In other posts you seem to accuse
Dr. Scaer the Elder of denying Universal Justification. Do you even know what he has dedicated decades of
his life to teaching? He's
fought real battles to preserve this doctrine and been a chief factor in
restoring it to prominence at CTSFW.
For a few moments, this comment floored me. I was wondering "What have I
done?"... I should never disparage a great teacher of Universal
Justification, one who restores and preserves this wonderful doctrine... especially at a seminary like CTS-FW that is training young men
for the holy Ministry...
Then I started to come to my spiritual senses...
Finally! I have
flushed out some "intrepid Lutheran", some Lutheran "with an
attitude", some "gnesio" Lutheran who will finally suggest that
the LC-MS actually teaches Objective Justification, actually teaches Universal
Justification – other than Paul McCain's claim. Yes, maybe even
defends it! If I had only known...
When Larry Darby was directly attacking my faith with his vehement denial of
Universal, Objective Justification (UOJ) in the 1990s, when I was trembling in
my very weak faith, I was desperate
for someone in the LC-MS to come forward, to step up to the plate, to show that
the LC-MS was still actually the heir apparent to the true teaching of
Christianity, what the old (German) Missouri Synod taught (and the old Synodical Conference was built on)... that it would
still be able throw off all the terrible errors it had fallen into, the
horrible unionism in its midst. Larry
Darby even started publishing and mailing a newsletter called "The
Lukewarm Lutheran Report", basing his charge of "lukewarm"
on the allegation that today's LC-MS was still following that erroneous
teaching (UOJ) of old Missouri and not teaching "justification by
faith", that "great cry of the Reformation!".
The pastor of Darby's congregation (Pastor William Bischoff,
formerly of the LCR) struggled mightily against this layman's attack. So much so that he called on an LC-MS
professor to give his opinion, thinking he would be confirmed in his defense of
UOJ. Who did he turn to? He turned to a member of the faculty of
CTS-FW! He turned to Prof. Kurt
Marquart (why not Prof. Scaer "the Elder" who fought real battles for decades for UOJ?).
Did Pastor Bischoff ask Prof. Scaer for his opinion in this
matter concerning the heart of Christianity?
No. Did Marquart turn this
assignment over to Scaer because he considered Scaer the better proponent of
UOJ? No. Did Scaer write anything on this matter or about the
Walter A. Maier Jr. controversy? I have
not seen it. It must have been in other
decades of Scaer's life that he publicly defended UOJ than the years I
looked for him. Nothing was found in
your CTS-FW Seminary Bookstore... no articles in your journals... nothing.
- - - - - - - - - - -
The WELS teachers were being
charitable towards you, today's LC-MS, when its representative (on page 5) gave you complements on
your 1983 CTCR Theses on Justification. Was this CTCR
document only the opinion of Robert and J.A.O. Preus?
I will consider that student
who ran weeping away from Prof. W.A. Maier Jr.'s teaching to Prof. Buls, that
student is the real Christian in this matter. I too am a son of the LC-MS who is running from the LC-MS... no... more than that, I am... oops, I'm
jumping to conclusions – see my last paragraphs below.
- - - - - - - - - - -
But then I read how your LC-MS tried to defend UOJ... with Scaer?
No, it was Prof. Kurt Marquart who earlier had produced an essay during
the great controversy that erupted over Prof. Walter A. Maier Jr. [archived]
with his teaching against UOJ. And how
Marquart tried to be the peacemaker in both the W.A.M. Jr. and Darby
controversies. How hard he struggled in
his essays to put a constructive face on those who utterly denied the true
Gospel.
---------------------
How it grates at me when I run
across online LC-MS Lutherans proclaiming "Peace". What peace?
Peace? God gives the peace that
passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7); but to you, today's LC-MS, He says
this of your "peace" –
Peace, peace; when there is no
peace. (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11)
--------------------
Does Paul McCain call on Prof. David Scaer today to write a
great defense of UOJ ... maybe write a book on it... maybe extol Walther for
"gathering the luminous rays of the Gospel"? Of course not. Because your claim about Scaer does not hold true today.
I am aware that Prof. Scaer may have been known in
earlier times for being "conservative"... he even authored the
helpful little pamphlet "A Latin Ecclesiastical Glossary for Francis Pieper's Christian Dogmatics"
in 1978 to help students understand the many Latin phrases. How I longed to see him or Marquart or Buls
or MacKenzie... or someone at CTSFW take up this torch of the Gospel and
run with it. How I longed that
he understood Pieper's use of the Latin phrase usque ad nauseam.
During the Darby controversy, there was a
professor in the LC-MS who cried out against Darby's allegations in Herman
Otten's Christian News, but surprisingly (actually shocking to me) it
was a professor in St. Louis!... not Fort Wayne (CTS-FW). It was a St. Louis seminary
professor! It was Prof. Thomas
Manteufel, emeritus. I could hardly
believe my eyes. If you must
believe that the LC-MS is orthodox, then read his letter to the editor of Christian News publicly defending UOJ in
January, 1998. He is probably the best
defender of UOJ within the LC-MS today.
How did he get on the faculty of St. Louis? But the greater question (that I wrote to him) was how could he stay on the faculty of an LC-MS seminary? Where was he in the debacle of Prof. Walter
A. Maier Jr.?
-------------------------
Lest I confirm any of Herman
Otten's enemies, I will state that, although I warn against Otten for his
weakness, I did (finally) find one place that he personally admitted
"objective justification" in a letter to "GJ" (CN, Dec. 19, 2000 – pg 15). But how hard I had to search for that! Would to God that he would preach it!...
proclaim it to the mountaintops instead of pining away to be certified into today's
LC-MS.
--------------------------
But just like the new (English) LC-MS which did not censure Prof. Theodore Graebner in his public attack against Walther's and Pieper's teaching on UOJ (search "American Lutheran magazine" on my blog), so CTSFW could not expel Prof. W.A. Maier Jr. in his hardness.
Yes, today's LC-MS, you are "lukewarm" as Darby
charged, but for the very opposite reason that Darby stated. You are "lukewarm" on UOJ.
(Revelation 3:16) This doctrine is the
real "First Premise" according to the Lutheran Confessions, despite those who claim "Theologia crucis",
theology of the cross. There is no
"theology of the cross" without UOJ – Universal Justification,
Objective Justification!
- - - - - - - - - - -
– Here's an assignment for my
commenter(s) – some real "research" for you. Find out who all the panel members were on
the CTCR panel that came out with the 1983 Theses on Justification. According to Rolf Preus, his father, Robert Preus was the author. I can believe that. Was David Scaer or Kurt Marquart on that
panel? I would like to find this
out... it shouldn't be too hard for you
with your contacts.
– Here's another assignment for
you... start a Wikipedia article on the "Statement of the 44". Surprisingly there is none. It should have been at least mentioned on
the Seminex page, but I have
not seen it. Now there, that should
keep you busy.
- - - - - - - - - - -
But my faith is far too weak to admit those who are weak on
the Gospel... I am one step away from Hell!
I have tried to "taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm
34:8) by devouring all I could of today's LC-MS, chewing, rolling it around in
my mouth, chewing some more, and finally, Finally! I felt an uneasiness in my stomach, a sick feeling, a burning
sensation in my throat, awful feeling, something was coming up,....
I vomited out today's LC-MS! I vomited you out – by faith! Then I wrote franzpieper.com. Let that be the testimony for the
Twentieth Century!
I have vomited you out, you who think you can judge
Luther, Walther, and Pieper! ... you
who think you've got the Gospel down pat... in your back pocket.
I have spued you out because you cannot root out the
great error that fights against the Gospel.
It started with Theodore Graebner, was allowed to grow through unionism under Ludwig Fuerbringer and J.W. Behnken,
flourished through the Statement of the 44, never fully recovered after the
walkout of those who formed Seminex. It continues through your CTSFW Professor Walter A. Maier Jr.
and those who will not discipline him (with his error that destroys
Christian faith), who will not cry out against the soul-destroying doubt
that his teaching brings. All these
have put the true Gospel in doubt!
The Devil is having a field day... right in your midst! The WELS (with all its problems) suspended a
pastor for teaching against UOJ – a thousand times more evangelical
than you. The old (German) Missouri
Synod disciplined a pastor over Modern Dance (ha, ha!) – but you can't even discipline a seminary
professor over the true Gospel – you are "losing it".
No, I could not find a real defense in today's LC-MS that I
needed for the true Gospel – God had strengthened my faith through the fight
against Larry Darby so that I would never again throw Him off – let all men be
liars, but God be true – to His Word (Romans 3:4)!
Since vomiting you out, I can see the horrible effects that
you still are having on Christianity Today....
you have caused this blog that I can cry out against you. I could go on page after page of this...
but, I'm going to have to end this post now.
I will allow no comments from the likes of those on my
previous blog post. This is a Christian
blog, not a quiz for the "Jeopardy" TV show. This is not a forum for smart-alecks, smug
scholar/theologians.
Now read what real confessional Lutherans start with – the Lutheran Doctrine of Justification (BookOfConcord.org here, Triglotta pg 121, Concordia, the Lutheran Confessions, page 82 – Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV (II), Of Justification:
But since in this controversy the chief topic of Christian doctrine is treated, which, understood aright, illumines and amplifies the honor of Christ [which is of especial service for the clear, correct understanding of the entire Holy Scriptures, and alone shows the way to the unspeakable treasure and right knowledge of Christ, and alone opens the door to the entire Bible], and brings necessary and most abundant consolation to devout consciences,Oh! those beautiful Lutheran Confessions! Do you see that word "alone" in there twice? Get McCain's edition... it's on sale for just $19.99 with free shipping now! Then turn to page 82, and highlight this portion, put a sticky note there, turn the corner of the page, read it again daily. Here is where the Lutheran Church from above, yes all of Christianity, lives and breathes.
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