Luther on Supreme Voters Judging Doctrine: Attention 2001 Delegates
By Rev. Jack Cascione

Why delegates to the 2001 LC-MS Convention must preserve Voter Supremacy in all LC-MS Congregations in order to protect their faith in Christ.

When the congregational Voters' Assembly is not supreme the members lose control of their religion and surrender their faith to one or a few.

The 2001 LC-MS Convention is being asked to reaffirm Voter Supremacy as the official polity of the LC-MS. There is strong opposition to this resolution from the faculties of both Seminaries. The Council of District Presidents also opposes Voters' Assemblies by supporting PLI. More important than voting on paint colors, budgets, carpets, etc., and besides the right to vote on calling a pastor, is the congregation's right to vote on and judge the doctrine, teaching, confession, witness, and faith of the congregation. This means the right to judge what is true and who is teaching or acting falsely in the congregation. Without this right all other rights in the church become meaningless.

In the 2/14/01 release we demonstrated Luther's support for congregational voting. We now show Luther's support for the congregation being the final judge on doctrine, the confession of the congregation, and excommunication.

Every LC-MS congregation must preserve for itself the right to judge doctrine in regularly scheduled Voters' Assemblies. The very existence of Voters' Assemblies is being challenged by a growing clergy caste of hyper-euro-Lutheran pastors who want to go back to pre-Walther European Lutheran hierarchy or make the Pastors into CEO's with leadership training. They want one or few to determine the faith of the many.

This is where the congregations must say, "No Further." This is our church, our faith, our doctrine, and our confession. We believe and teach the Bible and the Catechism and our religion doesn't change every time we issue a call or the pastor changes his mind or when he receives a new "program" in the mail.

The very heart of the Reformation is preserving the congregation's and each lay person's God given right to judge all doctrine. Luther writes: "Let everyone, therefore, who knows himself to be a Christian, be assured of this, that we are all equally priests, that is to say, we have the same power in respect to the Word and the sacraments." LW36:116

At the same time everyone is not a pastor. "Let everyone, then, remember this: If he wants to preach or teach, let him give proof of the call or command which derives and compels him to it, or else let him be silent." LW13:66

However, while only one may hold the pastoral office, what the pastor teaches and confesses is always under the authority of the Voters' Assembly. Luther writes: "Thus the ministry is not mine; it belongs to all the others; it is a public office and confession." LW22:480 And again Luther writes: "Publicly one may not exercise a right without consent of the whole body or of the church. In time of emergency each may use it as he deems best." LW40:34 The congregation and each member never surrenders their authority. "The Keys [the right to judge doctrine] belong to the whole church and to each of its members, both as regards their authority and their various uses." LW40:27

Luther's understanding of Matthew 18:15-20 as support for Voter Supremacy.

Luther used the term "assembled congregation" or "congregational assembly" but the meaning is the same as we use in the term "Voters' Assembly" today.

Luther taught that Matthew 18:17 "Tell it to the Church" means the congregation is the final judge of all doctrine in the church. For the sake of clarity the following seven points are supported in the seven quotations from Luther published in this article.

1. The "church" in this verse is the local congregation.
2. There is no difference in authority. Christ gives the power and use of the Office of the Keys to each Christian.
3. The Office of the Keys belongs equally to every Christian and every local congregation. Thus suggesting Matthew 18:17 isn't speaking about the local congregation violates the text.
4. The congregation is to ignore church discipline given by the Bishop to any member of the congregation until the congregation, (the laity) has made its own decision.
5. The congregation is the final authority on church discipline.
6. Churches that follow false teachers are not real churches.
7. It only takes two or three lay people to make a church who thus possess the full use of the Office of the Keys with the same authority as the apostles according to Matthew 18:15ff.

The following contains the quotations that support the above seven points.

1. "Christ instituted this outward ban, [excommunication] small as well as large, according to Matthew 18 [: 15-17]: 'If your brother sins against you, punish him [Luther means correct him to his face] between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every word or dealing may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, TELL IT TO THE WHOLE CONGREGATION of the church; and if he refuses to listen to the church, let him be to you as a Gentle and a tax collector.'" LW39:8

2. "We need pay no attention to the bogey man of these masqueraders when they distinguish between the power of the keys and the use of the keys, a distinction based on no Scripture but on their own recklessness alone. As usual they beg the question. For when it is incumbent to them to show that they have a power different from the whole church, they rush on as if they were already demonstrated, and then go on to the fictitious distinction that the power of the keys belongs to the church, their use however, to the bishops. This is trifling, and the argument has nothing to support it. CHRIST GIVES THE POWER AND THE USE OF THE KEYS TO EACH CHRISTIAN, when he says, 'Let him be to you as a Gentile' [Matt. 18:17]. For who is that 'you' to whom Christ refers when he says, 'let him be to you.'? The pope? Indeed, he refers to each and every Christian." LW40:26

3. "THE KEYS BELONG TO THE WHOLE CHURCH AND TO EACH OF ITS MEMBERS, both as regard their authority and their various uses. Otherwise we do violence to the words of Christ, in which he speaks to all without qualification or limitation: 'Let him be to you,' and 'Your will have gained you brother,' and 'Whatever you,' etc. And the words, which were spoken alone to Peter, 'I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,' here find their confirmation. This word also, 'If two of you agree on earth,' and 'Where two are gathered in my name there am I in the midst of them'" [Matt. 18:19,20]. LW40:27

4. "I call it a devil's and not God's ban, [being refused communion without excommunication] contrary to Christ's command, WHEN PEOPLE ARE CURSED WITH THE BAN SACRILEGIOUSLY, BEFORE THEY HAVE BEEN CONVICTED IN THE PRESENCE OF THE ASSEMBLED CONGREGATION . . . I am saying this for the sake of the congregation . . . Consequently a Christian congregation is not to play the part of a servant girl in the court of the bishop's deputy, or of the jailer to the bishop, so that either one of them can say: 'Hey there, Gretel and Hans, keep this or that person under the ban.' The congregation need not re spond." LW40:371

5. (Commenting on Matthew 18:15-18) "Here the Lord throws all those who sin into punishment by first his nearest Christians, and wills, in short, that he should let himself be punished; if he refuses to let himself be punished, the congregation should punish him; if he refuses to listen to them too (now mark what the Lord says), then we are to consider him a Gentile and a tax collector. Not only all churches or EVERY SINGLE CHURCH IS COMMANDED HERE, BUT ALSO YOU AND I, TO JUDGE, SENTENCE, AND CONDEMN THE PEOPLE WITH A VERDICT OF BEING PUBLICLY CONDEMEND by the church's throne of judgment-a Gentile and a tax collector." LW41:364

6. "Where there are prophets, there are churches in which they teach. IF THE PROPHETS ARE FALSE, SO ALSO ARE THE CHURCHES THAT BELIEVE AND FOLLOW THEM. We have been unable up to now to get the papists to willingly prove why they are the true church. But they insist that according to Matthew 18:17 one must listen to the church or be lost." LW41:194

7. (In response to Matthew 18:17 Luther writes:) "And what is more, he says in the same place, 'if two of you agree about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them' Matt. 18:[19-20]. Now we hear that EVEN TWO OR THREE, ASSEMBLED IN CHRIST'S NAME, HAVE THE SAME POWER AS ST. PETER and all the apostles . . . For we have here the Lord himself, over all angels and creatures, who says, 'They shall all have the same power, keys, and office' -even two simple Christians assembled only in his name." LW41:317-318

Luther's reply if the voters, assembly, convention, or council make the wrong decision about God's Word. What if the gathering judging doctrine is in error and makes the wrong decision?

Luther explains:

"It is permissible to convoke a council to regulate fasting and prayer, vestments, the confirmation and confession of the true articles of the Creed, or other issues, as was done at the Council of Nicea. But no council can decide the truth of the Christian Doctrine. No, there I simply say: 'This is my stand on Baptism. I believe that the Gospel is true and holy. This is my stand on the Lord's Supper.' But when they counter: 'Your stand is not correct,' the controversy is under way. To settle this requires a spiritual council, which will proclaim the same faith that my brother and I share with all Christians, wherever they may be. They are all of one mind." LW23:287

"Whatever the Holy Spirit says to us He says to all Christians everywhere . . . The church believes as I believe, and I believe as the church believes. There is no difference or disparity in our belief. We all believe one Christian Church. Outside this church there is nothing. This is my faith, and this gives rise to altercation." LW23:287-288

Let the altercation commence at the 2001 LC-MS Convention when the Seminary Faculties and most of the COP will no longer support Voter Supremacy as the only polity of LC-MS congregations.