In my opinion Professor Kurt Marquart is one of the finest theologians in the LCMS.
There are few who have served their Synod more faithfully and ably, which is why I
encourage my son and others to attend Fort Wayne.
After reading his letter to Christian News, I
reviewed my brief article that raised questions about a
recently published article in Fort Wayne's October 1999 issue of Life of the World titled "Called & Ordained"
by Rev. Chad Bird.
I looked for the words that would evoke Marquart's observations of my writing as
"…an unbelievably bitter attack on our Ft. Wayne Seminary", and
"…Cascione's tirade goes beyond the bounds of fairness, not to mention
charity." What was this unbelievable bitterness and tirade? I can find only one
direct criticism where I write: "I disagree."
In regard to the following sentence in the article: "The priestly character of the
New Testament ministry is rooted in and flows from the priestly office of the One who
speaks and acts through those called and ordained", I still disagree.
Marquart did not write the article in question. In fact in reference to Marquart's and
other articles in the publication I wrote: "There is an excellent article in the
magazine titled, "The Gospel
Ministry in the Lutheran Confessions." I also complimented President Wenthe for
his stand on Church Growth. However, Marquart believes it is his duty to defend those who
support this incorrect sentence at Fort Wayne.
As far as being charitable I wrote: "If 'Life of the World' is saying that God
speaks and acts through those called and ordained just as he speaks and acts through all
Christians then the sentence in the 'Life of the World' is correct. If ‘Life of the
World’ is saying that God speaks and acts through those called and ordained because
they are called and ordained, then they have made the Office of the Keys the property of
the Clergy and excluded the Royal Priesthood of all believers."
I think the good professor's overreaction has spotlighted the issue that he knows is
all too true. All he had to do was say, "Cascione has misread the article. There is
no question that God speaks and acts through all Christians when they properly speak God's
Word and not just because they are called and ordained." But no, the words "I
disagree" are more than they can bear.
In response to his 9 points I have the following 9 comments.
1. I don't see Walther's doctrine of Church and Ministry as a middle ground between
Church Growth CEOs and Hyper-Euro-Lutheran archbishops. Rather than governance by a
corporate Board of Directors reminiscent of the Presbyterians or a pre-Waltherian
Episcopal Lutheran hierarchy, Walther teaches congregational governance by Voter's
Assemblies. Walther's position is not the middle of the road but an entirely different
position from the other two.
2. There is no question that the word "priest" is used correctly in the
Lutheran Confessions. However, neither the confessions nor the hymn verses cited ever use
the term "priest" in the sense of mediator or one through whom God speaks and
acts because they are ordained.
Yes, Professor Marquart's article on ordination gave the correct view on ordination.
Does this mean he is the "balance" for the other article?
On page 48, The Lutheran Hymnal states: "Finally, Do you believe that
through me, a called servant of God, you will receive the forgiveness of all your
sins?"
Are we to understand the words "called servant of God", that are set off by
commas, as describing the office of the one speaking or as identifying a special quality
he possesses because he is called and ordained? The entire question in TLH would be just
as correct if any Christian spoke these words to another Christian he or she was absolving
excluding the words inside the commas. The office of the ministry does not validate the
forgiveness of sins.
"Luther says: 'In the New Testament the Holy Spirit scrupulously avoids given the
name sacerdos, priest, to any of the Apostles, or any other office, but restricts this
name to the baptized or Christians as their birthright and hereditary name from Baptism;
for none of us is born in Baptism as Apostle, preacher, teacher, pastor, but solely born
priests and call and elect them for these offices that they may perform their functions of
such office in the name of all of us." (St. L. XIX:1260) Pieper Vol. III Page 457.
"All of us in the whole mass of people are priests without the consecrations of
the bishop. But through consecration we become the stewards, servants, and administrators
of the other priests who may be deposed and changed, just as a priest in cathedral
churches is provost, dean, cantor, custodian, and holder of similar offices for the
others..." (Luther's Works Vol. 39 page 157)
"As I have written several times by now, it was through the pope's damned law and
rule that the precious, customary terms "church," "priest,"
"spiritual," and the like were taken away from the community and applied only to
the smallest group, which we now call the spiritual and priestly estate and those affairs
we call the affairs of the church. Yet all of us are in common church; we are all
spiritual and priests, to the extent that we believe in Christ. They are only stewards,
servants, officials, caretakers, shepherds, guardians, and watchmen. Therefore, I think
that goat Emser's dream of two kinds of priesthood lies in sand and mire." (Luther's
Works Vol. 39: page 159, see also page 227-238 and page 304)
3. Perhaps I was not clear with the title "Fort Wayne: Long
on Form but Short on Polity?" It was a question, not a judgment. More clearly
put, is Fort Wayne placing too much emphasis on the adiaphora of the liturgical position
of the student's hands and not enough emphasis on the content of Walther's "The True
Visible Church" and "The Form of the Christian Congregation"?
Marquart is correct when he quotes Pieper as saying our Lutheran Church has no special
constitution to hold it together. The means of grace create, hold, and sustain the Church.
The Lutheran Confessions do not prescribe any particular church constitution. But, the
Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, that operates two seminaries, has instructed its
seminaries to teach that congregational governance by Voters' Assemblies is the only
proper congregational church government for LCMS congregations. Would-be archbishops and
CEO's must look in other Synod's for employment.
4. Perhaps Walther only used the term "congregational meeting" instead of
"Voter's meetings," but regardless of nomenclature their function is the same.
"The removal of Martin Stephan on May 30, 1839, and all the misery that followed that
event gave the laymen the necessary jolt to press for lay participation in the government
of the Church. This misery drove them into the writings of Luther, and here the laymen
found the weapons which they needed to win the battle for CONGREGATIONAL SUPREMACY from
the power-jealous pastors." ("Government in the Missouri Synod," by Dr.
Carl S. Mundinger, CPH, St. Louis, 1947 Page 205)
"It [the constitution drawn up by Trinity Lutheran Church] established the form
and model for government and administration for all congregations of the Missouri
Synod." ("1847 Ebenezer 1922" by D. H. Steffens, CPH, Page 147)
"With the keys of the kingdom of heaven every Evangelical Lutheran LOCAL
CONGREGATION HAS ALL THE CHURCH POWER it needs, that is, the power and authority to do all
things that are necessary for its administration." (Form of the Christian
Congregation, C.F.W Walther, CPH, St. Louis, 1989, p.23)
"Finally the congregation is represented as the SUPREME TRIBUNAL,
Matt.18:15-18.... Passage quoted" Note 7 on p 29 refers to this using the term
'highest jurisdiction' and referring in turn to the "Power and Primacy Of Pope,"
'highest and final jurisdiction to the church..." (Form of the Christian
Congregation, C.F.W Walther, CPH, St. Louis, 1989, p.24)
"In public church affairs nothing should be concluded without a vote and consent
of the congregation." (Form of the Christian Congregation, C.F.W Walther, CPH,
St. Louis, 1989, p.48)
(Under the topic of what kinds of issues may be deliberated in Voters' Assemblies)
"In Matt. 18 the Lord Christ entrusts not to secular government but to HIS
CONGREGATION THE SUPREME JUDGEMENT AND POWER to matters pertaining to the church, among
which are: the election and calling of pastors, the judgment of doctrine, and the power to
depose unfaithful teachers." (Form of the Christian Congregation, C.F.W
Walther, quotes Hesshusius CPH, St. Louis, 1989, p.54)
"A. The Voters' Meeting: If the congregation is to function and fully exercise its
DIVINELY IMPOSED RIGHTS AND DUTIES in a conscientious, profitable, and God-pleasing
manner, IT MUST, in the first place, hold public church assemblies in which it considers
and determines all things THAT ARE NECESSARY for its special church management. Such
public executive church assemblies Christ presupposes when He commands Matt. 18:17-18
'Tell it unto the church.' Such executive assemblies were generally maintained in the
first Christian congregation, as the Book of Acts records, 1:15. 23-25, Acts 15:5: 23.
"We call these assembly's voters' meetings, for we admit to them as authorized to
vote only the adult male members of the church. Since the final authority in all matters
is vested in the congregation and not in a few members of the congregation, it would seem
evident that all of the members of the congregation are responsible for what the
congregation does. But God Himself has made certain restricts." ("The Abiding
Word" CPH, 1947,Vol. II, page 460 "The Lutheran Congregation" by G.
Perlich)
Why doesn't Fort Wayne simply say it supports the only agreed upon polity for all LCMS
congregations, namely, Voter supremacy? God's Word is always supreme. I am speaking about
congregational government of which Marquart, and indeed the entire faculty at Fort Wayne,
treats as nonexistent.
I'm getting a little tired of recent seminary graduates telling me Walther was wrong
and why the Voters' Assembly, according to our church constitution published in 1921, is
incorrect about Voter supremacy. Maybe I should lecture our Voters on how inappropriate
they are and how God speaks and acts through me? The graduate who doesn't think that the
Voters are in charge must think he is in charge. Of course he will then say God is in
charge and he is God's representative to the congregation. The fact is the pastor serves a
congregation of priests by virtue of the office of the ministry they conferred on their
pastor.
5. I asked a native German what "Hauptgnadenmittel," means and they said
"head grace mediator." Marquart's correction to "the chief means of
grace" seems appropriate. There is about as much difference here as between
"Congregational Meeting" and "Voters' Assembly." Nearly all LCMS
constitutions identify these meetings as Voters' Assemblies or Meetings. Perhaps Fort
Wayne should issue a statement to all LCMS congregations and advise them to change their
constitutions? Perlich gives the proper definition above.
6. In response to point 6 I refer to quotes from Luther in point 2 above. I agree that
pastors are instruments of God's Word by virtue of their call into the office of the
ministry but not because they are a higher order of priest than their members.
I ask the same question again, "Why is Fort Wayne raising the issue that God
speaks and acts through those who are called and ordained when God also speaks and acts
through those who are not called and ordained? In the best light they make a point with no
distinction." The emphasis should be on God speaking and acting through His Word and
Sacraments. Calls and ordinations do not enhance God's speaking and acting. The proper
emphasis should be on how correctly and accurately God's instruments, the pastors, speak
and act on His Word. Congregations must judge the preaching and teaching of their pastors.
Pastors, called and ordained a hundred times, have no monopoly on speaking and acting
for God. Luther writes: "One must note, however, that the Lord also speaks to us
through human beings. When parents give orders to their children, the tasks may seem
insignificant and unimportant in their outward appearance; yet when the children obey,
they are obeying not so much men as God.Thus when the government, by virtue of its office,
calls citizens into military service in order to maintain peace and to ward off harm,
obedience is shown to God.You must have the same conviction about the general call, when
you are called to the ministry of teaching: you should consider the voice of the community
as the voice of God, and obey." (Luther's Works, Vol. 2, page 272)
I agree with the quote Marquart gives from Walther about obedience to the pastor when
he speaks God's Word correctly. Let's also have the Fort Wayne gradates step in line
behind the three examples above from Luther since they are interested in obedience
7. Walther says "heavenly" gifts are bestowed on the pastor when God answers
prayer. He doesn't specify "spiritual gifts." I happen to count my pay check as
a gift from heaven. Walther writes: ".[ordination] is no more than a solemn public
confirmation of the call." (Church and Ministry, page 247.) We know the
spiritual gifts given at Baptism and the Lord's Supper. What are the spiritual gifts given
at ordination? There is no question that God gives blessings in answer to prayer on those
who are ordained as well as the members in the pews. I can't count the times God has sent
me just the right layman at just the right time to do the right job when I was in
desperate need. In fact, our congregation was founded by a layman.
8. We would have a great deal of light on church and ministry if Fort Wayne would teach
all its graduates that the only agreed upon form of church government in the LCMS is
supreme Voters' Assemblies thus marginalizing all CEOs and Archbishops. The LCMS
Convention can change this if they choose and place their congregations under a hierarchy.
If Fort Wayne does not agree with Voter supremacy, they should take their case to the
Convention and not their own students.
God's Blessings to the most esteemed professor.