Strangers to Sisters - Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary Library: Essays

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different forms of church organization the right to be called Ekklesia, if only they use the Word and Sacraments. 262 Lillegard also asserts that there are three points of clear biblical teaching regarding the local congregation and the synod that all Lutherans must agree upon: 1.) We have the biblical precept and example for the gathering of Christians in local assemblies, to hear the preaching of the Word, use the Sacraments, exercise evangelical discipline, etc. But we have no precept or rules telling us just what form of organization should be adopted by these assemblies, - the kind of offices and the number of officers differing greatly the various places and the various times, according to the circumstances. There is but one rule: “Let all things be done decently and in order.” 2.) We have biblical precept and example pointing to the need and duty of maintaining fraternal relationship with other orthodox Christians in other places, both far and near. We have also both precept and example as to the kind of activities this larger fellowship should undertake; settling doctrinal disputes, helping brethren in need, arranging for missionary activity, etc. But we have no precepts or rules covering the organization of this larger fellowship, what kind of machinery it is to set up, what officers it should have, etc. 3.) Any form of teaching or system of organization that robs the individual of his rights and privileges as “a royal priest” whether on the local or wider level, is on the face of it wrong. “Sovereignty” is an attribute of the individual Christian; only because he knows no other master than the Lord himself can sovereignty be ascribed also to the local congregation to which he belongs. 263 Kretzmann would not sit still for this. In a rebuttal to Lillegard’s objections, Kretzmann fired back, basically reiterating his chief points with more fire than before. But Lillegard again points out that Kretzmann’s arguments are not in keeping with the clear text of Scripture. First he makes it clear that the English word “church” or 262 George, Lillegard, “Some Objections to the Meaning of Ekklesia Considered” Clergy Bulletin 9, no. 6 (February 1950), 51-53. 263 Lillegard, Some Objections, 53. 142
“congregation” has a much narrower meaning to an English speaker than the word “ekklesia” does to a Greek speaker. “Ekklesia” has more a meaning of “assembly” in English, a much broader term that can be used for both a secular and a sacred gathering. Lillegard goes on to write, The Wisconsin position, based as it was from the beginning on a thorough study of the original Greek, is entirely correct when it says…that “ekklesia” is a term which applies with equal propriety to the various groupings into which the Holy Spirit gathered His believers, local congregations as well as larger groups. It is a mistake to say, as some Missourians do, that “the congregation is the only divinely designated body or unit of the visible church.”… Thus it is correct to say, as Wisconsin has done: “A Synod is also an ekklesia,” meaning that a Synod is an “assembly,” which is all that “ekklesia” in Scripture means… What Wisconsin has contended for, then, is not that a Synod should rule over the congregations or take from them any of their rights and duties, but that a Synod should not be denied any of the rights and duties it possesses as an assembly of believing Christians. It wants each kind of assembly, both the congregation and the synod, to function in the way the Lord of the Church directs…The Wisconsin men have, in this discussion, shown themselves better students of the words of the Bible, and hence better theologians. 264 (Emphasis mine) But Lillegard’s greatest defense of the “Wisconsin” position was to be published in the September, 1951 edition of the Clergy Bulletin. The reason for this elaborate three and a half page defense was an essay of Missouri Synod pastor John Buenger that had been sent to ELS pastors. Buenger, who held fervently to the “Missouri” position, had written a scathing paper castigating the Wisconsin position as a departure from the 264 George Lillegard, “Comments on the above by G.O.L” Clergy Bulletin 9, no. 3 (November 1949), 29- 30. 143
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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
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DMLC were fraternal visitors at the
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accepted a call to serve his sister
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experiment never really took off, p
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point. Bethany had not been entrust
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the internal shake-up at Bethany an
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Page 95 and 96: With such deep sentiments and histo
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Page 99 and 100: Tjernagel contends vehemently that
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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
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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 and 132: But even the faithful few who had l
Page 133 and 134: establishes all functions of the mi
Page 135 and 136: 2.) By virtue of the work they do,
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Page 141: 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
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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
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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
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Page 179 and 180: gave public testimony to the interc
Page 181 and 182: efusing to accept the Brief Stateme
Page 183 and 184: Yet, there does remain a present va
Page 185 and 186: ecclesiastical details or the weigh
Page 187 and 188: The study of this era shows that th
Page 189 and 190: BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Aaberg, Theodore
Page 191 and 192: 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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