Meeting Luther and the Confessions Again for the First Time Dr. Kit Kleinhans McCoy Family Distinguished Chair in Lutheran Heritage and Mission Wartburg College

The Church of Christ, in Ev’ry Age The church of Christ, in ev’ry age beset by change, but Spirit-led, must claim and test its heritage and keep on rising from the dead. ELW 729:1

Luther’s “Aha!” – Romans 1:17 “At last, by the mercy of God, meditating day and night, I gave heed to the context of the words, namely, “In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live.’ ” There I began to understand that the righteousness of God is that by which the righteous lives by a gift of God, namely by faith. And this is the meaning: the righteousness of God is revealed by the gospel, namely, the passive righteousness with which merciful God justifies us by faith, as it is written, “He who through faith is righteous shall live.” Here I felt that I was altogether born again and had entered paradise itself through open gates. There a totally other face of the entire Scripture showed itself to me. Thereupon I ran through the Scriptures from memory. I also found in other terms an analogy, as, the work of God, that is, what God does in us, the power of God, with which he makes us strong, the wisdom of God, with which he makes us wise, the strength of God, the salvation of God, the glory of God.” Preface to the Complete Edition of Luther’s Latin Writings, LW 34:337 (1545)

A Brief Instruction on What to Look For and Expect in the Gospels “The chief article and foundation of the gospel is that before you take Christ as an example, you accept and recognize him as a gift, as a present that God has given you and that is your own. This means that when you see or hear of Christ doing or suffering something, you do not doubt that Christ himself, with his deeds and suffering, belongs to you. On this you may depend as surely as if you had done it yourself; indeed as if you were Christ himself.” LW 35:119 (1522)

Law and Gospel Heidelberg Disputation (1518) Thesis 26: “The law says, “do this,” and it is never done. Grace says, “believe in this,” and everything is already done.” LW 31:56 The Freedom of Christian (1520) “Thus the promises of God give what the commandments of God demand … ” LW 31:349

Lutheran Interpretive Lens by grace, through faith, for Christ’s sake

[II. Concerning Original Sin] Furthermore, it is taught among us that since the fall of Adam, all human beings who are born in the natural way are conceived and born in sin. This means that from birth they are full of evil lust and inclination and cannot by nature possess true fear of God and true faith in God. Moreover, this same innate disease and original sin is truly sin and condemns to God’s eternal wrath all who are not in turn born anew through baptism and the Holy Spirit. Rejected, then, are the Pelagians and others who do not regard original sin as sin in order to make human nature righteous through natural powers, thus insulting the suffering and merit of Christ. [III. Concerning the Son of God] Likewise, it is taught that God the Son became a human being, born of the pure Virgin Mary, and that the two natures, the divine and the human, are so inseparably united in one person that there is one Christ. He is true God and true human being who truly “was born, suffered, was crucified, died, and was buried” in order both to be a sacrifice not only for original sin but also for all other sins and to conciliate God’s wrath. …

Augsburg Confession IV [IV. Concerning Justification] Furthermore, it is taught that we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin and righteousness before God through our merit, work, or satisfactions, but that we receive forgiveness of sin and become righteous before God out of grace for Christ’s sake through faith when we believe that Christ has suffered for us and that for his sake our sin is forgiven and righteousness and eternal life are given to us. For God will regard and reckon this faith as righteousness in his sight, as St. Paul says in Romans 3[:21–26 ] and 4[:5 ].

Augsburg Confession V [V. Concerning the Office of Preaching] To obtain such faith God instituted the office of preaching, giving the gospel and the sacraments. Through these, as through means, he gives the Holy Spirit who produces faith, where and when he wills, in those who hear the gospel. It teaches that we have a gracious God, not through our merit but through Christ’s merit, when we so believe. Condemned are the Anabaptists and others who teach that we obtain the Holy Spirit without the external word of the gospel through our own preparation, thoughts, and works.

Augsburg Confession VI [VI. Concerning the New Obedience] It is also taught that such faith should yield good fruit and good works and that a person must do such good works as God has commanded for God’s sake but not place trust in them as if thereby to earn grace before God. For we receive forgiveness of sin and righteousness through faith in Christ, as Christ himself says [Luke 17:10 ]: “When you have done all [things]..., say, ‘We are worthless slaves.’ ” The Fathers also teach the same thing. For Ambrose says: “It is determined by God that whoever believes in Christ shall be saved and have forgiveness of sins, not through works but through faith alone, without merit.”

Augsburg Confession VII [VII. Concerning the Church] It is also taught that at all times there must be and remain one holy, Christian church. It is the assembly of all believers among whom the gospel is purely preached and the holy sacraments are administered according to the gospel. For this is enough for the true unity of the Christian church that there the gospel is preached harmoniously according to a pure understanding and the sacraments are administered in conformity with the divine Word. It is not necessary for the true unity of the Christian church that uniform ceremonies, instituted by human beings, be observed everywhere. As Paul says in Ephesians 4[:4–5 ]: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism.”

Lutheran Interpretive Lens by grace, through faith, for Christ’s sake

The center holds the whole together

So What?

More than knowing the content DYNAMIC What does this mean? Wengert: literal translation - What is this? Real answers to real questions

Apology IV: The Law Always Accuses For the law always accuses and terrifies consciences. However, the law always accuses us; it always shows that God is angry. For the law always accuses since we never satisfy the law. the law always accuses them and brings wrath with it. For the law always accuses us, as Paul says [Rom. 4:15 ], “The law brings wrath.” the law always accuses consciences … – Kolb & Wengert, Apology IV, 38, 128, 179, 204, 282, 282

Apology IV: Christ Remains Mediator Fourth, Christ does not stop being our mediator after we are reborn. They err who imagine that he has merited only a first infusion of grace and that afterward we please God and merit eternal life by our fulfillment of the law. Christ remains the mediator, and we must always affirm that because of him we have a gracious God, Therefore we need the forgiveness of sins even when we have good works. Moreover, this forgiveness is obtained always by faith. In this way Christ remains the high priest and mediator. But we must realize that even after our renewal we are regarded as righteous on account of Christ, that Christ remains the mediator and propitiator, that on account of Christ we have access to God, that we do not live up to the law but need mercy, that at all times we are regarded as righteous through mercy. Kolb & Wengert, Apology IV, 147, 148, 165

“Apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 “Without faith it is impossible to please God.” Hebrews 11:6

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. “ John 15:5

“Jesus is Lord!” What question does this answer?

So What? → So That!

ELCA Confession of Faith This church confesses the Gospel, recorded in the Holy Scripture and confessed in the ecumenical creeds and Lutheran confessional writings, as the power of God to create and sustain the Church for God’s mission in the world.

The Lutheran “Double Dipstick” Theological: The Necessity of Christ, Crucified and Risen Pastoral: Comforting Troubled Consciences

The Church of Christ, in Ev’ry Age The church of Christ, in ev’ry age beset by change, but Spirit-led, must claim and test its heritage and keep on rising from the dead. ELW 729:1