In his May 20, 2002, five-page letter to the Synodical President, Synodical
officials in the South Wisconsin, North Wisconsin, and Michigan Districts, and
officers of Redeemer Lutheran Church, St, Clair Shores Michigan, Doctor Waldo
Werning continues to attack the fundamental doctrines of the Trinity. The
Athanasian Creed confesses: "Neither confounding the Persons nor dividing
the Substance." The Creed also states: "Which faith except everyone
do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish
everlastingly."
Werning Argues that Jesus is not God on the Cross
In the following quotations from his May 20, 2002 letter, Werning claims
that he will not be trapped into saying that Jesus is God on the Cross or that
in Christ, God died on the cross. He claims it is false doctrine to say that
every person of the Trinity is all of God apart from whom there is no other
God and yet there is only one God. He claims that Jesus died in the flesh, but
that God did not die on the Cross in Christ. He claims that Jesus is part of
God, and not all of God. He divides the substance of God and makes Jesus less
than God.
Werning writes in part on May 20, 2002:
"In your attempt to trap me by the use of your fabricated statements
to explain the mystery of the Trinity, you have become guilty of false
doctrine, and since you are adamant and refuse to listen or to understand what
the Athanasian Creed (Unity and Substance of the Trinity) and the Apostle's
Creed (Three Persons in one Godhead, three Articles) you have become guilty of
false doctrine and heresy, as seen in the Dec. 27 and Feb. 26
Transcripts."
"John 3:16 tells that God (the Father) sent His Son Jesus to the
Cross, but He did not send Himself or the Holy Spirit to the Cross."
"Matt. 1:21 does not say that Mary will give birth to a son who is God
the Father or is God the Holy Spirit, but a son who is Jesus."
". . . , you have confused the entire issue of the Son of God taking
upon Himself human flesh in the Son of Man, who died, not His eternal Spirit,
for Jesus said, 'Father into Your hands I commit my Spirit.'"
"1Peter 3:18-19: '(Christ) was put to death in the body but was made
alive by the Spirit, through whom also He went and preached to the spirits in
prison.' Your philosophical statement that all of God died on the Cross, not
one third of god, not dividing God, literally not only denies the Personhood
of the Godhead (Apostle's Creed), but denies the humanity of Jesus, and
insists on making it appear that the Father and the Holy Spirit also become
human and took human flesh. At the same time, your misinterpretation leads to
the conclusion that the eternal God was dead and in a grave for three
days."
Doctor Waldo Werning defends his teachings about the Trinity in his book
"Health and Healing for the LCMS." The book was sent to every 2001
LCMS Convention delegate. "Jesus First," the political action group
most responsible for the election of President Gerald Kieschnick, endorses
Werning's book. Former Chairman of the Council of Presidents, John Heins, is
Werning's witness in Dispute Resolution and the South Wisconsin District
President and other officers have published signed letters defending Werning
's teaching on the Trinity.
Luther and Chemnitz on the Unity and Persons of the Trinity
The following quotations from Luther and Chemnitz
teach that every person of the Trinity is all of God in His own Person, yet,
there is only one God. No Person of the Trinity can be just a part of God.
Jesus is God on the Cross. In Jesus, God suffered, died, was buried, and rose
from the dead.
Chemnitz writes:
"That is to say, Scripture bears witness that the three persons and
the entire Trinity are the one true God, and that each person is perfectly and
in all respects that one true God." (Martin Chemnitz, "Loci
Theologici" CPH 1989, Page 74)
"For with respect to us the three persons are at the same time and
each individually the one, true, undivided God, so that when the dove
descended, one can correctly say that this is the one true God and beyond Him
there is no other God, as it says in John 14:9, 'He who sees Me, sees My
Father also. ' And again in v. 10, 'I am in the Father, and the Father in Me.
On this basis we can understand how the church directs its prayers sometimes
to the Father, sometimes to the Son, and sometimes to the Holy Spirit. For it
believes and confesses in its prayers not only that the three persons are the
one true God, but that each person is not just a part of that one divine
essence but rather is the entire divine essence, that is, the one true God,
than whom there is no other God.'" (Martin Chemnitz, "Loci
Theologici" CPH Page 76)
Luther writes:
"You may say very correctly of the dove: That is God, and there is no
God beyond that one. And yet it would be incorrect for you to say: That is God
the Father; that is God the Son. You must say: That is God the Holy Spirit.
(Luther's Works 15:304)
"You may say very correctly of this voice: That is God, and there is
no God beyond that. But it would be incorrect to say: That is God the Son or
God the Holy Spirit. No, you must say: That is God the Father." (Luther's
Works 15:305)
"You can say very correctly of the man [Jesus Christ] that is God, and
there is no other God beside Him." (Luther's Works 15:305)
"However, it is also correct to say that God died for us, for the Son
is God, and there is no other God but only more Persons in the same
Godhead." (Luther's Works 15:310)
"You have heard earlier that the Father is the God and Father of us
all, that the Son is the God and Father of us all, that the Holy Spirit is the
God and Father of us all, and that, for all of that, not more than one God is
our Father. For the essence is undivided, therefore no matter which Person you
may mention, you have named the one true God in three Persons, since each
Person is the same, one, perfect God." (Luther's Works 15:310-11)
". . . unless He became a man like us, so that it could be said: 'God
died' 'God's passion,' 'God's blood,' 'God's death.' For in His nature God
cannot die; but now that God and man are united in one person, it is correctly
called God's death, when the man dies who is one thing or one person with
God." (Lutheran Confessions, Formula of Concord, Article VIII, Par 44,
Concordia Triglotta pages 1029-1030)
The Loss of the Trinity is the Loss of the Christian Faith and Salvation
God cannot be divided or He is not God. Each Person of the Trinity is all
of God apart from whom there is no God and yet there is only one God.
The proponents of the Church Growth Movement such as Dr. Waldo Werning,
"Jesus First," and members of the COP have become so comfortable in
making up their own worship they are now bold to claim the right to make up
their own God.
Romans 10:9 states: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the
dead, thou shalt be saved." Belief in this verse must not be interpreted
to mean that a proper understanding of the Trinity is not necessary for
salvation.
According to the Athanasian Creed, the gates of hell await any who divided
or confuse the substance of God. If Jesus and every person of the Trinity are
not all of God in His Person, then what part of God is Jesus? Werning refuses
to answer the question. Werning also refuses to confess that Jesus is God, not
a part of God, on the Cross.
Indeed, in his most recent letter, he refuses to confess that Jesus is God.
Just like Arius and the Unitarians, Werning prefers to call Jesus, "the
Son of God." This is a true statement if Werning means that "the Son
of God" is God. However, in Werning's teaching, He will not describe
Jesus as God on the Cross.
The most troubling part of Werning's false doctrine is that it has such
broad based support among so many LCMS officials and pastors. Their attitude
is that loving Jesus is more important than confessing the correct doctrine of
the Trinity. Indeed, stewardship may have become more important than the
Athanasian Creed.
Never in the history of the Synod have LCMS clergy challenged the official
doctrine of the Trinity with such impunity as Werning and his allies are now
doing.