Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Faith Without Works, Frederic W. Danker

Concordia Theological Monthly

Demands for a creative outlet in an age of standardized production have been responsible for a rash of "do-it-yourself" hobby crafts. Such self-reliance displays itself also in the religious area. St. Paul's Epistle to the Galatians amply testifies, however, that the "do-it-yourself" cult is not a modern development.

The Inclusiveness And The Exclusiveness Of The Gospel, As Seen In The Apostolate Of Paul, Martin H. Franzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Our Lord promised the Spirit to His Apostles and said that when He came, He would convict the world concerning sin and concerning righteousness and concerning judgment (John 16:8). He was indicating thereby that the work of His Apostles would involve the same conflict and struggle with self-assertive man that had taken place in His own disputes with the Pharisees; for, as Schlatter has pointed out, these three: sin, righteousness, and judgment, are central concerns of Pharisaic piety. The Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians is the chief document of the struggle within the church between the Gospel of …

The Rsv And The Small Catechism, George V. Schick

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the theological literature of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod it has been the practice to quote Scripture passages in English in the form in which they appear in the King James Version of 1611. The revision of 1881-1885 and the revision of 1901 in no way affected this custom. Neither achieved any great measure of popularity. The situation appears to be somewhat different in the case of the Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, which appeared upon the market in 1952 under copyright of the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United …

Dr. C. F. W. Walther As Theologian, Francis Pieper, John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

This is to say that in order to preserve the doctrine of justification in its purity. there must be added to it the Scripture teaching that God imparts and communicates to men the forgiveness of sins procured by Christ for the entire world in no other way than by the Gospel and the Sacraments. Therefore the Biblical doctrine of justification stands and falls with the Biblical doctrine of the means of grace.

The Two Realms And The "Separation Of Church And State" In American Society, Ernest B. Koenker

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the dramatic episode before Pilate, Caesar's procurator, Christ said: "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is My kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36). Christ unquestionably possessed a kingdom, one of power, righteousness, wealth, stability, beauty, but now as He stands before Caesar, He seems to be dispossessed. So great was His extremity that the primus inter pares of the small band, the very one who shortly before had wielded a sword to save Him, an …

Rudolf Bultmann's Concept Of Myth And The New Testament, Oscar Cullmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Is it necessary to add a new contribution to the dossier, already too voluminous, of the debate revolving around the publication of Rudolf Bultmann, former professor on the faculty of Protestant theology at Marburg, titled The New Testament and Mythology? This small pamphlet, which may be considered a manifesto and has since been reproduced by the author in a slightly different form, appeared for the first time in 1941 under the title Offenbarung und Heilsgeschehen. The purpose of the author is to make the New Testament language accessible to the modern mind by eliminating what he calls the "myth" and …

Let Jeremiah Speak Today!, Alfred Von Rohr Sauer

Concordia Theological Monthly

It is regrettable that a prophet of the stature of Jeremiah who has so much to say to our generation is virtually unknown among our people and not too familiar among our pastors. Here was a man who, as his name indicates, was "hurled into the life of his nation” (Baughman), in much the same way as Christians today are brought face to face with the problems of their country and community. This was a man who was ''born to be at odds with and in opposition to the whole world" (Welch), just as the modem disciple of Christ finds …

The Christian Hope And Our Fellow Man, Martin H. Franzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

John the Baptist at the dawning of the new age, the coming of the Kingdom, called men away from ties of home, nation, Temple, and cultus into the desert, to meet there the God who was with Israel before Israel had a home, a national life, a Temple, and a cultus. The repentance which he preached was a great act of detachment. Likewise Jesus detached His disciples from the traditional standards of clean and unclean, pointed to Himself as greater than the Temple, and promised to build His ’εχχληοι̇α, His people of God, as inheritor of Israel's promise but detached …

The Doctrine Of Justification In The Lutheran Confessions, Herbert J. Bouman

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the 1538 edition of his commentary on Galatians, Luther speaks of "this one and firm rock, which we call the doctrine of justification, that is, that we are delivered from sin, death, and devil, not through ourselves (nor certainly through our works which are of lesser value than we ourselves), but through outside help, through the Only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ." "If the article concerning justification falls, everything falls." "This is the chief article of the whole Christian doctrine, which comprehends the undemanding of all godliness. It is, therefore, of prime importance that it be well understood and …

The Christian Hope And Our Fellow Man, Martin H. Franzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

The New Testament is a book of hope, an eschatological book from beginning to end, from John the Baptist to John the Divine, the Seer of Patmos. And this hope of the New Testament is throughout a "practical" hope; it is always related to life and action; the eschatological future indicative is never without its here-and-now present imperative. When John the Baptist announces that the long-foretold and long-awaited reign of God has drawn nigh, that God has laid bare His arm to these last days to interpose finally and definitively in history in the Person of the Mightier One, who …

What The Symbols Have To Say About The Church, Arthur Carl Piepkorn

Concordia Theological Monthly

It is not difficult to turn to the index of a modern edition of the Book of Concord and to discover therein the passages in the Lutheran Symbols which talk more or less explicitly about the church. That it is quite possible to read into these passages a very wide range of presuppositions is clear from the way in which different theologians have been claiming our church's Symbols in support of quite divergent, if not actually contradictory, opinions. But the articles of our creedal statements that the editors have headed, "Of the Church," or that bear similar titles are not …

Roman Catholic Child Welfare In The United States, Lewis W. Spitz

Concordia Theological Monthly

Roman Catholic child welfare is concerned with the dependent child, including the delinquent child, which for one reason or another has gone wrong. Roman Catholic social workers recognize the change that has taken place from the days when education was the distinctive function of the home-first, on the mother's knee, and then beside the father in the fields to the present time, when this function has largely been institutionalized and schools for the most part exercise this responsibility.

The Written, Spoken, And Signed Word, Herman A. Preus

Concordia Theological Monthly

0ur title points us to the Word of God. It tells us that God speaks to us in three different ways. But it is the same Word that He speaks in all three. There is only one Word of God. The Word, whether written, spoken, or signed, is the same Word. It is the same message from God. It is the same Gospel, proclaiming God's salvation to lost sinners. It is what Luther calls "die ewige Wahrheit Gottes," God's own revelation of eternal truth.

The Doctrine Of Creation In Lutheran Theology, Jaroslav Pelikan

Concordia Theological Monthly

The fundamental category in the Biblical doctrine of man is the category "creature." Whatever else Christian theology may have to say about the nature and destiny of man, it says in the limits described by that category. Its picture of man as sinner, therefore, must portray him as a fallen creature. It must not make him a creature of Satan because of his sin. Nor dare theology forget that it is precisely man's creaturely derivation from God that makes his sin so calamitous. Because the category "creature" is so fundamental, orthodox Christian theology has always felt compelled to draw a …

The Lutheran Church And Its American Environment. Martin H. Scharlemann, Martin H. Scharlemann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Lutherans landed in America before the arrival of the Mayflower. Some Danish Lutherans, looking for the Northwest Passage, buried forty of their dead on Hudson Bay in 1619. In December of the same year Pastor Rasmus Jensen held a Lutheran Christmas service on the shores of what is now the United States of America.

Does The R.S.V. Mutilate The New Testament Text?, Arthur F. Katt

Concordia Theological Monthly

An outstanding feature of the Revised Standard Version of the Holy Bible is the acknowledged and undeniable fact that its New Testament is based on a much better text than was available to the King James translators in 1607-1611 or to Luther in 1522-1545. The R. S. V. New Testament is essentially a translation of the Greek New Testament used in our colleges and seminaries for the past half century, whether it be the world-renowned edition of Nestle, or that of Westcott and Hort, or, still earlier, that of Tischendorf. Thus the R. S. V. provides pastors with an English …

The Barthian Inversion: Gospel And Law, Thomas Coates

Concordia Theological Monthly

Is the influence of Karl Barth on the wane? One of Europe's foremost Lutheran theologians, Oscar Cullmann of the University of Basle, is of the opinion that it is. He attributes this development to Barth's postwar neutralism, which has struck an unresponsive chord in the hearts of those who discern in the Communist ideology the negation of every Christian principle.

Anglican Christology Of The Upper Stream From '"Lux Mundi" To "Essays Catholic And Critical.", Norman Nagel

Concordia Theological Monthly

When a certain theologian was asked what in English theology would most reward study, with twinkling and Teutonic eye he replied, "They don't have any." Now it is true that the issues which have most exercised churchmen in this country do not seem to have been primarily theological One ncvcr ceases to wonder at the thousands of parish priests in the sixteenth century who found no difficulty in making do whatever new or revised prayer book happened to come to them in the post. When divisions came, they were summed up in terms more of polity than of theology.

The Unity Of The Church, Paul M. Bretscher

Concordia Theological Monthly

This is an anniversary year for the Lutheran Church. The Augsburg Confession, the foremost of our Lutheran symbols, came into existence 425 years ago. Prepared by Melanchthon and approved by Luther, it was read in German at the Diet of Augsburg on June 25, 1530. Copies of the German and Latin text were presented to Emperor Charles V. This 1530 version, known as the "unaltered" Augsburg Confession, has since that memorable day been the touchstone of what constitutes Lutheranism. It reflects in matchless form the deepest theological concerns of Luther, Melanchthon, and their colaborers. It served a threefold purpose: (1) …

Natural Science With Reference To Genesis 1, A. C. Rehwaldt

Concordia Theological Monthly

A discussion of this problem has its pitfalls. There is danger of getting lost in a maze of conflicting opinions at the very start. The moment one turns to the Genesis account, the mind is flooded with associations coming from the outside. Besides, it calls for conscious effort to keep the mind from being swayed by one or the other of the many interpretations which have been presented. But if we seek a solution of some of the many problems which arise with respect to the relation of science and Genesis, we shall have to keep close to the text. …

The Soteriolgical Aspect Of The Doctrine Of The Holy Trinity According To The Lutheran Confessions, Lewis W. Spitz

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Lutheran Confessions are basically doxological in their treatment of the Holy Trinity, as they sound forth a hymn of praise to the grace and mercy of the Triune God. The theme of their exultant song is Soli deo gloria! But the God to whom alone shall be all glory is the Triune God: the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost - three distinct Persons in one divine Essence. Measuring the space which the Confessions devote to the various doctrines which they profess, one might think otherwise.

Sacra Scriptura And ''Verbum Dei" In The Lutheran Confessions, Fred Kramer

Concordia Theological Monthly

To understand the Lutheran Reformation of the sixteenth century correctly one must know and bear in mind the fact that it was begun by a man who amid fearful troubles of conscience and after a long and bitter struggle for the certainty of his salvation had rediscovered the Gospel and who in turn desired to share its blessings with others.

The Masonic Apostasy From Christ, Paul M. Bretscher

Concordia Theological Monthly

Christian by Degrees (1954) is the second of two books written by Walton Hannah, clergyman in the Church of England. In this book, as well as in an earlier work, Darkness Visible, the author demonstrates the irreconcilable difference between Christianity and Freemasonry. This journal published a review of Darkness Visible (XXIV [1953], 316 f.) and of Christian by Degrees (XXV [1954], 709 f.), 1n addition, we kept our readers informed regarding the controversy in the Church of England caused by Rev. Hannah's analysis of the religious character of Freemasonry. See "Freemasonry in England under Fire" (XXII [1951], 353 f.) and …

The New Lexicon Of The Greek New Testament, F. W. Gingrich

Concordia Theological Monthly

Biblical scholarship in the English-speaking world at the present time has only one unabridged lexicon of the Greek New Testament at its disposal, Joseph Henry Thayer's "Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament," first published in 1886 and in a corrected edition in 1889. This was a translation, with many important additions, of the Greek-Latin New Testament lexicon of C. G. Wilke, thoroughly revised by C. L W. Grimm. Arrangements for this translation were first made in 1864, so that a period of 22 years elapsed before the work was finished. This delay was partly due to Professor Thayer's many duties …

Evanston In Retrospect, William Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

Last summer our sainted colleague, Dr. F. E. Mayer, in the last article that he wrote for this journal, sketched the issues which according to the program developed by the leaders of the World Council of Churches would confront its delegates, consultants, and accredited visitors in August. (see the July number of the CTM, pp. 516-533). The general theme of the convention was to be "Christ-the Hope of the World." Six subthemes had been selected: 1. "Our oneness in Christ and our disunity as churches"; 2. "Evangelism: the church's neglected vocation"; 3. "Social problems: the responsible society in a world …

The Concept Of God In Luther And The Lutheran Confessions, John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

This essay concerns itself chiefly with the concept of God, revealed especially in His works of creation and preservation, as the obiectum amabile, whom men are not merely to adore, but pre-eminently to love. However, since the Deus Creator is also the Deus Redemptor and Deus Sanctificator, it must, on the one hand, go beyond the narrow scope of the First Article of the Apostles' Creed as explained by Luther in his Large and Small Catechisms, while, on the other, it cannot nearly exhaust the great wealth of weighty truths that come within the compass of the study of the …

The Relationship Of The Church To The National Culture In America, Ernest B. Koenker

Concordia Theological Monthly

As one considers the cultural complex of America today, there are a number of questions which might present themselves to the Christian living under the Word. What are the values which underlie our national culture, and is there any sense in which these are being absolutized today in some kind of Messianism? Can one say that the Christian churches in America, or the Lutheran Church, have profoundly shaped our culture, or have the churches themselves been thoroughly shaped by the culture? In view of the loss or muffling of a dynamic Christian witness in many of the American denominations, what …

Essays On The Inspiration Of Scripture The Position Of The Church And Her Symbols, Arthur Carl Piepkorn, Martin H. Franzmann, Walter R. Roehrs

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Position of the Church and Her Symbols

The New Testament View of Inspiration

Inspiration and Authority

Translating The Gospels - A Discussion Between Dr. E. V. Rieu And The Rev. J.B. Phillips, E. V. Rieu, J. B. Phillips

Concordia Theological Monthly

Translating the Gospels - A Discussion Between Dr. E. V. Rieu and the Rev. J.B. Phillips

From A Child Thou Hast Known The Holy Scriptures, Arthur F. Katt

Concordia Theological Monthly

"From a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus," St. Paul wrote to Timothy, thereby commending the knowledge of Scripture from childhood. In order to know the Holy Scriptures from childhood, children must have the Scriptures presented to them in such a way that they are able to understand them. Knowledge is based on understanding.