Texas District Vice President James Linderman’s rebuttal when I
spoke in San Antonio was most appreciated. First, Linderman claimed that no one in Texas
was confessing manufactured creeds and confessions of faith in Texas District worship
services. Then, when he was confronted with the evidence, he claimed how confessional the
pastors are who are using them.
I never mentioned any pastor’s name, as the tape will show, when I complained
about the confusion and loss of the Gospel when alien confessions of faith are confessed
in Texas "Church Growth" congregations. However, it appears that if I slam their
invented creeds that break the first commandment I’m guilty of breaking the eighth.
Condemning a pastors invented creeds becomes a personal issue in Texas. The Gospel is
being twisted in Texas from a public confession of faith to a personal testimony. If
Linderman is correct that means Jesus slandered the Pharisees because he didn’t talk
to each of them personally about their public heresy. Quite frankly I only confess three
Creeds and will not confess anyone else’s stinking creed.
Linderman claims that I have slandered Rev. Delton Weiser. I don’t know the man
and I never mentioned his name. However, if Weiser thinks the following words are the
confession of his faith as he published in his bulletin, and if 1000 doctrinal review
committees approved the words, and if Linderman were to pledge his own soul for this
confession of faith they would have all been run out of the Council of Nicea as flaming
heretics and condemned to eternal damnation.
Faith Lutheran Church, Corsicana TX, December 17, 1995 LCMS Confession of Faith, Sung
to "Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise" In God we believe; the Creator whose
power in mercy has bought us for worship this hour he graciously grants us our years and
our days and blesses with kindness our work and our ways, In Jesus, the Savior, our hope
is secured. True God and true Man once the cross he endured to grant our lives wholeness,
forgiveness of sins. With hearts free from guilt, we know true peace within. God’s
Spirit at work in our live we confess; with power and truth the church now He does bless.
As saints, God’s forgiven, one day we shall then be living in glory forever, Amen.
What happened to "conceived by the Holy Ghost," "born of the virgin
Mary," "suffered under Pontius Pilate," "He rose from the dead,"
and "come to the judge quick and dead" just to name some of what is missing?
What does this confession mean by "whose power in mercy has brought us to worship
this hour"? Are the people not present lacking in God’s power and mercy? This is
exactly the kind of trash published as a "Confession of Faith" that I campaigned
against at the 1998 LCMS Convention. The Convention rejected all invented Creeds and
confessions of faith in Resolution 3-07 and Linderman still wants to defend them.
Of course Divine service III says we can have a creedal hymn in place of the Creed but
this hymn. If it is used as a hymn instead of a "confession of faith," it is at
best very weak. Every LCMS pastor swears the following words: "We mean that doctrine,
which, having been derived from the Prophetic and Apostolic Scriptures, is contained in
the three ancient Creeds...." Therefore we also have determined not to depart even a
finger’s breath either from of the subjects themselves, or from the phrases which are
found in them, but, the Spirit of the Lord aiding us, to persevere constantly, with the
greatest harmony, in this godly agreement, and we intend to examine all controversies
according to this true norm and declaration of pure doctrine." (Triglotta, Preface to
the Book of Concord page 23)
"...we have declared to one another with heart and mouth that we will not make or
receive a separate or new confession of our faith, but confess the public common writings
which always and everywhere were held and used as such symbols or common confessions in
all the churches of the Augsburg Confession...." (Concordia Triglotta, The Formula of
Concord, Thorough Declaration. Comprehensive Summary pages 849, 851)
Perhaps Linderman isn’t aware that he swore to the above words in the Lutheran
Confessions in order to become an LCMS Pastor. Yes, Vice President Linderman you better
holler real loud about how orthodox Delton Weiser is because you can’t defend his
"confession of faith." You are the perfect candidate for a Texas Vice President.
The Creed from Prince of Peace in Carrollton was an abomination. Wagner keeps talking
about the facts but leaves out so many this "Confession of Faith" isn’t fit
to print. Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Carrollton TX August 23, 1998 Leader: These are
the facts as we have received them, these are the truths that the Christian believes, this
is the basis of our proclamation: People: Christ died for sinners and rose from the tomb.
Leader: These are the facts as we have received them: People: Christ has fulfilled what
the scriptures foretold, Adam’s whole family in death had been sleeping, Christ
through His rising restores us to life. Leader: These are the facts as we have received
them: People: We with our Savior have died on the cross, now having risen, our Jesus lives
in us, gives us His Spirit and makes us His home. Leader: These are the facts as we have
received them: People: We shall be changed in the blink of an eye, trumpets shall sound as
we face life immortal, this is the victory through Jesus , our Lord. Leader: These are the
facts as we have received them, these are the truths that the Christian believes, this is
the basis of our proclamations: People: Christ died for sinners and rose from the tomb.
Luther and Walther both claimed that the Creeds were their confession of the Gospel.
Just take a look at page 19 of Walther’s Law and Gospel. Walther defines the Gospel
at the beginning of his book as the Apostle’s Creed. If the Creeds are not the Gospel
then the Gospel is not in Luther’s Small Catechism.
The Gospel is suffering abuse, confusion, and distortion in Texas, as in many other
LCMS Districts. Neither the District President nor Vice Presidents will not answer
Runzheimer’s 10 questions. They want the freedom to define the Gospel as they see fit
and not limit their public confession of the Gospel to the three Creeds and not be
accountable to any lay man in the pew.
When I asked Linderman why he wouldn’t answer the following question: "(yes)
(no) The only way to heaven is by faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Linderman
thought there was a trick in it because the question said "faith in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ." He explained that he would have agreed to it if said "faith in
Jesus Christ." He is right. There is a trick in the question. For Linderman
"Faith in the Gospel of Jesus Christ," and "faith in Jesus Christ" are
not the same thing. Men like Linderman are not sure what the word "Gospel"
means. Linderman knows very well that pastors are constantly making up new creeds and
confessions of faith as their own gospel. "Gospel" could mean anything. So when
someone asks "(yes) (no) The only way to heaven is by faith in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ." there could be a "trick" in the word "Gospel." In Texas
"Church Growth/non-traditional congregations" the Gospel is all to often
"how I feel about Jesus at the moment." However, in the Lutheran Agenda we make
the confirmands swear on pain of death to the Apostles’ Creed. However, the Texas
President and Vice Presidents are not sure that the Creeds are the Gospel so they cannot
answer the above question. Pity the poor lay people in Texas.