The President of Martin Luther College published this UOJ nonsense:
"Faith does nothing more than receive the forgiveness which is offered in the Gospel. It is not a condition we fulfill nor is it a cause of forgiveness. We are already forgiven. God's message of justification in Christ is there whether we believe it or not. Faith then receives the blessings." And, "Faith that accepts the good news of universal justification is the work of God the Holy Ghost." Page 7
“The glorious Gospel: In Jesus, God has declared the entire world righteous and forgiven, irregardless of whether or not the world believes it. Such is the jewel described by objective, universal, or general justification.” Page 2
Quoting Stoeckhardt, “If God has already in Christ justified all men and forgiven their sins, then I also in Christ have a gracious God and the forgiveness of all my sins.” Page 5
“Irregardless of man's faith, God declares the world just.”
Page 6
Page 6
“Our salvation is an accomplished fact. It is done. It is finished. The resurrection is the proof that God has declared the sinners justified!” Page 6
“Faith does nothing more than receive the forgiveness which is offered in the Gospel. It is not a condition we fulfill nor is it a cause of forgiveness. We are already forgiven.” Page 7
“Simply present Law and Gospel. Warn sinners that unbelief damns, and rejection of Christ will bring eternal torment. Then comfort them with the glorious objective reality that all sins are already forgiven in Christ.” Page 7
I previously identified, more than once, the dishonest opening of Mark Zarling's horrible essay, Stand in Awe of Justification - which began calling justification the Chief Article of the Christian Faith and perversely defined justification as justification without faith.
Oh - that justification?
Ardnt, D. "The Doctrine of Justification and the Controversy Over the Views of Dr. W. Maier in the Missouri Synod." Redwood Falls Conference paper, delivered Nov. 17, 1981.
Arndt, Wm. "The Doctrine of Justification," Essay IX in volume 2 of The Abiding Word. St. Louis: CPH, 1947.
Becker, S.W. "Objective Justification." Essay delivered at the Chicago Pastoral Conference, November 9, 1982. Becker, S.W. "The Gospel." Essay XIV in volume 2 of The Abiding Word. St. Louis: CPH, 1947.
Brinsmead, R.D. "Lutherans in Crisis over Justification by Faith." Verdict, vol. 2, no. 6, November, 1979.
Burgdorf, T. "The Basis of Justification: The Work of Christ and the Grace of God." Essay number 3 at the Second Lutheran Free Conference, printed in His Pardoning Grace. Milwaukee: NPH, 1966.
Concordia Triglotta. St. Louis: CPH, 1921.
Curia, R.N. "The Significant History of the Doctrine of Objective or Universal Justification Among the Churches of the Former Evangelical Lutheran Synodical Conference of North America." Paper delivered at the California Pastoral Conference, January 24-25, 1983.
Hummel, H.D. "Justification in the Old Testament." Concordia Journal, vol. 9. no. 1, January, 1983.
Kuske, D. "Making Use of Lutheran Heritage: 'Objective Justification' in our Mission Outreach Based on an Exegesis of II Corinthians 5:18-19." Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, vol. 77, no. 1, January, 1980.
Lawrenz C.J. "On Justification, Osiander's Doctrine of the Indwelling Christ." No Other Gospel. Milwaukee: NPH, 1980.
Meyer, J.P. Ministers of Christ. Milwaukee: NPH, 1963.
Moellering, H.A. "How to Preach Objective Justification—A Lesson from C.F.W. Walther." Concordia Journal, vol. 9, no. 1, January, 1983.
Otten, H. "The Meaning of Justification." Essay two of the Second Lutheran Free Conference, printed in His Pardoning Grace. Milwaukee: NPH, 1966.
Pieper, F. Christian Dogmatics. St Louis: CPH, 1951. vol. 2.
Plass, E.M. compiler. What Luther Says. An Anthology in 3 volumes. St Louis: CPH, 1959.
Preus, R.D. "Perennial Problems in the Doctrine of Justification." Concordia Theological Quarterly, vol. 45, no. 3, July, 1981.
Reim, N. "The Appropriation of Justification: Justifying Faith." Essay five at the Second Lutheran Free Conference, printed in His Pardoning Grace. Milwaukee: NPH, 1966.
Sanday W. and Headlam, A.C. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans. Edinburgh: T. and T. Clark, 1971 reprint. [Favorite liberal, HCM commentary set. But where is Lenski?]
Scaer D.P. "The Two Sides of Justification." Christianity Today. June 26, 1981.
Schaller, J. Biblical Christology. Milwaukee: NPH, 1981.
Schaller, J. "Redemption and Universal Justification According to II Corinthians 5:8-21." Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, vol. 72, no. 4, October, 1975.
Scheutze, A.W. "The Presupposition of Justification: The Sin of Man and the Holiness of God." Essay one at the Second Lutheran Free Conference, printed in His Pardoning Grace. Milwaukee: NPH, 1966. Seminary Dogmatics Notes, cf. the Seminary mimeo company.
Steele, D.N. and Thomas, C.C. The Five Points of Calvinism: Defined, Defended, Documented. Philadelphia: Presbyterian & Reformed Publishing Company, 1963.
Stoeckhardt, G. Epistle to the Romans. translator E.W. Koehlinger. Ft. Wayne: Concordia Theological Seminary Press.
Stoeckhardt. G. "General Justification." Concordia Theological Quarterly, vol. 46, no. 2-3, April and July, 1982.
Surburg, R.F. "Justification as a Doctrine of the Old Testament: A Comparative Study in Confessional and Biblical Theology." Concordia Theological Quarterly, vol. 46, no. 2-3, April and July, 1982.
Teigen, R.N. "The Proclamation of Justification: The Gospel Message of Forgiveness." Essay four at the Second Lutheran Free Conference, printed in His Pardoning Grace, Milwaukee: NPH, 1966.
Walther, C.F.W. The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel. translator, W.H.T. Dau. St. Louis: CPH, 1928. Warth, M.C. "Justification Through Faith in Article Four of the Apology." Concordia Theological Quarterly, vol. 46, no. 2-3, April and July, 1982.
***
GJ - Serious lapses can be spotted at once. Zarling's list is larded with recent UOJ authors. Where are:
- Lenski,
- Luther, and
- Gausewitz?
Luther's sermons are extremely important and easily obtained in many forms and editions. Since Luther placed the sermon as the most important effort in church life, ignoring them is a major - and in fact - a dishonest omission.
Zarling ignored the Book of Concord and merely copied some quotations this way -
"32 This presentation was simplified greatly by Torald N. Teigen, in his essay, "the Proclamation of Justification: The Gospel Message of Forgiveness," printed in His Pardoning Grace, (Milwaukee: NPH, 1966), pp. 62-88. We follow his outline."
Zarling asserted that his cursory copying of quotations proved that the Lutheran Confessions are in agreement "with our position."
This brief presentation of confessional quotations should be sufficient to assure us that our position is indeed synonymous with the Symbols of our church. Justification is the diamond among the jewels of God's revelation. It is the heart of the Gospel message. For our own eternal comfort, let us always treasure its priceless worth. p. 10, Zarling essay!
Let us everyone try to keep from laughing out loud when someone claims a "quia subscription to the Confessions" is the WELS position. Zarling makes it sound like the Book of Concord has a quia subscription to the UOJ of WELS.
Zarling's rhapsody is a clear case of begging the question, a type of circular reasoning. He simply assumes his initial point is true and piles on all the statements agreeing with it. But this is a logical fallacy because he does not entertain or even acknowledge that another position, even another definition of justification, is relevant.
In short, he correctly states that justification is the Chief Article of the Christian Religion, etc etc. His source is What Luther Says, which sounds like going deep sea fishing with a Ronco Pocket Fisherman. This betrays the modern WELS loathing of the Book of Concord. Why actually study The Righteousness of Faith, Article III in the Formula of Concord - or engage the Apology's brilliant, clear discussion of justification by faith?
 |
| The Formula of Concord cites Melanchthon and Luther in the article, The Righteousness of Faith. These are authorities for sincere Lutherans, far above the recent synodical squat-heads. |
Instead, Zarling defines justification by opposing Luther, Melanchthon, and the Book of Concord. This sleight of hand, almost magical, is academic dishonesty and doctrinal bankruptcy. Instead of declaring a difference between the Book of Concord and the WELS dogma, he defines the original statement as really meaning the WELS dogma and runs away with his begging the question. Everyone must conclude from Zarling's manipulation that the Chief Article is indeed Objective/Subjective Justification, which are flotsam and jetsam from Halle Pietism and a Calvinist translator.
Zarling and Bivens remind me of the young woman who sang the praises of Margaret Sanger in her presentation in college. I asked about Sanger's speech to the Ku Klux Klan. Did she know about that?
The woman said, "Oh, I ran into that stuff about the KKK, but ignored it because it clashed with my theme."
