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"The other eating of the body of Christ is oral or
sacramental, when the true, essential body and blood of Christ are also orally
received and partaken of in the Holy Supper, by all who eat and drink the
consecrated bread and wine in the Supper--by the believing as a certain pledge
and assurance that their sins are surely forgiven them, and Christ dwells and
is efficacious in them, but by the unbelieving for the judgment and
condemnation, as the words of the institution by Christ expressly
declare...."
Formula of Concord, SD, VII. #63.
Holy Supper. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House 1921,
p. 995. Tappert, p. 581. Heiser, p. 270.
"All this has been said regarding secret sins. But where the
sin is quite public so that the judge and everybody know it, you can without
any sin avoid him and let him go, because he has brought himself into disgrace,
and you may also publicly testify concerning him. For when a matter is public
in the light of day, there can be no slandering or false judgment or
testifying; as, when we now reprove the Pope with his doctrine, which is publicly
set forth in books and proclaimed in all the world. For where the sin is
public, the reproof also must be public, that every one may learn to guard
against it."
The Large Catechism, The Eighth
Commandment, #284. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1921, p. 661. Tappert, p. 403. Heiser, p. 188.
"Also they teach that at the Consummation of the World Christ
will appear for judgment, and will raise up all the dead; He will give to the
godly and elect eternal life and everlasting joys, but ungodly men and the
devils He will condemn to be tormented without end."
Augsburg Confession, XVII, Christ's
Return to Judgment. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1921, p. 51. Tappert, p. 38f. Heiser, p. 14.
"Even the history of the world shows how great is the power
of the devil's kingdom. The world is full of blasphemies against God and of
wicked opinions, and the devil keeps entangled in these bands those who are
wise and righteous [many hypocrites who appear holy] in the sight of the world.
In other persons grosser vices manifest themselves. But since Christ was given
to us to remove both these sins and these punishments, and to destroy the
kingdom of the devil, sin and death, it will not be possible to recognize the
benefits of Christ unless we understand our evils. For this reason our
preachers have diligently taught concerning these subjects, and have delivered
nothing that is new, but have set forth Holy Scriptures and the judgments of
the holy Fathers."
Apology Augsburg Confession, II.
#50. Original Sin. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1921, p. 119. Tappert, p. 106. Heiser, p. 32.
"Since now, in the sight of God and of all Christendom [the
entire Church of Christ], we wish to testify to those now living and those who
shall come after us that this declaration herewith presented concerning all the
controverted articles aforementioned and explained, and no other, is our faith,
doctrine, and confession, in which we are also willing, by God's grace, to
appear with intrepid hearts before the judgment-seat of Jesus Christ, and give
an account of it; and that we will neither privately nor publicly speak or
write anything contrary to it, but, by the help of God's grace, intend to abide
thereby: therefore, after mature deliberation, we have, in God's fear and with
the invocation of His name, attached our signatures with our own hands."
Formula of Concord, SD, XII. #40.
Other Factions and Sects. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing
House, 1921, p. 1103. Tappert, p. 636. Heiser, p. 296.
"I neither can nor should deny that, as in my larger works, so also in so many of my smaller ones, there is so much which can be criticized with just judgment and without rashness."
(Augustine, Ad Vincentium Victorem, Bk 2)
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1971, I, p. 260.
"The Law, in condemning sins and setting forth the gravest
threats of God, is that hammer (Jer. 23:29) through which God breaks rocks,
that is, crushes the spirit, renders the heart contrite and humbles it, so that
truly and earnestly acknowledging the multitude and magnitude of sins and of
the wrath of God over sin, the mind begins to hate and detest sin, to fear the
wrath and judgment of God so that it is unwilling to perish eternally under
them but sighs and struggles with groaning that it may be freed from
them."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the
Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1986, II, p. 556.
"Contrition is altogether necessary in those who truly and
earnestly repent. For there can be no true repentance in those who, persuaded
of their own holiness, dream that they are without sin, or who disregard,
minimize, excuse, cloak, and defend their sins, despise or ridicule the divine
threats, do not care about the wrath of God, are not moved by His judgment and
displeasure, and therefore persevere and continue in sins against their
conscience, delight in sins, and seek and seize occasions for sinning and for
whatever they intentionally heap up without the fear of God--in them, I say,
there can be no true repentance...."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the
Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
1986, II, p. 581.
"What is the difference between Christianity and paganism?
Paganism has no sure Word of God and no true faith in Christ. It is unsettled.
In place of the one true God, pagans worship various factitious deities and
countless idols with ceremonies, works and sacrifices selected according to
human judgment. They imagine that they compensate for their sins with this
worship, pacify their gods and make them gracious and purchase, as it were,
blessings from them."
David Chytraeus, A Summary of the
Christian Faith (1568), trans., Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press,
1994. p. 19.
"When the efficacy of Word and Sacraments encounters man's
unbelief and persistent resistance, their efficacy is not destroyed; but it is
transformed from an efficacy of grace to one of judgment (2 Corinthians 2:16; 1
Corinthians 11:29)."
Henry Eyster Jacobs, A Summary of
the Christian Faith, Philadelphia: General Council Publication House, 1913, p.
320.
"Paul's word regarding fire is used by the Catholics as proof
for their doctrine of purgatory. But this fire is restricted to the last day;
it is not a fire of purgation but of final judgment; it is intended for the
builders and only by a deduction for certain unwise Christians."
R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation
of First and Second Corinthians, Columbus: Wartburg Press, 1946, p. 146. 1
Corinthians 3:15.
"To be sure, Baptism is so great that if you turn from sins
and appeal to the covenant of Baptism, your sins are forgiven. Only see to
it--if you sin in this wicked and wanton manner by presuming on God's
grace--that the judgment does not lay hold of you and forestall your turning
back. And even if you then wanted to believe and trust in your Baptism, your
trial might by God's decree, be so great that faith could not stand the strain.
If they scarcely remain in the faith who do no sin or who fall because of sheer
weakness, where will your brazen wickedness remain, which has challenged and mocked
God's grace? Let us, therefore, walk with care and fear that we may hold fast
the riches of God's grace with a firm faith and joyfully give thanks to His
mercy forever and ever. Amen."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3
vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, I, p. 57.
Treatise on Baptism, 1519
"He [Paul] would have us obedient to magistrates and kind to
neighbors. Though our neighbors may be blind, erring and wicked, yet we should
be charitable in our judgment and cheerfully endeavor to please them,
remembering God's similar attitude toward us when we were as they."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 143.
Early Christmas Morning Titus 3:4-8
"Godly and believing persons know their sins; they bear all
their punishment patiently, and are resigned to God's judgment without the
least murmur; therefore, they are punished only bodily, and here in time, and
their pain and suffering have an end. Unbelievers, however, since they are not
conscious of their sins and transgressions, cannot bear God's punishment
patiently, but they resent it and wish their life and works to go unpunished,
yea, uncensured. Hence, their punishment and suffering are in body and soul, here
in time, and last forever beyond this life."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 131.
Fourth Sunday after Easter, Second Sermon John 16:5-15.
"The Word is too sublime to pass under our judgment; it is
the province of the Word to judge us. The world, however, while unwilling to be
judged and convicted by us, essays to judge and convict the Word of God. Here
God steps in. It would be a pity for the worldly to see a godly Christian, so God
blinds them and they miss His kingdom. As Isaiah says (26:10): 'In the land of
uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of
Jehovah.' For this reason, few real Christians come under the observation of
cavilers; the latter, in general, observe fools and fanatics, at whom they
maliciously stumble and take offense. They are unworthy to behold God's honor
in a godly Christian upon whom the Lord has poured out Himself in fulness of
blessing."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 274.
Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Ephesians 3:13-21; Isaiah 26:10
"From these two convictions--that they do not know Him and
that they persecute and slay His advocates--Christ now passes the judgment that
the so-called Church is not the Church. He then concludes that with their false
doctrines and persecutions they are both liars and murderers of God and of
Christ and of all His saints."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 270.
Exaudi John 15:26-16:4.
"And such false teachers have the good fortune that all their
folly is tolerated, even though the people realize how these act the fool, and
rather rudely at that. They have success with it all, and people bear with
them. But no patience is to be exercised toward true teachers! Their words and
their works are watched with the intent of entrapping them, as complained of in
Psalm 17:9 and elsewhere. When only apparently a mote is found, it is
exaggerated to a very great beam. No toleration is granted. There is only
judgment, condemnation and scorn. Hence the office of preaching is a grievous
one. He who has not for his sole motive the benefit of his neighbor and the
glory of God cannot continue therein. The true teacher must labor, and permit
others to have the honor and profit of his efforts, while he receives injury
and derision for his reward."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VII, p. 110f.
Second Sunday before Lent. 2 Corinthians 11:19-33; 12:1-9. Psalm 17:9.
"Now, Paul's thought here is that nothing should be taught
and practiced in the Church but what is unquestionably God's Word. It will not
do to introduce or perform anything whatever upon the strength of man's
judgment. Man's achievements, man's reasoning and power, are of no avail save
in so far as they come from God."
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed. John
Nicolas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 229 Twelfth
Sunday after Trinity 2 Corinthians 3:4-11;
"Therefore, let God's Word be of more authority to you than
your own feelings and the judgment of the whole world; do not give God the lie
and rob yourself of the Spirit of truth."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 304.
Pentecost, Third Sermon John 14:23-31.
"Learn well the lesson of this text: The sin which God
considers the greatest sin of all, the one that He condones or tolerates less
than any other, is the sin of His people not acknowledging His Day of Judgment.
Here God lumps all sins into one, says nothing about all the other sins, and
addresses only their sin of living in a false sense of security, of not only
disregarding all the warnings and admonitions of the prophets, but of even
persecuting them, shedding innocent blood, until, as the Scriptures say, all
Jerusalem was filled with blood, just as Germany today is sinning horribly by
its almost universal persecution of the Word and its servants."
Sermons of Martin Luther, The House
Postils, 3 vols., ed., Eugene Klug, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1996, II,
p. 369. Tenth Sunday after Trinity Luke 19:41-48
"As for example when we feel in our conscience that God
rebukes us as sinners and judges us unworthy of the kingdom of heaven, then we
experience hell, and we think we are lost forever. Now whoever understands here
the actions of this poor woman and catches God in His own judgment, and says,
Lord, it is true, I am a sinner and not worthy of Thy grace; but still Thou
hast promised sinners forgiveness, and Thou art come not to call the righteous,
but, as St. Paul says in 1 Timothy 1:15, 'to save sinners.' Behold, then must
God according to His own judgment have mercy upon us."
Sermons of Martin Luther, ed., John
Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, II, p. 153. Matthew
15:21-28; 1 Timothy 1:15
"The Gospel ministry should spare no one, no matter how high
the position may be which he occupies, but should rebuke wrong in everybody.
This is why ministers and preachers exist. A very heavy burden is placed on
them. They should so conduct their office that they stand ready to answer for
it on Judgment Day. If they do not speak to you and rebuke in you what their
office requires them to speak and to rebuke, God will require your blood from
their hand. Tell me, why should we preachers burden ourselves still more by
preaching to you as you desire? It is not our word. Nor do we live for your
sake, as though you had ordered us, and we had to preach what you like.
Preachers can, will, and should not do this. Therefore he who will not listen
is free in God's name to walk out through the church door and let our Lord God
keep His ministry unhindered."
What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3
vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p.
1114. W 52, 189 Luke 11:14-28
"What he calls 'the old man' is well known to us; namely, the
whole nature of man as descended from Adam after his fall in paradise, being
blinded by the devil, depraved in soul, not keeping God before his eyes nor
trusting him, yes, utterly regardless of God and the judgment day. Though with
his mouth he may honor God's Word and the Gospel, yet in reality he is
unchanged; if he does have a little addtional knowledge, he has just as little
fear, love and trust in God as heretofore."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 306.
Nineteenth Sunday after Trinity Ephesians 4:22-28 [righteous = doing good works
and reconciling God]
"But now comes the Holy Spirit and says: No so. You err and
are mistaken. Your judgment is wrong. Therefore there must be another judgment.
You should judge thus: Everything your reason concludes is erroneous and false,
and you are a fool and a simpleton."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols.,
ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 119.
Fourth Sunday after Easter John 16:5-15.
"A church body in which human judgments are accorded an equal
status with the governing principle of the Word is essentially unionistic and
an unfaithful bride of the Lord."
[August Pieper]
Francis Pieper, The Difference
between Orthodox and Heterodox Churches, and Supplement, Coos Bay, Oregon: St.
Paul's Lutheran Church, 1981, p. 58.
[Marks of the Antichrist: the falling away, apostasia, verse 3;
seat in the temple of God, verse 4; acts godlike, verse 4; works have the power
of Satan (also see John 8:44); will remain until Judgment Day, verse 8.]
Francis Pieper, Christian
Dogmatics, 3 vols., trans., Walter W. F. Albrecht, St. Louis: Concordia
Publishing House, 1953, III, p. 463f. 2 Thessalonians 2:3ff.
"But just as the Word of God is the means of Grace, it is
also the means of judgment. 'He that rejected Me,' says Christ, John 12:48,
'and receiveth not My words, hath one that judgeth him: the Word that I have
spoken, the same shall judge him in the Last Day.'"
Eduard Preuss, "The Means of
Grace," The Justification of the Sinner before God, trans., Julius A.
Friedrich, Chicago: F. Allerman, 1934, p. 63. John 12:48.
IDIOTS WHO SUPPORT CHURCH GROWTH
"I share the judgment of Prof. David Valleskey that one 'can
probably pick up a few helpful hints' from the church growth folks." [On
opposing page, letter which Wayne Mueller answered]
James P. Schaefer The Northwestern
Lutheran, October 15, 1991, p. 363. e May 15, 1991 NWL Valleskey article.
"Were we to distinguish our position from that of some of our
brothers and sisters who perceive their view of Scripture as more orthodox than
ours, several points could be made: 1) we would stress the need to be aware of
the historical and literary process by which God brought the Word to us...4) we
would urge that the emphasis be placed where the Bible itself places it - on
its message of salvation and its instruction for living, not on its details of
geography or science, though we acknowledge the wonderful reliability of the
Bible as a historical source book; 5) we would strive to develop our doctrine
of Scripture by hearing all that the Bible says, rather than by imposing on the
Bible a philosophical judgment of our own as to how God ought to have inspired
the Word."
David Allan Hubbard, "What We
Believe and Teach," Pasadena, California: Fuller Theological Seminary,
1-800-235-2222 Pasadena, CA, 91182.
"We can't do a thing to make his Word more effective. But
surely we can detract from its effectiveness by careless errors and poor
judgment. It just makes good sense to utilize all of our God-given talents, to
scour the field for appropriate ideas, concepts, and material (sic), to
implement programs, methods, and techniques so that we do not detract from the
effectiveness of the gospel we proclaim. Church growth articles, books,
seminars, and conferences can offer such ideas and programs."
Pastor James Huebner, Spiritual
Renewal Consultant, Notebook, School of Outreach IV, Seventeen Ways to Keep
Your Church from Growing, p. 178.
"In my opinion, therefore, Church Growth receptivity and
'soil testing' techniques are often unfairly criticized as if they were by
definition synergistic. It is a fact that some fields are, for various
historical and sociological reasons, more receptive to the preaching of the
gospel and church planting than others. Our home and world mission boards make
these judgments all the time in deciding where to begin churches or send
missionaries."
Rev. Curtis Peterson, former WELS
World Mission Board, "A Second and Third Look at Church Growth Principles,"
Metro South Pastors Conference Mishicot, Wisconsin, February 3, 1993 p. 12.