Strangers to Sisters - Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library: Essays

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simply a human organization. 248 Christian Anderson articulates the same “Missouri” stance in a brief pamphlet stating the doctrinal position of the Norwegian Synod, In the course of the controversies concerning the Church and the Ministry, the view held by the Norwegian Synod regarding the true relations between the local congregation and the synod, as such, gradually became defined. God has instituted the local congregation. He has entrusted to it the Office of the Keys. No individual or group of individuals has the right to exercise authority over the local congregation. God has not instituted Synods as such. We find in the Scriptures no trace of such an organization. Synods have come into existence because the congregations have voluntarily agreed to enter into such mutual relations. The congregations are thereby enabled more easily to work together for the training of pastors and teachers, for carrying on missionary activity at home and abroad, for Christian benevolences, etc. The synod thereby becomes only a medium which makes it possible for congregations of the same faith to function more energetically and efficiently in matters of common interest. 249 Adolph Harstad Sr., a second generation ELS pastor, wrote a paper defending the Missouri position on church and ministry sometime in the 30s or 40s. While he does not mention the Wauwatosa men by name, he attacks basic assertions that the “Wisconsin” position advocates. He writes in his opening paragraph, He [Hoenecke] opposes the doctrine that in its concrete forms the service of the Word is a matter of human origin or merely historical development. Also Hoenecke recognizes in the commissioning of the Twelve the institution of the ministry as it essentially exists in the Christian Church today… For the New Testament period since the time of the Apostles there is just one office in the church by divine institution: the ministry. That the office of the Christian ministry is the only office instituted by God to deal with men through his Word, and that the one office thus 248 Bleken, The Scriptural Principle, 11. 249 Anderson, The Doctrinal Position of the Norwegian Synod, 13. 132
establishes all functions of the ministry (also those commonly delegated to auxiliary offices) is clear from three or four passages from the New Testament… The objection may here be raised: Were not the various offices named in Romans 12:6-8; Ephesians 4:11; I Cor. 12:28 independent offices, or did they not at least exist as subdivisions of the main office BY DIVINE RIGHT? Our first answer is that close scrutiny of the text shows a reference to gifts of the Lord’s grace, not offices… To quote Kretzmann again, pg. 6, “It is clear, then, according to the Bible, that the call, properly speaking, refers to the entire office of the ministry and includes all its functions. This is clearly indicated also in our confessions, not only in Article 5 of the Augustana – but Article 14… 250 (Emphasis mine) And still, even with such entrenched “Missouri” positions on church and ministry, there is other evidence that shows that the distance between the WELS and the ELS regarding these doctrines was not as far as one might initially have figured. A closer reading of those who employ “Missouri” terminology reveals that their premise about a synod being a “human arrangement” does not agree with their conclusions about the role and function of a synod. M.K. Bleken, who insisted that the Synod is by human arrangement, went on to say that the synod’s purpose is to “hold firm to the good confession, promote unity of the Spirit, and be of help and support to the individual congregations for the defense and preservation of the truth.” 251 One has a hard time seeing how synod can have such an active involvement with the means of grace and yet not be considered a “church” in its own right. There is further anecdotal evidence. Rev. Ahlert Strand, in a 1944 ELS convention essay entitled “Our Mission as a Synod,” states that the primary mission of 250 Adolph Harstad, “The Doctrine of the Call to the Ministry” ELS presidential files: 1930s. Evangelical Lutheran Synod Archives, Mankato, MN. 251 Bleken, The Scriptural Principle, 11. 133
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WISCONSIN LUTHERAN SEMINARY STRANGE
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to gra
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Yet, the Norwegian Synod suffered h
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constitution, the reference to the
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Minnesota had reservations about th
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these two synods into closer contac
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Part I: Getting to know the Scriptu
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strengthening and encouraging the f
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University of Leipzig. 18 His main
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voice, as in an ecstasy, breathed t
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unbelief, in recent times such men
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So will we cling fast to the Lord m
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Koren sees Kierkegaard as a one who
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We acknowledge with gratitude towar
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Of the founders of the Norwegian Sy
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The Election Controversy was really
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ule or judge in matters of faith, n
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The Norwegian Synod lived its motto
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are sitting, like ourselves, theore
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we do? Why stand aloof against a cu
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that poor, unscriptural hermeneutic
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congregation, not us listeners.”
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elieve for them, such as is the cas
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Chapter 2 The Wauwatosa Theology Th
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Hoenecke developed and passed on to
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Third, one dare not limit this auth
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For Hoenecke, the way we let Script
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It may never be forgotten, that the
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inging unity to the various Luthera
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A fuller analysis of the Wauwatosa
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One of the chief terms used by orth
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None of this is to say the Wauwatos
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the church unperverted. It thus has
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synods over the years. But as will
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We believe it best to wait until 19
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Finally, the doctrinal controversie
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E.B. Schluetter, and delivered the
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students. Ylvisaker had resigned hi
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teaching English, Norse, Latin, Alg
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Waltonite, and scare ‘em into ret
Page 81 and 82: DMLC were fraternal visitors at the
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Page 87 and 88: point. Bethany had not been entrust
Page 89 and 90: the internal shake-up at Bethany an
Page 91 and 92: growing tense, not only among those
Page 93 and 94: ehind the back of the Wisconsin Syn
Page 95 and 96: With such deep sentiments and histo
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Page 99 and 100: Tjernagel contends vehemently that
Page 101 and 102: of the ELS, as well as her wariness
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Page 105 and 106: Take for instance the procedure ado
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Page 109 and 110: Dear Gullixson! I had just sat down
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Page 115 and 116: Chapter 2 Relations confirmed and s
Page 117 and 118: sent out by a Chicago group, I shal
Page 119 and 120: have good reasons to refrain for ex
Page 121 and 122: Tjernagel: Today conditions have be
Page 123 and 124: At the Synodical Conference convent
Page 125 and 126: The ELS, in her desire to mediate a
Page 127 and 128: Such remarks are telling not only o
Page 129 and 130: America, Elling Eielsen. Eielsen in
Page 131: But even the faithful few who had l
Page 135 and 136: 2.) By virtue of the work they do,
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Page 141 and 142: Lillegard was the foremost exegete
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Page 147 and 148: What makes the testimony and defens
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Page 151 and 152: III. The Fehner Case (1949-1953) Th
Page 153 and 154: Immanuel during a difficult time. B
Page 155 and 156: there would not be any scouting at
Page 157 and 158: Bethany Lutheran College and the Ev
Page 159 and 160: The trouble makers had then proceed
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Page 167 and 168: teachings of these revered teachers
Page 169 and 170: pastor’s point of view, that both
Page 171 and 172: How much of this can be attributed
Page 173 and 174: alarming rate. The water of controv
Page 175 and 176: where the one advocating them refus
Page 177 and 178: Reim: challenges Harms’ limitatio
Page 179 and 180: gave public testimony to the interc
Page 181 and 182: efusing to accept the Brief Stateme
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Yet, there does remain a present va
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ecclesiastical details or the weigh
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The study of this era shows that th
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BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Aaberg, Theodore
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Schroeder, Morton A Time to Remembe
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http://www.blts.edu/essays/korenUV/
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Ylvisaker, S.C. “The National Lut
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Harstad, Bjug. “Sermon of Genesis
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Zimmermann, Paul. “Scripture Inte
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C.M. Gullerud to Hugo Gamber, lette
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Gervasius Fischer to C.M. Gullerud,
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John Brenner to Norman Madson, lett
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Minutes of the Meeting of The Commi
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Oscar Naumann to C.M. Gullerud, let
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Stuart Dorr to the pastors of the N
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