Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

A Comparison Of The Christian Doctrine Of Sin With That Of The Three Religions Of China, Leroy Hass

Bachelor of Divinity

The purpose in writing this thesis, however, is not to produce a lengthy dissertation on the Christian concept of sin; this has been done by many excellent Christian theologians. In the next few pages we shall simply reproduce the teachings of Dr. Franz Pieper and Dr. J. T. Mueller on this subject. Hence, very few proof passages or proofs of any kind are offered. It is our desire merely to review the chief points of the Christian concept of sin in order to prepare the reader for a more intelligent consideration of the topic.

The Race Question In The Light Of The Una Sancta, Harry N. Huxhold

Bachelor of Divinity

Neither Scriptures nor the confessions of the Lutheran Church deal with the specific problems of racial minority groups, for the problem was absent at the time of their writing. But both indicate principles on the basis of which the question may be treated. Approaches to the problem on the basis of the various principles laid down in Scriptures and the Confessions may vary. But since the problem as it confronts the Church is most generally connected with the question of integrating racial minority groups in the local congregation, the following paper is a study of the race question and its …

Natural Theology In David Hollaz, Jaroslav Pelikan Jr

Concordia Theological Monthly

Christianity is a religion of supernatural revelation: to this "give all the Prophets witness." It is an assertion of the fact that the true meaning of God lies beyond the ken of the unaided human mind. Indeed, the Christian faith is so bold as to assert that "he that loveth not - and only a Christian is capable of ἀγάπη, true love - knoweth not God, for God is Love" (1 John 4:8).

Euthanasia, John H. Fritz

Concordia Theological Monthly

The word euthanasia (eu, well; thanatos, death) was formerly used merely to speak of an easy, painless death. It is now being used in the sense of an intentional cutting short of life in the case of disease, or illness, that may be pronounced incurable and is at the same time very painful-mercy killing. There is little literature on this subject. Consulting a number of encyclopedias, I found that some of them do not consider the subject of sufficient importance and interest to be spoken of at all; even one of the recent encyclopedias does not mention it. And those …

Dr. Walther's Foreword For Volume Xiv Of Lehre Und Wehre, 1888, C. F. Walther, Alex Wm. Guebert

Concordia Theological Monthly

J. Conrad Dannhauer, the venerable theologian of Strassburg and teacher of Spener, wrote the following words a few years before his death in 1666: "Q. Curtius expressed himself correctly when he said: 'You cannot despise any point in an enemy with impunity; for in despising him you neglect him and so strengthen him.’ This very neglect in a former era gave birth to the Antichrist and, while people slept, enabled him to sow his injurious seeds. Because of indolence, weariness, or an eye that is not sufficiently trained, the same neglect fails to see the tricks of the syncretistic spirit …

The Christian Looks At Communism, Ralph Luther Moellering

Bachelor of Divinity

The present writer, as he looks at Communism from the viewpoint of a Lutheran Christian, will endeavor to demonstrate in a sober presentation of available evidence.

Some Remarks On The Question Of The Salvation Of The Heathen, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

''In order to save universal grace before the forum of the human understanding, some have thought that the Gentiles will be saved for Christ's sake, without faith in the Gospel, on account of their moral aspirations (thus, for example, Hofmann). Others have assumed that after this life an opportunity to hear the Gospel and to believe will be offered (Martensen, Kliefoth, etc.). But these are human speculations, without any basis in Scripture" (Pieper, Christliche Dogmatik, II, p. 35). Millions of men have died who never in their life heard the Gospel of Christ, their Savior. Shall we say that they …

Keeping The Doctrine Pure, J, H. Fritz

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the year 1924 a book was published entitled Great Preachers As Seen by a Journalist. In closing the last chapter of the book the author said, ''I believe that the creeds within Protestantism are more shell-like and fragile than appears on the surface. Some of these ministers I have written about in this book were born in one creed and preach now in another. Ask me at the end of my work what conclusion stands out in my mind, and I must say, 'I have found plenty of signs that the Protestant Churches of America will one day be …

Christian Fellowship, C. August Hardt

Concordia Theological Monthly

The following article on "Christian Fellowship" is the second part of the essay “The Scriptural Content of χοινωνία, Its Manifestations and Restrictions upon Such Manifestations," the first part of which: Fellowship with God," appeared. in the CONCODIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY, Vol. XV, 505 ff. To give the reader an overview and enable him to follow the line of thought more easily, we epitomize the contents in the subjoined outline.

A Review Of Moehlman's "School And Church: The American Way.", O. C. Rupprecht

Concordia Theological Monthly

Which is ''the American way" for the religious training of American children? According to Dr. C.H. Moehlman, Professor of the History of Christianity at the Colgate-Rochester Divinity School, the American way is a different one from that pursued in Christian parochial schools. It is different, too, from the plan of "various religious groups" who "are conducting a vigorous propaganda for the return of the formal teaching of religion to the public classroom" (p. ix). The American way is to let public schools (in preference to parochial schools) and churches exist side by side, and to encourage them in at least …

Fellowship With God, C. August Hardt

Concordia Theological Monthly

By way of introduction let me say a few words about the reasons for submitting a paper on Koinonia. It is well known that the word "fellowship" has been very much in the foreground in recent years, especially in connection with the efforts of Lutheran bodies to establish church fellowship. We, too, have had committees at work discussing doctrinal differences with a view to bringing about Scriptural unity as a basis of church and altar fellowship. Some in our midst have looked upon these negotiations with doubts and apprehensions; others, however, feel that we have not even gone far enough …

The Right And Wrong Of Private Judgment, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

"O ye theologians, what are you doing? Think ye that it is a trifling matter when the sublime Majesty forbids you to teach things that do not proceed from the mouth of the Lord and are something else than God's Word? It is not a thresher or herdsman who is here speaking" (Luther XIX: 821). When men prefer those things that originate in their own minds to those that proceed out of the mouth of the Lord, they are doing an evil thing. We shall discuss this matter under four heads.

The Social Gospel, P. E. Kretzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

''Why bother about the social gospel?" a man recently told the present writer. ''The social gospel is dead and buried. No one concerns himself about it any more. It has been superseded by the theology of Karl Barth in its various forms, by the religious philosophy of Kierkegaard, by the neo-orthodoxy of Niebuhr and others, and by a number of other movements and developments."

The Right And Wrong Of Private Judgment, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

Satan has brought untold woe upon the Church by inducing the Pope to deny the right of private judgment and suppress the exercise of it. And Satan brings additional woe upon the Church by inducing men to turn the God-given right of private judgment into a license to sit in judgment on Holy Scripture, to criticize and discard it. That is our second proposition: There is an exercise of private judgment which God absolutely forbids and condemns.

Luther's Social Ethics In Contrast To Rome's Asceticism, Arnold Wessler

Bachelor of Divinity

"Luther brought back the pure doctrine of justification; that, above all, made him the Reformer of the Church." By carrying out the implications of this Scriptural truth in its relation to the rest of Roman theology Luther once and for all broke the power of the Roman papacy. Other reformers had failed and Luther succeeded in his Reformation because he struck at the root of the problem and undermined the foundations upon which Rome's whole diabolical system of theology rested. Luther succeeded because he destroyed Rome's sacerdotalism and sacramentalism.

The Doctrine Of The Holy Ghost According To St Paul, Edward Saleska

Bachelor of Divinity

The doctrine or the Holy Spirit is fundamental in Christian teaching. The Holy Spirit’s ministry is intimately bound up in the doctrine of the Trinity and is an all-important factor in the life of the Christian. It makes all the difference in the world as to what a man believes regarding the Holy Ghost and whether or not he has an intelligent understanding of what the Spirit is ready to do for him in his life.

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

This is, and must be, the burden of our concluding remarks: Let us "earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3); let us faithfully guard' the precious doctrine of Verbal Inspiration.

We shall earnestly contend for it if we realize, in the first place, how much is at stake. We must realize what the Church would lose if she surrendered Verbal Inspiration. We would lose our Bible. The battle for Verbal Inspiration is not a mock battle played by children. It is not some unseemly brawl among squabbling theologians- Theologengezaenk. No; the Church is …

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

We are asked to come in under the charter of liberty proclaimed by the moderns which calls for freedom from "the tyranny of words." We cannot do so, for three reasons.

First, we do not feel that Verbal Inspiration imposes a legalistic yoke on us. It does indeed require of us unquestioning acceptance of all the statements of Scripture. On that we and the moderns are agreed. We are bound by every word of Scripture. But we do not resent, nor rebel against, this bondage. It is a holy bondage. We rejoice in it. Why? Verbal Inspiration has taught us …

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

The moderns are bound to make the "sure Word" of Scripture (2 Pet. 1:19) unreliable. They have been telling the anxious Christian that the "mechanical, verbal theory" of inspiration is all wrong; that according to their dynamical canon the words in which the saving truth is revealed are purely human; that nobody knows whether the words of John 3:16 correctly express the divine thought. But they are not yet through with the dismayed Christian. Lest he still be disposed to base his trust on John 3:16 and similar passages of Holy Writ, they now tell him: Forget all about John …

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

The moderns have many more objections against Verbal Inspiration. To three of these they attach special importance. They denounce Verbal Inspiration as "a mechanical theory of inspiration"; they abhor it as "resulting in an atomistic conception of the Scriptures"; they abominate it as establishing "the legalistic authority of the letter." -The old evil Foe means deadly woe. The appeasers have up till now been telling us that nothing is lost if the Church gives up half of the Bible, seeing that they are willing to let her retain the important half, the Gospel message; if only the saving truths be …

The Doctrine Of Regeneration As Seen Especially In Romans 6:1-14, Eugene Klug

Bachelor of Divinity

Regeneration in the Epistle to the Romans: that is the problem before us for our consideration. Does Paul speak of regeneration at all in this epistle? There are those who hold that he does not, while others maintain that he does. Still others, unable to decide one way or the other, attempt to adopt a middle course, thereby becoming hopelessly enmeshed in doctrinal and exegetical confusion. The problem resolves itself still further into a dispute over one passage, ch. 6, 1-14, which is only section of Paul’s well planned letter which could – and which does, if I may anticipate …

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

The second objection to Verbal Inspiration is based on the so-called unethical portions of the Bible. The mistakes of the Bible are to the moderns a small matter compared with the ethical blemishes they see in the Bible. These alleged immoralities and indecencies scandalize them beyond expression. That is what arouses their most violent protest. The moderns, both conservatives and liberals, join with the unbelievers and infidels in loudly protesting that the Bible as it stands contains much that outrages their moral sensibilities. What the present age needs is an expurgated Bible; and since Verbal Inspiration stands for an unexpurgated …

Privileges And Obligations, Th. Laetsch

Concordia Theological Monthly

In the name of the Prince of Peace, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today, and forever, we are assembled here for the purpose of considering ways and means to bring the Gospel of peace to a war-tom world and to build, maintain, and extend His Kingdom of Grace and peace in a world enslaved by sin and Satan, harassed by war and rumors of war, by malice and hatred and deadly enmity. Almost one hundred years ago a considerably smaller number of men came together in Fort Wayne, Ind., and in other communities of the Central …

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

It is unworthy of a Christian to charge Holy Scripture with errors. - It might be well to emphasize and elaborate some of the points touched upon in the preceding articles. First, it is unworthy of a Christian to let fallible men exercise authority over Scripture. It is a shameful thing for a Christian theologian to revise and correct Scripture on the authority of some historian or some professor of natural history. Theologians are doing just that.

Verbal Inspiration- A Stumbling-Block To The Jews And Foolishness To The Greeks, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

We are asked to give up the doctrine of verbal inspiration because of the alleged erroneousness of the Bible. The moderns are asking us to do that. And our own flesh is suggesting it. We find it impossible to do so. One reason for that is that the arguments advanced by the rationalists against the infallibility of Scripture are in conflict with sound reason. We shall demonstrate this in a later article, and that demonstration will serve a good purpose.

Lectures On Galatians, Wm. Dallmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

The saving Gospel we have been learning is also the social Gospel we shall be learning.

"Brethren, ye were called unto freedom. Only use not this freedom for an opening of the flesh." Freedom is to be used, not abused for a cloak of wickedness, 1 Pet. 2: 16. A frightful abuse of freedom was that of the Anabaptists at Muenster, in Westphalia, at the time of the Reformation.

General Synod Liberalism In The U. L. C. A., Theodore Graebner

Concordia Theological Monthly

The CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY has frequently expressed editorial amazement over the teachings which are permitted to represent the theology of the United Lutheran Church through pages of the Lutheran Church Quarterly, edited jointly by the faculties of the theological seminaries at Gettysburg and at Philadelphia. Particularly the book reviews have been permitted to express views which diverge considerably from the doctrine of the Lutheran Confessions. But it is rarely that a single issue of the Quarterly contains so much as the October issue of this year (1940) to discourage those who have been hoping for an upward trend in the …

Reason Or Revelation?, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

Rationalism is an evil thing, working untold harm. And harmonizing Scripture as practiced by Lutheran theologians is a form of rationalism. The harmonizers operate with the principles of rationalism. True, they do not apply them as widely as the gross rationalists. They restrict the harmonizing operation to selected portions of the Christian doctrine. But there they are engaged in the evil business of rationalism, in a wicked and harmful business.

Ba∏Tizω, K. G. Manz

Concordia Theological Monthly

It is a sad fact that men, swayed by a fatal bias, will make rash statements about, and posit propositions in regard to, Baptism which can be maintained neither in the face of the Scriptures nor before the forum of history. This is true, for instance, in reference to the question of immersion in the administration of Holy Baptism. The importance of the subject demands that we consider soberly what the Bible and the early history of the Church teach us in regard to the mode of baptism.

Why Preach?, John H. Fritz

Concordia Theological Monthly

Preaching, if it is to serve its divine purpose, must have a very definite objective. This the preacher should not only know, but of this he should be conscious. What is the objective? Why preach?