Wohlrabe & CHI – against Pieper (1 of 2)

      My recent blog revealed a 2009 Concordia Historical Institute Quarterly (CHIQ) article that spread fiction about Franz Pieper regarding his alleged departure from C.F.W. Walther in his teaching and leadership.  This blog does not intend to publish all the many examples of similar false charges, but I do want to highlight a most glaring example for today. The LCMS has been relentless in its criticisms, in its innuendos against Pieper, especially Pieper. Most of the time their fiction is mixed among supposed praises of him as a cover for their duplicity.

Dr. John C. Wohlrabe Jr. (Editor, CHIQ; President, Concordia Historical Institute Board of Governers, 2nd V.P., LC-MS), in his 1982 STM thesis “The Missouri Synod's Unity Attempts during the Pfotenhauer Presidency, 1911-1935” stated the following on p. 30 (emphasis mine):

“Unlike Walther..., Pieper placed more emphasis on avoiding heterodox church bodies and less emphasis on the achievement of unity.”

This statement implies that Pieper did not work hard enough towards “the achievement of unity”. I have demonstrated elsewhere that Pieper's teaching followed Walther (here & here & here & here) – making Wohlrabe's assertion pure fiction. May the reader judge between this assertion of Dr. Wohlrabe and all the evidence to the contrary on this blog.  Pieper was tireless in laboring for a true unity in the Christian faith. Wohlrabe sets himself up for the charge that his Concordia Historical Institute is purposely ignoring doctrinal differences with opposing Lutherans in order to keep up contributions from, and participation by, these erring Lutherans.

Dr. Franz Pieper
"The Twentieth Century Luther"

      I want to publish this photograph (🔗) of Dr. Pieper again, because it is so striking.  He appears rather serious in his demeanor.  That serious look is an indication of a life completely dedicated to the truth of the Gospel and the Bible being proclaimed purely and defended in all its parts.  His “Last Words to his Missouri Synod” speak volumes.  His "Brief Statement of 1932" speaks volumes.  Do you see Pieper peering into your eyes now… as he reads a Scripture passage (e.g. 2 Cor. 5:19) again to us… and says

‘That is what God says. 

It needs no interpretation. 

Believe it.’

      As we read the Memories of Pieper by Ludwig Fuerbringer, the third president of Concordia Seminary, we notice that Fuerbringer did not exhibit the near apostasy of those who followed after him.  And his judgment is more to be trusted than that of Pieper's other biographer, Theodore Graebner, a co-founder of CHI and contributor to ALPB' American Lutheran, who impugned Pieper for his ecumenical work with the Norwegian Lutherans of America.  — 

      The sad part about Dr. Wohlrabe (and CHI) is that he is viewed as being "conservative", just as Graebner was, for Lutheranism. CHI even co-sponsored the "Pieper Lectures" for a time, supposedly to honor Pieper's name.  Wohlrabe wrote an essay published in Christian News in 2007 entitled "How We Got Into This Mess – A Brief History of the LCMS" (see here). Yet Wohlrabe at the same time promoted the above fiction that deceives those who would look to him for true Church History.  At the risk of making Dr. Wohlrabe appear even more foolish, I want to publish the testimony of another (former) LCMS Vice-President, Theodore Nickel, on Franz Pieper, the teacher… in the concluding Part 2. —