LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2013, Page 202

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202

Theology and Church Relations

“Bishop John A. T. Robinson, Underminer of the Foundation of the
Christian Faith,” Raymond Surburg, 264–265.
“Did Luther Use the Historical Critical Method,” Mark Bartling,
267.
“Central Lutheran Thrusts for Today,” Kurt Marquart, 263–269.
“Opinion of the Department of Systematic Theology of Concordia
Seminary, Ft. Wayne on the Canon, Antilegomena and Homolegoumena,” 269.
“Fortress Publishes Studies in Lutheran Hermeneutics: Wide Split
Between Lutherans Is Exposed,” 270–272.
“Do the Coptic Gnostic Texts Preserve Authentic Traditions About
Jesus and First Century Apostolic Christianity?” Raymond Surburg,
275–276
“Newsweek Casts Doubt on Deity, Resurrection, Historicity of
Christ,” 276.
2. From “A Statement of Scriptural and Confessional Principles”
adopted by the LCMS in 1973, CNE, 1230–1231.
3. Walter A. Maier, “The Documentary Hypothesis,” from “Notes on
Genesis,” Lutheran News, October 7, 1963, CNE, 273. A similar position
was taken by Ludwig Fuerbringer in the official theological journal of
the LCMS, Lehre und Wehre, February 1903, quoted in Herman J. Otten,
Baal or God, second edition, 55. See also: “Computer Study Indicates
One Person Wrote Genesis,” CNE, 272; “Sources of the Pentateuch,”
Robert Brueckner and Raymond Surburg, CNE, 260–262; “Why Should a
Christian Study the Old Testament,” Raymond Surburg, 133–191.
4. “How Many Men Wrote the Book of Isaiah,” CNE, 273; John
12:38–41; Otten, op. cit., 55.
5. Matthew 24:15; Otten op. cit., 55; “Defending the Book of Daniel,
An Answer to Historical-Critical Objections to the Sixth-Century Date of
Daniel and to the Charge of the Book of Daniel’s Historical Blunders,”
by Raymond Surburg, CNE, 258–259. “Where the LCMS Stands on
Authorship of Isaiah, Daniel, Pentateuch, Jonah,” CNE, 212.
6. Matthew 19:4; 1 Corinthians 15:39; Romans 5:12–17; Isaiah 40:22;
Job 26:7; Otten, op. cit., 61–64.
Many eminent scientists are in total disagreement with evolution.
All members of the Creation Research Society, which includes several
hundred scientists who have achieved a high degree of success in various fields, subscribe to the following statement of belief:
1. The Bible is the written Word of God, and because it is inspired
throughout, all its assertions are historically and scientifically true in
all the original autographs. To the student of nature this means that the
account of origins in Genesis is a factual presentation of simple historical truths.
2. All basic types of living things, including man, were made by
direct creative acts of God during the Creation Week described in Genesis. Whatever biological changes have occurred since the Creation Week
have accomplished only changes within the original created kinds.
3. The great Flood described in Genesis, commonly referred to as
the Noachian Flood, was an historic event worldwide in its extent and
effect.
4. We are an organization of Christian men of science who accept
Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. The account of the special creation
of Adam and Eve as one man and woman and their subsequent fall into
sin is the basis for our belief in the necessity of a Savior for all mankind.
Therefore, salvation can come only through accepting Jesus Christ as
our Savior.
7. Matthew 12:40–42; Luke 11:29–32; Otten, op. cit., 56; “God’s Man
of the Hour and the Great Fish,” August W. Brustat, CNE, 228.
8. John 12:41; Acts 2:29–31; Otten, op. ck.; “Like Moses,” William
Beck, CNE, 176; “Prophet and Prophecy,” Seth Erlandson, CNE, 183; “Is
Psalm Twenty-Two a Direct Rectilinear or an Indirect (Typical) Prophecy
of the Messiah?” Jeffrey Kinery, CNE, 254–256; “The lnterpretation of
Psalm Twenty-Two,” Walter Maier Sr., CNE, 256; Old Testament Prophecy
from the LCMS’s statement on Scriptural and Confessional Principles,

2013 Convention Workbook

CNE, 1230–1231:
Since the New Testament is the culminating written revelation of
God, we affirm that it is decisive in determining the relation between
the two Testaments and the meaning of Old Testament prophecies in
particular, for the meaning of a prophecy becomes known in full only
from its fulfillment. With the Lutheran Confessions, we recognize the
presence of Messianic prophecies about Jesus Christ throughout the
Old Testament. Accordingly, we acknowledge that the Old Testament
“promises that the Messiah will come and promises forgiveness of sins,
justification, and eternal life for His sake” (Apology, IV, 5) and that the
patriarchs and their descendants comforted themselves with such Messianic promises (cf. FC, SD, V, 23).
We therefore reject the following views:
1. That the New Testament statement about Old Testament texts and
events do not establish their meaning (for example, the claim that Jesus’
reference to Psalm 110 in Matthew 22:43–44 does not establish either
that Psalm’s Davidic authorship or its predictive Messianic character).
2. That Old Testament prophecies are to be regarded as Messianic
prophecies, not in the sense of being genuinely predictive, but only in
the sense that the New Testament later applies them to New Testament
events.
3. That the Old Testament prophets never recognized that their
prophecies reached beyond their own time to the time of Christ.
9. C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction Between Law and Gospel
(Concordia Publishing House), reproduced from the German edition of
1897 by W. H. T. Dau. This is one of the finest and greatest books ever
produced by any American theologian.
10. Ex. 20:7; Lev. 24:15; Eph. 5:3–4.
11. Gen. 9:6; Romans 12:19; Matt. 5:22; 1 John 3:15; Matt. 15:19; Eph
4:26; Rom. 12:20.
12. Luke 1:41; Ps. 51:5; Ps. 139:13; Jer. 1:5; CNE, 5–38, 1774–1792.
13. Romans 16:17.
14. Genesis 9:6; Matt. 26:52; Romans 13:4; CNE, 1916–1912, 314–
322; Disarmament, 741–754; Just War, 1506.
15. Matt. 19:6; Matt. 19:9; Heb. 13:4; Matt. 15:9; Matt. 5:28; Eph.
5:3–4; CNE, 1284–1296, 2654–2657.
16. 1 Tim. 3:1–7; Titus 1:5–9; CNE, 1284–1296.
17. Ephesians 5:24–25.
18. Matt. 19:6; Gen. 2:13–24. The angel called Mary, who was
engaged to Joseph, Joseph’s wife and calls Joseph her husband. Matt.
1:19–24 (A Christian Handbook on Matrimony, Herman Otten).
19. 1 Peter 2:11; Phil 4:3; Eph. 4:29; Gen. 39:9; Ps. 51:10; Prov.
23:31–33; 1 Cor. 6:13; 2 Rom. 2:22; 1 Cor. 6:19; Prov. 1:10.
20. Romans 1:26–27; 1 Cor. 6:9; Romans 16:17; CNE, 2366–2403,
1002–1636.
21. Rev. 19:5; Eph. 4:25; Matt. 26:14–16; Ps. 50:19–22; Matt. 18:15;
1 Cor. 5:1.
22. Otten op. cit., 91–92; C. F. W. Walther, the first President of the
LCMS, already in a series of lectures published in 1879 summarized the
biblical attitude toward Communism. The following is taken from the
outline of his lectures on “Communism and Socialism: Why Should and
Can No Reasonable Man, Much Less a Christian, Take Part in the Efforts
of Communists and Socialists?”
I. Because these efforts are contrary to reason, nature, and experience,
for
1. it is a fact that men are not equal;
2. it is a fact that men are naturally selfish;
3. it is a fact that happiness does not consist in external advantages;
4. it is a fact well established by experience, that the communists
have never attained their professed end, and only introduced sorrow and
suffering.
II. Because these efforts are contrary to Christianity, for
1. What is adduced from the Scriptures in their favor, either proves
nothing, or proves the contrary. ...