DISCLAIMER: I used to blog fairly regularly, but then the "phase" of blogging seemed to past and I was truly busy with life in our parish (at the time - I'm retired (kind of) now). Not all info on the sides of this blog are still accurate.
I am reading a book (the pdf of it). Here is the title page of it:
Lutheran Fundamentals: A Simple
System of Scripture Truth with
Applications for the Common Man
By G. H. Gerberding, D.D., LL. D.
PROFESSOR OF PRACTICAL THEOLOGY
NORTHWEST LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY MINNEAPOLIS,
MINNESOTA
ROCK ISLAND, ILL.
AUGUSTANA BOOK CONCERN
© 1925 / 2021
(CC BY 4.0)
LutheranLibrary.org
Yes, I know that the title page (above) looks rather daunting (all title pages look daunting), but it isn't a difficult book to read. MY HUGE THANKS to LutheranLibrary.org for making this book & others like it available. If you would like to read this book, get in contact with LutheranLibrary.org and then get on their mailing list, or email me at ajwrev@gmail.com and I'll send you the pdf in reply.
Some people will say that too much doctrine is staid "too formal" or is "not flexible enough," or other silliness. Clear doctrine clears up confusion! Clear doctrine shows us the truth about God, especially His astonishing love for us poor sinners! Never be afraid of clear doctrine. DO BE AFRAID of doctrinal statements which are wishy-washy, and DO BE AFRAID of doctrinal statements which are not statements at all but are mere opinions, and DO BE AFRAID of doctrinal statements which are not thoroughly founded on the Word of God. There are surely other "do be afraid's" which you might care to share with me in a reply to this blog. Oh, and let me add here that some people avoid clear doctrine because they do not want to believe anything which is not full of wishy-washy-ness.
I can say for a fact that people, young & old, tend to welcome clear & simple doctrinal truths. A number of years ago, when Saxony Lutheran High School (Fruitland, MO) was beginning, I was blessed to be one of the pastors who offered a religion course there. I can safely say that most (alas, not all) of my students remarked how much they liked the course: it was clear, concise, they could always say "prove it, Wollenburg," and I would take out my Bible to prove a statement with which they might take issue (or simply had never heard before).
Oops, I digress!
I hope to be able to share some insights which I have gleaned from the book. A couple of them for now:
FROM "A LAYMAN'S FOREWORD" to the book: "In these days when there is so much laxity and carelessness in spiritual things we often hear it said that one church is as good as another. The peculiar glory of the Lutheran Church is that she holds fast to the Word of God; that she emphasizes the things which that Word emphasizes; that she neither adds to nor detracts from that Word. When the day shall come that the common man in our Church understands and therefore appreciates the great fundamental teachings of God’s Word, the Lutheran Church will be a vital force not only in the lives of those who constitute her membership, but also in the life of our nation."
FROM THE INTRODUCTION: "DIVISION! Division is again called for. From the beginning division has been called for. Over and over again, division has come. To the end, division will come.
Inside the Garden of Eden God said to the serpent: “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed.” Division was predicted in Paradise. At its very gates humanity divided. Abel and Cain were both religious. Both brought offerings to the Lord. God had respect unto Abel and to his offering. But unto Cain and his offering He had no respect. There was division. From that day forth, some followed the faith of Abel, others walked in the way of Cain. Humanity was divided." You just cannot say it much more clearly than this!
In the INTRODUCTION, the author makes a point of saying that his book is written for laity & clergy alike. It is written in a style which, truly, anyone can understand.
If you have not lately stopped to ponder the presence of God in the world & in your life, perhaps Chapter 1 will cause you to do so.
So far for now. More when I get motivated. :-)
Let me add here that I truly long for LUTHERAN Leaders in the Lutheran Church(es), laity and clergy alike, who do not make any concessions whatsoever to scoffers. Also for Lutheran laity and clergy alike who will not say "We already studied that when we were kids!" but those who long to be reminded of the timeless truths of Holy Scripture so that we can be taught and re-taught throughout our lives. Let us speak truth! Let us be unashamed to be Lutherans! Not in a proud way but in the humble way which those who have the Truth will share the truth. God, grant that we will carry these truths, in our hearts, to our very graves!
Another very short note here: there is a plethora of solid Lutheran preachers, teachers, writers, bloggers, etc. in our day and age. Let us use our computers and our smartphones, so readily at our disposal, to sit at their feet to learn more about the eternal God, Father, Son, & Holy Spirt. Let us never be ashamed to ask those writers for clarity with our polite "What do you mean by that?" when there is some truth taught which might feel contradictory to the holy Christian faith.
Peace and blessings to you and yours! - ajw
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