The doctrines of Church and Ministry are a major focus for the leaders and teachers of the LC-MS today.  Towards this, President Matthew Harrison put a massive effort into his 2012 re-translation of Walther's Kirche und Amt book, Church and Office, promoting the notion that his theology is the same as C. F. W. Walther's. (I have blogged before on this 4 years ago.) Harrison brought in his "sainted teacher, the Rev. Dr. Kurt Marquart" to support his own assertions. The scholarship that went into this book is striking, citing many sources and resour ..read more

      Sometimes one discovers something that previously stared them in the face, but went unrecognized. That was the case while re-reading my series "The 'Carrying' of Melanchthon on the Part of Luther" a year ago. In Part 3 of that series Walther quoted Melanchthon, saying that the quote came from "a particularly splendid confession of Melanchthon in the testament which he wrote in 1539 in a premonition of death." In the language of Melanchthon, Latin, he wrote in his Testimony:  "Ago autem gratias Reverendo D. Doctori Martino Luthero, primum, quia ab ipso Evangelium did ..read more

      This concludes from Part 13 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series presenting Pastor's Hochstetter's critique of an 1881 German pamphlet on the Old Missouri Synod. — This completes a listing of the criticisms from Germany, starting with the major one on the Antichrist, against the Missourians by Pastor Rudolf Hoffmann. These are covered in Hoffmann pp. 28-29. What follows are quotes from Hoffmann, then my in-line critiques. The final grouping is under the umbrella of the theologians of "Lutheran Orthodoxy":  Antichrist: Hoffmann: “Just listen to t ..read more

      This continues from Part 12 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series presenting Pastor's Hochstetter's critique of an 1881 German pamphlet on the Old Missouri Synod. — This segment does not contain Hochstetter's critique because he did not cover these points. That could be because he spent so much space on the doctrine of the Church and Church Government.  Or it could be because he was not given enough space to fully address all the points made by Hoffmann. Whatever the reason, the following criticisms were leveled against the Missourians, and therefore call for a re ..read more

   This continues from Part 11 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series presenting Pastor's Hochstetter's critique of an 1881 German pamphlet on the Old Missouri Synod. — We saw in the last segment that Pastor Hoffmann was "grabbing at straws" by attempting to quote Walther against Walther. Hochstetter untangles that web of a misquote and uses it for the instruction of his readers. Then the focus turns to the Missouri Synod itself, and its still living teacher, C. F. W. Walther. — From Lehre und Wehre, vol. 28 (Feb. 1882), pp. 81-82 [EN]:  ..read more

   This continues from Part 10 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series presenting Pastor's Hochstetter's critique of an 1881 German pamphlet on the Old Missouri Synod. — Hochstetter lays bare the corrupted teaching within the United Church, and so encourages Christians to take their doctrine, what they are to believe, from Holy Scripture itself. When scholars give long-winded narratives with little reference to the Bible, that is a sure sign to beware, and go back to the proof texts to assure oneself of the Truth. — From Lehre und Wehre, vol. 28 (Feb. 1882), pp. 79-81&nb ..read more

   This continues from Part 9 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series presenting Pastor's Hochstetter's critique of an 1881 German pamphlet on the Old Missouri Synod. — In this segment Hochstetter reveals the way that Hoffman, while he compliments ("Yes") Walther or the Missouri Synod, actually intends to criticize ("No") its core doctrines. And one such criticism gives Hochstetter the opportunity to offer one of the most memorable defenses of Walther that I have ever read. I quoted that at the beginning of my blog series presenting Hochstetter's History of the Missouri Synod ..read more

   This continues from Part 8 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series presenting Pastor's Hochstetter's critique of an 1881 German pamphlet on the Old Missouri Synod. — Hochstetter now digs deep into the aspects of the State Church and how it went from being a guardian to a policeman. And this is what Pastor Hoffmann was defending! — From Lehre und Wehre, vol. 28 (Feb. 1882), pp. 76-78 [EN]: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  How the Missouri Synod is Judged in Germany Today. [A review of an 1881 pamphlet by Pastor Rudolph Hoffmann of Germany] By Pasto ..read more

   This continues from Part 7 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series presenting Pastor's Hochstetter's critique of an 1881 German pamphlet on the Old Missouri Synod. — Some of what Hochstetter covers in this installment was also covered in his later History of the Missouri Synod book (see his his Chapter 7, and my follow-up Excursus). He is focused on defending the Biblical and confessional doctrines of Church and Ministry, and so fights no only against the erring Iowa and Ohio Synod theologians, but also against the "state and court theologians" of Germany.  — Fro ..read more

   This continues from Part 6 (Table of Contents in Part 1) in a series prsenting Pastor's Hochstetter's critique of an 1881 German pamphlet on the Old Missouri Synod. — Hochstetter reveals the seriousness of the errors of Pastor Grabau, that he tried to emulate the power over the church like the German State exercised over the German Church, the Church which Pastor Hoffmann was a member of. — From Lehre und Wehre, vol. 28 (Feb. 1882), pp. 74-75 [EN]: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  How the Missouri Synod is Judged in Germany Today. [A review of an 18 ..read more