LCMS Vicar writes:
"I had the opportunity to listen to Hank Hanegraff's 'Bible Answer
Man' and Dr. Kieschnick's interview as recorded on Tuesday, March 26, 2002.
While I firmly agree with your observation about his response to the question
about baptismal regeneration, I also found his response to a caller identified
as "Bob" from Florida equally disturbing. "Bob's" second
question dealt with the basis of truth for the doctrine we teach in the LCMS.
Dr. Kieschnick's response, as I heard it, leads one to believe that as long as
the doctrine stands the test of time, the test of scrutiny, the test of debate
and the test of challenge, then it must be true. Nowhere in his response did
he state that the basis of each and every doctrine must be the Holy
Scriptures. In other words, if we can agree together on what is to be taught
as doctrine, then it must be true, never mind what the Bible says. Sounds
eerily like Rome!"
It sounds like in practice President Kieschnick cannot not be challenged
and he has removed the Holy Word of God from being the only norm and source of
all doctrine!
Pastor From Missouri Writes:
"I think Pres. Kieschnick's comments below probably reflect mistakes
or lack of knowledge rather than rejection of doctrine. It goes to the
question of the theological ability of the man leading us as a Synod.
Quotes from Pres. Kieschnick on the radio (The Bible Answer Man).
On Election:
Pres. Kieschnick says: "We don't believe that God specifically points
to certain individuals and says, 'You are elected to be saved.' We don't
believe that God points to other individuals and says; you are not elected to
be saved. We believe that God says, 'you all are already saved, you, some of
you, just simply have not and will not accept that objective reality.'"
It appears that Kieschnick tried to answer the unanswerable question about
why some and not others have eternal life. We cannot say that people are not
saved because they "will not accept that objective reality." No one
by his own power can "accept" the objective reality of Christ's
saving work. There is no answer to election but the grace of God.
President Kieschnick is quoted in the Saturday, March 30, 2002, edition of
"The Tribune," in the article titled "Missouri
synod leader accused of breaking church law in post-9/11 prayers" by
Lawn Griffiths as follows:
"The biggest challenge for the denomination, he said, is finding
"consensus on what really is the reason for our existence."
He said the debate seems centered on two issues: "Mission, reaching
out to lost people for Christ" or "hanging onto the truth that
preserves it for generations to come."
We reply to President Kieschnick, "If you don't have the truth it
isn't possible to reach out to lost souls. In fact, it is pointless.
Kieschnick has made the doctrine of the Synod a burden rather than its
foundation.