Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XXVII

Here is the link to article XXVII: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-monastic-vows/

This is a fairly long one, and it may not seem particularly relevant to our own time. In our culture today, we don’t see many people clamoring to take monastic vows. Yet in the middle ages, the monastic life was often upheld as the ideal life. Members of a religious order typically took vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

The problem was, many people were pressured into taking such vows at a young age, before they had life experience to make an informed decision. Further, for at least some, joining a monastery was seen as a way to win God’s favor and obtain salvation.

The argument in this article is that a vow taken for the purpose of earning God’s favor is a wicked vow, and those who have taken such vows should be released.

The monastic life, per se, is not a bad thing. However, it is wrong to think that we can merit God’s favor through our own works. It is also wrong to think that monks are more acceptable to God than any other Christian and their vocation.

Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XXVI

Here is the link to this week’s article: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-the-distinction-of-meats/

In the early centuries of the church, all kinds of traditions developed, many of which continue to this day. These traditions include the church calendar, seasons of fasting and seasons of feasting, the order of scripture lessons for use in public worship, the use of vestments, fixed prayers for use on special days, and other similar customs.

At the time of the Reformation, the church placed a great deal of emphasis on observing such traditions, but many people lacked an understanding of the meaning behind them. For example, there is a long-standing traditions of abstaining from meat during the forty days of Lent. This tradition does not come from Scripture. It is simply a custom that developed as a way to prepare for Easter. This can be a very meaningful practice. Yet at the time of the reformation, many people believed that their salvation depended on keeping such observances. This contradicts the clear teaching of scripture that salvation is by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9). Paul warns in the book of Galatians that those who rely on works for salvation have fallen away from grace (Gal. 5:2-4).

So the reformers emphasized that such traditions are not necessary. You are free to fast or not to fast. You are free to commemorate the feast days or not to do so. You are free to use pre-written prayers or to pray in a freer fashion. (Personally, I do both!)

At the same time, the reformers saw value in a lot of traditions. For the most part, Lutherans retained the order of the mass. They also kept the liturgical calendar. However, they noticed that there were so many festivals and saints days that it was burdensome to follow, that it distracted people from their vocations, and that people were often abusing the sacrament. So, instead of celebrating Mass every day, the Lutherans held public Communion only on Sundays and festivals such as Christmas and Easter. They removed a number of saints days from the calendar, and emphasized the fact that it is no sin to have simpler rites and ceremonies.

Tradition is a bit of a double-edged sword. It can serve a useful, didactic purpose, but it can also become burdensome or meaningless. When not understood properly, traditions can even become a harmful distraction from the free gift of grace offered in Christ Jesus.

Most Lutheran churches are very traditional. However, the Lutheran Brethren as a denomination is typically not, because of our unique history. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Lutheran state church in Norway had become bound by traditionalism — emphasizing liturgy and ceremony more than a living faith in Jesus. Many people were baptized, attended church, and got confirmed without ever understanding the gospel or coming to saving faith. Lay preachers such as Hans Nielson Hauge began to hold Bible studies and prayer meetings in homes and to call people to repentance and faith.

The founders of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren were heavily influenced by this revival movement, and as a result, the LB historically has been less liturgical than other Lutherans. Our pastors don’t wear vestments, and many of our churches do not follow the lectionary. Yet this also should not be understood as a law.

The challenge of the church in every generation is to communicate the gospel of Christ in language that will communicate to people. In our own day, many younger Christians (including myself) are deeply interested in historic church traditions and liturgy, as they find it beautiful and moving.

In our congregation, I have attempted to ground our worship in historic practice, while at the same time utilizing the best of contemporary forms.

Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XXIV

Here is the link to this week’s article: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-the-mass/

This article speaks to the church’s worship. While the Roman church had erred in many ways, there was nothing intrinsically wrong with the traditional order of service.

The early Lutherans were careful to preserve the traditional Mass, reforming only what was necessary. Perhaps the biggest change was that they began singing hymns in the vernacular. Luther and his colleagues wrote hymns in German, publishing the first hymnal in 1524. Over time, the Lutheran church would become renowned for its music. Lutheran composers, such as Michael Praetorius and J.S. Bach would have a major impact on the development of western musical forms.

The other major issue dealt with in this article is abuses of the Mass. At the time of the reformation, it was common for priests to say Mass for a fee: it was thought that just by celebrating Mass, the priest could vicariously remove sins. Further, although Mass was said daily, most laypersons received communion infrequently, if at all.

Because of the abuses associated with daily Communion, the Lutheran reformers returned to an earlier practice of having Holy Communion only on holy days (Sundays and Festival days), or it could be served on request (for example, when an individual is unable to attend the Sunday service). This is probably similar to the practice of the early church.

Much later (probably in the 19th century), many Lutherans moved from weekly to monthly or even quarterly communion. There were a number of reasons for this. Many congregations in North America lacked ordained pastors, so they only celebrated communion when a pastor could visit. Among pietistic Lutherans, there was a strong emphasis on receiving worthily; many feared receiving the Lord’s Supper without a period of personal preparation. Additionally, Lutherans have been influenced by other Protestant groups who place less emphasis on the Lord’s Supper.

At this point, monthly communion is a long-standing tradition, but perhaps it is worth re-examining our reasons.

If you’re interested in studying this issue further, here’s a helpful primer (and the source of some info in this post): https://steadfastlutherans.org/blog/2015/01/communion-every-sunday-surprise-surprise/#:~:text=But%20suddenly%2C%20in%20the%2019th,only%20four%20times%20a%20year.

Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XXIII

Here is the link to this week’s article: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-marriage-of-priests/

This article deals with the issue of clerical celibacy. Are priests allowed to get married? Are vows of celibacy binding?

In answer to the first question, the reformers concluded that there is no Biblical reason to forbid marriage. Old Testament priests were not forbidden to marry.

The Bible indicates that Peter and at least some of the other apostles were married (Matt. 8:14-15; Luke 8:38-40; 1 Cor. 9:5). Further, the list of qualifications for a pastor includes the requirement that he only have one wife (1 Tim. 3:2). While this is probably intended as a prohibition of polygamy (not of single men serving the church), it does suggest that marriage was normal for pastors in the early church.

It’s true that in 1 Corinthians 7:7, St. Paul seems to suggest that he himself is single and that he wishes everyone else was also. However, he also acknowledges that his particular gift is unique.

The second question is harder to deal with. Vows should be kept (Deut. 3:21-23). But what if the vow itself is wrong? There are some examples of this in scripture (Judges 11; 1 Sam. 14:14-52).

In medieval times, vows of celibacy were often taken impulsively by young people who later came to regret them. The whole system led to severe abuses: since they could not marry, many priests had mistresses, and the church often turned a blind eye to such sexual sins.

Because marriage is established by God, no one should forbid it: hence, the reformers concluded that vows of celibacy required by the church were contrary to God’s law and were invalid.

On June 13, 1525, Martin Luther put this teaching into practice when he married Katharina von Bora.

Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XXI

Here’s the link to article XXI: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-worship-of-saints/

The first paragraph makes the following points: we can remember the saints who have gone before us and follow their good example. However, the Bible does not tell us to pray to saints or ask for their help. Scripture teaches us that Christ is our one “Mediator, Propitiation, High Priest, and Intercessor.” To put this another way: we can tell the stories of the saints. We can allow their memory to inspire us. We can give thanks to God for what he accomplished through them. But our prayers should be directed to God alone.

The second paragraph of this article serves as a sort of summary of all the articles up to this point. The confessors make an argument along the following lines: all of the articles in our confession come from scripture and are supported by church tradition. Therefore, we should be recognized as true catholics.

Following this article, there is a brief introduction to the next section: “Articles in Which are Reviewed the Abuses Which Have Been Corrected.” Up to this point, the confession has dealt primarily with doctrine. The remainder of the Augsburg Confession speaks more to the practical implications of our doctrine.

Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XIX

Here is the link to Article XIX: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/cause-of-sin/

This brief article makes a very important point — namely, that God is not to be blamed for our sins. God is the creator and preserver of nature and all things that exist. However, sin has its origins in the devil and in our own will, which (apart from God’s help) turns away from God.

Genesis 1:31: “And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (ESV)

1 John 1:5: “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (ESV)

1 John 3:8: “Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” (ESV)

James 1:13: “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.” (ESV)

Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XVIII

This week, we look at Article XVIII, “Of Free Will:” https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-free-will/

Positively, it is affirmed that human beings are not robots. We have free will to decide whether we will get married, what we will eat for dinner today, what we will wear, etc. We also have freedom to make ethical decisions. If you encounter a beggar on the street, you have the choice to give him alms or not to do so. All people have this free will, because the grace of God has been given to all. Therefore, unbelievers can make ethical choices in the same way that Christians can. In fact, we sometimes observe unbelievers who make better choices than Christians.

Negatively, however, free will does not enable us to attain spiritual righteousness and salvation. In fact, a person can perform countless good works and still be unrighteous in God’s sight. “For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23b).True spiritual righteousness can only come about through faith in Christ, which is itself a gift (Ephesians 2:8-9).

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14 ESV). Therefore, while many hear the word of God, it is only through the gracious work of the Holy Spirit that some accept it. Ultimately, those whom God has chosen for salvation will be saved.

Lutherans affirm the Biblical doctrine of predestination. God appoints the elect to salvation (Romans 8:29-30; Ephesian 1:5; 1 Peter 1:2) and he has prepared good works for them to do (Ephesians 2:10). This can be very reassuring for believers.

However, we do not hold to double-predestination. In other words, we do not say that God predestines some people to hell. We affirm that hell exists, and that not all will be saved (2 Thessalonians 1:9-10; Matthew 13:49-50). In fact, many people will take the broad road to destruction (Matthew 7:13).

Nonetheless, the Bible also teaches that God’s desire is for all to be saved (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:3-4). There is a seeming paradox here. How is it that an all-powerful God doesn’t always get his way? We are unwilling to go beyond what the scripture says to resolve this tension.

Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XVII:

Here is the link to Article XVII:

https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-christs-return-to-judgment/

Paragraph 1 deals with what we affirm as Lutherans. We affirm that Christ will return and will judge the world. All of the dead will be raised and judged according to their deeds. As Jesus says in John 5:29 “those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned” (NIV). (See also Matthew 25).

There is no contradiction here with the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone. Simply put, those who had saving faith in Christ will be counted as righteous, and God will reward all their good deeds. (It’s also worth noting that saving faith leads people to doing good deeds, as James teaches most clearly). By contrast, those who don’t have faith cannot be counted as good in the sight of God. Although they may have done works of civil righteousness, “everything that does not come from faith is sin” (Romans 14:23 NIV).

Paragraph 2 condemns the false teaching known as annihilationism. It is important to warn unbelievers that the torments of hell won’t come to an end (see Mark 9:48; 2 Thessalonians 1:9). “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16 NIV).

Finally, in paragraph 3, the confessors condemn the view that when Jesus returns, he will establish a temporal kingdom, in which the godly will rule alongside him for a time before the final resurrection. Most Lutherans understand this statement to be a condemnation of millennialism (otherwise known as “chiliasm”). Others hold that this article condemns only the post-millennial view. The Lutheran Brethren holds a non-dogmatic stance on the millennium.

(See our church’s position paper on Last Things: https://cdn.subsplash.com/documents/T9C94H/_source/5c186efc-8c95-4f59-9b5b-1c331c8444ac/document.pdf)

Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XVI

Here’s the link to Article XVI: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-civil-affairs/

This article was necessary because some of the radical reformers (particularly among the Anabaptists) were teaching that Christians must be entirely separate from the world: in their view, it was immoral for Christians to hold civil offices. On the basis of verses such as Matthew 5:37 and James 5:12, some taught that a Christian must never take an oath.

However, the Lutheran confessors recognized that civil governments have a God-given authority to restrain evil and punish evildoers. Let me explore a few examples.

While it is always a sin for a private citizen to take life, a lawfully-installed magistrate has the right and responsibility to sentence criminals to imprisonment (or, where there is a legal basis for it, even death for severe crimes). This authority goes back to Genesis 9:6. Likewise, a soldier who serves under lawful authority is not guilty of murder when fighting in a war (this presupposes that the authorities are engaged in just war– a topic too complex to cover here).

In daily life, it is inappropriate and unnecessary for Christians to take oaths. A simple “yes” or “no” will suffice. However, when required to take an oath by the proper authorities, we may do so with a clear conscience, provided we are sincere and honest (see Deuteronomy 6:13).

Furthermore, Christians may hold office in secular governments. In the Old Testament, we have examples of saints such as Joseph, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther, who held high positions within the governments of pagan rulers. In Romans 16:23, Paul delivers greetings from Erastus, “the city’s director of public works” (NIV).

Romans 13 is crystal clear that Christians are to respect those in authority and submit to them as far as possible. The only exception is when the authorities command something that is contrary to God’s law. In such cases, Acts 5:29 applies.

Christ Alone

Augsburg Confession Article XV

Here’s the link to article XV: https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-ecclesiastical-usages/

The term “ecclesiastical usages” refers to such traditions as:

  • Daily hours of prayer
  • The use of clerical vestments and churchly paraments
  • The church calendar (i.e. seasons such as lent, easter, advent, etc.)
  • The order of readings (i.e. the lectionary)
  • Collects and other ancient prayers
  • The burning of incense
  • Processionals

The Lutheran confessors set forth a conservative principle of worship. If a tradition is conducive to tranquility and good order and can be observed without sin, then it should be retained.

This automatically rules out some customs. Article XXI points out that we cannot pray to the saints. Articles XXII and following deal with other abuses that had grown up in the church and needed correction.

However, many ancient traditions are useful. For example, the Daily Offices teach us to hear the scriptures and to pray. Vestments, processionals, and incense can add beauty to the divine service. When rightly understood, they can help worshippers to hear the Word. If traditions can be observed without sin, then the church should keep them.

At the same time, the article points out that such observances are not necessary to salvation. We are not required to observe the canonical hours, or follow the lectionary, or to burn incense. Congregations have freedom in this matter. If a custom has become burdensome or it no longer has meaning, then it may be discarded.

The third paragraph points out the danger inherent in observing traditions. Let’s consider the example of Lent. Many Christians fast from meat (or something else) during the forty days leading up to Easter. This can be a meaningful discipline, and it may help us to pray. However, if we think that it makes us more pleasing to God, then it is harmful. We need to constantly be reminded that our traditions do not earn us anything. God won’t love you more if you fast. He won’t love you less if you don’t fast.

We can also apply this article to the use of contemporary music in the church. We are free to use guitars, drum kits, etc. We are free not to do so. However, we should be discerning about the songs we sing, and we should always keep Word and Sacrament at the centre of our worship.