(ttnurnr~iu aJqtnlngirul ilnutlJly Continuing LEHRE UND WEHRE MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. V October, ,1.934 No. 10 CONTENTS Page Rede zur Eroe:lfnung der Synodalkonferenz. L. Fuerbringer • 737 The Primitive Christians, E. G. Sihler •••••••••••••••••••• 741 Die Gnadenwahl nach Zeit und Ewigkeit. J. T. Mueller •••• 748 Externalism and Sacramentalism. P. E. Kretzmann. • • • • • • • •• 757 Von dem Beruf der Lehrerinnen an christlichen Gemeinde- schulen. G. Stoeckhardt t. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 764 Sermon Study on 1 Tim. 4, 4-11. T. Laetsch ••••••••••••• 774 Sepnons and Outlines ............................... 782 Miscellanea ......................................... 789 Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches ..•.. 791 Book Review. - Literatur ............................ 807 Em Prediger muss nicbt a11em weiden, also dass er die Schafe unterwelse, wle sie recbte Ohrtsten BOllen &em, BOndern aucb daneben den Woelfen tDehr.m, dass sle die Schafe nl~ht lIJ\grel1en und mit fol!:ch~r Lehre verfuehren und Irrtum e1n. fuehren. - LuIAef'. Es 1st kem Ding, daa die Leute mehr bel der Kircbe bebaelt denn die lUte Predlgt. - Apologie, An.~. If the trumpet give an uncertain BOund, who shall prepare himself to the hattie f 1 Cor.~, B. Published for the Ev. Luth. Synod of l!rtissouri, Ohio, and Other States CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo. Externalism and Sacramentalism. 757 ttlirft bu (\)ot! finben, bann ttlitft bu alIe 1)'ragen bon ber ehJigen (\)naben" ttlaijl aUflofen fonnen, ttleldje ben f{eifdiHdien IDeenfdjen toten. lllienn 1m empfinbeft, bai3 bir ber €ol)n gefanc; ttlenn bu bidj an iijm ergo~ef±, ba13 er bit ilugute rin fIcinei3 Sl:inb gehJorben ift; ttlenn bu anfiingft, iqn HeIiilugeh1innen: bann fei ge±roft unb l)aIte gehJiB bafur, baB bu gu bet BaijI 'ocr (\)eredi±cn gcl)orft unb bidj ber mater gegogen l)aIie, nidjt burdj einen ber mernunf± erfennIiaren (metaphysico) Bug, burdi DffenIiarung unb (\)efiditer. '.Denn ben fouberIidjen DffenIiarungen, @ntgucfungen unb Wefidj±cn, ttlie benn Die IDeondie eqemaIi3 berg!eidjen DffenIiarungen unb @rlcuditungen gel)aIit qaIien, folI man feinen (\)rau~ Iien Iieimeff en. '.Det 5teufel ift of±mali3 lirl)eIier bief er '.Dinge. . .. miele ijaIien ijier ben Sjali3 geIirodien unb finb barliver in groi3e (\)efafjr £Ie" roten. ~di aIier geIie ben 9lat unb bie @rinnerung, bai3 bu alIes biefes berodjteft unb anfal) eft, mit bem ~iube ein stinb unb mit bem €ofjne e.in @Sol)n ilU ttlerben. '.Diefes ~inb etfalfe, bai3 in ber ~rippe uub im €djo13e ber IDeut!et negt. 2Cn bemfelIien ergo~e bidj. lllienn bir bet @Sol)n gefiiIft, ttlenn bu ben qaft, ttlenn bu bem anl)al1gft uub feft an il)m IiIdIift, fo fanl1ft bu bes tediten llliegei3 nidjt feijIen, nidit eigenen 5triiumen fo!gen nodj in irgenbll1eTdje (\)efaljr geraten. IDCit bief em @Sofjn qaft bu ben ljimmfif djen mater, bu qaft ben SjeiHgen (\)eift, bu fjaft bie @ngc1 unb ane meaturen ilU 1)'reunbcl1. ~a, es ttlirb bit gehJii3 feine fueatur audj nur bai3 alIergeringfte .2eib gUfligen fonnen." (@St . .2., VI, 185 f.) 8. BUm @Sdilui3 hJonen hJir ttlieberljolen, ttlas hJ.ir fdjon oIien angc" geigt fjaIien, niimfidj ba13 bief er ~rrtifel f ein @ntftefjen einer tiefgcflifjI" ten 1)'reube berbanH, ber 1)'reube barliIiet, ba13 fidj in bet genannten 9legenfion e.ine (\)efinnung ausfpridj±' bie uns beranlai3t, nodj ein ttleiterei3 ilU ±Un, bamit Die bon uns alIen Iiegel)rte bolIige @inigreit in ber £el)te erilieH ttletben ntiige. '.Die @inigung ber Iutl)erif djel1 ~irdje im tedjten (\)eift unb @Sinn mu13 uns um fo ttlidjtiget fein, je mel)t ttlir Die qol)e 2CufgaIie edennen, bie (\Jot! bet Iutl)erifdjen stirdje in ben met" einigten @Staaten in biefer Beit alIgemeinen linglauIiens 3ugebadjt qat. linb biefe WUfgaIie ift futttlafjt Iiebeutenb. ~. 5t. IDe li II e t . • • • Externalism and Sacramentalism. When the worship of God in the Old Testament in the form of so-called public services was nrst instituted, it had a very simple form. We are told that in the time of Enos men began to call upon the name of the LDrd, that is, to proclaim the name of the Lord Jehovah, Gen. 4, 26. This preaching or teaching was clearly a sacramental act, just as the bringing of sacrinces, as in the case of Abel, was a sacrincial act, very likely attended by prayer. In 758 Externalism and Sacramentalism. the patriarchal period following the Flood we are again shown a very siinple form of worship, the account being given in practically the same words as above. Abraham built an altar unto the Lord and then proclaimed the name of the Lord, Gen. 12, 8. Op. Gen. 12, 7; 13,4. 18; 21, 33. Isaac followed his father's example, Gen. 26, 25, and Jacob on two occasions erected an altar to the Lord, openly confessing his faith as he did so, Gen. 33, 20; 35,7. The story of Melchizedek, Gen. 14, 18-20, conveys the same impression of a very simple, a primitive form of worship; for he was indeed a priest of the Most High, and he received tithes at the hand of Abram; but there is no indication of an elaborate ceremony as an essential part of public worship in patriarchal times. The picture remains unchanged in the case of Job, chap. 1, 1. 5. It is. clear that the ob- jective side of worship was the basis for the subjective expression of the believer's devotion in his sacrifices. This situation was changed, to some extent, at the time of ~foses. The chlldren of Israel, up to the time of the Exodus a family or a band rather than a nation, became a unified body as a result of the Exodus, and in particular due to the revelation of God on Mount Sinai and the giving and codifying of the Old Testament corpus iuris, Ex. 19 and 20. There can be no doubt, on the basis of the entire story, that the significant and essential feature of Israel's relation to God is contained in the Lord's opening words: ''Ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation," Ex. 19, 6. Yet a new element was introduced by the Lord Himself when He instituted a sepamte priestly division or station, or hierarchy, the members of the tribe of Levi, Num. 3, 5ff., especially vv. 12. 13. 44ff. The sons of Aaron were to be in charge of the priestly office, while the other descendants of Levi were to have the other services of the Tabernacle and, later, of the Temple in their charge. All the regu- lations pertaining to the Levitcs indicate that the sons of Levi were a sepamte order, in charge of the public functions of worship by the Lord's direct appointment, on the basis of the Jewish Oere- monial Law. This part of the Old Testament Law, the ordinances governing public worship, regulated also every other private and public act connected with the relation of men to Jehovah. The priests (and the Levites) were in charge of all the sacrifices of the people, the burnt offerings, the meat- or cereal-offerings, the peace-offerings, the sin- and trespass-offerings of every kind. They regulated and gov- erned the festivals of the children of Israel and later of the Jews. All the manifold ordinances, which concerned even the most infin- itesimal details of worship, were in their hands. It was inevitable that many functions of their office became merely mechanical, con- sisting in the observance of the outward form of worship, often without a proper regard for its inner significance and purpose. Externalism and Sacramentalism. 759 David, the sweet psalmist of Israel, took a great interest in regu- lating the form of public worship and in enhancing the beauty of the services of the Tabernacle. He arranged for a proper division of the Levites, 1 O1uon. 23, and of the priests, 1 Ohron. 24. He or- ganized a Temple orchestra as well as a chorus, a total number of 288 men being in these organizations, 1 Ohron. 25. He planned the divisions of the porters and provided for Levites in charge of the treasures of the Tabernacle, 1 Ohron. 26. All this resulted in an elaborate and beautiful form of public service, one which could well express the most profound emotions of a worshiping people and give a proper outlet to their feelings of devotion. If we add to this that the priestly vestments of the Old Testament were directly prescribed by God, Ex. 39, just as were the furniture and the ap- pointments of the entire Sanctuary, we obtain a clear picture of a liturgy whose elaborateness was not exceeded to any great degree by some of the most complicated rites offered in heathen temples. Yet all this, under proper direction and with a proper regard for the real objectives of worship, could well have served the purpose which the Lord had in mind for His children at that time. For they were children, in bondage under the elements of the world, Gal. 4, 3. If one now keeps in mind the proclivity of the children of Israel toward idolatry, especially in the Northern Kingdom, one can well understand that all the conditions tending toward exter- nalism and formalisrl~ were here present. David could yet sing of his desire for the beauty of the Lord, Ps. 27,4, of his eagerness to go to the house of the Lord with a multitude that kept holy-day, Ps. 42,4. The outward beauty of the services did not interfere with his devo- tion, which was very real and true. And like him hundreds and thousands of members of the Old Testament Ohurch used the Taber- nacle and later the Temple worship in the proper way, for their edification and for the growth in knowledge of the truth which they then possessed and of the types that foreshadowed the Messiah. We never forget that there is a difference of degree, but never of kind, between the Old Testament and the New Testament Ohurch. The believers before the time of Ohrist died in the same faith in the TriU11e God which brings salvation to men now; only they looked forward to the coming Messiah, while we rest our hope in Him who has come, in Jesus of Nazareth. But while conditions were still favorable to the promotion of a sound and edifying worship in the days of David, and possibly for a century or two afterwards, the situation was no longer so favorable in the eighth century B. O. Shortly after the beginning of that century, about 787 B. 0., the prophet Amos proclaimed his message. And what does this message reveal? That externalism, 760 Externalism and Sacramentalism. formalism, had taken hold of the people at large. This is nowhere more strongly in evidence than in chap. 5, 21-23: "I hate, I despise, your feast-days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts. Take thou away from Me the noise of thy songs; for I will not hear the melody of thy viols." And what was the trouble that caused this outburst of scathing denunciation? It is given in chap. 8, 11. 12: "Behold the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread or thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord; and they shall wander from sea to sea and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the Lord and shall not find it." The entire Book of the Prophet Amos shows us that there was indeed an outward observance of religious customs, with great pomp and circumstance, with much offering of sacrifices. But the heart had been taken out of the people's worship by the disregard of the Word of God. Men evidently thought that a mere outward observance of legal ordinances, of the prescriptions of the Oeremonial Law, was sufficient for worship. But the Lord cared nothing about all outward forms, whether these were fastings or sacrifices or sing- ing, if there was no true spiritual life based upon the Word of the Lord. The same conditions appear from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, as we learn in particular from chap. 1, 11-15. There the Lord, as in Amos, speaks with repugnance, with loathing, of the burnt offerings of rams, of the blood of bullocks, of lambs, and of he-goats, of the festivals of the new moon and of the Sabbaths, of the presenting of prayers by a mere repetition of words. It is significant that the Lord, even while the outward form of the Old Testament worship was at the very height of its beauty and glory, speaks with abhorrence of its external forms which were not the outgrowth of a true inner life and that He, in the well-known statement in chap. 6, speaks of the self-obduration of His people, which was soon to be followed by the Lord's judgment of obdura- tion upon them. An emphasis upon external forms, that is, if the inner life of the spirit is not constantly nourished and strengthened by the sound truth of the Word of God, is bound to lead to similar conditions of indifference, of apathy, of aversion, and of obduration. And we remember in this connection that the Old Testament government was theocratic, with a hierarchical polity, a fact which becomes all the more significant when we consider the contrast presented in the Apostolic Ohurch. It is true, of course, that Jesus, as a member of the Jewish Ohurch, observed the regulations also of the Oeremonial Law. This Externalism and Sacramentalism. 761 is evident from the story of His circumcision, His presentation in the Temple, His regular attendance at the synagog and at the festivals, His acquaintance with all the customs which had been added to the Jewish rites as given by God. At the same time, however, Jesus was unequivocally opposed to all ritualism and for- malism, as His many rebukes of the scribes and Pharisees show. He unhesitatingly and emphatically denounced the prayers which were offered as mere lip service, Matt. 7, 21. The whole Sermon on the Mount shows that the external forms of service were to Jesus mere vehicles to bear the real offerings of faith. He tells the Samaritan woman that neither in Jerusalem nor on Mount Gerizim would the Father be worshiped, since those who would worship Him in the proper :way would do so in spirit and in truth, without de- pendence upon external forms, without the need of types and symbols. And the words of the Savior were echoed by His apostles in their writings, by James, by the author of the Epistle to the Hebrews, and especially by the Apostle Paul. He rebukes the Galatians for observing days, and months, and times, and years, chap. 4, 10. He calls things of this type weak and beggarly elements. In writing to the Colossians, he likewise urges them to set aside the rudiments of this world, not to be subject to ordinances, not to let any man judge them in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the Sabbath-days, which are the shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ, chap. 2, 16. 17. In accordance with this attitude, these principles, we find the worship of the Christians in the first century containing indeed both the sacramental and the sacrificial elements, bui; with strongest evidence of democracy and simplicity in form. There was no elaborate ritual, and even Storf (in Thalhofer's edition of the Church Fathers) does not dare to assert that the Liturgy of St. James is in its entirety the work of the first bishop of Jerusalem, although its nucleus may well be ascribed to him. This nucleus contained the following parts: 1) Psalm; 2) Teaching; 3) Prophecy; 4) in some places, Tongues and their Interpretation; 5) Lord's Supper, including also the agape. We may well assume that the first century had some fairly long prayers, in addition to the lections and the preaching, and certainly some fine hymns, as the excerpts in various books of the New Testament indicate. But there were no special clerical vestments, as even Kaufmann (Ohristliche Archaeologie, 553) frankly states: "Die Kultkleider unterscheiden sich im Urchris- tentum wicht wesentlich von den Profankleidern und wrurden uns in dieser Form uebermittelt." And again (p. 565): Sie [die litur- gischen GewaenderJ waren, wie schon bemerkt, urspruem,glich nichts weiter als die gutem, Strassenkleider des gebildeten Mannes." It was only later that certain secular garments were modified and adapted 762 Externalism and Sacramentalism. for special clerical use, namely, at the time when the hierarchy had well established itself. The first-century Ohurch had no incense, no exceptionally splendid Eucharistic vessels (the Ohalice of Antioch is placed by Kaufmann at the end of the second century), in fact, no ritualism or formalism in any degree. Both Oatholic and Prot- estant archeologists and liturgiologists agree that the elaboration of the early Ohristian ritual, its externalization and formalization, was a matter of later development. How did this phenomenon come about ~ It was due to various causes. First and foremost among these causes was the growing distinction between clergy and laity, the strong hierarchical tendency which became manifest at the beginning of the second centuTY, as the letters of Ignatius and others show. This undemocTatic dis- tinction, which was not at all in agreement with the principles of pastoral deportment as stated in the various books of the New Testa- ment, soon showed itself in the adoption of gaTments distinctive of the cleTical order or station, so that we find the vestries of the larger chuTches in particulaT soon boasting a most elabOTate ward- robe of tunics, and albs, and dalmatics, and penulas (chasubles), and palls, and stoles, and maniples, and gremials, and subuculas, and amices, and Tochets, and cassocks, and almuces, and what not. In the second place, the changed attitude towaTd the Eucharist, which soon became the Mass, must be noted, as we shall presently see. In the third place, the influence of the discip,lina arcani is unmistakable. The pmctise of withholding from sight the Eucha- Tistic vessels by means of the tetravela, or curtains, hiding the altar during the missa catechumenorum, that of withholding from the catechumens the exact text of even the Lord's Prayer and the Oreed until just before the redditio symboli, the first profession of faith made by the candidates for membership, and the strange secrecy maintained by the leaders of the Ohurch even after the Apologists had written their books in defense of the Ohristian religion reacted in a very strange way in causing the Ohristians to invest certain rites with an air of mystery and to shape their form of worship and their art accordingly. This tendency became particularly noticeable after the rise of the great liturgies, chiefly the Clementine Liturgy, or that of Anti- och; the Liturgy of St. James or of Palestine and Syria, often known as the Great Oriental, which included also those of Oon- stantinople, of Oappadocia, and other cities and provinces; the Liturgy of St. Mark, or of Alexandria; the Ephesine-Gallican Liturgy; and the Roman, or Petrine, Liturgy. Practically every one of these liturgies, probably not in its original form, but certainly in the configuration of its later development, shows an unusual emphasis upon external rites and allegorical representation, not only Externalism and Sacramentalism. 763 in the matter of vesting of the clergy, but also in the diversified chanting as practised by the lower clergy in the Ambrosian and the Gregorian chants as well as in antiphonal chanting between the officiating bishop or priest and the choir. It is very significant that this gradual externalization went forward at about the same pace as the growing impurity of doctrine. In fact, as a noted scholar pointed out, exterrnalization and deterioration have alW'ays run par- allel in the Ohurch. And this introduces the last point of the present discussion, namely, that of sacTamentaZism. It is interesting to note indeed that the Passover, the Old Testament "Sacrament" which is most closely Telated to the New Testament Eucharist, never showed an unusual amount of externalization and ritualization. This is veTY probably due to the fact that it was celebrated as a festival of families, with the head of each family serving as the priest for the occasion. Hence the possibility of concentrating a special authority in the hands of the priests was more remote. That there was, as a matter of fact, a cer- tain amount of externalization appears from the fact that not a few customs or rites were introduced in connection with the celebration of the Passover which had not been commanded by God. Yet it does not appear that a disproportionate emphasis was placed on the "sacra- ment" as such. But the situation was decidedly different in the New Testament Ohurch. No sooner had the last apostle closed his eyes in death than not only hierarchical tendencies began to manifest themselves, but the "mystery of iniquity" Teferred to by St. Paul in 2 Thess. 2 gave evi- dence of its power in other ways, especially in the gradual corruption of apostolic doctrine. And of this there is no more convincing ex- ample than that of the doctrine of the Mass. The deterioration of the doctrine of the Lord's Supper into that of the Mass took the following course. The concept of a sacrifice was stressed more strongly as time went on; the doctrine of the real or sacramental presence was grad- ually changed into that of transubstantiation; the decline of preach- ing had as its correlate the elevation of the Sacrament into a position emphasizing the authority and the power of the clergy as priests who could daily renew the sacrifice of Ohrist's body in an unbloody offer- ing. (Op. OONCORDIA THEOL. MONTHLY, I, 167-183.) It was because of the special authority claimed by the priests that the Eucharistic vestments were regarded with such veneration, so that the chasuble finally became the distinguishing garment for the celebration of the Mass, since it was inseparably connected with the hierarchical station and authority. This sacramentalism became so prominent a feature of the Roman liturgy that the preaching and teaching of the Word finally became a very secondary issue. In most churches of the pre- Reformation age the service of the Word had been practically elim- 764 Q30n bem meruf ber 2e~t:etinncn an d)rifUid)en illemeinbefd)ulen. inated, and Mass alone was celebrated. To a large extent this sacra- mentalism, the insistence upon according to the Sacrament a higher position in the service of the Ohurch than the preaching of the Word, is still found, particularly in the Roman Oatholic Ohurch and in other quarters where its influence has been retained or is again being' exerted. To one who knows the Scriptures and the Oonfessions of the Lutheran Ohurch the answer to both externalism and to sacra- mentalism is found in the emphasis placed by the Lord on the preach- ing of the Word as the distinctive feature of New Testament worship and in the fact that the Sacrament derives its power and value solely and alone from the Word, not only in the formula of institution in itself, but in the teaching that gives to the communicants the realiza- tion of its blessings. It is only where these truths are properly under- stood that the Sacrament is rightly celebrated. P. E. KRETZMANN. mun bent ~eruf ber £e~rerinnen llll djriftndjen ~emeinbefdjuren+ ;Die Ee~rerinnen liUben ~eut3utage fjieraufanbe einen IT.Jidjtigen iYaftor im offentHdjen Unterridjti:lmefen. ~n ben @ltaati:lfdjulen fungiert aumeif± meibIidjes \)SerfonaI. 2rber audj in djriftHdjen ®emeinbefdjulen feljen mit, menn audj in befdjrCinftem WIa!>, Eeljrerinnen an ber 2rrbeit. ~a§ ift nidjti:l meue£; in ber S1!irdje. ~n ben aUen Iu±ljerifdjen S1!h:djeu" orbnungen finbet fidj audj cine ffiubrif iiber ben ~ienf± ber "@ldjuf,, meifterinnen", benen infonberljeit ber Unterridjt ber ,,~ungfrauen" antler±raut mar. mgI. ben betreffenben 2rrtifel tm 9Cotlemberljeft 1896 bc£; ,,@ldjuffJfatt", @l. 328. ~a ljat man benn, audj ne.ucrbings inieber, bie iYrage mtfgemorfen: lffiie? ~ft ba£; redjt? @ltimmt bas mit ®otte£; lffiort? Unb mie ljat man ben \Bernf ber Eeljrerinnen in S1!irdj" f d)ulen anaufeljen? ~iefe iYrage foU ljier in S1!iir3e mit ®ottes lffiort beIeudjtet merben. ~er S1!irdje (Iljrifti finb mandjerIei ®alien tlertrallt. Sll bief en @aben geljoren audj bie sam±er ober ~ienf±e, ~ta,.ovial. Unb e£; grot berfdjiebene ~ienfte, ffiom. 12, 6; 1 Sl'or. 12, 5. ~er ~pofter nennt ffiom. 12 unb 1 S1!or. 12 lieifpielsiT.Jeife cine ffieilje foldjer ®alien unb ~ienfte. (ifs ift nidjt bie IDIeinllng, baB er fie aUe allfsiiljlen mil!. (ifr madjt infonberljeit biejenigen xaeiofha-r:a namljaf±, bie dne \)Sriiroga" title ber ajJoftolifdjen S1!irdjc liiIbeten, lffiunbergalien unb lffiunberfrCifte, mit benen tie ecclesia primitiva gef djmiictt mar. Su anbern SeHen finb bann anbere ~ienfte in ber S1!irdje aufgefommen, meIdje bie erfte Cifjriftenljeit nidjt fannte. 2rUe @alien unb ~ienfte finb bet S1!irdje ge" fdjenft, unb tie Sl'irclje, bie @emeinbe, ift S)errin iilier biefeIben. ,,2rUe~ ift euer", feIoft \)SauIu£;, 2rpoUo, S1!eplja§, 1 Sl'or. 3, 21-23. ~ie ®e"