Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons^™

Was Luther A Nominalist?, Bengt Haegglund

Concordia Theological Monthly

The problem of the relation between Luther and the tradition which derives its name from William of Occam has in our time acquired a new interest. Certain Roman Catholic critics are inclined to ascribe the Reformer's heretical ideas to nominalist influences. According to them nominalism bears within itself a ferment of dissolution; it rejects in a radical manner the fundamental presuppositions of the whole scholastic theology. Is such a view based on an accurate representation of nominalism? This is a question which we cannot answer within the limits of the present article.

A Theological Appraisal Of Comparative Symbolics, Herbert J. Bouman

Concordia Theological Monthly

The religious scene in America presents a bewildering spectacle of about 250 religious groups maintaining a separate and often precarious existence. This multiplicity of denominations, sects, and sectlets, segregated not only by deep and basic doctrinal cleavage but all too often also by merely peripheral and even meaningless differences, is extremely confusing to a thoughtful observer. Even worse, the disunity of churches, all of which claim some relation to Christ and His Word, is bound to be a sore scandal. At first glance this ecclesiastical fragmentation seems to defy intelligent and intelligible analysis. A little stirring beneath the surface, however, …

Nietzsche's Final View Of Luther And The Reformation, Heinz Bluhm

Concordia Theological Monthly

Nietzsche began as an admirer of Luther and the German Reformation. The age of Luther ranked as high in his early opinion as the age of Goethe and Beethoven. From Menschliches, Allzumenschliches on, this favorable attitude toward Luther underwent a strong transformation. In the five years from 1878 to 1883, Nietzsche’s second creative period, Luther emerged as a highly questionable figure, even as a most regrettable event in the history of German and European thought and civilization. But all these severe pronouncements on Luther were only a prelude to the scathing denunciations to come in Nietzsche's post-Zarathustra writings.

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 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 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 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.

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 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 Concepts Of Sin And Grace In Hinduism, Theodore A. Michalk

Bachelor of Divinity

There are two concepts which are very fundamental in the Christian religion. These are the concepts of sin and grace. In the realm of Hindu thinking these concepts are only vaguely known. The author became aware or this state of affairs to some extent during his first term of mission service in India. This awareness awakened a desire to learn, if possible, what ideas arise in the mind or a Hindu thinker when he hears these terms used by a Christian speaker. The author feels that this investigation will help him to render better service to his Savior and to …

Three Aspects Of The Way Of Christ And The Church, Martin H. Franzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

In 1 Cor. 1:9 St. Paul characterizes the members of the Church as those who have been called by God into fellowship (communion) with His Son Jesus Christ, our Lord. This fellowship is a total participation in the whole Christ, a participation which takes a peculiarly vivid and experiential form in Holy Communion (1 Cor.10:16 ff.).

Sola Gratia, J. W. Behnken

Concordia Theological Monthly

To speak on the very important topic "Sola Gratia” within a period of fifteen minutes, and to do this within the framework of the highly significant general theme: "The Gospel establishes and maintains our Lutheran Church," is an assignment to which I cannot even remotely do justice. At best I can refer only to a few major points. We are concerned here with the chief principle of the Reformation. Dr. Luther declared: "The word of grace and forgiveness of sin teaches us that we are justified and saved solely through Christ, without our merit; this is the principal article from …

The Wrath Of God And The Grace Of God In Lutheran Theology, Wm. F. Arndt

Concordia Theological Monthly

Every Lutheran theologian, at hearing these terms, will admit, I think, that in discussing them we deal with the very heart of theology, and not only of theology, but of religion itself. Wherever religion has not developed into a mere caricature, but is live, spontaneous, heartfelt, real, it occupies itself, among other things, with these concepts. The statements that an individual or whole groups make about them may be entirely erroneous and objectionable or highly unsatisfactory, but, at any rate, occupying one's self with them is unavoidable - the human heart simply has to come to grips with these matters. …

The Apostolic Psha!, Martin H. Franzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

Memory plays us scurvy tricks. I remember that Hilaire Belloc says somewhere that there are three things that a real man must be capable of saying. I remember also that the first one is: Credo in unum Deum, Patrem omnipotentem; and that the third one is: Psha!

Human Will In Bondage And Freedom, A Study In Luther's Distinction Of Law And Gospel. (Part I.), F. E. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

Luther's re-discovery of the proper distinction between Law and Gospel may be viewed as the starting point of the Lutheran reformation. The proper distinction between these two doctrines is the heart and core of Lutheran theology, or in the words of the Formula of Concord, Art. V, "the specially brilliant light which has come to us through the Reformation." Where this distinction is properly observed, the Scriptures will be correctly explained and understood; conversely, where these two doctrines are mingled, the merits of Christ are obscured, and the Christian is robbed of his comfort. The Lutheran Reformation may be viewed …

Quick And Powerful, Martin H. Franzmann

Concordia Theological Monthly

The object of preaching and teaching in the Church is, quite simply, to move men. We preach in order that men may be stirred into newness of life; and we teach in order that men may continue, in the Spirit-moved pulsation of repentance and faith, to grow, to increase, to live and move under the continued and inevitable forward tension of the grace of God that dare not be received in vain. This is a commonplace, and there is nothing startling about it; the startling thing is that so many of our sermons (good sermons, carefully constructed sermons, and not …

A Critique Of Contemporary Lutheran Preaching, Erdman W. Frenk

Concordia Theological Monthly

Preaching, i.e., the public proclamation of the Word of God, is the chief function of the Christian ministry. It is duty number one on a pastor's functional docket. It is his first and foremost responsibility. It was this in the early Church. It became this again through the Reformation. It must be this in the Church of our day. At the top of any list cataloguing the duties of a pastor in the order of their importance, preaching must stand first. If there is one field in which the pastor will seek to excel, it is in preaching.

The Sacerdotai Office Of Christ According To The Letter To The Hebrews, George Stoeckhardt

Concordia Theological Monthly

By His one sacrifice Christ has obtained an eternal salvation, which requires nothing to supplement it. By His sacrifice our sins are expiated once and for all, and our iniquity is atoned. In the very center of our Christian faith stands this Jesus Christ, who on the great Day of Atonement of the New Testament died and shed His blood for us. But even though Christ sacrificed Himself only once, even though the real work of redemption and reconciliation is completed, yet Christ has not relinquished His high-priestly office. The Epistle to the Hebrews throughout directs our attention to the …

The Prophectic Office Of Christ And The Power Of The Word, Ralph Fischer

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

The purpose of this thesis is to set forth that the power of the Word also lies in the prophetic office of Christ, as it is revealed in both the Old and New Testaments and in the oral and written word today. In order to show the power, which the Holy Spirit exerts through the Word, a short section will be devoted to His relationship to the Word. The concluding chapters will set forth the characteristics and the efficacy of the Word. In addition, each section of the outline will be considered as a separate chapter throughout the entire thesis. …

The New Creation In Christ, Walter Bartling

Concordia Theological Monthly

All modern studies of the ἐν χοιστψ̄ formula take as their starting point the fascinating dissertation of Adolf Deissmann, which appeared in 1892. It is hardly possible to overestimate the influence this book has had upon research in Pauline theology. Deissmann's basic conclusion, that the ἐν of the formula has throughout a local significance, rests, no doubt, upon a proper grammatical insight and has received but slight modification by later scholars.

No Development Of Doctrine For Us, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

There is a third reason why we cannot engage in the development of doctrine. Our time and energies are so completely occupied with the study of the Word of God and the old doctrine of the Church that we have not a moment's time to expend on the business of further developing the doctrine. We read in the Proceedings of the Michigan District, 1897, page 36: "We all need to deepen our understanding of the doctrine. Let no man think that he has fully understood the whole doctrine. In this life we shall never reach that point. We know the …

Notes On Luther's Conception Of The Word Of God As The Means Of Grace, John Theodore Mueller

Concordia Theological Monthly

Largely perhaps through Karl Barth's emphasis on the Wort Gottes, and especially through his admonition to theologians to return to the theology of the Reformation, the doctrine of the Word of God, particularly of the Word of God as it was conceived by Luther, has once more become the special object of theological interest. What Barthian and non-Barthian theologians have written on the point has not always been in accordance with traditional orthodox theology, but the study of Luther in recent years has no doubt contributed much valuable information toward clarifying most historical points and has led many toward a …

All Christians Believe In Justification By Faith, F. Pieper, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

There is a great diversity among the Christians. Some are strong in their faith, while others are weak Christians. Some have an excellent knowledge of the Christian doctrine, others are woefully deficient in this respect (Eph. 4:13, 14; Rom. 14:1 ff.). There are orthodox Christians and heterodox Christians. (See Chap. 1 in "Saving Faith": "Orthodoxy and membership in the Christian Church are not conterminous.") But there is full accord among the Christians on the doctrine of justification. All Christians are at one in believing that God forgives their sins by grace, for Christ's sake, without any merit of their own. …

Union Theses, Adopted By Breslau Synod And Saxon Free Church, L. W. Spitz, F. E. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

There is an inseparable union between the two bases of the Reformation, in fact, of the true Church of Christ, viz., between the doctrine that lost and condemned mankind can be saved solely by the grace of God for Christ's sake through faith (sola gratia, sola fide) and the principle that all teaching must be according to the Holy Scriptures (sola Scriptura). There can be no Christian proclamation without the proper distinction between Law and Gospel.

With Reference To The Formula Of Absolution, W. G. Polack

Concordia Theological Monthly

There is some discussion in various parts of Synod regarding our formula of absolution.

Let us say at the outset that the wording of any such formula belongs in the field of things indifferent, so long as the doctrine of the Office of the Keys is maintained. For that reason we can and do have more than one formula, namely, the Declaration of Grace, p. 6, The Lutheran Hymnal, and the Absolution, p. 16 and p. 48, The Lutheran Hymnal.

New Testament Light On Old Testament ''Millennialistic" Prophecies, Walter H. Koenig

Concordia Theological Monthly

Some months ago, it happened that I came to grips with an ardent disciple of Premillennialism. To meet the man's arguments, I was driven to the Bible, as I found very little help outside of it. Especially on one point did I wish clarity: How does the Holy Ghost in the New Testament apply prophetic passages which millennialists interpret literally but which we interpret spiritually? What is the basis of our spiritual interpretation of Old Testament prophecy? My paper is intended to draw out the meaning of Scripture - and it will offer an example of one of the prime …

The Una Sancta In Luther's Theology, F. E. Mayer

Concordia Theological Monthly

Luther's concept of the Una Sancta was first and last soteriological; not sociological, not statistical, not organizational, not eschatological. Luther's emphasis on soteriology in his definition of the Church can be understood only in the light of his theological principle. Scholastic theology had not satisfied him. Its Aristotelian method had failed to bring assurance of peace to his heart, and its autosoteric principles had been unable to quiet his conscience. The Apostle's message: "The sinner is justified by faith alone," changed Luther's theology both as to method and to content.

St. Augustine's Theology Of Grace, John Van Lierop

Master of Sacred Theology Thesis

As a result of my study it is my conv1·ction that Grace is the heart of the Gospel - and that with all the talk about Ecumenical Christianity today, I believe it will be hopeless to strive for one great "World Church" unless there is first an agreement and unity about the Theology of Grace, which is the foundation-stone of all Theology.

Lutheran Sola Fide Vs Roman Catholic Ex Opere Operato Of The Basis Of The Confessions, John G. Deterding

Bachelor of Divinity

Opposed to the sola fide is the doctrine of ex opere operato, i.e., that the sacraments mechanically confer grace upon all who receive them. Faith is not necessary to receive this grace, but the mere outward ceremony effects it mechanically for all those who do not place an obstacle in the way.

The Hades Gospel And The Apocatastasis Gospel, Th. Engelder

Concordia Theological Monthly

The Hades gospel proclaims that some men will get another chance for conversion in yonder life. The apocatastasis gospel proclaims that all inmates of hell, including the fallen angels, will finally be saved.