AG1a: 1873 Western: Walther's 'All Glory to God' Essays (Part 1)

   As I have done with Franz Pieper's convention essays recently, I am providing my own translations of Walther's essays that have already been translated and published by Concordia Publishing House. I am targeting Walther's series entitled 

"Only Through the Doctrine of the Lutheran Church is 

All Glory Given to God Alone",

in which there were 11 essays presented to the Western District from 1873 through 1886. The CPH versions were spread across 2 books: 1) Convention Essays (1981) and 2) Walther's Works: All Glory to God (2016)

      Why is this being done? For several reasons:

1. To make these essays available to the public free of charge so that no one is deprived of Walther's extensive teaching.
2. To restore portions omitted due to "space limitations", especially for years 1873-1876.
3. To correct any missing emphasis of wording.
4. To offer hyperlinks for navigation and references.
5. Allow immediate online linking to references in Walther's writings.

Walther outlined 12 points that he intended to cover in this series. Following each point, I identify in red what year it was addressed:

1. of the Word of God; [1873 Western Dist.]

2. the cause of sin, death, hell and damnation; [1873 Western Dist.]

3. of divine providence; [1873 Western Dist.; Thesis III, no. 2 deals with Election]

4. of the general will of God's grace; [1874 Western Dist.]

5. of the reconciliation and redemption of the human race; [1874 Western Dist.]

6. the justification of the sinner by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ without merit of works; [1875 Western Dist.]

7. the necessity of regeneration and sanctification; [1875 Western Dist.]

8. the foundation, validity, power and immutability of the means of grace; [1876 Western Dist.]

9. of conversion; [1876 Western Dist.]

10. of the invocation and worship of God; [1882 Western Dist.]

11. obedience to men in matters of faith and conscience; [1883, 1885, 1886 Western Dist.]

12. the election of grace. [1877, 1879, 1880 Western Dist.]

As one reviews this list, we notice that Point 12, Election of Grace, was pulled up to go ahead of points 10 and 11. This was because of the urgency of the great controversy on this doctrine.

      In this first of 11 essays, it should be noted that although most historians report that Walther first addressed the Election Controversy beginning in 1877, Walther already wrote about it in 1873. So we can see the beginning of the build up in the great controversy at this earlier date. — This segment is covered in the official report on pages 26-41. We introduce this essay by presenting some extracts:

Notable Quotes:

Thesis I: On Religion in general:

26-27: Religion "deals with the relationship of man to God.… the word used for it in Scripture is "religion" (Gottesdienst) (in Greek: ϑρησχεία)."

29: "the Christian religion is the true religion, because it alone gives all glory to God"

30: Atheists "do not even have what the pagans have."

30: "our intention to argue only with those who admit the existence of a God"

30: "The sects say: 'We give God the glory; but you must work out your salvation, pray, fight, wrestle'"

Thesis II: On the True Visible Church

31: "the only true church is the one that gives glory to God alone through all its teachings"

31: "the church differs from the state in that it is united by religion, while the state is united by the needs of this life"

32: All glory to God means "…that man is less than nothing; who brings man to fall down before God"

32: Luther complained "that it was becoming so difficult for him to… apply 'by faith alone'."

33: "Alas, it is not easy to give God the glory. It costs great struggles…"

34-35: "That is why Luther…repeated the first commandment in every commandment: "'We should fear and love God'…"

36: "…God's honor is diminished by the slightest false teaching"

Thesis III: Evidence from our forefathers

38: Luther: "the world becomes hostile to us precisely because we give all glory and praise to God and leave nothing to the world."

38-39: Ancient Fathers: "It is not the suffering that makes the martyr, but the cause of the suffering."

39: "'Alas,' said the enemies [of Luther], 'he puts all good works to shame, is an enemy of piety, says that God does everything.'"

40: "anyone who knows that a doctrine is the Word of God starts a war with the whole world."

41: Kromayer: "…the Lutheran religion… relates everything to God's glory"

41: "Methodist Nast claims to have penetrated to perfect sanctification…that he has given up smoking"

In the next blog post Part AG1b, we cover a section that gave me much encouragement: Of the Word of God.

- - - - - - - - - - -  Table of Contents  (Western District, "All Glory to God"  series  - - - - - - - - - - - - 

      At the beginning of Thesis III, Walther reveals the doctrines that he would eventually cover in the next 13 years under this Thesis, through a total of 11 essays presented to the Western District. I plan to follow Walther's original plan rather than strictly in chronological order. See the following, noting that "AG signifies "All Glory":

AG1a: This introduction, 1873 Western District: Theses I, II, and Thesis III partial

   AG1b: 1873: The Word of God; full download

     Excursus: Walther on the Apocrypha: "bad crumbs"

   AG1c: 1873: The cause of sin, death, hell and damnation (also Predestination, Election)

   AG1d: 1873: Divine Providence; full download

AG2a: 1874: The General Will of God's Grace

   AG2b: 1874: The Reconciliation and Redemption of the Human Race; full download

AG3a: 1875: The Justification of the Sinner

   AG3b: 1875: The Necessity of Regeneration and Sanctification

   AG3c: 1875: Good Works; full download

AG4a: 1876: The Means of Grace, their Foundation

   AG4b: 1876 Means of Grace: Validity and Power

   AG4c: 1876: Means of Grace, their Immutability; Conversion, Antichrist

AG5: 1877 The Election of Grace I

AG6: 1879 The Election of Grace II

AG7: 1880 The Election of Grace III

   AG7a: 1880 Pastoral Conference 

   AG7b: 1881 Pastoral Conference 

   AG7c: 1868 Northern, Siegbert Becker, Brenner, Wohlrabe, Eckhardt, G. Fritschel, Roy Suelflow, Kolb, MacKenzie

AG8a: 1882: Invocation and Worship of God (Prayer I)– what it is and is not

   AG8b: Saints worshipped, Christ robbed; Person of Christ (Prayer II)

   AG8c: Evangelical aspect to Prayer; against Pietism (Prayer III)

AG9a: 1883, Obedience to Men (or Worldly Authorities I, Churchly Authorities)

   AG9b: 1883, Churchly Authorities, part 2; with download

AG10a: 1885, Obedience to Men  (Worldly Authorities II, Secular Authorities)

   AG10b: Secular Authorities, part 2

     Excursus 1: Walther on Jesuit expulsion from… Catholic lands

AG11a: 1886: Obedience to Men  (Worldly Authorities III, Household Authority)  Thesis I: Parental

   AG11b: Theses II  (Women, wives) and Thesis III (Servants)

     Excursus 2A: Jesuit constitution in "black letter" (Walther's warning vs AI gods)

     Excursus 2B: Grok's & Britannica's reports on Jesuits' & Pope Clement XIV

AG12: Walther's All Glory to God book, 11 essays in one BTL book