LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Sheet 463

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GOSPEL AND SCRIPTURE

see also AC XXVIH. 43.49). The Apology says that when the opponents
manipulate “Scripture passages” they “twist the Word of God™ (XII. 122-
123). Since Scripture is the Word of God. “no human being’s writings dare
be put on a par with it” (FC SD Summary. 9: see also Ep Comprehensive
Summary, 2: all emphases ours. Note the obvious implications of this con-
trast between Scripture and “huynan being’s writings”).

In sharp contrast to the writings of the fathers in which there is “great
variety” [magna dissimilitudo, that is. great difference or diversity]. since
“they were men and they could err and be deceived.” the Symbols regard
“passages of Scripture” as “clearer and surer” (Ap XXIV. 94-95). The
Symbols do not expect to find in the Scriptures the contradictions which
characterize the writings of failible human authors. In the single instance
where the Symbols refer to a seeming contradiction in the Scriptures, they
offer 2 solution which completely removes the difficulty (Ap XXIV. 28).
The Symbols do not grant that Jeremiah contradicts Moses. The Symbols.
therefore. have no need to account for contradictions in terms of the Bible’s
historical dimensions or to adopt a view of Biblical authority which holds
that since the authority af the Bible resides exclusively in the Gospel. dis-
crepancies here and therc in the Scriptures are of no consequence.

The Gospel Is the Center of Scripture

According to the Lutheran Symbols the Gospel is the center of the
Scriptures. For that reason they see everything in the Scriptures as related
to the Gospel in such a way that they can say: “Everything in the Word
of God is written down for us in order that ‘by steadfastness. by the
encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope’ (Rom. 18:4).” (FC
SD XI. 12)

Because all of Scripture is God's Word written down for us that we
might have hope, the Symbols say. “It is certain that any interpretation of
the Scriptures which weakens or even removes this comfort and hope is
contrary to the Holy Spirit's will and intent.” (FC SD XT. 92)

The Gospel Does Not Limit Biblical Authority

Relative to the role of the Gospel as norm in the Scriptures. however.
it is important to observe that it is one thing to say that it 1s contrary to the
Holy Spirit's intent when Scripture is interpreted in such a way that the
Gospel is obscured: it is quite another thing ta say that since the Holy
Spirit’s intent in the Scriptures is t proclaim the Gospel. it was never His
intent that His Word in Genesis 1-11. for instance, should be understood
as relating facts of history. or to say that in view of “the perpetual aim of
the Gospel” (AC XXVIII. 66; Latin) apostolic directives for the church's
life may be set aside.

It is one thing to search the Scriptures to discover ever more fully
how they witness to Christ and relate to His Gospel: it is quite another
thing to explore the implications of the Gospel for freedom in handling
the Scriptures. The interest of one is to see the richness and the glory of
the Gospel to aid preaching: the interest of the other is to explain the
alleged limitations and flaws of the Bible in a way that avoids the embar-

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with Bible narratives (Ap XII, 10). It is therefore a foregone conclusion
that no amount of study of Apology IV or other sections of the Symbols
will ever yield a hermeneutic that permits similar abuse of Scripture among
Lutherans. When Melanchthon emphasized that the distinction between
Law and Gospel is fundamental to a correct understanding of the Scrip-
tures, he at once indicated the passages to which this rule specifically ap-
plies. He said: “The rule I have just stated interprets all the passages they
quote on law and works.” (Ap IV, 185)

A tule intended to prevent misinterpretation of those passages of
Scripture which urge good works ought not to be invoked to permit latitude
in interpreting passages that deal with other subjects. Particularly, Me-
lanchthon’s rule must not be changed to read: “Since it is the primary pur-
pose of the Scriptures to proclaim Law and Gospel. the only legitimate
question to address to a Biblical pericope is: “How can the text be used to
confront the sinner with God's judgment and mercy?’ It is an abuse of
Melanchthon’s rule when it is interpreted to mean that as long as Law and
Gospel are proclaimed. the Bible student may regard and treat the Sacred
Scriptures as though they were historically conditioned human writings
which contain conflicting traditions and diverse theologies from which no
absolutely reliable historical information or permanently valid doctrine can
be derived,

The Meaning of the Biblical Text

It is a basic principle of interpretation that a Bible text has but one
meaning. It is not in keeping with this principle when different meanings
are ascribed to a text at Various stages of its history even if it is held that
the whole development always was intended to serve the proclamation of
the Gospel. When a text is thought to have a tradition history that made
its meaning vary from one situation to another, then it becomes a highly
questionable procedure simply to quote a Bible passage as though its en-
tire content were a “Thus saith the Lord.” By seeing multiple meanings
in a text based on its alleged precanonical use, it may happen that inter-
preters ‘make passages of Scripture mean whatever they want them to
mean.” (Ap XII, 106; emphasis ours)

To operate with hypothetical precanonical sources and traditions as
determinative of the text’s meanings instead of “deriving the meaning from
the texts themselves” (Ap IV. 224. our emphasis) as they have come to
us in the canonical Scriptures. is to cut away and depart from the very text
that is to be searched to see how it testifies to Christ. As our commission
stated in an earlier document.

The authoritative Word for the church today is the canonical Word,

not precanonical sources, forms, or traditions — however useful the

investigation of these possibilities may on occasion be for a clearer

understanding of what the canonical text intends to say.'!

Every Text Is Related to the Gospel

It is the prophetic and apostolic Scriptures alone that were written down
for us in order that we might have hope. and it is precisely because of that

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tassment of defending it as God's very own inerrant Word while at the
same time upholding and affirming its authority.

The Gospel is the norm in the Scriptures in the sense that it absolutely
prohibits understanding any passage to teach salvation by works. It is not
norm in the sense that the center of Scripture becomes a device to sanction
a view of the Bible and a method of interpreting it which virtually denies
that the whole Bible is God's inspired. authoritauve Word on all matters
concerning which it speaks

4. THE GosPEL Is Not NorM IN THE SENSE THAT IT PERMITS Dis-
REGARD OF LUTHERAN PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION

The Scriptures Give Accurate Information

Lutherans say that the Gospel of forgiveness for Christ's sake through
faith is the key that opens the Bible because this Gospel is. after all. the
heart and center of the Bible's message. But this must not be understood
to mean that as long as this central message is not lost or distorted it is
immaterial how the student of Scripture regards and interprets the litera-
ture which is the medium of the message. The purpose of the Scriptures
is to make Us wise unto salvation. At the same time Scripture also intends
to give us information about other matters. (2 Tim. 3:15-17)

The fact that the four Gospels. for instance. are confessions written
as history by no means excludes the possibility that they are genuinely
true and accurate records of history written as confessions and ought there-
fore to be read and understood as factual reports about the life and minis-
try of Jesus. It is true that reports of the words and deeds of Jesus come
to us in documents that contain the early church's preaching. However.
this fact cannot be used with the least degree of logical force as the major
premise of an argument which concludes that therefore these reports were
never intended. in every case. to present facts about what Jesus actually
said and did, and that at least in some instances they must be regarded and
interpreted as inventions to meet certain needs in the primitive Christian
community. Such conclusions are neither logically nor theologically com-
patible with the Lutheran confessional attitude toward the Scriptures and
confessional principles for interpreting the inspired Word of God

Abuse of the Law-Gospel Principle

Melanchthon states the attitude of Lutherans toward the Scriptures
in these words: “They have greater respect for the Word of God than for
anything else” (Ap XXHI, 71). That is why Lutherans disapprove when
their opponents in interpreting the Scriptures “pick out garbled sentences
to put something over on the inexperienced” (Ap IV. 280). “twist many
texts because they read their own opinions into them instead of deriving
the meaning from the texts themselves” (Ap IV, 224. 286). and “accept
only what agrees with human reason and regard the rest as mythology.”
(Ap VII, 27)

Respect for God's Word compelled Lutherans to object to “the way
these good-for-nothings quote the Scriptures” (Ap XXVII, 29) and clown

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fact that every question about the meaning of these Scriptures 1s a “Gospel
question.” Every Biblical text is related to the Gospel in such a way that
the interpreter has lost sight of the purpose of the Scriptures if he regards
concern for any aspect of the text us not on the level of a “Gospel ques-
tion,” or considers interest in such things as the accuracy of the history
reported in the text as somehow irrelevant and beside the point

About a piece of patriarchal history Paul asked. “What does Scripture
say?" because he saw a relationship between the Gospel he preached and
the incident reported. For Paul it way a “Gospel question” whether or not
Abraham cast out Hagar (Gal. 4:30) Every question about what Serip-
ture says or teaches is already a “Gospel question” simply because it is
a question about Scripture given to us by God for the sake of the Gospel!
To dismiss any question about Scripture ay though it had no bearing on the
Gospel is to forget what the Seriptures are for

II. Scripture as Norm of the Gospel

The key that opens the Bible is itself derived from the Bible. While
it is true that the Bible was given to us for the suke of the Gospel. it is
equally true that we have no Gospel but that which comes from Scripture
True. the Bible is norm for the sake of the Gospel.'- but the Bible is also
norm for the Gospel.

A. What Lutherans Do NOT Mean When They Say That Scripture fs the
Norm of the Gospel

1. We Do Not Mean THar THERE Was No GoSPEL PRIOR TO THE
SCRIPTURES

To say that for us the Senptures are the source und norm of the Gos-
pel's form and content is not to say that there was no Gospel prior to the
composition of the Scriptures. The patriarchs comforted themselves with
the promise of the woman's seed centuries before Moses. and the prophets
Penned their inspired prophecies concerning the coming Christ (FC SD
VIL 23), Abraham. without benefit of the Senptures. rejoiced to see
Christ's day. and he saw it and was gled (John 8:36.01. In fact. the Sym-
bols affirm that “the Gospel. that is. the promise of grace bestowed in
Christ” was first delivered to Adam. © Ap NIT. 53)

Since the Scriptures were written primarily tor the suke of the Gospel.
It is just us true to say that the Scriptures derive from the Gospel as that
the Gospel is derived from the Seriptures. The Serptures do not create
the reality of the salvation events to which they witness. but they are the
only authoritative witness to the reality of these events to which we have
access. Certainly Paul preached Christ's deuth and resurrection out of the
reality of the “happenedness” of these events. but he proclaimed the reality
of these events “according to the Scriptures.” fnasmuch us the Scriptures
ure normatve for us for the proclamation of these realities. for us the
formal principle is authority for the material principle Ay the Symbols
point out, “Espesally amd the terrers of sin, a human being must have

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