After I read Rick's comment I was left scratching my head a bit. A few questions come to mind.
If Lutheranism is not Christianity, what is it?
And if we are allergic to the term "Lutheranism" why not the term "Lutheran"?
Why call ourselves Lutheran?
I think good old Dr. Walther really hit the nail on the head in his essay "Concerning the Name Lutheran."
http://www.ctsfw.edu/etext/walther/name_luth.asc
I like what the Margrave of Brandenburg said:
I am not baptized unto Dr. Luther; He is not my God and Savior. I do not believe in him and will not be saved through him. Therefore in this sense I am not a Lutheran. when I am asked however whether I confess with heart and mouth the dnfess Christ, whether Luther, Claude, or George has preached him. Let the person go, but you must confess the doctrine. So also St. Paul writes to Timothy (1 Tim 1:8): "Do not be ashamed of the witness of our Lord nor of me because I am bound for His sake." If it had been enough for timothy here that he confessed the Gospel, Paul would not have commanded him not to be ashamed: not for the sake of the person of Paul, but rather for the sake of him who was bound for the sake of the Gospel. Now if Timothy had said: I cling neither to Paul nor to Peter but only to Christ and yet he knew that Peter and Paul taught Christ, he would have thereby denied Christ. then Christ speaks in Matt. 10 about those who preach him: "He who accepts you, accepts me; He who rejects you, rejects me." why is that? Therefore, if someone keeps his messengers (who bring His word), it is the same as when He Himself and His word is kept." (Werke XX, 136).
Since I believe what is called, for better or worse, Lutheranism, IS confessing "in and with the Augsburg Confession, the faith of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, the faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of Christ Jesus, His Word of the Gospel, His free and full forgiveness of sins, His flesh and blood given and poured out for us, and His gracious gift of life for both body and soul", preserving "Lutheranism" and preserving Christianity are equivalent expressions.
After I read Rick's comment I was left scratching my head a bit. A few questions come to mind.
ReplyDeleteIf Lutheranism is not Christianity, what is it?
And if we are allergic to the term "Lutheranism" why not the term "Lutheran"?
Why call ourselves Lutheran?
I think good old Dr. Walther really hit the nail on the head in his essay "Concerning the Name Lutheran."
http://www.ctsfw.edu/etext/walther/name_luth.asc
I like what the Margrave of Brandenburg said:
I am not baptized unto Dr. Luther; He is not my God and Savior. I do not believe in him and will not be saved through him. Therefore in this sense I am not a Lutheran. when I am asked however whether I confess with heart and mouth the dnfess Christ, whether Luther, Claude, or George has preached him. Let the person go, but you must confess the doctrine. So also St. Paul writes to Timothy (1 Tim 1:8): "Do not be ashamed of the witness of our Lord nor of me because I am bound for His sake." If it had been enough for timothy here that he confessed the Gospel, Paul would not have commanded him not to be ashamed: not for the sake of the person of Paul, but rather for the sake of him who was bound for the sake of the Gospel. Now if Timothy had said: I cling neither to Paul nor to Peter but only to Christ and yet he knew that Peter and Paul taught Christ, he would have thereby denied Christ. then Christ speaks in Matt. 10 about those who preach him: "He who accepts you, accepts me; He who rejects you, rejects me." why is that? Therefore, if someone keeps his messengers (who bring His word), it is the same as when He Himself and His word is kept." (Werke XX, 136).
Amen to that.
ReplyDeleteSince I believe what is called, for better or worse, Lutheranism, IS confessing "in and with the Augsburg Confession, the faith of the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church, the faith once delivered to the saints, the faith of Christ Jesus, His Word of the Gospel, His free and full forgiveness of sins, His flesh and blood given and poured out for us, and His gracious gift of life for both body and soul", preserving "Lutheranism" and preserving Christianity are equivalent expressions.