Church & Ministry - Lesson One

CHURCH AND MINISTRY

2003

LESSON ONE

I. Background to Course

A. Primary Resource

1. First Edition published 1852.

2. Second Edition published 1865.

3. Third Edition published 1875.

4. Mueller’s translation based on Third Edition.

5. Adopted as Confession of LC-MS in 1851.

B. C.F.W. Walther

1. October 25, 1811 – May 7, 1887.

2. Immigrated with Saxons to U.S. in 1839.

3. Brother of O.H. Walther.

4. President of Missour Synod 1847-1850, 1864-1878.[1]

5. Originally a weak member of clergy in the immigration.

6. Became strong in the Perry County conflict.

II. Thesis I Concerning the Church

A. The church in the proper sense of the term is the congregation [Gemeinde] of saints, that is, the aggregate of all those who, called out of the lost and condemned human race by the Holy Spirit through the Word, truly believe in Christ and by faith are sanctified and incorporated in Christ.[2]

B. Scripture Proof

1. Eph 1:22,23

a. Christ is Head.

b. The Church is His body

c. Therefore, Church is sum total of all those who are joined in Christ.

2. Eph 5:23-27

3. 1Co 3:16,17

4. Mt 16:18

a. In proper sense, the Church, i.e. its members, is built on Rock of Christ and His Word.

b. On this only he is built who is built on it by a living faith.

C. Confessions and Creeds

1. Apostles’ Creed

a. “I believe in the Holy Spirit; the holy Christian church; the communion of saints”.

b. “Communion of saints” explains “church”.

2. Large Catechism, Second Part: The Creed, The Third Article.[3] [4]

3. Augsburg Confession, Article VIII.[5]

4. Apology, Article VII, VIII.[6]

a. the church is a spiritual people.

b. i.e. has the Holy Spirit.

5. Smalcald Articles, Part III, Art. XII.[7]

D. Witnesses in Private Writings

1. John Gerhard (a/k/a Johann Gerhard)

a. October 17, 1582 – August 17, 1637; “Archtheologian of Lutheranism”, the most influential theologian of 17^th century Lutheran theology.[8]

b. "Hence in order that anyone may truly belong to Christ's body, he must be ruled, led, and, as it were, animated by the Holy Spirit" (Loci theologici, "De ecclesia", para 53), quoted Church and Ministry, page 31.

c. "We declare that catechumens, as also all others who are endowed with the true inward faith, are in the church, even if they have not yet actually received Baptism" (Loci theologici, "De ecclesia", para 54), quoted Church and Ministry, page 31.

2. Quenstedt, John Andrew (a/k/a Johann (es) Andreas)

a. 1617 – 1688; nephew of John Gerhard, Lutheran dogmatician, Professor at Wittenberg[9]

b. "Properly and principally the church is the assembly of saints and true believers" (Theologia didactico-polemica, part IV, 15.2), quoted Church and Ministry, p 31.

2 Church and Ministry, page 27.

[3] The Book of Concord, translated and edited by Theodore G. Tappert, © 1959 by Fortress Press, pp 416, 417; The Book of Concord, edited by Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert, © 2000 Augsburg Fortress, p 437.

[4] The Book of Concord, translated and edited by Theodore G. Tappert will be hereinafter referred to as “Tappert” and The Book of Concord, edited by Robert Kolb and Timoty J. Wengert shall be hereinafter referred to as “Kolb and Wengert”.

[5] Tappert, p 33; Kolb and Wengert, p 43.

[6] Tappert pp 168-178; Kolb and Wengert pp 174-183; Note that one paragraph in Augsburg is now approximately ten pages in the Apology.

[7] Tappert p 315; Kolb and Wengert pp 324, 325.

[8] Lutheran Cyclopedia, p 329.

[9] Lutheran Cyclopedia, p 656.