Study: Some theses for Today's Church (Adapted)
A text used as a study opportunity with some departments of Mount Olive, in Regina.
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“This material was used by The Lutheran Youth of Brazil as a way to stimulate the church's continuous doctrinal and practical reflection, inspired by the work of the Reformation, particularly of the 95 theses. At the time, the battles and demands of Luther and the reformers were mainly those contained in the original theses. We bring now an attempt to update the topics and issues facing the church today.”[1]
1 - We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, and in it we find all the revelation that God deemed necessary for the salvation of all peoples, at all times, not needing further revelations, whether by angels, prophets or any other people (2Tm 3.16). The coherent teaching of the Scriptures always has a place of honor in our churches. We ask the Lord that integrity and fidelity in the knowledge of the Word, both on the part of those who study it and, mainly, on the part of those who teach it are always present. And we reject any attempt to use the sacred text for the purpose of manipulating and dominating the people (2Pt 1.20; Rm. 12.7; 2Tm. 2.15).
2 - We affirm as legitimate principles for the correct reading of the Bible the following hermeneutical keys[2]: The whole Bible is inspired by God. The Bible interprets itself. Christ and his work is the centre of God's revelation. Law and Gospel must be distinguished. The context is fundamental. (2Tm 2.16, 2Tm 3.16, Jn 5.39, Gl 3.24)
3 - We are completely focused on Grace and we claim that it always stands out. But we do not reject and are not ashamed of the Law. We need it in its three functions: Curb, mirror and guide. (Rm 5.21, Dt 6.5-6, Ps 119.111, Jn 14.21, Ps 19.7-14; Eph 2.8)
4 - We understand that we must maintain, or recover when needed, the reading of the Bible applied to our daily life. That implies the reading and studying of the Bible not just for learning stories and passages, or for intellectual knowledge only, but asking ourselves all the time what the text says for our life and how we can put it into practice by faith. (2Tm 3.16, Jas 1.22-25) We reject the criticism of “fundamentalists” and “old-fashioned” because we read the Bible in a classic and orthodox way, as being authored by the Holy Spirit, inerrant and totally valid and applicable to us; and/or because we believe that there is only one Truth. We do not want to be held hostage to preferred and convenient parts of the Bible, but we submit "to all the counsel of God" (Jn 14.6, Acts 20.27).
5 - We are not sinners because we sin, but we sin because we are sinners. Our problem is much more profound than having a few slips every now and then. Left to our own resources we would be lost. (Rm 7.18, Rm 3.10) Our problem with sin is solved as follows: Where sin abounded, the grace of God abounded even more, and Christ's work for us was totally sufficient to win forgiveness of sins, and thus, salvation and eternal life.(1Jn.1.9; Rm 5.20)
6 - We believe that Jesus' consummation on the cross means that absolutely all our account with God has been properly paid once and for all, thus not needing any works, sacrifices or bargains to achieve salvation or any favours of God. (Eph 2.8-9) We believe that the work of Christ is vicarious above all. That is, everything He did, He did primarily as our substitute not as our example. To look at Christ only as an example is not to understand the essence of His work, the essence of Christianity and on top of that, we have entered a dangerous path of moralism and despair. (Jn 11.50-51, Jn 1.29, 1 Co 5.7, Gl 1.4) At the same time that Christ is our substitute, he is also our model of life, and following His example is our goal in life. We wholeheartedly wish to imitate him, as Paul desired. (1 Cor 11.1, 1 Pt 2.21, Jn 13.34, Eph 5.2, Jn 13.14).
7 - We believe in Jesus Christ revealed in the Gospels and the Bible. He is totally divine and totally human. Lamb and Lion. Servant and Master. King, Prophet and Priest. Dead and Risen. Incarnate and Ascended. Messiah of Israel and Word for the World. We do not believe in the Jesus of most of the programs on the History Channel or Discovery Channel produced based on dubious texts, not to say heretics, that domesticate and shape Him according to the client's need and preference. (Jn 1.1, 1Tm 2.5, Rev 17.14, Jo 20.28, Mt 28.18, Jn 19, Rev 5.5-6, Lk 24.25-27, Heb 1.8, Mt 16.15-16, Cl 1.15-17) We do not believe in the “martyr-revolutionary” Jesus of some, nor in the Jesus “guru-zen-comfort zone” of others, nor in Jesus “miracle worker” of others. (Mt 16.16)
8 - We believe that the world and the human being were created by God, in an act of love, by the Word. We are not the product of the natural evolution of species; nor cosmic dust; we are not just the result of any accident, but we are creatures loved by God. We therefore reject any theory that does not match the Word of God, as well as atheism. (Gen. 1.26, Ps 8.3-6, Ps 139.14) We defend creationism, understanding that it has nuances, which deserve to be known and respected. (Gen 1-2) We also understand that the dialogue between faith and science is possible and fruitful. Both can learn from each other. (Dn 1.17, Ps 139.6, Pv 9.10)
9 - We believe that God still today can do and really performs miracles. But we do not accept that they can be scheduled by humans as they wish. (Ps 77.14, Mt 19.26)
10 - We disagree with the charge that the Holy Spirit is The God unknown to the Lutheran church. We recognize that because of the Christocentric emphasis of our confessions, we may not have sufficiently emphasized the work of the Holy Spirit in our teaching and practice and we can further our teaching on our theology on the Holy Spirit. We believe that in justification the Holy Spirit did everything to give us new life. We were dead in our sins. We had no free will. He regenerated us and gave us faith. (Jn 15:16)
11 - We believe that in Sanctification the Holy Spirit enables us to cooperate with Him in our growth and Christian life. Christian life is full of ups and downs. Progress is not linear, nor is it often noticeable. That is why we are cautious with ready-made recipes, courses of spiritual growth that emphasize human efforts without remembering the daily need for God's grace, and with “Christian” coaching without Christian foundation. But we want to mature in the faith and become more and more like Christ.
12 - The Holy Spirit is free to act where he wants and how it desires. But we believe that He decided to act objectively in us by the Word and the Sacraments. (Jn 3.8)
13 - We believe that the main work of the Holy Spirit in us is faith. But we also believe in the legitimacy of other gifts bestowed by Him, remembering that his purpose never is, was or will be for personal promotion but for the benefit of the brothers of the church and others. (1 Co 12.1-31, 1 Co 14.1-40, 1 Pt 4.10, Rm 12.6). We accept that the gifts of the Holy Spirit are diverse and that we should neither be jealous of the gifts of others, nor categorize them hierarchically. Given this, there is no sense in the unbridled search for certain titles and positions in the Church of Christ. Nor is competition between departments and areas of the church something to be fostered. (Rm 12.3-5; 1 Pt 2.9)
14 - We affirm that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are natural to the new man, but they are not optional. We are all invited to practice and exercise in them, the best we can. As someone has said, faith saves alone, but faith it is never alone.
15 - We believe in Baptism for all ages. It is effective enough because of the promise of God connected to it, to save from newborn children to elderly people with Alzheimer's. It consoles us throughout our entire life. (Mc 16.16; 1 Pt 3.21; Titus 3.15) We do not believe that the amount of water matters for a Baptism. We would recognize its value even if it happened with a single drop in a hospital ICU. We believe in immersion baptism as well, Luther even preferred it. We do not believe that Baptism works like magic, but that the blessings we receive in it should be cultivated throughout life. To have been baptized one day, but to fall off tracks along life and to live away from faith puts us in serious danger of condemnation.
16 - We admit that at Holy Communion we receive much more than meet the eye and the senses can feel. The real presence of Christ is given to us in a concrete and highly powerful way. We admit that within the package of forgiveness, life and salvation, which is offered to us by grace at each Supper, there is a world of gifts that we do not always realize, but that if we did, we would not waste an opportunity to be with the brothers at the table of Lord, and we would go with much more anticipation in our hearts. We attest that Holy Communion is, above all, a vertical gift from God to your children, but that it has serious and necessary horizontal implications.
17 - As beneficiaries we found that talking about sin and repentance, despite having been common in the past, has become difficult in our culture, either because it sounds old-fashioned or because it sounds irrelevant. But hiding the dirt under the rug, avoiding guilt with delusions and victimism has not helped us at all. On the other hand, as agents, let's not judge ourselves better than no brother for having fallen into sin, or for his past. Rather, following the Word, let us correct the wounded sheep with a spirit of gentleness, guarding ourselves so that we are not tempted, and finally we can assume our condition as sinners too. (Gl 6.1) Faithful to the guidelines of Luther and the reformers, we want to recover the privilege of confessing our sins privately and receiving absolution for our guilt.
18 - May our Services be first of all a Service of God to us. Our emphasis must always be Theocentric: God’s gifts in the Word and God’s gifts in the Sacraments. We refuse to give in to the temptation to go to worship having our needs and preferences to be the priority. (1 Co 7.20) We also believe that in worship God wants to receive our response to His grace. We recognize the importance of expressing a sincere confession, a thankful praise, a generous offer, a confident and humble prayer, and a desire to leave the church Service excited to continue the service in our vocations for the week. (1 Co 9: 19-23) We recognize that worship is both for the edification of the people of God and also evangelistic for non-Christian visitors. We do not consider any instrument or musical rhythm, whatever its origin, more holy than another. (Ps 150)
19 - We believe in the importance of prayer. God longs to listen to his people and to speak to God in prayer is a fundamental practice of faith. Much can be done by the prayer of the just. We are attentive to the three ways in which God answers the prayers of his people that we learn in the Catechism. God is free to say yes, no, or wait. We want to relearn the practice of praying inspired by the words of Scripture and the Catechism, as Luther did and invited us to do.
20 - We understand that our church intentionally does not constrain anyone to bring offerings, and does not stipulate a specific quantity or system for the offerings. But we also know that discipline, attendance, generosity and a spirit of sacrifice can be very positive in the habit of giving. We recognize as well that the way we manage our money is one clear symptom of the state of our faith and our relationship with Christ. We understand that financial prosperity can be a blessing in the life of a Christian, but that this is not a rule. God has no commitment to enrich and prosper a Christian. (Php 4.10-12)
21 - We recognize that we are pilgrims on this Earth. Although we seek to have a comfortable life, we have no material ambitions to conquer this land, as “our homeland is in heaven, from where we await the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ”. (1 Pt 2.11) We declare that we Christians are subject to disease, physical ills, health problems, and that there is no obligation on God's part to heal us, and that this in no way alters his character as a loving and caring Father. (Jo 16.33; 1 Tm 5.23)
22 - We realize that some reasons why people leave the church are understandable and, at times, even legitimate, but we do not support disorganized spirituality, which refuses to return to the heart of the Christian community and wants Jesus without his bride gathered in congregation, as the Word commands / recommends. We know that it is our commitment to seek out the brothers tirelessly, with all love and affection and to live with the weakest in the faith. Also, that pastors and members value the simple preaching of the Word and communion with the brothers, instead of mere “gospel” shows in order to have “crowded” churches to hear the “attractions” of faith (1Pt 5.2).
23 - We believe that the Lutheran Church holds the most faithful confession of faith to biblical teaching, but we do not want to look at other Christian denominations with arrogance or contempt, as they are our brothers and sisters in Christ and we will not be divided in heaven. We believe that the Kingdom of God is happening in the world where His Word and His Spirit rule people's hearts. It has two different spheres, which must not be separated, but held distinct. God reigns in the realm of creation (secular sphere), where the spaces of family, work, society and culture are through his law, and in the realm of redemption (spiritual sphere), where the church acts proclaiming Christ for All through the Gospel.
24. Our relationship with culture is paradoxical. We don't want to conform to it or make it Christian. We do not accept that it dictates fashion for our faith and Christian life, but neither do we run away from it or abandon it. We know that it is permeated with the goodness of God, and for that matter we enjoy it, but we are also aware that it is contaminated by sin, and for that matter we denounce it. We judge anything and everything with our faith given discretion.
25 - Our relationship with politics is one of involvement and distance. We must be neither silent nor fanatical, but participate according to each one's vocation and conscience. We understand our call to support multiple instances of leadership, as instituted by God, while we critically judge the people who are occupying them and the decisions they make.
26 - We believe that the Kingdom of God has a perspective that has already happened and another that has not yet been realized. God already reigns in this world and has already won the victory over sin, death and Satan, but we still do not fully enjoy all his gifts.
27 - We believe that as Christians we cannot escape our social and evangelistic responsibilities in spreading the Gospel. We believe that the Church of Christ must be concerned with social problems too. We seek, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to care for the sick and broken in heart and to preach the Gospel to the humble. We are not only concerned with people's souls but with the whole human being. We announce forgiveness of sins while trying to help our neighbours with all their needs. (Jas 2.15-16). We hold that in our churches the numbers are not more important than the people. (Lk 22: 24-26).
28 - We believe that the devil exists. He is one of our enemies in the spiritual battle, along with the world and our flesh.(1 Pt 5:8-9). But the devil does not possess all the credit given to him by some churches. He is the personification of evil, the number one enemy of Christ and his church, but he has already been defeated and is already "tied". We relate to him, avoiding the extremes of giving him too much credit and, thus, frightening us for nothing, or forgetting his attacks, and thus being vulnerable.
29 - The teaching of Christian freedom is very dear to us (1 Co 6:12). We do not give up that it was for freedom that Christ has set us free. We are, at the same time, completely masters and servants over all things. Bearing in mind common sense and love of neighbor, so as not to cause scandal to anyone, we tend to make Christian freedom really free and available. But let this personal freedom be exercised as a servant of Christ, with wisdom, moderation and balance. (Gal 5.1, 2 Co 3.17, Rom 14.22)
30 - We find much comfort in the promise of heaven, but our greatest hope is laid on the resurrection of the flesh and in the life of the world to come.
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