Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Ft. Wayne Professor Passes...

It is unfortunate that I must include the news that Professor Marquart at the Fort Wayne Seminary has passed away. I won't include the details, but you can find them here.

I do want to briefly touch on a quote from the link because it shows something that is troubling- the loss of the distinction of Law and Gospel. First, the quote:

The greatest way we can, and will, honor the blessed memory and legacy of Kurt Marquart is by holding fast to the confession and tradition that he passed on to us and redoubling our efforts and even more energetically advancing the cause of authentic, genuine, confessing Lutheranism -- the cause of the pure and unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ.

What stands out in that sentence? It is certainly well meaning, but something else is there, or rather not there. I don't want to pick it to death, but the phrase "...cause of the pure and unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ." is missing the LAW! Jesus Christ was the Word incarnate- LAW and GOSPEL. There is no dividing the two- they are one and the same. It shoud read "... cause of the pure and unadulterated Word of God." (The Word is Christ.) This isn't just a technicality. By removing the Law from the Gospel, you have removed the very essence and power it entails. This is the secular/Baptist type saying, which has unfortunately also entered the lexicon of the Lutheran church. Gaurd your mouths and fingers (in the case of blogging) lest someone misunderstand the unadulterated Word. We should seek clarity, simplicity, and accuracy in all things lest our answers be unclear.

I also want to point out as more of a peeve that if Marquart was a confessional Lutheran (by all accounts he is - yes IS; he is just in a much better place), he by no means would relish anything done in his honor. That is another American/Baptist-ism and we would do well to avoid it. Want to do something in memory of someone? Go to Communion!

Rest in Peace, Brother Marquart.

3 comments:

Steven G. said...

I heard a Lutheran pastor say recently, "Do you want to be close to loved ones who haved died in the faith, go to the Lord's Supper!"

Anonymous said...

You should read a little more before you speak on such matters. Are the law and the gospel really "one and the same"? That is something no Lutheran could ever say. Is the law opus alienum, or opus proprium? Once you've answered that question, you may wish to publish a retraction.

You also have this problem, namely, the Lutheran Confessions in fact teach us to honor the saints, and imitate them. Before you are so quick to judge those who would honor this great servant of God, perhaps you might want to consider whether you yourself in fact have a full and complete grasp of the teachings of the Book of Concord. You might start with CA XXI and Ap XXI. Prof. Marquart was a very humble man, and did nothing for his own honor. But it is not right for you to teach such un-Lutheran ideas in a post about him.

VirginiaLutherans said...

Anonymous,

I have checked out those areas you suggested and will be posting a large post in the next couple days. I must apologize for the delay in an answer. My time only allows for so much study, posting, and other necessary acts. I will post as soon as I am able.

I am sorry if you thought I intended to sully the good reputation and name of Prof. Marquart. Please be assured I respect the man, and that is due to his reputation and the respect others I know have of him. I am both sorrowed and cheered by his passing. (Sorrow due to his leaving us and cheer over his arrival in Paradise.)

I also want to ask you read and consider my future post. I am a layman. I have no theological training, and it is obvious you have had part of, if not completed, at least one theological course of study. I will do my best to answer, but I hope we can fix this together. I am just now discovering and acquiring the wonderful books that are available from Lutheran writers and I have much to read. I hope we can have useful dialoge that allows myself to grow in the faith, and possibly some of the others who read this post. That has been my desire all along- to defend the faith and to grow in it.