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(Reply
to Rev. Allwardt and Rev. Eddy)
The Commission on Worship is proposing a change in the Nicene Creed in the
next hymnal from, "who for us men" to "who for us" or
"who for us human beings."
In our opinion, Rev. Allwardt has made the most cogent and reasoned defense
for changing the Nicene Creed to read, "who for us human beings."
He has not challenged the necessity of Christ being a human male for our
salvation nor questioned Adam being the cause for the fall of the human
race.
If Rev. Allwardt can refute the following objections based on the Bible for
this proposed change in the Nicene Creed, we will concede the debate.
The heart of Rev. Allwardt's justification for the phrase "who for us
human beings" is for the same reason that we confess "Christian
Church" in the Nicene Creed instead of the original "Catholic
Church." People today confuse "catholic" which means
"universal" with "Roman Catholic," hence the change to
"Christian Church"
About this change from "Catholic" to "Christian"
Allwardt writes: "Which means that the principle to follow always is:
what actually is understood by the average person, when a word is used.
Which means that it makes no difference why the average person has that
understanding - it just is!"
Allwardt is correct on the point that archaic language must be updated if
people no longer know what it means. However, this principle cannot be
applied if the updated language results in a loss of Biblical doctrine.
For example, some have incorrectly translated, "Happy is he"
instead of "Blessed is he" in the Beatitudes because people no
longer understand the word "Blessed." But
"Blessed" in these verses is about the relationship between
justification and good works and "happy" is a feeling. We
can't change the religion because people don't like the words.
The word, "Catholic" in the Creed is a term invented by the Early
Church to define Christ's use of the term "Church" in Matthew
16:18 apart from Christ' s use of "church" in Matthew 18:20.
In "Early Christian Creeds" (1976 David McKay Co. New York, page
385) Kelly explains that St. Ignatius was the first to use the word
"Catholic" in relationship to the Church in order to explain the
difference between the "universal Church" and "the local
churches." In the Nicene Creed we are confessing, ". . . the
local community only had reality, life and power in proportion as it formed
part of the universal Church with its spiritual head (the bishop)."
I don't like to bring up arguments based on the Greek New Testament to lay
people, but at this point, it is unavoidable. The Creed uses the Greek
word "anthropos" for "man" or "men."
This is the term Rev. Allwardt and Rev. Eddy believe should be reinterpreted
into "human beings." The word "anthropos" (man or
men) appears 508 times in the Greek New Testament. There is another word for
"man" in the Greek New Testament "aner" which appears at
least another 213 times. It is this second term, which is supposed to
be the rock solid reference to the male gender while "anthropos"
is supposed to mean men, women, and children combined into "human
beings."
The following are 10 reasons from the Bible that show Rev. Allwardt, Rev.
Eddy, and the LCMS Commission on Worship are wrong in changing the Nicene to
Creed to the politically correct words, "who for us human beings."
Reason 1:
The
word for "catholic" does not appear in the New Testament.
However, the Greek word "anthropos" (man or men) in the Nicene
Creed also appears in the Bible 508 times. This writer checked all 508
examples of "anthropos" in the original Greek New Testament.
When we translate this word to read "human beings," because women
will be offended if we use the word "men," we are not changing or
updating archaic language, we are changing Biblical doctrine and the entire
Christian faith.
Reason 2:
Let's look at the context of the phrase "who for us men and for our
salvation" in the Nicene Creed. If we follow Pastor Allwardt's
and Pastor Eddy's suggested change in the Nicene Creed, we not only lose the
male gender in the term "men" we also lose the male gender for
Christ where it says, "who for us men and for our salvation became
man." The same root word (anthropos) is used in the Creed for
Christ and men.
The Wisconsin Synod has already changed the Nicene Creed to say Christ,
"became fully human." Wisconsin did not change "for us
men" because they knew they would remove the Biblical support for an
all male clergy and the order of creation. Doctor William Weinrich
wrote an excellent paper challenging the change made by Wisconsin,
(currently not available to this writer). Weinrich explains they were
changing the identity of Christ from a man to a gender nonspecific human
being. Here Missouri rushes in where Wisconsin feared to tread and
accepts the premise for a gender nonspecific Bible. Why not accept
such a change if "anthropos" in 508 cases is gender nonspecific.
Only a chauvinistic bias on the part of the translator would determine when
to translate "anthropos" into "human being" or
"man."
Reason 3:
Notice, the Nicene Creed could have said, "who for the salvation of
men" but the Council of Nicaea chose the words "who for us men and
for our salvation." "Who for us men and for our
salvation" sounds like a redundancy in what is and other wise a very
tightly written document. Were the 318 Bishop's stuttering? It
only sounds like a redundancy because our third millennium minds filter
Christianity through feminist presuppositions; namely, that gender is not an
issue in Christ's work of salvation. What appears to be repetition to
us is certifying that Christ died for men who stand in the place of all
people just like Adam stands in the place of Eve and the entire human race.
For example, John 6:10 states, "And Jesus said, Make the men sit down.
Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about
five thousand." The word men in John 6:10 is "anthropos"
just like the Nicene Creed. We also know that there were many more
women and children present.
Yes, the Bible says in Galatians 3:28 "there is neither male nor
female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." These words speak about
those who are saved, not how Christ accomplished this salvation, not what
was required to save these people, and not the order of creation.
Reason 4:
By changing the Nicene Creed to "who for us human beings" Missouri
is agreeing that Wisconsin's change that Christ "became fully
human" is correct. The new WELS/LCMS Creed would read, "who
for us human beings and our salvation became fully human." God
bless the Church Growth, politically correct, gender neutrality.
The WELS and LCMS are both in error on this point because the Bible tells us
that Adam and Christ were men, that is "human males." Every
use of the word "man" in the following verses is "anthropos"
just like the Nicene Creed.
Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man (anthropos) sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, (anthropos) for that all
have sinned."
Romans 5:15 For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the
grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man (anthropos), Jesus
Christ, hath abounded unto many.
1 Corinthians 15:21 For since by man came death, by man (anthropos) came
also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in
Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15:45 The first man (anthropos) Adam was made a living soul;
the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
1 Corinthians 15:47 The first man (anthropos) is of the earth, earthy: the
second man (anthropos) is the Lord from heaven.
By declaring "man", that is "anthropos," is gender
neutral we lose the doctrine of justification. It is no longer
necessary that Christ becomes a human male because Adam was a human male,
but that Christ just becomes flesh and blood without the necessity of
gender. It appears that only the human beings without gender can
remain certain of their salvation. If gender doesn't matter God would
not have "created them male and female."
There are more than a hundred occurrences of the phrase, "Son of
Man" (anthropos) in reference to Christ in the New Testament. We
take the first definition of "Son of Man" to mean "Son of
Adam" or why give Christ's genealogy back to Adam in Luke 3:38?
He is the Son promised to Adam and Eve.
The "old Adam" is also the "old man" "anthropos."
He is not the "old Eve" or the "old woman" because the
"old man" is from Adam and, consequently the "new man"
is from Christ.
Romans 6:6 Knowing this, that our old man (anthropos) is crucified with him,
that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve
sin.
Romans 7:22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man (anthropos):
Ephesians 2:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of
commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one
new man (anthropos), so making peace;
Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old
man (anthropos), which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
Ephesians 4:24 And that ye put on the new man (anthropos), which after God
is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Colossians 3:9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old
man (anthropos) with his deeds;
All people have the "old Adam" or the "new man," not a
gender neutral ancestry.
Reason 5:
Teaching that anthropos in the Creed means "human beings" instead
of "man" or "men" makes nearly all Bible passages
speaking about men (anthropos) gender neutral. This argument has no
merit in the Greek New Testament. There are many passages that identify the
same group of people as "anthropos" and "aner" in
the same Bible passage or the same context.
Acts 5:25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men (aner) whom
ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
NIV Acts 5:34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was
honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the
men (anthropos) be put outside for a little while.
Acts 5:35 And said unto them, Ye men (aner) of Israel, take heed to
yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men (anthropos)
Acts 5:38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men (anthropos), and
let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men (anthropos), it
will come to nought:
Luke 5:18 And, behold, men (aner) brought in a bed a man (anthropos) which
was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay
him before him.
John 6:10 And Jesus said, Make the men (aner) sit down. Now there was much
grass in the place. So the men (anthropos) sat down, in number about five
thousand.
Acts 10:28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing
for a man (aner) that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another
nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man (anthropos)
common or unclean.
NIV Acts 14:15 Men, (aner) why are you doing this? We too are only men, (anthropos)
human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from
these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea
and everything in them.
Acts 19:35 And when the townclerk had appease the people, he said, Ye men (aner)
of Ephesus, what man (anthropos) is there that knoweth not how that the city
of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the
image which fell down from Jupiter?
Acts 21:28 Crying out, Men (aner) of Israel, help: This is the man, (anthropos)
that teacheth all men every where against the people, and the law, and this
place: and further brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted
this holy place.
Also in the Gospels, the Greek words "anthropos" and "aner,"
are interchangeable for the same person. "A certain man" in
Luke 8:27 is called "aner" and in Mark 5:20 he is called "anthropos."
"A certain man" in Luke 9:38 is call "aner" but in
Matthew 17:14 he is called "anthropos." Joseph of Arimathea
is called "aner" in Luke 23:50 but he is called "anthropos"
in Matthew 27:57.
There is not one case out of 508 where a woman is identified as "anthropos"
in the New Testament, yet we are supposed to believe the word is gender
nonspecific in the Nicene Creed. If Allwardt and Eddy are correct, the
interchangeable use of "anthropos" and "aner"
strengthens the feminist argument that the original Greek can mean
"men" and "women" when either word is used.
Consequently, we must be dealing with King James post medieval chauvinism in
our translations today, when we read "man" instead of "human
being."
In Acts 5:25 the apostles are called "aner" but in Acts 5:34, 35,
and 38 they are called "anthropos." If Allwardt and Eddy are
correct, how many women apostles gathered with the men apostles in front of
the Sanhedrin? Was that a man or a woman on the cot in Luke 5:18 or just a
gender conflicted guy? Did the men sit down while the women and
children had to stand in John 6:10? Or, should we believe that only
the 5000 men ate and thousands of additional woman and children who were
present didn't get anything to eat? In Acts:10:28, 14:15, 19:35, 21:28
we have both "anthropus" and "aner" as
"men" and "man." Perhaps Luke, a physician, also
had a problem with gender and couldn't decide when he was talking to men or
men and women?
Reason 6:
Adam stands in the place of Eve. If Christ dies as the new Adam, then
He must necessarily also be dying for Eve. However, if Christ dies as
the new Eve, He would not be dying for Adam or men. Likewise, in the
Bible, men stand in the place of women. Therefore, if Christ dies for
"all men" He must necessarily being dying for women and children
as well. The old Baptist argument is that no children were baptized on
Pentecost, because Peter was only addressing the men. The Baptists
don't believe that "men" in the Bible stand for women and
children. Acts 2:29 "Men (aner) and brethren, let me freely speak
unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his
sepulchre is with us unto this day." It is as equally absurd to
say that "men" don't stand for women in the Creed as to suggest
that no babies or women were baptized on Pentecost because Peter was only
addressing men.
The logic that men stand in the place of women in the eyes of God is clear
in the following three verses.
1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is
Christ; and the head of the woman is the man (aner); and the head of Christ
is God.
1 Corinthians 11:7 For a man (aner) indeed ought not to cover his head,
forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of
the man (aner).
1 Corinthians 11:9 Neither was the man (aner) created for the woman; but the
woman for the man (aner).
As shown in "Reason 5," "aner" is often interchangeable
with "anthropos" in the New Testament. The Bible clearly
teaches that the man stands in the place of women and children.
Reason 7:
There is no question that there are examples of "anthropos"
signifying the whole human race, but our position is that in every place we
find "anthropos" signifying all men, "men" stand
for all of the women and children. There is no occasion in the New
Testament where "anthropos" signifies men and women, only men,
standing in the place of all.
Luke 2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward
men (anthropos).
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other
name under heaven given among men (anthropos), whereby we must be saved.
Acts 4:17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly
threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man (anthropos) in this
name.
Acts 5:29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to
obey God rather than men (anthropos).
1 Corinthians 11:28 But let a man (anthropos) examine himself, and so let
him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.
1 Timothy 4:10 For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we
trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men (anthropos),
specially of those that believe.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all
men, (anthropos)
Clearly, God wants to address all people in the male gender. It
appears that many in the LCMS are now opposed to that and want to make these
references gender neutral so that women will not be offended.
Reason 8:
Once "anthropos" is declared a gender neutral word, it appears the
Bible is promoting lesbian marriage and Paul may be gay. The women get
to be women but we aren't sure about the men.
1 Corinthians 7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is
good for a man (anthropos) not to touch a woman.
1 Corinthians 7:7 For I would that all men (anthropos) were even as I
myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner,
and another after that.
Mark 10:7 For this cause shall a man (anthropos) leave his father and
mother, and cleave to his wife;
Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man (anthropos) leave his father and
mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
The gender neutral guy is supposed to marry a real woman. Maybe she
will make a man out of this effeminate fellow.
Reason 9:
How can we believe that "anthropos" is a reference to all men and
women in view of the following verses?
John 1:6 There was a man (anthropos) sent from God, whose name was John.
Matthew 11:8 But what went ye out for to see? A man (anthropos) clothed in
soft raimant? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
Luke 18:10 Two men (anthropos) went up into the temple to pray; the one a
Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Mark 14:71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man (anthropos)
of whom ye speak.
Matthew 26:72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man (anthropos).
Acts 14:11 And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their
voices, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are come down to us in
the likeness of men (anthropos).
Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the
form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (anthropos):
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men (anthropos),
the man (anthropos) Christ Jesus;
We could have listed a hundred more verses with the above list. What
kind of human being did Christ become if He didn't become a male? How
was He circumcised under the law on the eighth day? Wisconsin wants to
confess a gender conflicted Christ and now Missouri wants to confess gender
conflicted men in the pews and pulpits. In Acts 14:11, the gods get to
be men, but in the Nicene Creed, the men will no longer be men.
Reason 10:
If "anthropos" is gender neutral, not only were there women among
the apostles but also the office of the ministry must be comprised of men
and women.
Acts 16:17 The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men (anthropos)
are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of
salvation.
Ephesians 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led
captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men (anthropos) . . . 11 And he gave
some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors
and teachers;
1 Timothy 2:12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authorityover
the man (aner), but to be in silence.
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man (anthropos):
but holy men (anthropos) of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
The words that Christ "became fully human" or "for us human
beings" will never be part of my confession or my faith in the Nicene
Creed. There is no Biblical support for changing "for us
men" into "for us human beings."
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