03 January 2011
New Lutheran Quote of the Day
God is the one who does it. By this the Confessions overcome the alternative: power of bishops or power of the church. Both are given and mandated by the Lord. His gifts are given by the instrumentalities He had appointed, the means of grace served by the apostolic ministry. By the call of the people and the ordination by bishops He puts a man, approved by people and bishops, into the office of the holy ministry. (Tractatus 70). - Dr. Norman Nagel, Concordia Journal, October 1989, p. 435.
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3 comments:
If we could only remember the opening line: God is the one who does it.
That would clear up a tremendous amount of junk that plagues God's Church. I tire of the wrangling over authority in the church because too often, God is not part of the discussion.
Spent some time preaching about wisdom yesterday, with Jesus already full of wisdom at the start of the lesson, and at the end of the lesson, Jesus increases in wisdom (and stature and favor with God and men.)
Who is wise? Where does it come from? How do I get it? God is a good answer for those questions.
Continue posting the Nagel quotes as long as you are able please.
God does more than empower the church
through Word and Sacrament and the
ministry of His undershepherds. As
Dr. Louis Brighton points out:
"Everything that happens in the
world is for the sake of His Church.
God controls history and sends
hurricanes, earthquakes, famines to
lead people to repentance. God does
not justify the evil of men but uses
it to discipline people. He allows
wars, terrorist attacks to lead men
to repentance."
It is a curious and remarkable thing, the promise: "Where two or three are gathered together, there I AM in the midst of them."
There you have it: By two come together ... "the call of the people and the ordination by bishops" ... Christ comes to our midst, through the utilization of the hands and voices of His servant-men.
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