Some replies to our Reclaim
News article from last week:
Greetings and Peace to you.
Do you happen to know if there exists an orthodox "explanation to the
Athanasian Creed" i.e. something that outlines what all the different
controversies and heresies that were being addressed through this document
are? If there is something on the internet I have not been able to find it.
Don't spend any time on this, but if you know off the top of your head I would
be appreciative.
California
Answer:
The best information I found on the Trinity, after checking, Pieper,
Mueller, and Koehler, was in Volume I of Preus's translation of "Loci
Theologici" by Martin Chemnitz from CPH.
Jack:
I don't know the details of Werning's view of the Trinity but it seems to
be the popular view shared by the man Christianity Today touted as the next
Billy Graham - T.D. Jakes. It sounds like Werning also is a modalist. Here is
a story about Jakes...
http://www.mcjonline.com/news/00/20000222d.htm
The popular founder of the "Weigh down Workshops" which were
being popularly promoted within many evangelical churches, Gwen Shamblin, also
rejects the Trinity, Here is the story:
http://www.carm.org/features/weighdown.htm
Pennsylvania
"Old heresies never die. They just change their names. And isn't the
goal always the same? To make the faith more acceptable and winning more
souls."
Wisconsin
Reply:
The approach seems to be that we should not let the Trinity get in the way
of our love for Jesus. With a piece of God and here and a piece of God there
people can put together their own designer religion.
May 19, 2002
The Feast of Pentecost
Dear Reclaim News:
Many thanks to Pastor Cascione for his bold defense of the doctrine of the
Holy Trinity. Today, as we all know, marks the Feast of Pentecost, the
out-pouring of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles in Jerusalem. When the Holy
Spirit came, a third of God did not visit the Apostles, but all of God. The
same is true for every believer who hears and believes God's Word. All of God
dwells with him and in him--not part of God. We read in today's Gospel:
"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My Word; and My Father will love him,
and We will come to him and make Our home with him." John 14:23. Thus,
every believer, by faith, becomes the dwelling-place, not of part of God, but
of the Holy Trinity. Thus, wherever the Holy Spirit is at work, there also we
are assured that the Father and the Son is at work, for each person of the
Trinity is fully God. See John 5:19.
May the Holy Spirit grant to all the faithful right knowledge of the God of
salvation, and may He graciously bring to naught the heresy of Waldo Werning
and the damnable falsehoods which he and his allies teach in the LCMS.
We pray in the words of Martin Luther:
Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord!
Be all Thy graces now out-poured
On each believer's mind and heart;
Thy fervent love to them impart.
Lord, by the brightness of Thy light
Thou in the faith dost men unite
Of ev'ry land and ev'ry tongue;
This to Thy praise, O Lord, our God, be sung.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Thou Holy Light, Guide Divine,
Oh, cause the Word of Life to shine!
Teach us to know our God aright
And call Him Father with delight.
From ev'ry error keep us free;
Let none but Christ our Master be
That we in living faith abide,
In Him, our Lord, with all our might confide.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Thou Holy Fire, Comfort true,
Grant us the will Thy work to do
And in Thy service to abide;
Let trials turn us not aside.
Lord, by Thy pow'r prepare each heart
And to our weakness strength impart
That bravely here we may contend,
Thro' life and death to Thee, our Lord, ascend.
Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Martin Luther, 1524
The Lutheran Hymnal # 224
Wishing you the blessings of the Holy Spirit,
Who Himself is fully God.
(Some place out West)