Full Text for CTM Theological Observer 8-9 (Text)
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LEHRE UNO VVEHRE
MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILETIK
THEOLOGICAL QUARTERL Y-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY
Vol. VIII September, 1937 No. 9
CONTENTS
Page
Dispensationalism Disparaging the Gospel. Th. Enge\der _ _____ 649
The Church and Social Problems. P. E. Kretzmann __
Approaches to Bible-Study in a Metropolitan CentE'r
A. R. Kretzmann
666
673
What can Synod Do in Order that there Be More Unifonnity in
the Externals of Our Public Services? F. J. Seltz ___ ~ ._. ___ 679
Sermon Study on Heb. 12, 18-24. Th. Laetsch _ __ _ _ _ 685
Outline for Sermon on Christian Education. Paul Koenig __ _ _____ 696
Outlines on the Eisenach Epistle Selections _ 698
Miscellanea . _
Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches
707
n1
721 Book Rcview.- Literatur
Eln Predlger muss nlcht aHein w ei.
den, also dass er die Schafe unter-
weise. wie sie rechte Christen sollen
sein. sondern auch daneben den Woel-
fen weh1'en, dass sie die Schafe nlcht
angrelfen und mit falscher Lehre ver·
fuehren und Irrtum einfuehren.
Luthe-r
Es 1st kein Ding. das die Leute
mehr bel der Kirche bebaelt denn
die gute Predigt. - Apologie, A rt. 24.
If the trumpet give an uncertain
sound who shall prepare himself to
the battle? -1 COT. 14, 8.
Published for the
Ev. L.th. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States
CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.
Theological Observer - .Rhd)Hd). SDie eban~
geIifdje Sfirdje oe±radj±e± b i e }B i 0 eI a 15 jffi 0 t± @l 0 t t e ~; nidj± im
Eiinne einer medjanifdjen )Berlialinfpiration, font>ern a I ~ b a ~ in men ~
f dj en llJ 0 t± g e n e i b e± e :8 e u g n i ~ @l 0 tt e ~ bon feinem jffiefen unb
jffiaIten, in~liefonbere ag :8eunni§ bon feinem eingeoornen EioIjne ~Gffu§
[Ijriftu§, in bem ba§ jffiort fSleifdj gel110rben if±. @lalie fie biefe~ jffiort pre~,
um ftatt beffen QeIjren un» Eitromungen be~ poIitifdjen SDenfen§ aur @lrunb~
lage un» aum ~nIjart iIjrer @rauoen~berfiinbinung au madjen, bann fiele fie
ao bon ber ()ffenoarung @lotte~ in [Ijriftu§, fie berriete iIjren SjGfrrn unb
Ijat±e ba§ medj± berhlirft, fidj ,ebangeIifdje ~irdje' 3U nennen." Gf.
Die Heidelberger Landlnege. - Our readers are familiar with the
story of this hoax. They have read about it in their Concordia Triglotta
(p.184, Hist. Introd.). Hardenberg, a Calvinist masquerading as a Lu-
theran, who was dismissed from his office as dome-preacher in Bremen in
1561, "also published the fable hatched at Heidelberg (Heidelberger
Landluege, indirectly referred to also in the Formula of Concord, 981,28),
but immediately refuted by Joachim Moerlin, according to which Luther
is said, toward the end of his life, to have confessed to Melanchthon that
he had gone too far and overdone the matter in his controversy against
the Sacramentarians; that he, however, did not want to retract his doc-
trine concerning the Lord's Supper himself because that would cast
suspicion on his whole teaching; that therefore after his death the
younger theologians might make amends for it and settle this matter."
(Ct. C. F. W. Walther, Der Concordienformel Kern und Stern, p.47.)
Now, believe it or not, there are those who in the year 1937 still accept
the ridiculous fable as truth and keep on spreading it. Bibliotheca Sacra
(Jan.-March, 1937) publishes an article entitled "Ulrich Zwingli," which
states: "The great German Reformer [Luther] appears nowhere in a
more disadvantageous light than in his treatment of Zwingli [at Mar-
burg] . It is with pain that we revert to these weaknesses in so great
a man as Luther. . .. It is gratifying to remember that on his death-
bed Luther charged Melanchthon to make further concessions and re-
gretted the obstinacy he had displayed in this matter." (P.58 t.) The
Reformed - at least some of them - consider this a choice morsel. It is
interesting to note how Dr. Christoph von Rommel treats the matter. In
his biographical book Philipp der Grossmuetige, published at Giessen
1830, he states in Vol. I, p.252ff.: "So hemmte er [Luther], und er ailein
(Melanchthon schwieg), den Lauf der Reformation um drei Jahrhunderte .
. . . So endete das Marburger Religionsgespraech, . . . fruchtlos in dem
Erfolg (zur grossen Freude der Papisten) , wei! nach dem grossen Moment
das Spiel der persoenlichen Leidenschaften wieder beg ann, besonders von
Luther, der erst kurz vor seinem Tode bekannt haben soil, dass er dieser
Sache zu viel getan." Notice the "solI." But in the note to this state-
ment, contained on page 226 of Vol. II, all doubt has vanished and the
720 Theological Observer - ~itdjlidj~,8eit\Jefdjidjmdje~
full details of the story are spread out. "Ueber Luthers Reue ist fol-
gendes feierliche Zeugnis des Predigers Alb. Hardenberg zu Bremen,
eines Vertrauten Melanchthons, nach des letzteren eigener Erzaehlung,
vorhanden. Als Luther zum letztenmal von Wittenberg nach Eisleben
reisen wollte, sprach Melanchthon mit ihm in seinem Hause: er habe die
alten christlichen Lehrer vom Abendmahl nunmehr fleissig gelesen und
der andern Lehre mehr als der ihrigen uebereinstimmend gefunden.
Darauf Luther eine Zeitlang geschwiegen und nachher gesagt: 'Lieber
Philippe, was wollen wir viel sagen? Ich bekenne es, dass der Sache
vom Sakrament zu viel getan ist.' Als Melanchthon den V orschlag
machte, deshalb eine neue Erklaerung an den Tag zu geben, habe er ge-
antwortet, er habe dieser Sache sorgfaeltig nachgedacht, aber dadurch
mache man die ganze Lehre verdaechtig. 'So will ich das dem lieben
Gott befohlen haben; tut 1hr auch was nach meinem Tode.''' We can
understand why the Reformed like to tell and hear this story. If Luther
himself was not so sure of his position, perhaps the Reformed are right
after all! And so the Heidelberger Landluege will not down. (The
reader might now turn to page 981 of Concordia Triglotta, § 28 ff. Luther
foresaw that after his death some such thing as the Heidelberger Land-
luege would be set in motion.)
There are three stories concerning Luther, which men are going to
keep on telling. They are too good not to be true. The first is the
Heidelberger Landluege, current in Reformed circles. The Catholics
like to tell the story that Luther turned Reformer because he wanted
to marry (or was it because not he, but Tetzel, had received the in-
dulgence concession?). And the liberal theologians take comfort from
the story that Luther abhorred verbal inspiration. E.
French Protestantism.-A precise statement of the number of French
Protestants it is difficult to give. There are computed to be about 777,000
Protestants, of which number 717,000 are attached to French churches,
2,000 to foreign churches, 30,000 to societies for evangelization, 5,000 to
the Salvation Army, and the remainder to various sects. The numerical
force of French Protestantism is small in comparison with its moral and
spiritual force, which is great. - The Presbyterian.
The Roman Church in Europe. - One of our exchanges reports that
Romanism is both attacking, and being attacked in Europe, at present.
In Yugoslavia, where the government is considering signing a concordat
with the Vatican, a bitter conflict is on, and the officials of the Eastern
Orthodox Church are threatening with excommunication those members
of the government who sanction and support the proposed concordat.
A Yugoslav army officer is reported as saying, "Communists are very bad
for a country, but priests aren't much better." In Germany, Romanism
is fighting for its life, and its position is becoming increasingly difficult.
In Austria, however, it is on the offensive and is boldly attempting to
suppress other denominations. That Romanism plays an important role
in the present civil war in Spain is undeniable. In Hungary Protestants
and Catholics are vehemently opposing each other. The next five years
may bring important developments. A.