(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.
Book Review. - £tterntur. 807
Book Review. - £itCtlltUt.
The Sermon on the Mount. By the Rev. William Hendriksen. \?iTm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. 256 pages, 5V~ X 8.
Price, $1.50.
The author offers a commentary on the Sermon on the Mount in tlle
form of Bible-study outlineR, 28 in ll111nber. He rejects the dispellsational
view advocated hy the Scofield Bible, 1. M. Haldeman, and other dispensa-
tionalists, according to which the Sermon on the Mount is intended not
for our dispensation, but for the millennium; the literalistic view of
Tolstoy, whose position was that all the various prescriptions of Christ
should be carried out entirely and literally; the prevailing modernistic
view, which regards the Sermon on the Mount as the essence of Chris-
tianity, in opposition to the blood theology of PauL Hendriksen holds that
the only tenahle view is that this sermon was intended for Christ's dis-
ciples living to-day as well as for those who surrounded Him when He
delivered it. The author furnishes many practical suggestions in the
"Questions fOl' Discussion," placed at frequent intervals in every lesson.
In most instances these questions are not answered. The student is re-
ferred to literature on the question under discussion, asked to study care-
fully the variolls views expressed, and then form his own opinion on the
basis of the material offered. Sorry to say, the unfortunate mingling of
Law and Gospel, justiflCation and sanctification, so current in the Re-
formed Church is very much apparent in this book also, e. g., when the
author speaks of thc Serllloll on the Mount as the "Gospel of the King-
dom" or when he defines the term "l'igllteousness," Matt. 5, 6, as follows:
"Although the term 'righteousness' as nsed in the Sermon on the :MOUllt
does not mean exactly the same thing as holiness nor exactly the same
thing as Christ's righteousness imputed to us, nevertheless it is the bud
in which these two conceptions lie enclosed together. It paves the way
for the Pauline conception of imputed righteousness, for the righteousness
of which Christ speaks is 1) given by God, cf. 'they shall be filled,' cf. Phil.
3, 9; 2) it is wholly of grace; hence, it exceeds the righteollsness of scribes
and Pharisees (which was considered self-earned), Matt. 5,20, cf. Eph.2,
5. 8; 3) it is called God's righteousness, Matt. 6, 33; cf. Paul's phrase 'not
having a righteousness of mine own ... " Phil. 3, 9, cf. Rom. 1, 17; 5,1;
Gal. 2, 1(); and 4) it presupposes sorrow for sin, i. e., true repentance, Luke
18,13.14, cf. Rom. 7, 24-8, 1. That Christ nevertheless refers not merely
to forensic righteousness (a righteousness of legal state), but also to ethical
righteousness (righteousness of conduct) is very plain from Matt. 5, 20-48,
esp. Matt. 6, 1. The two are inseparable. The man who is justified by
faith abounds in good works. The term 'righteousness' as useel by Christ
is very comprehensive, embracing both the forensic and the ethicaL"
(Pp. 51. 52.) The author makes an nm;criptural distinction between regen-
eration and conversion in his interprehLtion of Matt. 7, 13, where we read as
follows: "Hence the narrow gate does not mean the gate of heaven at the
end of our life on earth. It must therefore represent the beginning of
conscious Christian life, i. e., conversion. To he sure, hy means of regen-
808 Book Review. - ilitetlltur.
eration one enters the kingdom of heaven, John 3,3-5, etc., but regenera-
tion is wh,olly God's work; it cannot be enjoined. Christ here issued a com-
mand, 'Enter.' Hence the gate must mean conversion rather than regen-
eration. The narrow gate is the conscious choice to serve God; this gate
is narrow indeed. It means strenuous effort. It means that we must by
God's grace and through His strength strip ourselves of all self-righteous-
ness, etc. It means persecution. The wide gate is the conscious choice of
the world with all its pleasures." (P. 216.) And he closes his book with
the following remark: "The Sermon on the Mount ends in the manner in
which it began, i. e" by emphasizing the one fundamental principle of
Christianity, the veTY essence and the root idea of the 'kingdom of God,'
namely, obedience to the will of God, joyful recognition of Goel's sovereignty.
May we all be 'doers' of God's will and not 'hearers' only!" (P.248,) The
book therefore requires very careful reading, though the method applied is
extremely practical. THEO. LAETSCH.
:nnS ~ofjnttncSellnlt!ldium aIS IlfftetSltJetr. ~ine jJf~d)ologifd)c Untetjud)ung.
mon Lie. Q.\ e t 1) at b © 0 f f man n, qlfarret in Q.\orJtsbotf. mering
[. lSette(ijmann, ®liters!ol). 1933. 183 6citen 5% X8%, qlteis: fario"
niert, RM. 4.80 j gcbunben, RM. 6.00.
Si)ie 3a1)1 bet jJft)d)olollifd)tn 6tubien libtt ein3elne ~eHe linb lSiUl)et bet
6d)rift mel;Jten fid), linb trir geftef)en getne, ball fold)e 6tubien, innet1)afb bet
recl)ten ®ten3en, nid)t nut i1)tc lSered)tigung, f onbexn aud), einen getriffen Wert
1)aoen. \}Rann tann nCimfid) bie ~atiad)e, ball bet '\;)eifig.e ®eift oei bet ~ingeoung
bet 6d)tift bie motoHbung bet 6d)teibet, il;Jte natUtfid)en mnlagen, i1)te ®emUtS"
ftimmung u, bgl. mit bertranbt 1)at, fe1)t tro1)! in ted)ter mleife oetonen. moer
bas 1)iet botfiegenbc lSud) gel)! liber bie ®ten3en bes ~tfauDten 1)inaus, fo ban
bie ts:ingeoung barunter Ieibet. mnregenb ift bie 6d)tift aUf jebcn IYaU, unb bet:
6pe3iaHft auf bem Q.\·cliiet bet :SfagogU tritb bas banfoat anctIennen, abet i1)te
mtgumentation ift nid)t anne1)moat. ®it fud)en aus biefcm lSud) 1)etaus, tra!';
fi(1) mit bet ~ingeliung bet 6d)tift bertrCigt, unb bas lilitige libetge1)en roit.
ql. ~. ~ ret man n.
Bible Solutions for Difficult Problems. By E. M. Milligan, D. D., Pitts-
burgh, Pa. Published by the author. 227 pages, 5X7%. Price,
75 cts.
Explaining the origin of this book, the author says that what he
offers was embodiecl in addresses that he delivered on various oCDasions.
"The purpose of their delivery was to relieve doubts in the minds of
thoughtful Christians. These results had followed either the reading with-
out intelligent apprehension of the true meaning or the hearing of certain
scriptures as explained by those who evidently had no correct understand-
ing of what was taught in the Bible." "It is the purpose, then, in this
book to consider a few of the more important of the great doctrines of
divine revelation, especially those that are to-day, and that have been in
the past, terribly distorted and misrepresented even by some great and
good men, whose names are deservedly honored and revered in the Chris-
tian Church." (P.5.) The author, for one thing, opposes the theory of
evolution, presenting good arguments to show that the proofs which are
advanced for this theory are inconclusive. In our opinion the chapter of
Book Review. - £itetatut. 809
the book treating this subject, entitled "Science and the Bible," is the
best one. For another thing, the author controverts "hyper-Calvinism,"
contending quite correctly that it perverts Scripture. Unfortunately, while
endeavoring to avoid the Scylla of Calvinism, he falls into the Charybdis
of Arminianism. In the chapter superscribed "Modified Calvinism" he
says (p. 124 f.): "We believe that the Holy Spirit further supplies enabling
grace to make it possible for the unregenerate to both will and to do, if
they so choose, all that God asks of them for their salvation. . .. If the
unregenerate yield to the strivings of the Holy Spirit, as they can do with
the help of enabling grace, then they are regenerated and made heirs of
salvation, and then the effectual wOl'king of the Spirit in and for them
assures their perseverance in grace and their place and part with the
redeemed." [?] The author very properly contends for the truth that
man is a moral being and that the doom of those who are lost is not
due to any decree of God predestining a part of mankind to life and another
part to death; but he is not aware of the Scripture-teaching that man,
on account of his corrupt nature, uses his freedom altogether in the wrong
direction and that conversion, if it is to take place at all, must be accom-
plished altogether by the Holy Spirit. This as well as chiliastic teaching
(p. 205) constitutes a blemish in a work which offers much that is whole-
some and profitable. W. ARNDT.
Jesus of Nazareth King. "And of His kingdom there shall be no end"
(Gabriel), Luke 1, 33. By On'in W. Pentzer. 34 pages, 6X91f2.
Price, 50 cts. O. W. Pentzer & Son, Columbus, Ind.
The author, a cultured layman, who for a number of years taught
Latin and Greek in a college of the United Brethren Church, here states
his faith in Christ and His Gospel. It is a simple testimony that is given,
but not an uneffective one. After showing how idolatry was practised in
the various countries of the ancient world, quotations being submitted
which are highly instructive, the supernatural coming of Jesus, His divine
life, sin-atoning death, and glorious resurrection are dwelt on, with the vic-
tory which thereby was achieved over the idols of the nations. The value
of the little brochure is enhanced by the reproduction of two famous paint-
ings by Munkacsy ("Jesus before Pilate" and "Jesus on the Cross") and
by a picture of the Parthenon in Athens. W. ARNDT.
The Facts and Mysteries of the Christian Faith. A Brief State-
ment of the Things Christians Believe and the Reasons why They
Believe Them. By Albertus Pieters, D. D. Second, enlarged edition.
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. 213 pages,
5i4X8. Price, $1.25.
If we, at the outset, point out a few naevi in this book by the Dusker-
Hulswit Professor of English Bible and Missions in the Western Theological
Seminary, Reformed Church in America, it is not for the sake' of dis-
crediting this splendid collection of short essays. We cannot follow the
author in the expression that "ten millions of years ago the universe was
in a different state from the present" (p. 22), nor in his concession to the
Bible critics, "as others would prefer to say, from any essential or im-
portant error" (p. 40), nor in his hope of a possible warless world (p. 49 ) •
810 Il0'0'k Review. - ,\)iteratut.
n0'r in his placing the pers0'nal surrender ab0've the influence 0'f the W0'rd
in the life 0'f the believer (p. 90), n0'r in the hope 0'f a cQming peaceful
peri0'd and the cQnversiO'n Qf the Jews (p. 205). Ilut these criticisms, after
all, dQ nQt CQncern m0're than half a page in the whO'le bQok. And while
a certain unevenness in the presentatiQn is nQticeable, due, nQ doubt, to
the fact that the 44 essays were originally published in a daily paper
as a cQntribution to' the defense Qf Christianity, it must be said O'f the
entire b0'O'k tha.t it may well serve as a basis f0'r popular apologetic dis-
cussiQns, nQt Olily on the truth of the Ilible, Qn the resurrection of Jesus,
and Qn the mysteries Qf the Christian faith ill genera], but even on such
difficult questiQns as the election 0'f grace; fQr the author speaks very
plainly and in keeping with Scripture, without Qne trace of a decree of
reprQbation. Wc IU1ve found many passages of striking power and beauty
in these essays. P. E. KRETZilIANK.
'l)ll~ ~rIlMe1U bet unjidjtbllr'fhl)tfJuren SHrdie 6ci 2utfjer. SDatftdfung un\)
53iiiun\lsbcriucf). lUon D. ~ t n ft lIt i e t f OJ C f, l5uperintennent in 0fdjat.
9Jt. ~einihts, %lo)folgcl', 53eipahl. 1932. 110 I5citen 9X5%. 'llteis:
M.2.80.
SDiefe amegenne I5djrift betftitt nidJ± bie ~ttffaffung, uIs ~abe bie unitd)toare
~itdJe in Wott unb l5aftament cine flcf)tbate Scite ober aIS wate bie .I1:itdJe
rocfentlidJ cine itd)tlJare ~eiganftaTt. Sie wenDet fid) bieImegt gegen "bets bon
I5ta~r, lUUmat, £ii~e unb ~liefot~ begtiinbete 9ccufut~ettum, ba~ bie 6idJt6arfeit
bet bon ~ott aUf ~tben gefHfteten ~ircf)e fait Di~ 3um ,\l:atfJoIiiimn gelten»
macf)±" (5. 3), bei bCIll tIber ®emeinidJaftsllcbanfe im .I1:itcf)enoegtiff in bem IJJlabe
3uriierttitt, aiS bet ~nftaltsgenanfe in ben lUotbetgrunb geitellt !tlltb". (15. 16.)
~n biefet lUerbinbung roenbet fld) nie I5cf)ti.ft audj gegen D. ~rert, \lJenn er OC=
\Jauptct: ,,~ft e~ nie!)t nesgal6 iibet iCDen ;8itleife! crljalien, baB net ~htiM 7 bel'
mU\1uftana nut l10n ber itcf)toaten ~ito)e ~anbeH?" (6.38), unb bie 6adJe ;0
batftellt, "aB [)annIe es fid) Iiei bet lRebe bon bet unitcf)tb.aren .I1:irdJe nut um
gcfegentfidJe unb feftenc uubetun\1cn aus £utlJers \}tii~3eit". (6. 26.) lRietfl~el
"itnb 3icntfid) breiflig I5tellen oefannt, all benen 53utl)ct bie .RitdJe Qll§briictfid)
llnficf)t1Hlr nennt, unb ite berteilcn itdJ 3icmHd) gldcl)mallig auf fiimtfid)c s:j5etioben
bomctften ~fnfQn\l ieiner .53efJrtiitigfeit an Dis in bie fetten 53eliensjaf)re fJineht".
5)er lUetfaffer llJenbet fief) aUdJ entfcl)ieben gegcn bie bon lIt.l5eebetg unb anbem
betttetcue mnitcf)t, ball lIes ncucn ncm 'l.1cgtiff bet communio sanetol'um Iiei
2ut~et aud) einen crllJeiterten ~itcf}en!Jegdff gibt, ber BU ben ®fiiulJigen aucf)
Ungliiu6ige, folllCit fie imrcf) WOtt unb Staufe lletufen finb, mit umfabt". (15.83.)
~t rodft nad), ball nad) 2ut~et nut bie ®Hiubigen 3ut Sfil'ef)e, aud) nut ;ie 3m:
.53oralgemeinbe gcf)0 tctt. ,,5;ie ® 1 Ii lt6 i \1 e n finb es, bie in ben @emeinben
fief) ®eifHidJe luiil)len." (15. 88.) ~n bicier lUerbinbung legt ct auef) bat, "bafl
iJJleland)tf)on in mugttftana unn 1!1poIogie Die 53el)te £utl)crs b·on bet lt1tfidJtbctrCn
(Semcinbe bet ®lauliigen, auef) tllenn ex nen ~lusbruci ,unitd)ioar' nid)t gelirauef)t,
beritetcn llJill unb Ql1cf) bcrtritt". (15. 1 01.) ~t rocnbet fiel) aUdJ gegen bie bolt
.~cner "gealljierte mnitcl)t, £ut~er iei bet lUertretcr cines reIigiBfen ;snDibibuu1is"
mus, bem bas foroo~l l1rim ~at~oIi3ismuil roie lieim [aIbiniSmus au finbenbc
®cmeinfd)aftsbellJnBticin im l\'riimmigreit§= unb ~hdJenlebcn fcl)le ll • (15.23.) Was
meint nun Dlietfef)ef, luenn er bie sr~efc QufiteUt, bail nie unfid)tbate ~itcf)e fidJt"
bar ifn :Del' lette l5at felnet I5d)tift lauict: ".Buriid oU 53utl)et, au fdnwt
lUetitcinDniS bon bel' bern natiitlicf)C1t IJJlenid)Cll unitdJtbaren, abct bem ®liiubigen
Book Review. - ~itetatut. 811
in lIDott unb 6dtament fid)tbaten ~itdJe!" ~ur3 aubot lommt bet liTusbrucr bor;
"bie unfidJtbat~fid)tbate ~itd)e, unfidJtbar fUt ben natUrIid)en 9Jlenfd)en, fid)tbar
fUt ben ®liiubigen". ~r eignet fidJ 6.71 lRabeslIDott an, nidJt bet fd)atfen
jJotm, wof)1 abet bem :;Snf)ait nad): "stlail bie ®emeinfdJaft het ®Hiubigen, bie
burd) :;S~fus