DISCUSSION GUIDE

for

CATHOLIC, LUTHERAN, PROTESTANT

Gregory L. Jackson, Ph.D.

Church of the Lutheran Confession

22 N. State Street

New Ulm, MN 56073-1834

507-354-1089; faith@ic.new-ulm.mn.us

HOW TO USE CATHOLIC, LUTHERAN, PROTESTANT

Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant began as a study for Lutherans marrying Roman Catholics, so that couples could discuss differences and similarities in doctrine. Realizing that few people have access to Catholic, Lutheran, and Protestant theological libraries, I expanded the scope of the book to include as much resource material as possible. As a result, many people suggested that a study book be prepared so that pastors could teach a class based upon the book. Those who want to study doctrine on their own may also use this guide as a way of building up their knowledge without becoming lost.

To paraphrase Coach Vince Lombardi, "Doctrine is not the main thing. It is the only thing." When we speak about "doctrine," we are discussing what God teaches in His Scriptures. The purpose of the Bible is to show us that:

1) we are sinners in need of a Savior,

2) God has provided a Savior for us, His only Son Jesus,

3) through His death on the cross, Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the devil.

People may say that the Bible is a wonderful book, full of exciting stories and beautiful poetry, but they have not grasped what the Holy Spirit teaches if they neglect the saving message of the Gospel. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is our comfort, our hope, our light in the midst of darkness, and medicine for our soul as we face pain, suffering, and death. The Gospel is a great treasure given to us for free, yet won for us at a great price. How can we neglect, misuse, or reject it?

Start with the Best Books

Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant is designed to lead people to the Scriptures, the Confessions, and the great books of Lutheran orthodoxy. Below is a short list of books to use when studying doctrine. Except for the set by Father Baker, they can be ordered from Christian News or Concordia Publishing House.

The Holy Bible (King James Version, New King James Version, or God's Word to the Nations/New Evangelical Translation). The Scriptures are the verbally inspired, inerrant Word of God.

R. C. H. Lenski's New Testament Commentaries, Augsburg/Fortress Press. Lenski is not only good for understanding the Greek text, but also for his discussion of the doctrinal history of the Biblical passage.

The Book of Concord (Tappert edition, Augsburg/Fortress, or Concordia Triglotta, Concordia Publishing House). The Tappert edition is used for CLP. The Concordia Triglotta has an outstanding historical introduction. The best way to study the Book of Concord is either to read one section at a time, or to study doctrinal themes, using the Concordance to the Book of Concord from Northwestern Publishing House.

What Luther Says, ed. Ewald Plass, Concordia Publishing House. No one has a better collection of Luther's writings, arranged by topic, with concise explanatory introductions and footnotes.

C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, Concordia Publishing House. Walther's Luther lectures help the reader understand the Scriptures and Luther's theology. Law/Gospel confusions are common among Protestants and Roman Catholics.

Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, 4 vols., Concordia Publishing House. The size of Chemnitz' classic may seem daunting, but each doctrinal topic from the Council of Trent, which codified Medieval Roman Catholicism, is discussed in light of the Scriptures and the church fathers. Chemnitz' writing is as clear and humorous as Luther's.

Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vols. Pieper began by writing the second volume, on Christology, which is a classic by itself. Pieper is the best summary of Christian doctrine available in English. Pastors and laity will benefit by re-reading the relevant sections.

Father Kenneth Baker, S.J., Fundamentals of Catholicism, 3 vols., San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1983. Baker wrote this conservative book because of his dismay over the lack of doctrinal knowledge of young Roman Catholics. The clear writing, topical arrangement, and faithfulness to official Roman Catholic teaching

make this a useful volume to use in confirmation, adult class, and sermon preparation. It is better to quote a Roman Catholic source than a polemical tract against Roman Catholicism. The phone order number is 1-800-322-1531.

Structure of CLP

Some people will argue that Christianity has many more divisions than the three named in the book's title. However, I agree with F. E. Mayer that the essential divisions are three, with all variations relating to the main confessions. CLP has three parts:

1) Areas of agreement, (the Scriptures, the Trinity, the Two Natures of Christ, natural law);

2) Areas of partial agreement (the Sacraments);

3) Complete disagreement (justification, Purgatory, papal infallibility, doctrines of Mary, Luther vs. the papacy).

The purpose of this arrangement is to build upon areas of common agreement before getting into areas of controversy. Many people are no longer taught the inerrancy of God's Word, the Biblical passages revealing the Trinity, the divine and human natures of Christ, or the foundation for determining right and wrong (natural law). Also, all three groups need to see the relationship between the Scriptures, the Ecumenical Creeds, and the church fathers (Augustine, Jerome, Ambrose). If a Lutheran tries to critique Purgatory on the basis of the silence of the Scriptures, the Roman Catholic will be unimpressed. The German Lutheran and Swiss Protestant Reformation paid far more attention to the church fathers than we do today. Chemnitz great advantage was his encyclopedic knowledge of patristics (church fathers). Therefore, we need to follow him in studying the false application of church fathers' writings in defending erroneous doctrines.

Starting with agreement also assumes a family atmosphere. Most people can say with me that the book title describes their extended family, if not their brothers and sisters. We want to be able to discuss doctrine without severing family relationships. To do this, we need to know their doctrine better than they do, and be able to discuss the Word of God with confidence in the work of the Holy Spirit. At the very worst, our family members will challenge us to remain sharp about the doctrine we claim to treasure so greatly. We will not be effective, but the Word of God will accomplish God's purpose (Isaiah 55).

In the second part, the Sacraments focus on the unique approach of Lutheran doctrine in maintaining the close relationship between the Holy Spirit and the Word. The Holy Spirit never works apart from the Word, and the Word never works apart from the Holy Spirit, as Adolph Hoenecke taught. Therefore, Lutherans must disagree with Protestants and Roman Catholics about the nature of the Sacraments, since they are the visible Word. All three groups use the terminology of "Word and Sacraments," or at least "Word and ordinances," but only the Lutherans unite the work of the Word with that of the Spirit, whether the Word is taught and studied or made visible in the Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion. Three areas of conflict in this chapter are: efficacy of the Word, infant baptism and infant faith, the Real Presence of Christ's body and blood in Holy Communion, and the Roman Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation.

The third part emphasizes the areas of greatest disagreement with Roman Catholicism, from the viewpoint of Lutherans and Protestants. Each topic has a different chapter, to allow for the history of the doctrine and extensive discussion. These chapters will create the most discussion and interest, allowing the teacher to bring together the main theme of the book - salvation through the merits of Christ alone. In the final chapter, it is absolutely necessary to deal with the Roman Catholic attack on Luther, since the attack is consistently personal and based upon factual error. Lutherans find themselves upset and alarmed when confronted with the twisted rhetoric of Cochlaeus, recently served fresh by the editor of Fidelity magazine. Most Lutherans do not know that Roman Catholic scholars have rejected the old slander, which is still in print and selling well. Considering how important the Gospel is, then, Lutherans must also insist that the office of the papacy fits the Biblical portrait of the anti-Christ, assuming god-like infallibility while teaching against the inerrant Word of God.

PART I: CHAPTER ONE

AREAS OF AGREEMENT

The first part of CLP may be discussed in one class session, or, if more basic instruction is desired, in 2-4 sessions. The first objective is to define the true Church. Is it visible, identified with a particular denomination, or invisible, made up of all those who believe in Christ alone as Savior and Redeemer?

Second, what is the foundation for all Christian doctrine and practice? Third, what is commonly taught about the Trinity? Fourth, how do discuss right and wrong? Note that page numbers for CLP are given for each answer. The number of the note is given, to help people find the right citation. Study material is listed for each section, to encourage more reading of Luther, Walther, Chemnitz, and the Book of Concord.

The Church

Study: What Luther Says, "Church." Augsburg Confession, Articles VI and VII.

1. Is the true Church visible (a denomination), or invisible, comprised of all those who trust in the merits of Christ alone?

(p. 12)

2. Which Biblical passage tells us that divisions in Christianity help us test and define what is true? (p. 12)

3. Why does it matter whether we associate with orthodox pastors and laity? (p. 13)

4. List statements which Catholic, Lutherans, and Protestants can agree upon. (p. 13)

5. In what ways do Lutherans and Catholics agree? (p. 13f.)

6. Name areas of Lutheran and Protestant agreement. (p. 14)

The Measuring Rod

Study: Pieper, I, pp. 193-359.

7. List some Biblical passages which tell us that God's Word is inspired by the Holy Spirit, without error, clear, and effective in teaching us about salvation. (p. 15)

8. Name some of the great church fathers and paraphrase what they said about the authority of the Scriptures in the early Church. (pp. 18-21)

9. Are the Scriptures clear? Give examples from church fathers. (p. 20)

10. Does the Bible contain everything we need to know about salvation? Name two church fathers who said it does (p. 20f.)

11. Has the rationalistic approach to the Bible found a place in "conservative" Protestant seminaries like Fuller and in Roman Catholicism? What is the rationalistic study of the Bible called?

(p. 22)

The Trinity

Study: What Luther Says, "Trinity." Pieper, I, pp. 371-466.

12. The term "Trinity" is not found in the Bible. Where is the doctrine revealed? Discuss some Trinitarian passages in the Old Testament. (p. 23-25)

13. Do liberal theologians, scoffers, cults (Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses) and non-Christian religions accept the doctrine of the Trinity? (p. 23)

14. Name the three Ecumenical Creeds. Why are they important when we already have the Bible? (p. 26-28)

15. Do we have creeds in the Bible? List some credal passages (p. 29-30)

16. Can certain hymns be considered creeds? Name several which declare a doctrinal viewpoint because they were written during a time of conflict. (p. 30)

17. How does worship reflect our confession of faith? Name a Church Growth model congregation which avoids the cross. (p. 31)

Two Natures of Christ

Study: Pieper, II, pp. 55-279. What Luther Says, "Christ." Formula of Concord, VIII, "Person of Christ." John Schaller, Biblical Christology. Chemnitz, The Two Natures of Christ.

18. What are the two natures of Christ? Are they mixed together?

(p. 33)

19. List some passages which reveal the human nature of Christ.

(p. 34)

20. Where in the Bible do we find it revealed that Christ is equal to God? (p. 35f.)

21. Where is the Virgin Birth of Christ predicted? How did God use the phony piety of Ahaz to reveal the miraculous birth of Christ? (p. 36f.)

Natural Law

Study: What Luther Says, "Law of God." Pieper, III, pp. 222-252.

22. How is the doctrine of Creation related to judging between right and wrong? (p. 39)

23. Where does the Declaration of Independence use the concept of natural law, relating justice to Creation? (p. 40)

24. How were the unborn protected against abortion, using the concept of natural law? (p. 41)

25. What does natural law have to say about family values? (p. 42)

PART II

CHAPTER SIX: THE SACRAMENTS

Most of this chapter is directed against Protestant confusion about how we receive God's grace. When Lutherans abandon a clear stance about the Holy Spirit working only through the Means of Grace, people become anxious about salvation. Rationalism and emotionalism step in to grant false assurance in place of uncertainty. Because Protestants do not unite the work of the Holy Spirit with the Means of Grace, they fall into such errors as: denying baptismal regeneration and infant faith; rejecting the Real Presence of Christ; insisting upon a "born-again experience" or speaking in tongues; praying for faith; and turning the Sacraments into ordinances.

Roman Catholics use the term "Means of Grace," but they have a different concept. One must remember the specter of Purgatory and the promise that the Roman Catholic sacraments will reduce the

time of torture and pain in Purgatory through these means. The Roman Catholic mass, where the priests offers a "bloodless sacrifice" to atone for sins is central to this understanding.

This section should be taught in at least two sessions. The first should emphasize the Means of Grace: how the Holy Spirit works through the Word and Sacraments to give us forgiveness, peace, joy, and the assurance of eternal life. The second session should concentrate on the Roman Catholic sacraments, especially the "bloodless sacrifice" of the Mass. Note that the Protestant position and the Roman Catholic position are both called Enthusiasm in the Smalcald Articles, because both separate the work of the Holy Spirit from the Word and Sacraments.

Means of Grace

Study: What Luther Says, "Means of Grace." Pieper, III, pp. 104-221.

1. How did Luther's Reformation differ from Zwingli's and Calvin's? (p. 46)

2. What is the "peculiar glory of the Lutheran church," according to J. T. Mueller? What does it guard against? (p. 47)

3. Rationalism and Pietism in the Lutheran church led to the neglect of the ___________________. (p. 48)

4. What are the marks of the Church, if they are not external peace, prosperity, and large parking lots? (p. 49)

5. What do we receive from the Means of Grace, the Word and Sacraments? (p. 49)

6. Explain the passage in Isaiah 55:10-11, to show how God always works through the Word. (p. 51)

7. List some passages which show the divine power of the Word. (p. 52f.)

Holy Spirit and the Means of Grace

Study: What Luther Says, "Holy Ghost." Concordance to the Book of Concord, "Enthusiasm." Book of Concord, Smalcald Articles, VIII.

8. What is Enthusiasm? (p. 54)

9. In spite of many individual differences, do all Protestants teach the work of the Holy Spirit independent from the Means of Grace? (p. 54)

10. According to the Smalcald Articles, anything attributed to the Spirit apart from the Word and Sacraments is of....... (p. 54)

11. Paraphrase what Zwingli said about the Sacraments. (p. 55)

The Word Active in Baptism

Study: Augsburg Confession, Article IX, "Baptism." What Luther Says, "Baptism." Pieper, III, pp. 253-289.

12. What are the Protestant objections to baptism? (p. 58)

13. What is the power in baptism, according to Luther? How does he compare the Word to the glowing heat in a fiery iron? (p. 58f.)

14. How does Matthias Loy compare the Means of Grace to the way we obtain bread? (p. 59)

15. What Biblical passages show us that infants have faith and that their faith is something we should emulate? (p. 62)

17. How is infant dedication a sign that Protestants desire the blessings of infant baptism? (p. 67)

The Lord's Supper

Study: What Luther Says, "Lord's Supper." Lenski, Corinthians, p. 407. Formula of Concord, Article VII, "Lord's Supper."

18. What are the 3 Protestant objections to the Real Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper? (p. 68)

19. If the finite cannot contain the Infinite, as Calvin claimed about the Lord's Supper, then what does that say about God becoming man? Note: Protestant problem