THE TYRANNY OF REASON

One of the major differences between the Calvinist wing of the Reformation and the Lutheran wing of the Reformation was and still is the various approaches to the use of logic and reason when it comes to the faith. This also touches upon the differing views of the Church and Her Sacraments, the approaches to catholicity and the Bible, and other issues.

CATHOLICITY AND SACRAMENTS IN REFORMED THEOLOGY

Perhaps more than anything the Reformed approach to reason is seen in its approach to the historicity and catholicity of the thought of the Church. Instead of bowing the knee to the Church as nursing Mother, Calvin (and Zwingli) started with an individualistic approach to the Bible, rejecting 1,500 years of church history and the Church's thought and unanimous agreement on the Sacraments (and on other issues). For 1,500 years, the Church always confessed and believed that Holy Baptism washed away sin and gave the Holy Spirit. For 1,500 years, the Church always confessed and believed that Christ's True Body and True Blood were *physically* present in the bread and wine of the Eucharist. Ironically, in starting from scratch, the Calvinist approach does not even let the Scriptures speak for themselves. If one takes even a simple reading of all New Testament texts having to do with Baptism, it would be very difficult to come away thinking anything other than that Baptism saves, Baptism gives the Spirit, Baptism clothes us with Christ and unites us to Him, and that Baptism forgives sin.

Notice how Reason in an individualistic approach to the Scriptures ironically ends up clouding the Scriptures and not letting them speak for themselves.

CATHOLICITY AND SACRAMENTS IN LUTHERANISM

Whereas in Reformed theology there is a rejection of much of the historicity and catholicity of the thought of the Church, in Lutheranism one finds that there is a connectedness to the past and to the thought of the Church through the centuries. Luther was very reticent to get rid of anything that the Church had established that did not contradict the Gospel. He simply realized that Rome had added new doctrines and had dropped certain doctrines, and that Rome had turned the Gospel Sacraments into law. Instead, everything that the Lutheran movement believed and confessed can be found in the Fathers, the Creeds, and the Councils of the Church.

One can even compare the Reformed confessions with the Lutheran Confessions summarized in the Book of Concord. Whereas the Reformed confessions simply give Scripture proofs, the Lutheran Confessions give Scripture proofs as well as the Fathers, Creeds, and Councils of the undivided Church.

Lutheranism bows the knee to Holy Mother Church as our nursing Mother. Instead of starting with the tyranny and restlessness of individualistic Reason, Lutheranism asks, "What has the Church thought?"

There is something very refreshing about not having to reinvent the wheel or figure everything out for yourself. Christ promised that the Spirit would lead His Church into all truth. His Church is the Pillar and Foundation of all truth because She has the Gospel in Word and Sacrament.

REASON AS "SOMETHING WE DO FOR GOD"

It is the worship of the law that has the mentality of "what can I do for God?" Under Reformed theology, since there is no objective presence of Christ in the Sacraments--He is only present *if* one has faith--one is turned back to one's faith. The movement must be upwards--indeed, the Reformed confess that at the Supper, we "ascend to the heavenlies" to partake of Christ up there. Christ does not come down in the Reformed view of the Supper. Later folks took this and brought it to the conclusion of turning the sacraments into something we do for God, or covenant renewal. The focus is placed upon us, and what we are doing for God in worship. Perhaps we need to come up with intellectual arguments to convince ourselves and convince others? Ironically, even though Reformed theology affirms total depravity, it nonetheless still places much focus on intellectual argumentation. Is it possible that this is because of its interest in the hidden god? Or placing the hidden god on the same plane as the Revealed God in Christ?

THE GOSPEL IS FOREIGN TO REASON

Under Lutheranism, the Sacraments are pure Gospel. They are not mixed with Reason or trying to bring them or present them to God. They are all what God does for us. God comes down. We do not offer the Eucharist to Him. He comes down to us as pure grace and forgiveness and makes Himself vulnerable for us. It is not based upon how we feel. Even our service is called the "Divine Service" because it is *God*--and not us--doing the work of the liturgy. God comes down to us and gives us the Word preached from the minister in Persona Christi. "Christ came to you and preached peace to those of you who were afar off." Notice--Christ preaches *peace*! And He Himself is our Peace. The Divine Service is all about Good News! And God comes to us in the Sacraments, forgiving our sins in Holy Absolution and giving us His Body and Blood for the forgiveness of all of our sins in the Sacrament of the Altar.

Reason, however, bases itself upon feelings. "I don't "feel" forgiven. Maybe I need to do something. Maybe if I just offer myself up to God. Maybe my good works. Or maybe I can offer the Eucharist up to Him. Or penance. Or my worship. Maybe that will please God. Maybe....."

Enough.

God doesn't need your good works. Your neighbor does.

Your sins are forgiven.

Yes, the same sin you committed for the seventy times seventh time.

PEOPLE WILL NOT COME TO LUTHERANISM VIA REASON

I am convinced that people will not come to Lutheranism via the Whore of Reason. Reason is quite akin to the theology of glory and law and the hidden god. People love them some law. It makes them feel better about themselves. In fact, intellectual argumentation is of course connected to reason and glory. After all, it must inevitably look at faith as something we can muster up in ourselves or through intellectual arguments.

But Lutheranism confesses total depravity. The Reformed do as well, but from our perspective, and given the above, we believe they confess it in spite of their theology.

Lutheranism is for the weak and the doubting. It is for those who are weak in faith. It is contrary to reason. The law must do its killing work for people to come to Lutheranism. God kills first before He makes alive. As one brother said, no one likes to be weak or to see themselves as weak. The mask would must be ripped off, and people don't like that. Reason is a theology of glory and for the "strong." The Gospel is for the weak. For the doubting. For the wretched.

The weak know they need the pure Gospel of the Sacraments. Christ *for them* in Word and Sacrament.

Those who come to Lutheranism because of intellectual arguments will probably go to Rome or Eastern Orthodoxy, where the sacraments are perverted into something we do for God, or simply aids in helping us climb our way to God.

Lutheranism sees the Sacraments for what they are: pure grace, pure Christ, pure forgiveness of sins and mercy for the weak.

The Sacraments are pure Gospel.

REASON IS TYRANNY BECAUSE REASON IS LAW, AND LAW SHOWS US OUR SIN 

Reason can only cause us to speculate. "Am I of the elect?" "Do I have true faith?" "Have I conquered sin enough?" We can only go inward with Reason. Reason is foreign to faith, and the law is not of faith. Faith, indeed, even weak faith, clings to Christ's Promise in the Word and in the Sacraments.

The law can only show us our sin. It cannot save us. Creation and general revelation and law and reason and hidden god are all connected.

We need the Revealed God in Christ, present for us where He has promised to be as for us.

He is not for us in creation.

He is not for us in reason.

He is not for us in the law.

THE GOSPEL IS ANTITHETICAL TO REASON

He is for us in the Revealed God in Jesus Christ.

He is for us in the Word preached as Gospel.

He is for us in Holy Baptism, washing away our sins and placing His Name upon us and giving us His Spirit and clothing us with Christ. He is for us bringing us into union with Him at the Font.

He is for us at the Sacrament of the Altar, giving us His True Body and True Blood in our mouths, forgiving us our sins, uniting Himself with us, making Himself vulnerable for us.

***The Gospel of God's universal saving grace in Christ, delivered in Word and Sacrament, is where the weak and doubting and wretched will go.*** It is not for those who muster up intellectual arguments or strength.


Reason is tyranny.

The Gospel is for the weak. Sacraments are for the weak.

Intellectual arguments will never lead a person there.

The law must do its killing work.

God kills first before He makes alive.

Faith is a gift, given in the Sacraments. Antithetical to reason.

Reason says "you have to give justification for your reasons all the time."

The Gospel says, "Rest."

Reason says, "Why?" "How?"

The Gospel says, "It is so."

Reason is tyranny because it never arrives.

The Gospel refreshes and brings us to the real world and says "It is finished."

Rest your intellect. The Gospel is where strivings and intellectual futility cease.

"IT IS FINISHED."

"THIS IS MY BODY."

"I BAPTIZE YOU."

"YOUR SINS ARE FORGIVEN."

Yes.

*Yours*.