|
"Will Dr. Dean
Wenthe Answer Questions About His Doctrine in Chicago?"
By: Rev. Jack Cascione |
|
|
|
|
|
A recent letter signed by Dr. Robert T. Kuhn, Dr. Paul Zimmerman, Rev. David
Anderson, Rev. David Dissen, Mr. David Hawk, and Mr. Walter Dissen endorsed
Dr. Dean Wenthe, President of Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne
for President of the LCMS with the following sentence:
"As we reflected on this central and foundational need of the church,
we wanted strongly to commend for your prayer and consideration the names of
Dr. Dean Wenthe for President of Synod and Rev. Daniel Preus for First Vice
President of Synod."
Those promoting Wenthe have failed to address a few important questions
about Wenthe's qualifications for LCMS President.
Beginning on Wednesday morning April 23, 2003, three conservative LCMS
organizations will be meeting at the Indian Lakes Resort in Chicago
(1-800-334-3417 http://wwwindianlakesresort.com/
The rooms are $95.00 per night).
"Consensus" will hold its meeting on Wednesday morning,
"Lutheran Concerns Association" will hold its meeting on Wednesday
afternoon through Thursday morning, and the "Association of
Confessional Lutherans" will hold its meeting on Thursday afternoon
through Saturday morning.
This writer plans to attend these meetings, where Dr. Wenthe will speak. It
would be an excellent opportunity to clear up questions that have been
raised about his doctrinal positions on the virgin birth of Christ and
church and ministry.
The following are a few questions for Dr. Wenthe:
1. Please name the Bible passages in the Old Testament that prophecy the
Virgin Birth of Christ.
2. Are Voters' Assemblies, as describe by Walther, the final judge of
doctrine in the congregation?
3. Does the Voters' Assemblie have supreme and final jurisdiction over the
Pastor in all matters? (Obviously, the Word of God has authority over
the Congregation and the Pastor.)
4. Do you agree with the doctrinal position of Walther's "Church and
Ministry?"
5. Does the pastor receive any spiritual gift at his ordination?
6. Would you support Episcopal church government in the LCMS and LCMS
Congregations?
Questions like these need to be answered, if a man wants to be President of
the LCMS.
The following are related quotations from the Lutheran Confessions and
Walther's "Church and Ministry."
"...the keys belong not to the person of one particular man, but to the
Church, as many most clear and firm arguments testify. For Christ, speaking
concerning the keys adds, Matt. 18, 19: If two or three of you shall agree
on earth, etc. THEREFORE HE GRANTS THE KEYS PRINCIPALLY AND IMMEDIATELY TO
THE CHURCH, just as also for this reason the Church has principally the
right of calling. [For just as the promise of the Gospel belongs certainly
and immediately to the entire Church, so the keys belong immediately to the
entire Church, because the keys are nothing else than the office whereby
this promise is communicated to everyone who desires it, just as it is
actually manifest that the Church has the power to ordain ministers of the
Church. And Christ speaks in these words: Whatsoever ye shall bind, etc.,
and indicates to whom He has given the keys, namely, to the Church: Where
two or three are gathered together in My name. Likewise CHRIST GIVES SUPREME
AND FINAL JURISDICTION TO THE CHURCH, WHEN HE SAYS: TELL IT UNTO THE
CHURCH.] Therefore it is necessary that in these passages Peter is the
representative of the entire assembly of the apostles, and for this reason
they do not accord to Peter any prerogative or superiority, or lordship
[which he had, or was to have had, in preference to the other apostles.
(Treatise, Concordia Triglotta Page 511 par. 24-25)
"Here [Matt. 18:15-18] Christ clearly gives the supreme jurisdiction to
the
church or congregation, as our Confessions say, and he desires that a sinner
in a congregation be regarded as a heathen and a tax collector and that the
dreadful judgment of excommunication be pronounced on him only after
manifold private admonitions and the public admonition before and by the
congregation have proved themselves fruitless, so that the congregation has
unanimously decided to excommunicate him through its pastor."
("Church and
Ministry" C.F.W. Walther, 1851, CPH 1987, 322)
"For when our Savior Christ says, 'Tell it to the church,' He by these
words
commands the church to be the supreme judge. From this it follows that
not
only one state, namely that of the bishops, but also other pious and learned
persons from all states are to be appointed as judges and have decisive
votes." ("Church and Ministry" C.F.W. Walther, 1851,
CPH 1987, -page 343)
"This is to be understood in the sense not only that the church has the
power to excommunicate impenitent sinners but also that the congregation has
the supreme authority in all church matters such as reproof, church
discipline, divisions, judging doctrine, and appointing pastors, to mention
only these things" ("Church and Ministry." C.F.W. Walther,
1851, CPH 1987,
page 343)
"For when a certain school principal in Brunswick held an erroneous
doctrine
and among other things also rejected the Formula of Concord, Chemnitz
presented the matter to the whole congregation as to the final and supreme
judge." ("Church and Ministry" C.F.W. Walther, 1851, CPH
1987, Page 343)
|
|
April 20, 2003 |