BROKEN, Leaven, and False Gospels

These are the times in which we live, last days in which seemingly pious teachers rise up from our own midst in order to tickle our ears with sweet deceptions (2 Peter 2:10. 'Do not worry about such an old-fashioned idea as pure doctrine,' they say. 'Such concerns are misguided. to focus on such things only divides us. We live in an age where we know better now. It is love and freedom that unite us. After all, since we're all sinners, none of us can perfectly understand Scripture anyway. Better if we just trust in the Spirit and leave it to God.'

The next step may be years, even generations, in coming, but once the seed is sown, it will come. 'Yes, Scripture is God's Word,' they will say. 'But it is also man's word. The prophets and apostles were sinners just like you and me. That is why we must admit the Bible does have mistakes and errors in it, things we no longer need to believe. But that's okay! We have God's Spirit to lead us, and He blows wherever He wills, which we are convinced is over there, in this direction...'

Both of these teachings are the same grossly impious lie. Both make the audaciously terrifying assumption that Christ's perfection is not quite enough to handle and overcome out human imperfection. The words can seem loving and soft on the ears. But when drawing a straight line, a small mistake at the start becomes a great misdirection in the end. So also a little leavenous lie will eventually leaven the entire lump of faith.

Pr. Jonathan Fisk

BROKEN

To say 'we all believe in Jesus so the other things do not matter' does not lift Jesus up. It casts Him down because it casts His teaching down. It replaces Him with a man-made tradition of hating tradition, under which no single word of His is safe. Once it has begun, one by one all the truths of Scripture will be rendered void, one by one relegated to the truthiness of the world and placed on the smorgasbord of half-believed religiosities  until we welcome any false gospel with open arms but decry the scandal  of the real Gospel's particularity as the greatest possible offense. By then, Jesus' crucifixion will have been quietly moved further and further from the center, an afterthought brought out on holidays as a nice story to remind us why we ought to be spiritual people and enjoy our freedom, until at last it is entirely gone with no one left who is religious enough to even notice.

Against this folly, St. Paul cries to us from the depths of our history, "I say it again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed." (Galatians 1:9)

Alas, too many of us have already forgotten how to hear. 'Yes,' we say, 'but that is only your interpretation.'

Jonathan Fisk, Broken, p.217, 219

Pastor Fisk hits the nail directly on the head. This era is already here and is running with full force in the name of Christianity; all the while warring and fighting against Christ and the Gospel.

If you haven't read the book, I highly recommend it. It's an easy read. Easy for just about anyone age 16 or over. Yet, it is theologically deep and written in a very accessible style.

I like to blog and I love to read. Pr. Fisk is a much better writer than I. Every Lutheran -nay- every Christian; should read this book, especially those who are caught up in some sort of new era nonsense that masquerades as pure Christianity when it is not.

+Pax+

The Great Divide by Jordan Cooper: A Review

I was recently fortunate enough to receive a review copy from Wipf and Stock publishers of Pr. Jordan Cooper's book titled The Great Divide: A Lutheran Evaluation of Reformed Theology.

The Great Divide

From the outset, the reader here should know that I have traveled a very similar path as Pr. Cooper. I likewise once was a Reformed Calvinist and now am a Confessional Lutheran. That being said, this book by Pr. Cooper fills a big void in a topic that I have found many Lutherans are not very aware of. That is, the differences between Reformed Theology and Lutheran Theology and how Lutheranism in general views specific Reformed doctrines on which we both agree as well as differ.

If the reader is looking for a treatise that covers every single nuance in Reformed Theology, they will be disappointed. Yet that is not the author's intent of this book. In my estimation, this book is aimed directly at educated armchair theologians who are laymen like myself. And in that regard, Pr. Cooper's book shines brightly.

The first great positive of Pr. Cooper's book is that, as a former Calvinist, he understands Reformed Theology very clearly. A great strength of the book is that Pr. Cooper deals fairly with basic Reformed doctrine. He does not misrepresent Calvinist Theology as many attempts in the past have been wont to do. He clearly grasps Reformed doctrines such as double predestination, limited atonement, and perseverance. As best as possible for the short and concise treatment that Pr. Cooper levies, he accurately and fairly lays out the doctrines of Reformed Theology. He does this mainly by directly quoting Reformed Confessions of faith (mainly the Westminster Confession) and numerous Reformed authors with whom the reader will most likely be familiar, such as James White (Reformed Baptist) and R.C. Sproul (Presbyterian). Pr. Cooper also quotes and references numerous less known Reformed authors from times past, although not as much as the modern more popular ones. This I view to be a strength of the book, as the majority of the readers will be much more familiar with R.C. Sproul than they are with Charles Hodge, for instance.

After laying out the Reformed doctrines that Pr. Cooper is evaluating, he lays out the Lutheran doctrines of the same topic. He does this as well by extensive quotations from the Lutheran Confessions contained in the Book of Concord as well as numerous Lutheran theologians. The reader is left with a pure treatment of both camps' doctrines on numerous core theological topics, coming straight from sources that are proponents of each view.

The treatment of what each theology teaches takes up the bulk of each chapter. After treating both sides of the coin, Pr. Cooper goes into some detail as to why Lutheranism does not agree (and in some cases, has some agreement) with the Reformed doctrines. He does this through pointing to different Lutheran theologians and their rebuttals as well as some exegesis of Scripture. However, Pr. Cooper does not bog us down in long, drawn out exegesis of the original languages to the point that will lose the lay reader. He keeps it simple and understandable. Certainly, this may detract from the book for the scholar, but for me, it was a huge addition.

Finally, Pr. Cooper concludes each chapter as to why we should privilege the Lutheran doctrine over the Reformed doctrine, based on his treatment of both doctrines in the chapter. This is of course to be expected, as Pr. Cooper is a Confessional Lutheran pastor.

It needs to also be said that Pr. Cooper's book does not cover every single nuance of Reformed Theology. There are many differing views in Reformed Theology as a whole, and the book itself is not intended to cover every single one of them. Such a book would be multiples volumes long or extremely thick. For instance, he does not cover every single baptismal theory that those who claim Reformed Theology hold to. And that is OK. This is not the scope of the book. The book deals in basics and advances to an intermediate level, clearly showing the differences between the two camps while not burying us under a mess of theological detail that many lay readers will have to research to understand.

The differences are very clear between Reformed Theology and Lutheran Theology, and Pr. Cooper, through accurate representation of the two, has made this readily apparent to the reader. For what the book intends to accomplish, it succeeds in a glowing manner, showing that the gulf between Calvinism and Lutheranism is indeed a great one.

Highly Recommended.

***I received this book as a review copy from Wipf and Stock publishers. I was in no way required to promote this title or write of it positively. The review posted contains strictly my own thoughts.

The Brotherhood Prayer Book - YES!

Reviews of books and resources are few and far between from me, but I am compelled to write something regarding the Brotherhood Prayer Book, compiled by Benjamin T. G. Mayes and Michael N. Frese, published by Our Savior Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, MI in 2004. An updated edition was released in 2007. I own the original 2004 edition.

In short, this book is an amazing resource and fills the gap in an area that has a strong tendency to be neglected in Lutheranism, let alone its complete non-existence in other non-traditional forms of Christianity.

The book is a comprehensive resource as well. There is a piece on the daily offices and the roles that are traditionally held in these offices. Within the same section of the book there is also an explanation of Gregorian musical notation used for chanting (singing) the prayers and Psalms. All of this is very helpful to people who are not familiar with the offices and the practice of singing the Psalms and prayers (like me).

The BPB follows the traditional church calendar and takes you through the year ordered around the various festivals of the church. The normal daily prayers, called the ordinaries, form the guts of the book. The ordinaries are Vigils (Matins), Morning Prayer (Lauds), Midday Prayer (Prime, Terce, Sext, None), Evening Prayer (Vespers), and Night Prayer (Compline). For those who pray the offices, the ordinaries are the prayers that are done on a daily basis (unlike me, the sinner, who doesn't do them every day). However, since the book is ordered around the church calendar (as well as the days of the week themselves), there is an entire section on specific antiphons, collects, and readings to be done on specific days of the week, seasons of the church calendar, and feast days. These are called the Propers.

The book also contains the entire Psalter (book of Psalms) and the Psalms are all pointed for singing if you so choose to do so. In addition to the Psalter, there is an entire daily lectionary of readings for each day of the year. The lectionary readings include an Old Testament passage, New Testament passage, and an additional reading from various sources for each day of the year.

The BPB has chosen to use classical, Jacobean English for the book. I quote,

"We have chosen to use classical, Jacobean English for the prayer book. The text of the Psalms and Canticles is from the King James Version. The text of the propers conforms to that of The Lutheran Hymnal (St. Louis: Concordia, 1941) and other works which use classical English. This has been done for several reasons. First, new English translations of the Bible appear constantly. No matter what version we would choose, no one knows whether that version will be widely used in as little as ten years. The King James, on the other hand, has been a classic of the English language for 400 years. It will never go any more out of style than it is now. In addition, the King James, unlike modern English Bibles, is in the public domain. Its classic language often preserves nuances in the biblical languages which are lost in modern English, such as the difference between the 2nd person singular and plural (thou and ye)." (Mayes and Frese, The Brotherhood Prayer Book, Grand Rapids: Our Savior Lutheran Church, 2004)

In addition to the Psalter and the lectionary, the book also contains the Great Litany, the Litany of the Holy Sacrament, and a section with various collects (short prayers) for all occasions.

To be succinct, this is an excellent resource if you desire to pray the daily offices ordered around the church year. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.

The book can be purchased here: BPB - Emmanuel Press It's $50 price tag is pretty steep, but well worth the investment.

There is also an outstanding online resource, mainly of audio files, where one can listen to the different chanting done in the BPB. That is found here: Lutheran Liturgical Prayer Brotherhood

Luther's Small Catechism Still Rocks

The Small Catechism is the gold standard of catechisms. That's a bold statement, for there are many catechisms out there. Why do I say this? It sticks to the Scriptures, that's why. It lays out the 6 chief articles and expounds on them. It quotes Scripture repeatedly right in its teaching. Let's look at it a bit.

Small Catechism, VI - The Sacrament of the Altar

What is the Sacrament of the Altar?

It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, under the bread and wine, for us Christians to eat and to drink, instituted by Christ Himself.

Where is this written?

The holy Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and St. Paul, write thus:

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night in which He was betrayed, took bread: and when He had given thanks, He brake it, and gave it to His disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me.

After the same manner also He took the cup, when He had supped, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Take, drink ye all of it. This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you for the remission of sins. This do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Right in the explanation in the small catechism is Scripture. Not opinions, but God's Word. What is the Sacrament of the Altar? Well, it's what Scripture says it is, and here is what is written.

 

What is the benefit of such eating and drinking?

 

That is shown us in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins; namely, that in the Sacrament forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation are given us through these words. For where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

 

How can bodily eating and drinking do such great things?

 

It is not the eating and drinking, indeed, that does them, but the words which stand here, namely: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins. Which words are, beside the bodily eating and drinking, as the chief thing in the Sacrament; and he that believes these words has what they say and express, namely, the forgiveness of sins.

 

Who, then, receives such Sacrament worthily?

 

Fasting and bodily preparation is, indeed, a fine outward training; but he is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins.

 

But he that does not believe these words, or doubts, is unworthy and unfit; for the words For you require altogether believing hearts.

 

 And here we have, you guessed it, more Scripture.

Chemnitz: Who Receives Christ?

Here is a short excerpt from Martin Chemnitz's excellent work "The Lord's Supper."

"In the eight place, when the ancients disputed concerning the participation of unworthy communicants in the Supper, they very clearly showed what the ancient church thought regarding the substance of the Lord's Supper, that is, what is present and distributed in the celebration of the Lord's Supper together with the bread and the wine, and that this is not received only spiritually by faith but also in the mouths of the participants. For those who eat unworthily eat judgment to themselves, and it is certain that their soul is not spiritually through faith eating the body and drinking the blood of Christ. For to eat and drink spiritually is to embrace Christ by faith, so that we draw life from Him and thereby became participants in Christ and in all His benefits unto righteousness and salvation. The question therefore is what is distributed to the unworthy in the Lord's Supper, and what they receive when they eat, since it is certain that they are not spiritually eating the body and blood of Christ. Many of the adversaries feel that only the external signs are distributed to the unworthy and only the elements of bread and wine are taken into their mouth. But Calvin and his followers see that the words of institution very strongly oppose this notion. For Christ did not make a twofold institution of His Supper, one for the worthy and another for the unworthy, so that to Peter the words do indeed mean: 'Take, eat; this is My body,' but to Judas the words are different, namely: 'Take, eat; this is only plain bread.' But He says in general to all who come to the Supper: 'Take, eat; this is My body.'

Thus when Paul writes to the Corinthians, among them there were many who were eating and drinking judgment to themselves, he does not vary the words of institution, so that he says to the unworthy: 'Take, eat and drink; these are only bare symbols of bread and wine.' And Calvin concedes that in the use of the Lord's Supper not only are the external symbols of bread and wine offered to all who eat, both worthy and unworthy, but at the same time also the body and blood of Christ. But he holds that the body and blood of Christ are not received by all, but only by the believers. Now if this is understood to refer to the spiritual reception through faith unto salvation, then it is true. But Calvin extends this also to the sacramental reception, so that what those who eat unworthily in the Lord's  Supper receive in their mouth is not the body and blood of Christ but only bread and wine.

But the words of institution in no way sustain this meaning. For if because of the words of distribution Calvin is forced to concede that in the sacramental distribution the body and blood of Christ are offered to all the participants in the Supper together with the symbols, then it is most manifest that in the institution there are, so to speak, not only words of distribution but also words of reception or participation: 'Take, eat, drink.' And these words: 'This is My body, this is My blood,' do not refer only to the words of distribution ('He gave it to them') but more properly pertain to the words of reception: 'Take, eat, drink; this is My body, this is My blood.' Therefore the Son of God says in general to all who partake of this Supper, whether they eat worthily or unworthily: 'What you are receiving, eating, and drinking, this is My body and My blood.' For the genuineness and integrity of the sacraments does not depend on the worthiness or unworthiness of either those who distribute or those who receive, but it rests solely on the divine institution. Therefore in 1 Cor. 10, where Paul is disputing about those who provoke the wrath of God because they participate at the same time at the table of the Lord and the table of demons, he is saying in a comprehensive way that the cup of blessing which we bless is the communion of the blood of Christ and that the bread which we break is the communion of the body of Christ. Moreover, in this passage Paul speaks very clearly not only of the distribution but also of the reception or participation. Therefore the substance of the Lord's Supper, which does not consist only of the external symbols but also of the very body and blood of Christ, as it is offered and distributed to all who partake at the Supper, whether worthy or unworthy, is thus also received by all. For the distribution and reception are joined together: 'He gave it to them saying, 'Take, eat, drink; this is My body, this is My blood.'' But the salutary use or benefits accrues only to the believers. The unworthy eat judgment to themselves, as Mark says, namely, that they all drank from the cup concerning which Christ pronounced: 'This is My blood,' but not all of them did this in memory of Christ. For Judas drank judgment to himself."

Martin Chemnitz, The Lord's Supper, p.171-173

My Baptism Saved the World - Jesus.

Jesus Christ went willingly to the cross. He went of His own accord. He laid down His own life. Yet, the Christ, being fully God and fully man certainly didn't look forward to His vicarious atonement on the cross as something He was excited about. As a man, who looks forward to turture, punishment, and death? I doubt the Son of God looked to the cross and thought it would be fun.

Jesus states in the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke:

St. Luke 12:50:  I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished!

He says this in the context of creating division and not peace. Interesting thing that He says that, considering Jesus was all about peace most of the time. But it's within the context of the passage that we must discern what He means.

The baptism that He will take on at Calvary will divide even families. There will be families that have some people baptised into Christ's death and some who are not, and indeed, as St. Paul tells us in the Epistle to the Romans:

Romans 8:7-8: For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

People who are not in Christ are actually hostile to God. How much more is this true within a divided family? It's difficult having family members who are not Christians, to be sure.

Jesus was baptised in the Jordan by John. In Jesus' baptism, one reason He did it was to fulfill all righteousness. Jesus was baptised into sin and death at Calvary and His baptism shows us that He is taking that on Himself. All three persons of the Triune God are there. The Father speaks and the Spirit descends as a dove in the baptism of Christ. Christ then goes to the cross a few years later and dies for the sins of the world.

Jesus Christ took upon Himself sin and death. He identified Himself with us in His baptism and through his work on the cross. We are sinners, but Christ is not. Yet, He became sin for us.

In short, Jesus Christ was baptised by John and later was crucified on the cross to take sin and death upon Himself; three days later conquering it through the resurrection.

Jesus Christ was baptised into sin and death so He can baptise us into life. Every time you witness a baptism at the font, you are witnessing Christ at work through His means of grace. He was baptised into sin and death, which He conquered. Now He baptises us into life. Baptism buries us with Chirst, says St. Paul (Romans 6:3-4). St. Peter tells us it saves us (1 Peter 3:21).



This is all because Christ was baptised into sin and death. He took it upon Himself. The Spirit descended upon Him at His baptism and now descends upon us at ours.

Thanks be to God for this glorious baptism which Christ now gives us.