NEEDED - One Good Shepherd!

(Preached a few years ago on Misericordias Domini at Trinity Orthodox Lutheran Church, Sierra Vista, Arizona)

Homily on John 10:11-16

"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd."(NASB)


Christianity is NOT all about Christians. Christianity IS all about Christ! To many who claim the name "Christian," this religion revolves around them: their ideas, their needs, and their feelings.

This could be seen clearly in a newspaper article in Friday's paper. The article was about how various churches here in town carried out "evangelism." One Pastor — it doesn't matter who — said that asking people if they're "saved" wasn't very useful. Rather he wants to know if people are being disciples of Jesus. "Of course, Jesus is the Savior too," he said, almost as a throw-away line, "but what's really important is whether or not they are living as Jesus' followers."

Now, that is taking the Bible and turning it inside out and upside down. You could say the same thing about any and every wise man or philosopher who ever lived, and any religion on the face of the earth!

Look again at the words of Jesus from John 10. Does he talk mostly about the sheep, or about the shepherd? Where is the focus? Is it even on the behavior or feelings of the sheep, or is it on the behavior and feelings of the Good Shepherd? The answer is crystal clear. If we ask —

DO WE REALLY NEED A SHEPHERD?
God answers, Yes!
We Need A Shepherd To Die For Us!
We Need A Shepherd To Protect Us!

What is the main message of the Good Shepherd? Once again, it has very little to do with the sheep. People ARE sheep. They are foolish. They are easily led astray. They are stubborn. They are more often than not disobedient. And, they love to wander. Thus, just like sheep, people need a shepherd. The fact is, they need a Savior! This isn't just PART of Jesus' work, and a minor part at that, as some seem to think. The work of paying for our sins is the main and most important work of the Good Shepherd.

As I said, we have a lot of sins to pay for. We have to pay for them because God, our Maker, deserves complete and total respect and obedience, and will not and cannot tolerate anything less. This isn't a matter of His "feelings," or about Him being picky or overbearing. This is a fact of His existence that He cannot deny, no more than He could lie. The fact of our existence is that we have not, indeed, cannot give God what He rightfully deserves — complete holiness and righteousness. Thus, we owe a tremendous debt that we could never hope to repay, not even with our very lives.

So, the entire message of Christ, and of the whole Bible, is a simple one of "transference:" By grace through faith God transferred our guilt to His only Son, and made Him pay the ultimate price, and also transferred Jesus' perfect righteousness to us. Then the Father raised His Son from the dead to put His own seal on the deal. This was the promise given to Adam and Eve, and to the Patriarchs, Kings, Prophets, the people of Israel, and nations of the world.

So, the message of the Good Shepherd is not about us — unless it's about our sin and our inability to remove it ourselves. No, the message is all about the work: the life, preaching, miracles, and entire ministry of Jesus Christ. We really DO need a shepherd, and He is the BEST!

But neither does our shepherd simply fight one battle for us and retire to the old shepherd's home! He stays with the flock, and each and every individual member of the flock to fight every day, and every hour of every day to protect us from the only real evil there is — hell!

Here again, look at some shepherds today. Far too many refuse to fight. They have become spiritual "draft-dodgers," religious "peaceniks," and "objectors" to Biblical warfare without a "conscience!" They take no stands, offend no one, confront no sins, and proclaim no eternal truths. They want people to have the peace of Jesus without giving them any piece of the real Him at all!

Note what Jesus calls these kinds of shepherds, "hired hands!" They are not the owners, nor do they even belong to the owner's family. At the first sign of trouble or difficulty or danger, they run away as fast as they can. In other words, they are only in the "religion" business for the money, and even then only when that good.

So, why do so many people follow such worthless shepherds? Remember — people are sheep! And most of these shepherds themselves are "lost sheep," who do not have Jesus as their Good Shepherd!

But Jesus is always with us. Not only is He among us with His spiritual presence. He is with us and within us through His precious Sacraments. And He is beside us with His ever-powerful Word, to lead us against our common foes: fear, doubt, worldly wisdom, false teachings, Satan's lies, and our own temptations. The Bible is indeed Christ's very own "rod and staff' that comforts and guides us through life and death. Without a pure, true, and completely trustworthy Bible, we would once again be wandering sheep.

So, what is Christianity all about? Is it about people doing good, being nice, living right, having faith in the goodness of people, and trying to be like Jesus as much as possible? NO! Christianity is all about Jesus Christ, God's Son, and Him horribly crucified for all the rotten, dirty, nasty, disgusting sinners in the whole world. It's about His message of forgiveness and peace with the Father through His sacrifice, which is ours only by faith. It's about the Means of Grace He left behind to create and strengthen saving faith — the Gospel in Word and Sacraments. It's about His Church, commanded by Him to preach ONLY His Saving Word to the world. It's about His Ministry, set up by Him to serve believers with the Means of Grace and announce the Gospel to all people. And, finally, yes, it is about believers, working together to preserve His pure Word and being used by the Holy Spirit to extend the kingdom of His Word.

Those other churches may not need a Good Shepherd to die for them, or to protect them from a very real and deadly devil, but we do. We Really Do Need A Shepherd – A Good Shepherd! Praise God we have one, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen.


Pastor Spencer

Must-listen mini-gems from Marquart: What is the Liturgy?

All it takes is a couple of minutes to listen to this short clip from a longer lecture on Liturgy and Evangelism by the sainted Rev. Kurt Marquart. The full-length audio recording can be found here.

Here's Marquart correcting some common misconceptions of the Liturgy.

 

A few quotes from the above clip:

"The Liturgy is far more than ceremonies."

"'Liturgy' means a 'public service.' Therefore, says the Apology, the word 'Liturgy' - leitourgia - fits very well with our understanding of the Ministry, because a minister who preaches offers Christ to the people...just as he who consecrates offers the Lord's body and blood to the people."

"So what happens is, the public celebration of the mysteries of God, the giving out of the life of God that flows as at a living oasis. It's a connection to the Eucharist."

Pastors are but humble and obedient servants of the mysteries of God.

Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. (First Corinthians 4:1)

What are the mysteries of God? Even a little study into the writings of St. Paul will show that these mysteries are nothing else than God's own Word and the Holy Sacraments. But why are they called mysteries? Very simple – God is God, and we are not. Therefore, the things of God are, by nature, mysteries to us. And, as Believers, we wouldn’t want it any other way!

What a wonderful mystery is the Word of God. There is most certainly something mysterious about the process of divine inspiration which produced it. On top of which the precious Gospel itself which it reveals to us is the greatest and most sublime of all mysteries. That God reconciled us poor lowly sinners to Himself, only by His grace, which we apprehend only by faith, which in turn comes only by that self-same Word and the Sacraments; this is a great miracle, and just as great a mystery.

And how mysterious is the manner by which the Holy Spirit uses it as his tool to operate on men's hearts, to bring them to faith, to regenerate them and make them children of God. When we behold the mysterious workings of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, must we not all stand in amazement and cry with Nicodemus, “Lord, how can these things be?” (John 3:9)

And look for a moment at the beautiful Holy Sacrament of Baptism, that it is truly and always a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration; what a marvelous mystery. That a few words and a few drops of water bring grace, faith, forgiveness, power, and eternal life can only be anything but a mystery to us mere mortals.

Equally so the Lord's Supper, that in, with, and under the bread and wine Christ gives us His very true and real Body and Blood to eat and to drink, and thereby gives us not only a pledge of forgiveness, but the actual remission of all our sins, the strength to live for Him, and the sure and certain seal of our own personal eternal salvation. Really and truly, what a comforting and heavenly mystery! And comfort that our Savior certainly wills that we enjoy on every Lord's Day and indeed whenever His brothers and sisters gather to enjoy the feasts of His grace.

The same is true of that which our confessions call the sacrament of penance, but which has fallen on hard times among us – private confession and absolution. What peace, solace, and inner joy is found when the Pastor looks directly into the tearing eyes of a sorrowing sinner and proclaims at the command of Christ his Lord's own words, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:5) Let this wonderful mystery of God be found among us ever more as the times of this evil world wax late, and Believers need more and more weapons against sin and despair.

The Minister of the Gospel is to be the caretaker, dispenser, and yes, steward of all these mysteries of God. And a steward is nothing more or less than a servant who is placed over the goods of his master; and he is to administer these goods, not according to his own plans and wishes, but strictly in accordance with the instructions of his Master. How much more so for Ministers of the Gospel, who have the immeasurable treasures of the Means of Grace to dispense according to God’s will?!

This makes the work of the minister – the Pastor – very clear, plain, and easy to identify, does it not? He is to be nothing but a servant and steward of the mysteries of God. He is to preach and teach all the Words of God in no other way but in all their truth and purity, and administer the Holy Sacraments in no other manner than according to the institution and command of Jesus Christ – period! In doing this he is also to protect, defend, guard, and cherish the mysteries of God with nothing less than every thought of his brain, every word of his mouth, and every sinew of muscle, and drop of blood in his body. He is to be not only zealous, but jealous for the riches with which the LORD God has entrusted him, and administer them strictly according to the instructions which he has received from his Master.

This is what – and only what – we MUST expect, nay, demand, from all historic, orthodox, confessional Lutheran Pastors! We must demand that each and every one of them – all those who have taken their oath of Ordination upon the beloved Holy Scriptures and the honored Book of Concord – do nothing except preach and teach the mysteries of God – the Means of His Grace!

Let them stand in their pulpits Sunday after Sunday after Sunday and proclaim only the unfiltered Word of God in sermons wrenched with blood, sweat, and tears from long hours of study in the Bible. Let the words of the great apostle Paul be their constant refrain, “For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” (I Cor. 2:2) Believers today are no different in essence from those of Paul's day. They do not need "how to" sermons, funny stories, tales of the rich and famous, or to hear "me, myself, and I" from their preachers. They need to see and hear Jesus!

Let them gather the children about them regularly and teach them the Word of God from the Small Catechism, and guide and assist their parents to do the same. Our children do not need games, movies, toys, silly songs, and story-times; they get more than enough of those things from the world. They need the simple yet profound truths that our dear Father Martin taught his own children, and toiled to pass on to future generations.

Let them visit the sick – in both mind and body – faithfully, for no other purpose than to bring them the admonitions and the comfort of the Word of God, and the soothing and strengthening medicine of the Lord’s Supper. The sick do not need psychologists, counselors, and mental therapists; what they need are real Pastors!

Let them attend to the wandering and erring of their folds, and bring them the earnest rebukes and stern warnings of God's Word; to hold the Word of God before them as a lamp to guide them back again to the paths of truth and righteousness. Delinquents do not need bribes, plays, pageants, choirs, or potlucks; they do need a swift, sure, and well-placed jolt in their spiritual backside from the servant of the Almighty!

Let them go out and about their communities to those who are avoiding or even attacking Christ’s Church, to bring the warnings and chastisements of God's Word to bear upon their hard heads and cold hearts, in order to bring them into the house of God. The slackers and unbelievers do not need “seeker services,” “friendship Sundays,” nametags, happy-clappy singing, loosey-goosey, undignified, disorderly worship, and “casual” Pastors. What they do need is to hear that “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God!”(Heb.10:31) and also “The Blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”(I Jn.1:7)

We should not, we cannot, we must not expect anything else of our Pastors, our Ministers of the Gospel, our Servants of God's Mysteries, than these simple, yet profound, and yes often difficult and laborious tasks – and we Pastors must expect nothing less from ourselves and each other!

Let us be stewards of the mysteries of God, bond-servants of Christ's Church, and co-workers with Jesus. This and nothing more, for this is more than enough!

Pastor Spencer

Reflection on the Holy Ministry

Since the Wisconsin Synod's seminary in Mequon recently completed its academic year, with the assignment of candidates to their first Calls, and graduation, I felt moved to jot down a few thoughts as I complete my own 30th year of ministry in Christ's vineyard. I was drawn to Paul's second letter to the Corinthians.

Second Corinthians 4:7 – But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

It is God Who establishes the office of the Holy Ministry of His Word. It was God who Called the prophets of old. It was God, in and through His only Son, our Lord, Who sent forth the Apostles to preach the Gospel to the whole world. It is God, working through the Holy Spirit - sometimes not very easily "through," but often more "in spite of" - human agencies to Call men to their various ministries. This is because, though He still does the Calling, the human instruments are subject to human frailty and are liable to make human mistakes. Still, I believe that, because it is God's work, He sees to it that through these imperfect human instruments His will is done.

It is therefore also God who adds His Spirit to the preached Word and through such preaching and teaching saves souls. It is God Who calls, gathers, enlightens, and adds people to His eternal kingdom. It is God Who offers His grace in visible forms in the Holy Sacraments. It is God Who forgives sins, speaking through the voice of His servants in the Gospel Ministry.

Yes, we proclaim in Christ Jesus God's grace, pardon, peace, and eternal life; but these are God's gifts and God's power and God's salvation! God has given His Church THIS work to do - and we must do it - but it is still His work. And His work is not to entertain the world, or even the church; not to tell them what they want to hear, or what they like to hear, but only what they need to hear. Nor is it to bedazzle the world or our fellow believers with our oratory or even our art or music. These can only be but servants of our ministries, never the goal.

Thus, the Church selects a few men - brave and hearty souls, prepared, ready, willing, and able - to take upon themselves the public ministry of the work of the kingdom. But always this work remains the work of God. It belongs to Him, and not to us to do with as we please. And as God's work it must not cease until Jesus comes, and it dare not be left unattended to, or done in an off-handed or slovenly manner. And grave danger it is to any and all who attempt to hinder it, or indeed do hinder it by their sloth or incompetence or false doctrine and practice.

Therefore, let us - both full-time ministers of the Gospel, and all those who hold up our hands in love and support - do the work which God has given us to do! Nor is the least of the work that we carry our shepherding burdens in our hearts to the throne of God; that we together invite and implore the Source of all good things, for His divine blessing upon our work. May God grant us all wisdom, strength, and zeal to carry out our ministries, for it is only with His help and with His power that we may even hope to bring treasured souls to heaven!

Pastor Spencer

Public Ministry and the Divine Call

No one should publicly teach or preach in the Church or administer the Sacraments unless he be regularly called (AC:XIV)

Some public comments and private emails in response to my previous post, C.F.W. Walther on the Layman's Role in the Congregation's Ministry, made plain that there may be a need to simply state what the Lutheran Confessions and basic catechesis have to say on the matter of the Ministry and of the Office of the Keys. And this is important for all Lutherans to know, or at least be reminded of, as many of the situations which rightly concern us are instances where so-called Confessional Lutherans borrow liberally and directly from sectarian sources (a) having direct historic connections to Pietism, (b) which continue to officially confess and openly advocate the distinctives of Pietism, (c) whose practice and advice debase the Office of the Public Ministry, and (d) confuse it with the Universal Priesthood of all Believers. The open and unapologetic practice of plagiarism, often (though not necessarily) coincident with the practice of laymen regularly performing the teaching or preaching functions of the pastor, both in situations resembling "conventicles" as well as in the context of the Divine Service, is foreign to Confessional Lutheran practice and a hallmark of heterodox influence and Pietism. It is good for us to remember sound doctrine in order to spot practice which is inconsistent with it.

Article XIV of the Augsburg Confession was stated above. It is rather direct and easy to understand. However, some may appreciate a bit more detail. In 1946, Rev. Edward W.A. Koehler published an annotated version of Martin Luther's Small Catechism, which has served Confessional Lutherans for decades since. In fact, one edition is still in print and available from Northwestern Publishing House (see bibliographical reference, below). Here is how he briefly explains these doctrines for students of the Catechism:

How does the local congregation publicly administer the Office of the Keys?
According to God’s will the Christian congregation chooses and calls men as ministers, who in the name of Christ and in the name of the congregation publicly perform the functions of the Office of the Keys¹.

The word “publicly” here does not mean openly, before the eyes of the public, but it means in the name of the public, which, in this case, is the local congregation. While each true believer in Christ is a royal priest in his own right, and should, therefore, by word and deed “show forth the praises of God” [1 Pt. 2:9], he will not remain aloof from other believers, but rather seek the fellowship of those that hold the same faith as he [Acts 2:42], and join a Christian congregation in order that together with others he may do what the Lord commanded them to do. – Since all members of a congregation have the same right and duty, no one may take it upon himself to act in the name of all others, but he must by them be called or commissioned to preach, etc. (Ro. 10:15). In our day, God does not call these men directly [the immediate call²], as he called the Apostles and the Prophets of old [and enabled them to verify this call through signs and wonders³], but the Christians, the local congregation, to whom the Office of the Keys was given, choose and call the man who in their name, publicly, is to perform the duties of the office in their midst [the mediate call⁴]. And when such a person has accepted this call, he is to be regarded as “the minister of Christ and steward of the mysteries of God” [1 Co. 4:1], whom God Himself has made “overseer” or bishop over that flock [Acts 20:28], and who, under God “in the person of Christ” [2 Co. 2:10] and in the name of the congregation that called him, performs the functions of the Office of the Keys. It is the call and the acceptance of this call that makes a man the minister of a congregation, not ordination and installation, which are not divinely commanded. – A congregation may not call into this office any one whom it pleases, no false teacher, no manifest sinner, but only such as are able and fit for this office. Neither are women to be called into this office [1 Ti. 2:11-12].

Koehler, E. (1946). A Short Explanation of Dr. Martin Luther’s Small Catechism. River Forest, IL: Koehler Publishing. pp. 275-278

We will have more to say in coming days and weeks regarding the sources we see repeatedly surfacing among congregations implementing practices of the Church Growth Movement.


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Endnotes

1. That the reader may understand:
   
   
   The Office of the Keys is the power, or authority, to preach the Word of God, to administer the Sacraments, and especially the power to forgive and to retain sins (Koehler, E. 1946. pg. 275).
   
   This power is called the "Office of the Keys" because it opens heaven by forgiving sins, or closes heaven by retaining sins (Koehler, E. pg. 276).
   
   See 1 Pt. 2:9; Mk. 16:15; Mt. 28:18-20; Mt. 16:19; Mt. 18:17-18,20; Jn. 20:22-23.
   
   
2. Lange, L. (2005). For God So Loved the World: A Study of Christian Doctrine. Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House. pg. 584.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.

C.F.W. Walther on the Layman's Role in the Congregation's Ministry

Yesterday's blog post, Lay Ministry: A Continuing Legacy of Pietism, began with the sentence, "Pietism was a raging problem among Lutherans in mid-19^th Century America," and closed by pointing out that in Norway, "[p]olitically and culturally, religious liberty [had become] synonymous with lay participation in the functions of the Office of the Ministry within the congregation, such that, by the time of the first wave of Norwegian emigration to the United States in the middle of the 19th Century, not only was the practice of laymen carrying out the functions of the Pastoral Office culturally accepted, it was considered a political right." This was the result of Haugean Pietism which had coursed through Norwegian religious and political culture not more than a generation prior, and which was still at work reforming Norway's cultural institutions, as dramatic political and economic changes continued to occur there.¹

Hans Nielsen Hauge died in 1824 a folk hero. In 1825, the first of several major migrations from Norway to America occurred, landing mostly in northern Illinois along the Fox River. By the third large migration, around 1840, Norwegians were settling in southeastern Wisconsin, and it is about this time that Norwegian Lutheran congregations began forming.² The Norwegian settlers during the 1840's and 1850's were very closely "connected with the Church in the homeland, and they brought with them greater respect and love for the rites and usages of the Church of their fathers."³ Yet, prior to 1843, there were no pastors to serve them -- only Haugean lay preachers. Two Norwegian pastors, Dietrichson and Clausen, finally arrived, and did much work during these days in the Koshkonong and Muskego settlements, correcting the confusion wrought by Pietism, diligently securing deliberate and specific confessions of faith and intent from new members of a growing number of congregations, and working for greater unity among them. Rev. Stub joined them in 1848, and in 1850, with a great deal of groundwork completed under the leadership of Rev. Dietrichson, three pastors -- Clausen, Stub, and Preus -- along with eighteen congregations between Muskego and Koshkonong, Wisconsin, formed the Norwegian Synod.⁴

The situation was slightly different among the Germans. Pietism was nearly a century-and-a-half in the past for them, and time had carried them through Enlightenment Rationalism and ecumenical mergers. Elements of Pietism and Rationalism abounded among them, and, intermingled, were a great danger -- often being more subtle and insidious. German Lutherans had been in America since the early Colonial days, and this was largely the case among those in the East. When the Stephanites landed in Perry County, MO, having emigrated from Saxony to escape various forms of religious persecution which resulted from the Prussian Union, they found that the seed of Lutheran orthodoxy existed in America and was already at work in the eastern States to purify doctrine and practice -- the Henkel clan in the Tenessee Synod and Charles Porterfield Krauth having begun the work of addressing error, and grown experienced in spotting its subtleties. C.F.W. Walther, after ascending to leadership of the Saxon Lutherans in Missouri, sought them out, resonating with their doctrine and their task (having himself been a Pietist at one time). On the other hand, in the Norwegian Church, Rationalism hadn't yet made any real inroads, nor had indifferentism generally grown into open ecumenism with the Reformed or with the Methodists (although it had among the Haugean lay preachers, at least in this latter case). The only real inroad made by Rationalism was a mild form borrowed from an early 19^th Century Danish theologian named Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig -- "Grundtvigianism," or the error of elevating the Creed to authority equal with Scripture, and Baptism of the deceased to procure their Salvation. In fact, this issue was brought against Reverends Clausen and Stub in the mid-1850's, and they were found to have been teaching this error with Dietrichson all along. Stub confessed and retracted his errors, Clausen retired.⁵ As one can imagine, other issues abounded and were resolved, the constitution was reworded and improved, and as the Norwegian Synod grew, they grew more aware of their similarities with the Missourians and formed a positive opinion of them and their theology.⁶

From the influence of pietism, from both pastors within the Norwegian Synod and its laity, the question of "laymen's activity" arose in the late 1850's, stirred for a few years, and finally broke into open controversy in 1860. The party in favor of "laymen's activity" asserted the following:

Laymen should have the right to teach and pray publicly, (1) because they belonged to the universal priesthood of believers; (2) because Christian brotherly love demanded it; and (3), because it was the practice of the early Christian Church.⁷

The opposing party within the Norwegian Synod "conceded everything except the point on which the whole thing hinged: How and when can a laymen teach and preach?"⁸

At loggerheads over this question for two years, finally at the 1862 Convention of the Norwegian Synod, C.F.W. Walther was invited to address the question, in hopes of helping them to find a resolution. He did so by dividing the question into three parts:

(1) the spiritual priesthood of all believers [Universal Priesthood]; (2) the special office of the ministry in the congregation established by God [Office of the Ministry]; and (3) how necessity knows no laws, hence supersedes the regular order in this matter [emergency situations].

In regard to the first... Paul, in Ro. 3:2, declared of the Old Testament Church, or believers at that time, that "unto them were committed the oracles of God." They were, therefore, the possessors and the stewards of God's Word, or the ministry. When factionalism arose in Corinth between the followers of Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, and each faction gloried in its leader, the apostle said to them: "Therefore let no man glory in men, For all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's and Christ's is God's" (1 Co 3:21-23)... The Office of the Ministry is therefore not to be regarded as a private privilege, which alone belongs to the minister of the Gospel, but is a common privilege belonging to all the members of the Church... [From further lengthy proofs from scripture], it is apparent that every Christian not only has the office of the ministry, but that he also, if he at all wishes to be a Christian, must perform its duties, so that he also confesses the Word, teaches, admonishes, confesses, reproves, and in every way has a care for his neighbor's salvation; that is, for his conversion as well as his preservation in the faith....

But the Lord sees, secondly, how Christians are beset by the frailties of flesh and blood, and on account of this frailty and weakness of the average Christian, God has instituted a special Office of the Ministry of the Word. According to God's Word, certain persons who are prepared, gifted, equipped and tried for this office should be elected, called and set aside from the Christians in general, to perform these offices publicly among them, and in their name thus preach the Word and administer the Sacraments, lead their meeting for mutual edification through God's Word, and are, in fine, the mouth of the Christians.

Wherever the holy apostles established Christian congregations, they, at their departure, did not entrust the office of mutual edification to the converted congregations, so that anyone could publicly teach and lead the others, but they placed certain persons, called elders or bishops, as leaders or overseers. Paul says to his companion and co-worker Titus: "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldst set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee. If any be blameless... for a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God... holding fast to the faithful words as he has bee taught" (Ti. 1:5-11). These elders or bishops did not only have the call, like other Christians, to use God's Word over against their neighbors as spiritual priests, but they had definite congregations, whose spiritual service was entrusted to them alone. Peter therefore writes: "the elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder... Feed the flock of God which is among you" (1 Pe. 5:1,2). This is not only a good human ordinance, but it is an ordinance instituted by God Himself... [After much explanation from Scripture, concludes], the Public Ministry is therefore a gracious institution of the merciful God, whereby God's Word can henceforth be richly and purely preached and false prophets be warded off, and the Sacraments be properly administered. Thus God's whole dispensation, whether in the Church or the local congregation, is carried out in a good, blessed, and God-pleasing manner.

Although all believing Christians in virtue of their faith have the office of priests, yet they should not perform those duties in such a way that they disturb or abolish the divinely instituted public ministry of the Word in their local congregation. As urgently as the Bible exhorts Christians to be faithful and zealous in the fulfillment of their duties, it nevertheless says: "My brethren, be not many masters" (Ja. 3:1), and Paul, after saying, "God hath set some in the church, first apostles, etc.," asks: "Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?" (1 Co. 12:28-29). [After further adducing Scripture concludes,] In public assemblies arranged for edification, the lay Christians should not teach, admonish, console, correct, lead in prayer or publicly administer the Sacraments of Baptism or the Lord's Supper, as these are functions reserved for the Christians properly called and ordained by God for this purpose.

But, thirdly, necessity knows no law. In case of need, as,for instance, if the Christians have no publicly appointed pastor, or if he be a false prophet, or if he serves them so seldom that they are in danger of spiritual starvation in case nothing more were done among them, then it is not wrong if also laymen in such cases of need preach the Word and pray in public assemblies or publicly administer Baptism... But they do not function according to the ordinance of God, but as emergency pastors lest needy souls be lost. The Lutheran Symbols, therefore say: Just as in a case of necessity even a layman absolves, and becomes a minister and pastor of another; as Augustine narrates the story of two Christians in a ship, one of whom baptized the catechumen, who after baptism then absolved the baptizer." (TR:67) ⁹

Walther here is quite clear. In fact, his theses to the Norwegian Synod were the basis for their resolution to settle the matter of "layman's activity," using it henceforward as their official doctrine, as follows:

1. God has instituted the office of the public ministry for the public edification of Christians to salvation through God's Word. Unanimously accepted.
2. For the public edification of Christians, God has not instituted any other order which should be placed by the side of this. Unanimously accepted.
3. When one undertakes to lead the public edification of Christians by the Word, he undertakes and exercises the office of the public ministry. Unanimously accepted.
4. It is sin when anyone without call or in the absence of need undertakes this. Unanimously accepted.
5. It is both a right and a duty in case of real need for anyone who can to exercise in proper Christian order the office of the public ministry. Unanimously accepted.
6. The only correct conception of need is that actual need exists, either where there is no pastor or one cannot be gotten; or if there is a pastor who does not rightly serve them, but teaches falsely; or who cannot serve them sufficiently, but so insufficiently that they cannot be brought to faith or be preserved in faith and guarded against error, and that Christians would succumb from lack of oversight. Two voted against.
7. When such need is at hand, it ought to be relieved by a definite and proper order, according to the circumstances. Unanimously accepted.¹⁰

WELS has publicly made plain in their discussions with Missouri on the subject, that we hold to Walther's teaching on Public Ministry. The above is the teaching of Walther, as plainly and simply stated as this author has ever read it. Notice that "the public ministry" described above is one ministry that includes "teaching, admonishing, consoling, correcting, leading in prayer, and public administration of the Sacraments" in public assemblies within the congregation, and is understood as synonymous with the Office of the pastor. Is this the teaching we observe practiced in our WELS congregations? Do laymen publicly teach, preach, and offer prayers in our churches, or Publicly execute other functions of this Office? If it is claimed that such laymen possess a Divine Call, then what constitutes a valid Call and how is possession of a valid Call communicated to the assembly? For that matter, what constitutes valid Approval criteria -- are such criteria arbitrary? And of course, we must ask this with respect to the Office of the Ministry itself, asking what it is? Do we agree with Walther, or not?


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Endnotes

1. Petterson, W. (1926). The Light in the Prison Window: Life and Work of H. N. Hauge. (2^nd ed.).Minneapolis: The Christian Literature Company. pp. 73, 173-179.
   
2. Ylvisaker, S (Ed.). (1943). Grace for Grace: A Brief History of the Norwegian Synod. Mankato, MN: Lutheran Synod Book Company. pp. 9-15.
   
3. Ibid. pg. 15.
   
4. Ibid. pp. 16-34.
   
5. Rohne, J. M. (1926). Norwegian American Lutheranism up to 1872. New York: Macmillan. pg. 144-145.
   
6. Ibid. pp. 162-163.
   
7. Ibid. pg. 168.
   
8. Ibid. pg. 168.
   
9. Ibid. pp. 174-178.
   
10. Ibid. pg. 178.