Against Wohlrabe– Nickel praises Pieper as Teacher, “Mr. Law and Gospel II”, Part 2 of 2

    This post concludes from Part 1, a refutation of the numerous insinuations and false charges by Concordia Historical Institute's Dr. John Wohlrabe and a host of contributors to the Concordia Historical Institute's Quarterly.  What follows is an expanded testimony from the blog of Nov. 10 by former LCMS vice president Rev. Theodore F.A. Nickel (1904-1996, Find-A-Grave).  This testimony corroborates that of others published in the Lutheran Witness magazine after Pieper's passing in 1931.
      Nickel's 1987 testimony for Pieper, in the anthology C.F.W. Walther, the American Luther, was quite surprising and unexpected for me.  Why?  Because Nickel was also rather vehement in defending the unionistic path that the LCMS was taking during his earlier leadership in the 1950s and 1960s: (1) In 1954 Nickel strenuously argued against the Wisconsin Synod's warnings that the LCMS was being unionistic in its teaching and fellowship actions during his early tenure – see his LCMS pamphlet A Fraternal Reply; and (2) in 1962 Nickel also vehemently denied the plain meaning of Romans 16:17 in a speech before the erring ALC Lutherans. This was a clear departure from Pieper's express teaching (here & here) that used this passage of Holy Scripture in its plain meaning. — Now, again, in 1987, Nickel startles us with a testimony that leaves one wondering how he could have strayed so far at certain times in his life, and yet speak of Pieper as he does here. He may have answered that mystery himself when he states that the faculty was “far greater than we realized”. — The following is a question-and-answer series recorded by Pastor Armand Boehme (all bolding and highlighting is mine):

= = = = = = = =  Excerpt from C.F.W. Walther, the American Luther (1987), p. x - xii  = = = = = = = = 

“The Law/Gospel Torch is Passed”
by Pastor Armand Boehme, STM (🔗)

Walther had a profound impact on Lutheranism in America and on his own Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. As Synodical President, seminary professor and writer, Walther passed on his love for Christ and His Word of Law and Gospel to future generations.

When Dr. Theodore F. Nickel attended Concordia Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri (1923-1927), he was taught by a number of faculty members who had been students of Dr. Walther: Drs. W.H.T. Dau, Th. Engelder, F. Bente. L. Fuerbringer, and F. Pieper. These men were all recipients of Walther’s Law and Gospel heritage. Dr. Nickel remembers learning God’s Word from these Walther-trained men, noting especially the work of Dr. Franz Pieper. Dr. Pieper was Walther’s hand-picked successor in serving as Professor and Seminary President. Dr. Walther was known as “Mr. Law and Gospel”; Dr. Pieper was known as “Mr. Law and Gospel II.” [see also Pfotenhauer’s funeral sermon for Pieper with a similar account]

V.P. Theo. Nickel
(1973 LCMS Convention)

Q: Dr. Nickel, what was your impression of the faculty when you studied at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis?

A: The faculty we had at that time was perhaps far greater than we realized them to be. But the outstanding one among them was Dr. Franz Pieper. His greatness consisted of this: that he always brought Law and Gospel to bear upon your life.

Franz Pieper
Old Missour's teacher
(not LC-MS's)

He would put a Bible verse on the board in the Greek or in Hebrew. He would always point out the sin we commit against God Who gave us the words and show from the text how we had not appreciated it. Then either from the text itself or from the context, he would show us how Christ took care of those sins, and in such a way that you always felt guilty, and yet forgiven. And you always left the room loving the Christ whom he taught.

Q: Since Dr. Pieper did his work in the classroom on the basis of Law and Gospel, where did he learn this ability to distinguish Law and Gospel and to apply it in the classroom?

Λ: He learned it from Walther! We were taught to study Walther’s Law and Gospel. A lot of the profs told us that we ought to use Law and Gospel, but Dr. Pieper did it! He did it in such a way that you knew how to do it by what he did. I would say that one of his greatest traits was that he made you want to teach the way he did – so that in all your classes and in all your sermons you determined to ask yourself the question: “What sin am I going to bring out in order to forgive it, so that by forgiving it, I make people want to avoid the sin and do that which is right?” And it is effective.

One Christmas, before vacation, all the professors were lecturing the seminary students about their behavior over the holidays – how they should not dishonor the seminary when they were home (apparently there had been some incident reported to the professors). When Dr. Pieper came, we wondered what he would say. He started the lesson as usual. He put a Greek text on the board and pointed out our sins against God’s Word in that text; then he brought it to bear upon us in a more effective way; and from out of the text he brought to us Christ and His forgiveness. Then he paused to say, “Gentlemen, now you are going back to your homes, and you’re going to celebrate Christmas, the birth of THIS Jesus who came into the world to take away the sins of the world. That means ours, too. He who has taken away the sins of the world is going to be honored and praised by the congregations, and you’ll be with them. I would like that you – when you go there – remember Him, serve Him, join your congregations in honoring Him. If you should let Him down, don’t lose heart. He will never let you down, because He came to the world for all of us. For while we were yet enemies, He died for us.” When he was through, he said, “Now goodbye, boys, and God bless your Christmas.” As we walked out, there was a deadly silence as one hundred and nine men walked out of that classroom. Then we walked on through the halls quite a distance to the Luther statue. Then we began to talk. “Wasn’t that great?” We said again and again. “How could you let Christ down after that?” Such an effect he had upon us.

Q: Dr. Pieper held many positions in Synod – theological professor; President of the Seminary/Synod; the Synod’s representative, etc. What was his attitude towards the parish ministry?

A: I’ll never forget the day when a classmate and I were looking at the lighted cross that had just been put up by the students over the seminary. Dr. Pieper came along as we were standing there. He put his hand in his pocket and said, “You know, gentlemen, I’d like to contribute to that cross, because that cross reminds us that from this seminary the message of Christ and His forgiveness for the world is to go out to the world.” He said, “And just think, you boys, you’re better off than I am, because I teach you what to preach, but you are doing the most important work. You go to the front lines where the people are, convert them, and bring them to Christ. You teach them and train them right in the front lines. Your work is greater than mine.”

He also said in class, “Now boys, every ship that sails the ocean, every plane that flies the skies, every train that rolls across the continents, every truck and every bus and every means of communication is in the hands of God – meant for but the one goal – that the cross of Jesus Christ be proclaimed to the whole world. And now, boys, you’re going out to do it. God bless you and make you His messengers, and the messengers of His cross.” What an impression that left on us. When we went out, we were determined to get that message out! …

Q:  What would you say was Pieper’s greatest ability?

A:  His greatest power was his ability to make the texts of Holy Scripture come alive for you in the classroom. He brought you not only the meaning of the text, and the Law that a text proclaimed, but he also showed the Christ proclaimed by that text or its context. Here Pieper put into practice Walther’s thesis, which stated that an orthodox teacher is one who not only explains the text, but who also clearly shows the Law and Gospel of that text. Pieper would make you feel as though you had been taken to account for your sins and then forgiven in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You always left the classroom a forgiven theological student.

Thus when students and pastors who had Pieper as a professor would speak about their days as his students, they would refer not so much to his person, but to the fact that he made you love Christ. This was Pieper’s greatest power: he always brought God’s grace to bear upon your life. When students spoke of Dr. Pieper, they would say, “When you think of him, you think of Christ.” He became a picture of God’s grace walking in his classroom.

Q:  What would you say would be the best way that Walther and Pieper’s living Law and Gospel heritage could be carried on in the Church today?

A:  I would encourage Pastors to read and re-read Walther’s Law and Gospel every several years, to study and read Pieper’s Dogmatics and Luther – to see how these men applied Law and Gospel to their work, and then to examine their own work as pastors in the parish on the basis of Law and Gospel. …

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In your face, today's LC-MS and CHI:

Franz Pieper: “Mr. Law and Gospel II”
“A picture of God’s grace”
“Far greater than we realized”
“The Twentieth Century Luther”