Antinomianism vs. Legalism

The term "Antinomianism" was coined by Martin Luther during the Reformation, to criticize extreme interpretations of the new Lutheran soteriology. The Lutheran Church benefited from early Antinomian controversies by becoming more precise in distinguishing between Law and gospel and justification and sanctification.  An Antinomian is defined as "one who holds that under the gospel dispensation of grace the moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation."

Erlangen school of Neo-Lutheranism, tried to combine Lutheran theology with modern thought and focused on the second use of the law (which is it's primary function). Mainline protestants who are essentially moving toward Antinomianism, accepting secular things into their theology, essentially abolishing the law altogether.

Erring on the other side, the reformed, baptists, and new evangelicals have been preaching almost exclusively the third use of the law to the neglect of not only the other uses, but to the neglect of the gospel.  The so-called called Keswick theology focuses on a two-tiered  Christianity, where justification/salvation is only the first small step and sanctification occupies the majority of their preaching and teaching. Finally, then there are the legalists, who have little to no use for the Gospel at all and preach true works righteousness.

As a confessional Lutheran, I have been called both an Antinomian and a Pharisee by people on the opposite sides. Be that as it may, I will continue to go the middle (and correct path) of acknowledging all uses of the law, while keeping in mind the second use is its primary function because the Gospel must predominate.

The Slippery Slope Into Evangelicalism

Here is the slippery slope that I have, unfortunately seen.

• Nothing Evangelicals teach is inconsistent with what Lutherans teach (Syncratism)
• We are all "Just Christian", with the same basics, major in the majors (Reductionism)
• Doctrine (teaching) is not what is important. We should focus on, "deeds not creeds" (Confusion of Law and Gospel)
• Evangelicals know the Bible better, because they preach on more than just salvation, but also sanctification (Backward Law and Gospel)
• Evangelical teaching is better than Lutheran teaching (Heterodoxy)

What's Wrong With the Modern Church?

“How can something be possible today that the church regarded as impossible for the first 1,700 years and that is till today regarded by most of Christendom as impossible?” -Herman Sasse

“The whole system of penance was faulty, yes, a denial of the Gospel. Yet the observation of Claus Harms remains true: At that time people at least still felt sin and let forgiveness cost them something, and therefore, the Middle Ages stood higher than the modern world.” -Herman Sasse

Some like to talk about "Cheap Grace", but no matter how cheap it is, we still can't afford it. Only free Grace will do.

The Eastern Church must remember that it is not enough to venerate the church fathers’ icons, but that their example must be followed and their teachings believed. – Paraphrasing Pastor Brian Wolfmuller, paraphrasing Herman Sasse.

“Liberalism makes the reason of the pious individual the final judge over the doctrine of the church.” -Herman Sasse

Almost every church takes major doctrine and turns it backwards like some kind of theological bizarro world. However, there is an explanation for this:
 

“It is the secret pride of man who cannot bear that he is dependent only on grace, only on the sacrifice that another offers for him, only on an “alien righteousness.” This is the terrible tragedy of church history.” -Herman Sasse

Bad Things Christians Say #3: WWJD

The phrase "What would Jesus do?" (often abbreviated to WWJD) became popular in the United States in the 1990s and as a personal motto for adherents of Evangelical Christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of Jesus through the actions of the adherents. The WWJD fad came out of the imitation of Christ movement. The originator of the WWJD bracelets is quoted as saying, “I wanted them to be a personal reminder that they [young believers] had made a conscious decision to live life by a new standard. It was also a counterpart or response to the CTR (choose the right) ring of the Mormons.

However, if you want to know what Jesus told you to do, it is in the Bible, not in your hearts. The Bible is what we know of the mind of Christ, because it is what he has revealed to us, nothing else. Therefore, we should not presume to know what Jesus would do.  We should pick up our Bibles and read what God tells us to do.

Romans 11:33-34:

How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” 

Isaiah 55:8-9:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

In addition to not knowing what Jesus would do, we should not do everything that Jesus would do.

1)    There are several instances throughout the Scripture where we find Jesus receiving and accepting worship (Matthew 2:11, 14:33, 28:9, 28:17, John 9:38, and Revelation 5:14.). Yet, we are told in the book of Acts, when Peter visited the household of Cornelius, "it came about that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter raised him up, saying, 'Stand up; I too am just a man'" (Acts 10:25-26). Obviously, Peter did not do "what Jesus would do" in this situation.

2)    In Matthew chapter 23 Jesus pronounces His woes upon the scribes and Pharisees of His day. Jesus, the righteous Judge (John 5:22), peers into the hearts of the Pharisees and proclaims: "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence . . .Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. . .You serpents, you brood of vipers, how shall you escape the sentence of hell?" (Matthew 23:25,27,33). Since we are finite and sinful, we cannot judge as Jesus did (John 5:22). Nor do we know what lies in man as Jesus does (John 2:25). Therefore, again, if presented with this ethical situation we should not do "what Jesus would do.

3)    Lastly, what Jesus would do is to suffer and die to take the punishment of our sins.  I certainly don’t want to die to take the full punishment of my sins.  Jesus did that so that I don’t have to do what Jesus did. Jesus would also resurrect himself to prepare a place in heaven for us, which we cannot do.

So what does the Bible mean by following Jesus?

1 Peter 2:21:

 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.

In both 19 and 20 show that follow in his footsteps means to endure suffering, which we are able to do only through the Grace of God. This is not saying to muster our self-will to do the right thing.

For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.

What did he just do?

John 13:14

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

Here he is talking about serving your fellow Christian, as he says in vs. 16, not as living his life to set a moral example.

WWJD is not Christ centered, just because the name Jesus is in it.  It is self-focused.  It is all about us and what we should be doing and does not point us to what Jesus did on the cross.  Therefore, the correct question is not, “What Would Jesus Do?”, but “What Did Jesus Do For You?”

Bad Things Christians Say #2: B.I.B.L.E.

I heard someone say that BIBLE is a great acronym that means Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Argh!, this one really annoys me. The Bible is not a book of instructions. The Bible is not about what you should do, but about what God has done for you. I guess what really drives me crazy about Christians not understanding what the Bible is for is that the Bible itself tells us what it is for.

John 20:31 tells us that "these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

Once again this is works over faith and a confusion of Law and Gospel.

People keep forgetting that Christianity is not about being good, but about being forgiven for not being good.

Here is an old Issues Etc. segment on the topic: http://issuesetc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Things-Christians-Say.pdf

Bad Things Christians Say #1: Deeds not Creeds

 

A Creed is simply a statement of faith. Another way I have heard "deeds not creeds" stated is, "I would rather see a sermon than hear one." This is quite simply works righteousness and confusion of Law and Gospel. Faith comes by hearing the word (Romans 10:17), not by seeing good works done.

“The Bible can no more be any man's Creed, than the stars can be any man's astronomy. The stars furnish the rule of the astronomer's faith: the Principia of Newton may be the Confession of his faith. If a man were examined as a candidate for the chair of astronomy in a university, and were asked, "What is your astronomical system?" and were to answer, “I accept the teaching of the stars," the reply would be, "You may think you do--so does the man who is sure that the stars move round the world, and that they are not orbs, but 'gimlet-holes to let the glory through.' We wish to know what you hold the teachings of the stars to be? Do you receive, as in harmony with then, the results reached by Copernicus, by Galileo, by Kepler, by Newton, La Place, and Herschel, or do you think the world one great flat, and the sun and moon mere pendants to it?" “Gentlemen," replies the independent investigator, "the theories of those astronomers are human systems--man-made theories. I go out every night on the hills, and look at the stars, as God made them, through a hole in my blanket, with my own good eyes, not with a man-made telescope, or fettered by a man-made theory; and I believe in the stars and in what they teach me: but if I were to say, or write what they teach, that would be a human creed--and I am opposed to all creeds." “Very well," reply the examiners, "we wish you joy in the possession of a good pair of eyes, and feel it unnecessary to go any further. If you are unwilling to confess your faith, we will not tax your conscience with the inconsistency of teaching that faith, nor tax our own with the hazard of authorizing you to set forth in the name of the stars your own ignorant assumptions about them."” -Charles Porterfield Krauth

“The true church is gathered not around Scripture but around the rightly understood, the purely and correctly interpreted Bible.” -Herman Sasse

An old Issues Etc. on the topic: This is works over faith

http://issuesetc.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Things-Christians-Say.pdf

Book Review/Summary - Sanctification (Harold Senkbeil)

This book was good, but was more about the American Evangelical movement than sanctification as a theological topic.

One major topic was the confusion between the left and the right hand kingdoms. Senkbeil states, "Whenever the church has allied itself too closely with the cultural establishment, it has become corrupt and its Gospel has been secularized." He then points out that

1. Liberals try to make the secular sacred by adopting societal ethics and norms
2. Evangelicals try to makes the sacred secular by promoting "Christian" music, books, money management, etc..

Modern Evangelicalism is not really a theological system, but more of a mood, a perspective, and an experience. It focuses on a personal decision in conversion, while putting a spotlight on human experience instead of God's action.  However, the link between God and believer should never be our feelings but the person and work of Jesus Christ, who comes to us in his Gospel, not in our hearts. They teach that the wrath of God poured out on Jesus, so we receive God's Mercy, but then Grace comes from the individuals sanctified will and works. Thus we are partly forgiven because of our decision. Evangelicalism is:

1. more form than substance
2. more style than content
3. more mind-set than dogma
4. teaching replaced by lifestyle

It also picked the "selfish" or individualistic pieces of different traditions:

1. Calvinism: individualism, but destiny
2. Revival Arminisanism: Free Will in Conversion
3. European pietist: spirituality and obedience
4. Modernists: Focus on human achievement. more interested in that than Gods salvation

Most of their teaching revolves around "sanctification" as they call it, which is really "Christian" self help, a practical/pragmatic religion. In this system of thought Biblical figures, including Christ, become examples for us, instead of the story of how God saves us.

Annihilationism, Purgatory, and Universalism

I described previously what happens after death. Basically, in both "body and soul" unbelievers will suffer eternal separation and condemnation in hell (Matthew 18:8; 25:46; Mark 9:43; John 3:36; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Jude 13; Revelation 14:11), where indescribable torment will be experienced consciously, (Matthew 11:20-24; 23:15; Luke 12:47-48).

Annihilationism
The belief that apart from salvation, the final punishment for humans is their total destruction, rather than everlasting torment. Believed by 7th day Adventists and Jehova's Witness.

Purgatory
The belief that the intermediate state is one of limbo for most people, where they can undergo purification to achieve the holiness needed to enter God's presence in heaven. Believed by Roman Catholics and some Anglicans.

Universalism
The belief that all people will ultimately be reconciled to God because of his divine love and mercy.

Postmillennialism

The less common postmillennial view places Christ's second advent after (post) the millennium. Only then will the rapture, the general resurrection, the general judgment, and the eternal states occur. The millennium is not understood to involve a visible reign of Christ in the form of an earthly monarchy, nor is the millennial period to be taken literally as necessarily 1000 years long. In these respects  postmillennialism corresponds closely to the amillennialist position. But the postmillennial view does posit a recognizable millennial period, a golden age of prosperity and peace among all at the end of which Christ will return. The millennium will arrive gradually under the increasing influence of Christianity, leading to the pervasive reduction of evil and to greatly improved conditions in the social, economic, political and cultural spheres. In fact, the entire world will eventually be Christianized to the point that the Christian belief and value system will become the accepted norm for all nations. Matthew 28:18-20 will become a reality. 

Historic Premillennialism

In contrast to dispensational premillennialism, those who hold the historic premillennialist view argue that Christ's second advent will be a one-stage event after the tribulation. Either at this time or before, the vast majority of Jews will be converted. Believers who have died will be raised, those alive will be transformed, and all believers will meet Christ in the air and then descend with Him to earth. Christ will then slay the Antichrist, bind Satan, and set up His millennial kingdom on earth. Christ and His redeemed, both Jews and Gentiles as one people of God, will reign visibly over the unbelieving nations still on earth. People in resurrected bodies and natural bodies will live together on the earth. Sin and death will still exist, but external evil will be restrained. The 1000 years of the millennial kingdom will be a time of social, political, and economic justice and great prosperity. After these 1000 years, Satan will be loosed in order to deceive the unbelieving nations into making a final assault against the redeemed. Satan will be destroyed, and the resurrection of the dead unbelievers will occur. Then will come the judgment of all, both believers and unbelievers, and eternity.

Dispensational Premillennialism

Dispensational premillennialism was first taught in Ireland the early 19th century as a reaction against the Church of England's view of Postmillennialim. Dispensationalists usually divide God's dealings with humanity into seven distinct "dispensations", or periods of time during which man's obedience is tested: 

1. Innocence (Gen. 1:28-3:6)
2. Conscience or Moral Responsibility (Gen.4:1-8:14)
3. Human Government (Gen. 8:15-11:32)
4. Promise (Gen. 12:1-Ex. 18:27)
5. The Law (Ex. 19:3-Acts 1:26)
6. The Church (Acts 2:1-Revelation 19)
7. The Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20)

It is said that God promised the Jews an earthly kingdom ruled by the Messiah. When Christ came, He offered this kingdom to the Jews, but they rejected him, so it was postponed. The current age will end with the will end with the "rapture" when all believers will go to heaven to celebrate with Christ "the marriage feast of the Lamb" for seven years. Then God's promised purpose for Israel resumes. During this seven-year period, a number of events will occur on earth (Revelation 6-19):

1. The "tribulation" begins, the latter half of which is called the "great tribulation."
2. The Antichrist begins his cruel reign and in the midst of the seven years he proscribes Jewish worship at the temple.
3. Terrible judgments fall on the earth.
4. A remnant of Israel (the 144,000 of Revelation 7) believes in Jesus as the
5. Messiah and preaches the "Gospel of the Kingdom."
6. Through their witness a multitude of Gentiles is saved (Rev. 7:9).
7. Toward the end, a number of military battles take place leading up to the Battle of Armageddon.

At the end of this seven-year period, dispensationalists teach, Christ (together with the church) returns in glory and destroys His enemies. The vast majority of Jews will be converted. Satan will be bound for 1000 years. Believers who die during the tribulation and Old Testament saints will be raised and join the church in heaven. Christ will judge the living Gentiles (Matt. 25:31-46). The "goats" will be cast into hell. The "sheep": and the believing Jews still living will enter the millennium in their natural bodies. They will marry, reproduce, and die. (The resurrected believers will live in the heavenly Jerusalem hovering above the earthly Jerusalem.) 

The millennium will be a golden age, a time of prosperity and peace, with worship centering around the rebuilt temple. Though at the beginning of the millennium only believers will live on earth, some of their children and grandchildren will not believe in Christ. These unbelievers Satan will gather in one last revolt (Rev. 20:7-9). Toward the end, all believers who die during the millennium will be raised. After Satan's "little season," all the unbelieving dead will then be raised and judged (Rev. 20:11-15). The final stage will now be ushered in, during which period there will remain a distinction between Jews and Gentiles.

Favorite Tweets 2

More (and probably the last I'll post) great tweets:

Favorite Tweets

So, I finally broke down and got a twitter account.  I thought I would put my top 15 favorite so far here. Who knew there was such good (and funny) theology on the interwebs?

 

Different Millennial Views

From the LCMS CTCR 

I thought this was so good, it was worth sharing. Also, it reminded me of a cartoon I saw.

False Teachers

Warnings

1. The Bible is full of warnings to be on guard against false teachers, explaining that they will rise up in the Church (Matthew 7:15, Acts 20:29-31, 2 Peter 2:1)
2. Untaught Christians will twist the scripture and lead others astray (2 Peter 3:16-17)
3. A "little bit" of bad teaching should not be tolerated, as previously described here.
4. False teachings can prevent salvation (Matthew 15:9)
5. Christians will sinfully want false teachers and try to convince others of their false teachings (Colossians 2:8, 2 Timothy 4:3-4)
1. J.W. Baier: “[T]he unity of the Church is disturbed by syncretism, or the religious union of dissenting parties in a brotherly and ecclesiastical fellowship in spite of dissension, so that either the errors in doctrine on the part of the dissentients or at least the erring persons themselves are tolerated within the communion of the Church and the latter are regarded as brethren in Christ and coheirs of eternal life. Either class of tolerance, however, is sinful.”

How do we be on guard against false teachers?

1. You will know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:15-16)
2. Test everything that is taught from all teachers (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22)
3. Test or weigh against scripture to see whether it is compatible with Gods word (Acts 17:11) 
4. Test what they confess about Jesus (1 John 4:1-3)
5. Weight things with he help of other Christians when it gets hard (1 Cor. 14:29)
   

In Galatians 5:7-12, Paul gives six identifying marks that can guide us identify false teachers.

1. They distract Christians from obeying the truth of the gospel (v. 7). 
2. They replace the call of God with their own deceptive persuasiveness (v. 8). 
3. They gain control over the whole church (v. 9). 
4. They cause confusion and discouragement (v. 10).
5. They spread false reports about spiritual leaders. (v.11)
6. They emphasize works that you have to do, such as circumcision (v.12)
1. This sounds harsh, but Paul is saying that if they really want to rely on rituals, they might as well go the whole way and emasculate themselves! Here he is referring to a ritual that actually took place in his day in Galatian pagan temples.

In 2 Peter 2:1-3, Peter gives a great treatise on False teachers.

1. False teachers will arise both outside and inside the church
2. The false teachers bring themselves and their followers to destruction
3. False teachers bring reproach against the true saints
4. False teachers are not always easily spotted, they are very deceptive
5. They can be recognized by their morals and motives
6. They can be recognized by their methods
7. They can be recognized by their message
8. In these latter days, anyone who claims to be a "prophet" is a false teacher.
1. Peters language switches from prophets in early days to teachers in verse 1. The witnesses of Christ (the apostles) were the last to prophecy and when their work was complete, the inspired Bible was complete, so there are no more words from God needed and no more prophets.
2. Anyone claiming to be a prophet should be judged as one, as explained in Deuteronomy 13:1-5 and 18:20-22:

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder spoken of takes place, and the prophet says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. It is the Lord your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him. That prophet or dreamer must be put to death for inciting rebellion against the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. That prophet or dreamer tried to turn you from the way the Lord your God commanded you to follow. You must purge the evil from among you....

But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.” You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.

Also in the Smalcald Articles we read:

“Therefore, we must constantly maintain this point: God does not want to deal with us in any other way than through the spoken Word and the Sacraments. Whatever is praised as from the Spirit—without the Word and Sacraments—is the devil himself.”

Lastly,