LDJ–1859/1880-Part 4 (Section C- pages 9-11)—Tired "saints"

This continues from the previous Part 3 presenting a new translation of C.F.W. Walther's seminal essay in 1859 (see Part 1 for Table of Contents).

Tired "saints" -- a perfect picture that Martin Luther (and Walther) paints for our times:

And although tired “saints” consider it unnecessary to keep at this matter—they imagine that they know it inside out and have learned all there is to know— still I know how wrong they are, and that they know absolutely nothing about the importance of this point. If this one teaching stands in its purity, then Christendom will also remain pure and good, undivided and unseparated; for this alone, and nothing else, makes and maintains Christendom. Everything else may be brilliantly counterfeited by false Christians and hypocrites; but where this falls, it is impossible to ward off any error or sectarian spirit. [Am. Ed. 14, pgs 36-37, on Psalm 117]

Dear God!  Help us tired "saints"... send us Thy Word to refresh us!  In Jesus Name, Amen!

Underlining follows Walther's emphasis in original.
Hypertext links have been copiously added for reference to original sources and on several subjects.
Highlighting is mine.

= = = = = = = = = = = =  Section C: Pages 9-11 (1880)  = = = = = = = = = = = =

(cont'd from Section B)

The Lutheran Doctrine of Justification.

[by C.F.W. Walther]

[1880-9] ... and the core is this: that without any merit, as a gift of God’s pure grace in Christ, we attain righteousness, life, and salvation, and that there is no other way or path, no other means or effort, that can help us to attain it. Every day I experience only too well how insistently the devil assails this core in an effort to wipe it out. And although tired “saints” consider it unnecessary to keep at this matter—they imagine that they know it inside out and have learned all there is to know— still I know how wrong they are, and that they know absolutely nothing about the importance of this point. If this one teaching stands in its purity, [W1859-15] then Christendom will also remain pure and good, undivided and unseparated; for this alone, and nothing else, makes and maintains Christendom. Everything else may be brilliantly counterfeited by false Christians and hypocrites; but where this falls, it is impossible to ward off any error or sectarian spirit. This I know indeed, and I have experienced it so often that without this teaching I could never refute what either the Turks or the Jews believe.  And wherever sects arise, you may be sure that they have certainly fallen away from this principal teaching, regardless of the fact that they do a great deal of mouthing about Christ and put on much polish and finery. This doctrine permits no sects to arise, because without fail the Holy Spirit is there; He lets no sectarianism take root, but gives and maintains harmony.”  (Walch W1 V, 1697-98, paragr. 94; StL Ed. col. 1170, paragr. 94.; Am. Ed. 14, 36-37; see Der Lutheraner, vol. 3- Dec. 1846, pgs 50-51, Joel Baseley translation here; also see Der Lutheraner, Vol. 6-March 1950, pg 116, col. 2, Walther’s article on Absolution using this writing of Luther)

Finally Luther writes on John 16:3: “Therefore all depends on this article about Christ, and he who has this article has everything. In order to be able to abide by it, the Christians must be engaged in [1880-10] the most strenuous warfare and must fight constantly. That is also why Christ and the apostles also keep insisting on it everywhere. Although the other doctrines are also based on Scripture—for example, Christ’s birth from a pure virgin—it does not stress them as much as it does this one. When St. Paul champions this doctrine of Christ’s birth, he does not even call the mother by name; nor does he mention the honor of the virgin; he states simply (Gal. 4:4) ‘Natum ex muliere,’ i.e., ‘born of woman.’  But he is absolutely insistent on the point that it is not by work and Law but solely through this Mediator, Christ, that we receive grace and salvation from God.  This is also the only doctrine that is constantly subjected to persecution by the devil and the world, as was announced about it at the very beginning in the first sermon God delivered to man after the Fall (Gen. 3:15): “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” That is the very same enmity of which Christ here asserts that His Christians, because of their confession and preaching of Him, will be both banned and killed. Other doctrines have also been attacked, but not one has caused so much bloodshed and produced so many martyrs as this one. For it started with the two brothers, Cain and Abel, one dying at the hand of the other, and will not end as long as the world remains.  And it will continue as long as the world exists. Where this doctrine is proclaimed, there the devil is mad and insane, and the world is aflame with anger and raging. Throughout history we find that all heresy and error has arisen where this doctrine has disappeared, where people became smug, as though they knew it very well, and thus turned from it to something else [1880-11] and began to dispute about the Person of Christ, whether He was true God or just a human being, and with such speculations and questions they were [W1859-16] plunged into every kind of trouble.  The one denied the divinity of Christ; the other, His humanity. Some denied the Person of the Holy Spirit; others, the virginity of Mary. But all of them, regardless of their number, had erred first of all in this primary doctrine.  For all other doctrines stand and fall with this one; it includes all the others; it is all-important. He who errs in the others certainly errs in this one too. Even if he holds to the others, still all is in vain if he does not have this one. On the other hand, this article has the grace, if one diligently and earnestly clings to it, that it will keep [person] from falling into heresy; it will not allow [you] to oppose Christ and His Christendom.  For the Holy Spirit is surely inherent in it, and through it illumines the heart and keeps it in the right and certain understanding, with the result that it can differentiate and judge all other doctrines clearly and definitely, and can resolutely preserve and defend them. We see this also in the ancient fathers.  When they retained this article of faith and based their doctrines on it, or derived them from it, they preserved purity of doctrine in every detail. But when they veered from it and disputed without its guiding light, then they fell into error and strayed far afield,  as happened at times to the oldest, to Tertullian and Cyprian. And this is also basically the failing not only of the papists but of our schismatic spirits, who rant against Baptism and other doctrines. They have already surrendered this article of faith and have paid no attention to it. Instead, they have put forth other matters. In this way they have lost a proper comprehension of all doctrines, with the result that they cannot teach anything about them that is right and can no longer preserve any doctrine with certainty. [1880-12] One can easily see this in their books.  And now they lapse from one error into another, until they finally lead themselves and others into perdition.

= = = = = cont'd in next Section D = = = = = = = 

Without realizing it, I find that this series of posts fits the goal of this whole blog:

Back To Luther!

Rev. 14:6-7

In the next Section D...