does he command to bring them to him and then bless them? Where did they get the faith which makes them children of the kingdom of heaven? Nay, just because they are without reason and foolish, they are better prepared to believe than adults and those possessed of reason, because reason is always in the way and with its large head is not willing to push through the narrow door. One must not look upon reason or its works when faith and God’s work are under consideration. Here God alone works and reason is dead, blind and, compared to this work, an unreasonable block, in order that the Scripture may stand, which says: “God is wonderful in his saints;” and: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways,” Isaiah 55:9.

38. But since they stick so fast in reason, we must assail them with their own wisdom. Tell me, why do you baptize a man when he has come to the age of reason? You answer: He hears God’s Word and believes. I ask:

How do you know that? You answer: He professes it with his mouth.

What shall I say? How, if he lies and deceives? You cannot see his heart.

Very well, then you baptize for no other reason than for what the man shows himself to be externally, and you are uncertain of his faith, and must believe that if he has not more within in his heart than you perceive without, neither his hearing, nor his profession, nor his faith will help him; for it may all be a delusion and no true faith. Who then are you, that you say external hearing and profession are necessary to baptism; where these are wanting one must not baptize? You yourself must confess that such hearing and profession are uncertain, and not enough for one to receive baptism. Now upon what do you baptize? How will you justify your actions when you thus bungle baptism and bring it into doubt? Is it not the fact that you must come and say that it is not becoming for you to know or do more than that he whom you are to baptize be brought to you and ask baptism from you; and you must believe or commit the matter to God, whether he inwardly truly believes or not? In this way you are excused and baptize aright. Why then will you not do the same for the children, whom Christ commands to be brought to him and promises to bless? But you wish first to have the outward hearing and profession, which you yourself acknowledge is uncertain and not sufficient for baptism on the part of the one to be baptized. And you let go the sure word of Christ: in which he bids the little children to be brought unto him, on account of your uncertain external hearing.

39. Moreover tell me, where is the reason of a Christian while he is asleep, since his faith and the grace of God never leave him? If faith can thus continue without the aid of reason, so that the latter is not conscious of it, why should it not also begin in children before reason knows anything about it? In the same way I would like to say of every hour in which a Christian lives and is busy and occupied, that he is not conscious of his faith and reason, and yet his faith does not on that account cease. God’s works are mysterious and wonderful, where and when he wills: and again manifest enough, where and when he wills. Judgment upon them is too high and too deep for us.

40. Since it is commanded here, not to forbid little children to come unto him in order to receive his blessing, and it is not demanded of us to know the exact state of faith within, and the external hearing and profession are not sufficient for the one baptized, we are to be content that it is enough for us, the baptizers, to hear the profession of the one to be baptized, who comes to us of himself. And this for the reason that we may not administer the sacrament against our conscience, as giving it to those in whom no fruit is to be hoped for. But if they assure our conscience of their desire and profession, so that we can administer it as a sacrament that imparts grace, we are excused. If his faith is not true, let that rest with God; we have not given the sacrament as a useless thing, but with the consciousness that it is beneficial.

41. All this I say in order that one may not baptize recklessly, as they do who even administer it with the deliberate knowledge that it will be of no effect or benefit to the person receiving it. For therein the baptizers sin. because they knowingly use God’s sacrament and Word in vain, or at least have the consciousness that it is neither intended nor able to effect anything; which is an altogether unworthy use of the sacrament and a temptation and blasphemy of God. For that is not administering the sacrament, but making a mockery of it. But if the person baptized denies and does not believe, you have done right anyhow, and have administered the true sacrament with the good consciousness that it ought to be beneficial.

42. However, those who do not come of themselves, but are brought, as Christ bids us to bring little children, the faith of these commit to him who bids them to be brought, and baptize them by his command, and say: Lord, thou dost bring them and command to baptize them. Thou wilt answer for them. On this I rely. I dare not drive them away nor forbid them. If they have not heard the Word, by which faith comes, as adults; hear it, they nevertheless hear it like little children. Adults take it up with their ears and reason, often without faith; but they hear it with their ears, without reason and with faith. And faith is nearer in proportion as reason is less, and he is stronger who brings them than the will of adults who come of themselves.

43. These inventive spirits stumble mostly because in adults there is reason, which acts as if it believed the Word it hears. This then they call faith.

Again they see that in children there is as yet no reason; for they act as if they did not believe. But they do not observe that faith in God’s Word is quite a different and deeper thing than what reason does with the Word of God. For it is the work of God alone above all reason, to which the child is just as near as the adult, yes, much nearer, and from which the adult is just as far as the child, yea, much farther.

44. But this that is contrived by reason is a human work. I think, if any baptism is certain, the baptism of children is most certain, because of the Word of Christ, where he commands to bring them, whereas the adults come of themselves. In adults there may be deception because of the reason that is manifest; but in children there can be no deception, because of their hidden reason, in whom Christ works his blessing, even as he has bidden them to be brought to himself. It is a glorious word and not to be treated lightly, that he commands us to bring the children to him, and rebukes those who forbid it.

45. But hereby we do not mean to weaken or destroy the office of preaching. For God indeed does not cause his Word to be preached for the sake of the rational hearing, since no fruit results from that; but for the sake of the spiritual hearing, which, as I have said, children also have as well and even better than adults; for they also hear the Word. For what else is baptism but the Gospel to which they are brought? However, they hear it only once, but they hear it more effectively, because Christ, who has commanded to bring them, receives them. For adults have the advantage that they frequently hear and can think of it again. Yet even in the case of adults it is a fact that the spiritual hearing is not effected by many sermons.

But it may occur once during one sermon, and then he has enough for ever.

What he hears afterwards, he hears either to improve the first hearing or to destroy it again.

46. In short, the baptism and consolation of children lie in the word: “Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not; for to such belongeth the kingdom of God.” He has spoken this and he does not lie.

Therefore it must be right and Christian to bring little children to him. This can only be done in baptism. So also it must be certain that he blesses them, and bestows the kingdom of heaven upon all who come to him, according to the words: “To such belongeth the kingdom of God.” Let this be enough for this time.

47. Finally it would be in order here to treat of the spiritual meaning of leprosy and the palsy. But of leprosy much has been said in the Postil of the ten lepers. Therefore it need not be treated at length here.

The Third Sunday after the Epiphany, 2018. Two Examples of Faith. Matthew 8:1-13

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 Graphic by Norma A. Boeckler


The Third Sunday after the Epiphany, 2018


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson




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 # 264  Preserve Thy Word           


The Word of God Declares His Will

The Hymn # 249    Isaiah Mighty Seer - Luther             

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 #45     Now the Hour of Worship           


  Graphic by Norma A. Boeckler
            


KJV Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.


KJV Matthew 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 

5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.


Third Sunday After Epiphany

O almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all dangers and necessities stretch forth Thy mighty hand, to defend us against our enemies; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

 From the Sermon on the Mount
to the healing of the leper.
Graphic by Norma A. Boeckler


The Power of Faith

KJV Matthew 8:1 When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

Lenski points out these miracles followed the Sermon on the Mount, so when we see the citation, we should remember the multitudes around Jesus, hearing His power teaching and believing in Him. Some may have come purely out of curiosity. Others already believed and wanted to hear more.

We realize that the Gospel has an unusual drawing power. Jesus is the manifestation of the grace of the Father. God the Father sent His Son at a particular time, to fulfill the Promises of the Old Testament, to accomplish great miracles, and to teach the Word of God.

We could say that the Old Testament is like a half-finished puzzle, where all the jagged pieces show us that something more goes there, above them, to fill out the picture, which we can already see forming.

1. Two examples of faith and love are taught in this Gospel: one by the leper, the other by the centurion. Let us first consider the leper. This leper would not have been so bold as to go to the Lord and ask to be cleansed, if he had not trusted and expected with his whole heart, that Christ would be kind and gracious and would cleanse him. For because he was a leper, he had reason to be timid. Moreover the law forbids lepers to mingle with the people. Nevertheless he approaches, regardless of law and people, and of how pure and holy Christ is.

We know some things about lepes. First of all, they were ritually unclean, so they were forbidden to be among others, since that would make others unclean. Since it was a dread disease at that time, people avoided them and they lived in sad, lonely leper colonies. So any leper was poor, shunned, unclean, and had nothing to offer.

2 And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 

The leper should not have been there among the people, brushing by them to reach Jesus. And yet this leper had so much faith that he ignored the angry stares and people withdrawing from his presence so he could reach Jesus. He believed in the divine power of Jesus. That could have been from the miracles already performed or from the divine teaching of the Sermon on the Mount. Has anyone seen a more beautiful message than the Beatitudes? - even though it ends in persecution and slander?

The leper worshiped Him - worshiped Jesus as God. His inward faith in Jesus displayed itself in his outward devotion to Jesus, not just as a Teacher, but as the One Sent from God. 

Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 

The leper's statement is not limiting Jesus, as if Jesus might not want to, but allowing for Jesus to do anything, complete faith in Him. The leper is nothing and has nothing, but in his faith he is willing to receive all that the Christ has to offer.

When we say "the power of faith," it is not attributing anything to man but everything to God. The power of faith is in receiving from God all He has to offer. The leper is a good example because he has no good works, no offering, and comes to Jesus unclean in the Law.

People may think of some miracles as ancient and not fitting today, but that is not so. We are reliving the days of the dying Roman Empire and we have many of the same attitudes. People imagine, "I must make myself worthy of forgiveness before I can be forgiven." But that is just adding sin to sin, to imagine we have a way of qualifying for forgiveness.

As one mistaken man said, "I cannot join a church until I am good enough. I am still not good enough. I am weak and fall into the same sins." 

The cleansing Gospel Word is something we need every day, because God wills that we be absolved of sin through faith. That forgiveness, received through faith in Christ, is healing and gives us power. The leper's initial and growing faith led him to approach Jesus when he should not have. He was not only unclean but physically weak, with a weak voice. Yet faith in Jesus energized him and strengthened him to make this open-ended request. To paraphrase his address to Jesus - You can perform anything. You can even heal leprosy.

If you will...
Unlike today, the leper had the modesty not to boss God around. The false teachers from Pentecostalism, the occult religions, Fuller Seminary, and Paul (David) Cho, all say, "God cannot give this abundance to you unless you name it specifically." That alone tells us how weak and feeble they imagine God is - no faith in Him at all. Secondly, if we demand from God in such a way, He will make sure our demands are not met. Satan will often oblige, but the devil's wages are very poor when we work for him - the wages of sin is death.

As I wrote before, one Episcopalian church had this on their bulletin board, "We are praying for an increase in attendance of 10% for the next three years." It looked like the goal of a business, grabbing market share, not the prayers of believers.

Jesus too, prayed, "If it is Your will, take this cup from Me." He did not shun the cross He knew was in His immediate future.

3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

Some might see a contradiction, because Jesus does not even visit the centurion's home. Here He needs to touch the leper. But this is not an operator's manual. This miracle is for the surging, milling crowd that just heard the Sermon on the Mount. First they saw the leper, and who would not talk about him? Then the leper approached Jesus. Against the Law of Moses! When Jesus touched the leper, the leper was immediately healed.

Jesus repeatedly taught that the miracles were to confirm His divine power (Gospel of John), which means God graciously sought to break through man's resistance to the truth. If someone left the Sermon on the Mount ready to believe completely, the following miracles confirmed it. 

If it be your will - that also means that when we cast all our cares upon Him, we also understand that His positive answers include ways in which God wills the best for us. Would it be best to be the editor-in-chief of a large Lutheran publishing house? No, because that person is employing dozens of people who have to be paid and is the servant of many different power groups. Editors never write anything at all, never begetting books but always the midwife who is there for the labor pains, the cries and anguish of upset authors, wounded translators, and anxious professors.

God lets afflictions remain, but he takes our heart away from the afflictions, so we can say, "What affliction? It is a blessing is disguise. Very well disguised, but still a blessing."

We know the blessings of the Gospel swept across America and gave us a country where people prospered and children were safe to play on their own all day long. But we as a country despised the blessings and supported a business model that shamed the Gospel. We let men be worshiped as gods so that the One True God could be ignored, His Word despised.

And yet faith has the power to restore all the blessings, not because man's faith is the power itself, but God is that power. He is so powerful that His Word always converts or hardens, enlightens or blinds. 

So this effect shows up in small numbers, which should never be despised or belittled in any way. Only 10 at the Lenten service? That is 10 more than Rev. Lazybones who will not trouble himself to serve so few people with the Gospel. 

The Gospels emphasize the few while mentioning the hordes. One leper and one centurion - two miracles. And yet both miracles were life and death to those who were  blessed by them. And so Luther rightly teaches that faith is a power that sets God's work and Word in motion.

When we doubt that God cares or that God can accomplish a given request, we are limiting the power, like the seeds left in jars in the church basement, so abandoned and moldy that the wild animals would not touch them. As people fall away from the Means of Grace, they no longer pray with faith but become double-minded, doubting, hair-splitting, rationalizing. Who are we to deny what God can do? When He answers we can see it clearly came from Him and not from our work, our will, our crafty decisions.

4. And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them. 

Here we see Jesus having the Gospel taken to the priest. "Who are you?" Leper now cleansed, "I was a leper, but Jesus cleansed me. He commanded me to give the gift according to the Law of Moses." Priest - "Who is this? Are you sure? Are you lying? Tell me more." 

And thus the Gospel came to a Jewish priest who was doing his normal work and suddenly found out the Messianic Promises were being fulfilled a short distance away. We never know where the Word is going to go when we take it a short distance away -  or even to a new continent. We are not to judge, because we know the Word is effective according to God's wisdom and power.

5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

As Luther taught in his sermon, this text displays faith and love. The leper had faith in Jesus and the Lord manifested His love in healing the man. The centurion showed his love for his servant in coming to Jesus, having faith in Him to heal his servant.

7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

In love, Jesus offered to visit the servant and to heal him.

8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it

The centurion was in a position of great power. He could issue a decimation order, which meant that 10% of his group would be killed for their lax discipline. Therefore, his speech is based upon the discipline of the Roman Legions and gives us a picture of how God's Word also works. As we can see the Scriptures give us examples of God's love and power linked with pictures or events that teach us how true and faithful these Promises are.

Jesus does not need to be at the home of the centurion, only to speak the Word, and the servant will be healed. How many today would believe if only they saw and heard Jesus? This refutes their feeble offer of potential faith. That is why Jesus responded with great praise for the centurion's faith.

10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 

Luther softened this a bit, saying that it did not include Mary and the disciples, but I see no exception here. The centurion had greater faith than anyone among the People of God, the Jewish people. 

Those clergy and professors who spend their lives teaching against faith should pay attention to this miracle, which not only shows the Word accomplishing God's will but the praiseworthiness of the centurion's faith. Believers are the saints in the Bible. Believers are the righteous. Many blessings flow to those  who trust in Christ, and that includes the blessing of increasing spiritual growth.

Some in the audience like to work out and get sore muscles. In fact, there is no greater achievement than finding an exercise that causes muscular pain in the fittest athlete. That was a great workout. Howso? I can barely move today. In the same way God gives us a workout as we live the Christian life and study His Word.
The Gospel is our soul food that keeps us nourished. Without the Promises and the daily exercise of the Faith, we grow cold, lazy, a listless about the Savior.

11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.

Unbelief does not receive forgiveness of sin or salvation. Faith in Christ does. Those who were born in Lutheran parsonages and raised in the shadow of the seminary will not sit down with the Patriarchs if they continue to deny the Gospel and pervert it to match ELCA's bizarre dogma.

  Graphic by Norma A. Boeckler

CHAPTER
VIII
VI
Christ
Works
Many
Miracles,
Chapters
8
and
9
In
accord
with
4:23
Matthew
presents
the
teach
ing
of
Jesus,
using
for
this
the
great
Sermon
on
the
Mount,
and
then
the
miracles
of
Jesus,
choosing
the
ones
that
followed
the
sermon.
As
the
sermon
is
not
a
compilation
of
utterances
made
at
various
times
but
a
discourse
spoken
at
one
time,
so
the
miracles
recorded
in
chapters
8
and
9
are
not
a
collection
taken
from
various
periods
of
the
Lord's
ministry
but
a
series
of
mighty
acts
that
followed
each
other
in
the
order
given
after
the
Sermon
on
the
Mount
had
been
delivered.
The
fi
rst
group,
8:1-17,
fi
lls
out
the
remainder
of
the
Sabbath
on
which
the
sermon
was
preached
(see
be
low
on
V.
14).
CHAPTER
VIII
VI
Christ
Works
Many
Miracles,
Chapters
8
and
9
In
accord
with
4:23
Matthew
presents
the
teach
ing
of
Jesus,
using
for
this
the
great
Sermon
on
the
Mount,
and
then
the
miracles
of
Jesus,
choosing
the
ones
that
followed
the
sermon.
As
the
sermon
is
not
a
compilation
of
utterances
made
at
various
times
but
a
discourse
spoken
at
one
time,
so
the
miracles
recorded
in
chapters
8
and
9
are
not
a
collection
taken
from
various
periods
of
the
Lord's
ministry
but
a
series
of
mighty
acts
that
followed
each
other
in
the
order
given
after
the
Sermon
on
the
Mount
had
been
delivered.
The
fi
rst
group,
8:1-17,
fi
lls
out
the
remainder
of
the
Sabbath
on
which
the
sermon
was
preached
(see
be
low
on
V.
14).
CHAPTER
VIII
VI
Christ
Works
Many
Miracles,
Chapters
8
and
9
In
accord
with
4:23
Matthew
presents
the
teach
ing
of
Jesus,
using
for
this
the
great
Sermon
on
the
Mount,
and
then
the
miracles
of
Jesus,
choosing
the
ones
that
followed
the
sermon.
As
the
sermon
is
not
a
compilation
of
utterances
made
at
various
times
but
a
discourse
spoken
at
one
time,
so
the
miracles
recorded
in
chapters
8
and
9
are
not
a
collection
taken
from
various
periods
of
the
Lord's
ministry
but
a
series
of
mighty
acts
that
followed
each
other
in
the
order
given
after
the
Sermon
on
the
Mount
had
been
delivered.
The
fi
rst
group,
8:1-17,
fi
lls
out
the
remainder
of
the
Sabbath
on
which
the
sermon
was
preached
(see
be
low
on
V.
14).

Publishing Updates for Luther's Sermons, VI-VII-VIII, Gems

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0


Norma A. Boeckler is currently illustrating Volume VI of Luther's Sermons. I get to make another try at editing the volume before it goes to Janie Sullivan and Amazon-Kindle.

Volume V was delayed a bit by Amazon, so I am just getting to the orders now, and sending the third box to Africa. This time they will get all of Luther's Gospel Sermons from the set (I-V). Soon, all will be done with the Gems volume added.

Virginia Roberts is editing Volume VII, and I am sending her a partially edited Volume VIII to her for editing.

Planned and already started:

  1. Luther's Two Catechisms.
  2. An Ichabod Lutheran Dictionary.
  3. A Brief Commentary on the Gospel of John.


This is going to be a doctrinal teaching year, so Romans 1-5 in English and Greek will be taught weekly after Easter, using Ustream. Other potential classes on video will be Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant, etc.

I will create a Facebook page or pages for the video classes, so they can be used later.

 Loehe's other seminary is Wartburg
in Iowa: ELCA with a vengeance.

ChurchMouse Copies Ichabod Copying Breitbart Pope awards Dutch abortion activist distinguished medal | Churchmouse Campanologist

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0


Pope awards Dutch abortion activist distinguished medal | Churchmouse Campanologist:



"Honestly, you can’t make this up.

Thanks to my Lutheran cyberfriend, the Revd Gregory Jackson from Ichabod, I discovered that Pope Francis has awarded a Dutch abortion activist with a distinguished medal.

For anyone thinking, ‘I’m not a Catholic, no need to worry’, if you’re in any one of the following Lutheran synods, Revd Jackson warns (highlight mine):

The UniSynod Loves This Pope – ELCA-WELS-ELS-LCMS-CLC (sic)

His post has the link to the relevant Breitbart article from January 17, 2018, excerpted below (emphases mine outside of the first paragraph):

Pope Francis has conferred the title of “Commander of the Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great” on Lilianne Ploumen, a Dutch politician and vocal agitator for abortion rights."

 It's getting better?


 It's getting better!


'via Blog this'

Interesting Information about John N. Lenker, Editor of Luther's Sermons

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0
 LCMS Cyclopedia

Lenker, John Nicholas
(November 28, 1858–May 16, 1929). B. Sunbury, Pennsylvania; educ. Wittenberg Coll. and Hamma Divinity School, Springfield, Ohio, and Leipzig, Ger.; ordained 1880; pastor Grand Island, Nebraska, 1882–86; with Bd. of Christian Extension of Gen. Syn. 1886–94; prof. Trin.Sem. of the United Dan. Ev. Luth. Ch. in Am. (see Danish Lutherans in America, 5), Blair, Nebraska, 1900–04; settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1904, and served as pastor and miss.in and near the city; founded Luther Press. Founded and ed. Northern Review; other works include Lutherans in All LandsLutherans in All Lands, SupplementDie Lutherische Kirche der Welt; tr. of M. Luther's works into Eng.
 Lenski's merged seminary is not doing so well either.

GJ - Lenker graduated from Hamma Divinity School in Springfield, where I started working on my PhD dissertation for Notre Dame (though Hamma had merged with Capital - of Lenski fame - to become Trinity Seminary). Trinity ELCA is in trouble with low enrollments - deservedly so.
Hamma definitely belonged to liberal side of the LCA equation, while Capital Seminary had a number of notable scholars still held in high esteem today.
 Rev. Rev. Jennell Rue is currently the pastor of St. Mark's
in Delaware, Ohio.

 I was friends with the ALC pastor of Loy's church in Delaware, Ohio.
Loy's service to Lutheran theology and hymnody is remarkable.


Lenker taught at another Trinity Seminary, in Blair, Nebraska, once the home of Dana College, which closed in 2010. That seminary merged with Wartburg Seminary ALC in Dubuque, keeping its name. But alas, Wartburg is not doing well. They can claim Reu as their famous professor, but they should repent (reue empfinden) of their current ELCA ecstasies.

Lutheran Seminaries Were Good When They Were Small and Inexpensive. Now They Are Small, Expensive, and Apostate

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0
 Ulrich Leupold was the youngest person to earn at PhD at the  University of Berlin. He was the head of Waterloo Lutheran Seminary, now mostly a counseling school.

Some may wonder why I am working on the histories of various Lutheran seminaries. In fact, I just obtained the Brenner-Prange history of Mordor - Treasure in Clay Jars.

I have seen a persistent pattern in the Lutheran seminaries, moving away from men with real ability, scholarship, and faith while embracing strutting peacocks and peahens with an act, a thin resume, and no scholarship at all.

 Otto Heick, PhD, wrote a History of Christian Doctrine that was used and still is read in many synods. He was my Waterloo teacher and our family friend.

Tiny Waterloo Lutheran Seminary had a small faculty and student body but two noted scholars.

Capital Seminary - now Trinity ELCA - had Loy, a different Leupold, and Lenski. They replaced Lenski with a liberal and down it went, slowly at first, rapidly later.

Trinity (Danish) in Blair, Nebraska had John N. Lenker as a seminary professor. They merged into Wartburg, but what have they done for Luther studies since? I read a memorial book about the good old - recent - days. The president was a great fan of Paul Tillich, the adulterous theologian who liked to sleep with his students' wives. Tillich - deep and full of grace. I read it in the book.

Let me be blunt for a moment. One would be have to be waterboarded to come up with a few Lutherans teaching at Lutheran seminaries in America, without adding the requirements of scholarship and ability. And such testimony is not going to hold water when obtained under duress.

 The Capital Seminary Leupold wrote the commentary
on Genesis.

Here Is the Georgia Asphalt Rating of Various People and Entities

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0
 The never-found "declaration of righteousness"
is the rotting heart of UOJ.


Hotter Than Georgia Asphalt for UOJ

  1. Halle University and its syphilitic student Martin Stephan
  2. CFW Walther and Franz Pieper
  3. Herman Otten, Christian News, and living contributors - not Raymond Surburg
  4. LutherQuest (sic)
  5. Jack Cascione
  6. Mordor - the WELS Seminary in Mequon
  7. JP Meyer and his recent editor Armin Panning
  8. All WELS DPs - especially Jon-Boy Buchholz
  9. Mirthless Mark Schroeder
  10. David Valleskey
  11. Frosty Bivens
  12. Anyone Named Wendland
  13. Tim Glende, Ski, and the Fox Valley AA Circuit
  14. The Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie - Bethany, ELS
  15. Pope John (Moldstad) the Malefactor
  16. The Walther-Pieper Crime Family and Disciples - Stoeckhardt, Franzmann, etc.
  17. Matt the Fatt Harrison
  18. Pope Paul (McCain) the Plagiarist
  19. The Two Concordia Seminaries\
  20. Anyone with the Last Name of Preus, Excluding Robert Preus'Justification and Rome
  21. Jay Webber
  22. All ELCA Seminaries
  23. All Mainline Protestant Denominations
  24. Pope Francis and all the New Theology Catholics



Faithfully Teaching Justification by Faith
  1. Carl Gausewitz edition of the Small Catechism, without the WELS "improvements."
  2. The 1905 German Catechism of the Missouri Synod
  3. The current KJV Catechism sold by Concordia Publishing House
  4. Dr. Ray Surburg - sainted
  5. Bethany Lutheran Church, Springdale, Arkansas
  6. Estimate - at least 500 LCMS pastors
  7. Faithful Scripture translations - specifically excluding the New NIV
  8. The Book of Concord
  9. Luther, Melanchthon, Chemnitz
  10. Post-Concord theologians - but not those influenced by Pietism, such as Quistorp, et al.

And shall we frivolously despise such power, profit, strength, and fruit-we, especially, who claim to be pastors and preachers? If so, we should not only have nothing given us to eat, but be driven out, being baited with dogs, and pelted with dung, because we not only need all this every day as we need our daily bread, but must also daily use it against the daily and unabated attacks and lurking of the devil, the master of a thousand arts.
Book of Concord, Large Catechism, Introduction, #13.

The Most Rational Are the Worst False Teachers

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Luther wrote that the most rational are the worst false teachers.

The Most Erroneous Are the Most Rational

16. Here the prophet clearly implies that wherever Christ is not, there darkness exists, whatever the appearance of brilliance. Nor does he allow the medium devised by the high schools, which say that between darkness and Christ exists the light of nature and of human reason. They ascribe darkness only to the grossly wicked and the weak-minded. They highly value this mediatory light, claiming it is a sufficient preparation for the light of Christ, and that although it is darkness in comparison to the light of Christ, yet it is in itself light. They do not perceive how far they err in imagining themselves enlightened. Usually the most erroneous of the schools are the most rational. “The sons of this world are for their own generation wiser than the sons of the light,” as Christ says in Luke 16:8. Yet they of the schools are not nearer the true light than are others. Rather they are farther from it. This could not be if the light of reason were helpful in obtaining the true light. Devils are wiser, more artful and crafty, than men; yet they are not therefore better. No, that kind of light is always at enmity with the true light. As Paul tells us (Romans 8:7): “The mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be.”


The Day of Epiphany, Sermons of Martin Luther, Volume 6


And that makes sense. Look at all the "modern" theologians and Biblical scholars. One reason they are in their positions is their ease in ascending to the top in academics. What will leave most people behind:

  • Difficulties in learning foreign languages, especially ancient ones - Greek, Latin, Hebrew, Ugaritic;
  • Long-term memory;
  • Instant recall.
Those talents have nothing to do with faithfulness to the Word. In fact, when the academics are skating through most courses, they can become fascinated by outlying theories. Satiety and curiosity are the two factors that take people away from sound doctrine, and the devil rides through with a hay-wagon.


The famous false teachers of the past have also been known for their charm, persuasive abilities, and ability to pivot. Pin a wolf down and the charm comes drooling out. Press the case against the wolf and the fangs reveal themselves, silencing most people. 

The District Presidents - all synods - often wear a mask of wrath, as if they just discovered who shot Bambi's mother. I used to watch them and the wannabees, amusing myself with their sad pantomimes. Mrs. Ichabod and I observed Herb Chilstrom preside over the last LCA convention, as if he were the bishop of the upcoming and yet un-named ELCA. And he was. He never left the mike, standing there...poised to strike, to defend, to disarm.

Another clown was Paul Kuske, who simultaneously defended adulterous pastors and false doctrine while posing as the Torquemada of The Michigan District, WELS. For some reason, they voted him out of his minor post as District VP, his stepping stone to the episcopacy snatched away in the fullness of time.

CLC (sic) pastors agreed Paul Tiefel was a false teacher,
and he was also the Circuit Pastor in charge of...doctrine.

No one could top the performance of Paul Tiefel CLC (sic), cousin of James Tiefel WELS - as if all the autosomal recessive genes had gathered in one person, whose malice was matched only  by his tears as he complained about being persecuted.


Lest we forget, no Lutheran sect has anyone to compare with Mark and Avoid Jeske, who carries on as if he inspires the Holy Spirit. His vicars are a menace to decent congregations. His lectures start and end the same: "We ran out of Germans" - and he is applauded as a brilliant historian. His Koine (Greek for common) band charges $3,000 just to show up, and other congregations are quick to follow.


To confirm his reputation as a no-goodnik, Thrivent has put him on their board, to make their funding of abortion more acceptable to all. 

Flee, ye evil-doers, enablers of ELCA,
supporters of Planned Parenthood.


Prepare to Meet Thy God by Simon Peter Long, (1860-1929) - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry

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Prepare to Meet Thy God by Simon Peter Long, (1860-1929) - Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry:



"From the Introduction
“It was said of Baxter that he could set the world on fire while Orton was lighting a match. If Dr. Luther were living today, he would set the world on fire more than many of his followers. It would pain him to know how few souls some long-established Lutheran congregations had won for Christ from the highways and hedges. I love My church, my dear old church and God loves her; and, with her truth, she can win more souls than any other; but she cannot do it by expecting the spiritually dead to run after her; by having ministers who will please the devil by not entering, or not leaving their study; by baptizing and confirming only her own children; by thinking that the whole mission problem would be solved, if only we had more money; by having few family altars; by having congregations which expect their pastors to do all the work in God’s vineyard! The Lutheran Church, with her pure doctrine, could set the world on fire if every Lutheran would obey Christ’s command: Go – Work – Today – In My Vineyard! – S. P. Long"



'via Blog this'

Pew: Unitarians, Atheists, Agnostics Most Favorable to Abortion

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Pew: Unitarians, Atheists, Agnostics Most Favorable to Abortion:



"Those who identify as Unitarian Universalists, Atheists or Agnostics are the strongest supporters of legalized abortion in America, according to a report published by the Pew Research Center this week.
Ninety percent of members of the Unitarian Universalist Church, a liberal religion professing no creed or specific belief in God, said that abortion should be legal “in all or most cases,” Pew found, while atheists and agnostics followed behind with 87 percent of each group asserting the same thing.

Notably, 75 percent of all Americans are against abortion-on-demand and believe that abortion should not be legal in all cases, as it is currently in the United States. This means there is significant support among voters for restrictions on legal abortions.

The majorities of nearly all mainline Christian churches agreed to the same statement, though in smaller percentages, while less than 50 percent of Catholics and evangelicals believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases. Seventy-nine percent of Episcopalians, 65 percent of Presbyterians, 58 percent of Methodists, and 56 percent of Anglicans support legal abortion “in all or most cases.”"



'via Blog this'

Ex-lawmaker to testify in case of former Arkansas senator accused of getting kickbacks

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 Rep. Micah Neal pleaded guilty.


 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust corrupt, thieves break in and steal."
Evangelicals do not like their tax money used for bribes.


Ex-lawmaker to testify in case of former Arkansas senator accused of getting kickbacks:

 Shelton and his lawyer, to be featured on
What Not To Wear To Court.


"The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Neal and former state Sen. Jon Woods, both of Springdale, took kickbacks in return for steering $550,000 in state grants to Ecclesia College in Springdale.

The kickbacks, according to the government's indictment, were passed through a consulting firm owned by Randell Shelton Jr., a mutual friend of Woods and Ecclesia President Oren Paris III. Woods, Shelton and Paris face trial April 9."



'via Blog this'

Oh, The Arrogance of False Teachers

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 Wartburg Seminary - alma mater -
look up the Latin.

I should look up the link to the book - The Air I Breathe is Wartburg Air. We can forgive the rah-rah approach for an alumni book. But if someone is truly interested, enough of the book is on Google to read and gag, without the normal medical aids (ipecac).

Here is a partially readable text.

 Do you want to impress me?
Cite Tillich the adulterer who made Barth look faithful in comparison. Weiblen appropriated Tillich, no one dare appropriate Reu (those bad conservatives).

The book is largely a transcription of their talks, so I was curious about their impression of the giant of that school (Reu), a seminary founded by Loehe, becoming Iowa Synod, then ALC, then The ALC, then ELCA and now dying.

Tis funny how ELCA marketed itself as new in 1987, but the heads of this school are still ALC. Not a merger no - but a New Lutheran Church with the radicals forced in with quotas.

Reu was a bit of a Social Gospeler (social activism) and also a bit loose on Biblical inerrancy. However, he became more conservative about both issues, for which the liberals never forgave him. As a keen student of Lutheran materials, Reu wrote Luther and the Scriptures, which is still floating around, stating the obvious - that Luther taught inerrancy.

 Does this sound like WELS, ELS, LCMS, CLC (sic)?
Yes, these sects honor this statement by daily breaching the spirit of Reu's essay. The previous Wartburg seminary president, before Louise Johnson, MDiv, helped instigate joint communion with the Reformed...and other communions, too.


From time to time I quote Reu on unionism, because his essay on that topic was so good.


Bodensieck taught at Wartburg too, and Bodensieck helped midwife The ALC 1960 double-talk on inerrancy, with inerrancy in the Constitution, which they undermined in the amendments or appendix. That was a crucial pivotal point as the ELCA was formed, with The ALC taking credit for being conservative while doing the opposite, such as starting Lutherans Concerned which - if I have the parentage correct - ended up as Reconciling Works. I will omit the obvious droll remarks, but the same radicalism can take on various names with the same few people involved.


When Ancient Posts Are Read More Than Most Articles. Faith Should Make People Angry. Unfaith Tolerates All Monstrosities

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0
 Let's not get upset over small things -
think of all the Benjamins instead.


ELCA Teaches UOJ 24/7 - Here Is the Proof. 

Hey SynCon Boys and Girls - 

Let's Do a Bunch of Ministry with Them Guys



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If we go back a certain number of years, the language used by Lutherans is completely different. The most obscure writers speak this language, because they treated the Scriptures as the Word of God and Justification by Faith as the Chief Article of Christianity.

CFW Walther was one of the first polarizing rationalists. He organized a mob, robbed the bishop of a fortune in gold, and kidnapped the man at gunpoint. The Holy Land guides point to the chest where Stephan kept his gold and talk about how much he had in there - as if that were evil by itself. But no one talks about how the Great Walther stole it so the Perryville cult could be solvent. Not just the millions worth of gold in today's money, but also 120 acres of land owned by the bishop, all his books, and even his personal effects.

John Sparky Brenner has identified the real issue in the so-called Election Conflict as a battle over Justification. On the Walther/WEL side was UOJ, aka the Justification of the World. On the other side was Justification by Faith. See Brenner, p. 150.

If we reduce this to plain, basic English, Justification of the World would be called what it is - Universal Salvation - or - Universalism.

The Missouri Synod did not teach this UOJ dogma at first, only the Walther-Pieper faction did. The bosom of WELS did not heave and pant for UOJ either, until the ministers trained in Waltherism slowly took over and removed the Gausewitz edition of the Small Catechism. That took decades, but synods are like royal dynasties - they work in view of decades and centuries, not years.

The Norwegians were as Pietistic as the Stephanites, but Herman Preus' congregation tossed him out on Good Friday, because he would not pledge to Justification by Faith. Ever the opportunists, the Preus clan declared him a Martyr to the Faith, a Soldier of Christ, a Militant sacrificed on the altar of duty. More Preus hagiography can be found here.

The brilliance of this UOJ takeover can be seen in the way all the UOJists call their own people "Orthodox Lutherans." Jay Webber, with his ELCA online STM in hand, did the same at Emmaus. According to Webber, those Pietistic theologians (often and best forgotten) were "orthodox" by virtue of their UOJ teaching. One might as well mention Quistorp and Luther together, since no one reads Luther either.

By the way, I saw this done with far more craft and guile among the Roman Catholics, who show great patience for the truth while piling up their experts for every possible error. Those experts in false doctrine receive the honors, even the office of sainthood. Their opposition to the Scriptures gains them a fast-track so adherents can cling to them and pray to them far earlier than tradition allows. Then if someone cites one of those nay-saying smart-alecks, the visible Church frowns and the dissenter withers away, forgotten but not gone - the best of all burials.

Note the voice of outrage than can be mustered so easily - "He denies the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary!" Fists will be raised, tires will be slashed, heads bowed in pitying sorrow.

The same crowd control exists for UOJ. How many times have I heard - "He denies Objective Justification!" when people know less about OJ than they do about the non-reciprocity of the second genus (Jesus' divine nature is not limited by His human nature).

In fact, the Right Rev. James Heiser, Bishop-for-Life of the ELDONUTs, said those very words when Rev. Balmer spoke at an independent conference many years ago. With outrage in his voice, Heiser said, "Balmer denied Objective Justification!" All the Fort Whiners are taught to be:

  • Victims. They are always victims, so orthodox, they are perpetually persecuted. 
  • Triumphalists. Their views must dominate all matters and eviscerate all opposition, unless it is convenient to wait it out for a decade or two.

Lost in the Fog of Rationalism
The Lutheran Library Publishing Ministry has shown repeatedly that the "lost books of American Lutheranism" are merely overlooked books of great value. I linked the bio of Schmauk, but 99.9% of all Lutherans would fail a test about Schmauk, truly a great scholar, a man of faith, a multi-talented genius.

That is why the blogs and discussions among Lutherans are verbose, insipid, and sleep-inducing. The dungeon-masters want this UOJ to be the opiate of Lutherdom. They want clergy and laity debating individual glasses versus the common cup, the use of the Christian flag, the office of the ministry, and piles of trivia. 

Thus Lutherans are so devoid of faith that they tolerate Thrivent as their golden goose, though the goose only gives back a tiny bit and demands to be fed - never questioned. Just like the gubmint.

Lutherans are so lacking in faith that they gladly work with ELCA leaders who despise and pity them. Of course, many of "conservative" Lutheran leaders look at ELCA the way David looked at Bathsheba bathing.

The clergy are so unfaithful that they happily bribe the mob with soft drinks and snacks on Sunday, booze at their Bible studies. The rest of the clergy are so somnolent that they are not bothered at all. 


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