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Friday, November 30, 2012

The death of Lutheranism

Apparently, contemporary Lutheranism reduces grace to ritualism. Be baptized as an infant, then go to church once a week to consume a consecrated wafer and listen to the pastor pronounce the words of absolution. 

If that wasn’t bad enough, “universal objective justification” has become mainstream dogma in contemporary Lutheranism. Instead of justification by faith alone as the doctrine on which the church stands for falls, we now have justification minus faith. Believers and unbelievers alike are justified. Muslims are justified. Atheists are justified. The damned are justified.

It’s sad to see a once noble theological tradition become an empty shell. But perhaps this is a case where some seminal weeds eventually choke the wheat.

11 comments:

  1. "Apparently, contemporary Lutheranism reduces grace to ritualism. Be baptized as an infant, then go to church once a week to consume a consecrated wafer and listen to the pastor pronounce the words of absolution."

    In Lutheranism, Baptism is Gospel.

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    1. Baptism is God delivering the forgiveness of sin. (Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 10:22)

      Said forgiveness of sin is the fruit of this Gospel;

      Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
      For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures

      (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 ESV)

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    2. I already addressed some Lutheran baptismal prooftexts. You need to be intellectually responsible.

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    3. I guess I missed the postings. I would be happy to review them if you wish. Where can they be found?

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  2. "It’s sad to see a once noble theological tradition become an empty shell. But perhaps this is a case where some seminal weeds eventually choke the wheat."

    There may be some Catholics and ex-Lutherans who'd agree with that. Neuhaus converted from being a Lutheran clergymen to a Catholic priest.

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  3. "Be baptized as an infant, then go to church once a week to consume a consecrated wafer and listen to the pastor pronounce the words of absolution." And the giving of Christ's gift of the forgiveness of sin in the sermon.

    All of which are proclamations of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. This is not only contemporary Lutheranism. For more on that please review the Book of Concord. In that you will also see the teaching of Martin Luther.

    It is a sadness that you feel that way but everyone is entitled to his own opinions. One of the things I find refreshing in Lutheran Churches is the honesty about differences with other Christian traditions. But not a lot of time judging whether those traditions are dead due to those errors. And I was a member of several reformed congregations which did not do that either.

    You are in Jesus. God's peace is with you. Strive to live in that peace. †

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    1. You're not entitled to a proclamation of forgiveness by performing rituals (or having them performed on you). That's not how a person comes to be in Jesus, stay in Jesus, or be at peace with God. It's a spiritual delusion to to ground salvation or the assurance of salvation in diligent attention to externals. That's Pharisaical religion all over again.

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  4. "You're not entitled to a proclamation of forgiveness by performing rituals (or having them performed on you)."

    Baptism and the Supper of Our Lord are his gifts instituted by him to deliver his promises. These are not ordinances, man made rituals or any other vain actions dreamed up by sinners. One cannot say without rebellion; "These Sacraments are empty rituals which accomplish nothing. Any one saying they do accomplish what they promise is committing idolatry. And I do not need these promises delivered in such a way for I have my own way of getting saved."

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  5. Of course, all you’ve done is beg the question in your favor.

    I’m unimpressed by the kind of mock piety that contents itself with perfunctory prooftexting.

    I’m unimpressed by a show of pious indignation. That’s interchangeable with a Russian priest venerating his icons, a nun clutching her Rosary, a pilgrim kissing the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, a Tibetan monk lighting incense to a giant Buddha.

    You may say, “Ah, but this is different. God instituted the sacraments.” God also instituted the ark of the covenant and the brazen serpent. That didn’t keep Jews from making the ark of the covenant a rabbit’s foot and the brazen serpent an idol.

    There’s nothing godly about putting your faith in a cracker. There’s nothing godly about transferring your worship from Jesus to a cracker.

    For folks like you, bread and wine become a substitute Jesus. You cut Jesus out of the picture and replace him with the sacraments. The font and the chalice become your Jesus substitutes.

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  6. Steve,

    Not all Lutherans accept that trash called Universal Objective Justification. But if you will look at it deeply it is really on your Calvinistic side of the fence. UOJ equates Justification with the Atonement, is that not also Calvinistic en toto?

    As for the cracker, that is connected to the body of Christ so says Scripture so nothing is being substituted.

    LPC

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    1. LPC

      "But if you will look at it deeply it is really on your Calvinistic side of the fence. UOJ equates Justification with the Atonement, is that not also Calvinistic en toto?"

      Calvinism doesn't equate justification with the atonement. In Calvinism, the atonement ensures the justification of those for whom (the elect) Christ made atonement, but the atonement by itself is not what justifies the redeemed. 

"As for the cracker, that is connected to the body of Christ so says Scripture so nothing is being substituted."

      Give the Lutheran theory of the real presence, which graphically illustrates how one error contributes to another error.

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