After the Walther Book Is Done

 My first Greek New Testament was a Hort-Wescott.

A conversation with an MDiv made me consider the book to be written after Walther the American Calvin. I realized that a detective novel that I once planned was already on my bookshelves, ready to be written and released. The plot is simple - three men with a hidden agenda plot to get rid of the King James Version of the Bible and its text. Their labors were long, difficult, and packed with intrigues, lies, and Romanism. But they were not quite successful - Attempted Murder! - they longed to kill the traditional text of the Bible and its translation. They broke the foundations of Biblical understanding - as rationalists with chips on their stooped shoulders - and that provided the path for corrupt translations. Thus -

Attempted Murder: Broken Biblical Foundations and Corrupt Translations

The challenge is to gather information from my books on text criticism and translations. Next I need to explain matters so they make sense for those with little or no Greek and Hebrew - that is - the typical WELS-LCMS-ELS pastor.

My preference is always the King James Version, so I would like to see clergy and congregations move entirely away from the NIV-ESV broken Bibles. The text is the first, foundational issue for the Bible. If the text is butchered, as it is in the NIV-ESV, then the translation is an adiaphoron. Those heavily promoted and over-priced versions present a damaged product that reminds us of what the Bible once was. They are like Hollywood stars who have undergone far too many plastic surgery operations.

The evidence is there in black and white. The criminals let their laughable theories and fables remain in the archives, so the crime scene remains fresh and easy to examine.

This is just a sample. There is nothing wrong with the concept of text criticism, sometimes called Lower Criticism. The next stage was Higher Criticism, where the new ideas provided a basis for questioning the meaning of the Bible.

Text criticism looks for the best possible text. In the course of copying, there are easy to understand mistakes. Other mistakes come from careless copyists. Still other errors come from those with an agenda.

Wescott and Hort chose the worst sources for their Greek New Testament. As Bishop Wordsworth wrote, the two men changed 50 times as much as the project needed. What the pair loved most were the worst manuscripts, a tiny fraction of the thousands existing from ancient times. The overwhelming majority of texts are in complete agreement (minus the typos, or writos). Hort scorned them at the beginning and invented silly "laws" to explain his pernicious changes. Like arsenic, the poison was not immediately fatal but was slow acting.

Hort has his way now. Very few denominations allow the King James (and modern King James updates) to be discussed, let alone used. The Hort completely dominates all seminaries under the name Nestle-Aland edition - same style, same prejudice, same blunders, different brand.

Hence all translations begin with corruption.

Book News - Galatians, Walther, Bible

Luther's Galatians Commentary is published at Kindle and percolating in the print editions (color and BW) at Amazon. Janie Sullivan is working out the details for the print versions.

After a project is completed next week, I will hasten to complete Walther, the American Calvin: A Synod Built on Felonies.

I thought of reprinting Walther's Pastoral Theology as a joke book, but it stands on its own as an example of irony and burlesque.

I have started to refresh my research on the Biblical text and translations. That will involve the Bethany Scholars (as much as they wish) who contribute so much to my perspective. The book will be very basic about the trashing of the traditional text used by Luther and the KJV. It is really a swindle much bigger than anything in history. The issue of translation is actually a growth on the same neoplasm. They belong together, helped by the clergy's ignorance and apathy.

 Walther confessed what? - universal forgiveness and salvation, except someone has to make a decision for OJ.

Luther's Galatians

Alec Satin developed the public domain (shorter version). We debated the longer version, which I also love. However, it is better to have people read the shorter version than having them think about one day reading the longer one.

I read the longer version verbatim (in Olde English) to Mrs. Ichabod some years ago.

However, I have to say, the eructations of the Objective Justification savants have been my Harvard and Yale College, teaching me to know their dogma better than they know themselves.

I will send a finished copy to the cub editor of Christian News, so he can assign a review to someone suitably addled from reading the omnia opera of the Objective Justification salesmen.

But what if CN is silent?

Book of Concord, Formula of Concord, Article III, The Righteousness of Faith

"6] This article concerning justification by faith (as the Apology says) is the chief article in the entire Christian doctrine, without which no poor conscience can have any firm consolation, or can truly know the riches of the grace of Christ, as Dr. Luther also has written: If this only article remains pure on the battlefield, the Christian Church also remains pure, and in goodly harmony and without any sects; but if it does not remain pure, it is not possible that any error or fanatical spirit can be resisted. (Tom. 5, Jena, p. 159.)

7] And concerning this article especially Paul says that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. Therefore, in this article he urges with so much zeal and earnestness the particulas exclusivas, that is, the words whereby the works of men are excluded (namely, without Law, without works, by grace [freely], Rom. 3:28; 4:5; Eph. 2:8-9), in order to indicate how highly necessary it is that in this article, aside from [the presentation of] the pure doctrine, the antithesis, that is, all contrary dogmas, be stated separately, exposed, and rejected by this means."

end of quotation

More Lenski and Better Than Ever Before

Richard C. H. Lenski (186Die Lutherische Kirchenzeitung.

4-1936) is best known for his insightful and still invaluable series of New Testament Commentaries. He served as Professor of Theology at Capital University and President of the Western District of Joint Synod of Ohio and Editor.

Ask Pastor Jackson about Lenski books as PDFs.

Latest

• Kings and Priests by Richard Lenski
• New Gospel Sermons by Richard Lenski
• Walther and the Predestination Controversy or The Error of Modern Missouri by Schodde et al.
• The Error of Modern Missouri Part 3: A Testimony Against the False Doctrine of Predestination Recently Introduced By The Missouri Synod
• The Error of Modern Missouri Part 2: Intuitu Fidei

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Understanding Luther's Galatians - The Book Behind Pilgrim's Progress

 Luther's Galatians - endorsed by John Bunyan, ignored by the Objective Justification leaders today.

When I finish a book, that becomes the task, all day long. And that is energizing, like racing for the racer, surf for the surfer.

Working with Luther's Galatians is great privilege, because he considered it one of his two best works, which included the Small Catechism. No wonder the Objective Justification salesmen ignore it, except when abusing and distorting it to promote their dark message.

Pilgrim's Progress is an ideal companion to Galatians, because Bunyan called it "my most read book after the Bible." Bunyan's first sentence was 12 years, and he happened to obtain a copy. His eldest child brought books and food to  his prison. Bunyan put Luther's Galatians into his allegory, page by page.

That is an distinct advantage for an author, to introduce a book. Reading a book is edifying. Reviewing a book creates a deeper understanding, if done carefully. Going over a great book, line by line, paragraph by paragraph - that is humbling.

Another energizing aspect of writing is working with those who love to read, to illustrate, and to publish. We have a wonderful crew where each person contributes to the whole, and the final version depends on each person - all non-profit. I could not get much done without them.

Complete Introduction - Understanding Luther's Galatians

Introduction by Gregory L. Jackson

By stealth, Lutherans have steadily eroded the Biblical doctrine of the Reformation, which established them as Evangelicals and Protestants, but now allowing others to use those names and surrendering to the worst inclinations of Calvinists, Pietists, and Roman Catholics. The uniting cause, to soothe every worldly conscience, is to declare that God in His grace has already declared the entire world absolved of all sin. After meeting together and devouring the perks of Thrivent publicity, the LCMS-WELS-ELS stated –

 

"Last but certainly not least, there was special joy to understand that we all hold to objective justification—that God declared the world righteous through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and that we all recognize it to be the urgent mission of the church to take this gospel to the entire world."

That particular shout of celebration may be difficult to find verbatim now, apart from a certain blog seldom named but often read. However, the gloating superiority and arrogance can be found in 60 or more essays in the WELS Essay Files.

 

Apostate Lutherans like to call themselves Confessional Lutherans, as if they have a special relationship with the Book of Concord and the doctrinal confessions within that masterpiece, a one-volume guide to the Bible. However, the most basic characteristic of a doctrinal confession is to state the affirmative belief as well as the rejected belief. The Objective Justification advocates behave as if only one truth exists – theirs – that Paul and Luther taught God absolved the entire world of its sins for all time. The key phrase is usually “God declared the world righteous,” dishonestly designated Justification, deceitfully portrayed as Biblical truth.

Dead silence often accompanies guilt, and the Objective Justification Lutherans are morbidly quiet about Luther’s Galatians Commentary. However, the Book of Concord editors, which these chameleons pretend to honor, wrote this in the Formula of Concord article on The Righteousness of Faith –

67] Concerning what is needful furthermore for the proper explanation of this profound and chief article of justification before God, upon which depends the salvation of our souls, we direct, and for the sake of brevity herewith refer, every one to Dr. Luther's beautiful and glorious exposition of the Epistle of St. Paul to the Galatians. (emphasis added)

Who is more neglected and scorned than Luther, mocked with silly trinkets for the 500^th Anniversary of the Reformation, supplanted by rationalists and Calvinists like CFW Walther and JP Meyer? What book of Luther’s forgotten works is more unmentioned than Galatians?

 

What is more fitting for Crypto-Papist McCain to produce than a dog shirt and collar for the Reformation's 500th Anniversary?

The Lutheran Librarian (Alec Satin) and I discussed whether to use the shorter or longer version of Luther’s Galatians. We decided it was better to have people read the shorter version first rather than not own and not read the longer one. Anyone who loves Luther’s shorter version will seek out the later and longer exposition, truly a goldmine of insights about the Gospel, one he valued himself as a work worth keeping (with the Small Catechism) if the rest of his works were burned. 

Alec Satin will also produce an ebook and print version of Luther’s Galatians by itself, which will be more appealing to the never-Ichabods. 

Understanding Luther's Galatians - Start Up

In the unlikely event of a typo, send corrections - in a kind, understanding, compassionate, and sensitive tone - to greg.jackson.edlp@gmail.com. I keep suggestions in a folder for the initial edits of the book.

Some view the morning post as a health and wellness check, growing alarmed if I have not posted by 5 AM. I may post early and go back to the book most mornings. I will try to post my comments on Galatians as I move fowad. Everyone is moving fowad now, so I want to move fowad and be as transparent and diverse as possible.

WELS-LCMS-ELS-CLC (sic) should welcome what I write, because it proves there is another side to Lutherdom today - a Biblical one.

Upcoming books in approximate order are:

• The American Calvin: CFW Walther
• The Bible - Text and Translations