Concordia Theological Monthly
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CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Attitudes Toward the Use of Force and Violence in Thomas Muentzer, Menno Simons, and Martin Luther RALPH L. MOELLERING Brief Studies Homiletics Theological Observer Book Review VOL. XXXI July 1960 No.7 THEOLOGICAL OBSERVER THE NEW NESTLE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT two years from now there will appear a com Professor Kurt Aland of the University of pletely new edition of Nestle's beloved - [uenster, now in charge of the Nestle Greek N ovum T estament1tm Graece. _ .ew Testament publication, in New Testa JOHN THEODORE MUELLER ment Studies (January 1960), whets the THE CHRISTOLOGY OF CHALCEDON appetite of every student of the Greek New Testament by delineating what the 25th edi The Anglican Theological Review (April tion of the Nestle New Testament might be. 1960) discusses under the given heading, hiting under the given heading, he remarks among other articles, the relevance of the Creed of Chalcedon for today. The formula 18.[, though the 24th edition has appeared irh some important changes based on the was directed against four heresies: Arianism, Bodmer Papyri, a reprint of this edition condemned at Nicaea in 325; Apollinarian m.ight become necessary before the 25th edi ism, condemned at Constantinople in 381; cion can be published, perhaps in 1962, when Nestorianism, condemned at Ephesus in 431; • ... e Wuerttembergische Bibela12stalt will cele- and Eutychianism, condemned at Chalcedon 'ate its 150th anniversary. In the 25th edi in 451. Arianism declared that the pre-exist ent Logos was a creature and this pre-existing )n there will be a number of far-reaching langes. Thus the cursive type hitherto used created Person was incarnate as man. Apol· will be replaced by the vertical type now linarianism concerned itself with the union favored in Germany as elsewhere. The exist of humanity and Deity in our Lord, and its ing text revisions will be completely re answer to the problem was that part of our worked. Old Testament citations will be dis Lord's humanity was replaced by Deity. Ac [inguished in some other way, as the heavy cording to N estorianism the man Jesus is type now used makes them too conspicuous. a human person in full communion with the A thorough check is made of the extent of Person of the Divine Logos. Lastly, in Eu each citation. In the margin the number of tychianism our Lord's Deity and His hu references to parallel texts will be cut down manity were confused; His humanity was to those of real importance for academic absorbed into His Deity. The writer calIs study. The apparatus criticus too will show attention to the fact that today the doctrine several changes, as, for example, the omission of the Person of our Lord is again the center in future of all references to Tischendorf, of fundamental controversy, particularly on \)vestcott -nd Hort, and Weiss; for since the the Continent. He says: "We are in the "pparattu crieicuJ in 1927 was enlarged and midst of a great Christological Renaissance based on the manuscripts themselves, such and the doctrine of the Person [of Christ} is references have become ever more super receiving fresh atrention from Barth, Brun fluous for assessing the value of a reading. ner, Bultmann, and a whole host of Thomists, These and other references may, however, be such as Galtier, Parente, and Garrigou included in a special appendix to enable the Lagrange. .. Chalcedon is still with us, and smdent or critic to learn what reading is sup its problems are still ours. We too are puz· ported by other editions. According to the zled by the problems of what is human learned editor, the work on the 25th edition nature, what is divine nature, and what is is well under way, and there is hope that in personality, human and divine. We too are 439 440 OBSERVER again considering substance. Can it be that ing of the LWF Commission on World Mis the ancient Christology has more relevance sion. The commission is to meet Aug. 28 to for today than we formerly believed?" The Sept. 3 at Bukoba, Tanganyika. author's question must definitely be answered Federation officials express hope that the in the affirmative. The Christology of Cha1ce station will begin broadcasting on Christmas don merits constant careful consideration as Day 1961. that of Scripture and the Christian Confes- Geneva. - Two Executive Committee sions. JOHN THEODORE MUELLER members of the Lutheran Wodd Federation are recovering from recently suffered heart BRIEF ITEMS FROM LUTHERAN SOURCES attacks, according to news received at LWF Geneva. - "Voice of the Gospel" is the headquarters here. name the Lutheran World Federation will operate its African radio station by, Dr. They are retired Bishop Ordass of Buda Sigurd Aske, director of the service, disclosed pest, former head of the Hungarian Lutheran Church, and Dr. Osmo Tiililii, professor of at LWF headquarters here. systematic theology at the University of Hel He said also that the federation's projected sinki. station will be located in or near Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia. Professor Tiililii was stricken on March 23 while attending the committee's meeting in Dr. Aske reported decisions on these mat Porto Alegre, Brazil, and interned in a local ters on returning here from negotiations with hospital in serious condition. the Ethiopian government concerning the LWF's charter to broadcast in that country. Bishop Ordass, who is first vice-president While operating under the name "Voice of the federation, suffered a heart infarct in of the Gospel," the station will be authorized mid· February, according to word received to use in its broadcasts the call letters "L WF" here late in March. By that time he was re and "such other designations as (the federa ported well on the road to recovery. tion) may elect," Dr. Aske said. Minneapolis, Minn. - Three church Respecting the station site he said that four bodies became one when The American Lu locations in the vicinity of Addis Ababa are theran Church was formally organized here now under consideration. on Friday morning, April 22, to climax more The final selection will depend on the out than a decade of merger negotiations. come of technical studies now being con The historic event joined together the ducted by the Rev. Allan G. Thompson, Evangelical, American, and United Evangeli administrative director of the broadcasting cal Lutheran churches in a denomination of service. more than 2,258,000 members-the third The LWF Executive Committee, at its largest Lutheran body and one of the 10 March meeting in Porto Alegre, Brazil, ex largest Protestant bodies in America. pressed satisfaction with the favorable and It was the first major merger of Lutheran rapid way in which the radio project of the bodies since 1930 and only the third in this Department of World Mission has progressed country in the 20th century. All three of the in recent months. uniting churches were themselves the product Also at Porto Alegre, the director of the of merger, the ALC in 1930, the ELC in department, Dr. Arne Sovik, informed the 1917, and the UELC in 1896. Executive Committee that the board of direc It was also the first major union of Lu tors for the broadcasting service would be theran bodies crossing lines of national constituted in connection with the next meet- origins, the ELC being of Norwegian, the OBSERVER 441 ALC of German, and the UELC of Danish Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding heritage. abundantly above all that we ask or think, Amid fiying banners, lusty hymn singing, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ and tense antlclpation, 1,000 delegates Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. marched in slow procession from Central Lu Amen. theran Church, after a communion service there, to the Minneapolis Auditorium a block After a litany and the Lord's Prayer an away. estimated 7,000 persons filling the audi As presiding officer, Dr. William Larsen, torium to near capacity raised their voices president of the UELC, and chairman of the in Luther's "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God." Joint Union Committee for the three-way Again, in quick succession, the delegates merger, called the constituting convention to adopted the constitution, by-laws, and articles order. of incorporation and ratified articles of union In quick succession the delegates adopted - and the merger into The American Lu an agenda, appointed convention committees, theran Church was completed. and accepted the certifications of the presi The first session of the convention con dents of the three merging bodies, which cluded with the election of Dr. Schiotz as transferred the resources of their churches to president of the new church, and the second the new church. opened with the election of Dr. Norman Then came the moving "Ceremony of A. Menter as vice-president and Dr. Larsen Joining Hands," conducted by Dr. Lawrence as secretary. Dr. Menter is president of the S. Price of Fremont, Ohio, the convention ALC's Michigan District and the National chaplain. Standing before an improvised Lutheran Council. altar, over which hung a banner proclaiming Also named were six representatives at the convention's theme - "Thine Be the large, three lay and three clergy, to six-year Glory" - he intoned: terms on the 46-member church council. The Forasmuch as the delegates of the American council- responsible for the leadership and Lutheran Church, the Evangelical Lutheran supervision of the church in spiritual mat Church, and the United Evangelical Lutheran ters - will include the president and vice Church in convention assembled this twenty second day of April, in the year of our Lord, president of the church, the presidents of its nineteen hundred and sixty, have covenanted 19 districts, and a layman from each district.