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Continuing
LEHRE UND WEHRE
MA~ZIN FUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILETIK
THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY
Vol. X February, 1939 No.2
CONTENTS
Page
The Means of Grace. F. E. Mayer __________________________________ 81
Wie die rechte Stellung zur Heiligen Schrift die Amtstaetigkeit
des Pastors bestimmt. F. Plotenhauer 90
Sermon Study on 2 Tim. 4:5-8. Th. Laetsch _ 96
The Institutional Missionary and the Divine Service
E. A. DuemHng ___________ 111
Predigtentwuerfe fuer die Evangelien der Thomasius-
Perikopenreihe _____________ _ _ ____________ HO
Miscellanea __ . ______________ _ ---------------~
Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches ______ 142
Book Review. - Literatur _________ 153
JIlIn Predller muss n1cht allein toei-
den. also dass er die Schafe unter-
weise. wte ale rechte Chrtsten Bollen
rein. sondern 8Uch daneben den Woel-
fen toeht'm. dass ale die Schafe n1cht
angreifen und mit falscher Lehre ver-
fuehren und Irrtum einfuehren.
Luthet'.
Es 1st kein Ding. lias die Leute
mehr bel der Klrche behaelt denn
die gute Predigt. - Apologte. An.. 24.
If the trumpet give an uncertain
sound who shall prepare hlm.self to
the battle? -1 COf'. 14. I.
Published for the
BY. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States
CONCORDIA PUBLISHING BOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.
ABcmv
90 'Ilcs ~aftot!l tecl)tc 5telfung oUt 5cf)tift unD feinc Illmt§tiitigreit
primarily to assure us of the comforting implications of this doc-
trine. The entire corp'us doctrinae is a beautiful whole, in which
no doctrine is suspended in vacuo and the article on the Gospel has
an important bearing on all other articles of faith. The means of
grace are absolutely necessary for the sinner's justification by grace
for Christ's sake. Only the Gospel, the depository of God's grace,
is the absolutely reliable foundation of our faith. 37 ) In and through
the Gospel, not by man's emotions or his own efforts, does the Holy
Spirit work conversion. Sanctification, preservation in faith, the
assurance of God's grace, in fact, virtually every article of our
Christian faith stands in the most intimate relation to the means
of grace. The Scriptural doctrine will cheer the pastor in his
work; for it assures him that the Word is always efficacious and
that the success of preaching does not rest with him. The congre-
gation, on the other hand, will also find comfort in this doctrine
because it will reject the Donatistic error, which demands personal
faith in the pastor for the efficacy of the Word. In spite of the
pastor's weaknesses the Gospel remains the power of God unto
salvation. This doctrine will also instil the proper missionary spirit
into the hearts of our people; for there is no logos spermatikos in
every human being, but God works conversion ordinarily only
through the Gospel, the means of grace. Until the end of time the
Church is bound by the words "Be baptized, everyone of you, in
the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost," Acts 2: 38.
F. E.MAYER
ell.
)IDle Die redjt,e $tellung 5ltt ~eiIigen ~d}rift tlie ~mgtiitigfeit
be~ ~aftJ.1f~ beftimmt *)
~ie SjeiIige €djrift fagt bon lidj feI6ft aus, ba13 fie in allen 5teUen
®ot±es ~or± ift. ®ot±es ~or± unb SjeUige €djrift becl'en fidj bollig.
@s ift nidjt fo, ba13 fidj in bel' SjeiIigen €djrif± neoen anberm audj ®ot±es
~ort oefinbe±, ba13 llnenfdjenhlort unb ®o±tes ~or± barin neoenein"
anber" ober burdjeinanberIaufen, fonbem fie ift ®o±tes ~or± bOll unb
gana. :;Sebes einaefne ~or±, jeber einaefne €aJ;l ift bas ~ort bes gro13en
®o±tes. stlie ~roplje±en fagen immer unb immer hlieber: ,,€o fpridj±
37) J. A. Moehler, in Symbolism (doctrinal differences between
Catholics and Lutherans), makes the claim that the Roman doctrine of
Op7.LS operatum is truly objective, whereas the Lutheran position on the
means of grace is highly subjective, since faith is required for the salu-
tary use of the Sacraments. P. 203 ff.
*) Sl::iefes fficfetat fotllie bie foIgenben finb aUf Pastors' Institutes 3ur
lBefjJred)ung unb 3um @ebanfenau%taufd) borgclegt morDen.
:tIes ~qftots tec9te ibteUung 3ur ibcl)tift uub fetue snmtstatigfeit 91
bet ~@itt." lJSaulu~ fdjref6±: IIffife @5djtift ift !Jon @ott eingege6en."
lJSe±ru§ fagt: ,,~ie fjeHigen IDCenfdjcn @otte§ fjaven gerebC±, getdeven
!Jon bem ~eiIigen @eil±. II
~ann nimm± dn lJSafiot bie redjie @5teUung aUt ~ciHgcn @5djrift
ein, lucnn cr bafutfji±rt unb beff en giittlidj geluif3 ift, baf3 bie milieI, bie
ganae Sjeifiae @5djtifi, @otte§ eigene£] )illott ifi. ,I2eiber luetben foldje
lJSafioren an ,BafjI immer lueniger. IDCan fjiiH bie mivcI mefjr ober
lueniaer fur ein menf djIidje§ lJSrobuU, ba~ nidjt in jeber meaiefjung ilu"
!JerIiiHig f d.
~ie milieI givt ganil genau ifjtcn ,Blued an. ~fjt cigentndjer ,Blued
ifi, ben IDCenfdjen ben )illeg aum SjimmcI au aeigen. @5ie ifi cine Offen"
barung bct ®nabc unb matmfjcr3igteit ®otte£] in CSfjtifto ~@ifu. @eluif3,
in bet mioeI finbet fidj audj !JieI )illeItgefdjidjte, ~afurluiffenfdjaft, !Jiele
2eben~regern unb betgleidjen; abet bet ,Bluecr, luoau @oft butdj bie
lJStopfjeten unb WpofteI geubet fjat, ifi, fidj un§ gefaUenen ~Renf djen in
feinet mevc au offenvatcn. ~ofj. 20, 31: ,,~iefe avet finb gefcljrieben,
baf3 ifjr gIaulief, ~@if u§ f ei CSljrifi, bet @5oljn @otte~, unb baf3 ifjr burdj
ben @lauben ba£] 2 eli en fjabd in feinem ~amen." 1 $fOt. 2 fiiljtt !JSaulu~
au§, baf3 @ott feine fjeimIidje, !Jetbotgene )illei§fjeit aUt @5eIigfeit bet
IDCenfdjen butdj bie Q5ediinbigung leine§ )illotfe§ geoffenbati ljabe. Unb
aluar iii bie milier bie einaige Offenbatung @oi±e§, ba£] einsige ljeUige
mudj. WUe anbetn fogenannien ljeiIigen miidjer finb ,I2iigenbiidjer.
2Iuf3et bet mibel gibt e§ teine Offenbarung be§ gniibigen )illiITen§ @otte§.
~ie $fteafur ptebig± @otte§ @rof3e unb IDCadjt, fdjlueigt fidj aber au~
fiber @otte£] @5teUung au bem IDcenfdjen. ~ie Q5ernunf± ift nodj ein
mdji aUf bem naturIidjen @ebie±, aber eitel t5inf±etni§ aUf bem geift"
Iidjen @ebie±.
@iin lJSafior nimmt bann bie redjtc @5±eUung aur mibeI ein, luenn
er tie fiir ba§ mudj ljiiIt, luorin @oft un~ fag±, lute luir arm en @5iinber
feIig luerben foUen, luorin er un£] feine mebe offenbart, feinen SjeiI§ra±
in ber @5enbung feine~ @5oljne§. ~ofj. 5, 39 f±eljt: ,,@5udjet in bet @5djrift,
benn ifjr meine±, iljr ljaot ba§ eluige ,I2eben barinnen; unb fie if±' ~, bie
!Jon mit 3cuget." ~n biefen )illotten fagt bet ~@irr frat unb beutIidj,
ttJeldje @5ielIung ein jeber IDCenfdj unb !JOt aUem ein lJSaf±ot Sut ~eUigen
@5djtif± neljmen f olIo
,I2af3t un~ nun feljen, luie bie redjie @5ieUung aUt ~eiIigen @5djtift
bie Wmt~tiitigfeit be~ lJSaf±ot§ oefiimmt. ~dj lage mit mebadjt "be"
ftimmi", iljr ba~ @epriige unb ben CSljaraUer giDt, nidjt dina nur ljeU"
fam oeeiniIuf3t unD lJe~ifflidj ift. ~ein, ttJenn ein l1Saftor redjt aur ~ei"
ligen @5djrift f±efji, bann briicf± bie~ feinet Wmt~fiiljrung ben @5temj:Jel
aUf. @ir ttJirb fidj bann erlueifen al~ ein ±teuer unb Huger ~au~ljaHer,
ber feinem @efinbe f eine @ebiiljt gilit aur redjtcn ,Beit unb f cine ,Bu"
ljiiter f eng madjt, ttJiiljtcnb etn lJSaf±or, ber nidjt redjt sur ~eiIigen @5djrift
fte~t, fein Wmt nidjt !Jetftefjt unb feinem Q50rte fein niii2e ift.
92