LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 1973, Page 432

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432

GOSPEL AND SCRIPTURE

a very definite Word of God to learn to know God's will, namely. that he
1s no longer angry.” (Ap IV. 262)

2. We Do Not MEA&N THAT THE GOSPEL’s VERITY DERIVES FROM
THE SCRIPTURES

The Bible Does Not “Prove” The Gospel

When Lutherans argue for the inspiration and inerrancy of the Scrip-
tures and insist that the Scriptures are norm even (especially!) for the
Gospel. it is not their intention to establish some premise on the basis of
which they deduce and attempt to prove the truthfulness of the Gospel in
order to compel a mere intellectual persuasion that the Good News is
worthy of all acceptation. Lutherans recognize that a conviction resting on
such a foundation could well be a human logical conclusion (fides humana)
which ts hazardously dependent upon rauonally satisfying evidence for the
reliability of a doctrine about the Bible, instead of a faith worked in us by
the Holy Spirit (Ades divinay which clings to the voice from heaven heard
in the Bible.

In Lutheran confessional theology. saving faith always has as its sole
object the promise of forgiveness for Christ's sake; saving faith is always
the creation of God's Spirit through the Word. The Apology chides scho-
lastic theologians because “they interpret faith as merely a knowledge of
history or of dogmas” (IV. 383). “Faith is not merely knowledge but
rather a desire to accept and grasp what is offered in the promise of Christ”
(IV, 227). “To believe means to trust in Christ's merits” (IV, 69), “Faith
In the true sense, as the Scriptures use the word, is that which accepts the
promise” (IV. 113). Again, “Faith saves because it takes hold of mercy
and the promise of grace” (IV, 338). “Such a faith is not an easy thing”
(IV, 250). “Faith in Christ and in the forgiveness of sins . does not
come without a great battle in the human heart... . Faith which believes
that God cares for us, forgives us. and hears us is a supernatural thing.
for of itself the human mind believes no such thing about God.” (IV, 303)

When the confessors said. “We are certain of our Christian confession
and faith on the basis of the divine. prophetic. and apostolic Scriptures.”
they added at once that they had been “assured of this in (their) hearts
and Christian consciences through the grace of the Holy Spirit.” (Preface
to The Book of Concord, pp. 12-13)

The Biblical Gospel Is God's Voice

When Lutherans say that the Bible is the God-inspired norm of the
Gospel. we are expressing our Spirit-wrought conviction that the Gospel
we hear in the Scriptures is indeed the “voice-from-heaven” Gospel, not
merely some human construction. We are confessing what we deeply be-
lieve about this Holy Book from whose pages God speaks to our anxious
hearts His very own word of absolution.

Accordingly, our view of the Bible is a result of our faith in the Gos-
pel; our faith in the Gospel is not a result of our view of the Bible. Because

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3. We Do Not Meas THat THE Gospet’s Power DERIVES FROM
THE SCRIPTURES

To say that the Gospel comes to us in the Scriptures is not to say that
the Gospel’s power is derived from the Scriptures. or from the inspiration
of the Senptures. The Gospel was the “power of God unto salvation”
(Rom. 1:16) even before holy men of God committed it to writing. To
say that the Scriptures are authority for the way we express the Gospel.
19 NOt to say that the Gospel derives its uuthority or power from the Scrip-
tures. The normative authority of Scripture does not make the Gospel the
living Word of Ged (1 Peter 1:23-28). but the formal principle, Hols
Scripture. does tell us authoritatively what Gospel truly is God's living
Word and pronounces a curse upon anyone “ho preaches a different gospel
(Gal. 1:8-9)

The Symbols everywhere vehemently resist every different gospel pre-
cisely because only the true Gospel is the power of God unto salvation.
“Faith is conceived and confirmed through absolution, through the hearing
of the Gospel” (Ap XIE 32). "The Hols Spirit produces faith in those
who hear the Gospel” (AC V. 2). “Neither you nor I could ever know
anything of Christ. or believe in him and take him as our Lord, unless these
were first offered to us and bestowed on our hearts through the preaching
of the Gospel by the Holy Spirit” (LC I, 38)

Jonas’ German version of the Apology says that if there is to be
a church, the pure teaching of the Gospel must be preserved (Ap IV. 256.
Concordia Triglotta, p. 223. see also Ap INV. 119, Triv.. p. 188), Melanch-
thon states that “this church 1s properly called ‘the pillar of truth’ (1 Tim
3:15), for it retains the pure Gospel and what Paul calls the ‘foundation’
(1 Cor, 3:12), that is. the true knowledge of Christ and faith” (Ap VIL.
20: emphasis added)

B. In What Sense Scripture Is Norm of the Gospel

Our Gospel Is Taken from Scripture

When Lutherans teach that Scripture is the norm of the Gospel, they
mean simply that the content of the Gospel and the terms in which this
content is expressed must be taken from the Scriptures. The Gospel is the
effective power (auctoritas causativa) that begets personal faith in the Savior
(fides qua creditur}. the Scriptures are the authority fauctoritas normativa)
that establishes and regulates the statement. confession, and proclamation
of the Christian faith (fides quae creditur).

When Paul preached what was of “first importance.” namely, the
chief article or Gospel that “Christ died for our sins” and “that He was
raised on the third day.” he was proclaiming realities that occurred accord-
ing to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 1$:3-4). Even though Paul could claim that
he received the Gospel which he preached by revelation of Jesus Christ
(Gal. 1:12), it was always a major concern of his to show that what he
believed and preached was in agreement with the Scriptures (Acts 24:14:
17:2; 18:28). Because Paul appealed to the Scriptures (Rom. 4:3: Gala-

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we have come to know that the voice we hear in the Gospel taught by
Scripture is truly God's voice. we treasure these sacred Scriptures as the
only source and norm of this precious Gospel. With our whole being we
resist every suggestion that the Bible is something less than God's very own
Word — not because we feel the Gospel needs to be buttressed by a doc-
trine about S-npture.‘* but because our attitude toward Scripture has in fact
been shaped by the Gospel! As Dr. Francis Pieper explained. “Only after
a man ts justified does he take the right attitude toward the entire Scripture.
behesing that Scripture is God's Word (the Word which cannot be broken.
John 10:35}. and make diligent use of Scripture (John 5:39).7 34

The Gospel We Teach Is Scriptural

But Lutherans do appeal to the Bible to prove that the Gospel which
they teach and confess is the Gospel which Scripture teaches. We do not
attempt to prove the Gespel by Scripture passages. but to prove that the
Gospel which we teach is Scriptural. so that we can say with the Apology.
“for this our position we have testimonies from Scripture” (IV, 29). On
that account we can assert that “we hold to the Gospel of Christ correctly
and faithfully” (Ap Preface. 15). We do not hesitate to claim that “this
is what Paul really and truly means” (IV, 285) or that “this is Paul's posi-
tion that we are defending” (XII, 84). namely. that by faith we receive
the forgiveness of sins for Christ’s sake

The Symbols appeal to Bible passages to prove our doctrine. That
absolution is not received except by faith “can be proved from Paul” (Ap
XII, 61). Divine monergism in conversion is “demonstrated from clear
Passages of Holy Scripture’ (FC SD If. 87). In support of the teaching
that distinctions among foods are unnecessary. Lutherans add testimonies
“from the Scriptures” (AC XXVI. 22). There are clear passages which
forbid the establishment ef human regulations for the purpose of earning
God's grace. (AC XXVIII. 43)

We show abundantly by the testimonies of Scripture and arguments
derived from Scripture that we obtain remission of sins and are justified
by faith alone (Ap IV. 117), Remission of sins occurs through faith — as
Scripture testifies in many passages (Ap IV. 273). Against the testimony
of the fathers who were men able to err and be deceived. we oppose the
clearest and most certain Scriptures (Ap XXIV. 94-95), Lutherans know
“that it is only from the Word of God that judgments on articles of faith
are to be pronounced” (FC SD II. &). “According to the Scriptures we
should and must believe” that Christ according to His human nature re-
ceived divine attributes, (FC SD VIII. 60)

Lutherans prove their doctrine from Scripture because they think that
itis “rash” to affirm something that passages of Scripture do not say (Ap
XH. 138). Tt is “extreme impudence™ to affirm something contrary to
testimonies of Scripture (Ap XXIII. 63), So Lutherans ask: how can
they affirm something without proof from the Word of God? (Ap XXVII.
23). how do we know without proof from Scripture? (Ap XXI. 10):
where does Scripture teach that? (Ap XII. 187).

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tans 4:30) and because he proclaimed what “Scripture says” (Rom. 10:11,
1 Timothy 5:18) on topics ranging from justification to a pastor's support,
his doctrine could stand up under the closest scrutiny. (Acts 17:11)

Paul reminded the Corinthians “in what terms” (1 Cor, 18:1) he
preached the Gospel and said he delivered what he had received: moreover.
he did this in Spirit-taught words (1 Cor. 2:13).° This leaves no room
for the notion that even the way Paul expressed the Gospel. or the form
in which he preached it. was his own inventive translation into first-century
thought patterns of some general idea which came to him out of thin air
about a benign diving intent in history. ft further repudiates the idea that
he then tried to commumeute this “gospel” in a meaningful manner by
simply borrowing for this purpose some concepts with which people were
already famihar from Jewish apocalyptic hiterature or Gnostic mythology

Tn the Lutheran Symbols tov. not only the content of the Gospel "
but the terms in which it is expressed are taken from Scripture. In the
Symbols you have not only “they teach” tsee, for example, AC IV 1. but
“Scripture teaches” (see. for example. AC XXIV. 28 and FC SD HII. 30:
our emphases) as authority for the way the Gospel is formulated.

It is in accordance with what the apostle Paul says that the Symbols
teach the Gospel in terms of substitutionary suusfaction and the imputation
of Christ's mghteousness to the sinner through faith (Ap IV. 179. 308 ff.)
The material principle of Lutheran theolags (the Gospel) is derived from
the formal pringiple (the Seriptures). The Apology states it is axiomatic
that “itis metun the power of man to assert, without u sure word of
God concerning God's will. that He ceases to be angry” (IV. 2625.1" Here
the material principle as ted inseparably to the formal principle. so that
we cannot affirm the former except on the authority of the latter?

Interdependent Formal and Material Principles

Because the Lutheran Symbols are correct expositions of Scripture.
thes teach the Gospel purely. Because “the udversaries are in no way
moved by so many passages of Seripture. which clearly ascribe justification
to faith.” they consequently “altogether abolish the Gospel concerning the
free remission of sins.” CAp IW. 107, 110: emphasis added)

In the Symbols the formal and material principles are very closely
related and mutually interdependent. Opimiens which disagree with Serp-
ture at the same time diminish the glory of Christ’s passion When the
Gospel is lost sight of. the Seriptures are distorted Compare these two
statements carefully. The first iss “Concerning these opinions our teachers
have warned that thes depart from the Holy Seripture and diminish the
glory of Christ's passion” (AC XXIV. 24). The second is: “This teaching
[the Gospel] must always be kept in view in order to oppese those who re-
ject Christ. destroy the Gospel. and maliciously twist the Scriptures to fit
human opinions” (Ap IN. 2601, The first statement indicates that there
oa direct relwuonship between departing from Scripture and robbing
Christ of His glory. The second statement indicates that there is a direct
relationship between rejecting Christ and distorting the Scriptures

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