A local German immigrant, with a smattering of study of the Bible and a radical Campbellite theology, has been maligning Lutherans and Lutheranism on a weekly basis for 5 months in the Carthage Press without an understanding of either. His statements claim that one earns God’s grace by being “obedient.” So what’s grace (undeserved love) for, anyways? His background was going to catechism instruction in a German state church many, many years ago. His claims are based on the fact that he “didn’t know Jesus” at that time. Of course, he accepts none of the blame for that.

Recently pastor Buelow responded with an editorial in the Carthage Press. It is reprinted here.

 

Gentleness and Respect

I took out a year’s subscription to the Carthage Press in order to get to know the community better, find out more about my neighbors, find out how I can get involved and rejoice in the accomplishments of my fellow Carthaginians. But for many weeks now I’ve found myself falsely accused of all kinds of blasphemous sins each and every Friday on the religion page. Of course, I wouldn’t have been able to recognize myself in the accusations, except for the fact that I’m named. I’m being falsely accused of these crimes against God by my denominational name “Lutheran.” In articles ostensibly written to gain members for a new church yet to be formed, a gentleman in our community has missed the best description of outreach in the Bible, Peter’s divine advice: “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15).

The first part of exercising gentleness and respect is following the advice of the Baptist theologian, Charles Ryrie, of Dallas Seminary: “Whenever you state the case of someone disagreeing with you, imagine that your opponent is sitting in the front row of the class. State his position in such a way that he would say, ‘Yes, that is what I believe.’ And then you can take issue with the position.” This is the kind of common courtesy I and my father learned in American Lutheran schools. I believe it is not too much to ask of those who immigrate to our country.

It’s historically lazy and just plain wrong to draw a connection between the so-called “Evangelical Church in Germany”( EKiD) and American Lutherans. After the enlightenment, belief in the Bible’s inspiration and authority faded away in Europe.  German protestants were forced by their governments already in the 1800s to merge into giant, amalgamated churches that compromised on many of the doctrines of Scripture. What once were Biblical churches which believed in salvation through faith in Jesus alone became public institutions controlled by the whims of the governing authorities. By the first half of the 20^th century, even Swastikas appeared in the state-owned churches of Germany.

On the other hand, true Bible-believing Lutherans left Germany in waves during the 1800s and immigrated to America so that they could establish real Lutheran churches, free from tax money and state control. They wanted to be able to worship God in accordance with Scripture, without government interference. My own grandfather fled to America, not from Germany, but from Ukraine, where his father who served as a faithful Lutheran teacher and preacher was martyred by the Soviet atheists. How offensive to be attacked in the Carthage press in a way that, whether intentionally or not, distorts history beyond recognition!

There are serious Biblical, doctrinal disagreements between Bible-believing Lutherans, and those who say things like “His love and His grace, Jesus, is for everyone who obeys Him, available” (Faith page, July 15).  Jesus is not Santa Claus, finding out who’s naughty and nice before deciding whom he wants to give his gifts. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, every single person of which is a sinner and incapable of being obedient. The Pharisees in Jesus’ day had a similar attitude to our frequent Germanic author. They got very frustrated that Jesus walked and talked and even ate at the homes of disobedient people. But that made sense to Jesus, because he came to save sinners, not “obedient” people. “It’s not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick,” he explained (Matthew 9:12). St. Paul could say, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life” (1 Timothy 1:15). Of course Jesus told sinners to “go and sin no more.” No one is advocating sin. But it’s Jesus and the Holy Spirit who first love us, and enable us then to love God in return. Salvation comes first, then sanctification. “We love, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

Lutherans love the Bible and its teachings. As students of God’s Word, we’re happy to discuss what we believe anytime and anywhere. We also believe St. Peter was correct in admonishing us to share our faith with gentleness and respect, not misrepresenting our enemies to score personal points at the expense of fairness, accuracy, honesty and truth.

Of all the unfair things that have been said about us in articles in the Carthage Press, the worst was the judgmental accusation that we “don’t even want to know the truth” (Faith page, July 8). It’s one thing to disagree with us, it’s quite another to judge hearts. In point of fact, it’s because Lutherans love their Bibles and the Gospel of Jesus Christ—the pure Gospel that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, apart from the deeds of the Law (Romans 3:28), that we haven’t been persuaded by these articles to leave our church and help start a new one. Once we human beings arrogantly start taking credit for even one iota of our salvation, we fall under the curse called down by St. Paul in Galatians, “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.  But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!” (Galatians 1:6-8). “I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2:21). “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Galatians 3:10-11). We Lutherans love our Lord, love his holy Word, love his gift of salvation through faith. If my great-grandfather was willing to die for that Gospel, I’m willing to still confess it, even if one of our local immigrants doesn’t agree, and maligns me and my fellow confessors on a weekly basis.

May God give us all the will to truly be students of the Bible, and the joy that comes from our marvelous Savior, who purchased our redemption in full at the price of his own precious blood.

Rev. Timothy H. Buelow

Faith Lutheran Church, Carthage

 

 

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Faith Lutheran Church + Carthage, Missouri

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God. + Romans 10:17