A friendly comment was added to my post earlier this morning, which asked:
"Which group of Christians has public confession more faithful to the Word of God than the LCMS?"
OK, I'm going to challenge that.
The LCMS has a public (that is, formal) confession. The question is not whether the LCMS has a proper formal confession, but whether that confession is a reality in the LCMS.
I cite the LCMS' own confession, in the Brief Statement of 1932:
"The orthodox character of a church is established not by its mere name nor by its outward acceptance of, and subscription to, an orthodox creed, but by the doctrine which is actually taught in its pulpits, in its theological seminaries, and in its publications."
This is how the LCMS itself says we are to determine the orthodox nature of a church body: by both outward acceptance of an orthodox creed, and also by the doctrine which is actually taught. By this -- a standard which the LCMS has set forth -- is the LCMS faithful to the word of God?
When all varieties of services -- including "clown ministry,", "contemporary worship," and self-written liturgies -- are extant within the LCMS, is the LCMS an orthodox church body?
When virtually anything (including -- in my personal experience -- unitarianism) can be taught with impunity in LCMS pulpits, is the LCMS an orthodox church body?
When self-composed creeds are used in LCMS congregation services, is the LCMS an orthodox church body?
The question isn't whether the LCMS is the "most orthodox." Orthodoxy isn't a relative thing; one is, or one isn't.
Again, from the Brief Statement:
"Since God ordained that His Word only,
without the admixture of human doctrine, be taught and believed in
the Christian Church, 1 Pet. 4:11; John 8:31, 32; 1 Tim. 6: 3, 4, all
Christians are required by God to discriminate between orthodox
and heterodox church-bodies, Matt. 7:15, to have church-fellowship
only with orthodox church-bodies, and, in case they have strayed
into heterodox church-bodies, to leave them, Rom. 16:17."
The reality is that the LCMS -- like many others -- is a heterodox church body. The further problem is that the LCMS is not teachable, not changeable, and that the more heterodox faction has been -- 3 times -- confirmed as the dominant faction in the LCMS.
Those who want to remain and fight within the LCMS are welcome to do so. But they should do asking themselves these questions:
1. Has any church body ever been "turned around"?
2. And if they can't think of one, why is the LCMS different? What makes us think the LCMS is going to turn around?
3. Do the votes in LCMS conventions in 2001, 2004, and 2007 indicate that the orthodox Lutherans are somehow the "real" LCMS?
4. Finally, by "staying and fighting" are we going against the explicit command of Romans 16.17?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I sadly don't have the time to counter proof-text your proof texts, but I would submit an answer to your final questions...
1. Has any church body ever been "turned around"?
Yes - under the leadership of CFW Walther the Saxon Lutherans put Martin Stephan on a boat to "anywhere but here." Even if it is an extreme case, I'd say that group turned around.
2. And if they can't think of one, why is the LCMS different? What makes us think the LCMS is going to turn around?
Technically I don't have to answer this because I answered question 1. BUT I can say I honestly don't think the LCMS will "turn around." But there are 2.4 million (and falling) saints in the LCMS who are in need of the pure Gospel of Christ. You are saying that the LCMS is full of sinners who, well, sin a lot? What's new? The church at Corinth had some sinners too, but Paul didn't write them off. The congregation in Wittenburg had some problems under Karlstadt, and Luther risked his life to preach the Invocavit sermons. He even restored the Roman mass and reinstituted communion in one kind.
You know what I've found? Jesus seems to really like sinners. Even the really nasty ones. And believe me, I don't understand it. So stay in the LCMS and fight. We're 2.4 million sinners strong. 2.4 million saints of God who need the Gospel of Christ.
3. Do the votes in LCMS conventions in 2001, 2004, and 2007 indicate that the orthodox Lutherans are somehow the "real" LCMS?
No, the orthodox are not the "real" LCMS. What's new? When the Saxon Germans came to Perry County, MO, they thought that they were the only true Christians on earth. Doesn't sound too orthodox to me. AC VII says that "it is enough for the true unity of the church to agree concerning the teaching of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments..." Our churches and pastors still agree to the Gospel and the Sacraments. If they lie about it, that's something they'll have to answer for. But right now they have to lie in order to join the LCMS while not believing what she formally confesses.
4. Finally, by "staying and fighting" are we going against the explicit command of Romans 16.17?
That's a much bigger question. But the answer should keep Romans 15:1 in mind as well.
Come quickly, Lord Jesus!
1. I'm sorry, but I don't see the analogy. Getting rid of Stephan because of his various misbehaviors is hardly the same as turning around a church body.
2. No one is "writing off" the 2.4 million (or whatever) folks who are affiliated with the LCMS. The LCMS is not a "church," despite its name. The analogy with the Corinthian church collapses under that. Lots of church bodies (all of them, in fact) are full of sinners. Should folks by this logic be counseled to remain in the Metropolitan Community Church? The Unitarian-Universalists? Mormons?
3. "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." Mark. Avoid. Does anyone argue that the LCMS teaches error, and has done so for decades?
Post a Comment