The Lutheran Herald The Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDoNA) March 2008 Issue—Feast of the Resurrection Lutheran [email protected] The Feast of the Resurrection by Rt. Rev. James D. Heiser Bishop, The ELDoNA Pastor, Salem Lutheran Church (Malone, TX) e confess in the words of the Nicene teaches that it is for the creation and preservation of Creed: “And the third day He rose faith that the Gospel has been written: “...these are W again according to the Scriptures...” written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, What joy this precious news of the Resurrection the Son of God, and that believing you may have gives to all Christians! We know that it is so, for life in His name.” ( John 20:31) That which we need God’s Holy Word, given by inspiration of the Holy for faith, the Lord has given to us. Spirit through the prophets and apostles, proclaims It should not surprise us that those who it. We believe in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead ‘waffle’ on Christ being the only Way of salvation “according to the Scriptures.” The Christ appeared will begin to ‘waffle’ on the inspiration of Holy Scrip- to His disciples, showed them His hands, His feet, ture, and those who vacillate on the inerrancy of His side, ate in their presence, and He taught them, Holy Scripture, will begin to carve away at the doc- and bestowed His Holy Spirit upon them, sending trine taught in God’s Word. As men have less and them to be His apostles. less confidence in the Word, they have less faith that Anyone who would attack the inerrancy and there is any truth at all. Pilate is not the only one inspiration of Holy Scripture attacks the hope which who asks, “What is truth?” is ours through the Word of God—it really is as Stand fast on the Word of the Lord! Christ, simple as that. God’s Word is unfailingly true, and our Shepherd and Teacher, is risen from the grave, it proclaims the Truth to us, so that by the comfort and He will come again in glory to gather His which the Holy Spirit bestows through the Word, Church to eternal life—God’s Word assures us that we have hope. this is most certainly true. The Third Article of the Nicene Creed also Bishop James D. Heiser acknowledges that the Holy Ghost is the One “Who spake by the Prophets.” Thus we have two crucial affirmation in one short creed: it is God Himself who spake by the Prophets, and we believe in the Resurrection because God’s Holy Word proclaims Contents it. After St. Thomas beheld the Lord and made his Episcopal Polity page 2 confession—“My Lord and my God!”—Jesus said “Who is this ‘god’ of whom you speak?” page 6 Pastor Mueller Installed page 8 to him: “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you Redeemer Lutheran: A New Start page 12 have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen Expanding the Kingdom page 14 and yet have believed.” ( John 20:28–29) St. John Who is the One True God page 15 –1– Episcopal Polity in Historic Lutheranism Rev. John Rutowicz Pastor, St. Boniface Evangelical Lutheran Church Niles, Michigan divinely established office of the ministry; it is likely to Presented at the 2008 lead us too far astray. I assume that all here agree that an Winter Confessional Lutheran office of the ministry is established in the scriptures, and Free Conference that our confession of that is first found in articles five 31 January 2008 and fourteen of the Augustana. (If I am wrong in that In Burnsville, Minnesota assumption I’m sure you’ll let me know soon). Perhaps fewer here would agree with us in the y intention with this paper is to make a rea- ELDoNA that “Ordination is not an adiaphoron. It is part Msonable defense of Episcopal polity in the of a right understanding of a proper call.”1 We would cite Lutheran Church from a doctrinal and historical The Treatise, paragraph 65, where it says; “it is manifest that standpoint. I do not intend to convince everyone of the value ordination administered by a pastor in his own church 2 and merit of Episcopal polity. Some people will disagree is valid by divine right.” But even though we might dis- no matter what I say and that is, of course, their pre- agree about some things, I’m sure we can agree in prin- rogative. I wish them God’s blessings as they try to be ciple to a commitment to the Lutheran Confessions. faithful to their calling in Christ. My modest goal is to So, let’s focus more specifically on polity in the show that Episcopal polity is highly defensible from our Confessions, and see what the Confessions say about doctrinal sources and from our history. And while I be- episcopacy. In the Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Philip lieve it is the preferred polity for the Lutheran Church Melanchthon (with Luther’s approval) expressed a very (and I will argue from that perspective), it is by no means definite opinion with regard to episcopacy. He said, “On necessary to the existence of the church. I believe Epis- this matter [church order] we have given frequent testi- copal polity is a very important issue but it is, ultimately, mony in the assembly to our deep desire to maintain the an adiaphoron. And I make this point because I realize church polity and various ranks of the ecclesiastical hi- that in a Synodical Conference culture that most of us erarchy, although they were created by human have come from, episcopal polity is a little bit of a for- authority.....Thus the cruelty of the bishops is the rea- eign idea. I know that many may never be comfortable son for the abolition of canonical government in some enough with such a polity to join one, but that may not places, despite our earnest desire to keep it.... Further- be necessary. The ministerium of the Evangelical Luth- more, we want at this point to declare our willingness to eran Diocese of North America are united in their under- keep the ecclesiastical and canonical polity, provided that standing that polity is not divisive of fellowship. Church the bishops stop raging against our churches. This bodies may be separate organizations and yet have full willingness will be our defense, both before God and fellowship with each other. The ELDoNA can easily see among all nations, present and future, against the charge 3 itself in fellowship with church bodies that are not epis- that we have undermined the authority of the bishops.” copally ordered. So, we are here with all of you, at this When Melanchthon says that the Lutherans desire to conference, to explore what fellowship possibilities ex- keep the polity and hierarchy of the church, he is refer- ist. Let us all hope and pray for unity among those of a ring to the only polity and hierarchy which existed at confessional mind so that our great Confession may con- that time: the Catholic polity and hierarchy. tinue in this land. Melanchthon was, of course, trying to find as much ground for agreement as possible. These were not Polity in the Lutheran Confessions thoughtless comments on Melanchthon’s part. I’ll not touch all that much upon the issue of a Melanchthon spent a good deal of time considering his –2– response to the Roman theologians of the Confutation. It peace and general unity among Christians who are now should be remembered that the Roman theologians of under him and may be in the future.”5 Lutherans cer- the Confutation of the Augsburg Confession agreed with ar- tainly did not make an issue out of polity. ticle fourteen. They found nothing in the words of the But beyond the fact that polity is an adiaphoron, article to disagree with. They simply inserted their con- article fourteen of the Apology gives us a good argument cern for canonical polity, and said they agreed with ar- for preferring episcopal polity to other polities. Once ticle fourteen so long as canonical polity was upheld. It again, to be clear, article fourteen makes no law requir- should also be remembered that the Lutherans, when ing episcopal polity— but does not the “deep desire,” and considering their reply to the Confutation, were denied a the “earnest desire” of the writer of the Apology have sig- copy of it in order to frame their Apology. However, nificant weight when determining our desires on the sub- Melanchthon remembered very well the objections of ject? Not only is this the private desire of Melanchthon the Confutation because “for three months he represented or Luther (and it is), but it is also the “deep desire” ex- the Lutherans on a large committee appointed by the pressed as part of our church’s confessions. These phrases emperor to consider the possibility of a doctrinal agree- could have been removed before subscription if they ment between the two sides.”4 Melanchthon was trying caused discomfort to the Lutheran fathers. They were to eliminate any unnecessary divisions between the not removed. Of course, as events progressed in the Ger- Lutherans and Rome. In the Apology he makes it clear man lands, a continuation of the then current episco- that he has no problem with canonical polity itself (in pacy proved impossible. The vast majority of the exist- fact, he wants to maintain it), but complains that the ing German bishops remained in communion with the Roman authorities are making it impossible.