Search This Blog

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

In praise of Prof. Theodore Engelder & God's Word

[2018-04-24: added material at bottom in red.]
Prof. Theodore Engelder 
(1865 – 1949)


On page 392 of his 1944 book Scripture Cannot Be Broken, Prof. Engelder stated the following in defiance of all modernist / liberal theology:
“But when they call us legalists and literalists and bibliolaters 
because we are bound by every letter of Scripture
they are out of order. 
Rather, we shall let them do that and 
consider these nasty slurs 
high praise.”

I have taken too long to praise the dear Engelder – he should have been chosen to succeed as president of Concordia Seminary to Franz Pieper in 1931.  Instead, the Missouri Synod chose Ludwig Fuerbringer and a long, painful slide into the abyss of hellish modernism accelerated.

There is more that I may comment on this. But for now, may this post be for a true high praise in honor of the dear Prof. Engelder and
To God Be the Glory!
Soli Deo Gloria!
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
2018-04-25: Ewald Plass, in his 1959 book What Luther Says, published the following (p. 1630) concerning Engelder's book Scripture Cannot Be Broken:
A 448-page defense of verbal inspiration which reveals an amazing breadth of reading. The book contains a wealth of quotations from contemporary literature dealing with the Bible. Fine index of 45 pages by Professor Emeritus Wm. Schaller. A "must" volume. Copious quotations and references to Luther. From 1926 to 1946 Dr. Engelder was professor of Christian doctrine at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.
I have elsewhere exposed Plass's modernistic tendencies.  But this judgment of Plass shows that he was a somewhat mitigating force against the free-fall of the LC-MS away from the Word in 1959.

2 comments:

  1. Engelder wrote an interesting 5-part essay entitled "Notes on Chiliasm" which is worth a read if you've not seen it: https://media.ctsfw.edu/Home/SearchTitle?search=notes+on+chiliasm+&authorFacet=&headingFacet=&journalFacet=&contentFacet=&formatFacet=&dateFacet=

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "jwskud":
      I don't recall reading that article in depth, but I suspect it is true teaching. I'm sure it would be a solid defense against the Millennialism of our time. This doctrine also had to be addressed in Walther's time when a prominent pastor fell on it. Thank you for calling attention to another writing, of many writings, of Engelder.
      Engelder was largely relegated to oblivion after his death... kind of like Prof. Eugene Klug's writings are also discarded by CTS-Ft. Wayne today. Klug was perhaps one of the strongest defenders of Holy Scripture in the LC-MS before he died.

      Delete

Comments only accepted when directly related to the post.