THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF THEOLOGY

THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF THEOLOGY

2003

LESSON ONE

Introduction
1. Christian Dogmatics, by Francis Pieper, D.D. C.P.H., © 1950.
2. Dr. Pieper
  1. Died on June 3, 1931.
  2. Theological leader of LC-MS for almost four decades.
  3. Called to professorship at Concordia Theological Seminary, St. Louis in 1878.
  4. Succeeded Dr. C.F.W. Walther as President of C.T.S. in 1887.
  5. President of Synod: 1899-1911.
3. Volume I – published in 1924.
  1. Volume II, includes Christology, grace, justification, etc.: published 1917.
  2. Volume III, includes sanctification, means of grace, the church, the ministry, etc.: published 1920.
4. Translation
  1. 1941: synodical convention created committee to plan centennial celebration.
  2. Committee proposed translation.
  3. Delays encountered.
  4. Published 1950.
  5. Index (Volume IV planned for later): ©1957.
5. Comments
  1. LC-MS name adopted 1947.
  2. Originally The Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio and other States.
  3. Organized Chicago, Illinois, April 26, 1847.
  4. Saxons arrived in St. Louis in 1839.
Our Position (p. 3, et. seq.)
1. Holy Scripture:
  1. In contradistinction to all other books.
  2. Is God’s own infallible Word.
  3. And, therefore, the only source and norm of Christian doctrine.
2. Conditions require clear and emphatic statement on this issue.
  1. Until 1750, Protestant dogmaticians quite generally agreed.
  2. Today, situation completely different.
  3. Most, with very few exceptions, deny that Scripture is by inspiration the very Word of God.
  4. Replaced with the human Ego, sometimes called:
    1. “Christian consciousness”.
    2. the “regenerate I”.
    3. “experience”, etc.
  5. Roman Catholic Church: really has the Ego of the Pope.
3. Luther: “God’s Book”
  1. “When you read the words of Holy Scripture, you must realize that God is speaking them.” (quoted, p. 4)
  2. If depart from Scripture, become theological “monsters”.
4. Modern theologians.
  1. Substitute their own “Christian consciousness” for Scripture.
  2. Also their highly developed “sense of realities” based on science.
5. We experience, by His grace, that the Scripture is indeed God’s Word.
  1. This is a reality.
  2. Scripture is the sole basis of faith, the sole source of the knowledge of the truth.
  3. In theology, it is absolutely necessary that the theologian disqualify his own Ego.
  4. Jn 8:31,32: liberty, not “bondage”.
6. Consequences of moving away from Scripture into “pious faith – consciousness”.
  1. Ends with denial of vicarious satisfaction (substitutional atonement) of Christ.
  2. To deny this means to not know the Christ whom Scripture shows.
  3. Jn 1:29.
  4. Jn 8:43,47.
  5. We find comfort, however, in “felicitous inconsistency”.
  6. Doctrinal discord is a product of subjectivism.
  7. Eph 2:19,20.
Religion in General (p. 7 et. seq.).
1. Derivation of Latin word religio.
  1. Whether from relegere or religare is debatable.
  2. Relegere, e.g. Cicero,: “close study” – relegendo.
  3. Religare, e.g. Lactantius: the sense of to bind, place under obligation to God.
  4. Augustine wavered between them.
2. “Religion” has no common usage.
  1. What it means to heathen is opposite of meaning to Christians. (cf Ac 17:22,23)
  2. Heathen thinking moves entirely in the sphere of the Law.
    1. Ro 1:32.
    2. Ro 2:15.
    3. Knows nothing of the Gospel: 1Co 2:6-10.
  3. The Christian “religion” is faith in the Gospel, i.e. faith in the divine message that through the substitutionary satisfaction of Christ, God is already reconciled to all men.
  4. Gal 2:16.
  5. Therefore, bodies within external Christiandom that teach that man is reconciled to God, wholly or in part, through his own works have reverted to pagan conception of religion and are, as to their teaching, outside Christiandom.
  6. Gal 5:4.