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Jolul K. Wilch: ABKAM IN EGYPT: SINNER OR SAINT9 27 is directed by God's Word as to whether he in a particular situation is really being confronted by Satanic rorces and may resort to a deceptive manoeuvre in order to be faithful in his service to God and in protecting his fellow mcn--that is (referring again to E. Edward Hackinann), in his "religious living," his "life of sanctification lived in the fear and lovc of God, in faith in Christ, through the power oT he Holy Spirit." In their life of sanctification, the Apostles broke thc Fourth Comrnandmcnt in thc sense of disobeying and dishonouring civil and religious authorities. Christians in Rome rejectcd thc demands of the authorities to offer sacrifices in the name of Caesar. Martin Luther spurned the authority of his bishop, the pope, the vicar of the Augustinian order and the emperor when he insisted on pursuing his evangelical reformation. Certain Saxons reneged in thcir divinely rcquired duty to thcir duly authorized aulhorities in ch~~rch and state by fleeing their homeland to settle in Missouri in 1539. Somc Christians deceived and disobeyed the authorities in Nazi Germany in order 10 save the lives of persecuted Jews. All these conscientiously claimed to "obey God rather than men" (Ac. 5:29). So, too, Abram in Egypt. The question to ask about a Christian's action is not the ethical one: was it good or bad? It is rather: could that have been an act springing from faith in Christ and from lovc of God? John R. Wilclz is pvofessor ofE~egefica1 Theology at Cowcordia Lutheran Theologirnl Seminary, St. Catharirzes, Ontarzo
AUGSBURG CONFESSION IV AND V: JUSTIFICATION, MEANS OF GRACE, OFFICE OF THE HOLY MINISTRY INTRODUcrl'ION: THE STRUCTURE OF THE AUGSBURG CONFESSION The contemporary debate on the Office of the Ministry has Socussed a lot of attention on the SiSth arlicle of the Augsburg Confession [AC]. While thcsc discussions have looked at this articlc's relatiomhip to both the fourth and fourteenth articles, we are concerned here with the fosmer. It is often noted [hat AC V is concerned with how one oblains the justification described in AC IV; but the mcrc juxtaposition of AC V with AC IV does not yet explain its purpose or content. We need to discover the unifying theme which holds both articles together and foims the hcart of each. In this way AC V will not only be cxplained by IV, but also the reverse--that is to say that our understanding of the article of justification itsell' is tied to the meaning of AC V! There are lour clues which suggest that articles four and five arc intimately mated with cach other. (l) The standard introductory foi-mula "It is further taught" [Weiter wird gelehrt; Item docent], present in one form or another at the start of most articles, 1 is lacking in AC V. This suggests that AC IV & V together are considered as a single articlc of faith, needing only the one introduction found at the start OS AC TV. Tn the doctrinal section (AC I-XXI) this omission occurs only twice morc. The two articles on the church (V11 & VIII) arc joined simply by "Item [likewise]". The church is defined in AC VII, yet the apparently contradictory definition of the church as thc "assernbl y of saints" and as the place of Word and Sacrament needs further explication. "Thc purpose of this article [VIII] is to make it in~possible for anyone to accuse the evangelicals of Donatism. The negotiators at the diet were well awarc that fcars of such an attack were not without grounds. . . ."2 Thus AC V111 serves as a sort of added 3 note to AC VII. The third instance of this omission deals with a real accusntioil levelled against them. AC XX "Of Faith and Good Works" begins: "Our [teachers] are falsely accuscd that they forbid good works". This, too, is a sort of added note, to 1 All cilaliu~is oC 11ic Augsbuig Confession are based on the best critical edition: Die Bekeizntiz~ssclirft~iz clrr e~~i~~~grli.v~h-l~itI~t!~'i~rche~i KII.C/IE (BKS), 10th ed. (Gottingen: Vandcnhocck & Ruprecht, 1986). English translations are by the present author. 2 Leif Grane, The Airgsbzrrg Coi;fessioii. A (loininmtory, tram .lnlin H . Rasmussen (h'hneapolis: Aupburg, 1987) 99- 100. 1 This is conf~rmed by the fact that in all the ea~ly sources ol the AC here ia only one article on the church. See LiKS h1 -62. Schwabach Article XI1 (1529) un Lhe chu~ch leflecrs only AC VII, and is tracedby BK,S to Luther's "G~eat Confessioii" (1528), which also I-eflects only AC VII. AC V111 must have been a. late addition to thc AC, fui even Ihr early draft of the AC identified as "Na" in BKS contains but onc articlc on thc church (see helnw for a discussion of all of these documents).
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Page 4 and 5: LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW Volume
Page 6 and 7: EDITORIAL FOREWORD FOREWORD This is
Page 8 and 9: E. EDWARD HACKMANN: AN APPRECIATION
Page 10 and 11: TOWARDS CONSTRUCTING A SPIRITUAL FA
Page 12 and 13: E~win A. Brcsc: BLOOD AND WATER 11
Page 14 and 15: Erwin A. Brese: BLOOD 4ND WATER APP
Page 16 and 17: ABRAM IN EGYPT: SINNER OR SAINT? Jo
Page 18 and 19: John R. Wilch: ABRAM IN EGYPT: SINN
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Page 22 and 23: lohn R. Wkh: ABKAM 1.U EGYPT. SINNL
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Page 30 and 31: Thornay M Winger 4lJGSBlJRG CONFESS
Page 32 and 33: p Tlloma~ M Wmgei: AUGSBURG CONFESS
Page 34 and 35: Thornas M. W~nge~. AUGSUUKC CONFESS
Page 36 and 37: Thornas M. Wmger: AUGSRllRG CONFESS
Page 38 and 39: Thomas M. Winger: AUGSBURG CONFESSI
Page 40 and 41: Thomas M. Winser: AUGSBURC CONFESSI
Page 42 and 43: Thomas M. Wingcr: AUGSBUKG CONFESSI
Page 44 and 45: Thnmas M. Wlngcr: ArGSBLRG CONFESSI
Page 46 and 47: Bruce G. Schuchard, Scripture Withi
Page 48 and 49: Koger J. Humann: SCRIPTURE WITHIN S
Page 50 and 51: Roger J. Humann: SCKIP'I'URE WITHIN
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Page 54 and 55: REMEMBRANCE DAY 1993 John R. S teph
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