- February 25th, 2014 at 00:12 | #13T. R. Halvorson :
Pr Schulz, may I ask some questions about the quotation of Luther you used from AE 40:214?
2. The quotation says, the sacrament or the gospel “distributes, presents, offers, and gives” the forgiveness won on the cross. What forgiveness? How is a forgiveness that does not exist distributed, presented, offered, or given? Does it arise by operation of the distribution?
This comment Copyright © 2014 Synoptic Text Information Services, Inc.T. R. Halvorson :
4. Where does faith enter into the quotation? I don’t see Luther saying, don’t seek forgiveness in thoughts on the cross or Christ’s suffering, but seek forgiveness in faith. I see him saying, seek forgiveness in the means, since that is where the forgiveness already won on the cross is delivered.
One of the troubles I am having with the arguments against UOJ is that they seem to say faith creates forgiveness rather than that faith receives forgiveness. Don’t the arguments make forgiveness contingent upon faith in such a way that forgiveness does not exist until faith does? So then, to what does faith cling, other than its own power to create forgiveness? Doesn’t faith have to cling to something besides itself?
This comment Copyright © 2014 Synoptic Text Information Services, Inc.Jim Pierce
February 18th, 2014 at 16:28 | #36
“Just like the Devil himself, you twist the comfort of the Gospel as found in 2 Corinthians 5:19 into the evil doctrine that we must look inside ourselves for faith before we can know that God is at peace with us. You, Mr. Meyer, are a wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing.”Sven Wagschal expressing UOJ’s teaching concerning faith
February 17th, 2014 at 08:10 | #14
“It must be noted at this point that faith has no worth of its own”Jim Pierce
February 18th, 2014 at 15:39 | #33
“The Scriptural truth is that our sins are really forgiven prior to our ever having faith.”Christian Book of Concord:
67] Concerning what is needful furthermore for the proper explanation of this profound and chief article of justification before God, upon which depends the salvation of our souls, we direct, and for the sake of brevity herewith refer, every one to Dr. Luther’s beautiful and glorious exposition of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians.
http://bookofconcord.org/sd-righteousness.phpMartin Luther Galatians Commentary:
“As before said, they regard faith of slight importance; for they do not understand that it is our sole justifier. To accept as true the record of Christ–this they call faith. The devils have the same sort of faith, but it does not make them godly. Such belief is not Christian faith; no, it is rather deception.”“You see how they make faith of no value to themselves, and so must regard as heresy all doctrine based upon it. Thus they do away with the whole Gospel. These are they who deny the Christian faith and exterminate it from the world. Paul prophesied concerning them when he said (1 Tim 4, 1): “In later times some shall fall away from the faith.” The voice of faith is now silenced all over the world. Indeed, faith is condemned and banished as the worst heresy, and all who teach and endorse it are condemned with it. The Pope, the bishops, charitable institutions, cloisters, high schools, unanimously opposed it for nearly four hundred years, and simply drove the world violently into hell. Their conduct is the real persecution by Antichrist, in the last times.”“Note, faith justifies the individual; faith is justification. Because of faith God remits all sins, and forgives the old Adam and the Cain in our nature, for the sake of Christ his beloved Son, whose name faith represents.”“You cannot extricate yourself from unbelief, nor can the Law do it for you. All your works in intended fulfilment of the Law must remain works of the Law and powerless to justify in the sight of God, who regards as just only believing children.”
http://www.trinitylutheranms.org/MartinLuther/MLSermons/Galatians4_1_7.html
