Currents in Theology and Mission

October 2012 Volume 39 Number 5

Faith Active in Love

CURRENTS in Theology and Mission Currents in Theology and Mission Published by Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in cooperation with Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary Wartburg Theological Seminary

Editors: Kathleen D. Billman, Kurt K. Hendel, Craig L. Nessan Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and Wartburg Theological Seminary [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Assistant Editor: Ann Rezny [email protected] Copy Editor: Connie Sletto Editor of Preaching Helps: Craig A. Satterlee Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago [email protected] Editors of Book Reviews: Ralph W. Klein (Old Testament) Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (773-256-0773) [email protected] Edgar M. Krentz (New Testament) Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (773-256-0752) [email protected] Craig L. Nessan (history, theology, ethics and ministry) Wartburg Theological Seminary (563-589-0207) [email protected] Circulation Office: 773-256-0751 [email protected] Editorial Board: Michael Aune (PLTS), James Erdman (WTS), Robert Kugler (PLTS), Jensen Seyenkulo (LSTC), Kristine Stache (WTS), Vítor Westhelle (LSTC). CURRENTS IN THEOLOGY AND MISSION (ISSN: 0098-2113) is published bimonthly (every other month), February, April, June, August, October, December. Annual subscription rate: $24.00 in the U.S.A., $28.00 elsewhere. Two-year rate: $44.00 in the U.S.A., $52.00 elsewhere. Three-year rate: $60.00 in the U.S.A., $72.00 elsewhere. Many back issues are available for $5.00, postage included. Published by Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, a nonprofit organization, 1100 East 55th Street, Chicago, Illinois 60615, to which all business correspondence is to be addressed. Printed in U.S.A. CURRENTS is indexed in ATLA Religion Database, Elenchus, IZBW, NTA, OTA, Religion Index I (formerly IRPL), Religious and Theological Abstracts, and Theologische Literaturzeitung. MICROFORM AVAILABILITY: 16mm microfilm, 35mm microfilm, 105mm microfiche, and article copies are available through NA Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 998, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Unless otherwise noted scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA and used by permission. All rights reserved. Contents

Faith Active in Love Kurt K. Hendel 346 A Paper-Match Epiphany Sidney Flack 348 According to the Gospel Paul J. Seastrand 352 Divergences in an Expansive Discipline: How Should We Study Christian Ethics? Jane Hicks 359 Competing Contemporary Lutheran Study Bibles Ralph W. Klein 368 Whatever Became of Carl Braaten? Selective Critical Reflections on Carl E. Braaten’s Because of Christ: Memoirs of a Lutheran Theologian Gary M. Simpson 374 Book Reviews 386 Reprint: The Suffering Reality of the Oppressed inGod—The World’s Future and its Implications for Dalit Theology Moses Penumaka 415

Preaching Helps Preaching and Prayer Craig A. Satterlee 403 First Sunday of Advent—Third Sunday after the Epiphany Seth Moland-Kovash 405 Faith Active in Love

In 1520, Martin Luther published one of his most important and influential treatises, “Freedom of a Christian.” In this incisive work, the Reformer sum- marizes his vision of the Christian life by explicating the freedom that people of faith enjoy because of the “happy exchange” that is Christ’s gift to them. He also clarifies the servant vocation that is theirs because of this gift of freedom. By emphasizing the principle of faith active in love, Luther advocates a personal and communal faith ethic that is radically altruistic and emulates the profound love of God for God’s people and the whole creation. The Reformer insists that Christ, faith, and the gospel shape all aspects of the Christian life. The articles in the October 2012 issue of Currents in Theology and Mission illustrate how Luther’s evangelical ethical perspective might be implemented within and even beyond the Christian community as people of faith make crucial ethical decisions. Having experienced what he describes as an “epiphany” while reading David R. Weiss’ To the Tune of a Welcoming God, Sidney Flack shares a more expansive understanding of the practices of welcome and judgment within the contemporary church. He does so by proposing a reading of Genesis 3, which suggests that “misappropriated judgment” may be the cause of broken relationships in general and of the church’s difficulty in welcoming the LGBTQI community specifically. Rather than exercising such judgment, he suggests that the church practice “merciful welcome” that emulates God’s gracious dealings with God’s people and sets judgment aside. Paul Seastrand’s essay is inspired by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s decision-making processes that culminated in the ministry policies adopted by the 2009 Assembly of the ELCA. He maintains that this decision was made apart from the church’s confessional claim that the gospel is the interpretative key and norm for the church’s life and practice. He, therefore, re- iterates this confessional claim and proposes how the gospel can be the basis for the important task of providing evangelical foundation for the ministry policies affirmed in 2009. Jane Hicks offers keen insights into the contemporary ecumenical discipline of Christian ethics as she explores the academic study of Christian ethics during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries and proposes that a gradual shift has occurred from viewing the ethical discipline primarily as “re- flection upon moral debate” to envisioning it as a stimulant of moral behavior and social action. That shift has resulted particularly because of the contribu- tions to the discipline by women and people of color. Hicks also analyzes three contemporary “styles” of doing ethics, namely, comparative religious ethics, character or virtue ethics, and liberationist ethics. She then proposes advocacy, interdisciplinarity, and publicity as three “touchstones” for studying Christian ethics in seminaries and divinity schools and suggests that these touchstones will provide crucial ethical perspectives as the Christian community assumes a confessional stance when it addresses the challenges of the contemporary world. This issue of Currents also includes two major book review essays. Ralph W. Klein offers a comparative analysis of two Lutheran study Bibles published in 2009, the ELCA’s Lutheran Study Bible and The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s The Lutheran Study Bible. He notes both similarities and differences between the two Bibles and evaluates the strengths and shortcomings of each. The theological and methodological differences are especially striking, according to Klein. As he illustrates those differences, he also provides his own interpretative and evaluative comments. Gary M. Simpson’s thoughtful review of Carl E. Braaten’s autobiography, Because of Christ: Memoirs of a Lutheran Theologian, provides keen insights into the man and the theologian. Simpson examines Braaten’s understanding of his vocation as a Lutheran theologian, discusses particular Braaten traits, surveys his career path, and evaluates Braaten’s impact on others. As he develops each area, he argues the thesis that there are two Braatens, namely, “Carl-the- treatiser” and “Carl-the-tractator.” Simpson believes that this dual perspective provides keen insights into the man and his writings. The necessary and creative interplay between God’s radical good news and ethics permeates the October issue of Currents. It is our hope that the divine assurance that people of faith have been freed by Christ through the gift of faith will continue to shape our readers’ relationships with God, with fellow human beings, and with the whole creation. After all, when faith is active in love God’s vision for the creation becomes more and more a reality.

Kurt K. Hendel Editor A Paper-Match Epiphany

Sidney Flack Pastor, The Lutheran Church of the Prince of Peace, Tulsa, Oklahoma

I know that a little paper match burning in straight but that he is an advocate and ally a small enough box can look like a blazing of the gay community. This is where I find bonfire, but I really did have an epiphany. myself also, but my stance has never been A while back I nibbled away at a col- so well defined as Weiss’. lection of essays and poems by David R. My little fire sparked while I read essay Weiss.1 I received my copy as a gift, but the number 22, “Holding Our Breath in the book can be purchased directly from Weiss Face of Hate: Reading the Bible ‘Word by at his website, www.davidrweiss.com. Word’ in the Spirit of Christ” (October Some people will find Weiss far too 12, 2004, pp. 95–105). This was a pre- liberal for their thinking. Some may actu- sentation he gave to St. Francis Cabrini ally find he is not liberal enough. I find Catholic Church in Minneapolis. They him to be evangelical in every Lutheran were celebrating their tenth anniversary as sense, but I think he would just call himself a Welcoming parish, which is something a child of God. like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in In the introduction of his book, Weiss America’s Reconciling in Christ congrega- says this about his writing: “I write as a tions who openly welcome all individuals theologian and a poet, a person trained regardless of a variety of issues, including to think about God with discipline, and a age, race, disabilities, sexual orientation, person driven to imagine God with vivid or gender identification. words and unexpected images.” (3) Even Because the congregation had asked though Weiss repeatedly professes not to him to do so, Weiss reluctantly addressed 2 be a biblical scholar, I find that he does just the six specific texts that are nearly always what he says with scholarly and biblical used to condemn homosexuality, often abandon. with verbal violence if not outright physi- As might be surmised from the prose- cal harm. Even though many people of length title, this book is a collection of faith have never lifted a finger toward a Weiss’ writings in advocacy of welcome gay person on account of these texts, “it for the LGBTQI community within the is undeniable that the violence that does church, especially of those whom the get perpetuated against this community church has scared off. The production of almost always understands itself as legiti- the writings within the collection begins in mated in some way by these texts. They 1994. He makes it clear that he is himself drip with blood whether they were meant to or not. And like a vicious dog that has 1. David R. Weiss, To The Tune Of A a habit of getting out and terrorizing the Welcoming God: Lyric Reflections on Sexual- neighborhood, because these texts belong to ity, Spirituality, and the Wideness of God’s us—to the church—we do bear a share of Welcome—in the Hope That The Church Will Sing Along (Minneapolis: Langdon Press, 2. Genesis 19; Lev 18:22; 20:13; Rom 2008). Hereafter referred to as Weiss. 1:26–27; 1 Cor 6:9; 1 Tim 1:10.

Currents in Theology and Mission 39:5 (October 2012) Flack. A Paper-Match Epiphany

349 responsibility for the havoc they create when But Weiss has better insight here than they get loose in our neighborhoods.”3 I. He finds the story of the Fall to be the From there Weiss explores the texts story of misappropriated judgment (my with sufficient detail to demonstrate his label) that ultimately destroys relation- respect for them without neglecting their ships. To know the difference between importance. However, he addresses them good and evil is to exercise judgment in a manner that reclaims them, not by against God’s own better judgment5 and refuting what they may or may not say, to form opinions of morality that fail to but in the same manner by which people protect good relationships but expel them of faith claim every other passage of just as God expelled the first people from the Scripture whether dear to their hearts (a Garden. Such an assumed right to judge person is justified by grace through the faith ends in breaking the very relationships it of Jesus Christ—Gal 2:16) or an offense wishes to protect—with other human be- to their ears (a person is justified by works ings and, ultimately, with God. To choose and not by faith alone—James 2:24); by life would have been to choose mercy. In acknowledging them; by struggling with choosing to know good and evil, Adam them in their own context before trying and Eve aspired to be like God, passing to hear them in our own; by recognizing judgment over one another, instead of that not all of Scripture holds the same choosing life with God wherein mercy weight in light of the cross; and then by is learned. In the end they saw only that moving on, daring to sin bravely because they were inadequate to their aspirations of Christ’s forgiving grace. (they were naked) and found they must And that is just the first third of the hide themselves from one another and essay. It is in the second third4 that I had from God in the shadows of brokenness. my paper-match epiphany. Here Weiss brings in another text not usually associated with this conversation. s not their However, it provided me with so great an Ah-ha! moment that I found myself rampage of rethinking a number of things over the I course of a few days. judgment the source The text was that part of Genesis 3 concerning the tree from which Adam and of the divisions Eve chose to eat—the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I fully admit that all among them? the inadequate thinking on this text ever thought may well have been my own and that I have been stuck in simplistic mental- Here is where the light came on. Is ity of “right from wrong” concerning it. I this not the exact same case with nearly all particularly never understood the nakedness the people-problems faced by Scripture? part except that these two plucked and ate Is this not the problem Paul sifts through and could suddenly, magically see they were in 1 Corinthians? Were the Corinthians both “nnNECK-ed!” (It’s phonetic.) not breaking relationship with each other by passing judgment? Did not those who 3. Weiss, 96 (emphasis original). 4. Weiss, 100ff. 5. Weiss, 101. Flack. A Paper-Match Epiphany

350 thought themselves rich look with disdain we are not exercising misappropriated upon those they thought to be poor to the judgment when we read Romans 1 and extent that they excluded them, expelled 2 as an inventory of the offenses of oth- them, from table fellowship? Is not their ers and not a catchall indictment from rampage of judgment the source of the which we cannot ourselves escape. Except divisions among them? now, in a way completely separate from Is this not what the Spirit went to the Law, God’s own justice has been correct by means of a welcoming bender uncovered by the faithfulness of Jesus in Acts: from splashing life upon the Christ for all those to whom it has been Ethiopian eunuch to relieving Saul, the given. We are all in the same boat, after terrorist from Tarsus, of his blindness and all. So, who are we to judge?7 transforming him into Paul, the Apostle I could go on, and on, and on. Micah, to the Gentiles; from feeding Peter a Isaiah, Luke, Hosea, Esau meeting Jacob lunch of biblically unclean foods now at the Jabbok…and don’t forget poor, extra-biblically declared clean by God judgmental Jonah who just cannot stand to making it Pentecost again, this time it that God is always forgiving those whom in the house of Cornelius the officer of Jonah most despises. Do we not have these the Roman occupation and that right in stories because someone somewhere in our the middle of Peter’s sermon? And was it common history chose judgment instead not for this incident that the apostles in of life? Jerusalem could find no precedent in all The picture that I am seeing is of of Scripture to justify welcoming Gentiles that other tree rooted deeply upon the to the fellowship of grace other than the banks of the River of Life, with its fruit evidence that the same Spirit that they for every season and whose leaves promise had themselves received was now given healing to the nations. It is on the basis of to them? biblical texts that nudge history toward Or what of the debate Jesus had with the merciful healing of misappropriated the Pharisees in Matthew 12 over Sabbath judgment such as ours, that we may at Law? Honestly, Jesus could have waited last come to embrace for ourselves the until the next day to heal either the man welcome we have, after so long and yet with the withered hand or the blind and so reluctantly, extended to our sisters and mute demoniac. Knowing full well the brothers who are both gay and filled with fit of apoplexy it was going to cause the God’s own Spirit, just like Cornelius and Pharisees, he could have politely asked the his household on that other Pentecost two men to come by the next day so that day and just like Paul’s uncircumcised the interdiction against working on the communities of Gentiles. Sabbath could be kept sacred. But he did Ever since the first people broke the not. He healed them then and there, in skin of the wrong fruit, the desire to judge the middle of the Sabbath, and chastised others has dribbled down our chins like the Pharisees, those experts of the Law intoxicating nectar. And we have all been who were ignorant of grace, saying, “if found naked because of it. However, God you had known what this means, ‘I desire has been at work to heal our relationships. mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not Inasmuch as we welcome our LGBTQI have condemned the guiltless.”6 siblings in faith, we welcome ourselves. And I have often wondered whether Inasmuch as we see that God loves them

6. Matt 12:7. 7. Rom 3:21ff. Flack. A Paper-Match Epiphany

351 not in spite of being gay, but because financial gain and as narrow as what we they are God’s own children created in do or do not do to make it unnecessary God’s own image, we begin to see again for the person on the corner to panhandle that that same God loves us too and for any more. It is just as profound and just the very same reason. When we do, every as cliché as every one of these examples. time we do, a light sparks among us, and But, of course, the answer to our we glimpse God’s hand at work in us to problem is as old and consistent as the first heal our broken relationships, with each sacrifice God made to cover our nakedness. other, and with God. The answer is merciful welcome. God Yet, the implications go farther than welcomes us not despite our nakedness that. They must go farther than that. They but because of it. God has mercy upon us, must reach deep into our present day and covers us up, and welcomes us into God’s our very public lives. What is at the root broad love. God may punish us and expel of all the animosity we face today? What us from Eden. After all, the authority to drives us to look with disdain upon one judge belongs to God. But God goes with another here, curling our lips at Demo- us. God is merciful even while punishing crats, Republicans, and Tea Partiers alike? us. God travels before us into the wilder- Is it not our deep-seated drive to judge ness, leads us in God’s shadow through others, not just in our social arena of the the heat of day, warms us with holy fire United States, but also in the world at in the cold of night, and tents with us all large? What is it that makes us fear the through our journey. proximity of Muslims and Muslim-looking Finally, and most importantly, in the people among us or on our TV screens? Is end God sets judgment aside. In place of it not fear stoked in the fuel of judgment? judging, God lifts God’s own incarnate What is the motivation that has spurned arms and stretches them wide upon the us on to attempt to erect a fence along cross, wide enough to die for us. God folds our southern boarder but not along our our brokenness into the grave and then northern one? It certainly is not the rea- reaches out to mercifully welcome all of son to which we give voice, namely, that us into resurrected new life. Perhaps there whether legal or illegal, “we’ve been having every paper-match epiphany will roar into trouble with immigrants in this country flames of welcoming joy for all. Perhaps, ever since we got here.” And it is not the at last, there we will see how God lifts the illicit commerce of guns and drugs. It is burden of judging off of our shoulders too our sellers who profit from the trade and and sets it aside. Perhaps there we will know our ravenous appetites that are filled by fully the mercy we have received and how such products. Is it not rather because the to be merciful ourselves. Perhaps then we peoples to our south are more obviously will learn how to welcome one another different from us and thus much easier to because we know and believe that we are judge for those differences? welcomed too. This problem is as endemic as our Perhaps. Just perhaps we can even financial philosophies and as everyday as learn that lesson today and live in the whether we are against abortion, for any promise of resurrection joy with one reason, or support the right of a woman to another now. prayerfully choose to abort her pregnancy under the council of her physician. It is as broad as how we sully the earth for According to the Gospel

Paul J. Seastrand Pastor, Zion Lutheran Church, Lewistown, Montana

Discerning the Present Age ordain individuals who are openly gay and partnered. On the basis of the Bible, how Discerning how to think and act as did you arrive at this? What role was demon- Christians in the present age begins with strated by the authority of the gospel? In my the gospel. Paul’s announcement to Titus understanding of Lutherans, the authority that “the grace of God has appeared to all of the word of God is the test of all teaching bringing salvation,” expressed an entirely and practice. Did you make such a case for new evangelical understanding of “the your policies that I can read and share with present age” (Titus 2:11–12). Through- my denomination?” There is no document out the centuries, the work of evangelical adopted by the ELCA that makes an explicit discernment has tested the mind and the evangelical case for the policies that were ad- unity of the church. opted. The opportunity to share the ELCA’s The Ministry Policies adopted at the evangelical and scriptural commitments on 2009 Evangelical Lutheran Church in the matters of homosexual partnerships and America’s Churchwide Assembly, allowing ministry was forfeited. congregations to recognize same-gender How did this happen? In part, it was partnerships and to extend rostered leader- the insistence of many to “get it done” ship to individuals in these partnerships, regardless of the fallout. In part, it was exemplify this challenge. Many clergy yielding to growing cultural momentum and laity who protested these actions left that “this is the right thing to do.” It also the ELCA to join Lutheran Churches in happened because the emotional, ecclesial, Mission to Christ or the North American and theological difficulties wore people Lutheran Church. On its face, this crisis down, with the result that those “for” and manifested different attitudes toward those “against” the Ministry Policies took homosexuality, but the underlying crisis positions based on law more than gospel. was confusion about the authority of the Those “against” took their stand on the gospel. The policies were adopted apart moral consensus of the “great tradition,” from, not along with, a grounding biblical while those “for” took their stand on an and evangelical teaching statement. In emerging social ethic of inclusive and af- lieu of gospel-centered scriptural exegesis, firming love. The distance between them notions of “bound consciences” and “ir- would not be bridged by new discernment reconcilable differences” placed this church of evangelical teaching because no new into contention not only with its members evangelical teaching was brought forth. but with its own professed identity. Luther’s Preface to The Large Cat- Consider this scenario. A Roman echism of 1529 warns against neglect of Catholic or a Baptist approaches an ELCA evangelical teaching: “Oh, what mad, Lutheran with this observation: “Your senseless fools we are! We must ever live church has approved homosexual partner- and dwell in the midst of such mighty ships and the right of a congregation to enemies like the devils, and yet we would

Currents in Theology and Mission 39:5 (October 2012) Seastrand. According to the Gospel

353 despise our weapons and armor, too lazy to of the Apology, the gospel is “as Paul says examine them or give them a thought!”1 [1 Cor 3:12], ‘the foundation,’ that is, The policies adopted were driven forward the true knowledge of Christ and faith.” 2 by well-meaning pleas of compassion and This makes the gospel far more than justice that finally side-stepped the es- an example of Christian literature or sential task of joining them to evangelical even inspired writing. Its “evangelical” interpretation of scripture and tradition. authority is divine and biblical, personal To say that division in the ELCA and doctrinal. In addition, its authority would have occurred with or without is centrifugal, moving from the center evangelical foundation for the adopted to the whole and all its parts, touching policies is not the point. To say that many on every major Christian teaching from biblical studies of homosexuality have God, Creation, Sin and Grace to Church, already been undertaken by this church is Ministry and Ethics. not the point. The point is that our ELCA A simple but profound feature of Constitution (Chapter 2) commits this the gospel is that it conveys, from God’s side, the promise of forgiveness, life, and church to the gospel. The point is that 3 the Lutheran Confessions instruct us to salvation. The appropriate response from speak as one through the gospel of what the human side is simply to believe the “we believe, teach and confess.” The point gospel. Just believing, however, would is that we owe gospel fidelity to the Lord not save unless the word of the gospel is of the church. itself joined to the Living Word of Christ himself. God gives the gospel and through The Unique Authority of it gives himself. The gospel story, the word of promise, Jesus Christ, and the Holy the Gospel Spirit are organically and dramatically Lutheranism is older than Martin Luther, joined together in “the gospel.” for he recovered from abuse and confusion The essential meaning of the gospel is the gospel that was there from the begin- found in the term “justification,” whereby ning. The stories of Jesus written by the four God declares, not the condemnation of evangelists were called “Gospels.” These sinners according to the law, but their jus- Gospels, are more than stories, however, tification according to the gospel of God’s for they proclaim the unique, saving “good grace shown in Jesus Christ apart from the news” of Jesus: “The time is fulfilled, and law. This is the core content of the gospel: the kingdom of God has come near; repent, “For by grace you have been saved through and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). faith, and this is not your own doing, it is As Paul methodically works this out, the the gift of God” (Eph 2:8). In the language gospel itself is the power by which God of The Augsburg Confession: “it is taught that stirs up trust, draws us into fellowship, and we cannot obtain forgiveness of sin and bestows assurance of salvation: “it is the righteousness before God through our own power of God for salvation to everyone merit, work, or satisfactions, but that we who has faith” (Rom 1:16). What other receive forgiveness of sin and become righ- story can perform this role?! In the words 2. Ibid., Apology of the Augsburg Confes- 1. The Large Catechism, Martin Luther’s sion, VII and VIII: The Church, 177. Preface, in The Book of Concord, eds. Robert 3. See Rom 1:1–2; 4:13–27; Gal Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert (Minneapolis: 3:21–22; Heb 10:19–23; also The Large Fortress Press, 2000), 382. Catechism, IV: Justification, 120–130. Seastrand. According to the Gospel

354 teous before God out of grace for Christ’s structive” principle that Christ alone gives sake through faith when we believe that true knowledge of God and real deliverance Christ has suffered for us and that for his from sin, evil, and death. Justification defines sake our sin is forgiven and righteousness the ultimate norming power of the gospel. and eternal life are given to us.”4 Another feature of the gospel in Lu- The authoritative role exercised by theran teaching is that human beings have justification is enormous. It is on account only to trust and receive the promised gift of of Christ’s justifying work that the church salvation from the Giver—and even that is confesses the authority of the Bible—the a gift! God chooses us and gives us salvation norma normans non normata (“norming by the Holy Spirit and saves us because of norm that needs no norm”). In Justus the faith given us that enables us to believe. Jonas’ translation of the Apology, justifi- This is echoed in Luther’s explanation to cation “is especially useful for the clear, the third article of the Apostles’ Creed: “I correct understanding of the entire Holy believe that by my own understanding or Scriptures, and alone shows the way to the strength I cannot believe in Jesus Christ my unspeakable treasure and right knowledge Lord or come to him, but instead the Holy of Christ, and alone opens the door to the Spirit has called me through the gospel….”7 entire Bible.”5 Luther warned that in the The gospeldoes what it says because doctrine of justification “are included all God works through the gospel to deliver the other doctrines of our faith; and if it what God promises: “For through the is sound, all the others are sound as well.”6 Word and the sacraments as through Despite the fact that justification has instruments the Holy Spirit is given, who not achieved high doctrinal formulation effects faith where and when it pleases God across the church and that even Lutherans in those who hear the gospel.”8 Trusting will neglect it as a constructive doctrinal the gospel is trusting God whereby one principle, it remains what many have called receives salvation along with God himself. “the doctrine by which the church stands or Against a merely Platonic version of this falls.” Justification is the heart of the gospel, action, Philip Melanchthon asserts that the hermeneutical key to the scriptures, the “the gospel brings not the shadow of eternal essential witness of the Confessions, and the things but the eternal blessings themselves, centermost principle of church authority. the Holy Spirit and the righteousness by Exegetically and existentially, justification which we are righteous before God.”9 says “how” God saves, frees, and renews Since the gift of saving faith comes God’s people and God’s church. Because of from God as through “means” (Article 5, justification, the gospel embodies a “correc- The Augsburg Confession), then certainty tive” principle that denies the salvific claims of salvation is left to God and not our of any human law, contrivance, ideology, own devices (e.g., guarantees of spiritual or ideal other than the gospel; because of experience, biblical inerrancy, teaching justification the gospel embodies the “con- infallibility, etc.). This very objectivity

4. Ibid., The Augsburg Confession, IV, 7. The Small Catechism, The Creed, in Concerning Justification, 38–40. The Book of Concord, 355. 5. Ibid., Apology of the Augsburg Confes- 8. Ibid., The Augsburg Confession, V. sion, IV: Justification, fn. 49, 121. Concerning Ministry in the Church, 41. 6. Luther’s Works, 26, ed. Jaroslav 9. Ibid., Apology of the Augsburg Confes- Pelikan (St. Louis: Concordia, 1963), Lec- sion, Articles VII and VIII, The Church, tures on Galatians, 283. 176. Seastrand. According to the Gospel

355 of the gospel—that it places one’s faith istration of the sacraments.”12 While this outside of oneself—is the source of the evangelical principle of church unity has believers’ grateful and courageous as- paved the way for ELCA full communion surance that salvation rests on God and agreements, it has been a messy process, not on ourselves. With this assurance is for while churches can agree on the gospel, bestowed the evangelical freedom of the they still have disagreements about matters Christian to “sin boldly,” taking risks in of church polity, ministry, ethics, and wor- the spirit of Christ to serve God and the ship. What the Lutheran Confessions call neighbor. As outgrowths of the gospel, “ceremonies” may vary. ELCA members the decisions and doctrines of the church have likewise found that agreeing about the gospel does not lead automatically to should themselves build confidence among agreement on homosexual issues. believers that these teachings soundly rest In principle, it is not necessary for on authority other than human opinion, church unity or for salvation that all Chris- secular fashion, and social experience. tians believe the same about homosexuality, no more than it is necessary for all Christians Teaching “According to the to be in agreement about pacifism, women’s Gospel” ordination, the age of the earth, and the The church “is the assembly of all believers causes of global warming. At the same time, among whom the gospel is purely preached it is satis est reductionism to hold that the and the holy sacraments are administered only matter Christians need to agree upon according to the gospel” (my italics).10 The is justification by grace through faith. What then about belief in the Trinity, or God’s originating and chief authority of the creation of all things, the two natures of church is identified in the words “accord- Christ, the ethic of Christian love, or the ing to the gospel.” The church comes into ministry of the church? When the reform- being through the proclamation of the ers gave witness of their orthodoxy to Holy gospel, and the scriptures, the church, and Roman Emperor Charles V at Augsburg in the Confessions themselves are normed by 1530, they began by professing the ecu- the gospel. In Edmund Schlink’s succinct menical truths of faith, including God in phrase, “In the Gospel, Scripture and three persons (Article 1), sin (Article 2), the Confession have their unity. The Gospel two natures of Christ (Article 3), the office is the norm in both.”11 of ministry (Articles 5 and 14), the real pres- Agreement on the gospel is required ence of Christ in the Lord’s Supper (Article for the unity of the church, attested by the 10), as well as the overarching importance satis est (“it is enough”) clause of Augsburg of justification by grace through faith for Confession, Article 7: “It is enough for the Christ’s sake (Article 4). Observe, however, true unity of the church to agree concerning that such teachings grow organically and the teaching of the gospel and the admin- directly from scripture’s own witness to the wider significance of the gospel story of Jesus Christ. 10. Ibid., The Augsburg Confession, VII, There are teachings in the church 42. that have been folded into orthodox belief 11. Edmund Schlink, Theology of and practice because they were developed the Lutheran Confessions, trans. by Paul F. Koehneke and Herbert J. A. Bouman (Phila- 12. The Augsburg Confession, VII, in delphia: Fortress, 1961), 25. The Book of Concord, 43. Seastrand. According to the Gospel

356 “according to the gospel.” Doctrines are not the condition of our justification, not static but develop from the gospel and justification precedes and informs under the changing conditi