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

   This continues from Part 5 (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. — Now we meet with the real purpose of this pamphlet, to justify the Union Church of Germany in its hierarchical church government that robs the congregations of their God-given rights. But there is a great irony in Hoffmann's judgment that Hochstetter does not miss, and it is presented in great relief. This segment falls into both of my categories for Pastor Hoffmann, "Yes" and "No". — From Lehre und Wehre ..read more

      My 2021 offering of Luther's 1545 Bible machine translated into English, the LED Bible, is my most popular upload to the Internet Archive.  A correspondent expressed the wish that it be made available in print at that time in 2021.  Since I am not proficient in doing that process, the publication has only been available so far in an electronic format (PDF). But now I have discovered that it is now available in a hardback "print-on-demand" version in 2 separate volumes (presumably due to it's size) on the Lulu website. Here is the image of the front co ..read more

   This continues from Part 4 (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 offers a stinging rebuke of the Union or State Church in Germany in the form of a sarcastic re-phrasing of a famous statement of the Augsburg Confession. Any claim on their part to "confessionalism", other than by the Free Church, is a sham. This reminds me of another church body, the LC-MS, that officially teaches that "a synod is in fact 'church'" (p. 65). Better to listen to Hochstetter (an ..read more

   This continues from Part 3 (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. — While many theologians in Germany mostly ignored the Missouri Synod, or gave small remarks against it, we find that Pastor Hoffmann was mostly well read in Missouri's writings, and gave surprising praise for them.  I call this portion a part of his "Yes" sections. But it does not last long. — The source of his history, Koestering's book on the Saxon emigration, has been conveniently translated and publishe ..read more

      This continues from Part 2 (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 begin now with a translation of Pastor Hochstetter's review and critique. Someone had to respond to this direct offensive against Missouri. And because of Pastor Hochstetter's intimate involvement in matters of Church and Ministry against Pastor Grabau of the Buffalo Synod, the matter that prompted Walther to write his famous book  in 1852, he is imminently qualified for the task. — From Le ..read more