ST. CATHARINES CONCORDIA - Brock University

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Thnmas M. Wlngcr: ArGSBLRG CONFESSION IV & V gregation, whose authority comes from God rather than human beingj, who represenl . . . not Ihemselves, but "the person of Christ" (Christi personam). . . . The inseparability of office and function explains, in turn, the declaration that "God ~nslituted the preaching office (Prrdigtnmt)." The office is needed for prcaching ad sacramcnts, and these actions in turn, are needed for justifying faith . . . . so The Office of the Ministry is necessary for thc extm nos of salvation. Finally, of what sort is the "necessity" of the Office of the Ministry? Is it "absolutely essential" to obtain juslil'ying laith? The Office of the Ministry is essential because God gave it, as AC V asscrts. It is neccssary because of and for the sake of the Means of Grace it admini~ters.~' "It is therefore because of its indispensable inslrurnen~al or serving role that the ministry is dr iure divino and ncccssary to thc church."52 Thc samc sort of necessity is dcrivcd from the definition of the church. To be "signs" or "marks" of the church the word ol God niust obviously be proclaimed and applied and the sacrarncnts administcrcd at concrete times and in concrete places. Since this proclamation and application of the gospel and this administration of the sacraments is precisely the task of the sacrcd ministry, thc sacred ministry itself becomes a "mark" or characteristic of the church. 53 The church is known by the presence ol the Office of the Ministry because of the Gospel and Sacraments which thc Officc administcrs. This point is pushed too far, however, through assertions which go beyond the purpose of these articles, such as Truemper's dangerous thesis: "The olke of the ministry is not optional, nor merely beneficial to thc church's bcing, but absolutely necessary, in the only sense in which anything is necessary in the church, viz., necessary for ~alvatiou."~~ This stalernent neglects to point out that it is for the sake of the Means of Gracc that the Ministry is css~ntial.~~ Whether the Means of Gracc can work salvation apart from the Office- Avcry Dullcs and Gcorgc A. Lindheck, "Riuhops and thc Ministry ot the Gospel", in Confessing Otte Faith: A .loi~~t Conmenfory on tile A~~gshur-g (.'nnf~worr 17)~ I~rthe~nrr nrrd Culholic T/rrolo,oiuws. ed. George Wolfgang Forell and James 1'. McCue (R.li~meapolis: Augsburg, 1982) 156. One might argue thal III tlir case of life-and-death elnergeiicy, Lhe Means of Grace ;ire ultimately necessary for salvation, even apalt from the Office. In the same way the Word producing faith gains priority over Baptism, md Baptism over the Lwd's Supper--in an emergency. However. AC V is not discussing cxccptions and emergencies. One would hesitate to say that the Office of the Ministry is "unncccssary" as much as to say that the Lord's Supper is "unnecessary". Dulles and Lindheck 156. Ikpkorn 107. Luthcr himsclf madc this point in Von den C'onciliis uwil Kirchrrt ["Or [lie Councils and the Chmch" (15?Y), WA 50:632~~-633'', AU 41. 154 f. Truemper 72. His earlier for~nulation is much nlole congenial: "IC Gud gwts forgiveness only through the gospel, then people's salvation depends upon thal gospel being proclaimed and sacramentally enacted" (69). Maurer 350: the Office starts the chain which points to the following link, Word and Sacrament, which then lead to the next link, faith. Edmund Schlink, Theology of r/zc Lutheran Cor~fewolw, trans. Paul F. Kochncckc
44 LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW bearer is not a question which the AC deigns to discuss. The kick is always to hold juslil'ication, the Means of Grace, and the OfSice of the Holy Ministry togcther as an inseparablc unit. That these things be done flows from (ut) Article 4, Justification. What is conkssed in A~ticle 4 is conl'essecl as given oul by the ministry of preaching (Predigtarnt). When Gospel and Sacraments are given out they are the meaiis by which the Holy Spirit works faith in those who hear the Gospel. This faith is the "such faith" at the beginning of the Article. faith given the gifts confessed in Article 4, the forgiveness of sins and righteousness before God for Christ's sake. Thc faith that rcccivcs thc gifts as thc gifts they arc is worked by the IIoly Spirit. The way, means, instruments He uses are the Means of' Grace, the preachinglteaching ol' the Gospel and the giving out of the Sacraments, whose instrumcntality is the ininistry (Predigtumt) instituted by God. Article V is concerned with the gifts and their being delivered. This happensby way of the means of grace, and so that they might be going on, God has instituted the ministry (Predigrurnl). 56 In this way one highlights all of the instruments which God has providcd for effecting the redemption of His people. CONCLUSION This investigation of the sources behind the Augsburg Confession has demonstrated that our initial observations aboul the s1ructur.e and purpose of arlicles IV and V arc confirmcd by thc cvidcncc. Thc unifying thcmc in AC IV-V1 is faith. AC IV stresses the nature of justifying faith and its object, Jesus Clu-ist and His work. AC V describes how "such faith" is obtained. AC V1 shows that "such faith" will not remain fruitless, but that these fruits arc riot in any way meritorious for salvation. At each point the externality of salvation is at stake, whether from the side of the Schwiirmer 57 or from Romc: Both want salvation to bc bascd on something in man. Thc proper exposition of justification, the Means of Grace, and the Office of the IIoly Ministry, points man o~dside of himself to his Saviour, Jesus Christ. Thornas M. Wingeu is assi~tant pastor of Grace Lutlzer.an Chuuch, St. Cathniines, Ontarzo. and Herbelt J. A. Bouman (Philadelphia: Fortress. 1961) 246 n. 16 refers to the fonu~ilatiori of Th. Ha-nack, Die Kidzr, ihr Arni, ihr Rrgimr111 52: "The cliinch possesses ao olfice not bfcauac it liaa believir~p or spiritually endowed persons, but because il has [lie rrlearia ol grxc and he mandate ol its Loid.' 56 NomanE. Nagel, "The Office of the Holy Ministry in the Confessions", Coizcoi.dia Joumal (July 1988): 289. 57 Grane (63) points out that the decrees of Trent concentrate "on the psychological, i.e., what happens 'inside' the pcrson during justification."
Page 1: ST. CATHARINES CONCORDIA
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
Page 20 and 21: John R. Wllch: ARRAM IN EGYPT: SINN
Page 22 and 23: lohn R. Wkh: ABKAM 1.U EGYPT. SINNL
Page 24 and 25: John R. Wilch: ARRAM IN EGYPT: SINN
Page 26 and 27: John R. Wilch: ABRAM IN EGYPT: SINN
Page 28 and 29: Jolul K. Wilch: ABKAM IN EGYPT: SIN
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 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
Page 52 and 53: Matvm M Mcit7 THE KTUGDOM OURS REMA
Page 54 and 55: REMEMBRANCE DAY 1993 John R. S teph
Page 56: John R. Stephenson: REMEMBRANCE DAY

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