Increasing numbers of LCMS pastors are agreeing with the opponents
of C.F.W. Walther, namely, Loehe and Grabau, that the ritual of ordination is a divine
rather than a human rite. If this is true, every pastor has special spiritual gifts to
lead the congregation in addition to holding the pastoral office. Also, the very existence
of Voters’ Assemblies as constituted by Walther must infringe on pastoral authority.
This author has identified pastors who believe that they receive special spiritual
gifts from God in addition to assuming the pastoral office through their imaginary
"sacrament of ordination" as Hyper-Euro-Lutherans. They desire to be called
"Father" in addition to "Reverend" or "Pastor." The office
of the ministry is holy and instituted by God, but more is supposedly given to the pastor
than the office of the ministry itself in the pseudo-sacrament of ordination.
As in the two natures of Christ, when the attributes of the Deity are communicated to
the humanity of Christ, the Hyper-Euro-Lutherans believe that at their ordination there is
a transference of spiritual power from God to the humanity of the pastor. Not having
"sensed" these "spiritual goodies" during my own ordination, and duly
noting how unimpressed people were with my new title, I question the existence of every
pastor's extra ordination gifts. If the lay people are a little put off by these peacocks,
the lay people should see them parade their plumage at pastoral conferences.
Luther taught that ordination was not a sacrament but a human rite. "It clearly
follows that their sacred ordinations make no one a priest or minister in the eye of God,
but only confer certain mask of falsehood and vanity so that they offer where there is no
sacrifice,...." (Luther’s Works Vol. 40, page 13)
"So it follows naturally that Christ has been made the first priest of the New
Testament without shaving, without anointing, and so without any of their
‘character’ or all the masquerade of episcopal ordination. He made all his
apostles and his disciples priests, but through no such masks. So this mask of ordination
is unnecessary." (Luther’s Works Vol. 40, page 20)
The Lutheran Confessions also teach that ordination is not a sacrament but a human
rite. "For formerly the people elected pastors and bishops. Then came a bishop,
either of that church or a neighboring one, who confirmed the one elected by the laying on
of hands; an ordination was nothing else than such a ratification." (Treatise on the
Power and Primacy of the Pope, par 70)
However, the Confessions also teach that ordination may be called a sacrament if the
idea of "sacrament" refers to the Gospel preached by the pastor, not the man
himself.
"Nor do we have another priesthood like the Levitical, as the Epistle to the
Hebrews sufficiently teaches [Heb.7:10]. But if ordination be understood as applying to
the ministry of the Word, we are not unwilling to call ordination a sacrament. For the
ministry of the Word has God’s command and glorious promises, Rom. 1, 16: The Gospel
is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth. Likewise, Is. 55, 11: So
shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me void, but
it shall accomplish that which I please." (Apology Art.XIII, par.11)
Walther taught that ordination was not a sacrament. "Ordination with the laying on
of hands is not a divine institution but only an apostolic, ecclesiastical institution.
That needs no proof since Scripture mentions the custom but is silent about any divine
institution of it." (Pastoral Theology, Walther, CN 1995 Page 47)
"Ordination is an adiaphoron [neither commanded nor forbidden] and does not make
the call of an office but only confirms them. That has always been the doctrine of all
orthodox teachers of our church."(Pastoral Theology, Walther, CN, 1995 Page 47)
Hyper-Euro-Lutherans want to return to pre-Waltherian 18th Century European episcopal
hierarchy. They believe that Voters’ Assemblies in orthodox Lutheran congregations
are the invention of C.F.W. Walther who patterned the LCMS after American democracy
instead of God’s Word. In other words, Mr. and Mrs. Layman, you should sit down and
be quiet. God says the clergy will direct the congregation for you.
Why are more LCMS pastors choosing to endorse the pseudo-sacrament of ordination? They
appear to be seeking refuge from the increasing pressures of the culture and their
congregations to make changes in the doctrine and practice of the Lutheran Church.
The path of least resistance is to say, "God says listen to me because I'm the
pastor," rather than the more difficult task of teaching, persuading, debating, and
vigorously confronting their members on the basis of God’s Word. In other words,
Hyper-Euro-Lutheranism is a way to duck the issues and use God as the excuse. It is the
effeminate way out.
Where did God promise a rose garden? Christ says, pick up your cross and follow me. The
servant is not above his Master. This also includes being kicked around the block. The
ministry is not about winning or losing, but faithfulness. If the time comes when they
don't want to listen to God’s Word it is better for the pastor to be removed from
office.
Relying on the pseudo-sacrament of ordination rather than the authority of God’s
Word must necessarily turn the congregation into a kingdom of power rather than a
community of faith. If all the messiness of a controversy is beneath these
Hyper-Euro-Lutherans, then they have not understood Paul or Luther.
Hyper-Euro-Lutherans champion the supremacy of God's Word as if the supremacy of the
Voters' Assembly stands in opposition to the supremacy of God's Word. They speak as if
Jesus Christ, Himself, should come down and run the meeting. With this shallow logic, if
Christ does not appear to run the meeting Himself, they will be delighted to stand in
Christ's place and tell the Voters what they should do.
Dr. Wilhelm Loehe, the Hyper-Euro-Lutheran hero, was totally opposed to congregations
governing themselves. He was opposed to the Missouri Synod Constitution and congregational
voting. He believed that the congregation was an extension of the pastoral office.
"Wilhelm Loehe was not happy with the constitution of the Missouri Synod. Loehe felt
that suffrage on the part of the congregation was nonapostolic and down-right
dangerous." ("Ministry in Missouri Until 1962" by Dr. John C. Wohlrabe,
Jr., 1992, page 8).
Walther taught: "VII. The holy preaching office is the authority transferred
[uebertrangen] by God through the congregation, as possessor of the priesthood and of all
churchly authority, to exercise the rights of the spiritual priesthood in public office
for the community [congregation]." (Wohlrabe, page 9)
Walther also taught: "X. To the preaching office indeed belongs by divine right
also the office to judge doctrine, yet laymen also have this right as well; therefore
these same also have seat and vote in ecclesiastical courts and councils with the
preachers." (Wohlrabe, page 9)
After Loehe and Grabau met on this issue they both wanted Walther to view the authority
of the pastoral office in regard to the Voters’ Assembly as an open question.
"Yet, this was not to be. Walther believed that both Scripture and the confessions
were clear on the matter and that any compromise would be a denial of Scriptural doctrine
and would ultimately affect the teaching of justification by grace through faith. In
August, 1853, Wilhelm Loehe broke relations with the Missouri Synod." (Wohlrabe, page
10)
Luther wrote "A Christian, thus, is born to the ministry of the Word in baptism,
and if papal bishops are unwilling to bestow the ministry of the Word except on such as
destroy the Word of God and ruin the church, then it but remains either to let the church
perish without the Word or to let those who come together CAST THEIR BALLOTS and elect one
or as many as are needed of those who are capable." (Luther’s Works, Vol. 40:
page 37)
"Finally the congregation is represented as the supreme tribunal, Matt.
18:15-18" ("The Form of the Christian Congregation," by C.F.W. Walther.,
CPH 1989, page 24)
"In Luther’s order for a common public fund in Leissnig we read: ‘three
times a year, as, for instance, on the Sunday after the eighth day of the Holy Three
Kings...a meeting of the entire parish shall convene at the town hall at 11 o’clock
and remain there until at least 2 o’clock in the after noon.’" ("The
Form of the Christian Congregation," page 60) They were supposed to meet and decide
all the financial and spiritual concerns of the congregation.
Long live the Reformation! Down with every pope and every potentate who places his
office in authority over the Royal Priesthood of Believers. Let the lay people be taught
and let them be the supreme tribunal in their congregations. Let the clergy’s
greatest fear be an uneducated laity. Let the clergy do more teaching and less leading.
Let every Voters’ Assembly and every pastor place themselves beneath the authority of
God’s Word.
May our Lord Jesus Christ free the Synod from Hyper-Euro-Lutheran sacerdotalism which
makes the pastor the mediator between God and man, a position only ascribed to Christ in
the New Testament. "For [there is] one God, and one mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus;" (1Ti 2:5 )
Paul says, "Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and
stewards of the mysteries of God." (1Co 4:1) He says "stewards" not
leaders, lords, rulers, priests, or a "special" caste of Christians.