WIC2: Pieper's “The Right Worldview” (1923, Synod essay)

      This continues from Part 1 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series presenting a new translation of all of Franz Pieper's essays previously translated in the 1933 CPH book What Is Christianity? And Other Essays. — In this second essay of six, the title assigned by Prof. J. T. Mueller is listed as “The Christian World View”. However the actual German title translated is "The Right Worldview". Pieper addresses a topic that is fresh for today. The Internet delivers countless "worldviews". But Pieper's sets us straight right from the start when we look for "The Right Worldview". The opinions of any person cannot give us this, but God can. As Pieper announces, "It is from God's standpoint that I want to speak to you about the right view of the world." — From Lehre und Wehre, volume 69 (1923), pp. 225-240:

Notable Quotes: 

225: "Copernicanism… a human assumption or conjecture, not a scientifically established fact" [Cp. to statement by theoretical physicist Nieto of Los Alamos National Laboratories here.]

226: "What is decisive for us from the outset (a priori) is how Christ… views Scripture. … So we believe him completely when he testifies to the Scriptures in John 10:35: 'The Scriptures cannot be broken'".

227: "Man did not develop by himself, neither from a primordial cell nor from a lower animal.   Nor did God develop man gradually"

228: "…the end of the world is certain.…we humans forget it all too easily. The end will come quite suddenly"

229: "But where will man go? … Heaven and earth will pass away, but people will remain.… [annihilists] claim that at least the wicked will be destroyed at the end of the world"

229: "the present world exists and is maintained in existence by God for the sole purpose of preaching the Gospel of Christ"

231: "Of course, the majority of people do not agree with this.…They think that… they can develop themselves, what they can achieve in morality, education and culture."

232: "God punishes temporally so that we do not have to perish eternally."

233: "Man also has a beginning, but no end… either in eternal salvation or in eternal damnation."

234: "…let us not forget our concern for the salvation of our own souls.

235: "But each and every one of us should constantly examine ourselves to see what we mean and how our hearts relate to the kingdom of God."

236: "The right view of the world also includes the right view of the family, child rearing and the Christian school." [Cf. this blog post]

237: "…the Gospel is only genuine if no law is added to it, but free grace is taught"

238: "…pure Christian doctrine also includes the rejection of opposing error."

Now I present my new, freely available, English translation which retains Pieper's emphasis of wording:

Download an unhighlighted version here; German text here.

Christians are not to take their worldview from worldlings but from God. And Pieper's essay brings that view into complete focus. — In the next post, Part WIC3a, we begin the essay “The Reconciliation of Man With God”.