When Gräbner was a student at the high school in Fort Wayne, he was hindered many times by eye weakness and missed many classes. What he missed then, he later caught up with by iron diligence, given his excellent talent, and overtook others who were formerly ahead of him. After graduating from the seminary at St. Louis, he served as a teacher in the Lutheran college at St. Louis, and later in the college and seminary of the Wisconsin Synod at Watertown and Milwaukee, Wis. In the year of Walther's death he was appointed professor of theology at the St. Louis seminary. He was well equipped to do so, possessing thorough knowledge in all branches of theology. At the meeting of the Synodical Conference in 1886, the last one that Walther attended, Gräbner had the presentation. After he had given his lecture on inspiration, which was exhaustive of the subject, Walther remarked that the lecturer had dealt with the matter so exhaustively, having anticipated everything, absolutely everything, so that nothing remained for others to add; and he [Walther] really only pointed out the deviations from the pure doctrine in the writings of some German theologians in modern times.
Gräbner was a man of self-control and cool calmness; he had a distinguished appearance and was also a prince in the realm of knowledge. If, according to a published outline, theology is the queen to whom all sciences are subservient, [p. 7] the theologian Gräbner was rightly, and not without success, anxious to seize the territory subservient to his queen. He was at home in the field of philosophy, mathematics, the old and a whole number of new languages, literature, history; he was also at home in the more distant fields of jurisprudence, natural sciences, medicine, and he was also no stranger to the field of art, music, painting and poetry.
Gräbner was called upon to fill the gap in the editorial staff of the “Lutheraner” caused by Günther's death. Under his editorship, the “Lutheraner” celebrated its fiftieth anniversary. In preparation and introduction to it, Gräbner wrote a number of articles: “The beginnings of the ‘Lutheraner’ and what we can learn from it"; “The reception of the ‘Lutheraner’ once and now"; “The usefulness of the ‘Lutheraner’ once and now"; ‘The Lutheraner’ as a synodical organ The first number of the “Lutheraner” of September 7, 1844, was issued in exact replica with No. 1 of the 51st volume.
To him, too, the highly learned man, God's Word was the life element, the Alpha and Omega of his theological thinking and judgment. He made especially the application of the divine Word to the life of Christians the subject of many “Lutheraner” articles. Looking far and wide, he surveys the rich organization of Christian life in its various ramifications, expressions and relationships, and examines them against the yardstick of divine truth. He generously lets appear whole series of articles, articles which, if necessary, complement each other, interrelate with each other and together form a whole. These series of articles, also dealing with contemporary conditions, are extremely rich in teaching, admonition, warning and consolation for the edification of the church. As a master of language, he finds the expression corresponding to his thoughts, the representation suitable for his purpose. The stream of his speech flows majestically, full and deep and yet clear and transparent like crystal. Thus, in a series of articles, he treats the Christian's relationship to God's Word: Of the right fear of God's Word; of the right love for God's Word; of the right trust in God's Word. In 1893 and 1894, he examines the life of a Christian in civil relations and in relation to the world: Of incurring debts frivolously; of saving; the A. P. A. (American Protective Association); women's rights; on corpse burning; of striking; on the labor question; in the world, not of the world, etc. Then in 1895 follows the precious series of articles from Christian Church Life: The local Christian congregation; the establishment of a Christian congregation; of public worship; the Christian congregational school; the doctrine and practice of our synod; of congregational meetings; baptism and confirmation; the care of confirmed youth; church charity; of bequests for church purposes; the church magazine. Stöckhardt and other colleagues of Gräbner contributed to this series of articles: on the establishment and maintenance of the public preaching ministry; Christian teaching; the parish council; private pastoral care; confession; church discipline; church missionary activity; the synodical community. — The Lord of the Church called Prof. Gräbner to heavenly rest on December 7, 1904, after a long period of infirmity from diligent, blessed work. ——————
The three dear men of great merit to the Church, Walther, Günther and Gräbner, have gone to the rest of God's people. They have devoted a considerable part of their lives to the care and work for the “Lutheraner”; [p. 8] they have laid down and left behind in the columns of the “Lutheraner” an inestimable wealth of Christian teaching and experience for the edification of God's Church — useful and necessary not merely for the days gone by, but also for the present. Blessed is he who knows how to lift up this treasure!
May the Lord our God be with us, as he was with our fathers! May the course of the “Lutheraner” be a blessing also in the future! J. S.
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