Following is what I have written to reply to him.
Pr. Tom said:
It is not by understanding that we are saved. As Karl Barth says, "Here is truth we cannot understand - we can only stand under this truth." What is that truth? "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one may boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
I did not ever claim nor did I ever insinuate that we are saved by our understanding. Using the same line of thought that you are using here, if I claimed we should avoid those who are constantly trying to drag us into sin, would you then accuse me of promoting salvation by good works?
Do you believe in God, Pastor Tom?
Do you understand God?
I hope you get the point.
Pr. Tom said:
All of your statements about the "true church cannot be in fellowship with any church
" leave me very cold.
* They condemn all heresies which have sprung up against this article... (AC 1)
* They condemn the Pelagians and others who deny that original depravity is sin... (AC2)
* They condemn the Anabaptists and others who think that the Holy Ghost comes to men without the external Word... (AC5)
* They condemn the Donatists, and such like, who denied it to be lawful to use the ministry of evil men in the Church... (AC8)
* They condemn the Anabaptists, who reject the baptism of children... (AC9)
* Of the Supper of the Lord they teach that the Body and Blood of Christ are truly present, and are distributed to those who eat the Supper of the Lord; and they reject those that teach otherwise. (AC10)
* They condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that those once justified can lose the Holy Ghost. (AC12)
* The Novatians also are condemned, who would not absolve such as had fallen after Baptism... (AV 12)
* They therefore condemn those who teach that the Sacraments justify by the outward act, and who do not teach that, in the use of the Sacraments, faith which believes that sins are forgiven, is required. (AC13)
* They condemn the Anabaptists who forbid these civil offices to Christians. (AC16)
* They condemn also those who do not place evangelical perfection in the fear of God and in faith... (AC16)
* They condemn the Anabaptists, who think that there will be an end to the punishments of condemned men and devils. (AC17)
* They condemn also others who are now spreading certain Jewish opinions, that before the resurrection of the dead the godly shall take possession of the kingdom of the world... (AC17)
* They condemn the Pelagians and others, who teach that without the Holy Ghost, by the power of nature alone, we are able to love God above all things... (AC18)
Do we still have fellowship with those with whom we reject and condemn?
You do accept the Augsburg Confession, the most basic descriptive document of the Lutheran Church, do you not?
"
This church accepts the Unaltered Augsburg Confession as a true witness to the Gospel, acknowledging as one with it In faith and doctrine all churches that likewise accept the teachings of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession."
- Confession of Faith of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Or is that just so much lip service?
Pr. Tom said:
Recall a key post-resurrection encounter with two bewildered and grieving disciples who were not discerning of his presence even as he walked with them on the road to Emmaus, explaining to them the scriptures. They found their hearts "burning" as they met him in the word, both preached and read from the Scriptures. But it was when he was at the table with them, "He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it and began to give it to them; then their eyes were opened and they recognized him." Eyes and minds and hearts are opened in the encounter with the living Christ. Can we expect anything less to occur in the Word and Sacrament ministry of the church?
One question, Pastor Tom
Could you repeat one more time, who were these people the post-Resurrection Christ broke bread with? Disciples, you say? Believers? Those who already had followed Jesus for more or less three years? Interesting
Especially considering the sentence you follow this with:
Pr. Tom said:
I will always invite people, all people into that experience and let Christ do his thing.
They therefore condemn those who teach that the Sacraments justify by the outward act, and who do not teach that, in the use of the Sacraments, faith which believes that sins are forgiven, is required.
- Augsburg Confession, Article 13
"
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak as to wise men; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.
Observe Israel after the flesh: Are not those who eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar? What am I saying then? That an idol is anything, or what is offered to idols is anything? Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lords table and of the table of demons."
- 1 Corinthians 10:14-21
Communing all, without proper catechesis, is anti-Lutheran, anti-Scriptural, and anti-Christ. If you share the Body and the Blood of the Lord will "all", then your table is the table of demons, not the table of the Lord.
"
Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord."
- 1 Corinthians 11:27
"
Who, then, receives such Sacrament worthily?
...he is truly worthy and well prepared who has faith in these words: Given, and shed for you, for the remission of sins."
- Small Catechism
How sad, Pastor Tom, that you do not even take the time to ensure that those who you would commune are prepared, i.e. have faith that those words are indeed for them (pro me) specifically, and that it is truly our Lord who is truly present in, with and under the bread and wine, and that it is not something to be taken lightly, but to be accepted with all reverence.
How sad and arrogant of you, that you would ignore your duty as a minister of the Word and Sacrament; making the Word of God null and void, teaching instead, the doctrines of men (false unity without doctrinal unity, false tolerance, condoning the murder of the helpless, encouraging sinful lifestyles, etc.) I call on you, Pastor Tom, to repent of your false teaching, and exercise that love which I know you have in your heart for your fellow man!
Invite people, Pastor Tom, invite and accept all people
That is the only Christian thing to do. But, for their sake, and for the sake of true unity in the Church, properly catechize them, and teach the truth. What were Christs commands in the Great commission?
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.
Pr. Tom said:
Did Jesus say I will not drink water from the same cup or drink from the same well as the Samaritan woman at the well? No, he asked her for a drink and communed with her against all the social practices of the day.
Did I ever say that I would not drink water with a woman at a well, or anything resembling the same? Or are you here comparing common water with the Holy Body and Blood of out Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Is this the whole confusion for you, the inability to understand the difference between the Holy and the ordinary?
Pr. Tom said:
How sad, Dan, that for you your doctrine takes precedence over grace.
Why is it an either/or proposition for you, Pastor Tom? Why cannot you see that the only way for grace to be grace, is with a pure proclamation of true doctrine?
The reason this false accusation of yours stings so, is because you should know it to not be true. While it is true that I always stood solidly in the conservative corner on matters of doctrine, how many more times would I have to challenge the haters before you would retract your lie? One example, on the issue we discussed for so long at Zion, homosexuality; I know of at least two times, in your presence, when someone declared that they would physically throw a homosexual out of our church, I stood, looked them in the face, and told them they would have to throw me out first. Another example: on the same issue, I know I told you at least once, that I would much rather have a homosexual man as a pastor, who acknowledged the sinfulness of the behavior, and lived that repentance, than I would to have a gluttonous pastor, who denied the sinfulness of gluttony, and demanded his lifestyle be accepted.
You are, without doubt, more learned than I am, and I am quite certain that you are infinitely more righteous than I, but it is the false accusations and the illogic of your arguments that makes me wonder if you even know the Good News of the Gospel, Pastor Tom. Do you know the depth of the sacrifice that was made for you, and those you endanger with your message of Im ok, youre ok? Have you lost the awe? The deeper I understand this precious sacrifice, the closer to the pure doctrine of the Gospel I am called. How can you put doctrine and grace at odds? That is a message that goes against everything that the Gospel proclaims.
Pr. Tom said:
How sad that you would refuse to commune with your family, with your brothers and sisters in Christ at Zion.
This, I completely agree with you. It is sad and painful. More painful for me, I would imagine, than for you, my family, and those at Zion. For they all have the luxury of ignoring or misunderstanding the reason I will not commune at your altar. They can imagine that is personality, arrogance, or any number of other reasons. I do not have that luxury, however. I know that I cannot commune with them because they are communing at the altar of false doctrine.
Pr. Tom said:
How very sad, indeed, I feel arrogant you are in your stand.
"
For defending the truth in our day, we are called proud and obstinate hypocrites. We are not ashamed of these titles. The cause we are called to defend, is not Peter's cause, or the cause of our parents, or that of the government, or that of the world, but the cause of God. In defense of that cause we must be firm and unyielding."
- Martin Luther, A Commentary on Saint Paul's Epistle to the Galatians
Good book, you should read it someday.
Am I arrogant for fleeing from lies and seeking the uncompromised truth?
Tell me how much of a sinner I am Pastor Tom, and I will agree with you. Tell me how arrogant I am, and I will not deny it. Tell me that my sexuality is just as broken and sinful as any homosexual person, and I will shout it with you from the rooftops and praise you for the clear truth that you proclaim. But do not accuse my doctrine, exactly because it is not my doctrine; I am not above the doctrine, I am not even worthy to be called a slave to the doctrine, I am but a dog, a worm, and Christ is the master. When you deny this doctrine, you deny Luthers doctrine; you deny Pauls doctrine; you deny Christ Himself. No doubt you will see that statement as arrogant as well. That is fine with me, Pastor Tom. Just know that I do not blame you. I do not hate you. You will always be welcome in my home and my dinner table. But I will not commune at your altar, because we are not of one confession; one doctrine; one spirit.
Pr. Tom said:
On a lighter note, author Brian Green relates the following anecdote: A priest was reporting to his bishop about an inter-church gathering that was to conclude with the celebration of the Eucharist. "I told everyone present," said the priest, "that only Catholics would be able to come to holy communion. But at Communion time, the non-Catholics came forward as well." What on earth did you do?" asked the bishop. "Well, I said to myself, what would Jesus do in a situation like this?" "Oh my God!" said the bishop. "Tell me you didn't!" Imagine what unity might begin to grow among us if our every word and work was prefaced by that powerfully provocative question: "What would Jesus do?"
I'm not sure I know this author. Do you mean the String Theorist, Brian Greene? The Baptist, Brian Green?
In any case, it doesnt really matter. It only serves to further illustrate the fuzzy thinking so common to liberal theology. What you want is not a true unity; a unity of doctrine, the unity of the Spirit Paul urges us on to, the perfected unity Christ prays for in His High Priestly prayer. Your unity is a false unity which is truly no unity at all. Your unity is the unity of the Bahai, of the Universalists, of the demons.
Pr. Tom said:
Members of the Taize community in Burgundy France are devoted to Christian unity and one of its basic tenets insists: "Never resign yourself to the scandal of the separation of Christians, all so readily professing love for their neighbor, yet remaining divided. Make the unity of Christ's body your passionate concern."
Yes, the pan-Christian, synchronistic ethos of Taize waters down any semblance of true faith. The most disturbing thing I find about the Taize community is that they deny nothing, thereby affirming nothing as well. Their talk is even more vague and ambiguous than your own is.
Pr. Tom said:
What are your passionate concerns? To get things "right" yourself, or to let everyone know that Christ has made the world right with God?
I think I have been exceptionally clear as to
who my passionate concern is, Pastor Tom. It is you who has been vague, and shady from the day I met you. You want to talk about unity, Pastor Tom? You know, you were the very first Christian I ever heard talking nasty about other Christians. Soon after the 9/11 incident, I remember you having a meeting in the Social hall, where you compared fundamentalist Christians to the Islam suicide bombers. You had my head spinning for weeks with that one. I remember also, one time I told you that I had attended an LCMS church for Maundy Thursday while I was out of town
I remember the look of contempt in your eyes
I didnt even know why at the time. But its not a true unity you really want is it, Pastor Tom?
