Confessing the Faith
In the Post-Christian Society in which we live confession of faith, especially of the Christian faith, has come into decay. At this time, the Church and Christians are in the duty of explaining themselves again in the foundations of their faith, since the western reference of a Christian God is not a given anymore. Therefore, going back to what Confessionalism means and why it matters becomes needed as a routine activity of the Church. The Lutheran Confessions, even though produced in a different context for a different time, are still helpful to pastors today. However, we want to use them not to answer questions that people of 500 hundred years ago had, but to address what people of today need to hear that is based in our Confessional Writings.
For that reason, I open this essay on the topic utilizing an article written by Professor Rev. Arnaldo
Schuler presented to the Faculty of the Concordia Seminary in Sao Paulo, Brazil
in 1986.[1] Then I will discuss some practical aspects of our Confessionalism in our own time. In the final section I share some challenges and insights the Church and its members face as they lead a confessional life .
Confessing
“To confess means to profess, bear witness, publicly declare, and the word confessions designates declarations of faith.” Thus, to speak of confession is to speak of announcing Christ to All, the Mission of God from our Lutheran confessional missiological understanding. Schuler says that Christians sincerely interested in spreading the Gospel are always confessors. They communicate faith and truth, as other denominations and religions sometimes also call themselves Christians. This confession is the responsibility of all believers, as Peter let us know.[2] The way the Church shares the Gospel can encompass many activities, but the most essential is confession. The universal priesthood of believers includes the responsibility of all believers to confess, which is born of faith ( 2 Corinthians 4:13: "We believe, therefore we also speak." This truth imposes on confessors the duty to face all manifestations of unbelief, for the unbelief threatens the survival of faith.[3]
Three texts that show the seriousness of the duty to confess:
Matthew 10:32f: 'Whosoever shall confess me before men, him also will I confess before my Father which is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, him also will I deny before my Father who is in heaven."
1 Peter 3:15: "Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you."
Romans 10:9: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
In Colossians 4:6: "Let your word always be pleasant, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to respond to each one", we find the apostolic orientation for our confession, a beautiful synthesis that summarizes the most important that could be said about the way of confessing: kind words, but not insipid ones. Words at the same time soft and healthy. This confession may omit peripheral, or unimportant, or indifferent matters (at least in itself), such as ceremonies, ornaments, vestments, liturgical forms, etc.[4]
Thinking of the two ways of teaching religion - simply transmitting knowledge, and transmitting knowledge and confessing, we chose not to limit ourselves to the first one. In this context, it is not uncommon to hear. "I lack the necessary preparation to bear witness to Christ." Here we cannot confuse witness with lawyer. The witness does not need special preparation to say what he believes. The lawyer's case is different. Lawyer, here, in the sense of apologist. The advocate of the Christian religion prepares to show the divine origin of the Christian religion and refute the attacks of opponents.[5]
Amid debates about evangelism strategies, let us not forget the strategy taught and exemplified by Christ: the marriage between love and the message. God has not promised to act through our opinions, speculations, theories, so the confession that can produce spiritual results in those who listen to us is the one that brings divine teachings. And the centre of our confession is Jesus Christ and his work, being Holy Scripture the only judge, norm and rule according to which all doctrines are to be judged, of which we hold the Lutheran Confessions a faithful interpretation.[6] Schuler also says that confessing is one of the most beautiful ways to thank God for the treasure he has given us. Therefore, confession is a privilege that brings joy, happiness, and spiritual blessing.
Lastly, according to Schuler, an important part of our confessional objective
resides in the fact that we desire the true unity of all Christians [7], “being, on our part, sincerely willing to
commit all that is in us to advance it, is, rather, that unity that preserves
the honour of God and does not give up the divine truth of the holy Gospel,
without giving anything to the least error, and that leads poor sinners to true
and genuine repentance, strengthening in faith and led to a new obedience. The
faith that saves them and gives them eternal life through the merit of Christ
alone.”[8] Confessionalism
is the public voice of the Church pointing to Christ, and working in a
way that the unity of the Church of Christ remains a permanent goal in Her mission.
Confessionalism and Sanctified Life
The adage says that "Lutherans scream Justification, and whisper Sanctification". This is a subject that has occupied the Church for quite some time, and in fact, many efforts have been made in terms of explaining and bringing to light this apparent paradox. God is the author of everything and without Him, nothing we can do(Justification); at the same time, as we are saved, we have our faith active in love by the power of the Holy Spirit in daily life(Sanctification). However, both are reconciled in the fact that Lutherans reject any concept of Sanctification (life of faith) that does not come from Justification (salvation). But they have also always rejected a concept of justification that does not lead to sanctification.[9] To preach sanctification, ultimately, is to preach justification. And the opposite is also valid. Whenever we preach justification, we are at the same time speaking of a sanctified life.
To define sanctification, I resort to Okamoto: “Sanctification is The Transformation that happens when someone comes across Great News or a wonderful promise.”. Then, from article VI of the CA we learn that “It is ordained of God that he who believes in Christ is saved, freely receiving remission of sins, without works, by faith alone.” Sanctification follows this Great News. We are transformed. From losers we become winners, from people of glory we become people of the cross. From dead we are made alive, and that is the reason why we can go and produce fruit, because we are alive in Christ. “John 8:36: If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. Therefore by reason we cannot be freed from sins and merit the remission of sins. And in John 3:5 it is written: Except a man is born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. But if it is necessary to be born again of the Holy Ghost” (Apology of the CA, article IV). If this transformation is not well understood, then the entire teaching of Sanctification is under jeopardy. Briefly said, sanctification can be defined by the phrase "faith active in love." When we receive salvation through faith (Justification), this process begins. Faith comes into action in love.[9]
As we read in the Apology of the CA, Article V “But Christ was given for this purpose, namely, that for His sake there might be bestowed on us the remission of sins, and the Holy Ghost to bring forth in us new and eternal life, and eternal righteousness [to manifest Christ in our hearts, as it is written John 16:15: He shall take of the things of Mine, and show them unto you. Likewise, He works also other gifts, love, thanksgiving, charity, patience, etc.]. Wherefore the Law cannot be truly kept unless the Holy Ghost be received through faith. Accordingly, Paul says that the Law is established by faith, and not made void; because the Law can only then be thus kept when the Holy Ghost is given.” This is the Great News and the Wonderful Promise that the Church will share with neighbours yet to know Christ and have trust in Him in their hearts. The Great news and the wonderful promises cause the transformation that leads Sanctification.
It is important to note that both Justification and Sanctification should not be understood linearly or in a temporal mode. They are so close together that is difficult to delineate where one stops and the one begins from a mere human perspective. As we work out our salvation, we know that God is working in us both our will and our work (Philippians 2:13). This transformation leads to the understanding that good works are necessary. Here's an illustration of this transformation: “Wurmbrand describes his own conversion: " I was like the man in the ancient Chinese story, trudging exhausted under the sun, who came on a great oak and rested in the shade. 'What a happy chance I found you!' he said. But the oak replied, 'It is no chance. I have been waiting for you for 400 years.' Christ had waited all my life for me. Now we met. "[10]
These foundations lead to an understanding of confessionalism as a fruit of the faith of a transformed person. The Great News and the Wonderful Promises received by faith in Christ fill the heart of the Christian in such a way that he or she will feel propelled to share them with people yet to know Christ. At the same time, confessionalism is not the most easy task in the sanctified life. Perhaps attending Church and bringing the tithes would be more on our favourite section. This shows even more that it is a needed task, and that a life of faith should lead to the desire to not only guard the fount, but also to share the water. “Each of us has received from God’s hand grace upon grace, all flowing from the sacrificial service of the One who laid down his life for us on the cross. We cannot, therefore, leave the work of God’s mission to “the church” in general or to “others” who may appear more gifted for the task or to “the pastor.” What an honour it is to follow in the footsteps of God’s Servant-Son, and to share with others the love he has so freely and fully bestowed on us Each of us is a personal letter from Christ to the world (2 Corinthians 3:2-3), telling all who will listen of his grace, mercy, and power.”[11]
In this connection, it is important also to reflect on what Kolb states: “The first fact the witnessing disciple must remember is that God alone converts. In the Baptism of infants, the Holy Spirit does it with little reference (so far as we know) to the psychological functioning of the child. In adults He operates through Christian witness, using its application of the Word as His instrument and moving in human minds and emotions to turn them around, to recreate them so that they trust in their Creator as He designed them to depend on Him.(…) A great many contemporary Christians who want and try to stress the grace of God fall into the trap laid by our cultural presuppositions regarding human responsibility. The strong emphasis particularly since the Enlightenment on the individual and on individual responsibility has made it very difficult for North Americans to understand what it means that God is Creator and Re-creator.[12] Because they believe that God's total responsibility for His creatures contradicts total human responsibility for us and our actions, they try to divide responsibility for conversion.”[13]
In the corporate life of God's people, confessing Christ is faith lived in practice. This includes the entire body of Christ, the Church. “The proposal of the Augsburg Confession is strictly evangelizing. Therefore, lay people and clergy are directly involved. The provision is that theological minds can discuss and do evangelistic theology. This is the calling of every Christian directly from God. For this call to be put into practice, the assistance of the Word of God becomes decisive. And its study and its authority determine the evangelizing action of the Church.”[14] Confession in the public life of the Church starts from, and is grounded in, Word and Sacraments. We confess Christ when the Means of Grace are at the centre. All other Church activities, which may constantly change in form, purpose, and context, flow from this unchanging centre.
Thinking in practical terms, we see that one of the main places that confessing our faith has been taking place is the virtual world. The Virtual Way has become an important means of confessing Christ. The pandemic that started in 2020 contributed to the even greater expansion of the use of this medium, since, in many places, for various periods of time, services and face-to-face activities were reduced or even cancelled. Although there is some difficulty in analyzing a phenomenon while living its incipient state, it has become clear that the virtual environment is a comprehensive and, at times, indispensable tool for the Church to carry out its work. In the same way as the telephone, the pastoral care and the microphone, among many others, the internet is consolidated as an effective means for the evangelical and evangelistic purpose of the Church – to save people. The aspect that I highlight in this section refers to the use of the virtual environment not only as a means, but also as an end. That is, the Church does not need to use websites and social networks only trying to bring people into its physical space. The virtual environment can also be the Church. People can receive the Word, worship Christ, be instructed and stimulated in their Christian life right there. The line between virtual and real has become almost indistinguishable, and digital platforms can be a space where the Church is the Church for the neighbour. This does not imply “or”, but “and”. It is not a question of replacing the face-to-face with the virtual, but of adding the virtual to the network of actions already promoted by the Church in person.
When thinking about confessionalism one must not forget the important aspect of reading the culture. Defining culture is a difficult text, and here I use Vanhoozer’s definition, “as made up of works and worlds of meaning.”[15] It seeks to bring the intersection between how a given culture is produced (e.g, books and written works) and how a given culture happens in daily life, that is, it provides lenses through which people read their daily life. This definition works well to provide a framework to look at such complex and poly-semantic theme. Vanhoozer encompasses both life as it is lived (World) and the abstraction of it (Texts) who try to mirror and or define its time.
Vanhoozer does a good job also responding two important questions, “why and how Christians should read culture. To the first question, the answer is because culture shapes visions, meanings, and ways of life of people around us, those very people with whom we want to share a message that will impact and possibly redefine their world view. And to the second question, points out that Christians need to avoid a simplistic take on culture, but engage in it “where it is” and “As it is” and offered a theologically “thick” description of it. The deeper the theologian goes to understand and to reflect the culture of his own time, the bigger the chances are that he will be able to address it properly and become cultural agents. By acting as cultural agents he understands that “it involves interpreting culture in the light of a biblical-theological framework and, second, interpreting Scripture by embodying gospel values and trusts ton concrete cultural forms.”[16] The Church participates in God’s left-hand realm (as Lutherans would say) to impact it with God’s right-hand kingdom of power, mercy and love.
From that assessment, it seems that it would be impossible for the Church to avoid cultural exegesis, theologically thick assessment, and engaging culture to challenge and change it. The choice that the Church needs to make is if she will do it in a lax way or in a proper way. With that being said, the purpose of exegesis here is distinct from the biblical exegesis. The latter seeks to interprets and understand the Biblical text and applies it to daily life. The former interprets daily life (the texts and the contexts) to apply the Biblical text to them. The theological framework is above the cultural framework and needs to address it to transform it with the Gospel of Hope.
This attests to the multifaceted, multidimensional aspect of culture as pointed by the author, and that invites us into first, being clear and precise about what we believe it’s the unchanging content of what we teach, and second, to confess this unchanging content in way that both acknowledge and work with cultural perspectives in which we are inserted. As Ortega Y Gasset puts it “I am myself and my circumstances”; I am distinct from what is around me, but inseparable from it. This helps us as Christians and Lutherans to read other people’s times under the light of the blessings and challenges they had to face. Also, it helps us read our own times properly, acknowledging the limitations imposed to that reading, and taking advantage of the blessings and opportunities that are unique to our generation.
Challenges and insights
When we think about culture, we think also about several challenges for Christians. Some of them include:
1. Cultural Relativism: The Church works with the unchanging biblical truths in a world where cultural differences are expected to be respected, even when it includes teachings and practices contrary to the Word. Therefore, being able to avoid cultural relativism and at the same time appreciating cultural diversity poses a challenge for the congregational practice everywhere.
2. Syncretism: As the Church contextualizes its message in the places she is inserted, there is always the danger of syncretism and unionism. When elements of non-Christian belief systems are combined with Christian teachings, they compromise the preaching of the Gospel message.
3. The Goodness of God: A God that is good is a pervasive cultural notion. But even in Christian circles, let alone in other contexts, the goodness of God is sometimes described according to human standards. Especially when tragedy, illness, problems, and death happen, God’s goodness sometimes is described in ways that don’t match with the Scriptures and that may lead people away from the essence of Christian life, which includes tragedy, suffering and loss.
4. Confessionalism: Adapting the Gospel message to different cultures should be done without compromising its core truths. Struggling to contextualize without losing the essence of the message is a constant tension.
Our theology interacts with this challenging cultural environment providing insights that can be used as a framework when dealing with the tension that is inherent to this context:
1. Law and Gospel: Our distinction between Law and Gospel promotes balance between cultural engagement and the teaching of our biblical principles.
2. Two Kingdoms: The concept of the "Two Kingdoms" in Lutheran thought provides a framework for understanding the separation between the spiritual and temporal realms. This can aid in addressing cultural and societal issues.
3. Theology of the Cross: A theologian of the cross, as Luther puts it, calls things what they are. That means preaching the truth in and out of season, pointing to Christ and from there deriving acceptance of God’s will and providence, which include things we would avoid such as suffering and loss. This perspective is helpful to guide Christians to engage with diverse cultural viewpoints showing a loving God who is present amidst suffering. It also enhances a humble and compassionate approach to cultural challenges and suffering in human existence.
4. The Una Sancta and AC VII: The paradigms for the Christian mission have changed in the last decades and centuries, from an Euro centered culture to a more inclusive one. Our teaching about the Una Sancta, and the definition of the Church as found in AC VII help shaping a theology of the Missio Dei that acknowledges His action through people in the culture in which they are inserted. God's mission is not confined to any specific time or place but is an ongoing activity throughout history.
Confessionalism discomforts
A Christian congregation that wishes to welcome everyone, especially visitors and prospective new members, tries to make them feel comfortable and at home. However, the one thing that needs to continually cause discomfort is the proclamation of the Word of God. It must continue to discomfort the old man, denouncing sin, and pointing to Christ.
This is important to bear in mind as we realize the age we live in, where getting offended is easy and empowering. While there are many legitimate victims of difficulties and injustices, there are many other cases where playing the victim is the strategy to occupy spaces of power. For this reason, Christians in the West need to become increasingly accustomed to the possibility that confessionalism may cause discomfort, or even offend someone, and generate strong reactions. If the Word of God already makes the children of God uncomfortable at many times, we can expect that it will cause similar effect in a culture that changes from moment to moment, and that becomes hostile to many points of the Christian message. The Word of God continues to be a scandal to the human mind and culture. The Protestant Reformation is an example of this, when the Reformers, with the Word, made the Church itself uncomfortable at the time.[17]
With the difficulties come also great opportunities for the Christian Church. As has happened throughout history, persecution can bring together those persevere in Christ, confessing the Gospel and living the faith. It may become challenging and threatening in many circumstances, but it is important to remember that it is God who sets the limits. “The enemies of the Gospel can only persecute Christians within the limits imposed by our heavenly Father. Since he oversees our lives, we need not be afraid of those who oppose us, for we confess that we belong to Christ. And we are confident in His love, not because of what we have done, but because He died and rose again to redeem us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Following Jesus can result in conflicts and divisions within families as well as within the family of faith, amazingly. However, Jesus wants his disciples to keep moving forward to eternal life, even if it means sacrificing earthly benefits. Focus on Christ, see Christ, seek strength in Christ, and trust entirely in the Savior Jesus Christ!”[18]
Confessing for today
As a church, we sometimes get lost in the discussions and details[19] of our weekly activity and forget the urgency of the Gospel: near us there are people going to hell. The Word teaches that people without faith in Christ created in their hearts are going to hell and will be forever cut off from the presence of God. Our message is urgent and eschatological. Confessing Christ and sharing him is both an important and urgent task which cannot be postponed, or delayed until things get better. It cannot be left for later, buried under a schedule full of commitments, or a fear of being cancelled by family, friends and society.
The opportunity for this sharing often does not come from speaking opportunities. We don't always get the chance to quote biblical texts and give a Christian witness without it seeming forced or unwelcome. Great opportunities are created, however, when we reflect in our practical lives the gospel of Christ, showing the love of Christ to the next, even in the small cares and daily details.
The Church can be a factor of great influence in society, announcing the Gospel that transforms, encouraging its members to live this faith in daily life, putting and practising the teachings, without false moralism or hypocrisy, but with the honesty that the Word recommends - saints and sinners. Still, the Church can contribute to society by maintaining the notion of individuals reached by the love of God and who are responsible to him and to the world.[20] This is our driving force for life in society: faith active in love.
[1]Schuler, Arnaldo. Confess and Confessions. Vox Concordiana, Year 2/3, 1986, pp. 5-11
[2]1 Peter 2:9: "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." Professor Schuler adds: “In this regard, it is worth reflecting on one of the abuses of the shepherd-sheep metaphor: the abuse of restricting the task of witnessing to the shepherd.”
[3]Schuler, Arnaldo. Confess and Confessions.pp.5-11
[4]Schuler, Arnaldo. Confess and Confessions. pp. 5-11
[5]Schuler, Arnaldo. Confess and Confessions, pp. 5-11
[6]Schuler, Arnold. Confess and Confessions, pp. 5-11
[7]Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, article XI, section 96 - Book of Concord, l ed., p. 678
[10] Robert Kolb, Speaking the Gospel today, p.171
[11] A Theological Statement on Mission. CTCR of The LC-MS, 1991, pg.17
[12] Bible texts in this connection
Romans 12 – I appeal to you therefore, brothers,1 by the mercies of God, to present your bodies bas a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world,3 but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
1 Peter 3: but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.
[13] Robert Kolb, Speaking the Gospel today, p.170-71
[14] Kolb, Robert. Confessing the Faith. Reformers Define the Church, 1530-1580. CPH 1991.
[16]Vanhoozer, Kevin J, Anderson, Charles A, Sleasman, Michael J, (eds), Everyday Theology, p. 55
[18]Rev. Paulo Brum, Sermon on Matthew 10. June 21, 2020
[19]Charles Arand wrote an interesting article on how discussions seem to be less and less doctrinal and more practical, especially adiaphora (things that are neither commanded nor prohibited by the Word.) It offers four general principles that can be of great help in clearing some of the internal snags in the way of Sharing and Confessing from the agenda. 1) Confession of the Gospel, 2) Continuity with Historical Tradition, 3) Contextual Sensitivity to the Mission, and 4) Church Consensus. “Not all Adiaphora are created equal ”. Concordia Journal, July 2004, p .. 156-164
[20]Albrecht, Lucas A. Amos, Christianity and the Secular State . Text presented at the Ulbra Forum of Theology in 2015. Available at: https://connectandreconnect.blogspot.com/2023/03/amos-christianity-and-secular-state.html
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