nurnrlliu 4rnlngitul Continuing LEHRE UND WEHRE MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LUTI-L HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLy-THEOLOGICAL MONTEL Y Vol. XX November, 1949 No. 11 CONTENTS Page To Professol' William Arndt, Ph. D., D. D. ___________________________________ 801 Notes on Luther's Interpretation of John 6:47-58. .,John Theodore Mueller ______________________________ 802 Luther's Endorsement of the "Confessio Bohemica." Jaroslav Pelikan, Jr. _______________________ 829 A Series of Sermon Studies for the Church Year _____ ...: _____________ 844 Miscellanea ____________________ :.. _____________________________________________ 858 Theological Observer ___________________________________________________ , ____ 866 Book Revie\v _______________ '-_______ ---------------------------________________________ 873 Ein Prediger muss nieht aHein weiden, also dass er die Schafe unterweise, wie sie rechte Christen sollen sein. sondern aueh daneben den Woelfen wehTen, dass sie ldie Schafe nlcht angreifen und mit falscher Lehre verfuehren und Irrtum einfuehren. Luther Es 1st kein Ding. das die Leute mellr bel der Klrehe behaelt denn die gute Predigt. -Apologie, ATt.24 If the trumpet give an uncertain sound. who shall prepare himself to the battle? -1 COl'. 14:8 Published by The Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis 18, PlUNi'lID IN 11. S, A. Theological Observer "Hamma Digest" Issue. -For some years Dean E. E. Flack has sent us copies of the Hamma Digest Issue of the Wittenberg Bulletin published by Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio. We were very happy to receive also this year's Hamma Digest with its rich variety of stimulating articles. The Digest contains articles on "Christian Higher Education Year" by Rees Edgar Tulloss; "Can the Lutheran Churches in ..A..merica be Conditioned for Ecumenicity?" by Otto H. Bostrom; "On the Natural Knowledge of God" by Otto W. Heick; "The Focus of Evangelical Worship" by Willard D. Allbeck; "Toynbee's Analysis of History" by Cyrus M. 1Nallic..\; "Christianity and History" by George E. Menden...1mll; "The Need for Reappraisal in American Education" by Henry O. Yoder; "Write a Letter, Pastor" by Amos John Traver; and "Arrows in the Bible" by E. E. Flack. In some articles one notes the zeal of a prophet, a zeal which occasionally condenses into a white heat. This may account for the overstatement made by Otto H. Bost-rom, "To realize ecumenical unity in the Christian Church is the most urgent concern for Christians today" (p. 12), and Prof Mendenhall's unfair interpretation, "In general, theology has not been rounded on the experiences of history, hut instead on abstract thou.ght and reasoning from premises thought to be found in Scripture. A good example of such a fou.ndation on abstraction is the orthodoxist premise of the inerrancy and infallibility of S c r i p t t ! r e ~ The ne'\v b..istorical F, ..... t.l0\vledge made such a p o s i t ~ ' o n impossible to any but the ignorant or intellectually dishonest. The orthodox consequently fought with bitterness, vindictiveness, and unchristian vituperation against what they conceived to be an attack on the very foundation of their faith; they were right in seeing the far-reaching implications of the new disciplines of historical research, but they were wrong in believing that the foundation of Christian faith is a rational premise of logic" (p. 36) , Professor Mendenhall's interpretation is unfair because also for many orthodox believers the foundation of Christian faith is far more than "a rational premise of logic." There is a thing, like oversimplification also in theological tl>inking. Apart from the above and a few other minor considerations, we owe much to all the articles in this year's Digest. P. M. B. Is Catholic Doctrine Changing? -This question is under discussion in Protestant circles both here and in Europe. At Bad Boll in Germany we were informed this past summer that there appear to be straws in the wind that the Vatican is revising its position on Neo-Thomism. We have not noted such a change of sentiment in our own country. Yet it would surely be possible for Catholic authorities, with permission from Rome, to make adjustments of Thomistic principles to present-day secular forms of thought. It would even be possible for Rome, in the interest of greater and more important issues and objectives, to shelve [866] THEOLOGICAL OBSERVER 867 altogether certain Thomistic principles in so far as they deal with wholly secular affairs. But this is a far cry from saying that Rome is changing her doctrine. Rome will not change the doctrines that the Pope is God's vicegerent and Peter's successor here on earth, that he is above all councils and synods, that his word is final, and that the Roman Church is above every form of government. M. Martinez, writing in the Christian Century (Aug. 31, p. 1015) is right when he says, "Against this Jesuit [Fr. Dunne] stand the words of Pius IX, who in his encyclical Longin-qua Oceani says: 'It is necessary to destroy the error of those who might believe that perhaps the status of the church in America is a desirable one, and also an error that an imitation of that sort of thing, the separation of church and state, is legal and even convenient.' These are the words of the supreme authority in the Catholic Church and whatever Fr. Dunne or anyone else might say to the contrary has no value whatever. The Catholic Church has not changed nor is it changing. But the times and the circumstances have changed and the church must adapt itself to them, at least out-wardly, '>vhile waiting for der Tag." P. M. B. The "Paradox" Concept in lVl/odern Theology. -In Religion and Life (Autunm, 1949), Rev. Waymon Parsons contributes a review of current Protestant theology under the title "The Theological Pendulum," h""l wr.ich he traces the rise and development of modern liberalism and modern neo-orthodoxy. He concludes that neo-orthodoxy has swung too far away from center and has sponsored views as extreme as those against which it was a reaction. The a u t . ~ o r analyzes in partiCl.]ar what he believes to be extreme views in such areas as the depravity of man, Jesus and Christology, revelation and reason, freedom and authority. This is not the place to expose, on Scriptural grounds, all the errors of liberalism and neo-orthodoxy and of some of Rev. Parsons' conclusions. We are, however, calling attention to an observation made by Rev. Parsons v.rhich every Lutheran theologian may well take to heart, namely, his warning against what he calls "the wholesale use of the 'paradox' concept." Rev. Parsons writes: "It is not difficult to see that life and religion and theology produce many contradictions and baflling blind alleys. But on the whole we have been content to let a mystery remain a mystery and see some place for mystery in the total scheme of things. Now, however, there seems to be a tendency on t . ~ e part of theologians to be highly pleased when any set or problems can be reduced to a paradox. It is well enough to realize that truth can often be arrived at by a dialectical process wherein we draw off an insight of value from the tension between opposites. But the contemporary fad of taking refuge in paradoxes and seeing in them a method of exalting religious truth strikes one as rather paralyzing, if it doesn't actually make lli1. idol out or a stalemate." We shall go one step farther. The eurrent fast>..ion in some theological quarters to hide behind a ':paradox" may be but another sinister way of granting t o ~ r r o r 868 THEOLOGICAL OBSERVER a rightful place alongside of truth. The "either-or" dialectic has its pitfalls, but the same is true of the "both-and" method. Both methods may be employed to express theological truth, but should never be used for the purpose of silencing and denying truth or of espousing and defending error. P. M. B. Lutheran Education. -This is the official educational journal of our Church edited by an editorial committee of the faculty of Concordia Teachers College, River Forest. Though this journal has now entered its 85th year, it shows no traces of old age. A casual look into the September issue with its timely editorials (aktuell in the best sense), its scholarly feature articles, its live news and notes, not to mention its invaluable music section, its crisp reviews, its pleasing make-up and eminent readabilit-.i -all of it compels arulliration and gratitude. Here is a journal, moreover, which methodically seizes upon every opportunity to impress upon its readers that the principles of Lutheran education are deeply anchored in the eternal principles revealed by God in Scripture. The inside cover of the journal features the passages Matt. 28: 19-20, "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all tMngs whatsoever I have commanded you," and Psalm 111: 10, "The fear of the Lord is t..ne begi..'TIling of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do His commandments," and the quotation from Luther, "Nothing will serve us and future generations better than maintaining good schools and training the youth." In keeping with the true and profOl,md sentiments expressed in the above passages, the editorials in Lutheran Education time and again single out and apply relevant Biblical truths to the teaching process. One might expect this. What one does not expect is that wherever one happens to rest his eye-intake while paging through this journal, one discovers the warm pulse beat of a Christian heart which has contributed the item or article. Considering the superior materials offered in this journal, its breadth and depth of educational insight into the vast and complex business of education, especially that of our Church, considering also the blessings which have come to our Church through this journal these many years, one can't help wishing Lutheran Education and its pilots another bon voyage as it courageously moves forward into the li..l1charted sea of its 85th year. May its old friends pledge it renewed loyalty. May it find many new friends. Above all, may its philosophy of education penetrate into every nook and corner of the Lutheran Church throughout the world. P. M. B. Prof. H. Sasse on Baptism. -Prof. P. H. Buehring has rendered the Lutheran Church of our country a distinct service by publishing in The Lutheran Outlook (September) his English tra.l1slation of Prof. H. Sasse's recent article on Baptism. The value of Professor Sasse's article lies in this that, on the one hand, he stresses the theological rather than the historical issues involved THEOLOGICAL OBSERVER 869 in infant Baptism, and, on the other hand, presents the Lutheran doctrine of infant Baptism against the larger canvas of the doctrine of Baptism in general. One cannot deal with infant Baptism without entering in on the Lutheran doctrine of the Word and faith in the Sacraments. At the same time, Professor Sasse clearly indicates at which points the Lutheran doctrine of Baptism differs from that of the Roman and the Reformed churches. From his concluding remarks we cull the following important observation: "The question [infant vs. adult baptism] cuts no figure either in the New Testament or in Luther. Aside from the fact that adult candidates for baptism voice their assent and confess their faith personally, Baptism has always been a