Beatus Vir

"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified." (Galatians 2:16)

Dan, I assume that you do not believe the external clarity of Scripture, even as those within the LCMS who are the SSP-types dob not believe in the external clarity of Scripture, never mind the "external clarity" of the Lutheran Confessions!

My question is rather this: Why place implicit trust in the pope and Magisterium when they can't even save you in the first place??? Infallible authority and salvation belong together, don't they?

While I do not agree with your decision, I do not agree also with the personal tone of many of the responses to your postings - excluding the one response so far to this particular (July 14) posting. Are you able to be contacted via e-mail?

If you read all the Lutheran confessional documents, it is quite clearly stated that we must be obedient to God in order to inherit eternal life. (True, you have to search for these statements, but they are there and are made plain in the Confessions, while at the same time not denying justification by faith alone. The two statements are not contradictory but complementary.) So it's a straw man to pit Cyprian against what the Lutheran Church officially teaches. Note, however, I said "officially teaches." I can certainly understand why Dan would feel compelled to leave the Lutheran Church to become Catholic. The present LCMS church does not follow the Confessions and has somehow misunderstood them and made a caricature out of them. Most sermons I hear from LCMS pastors give listeners the impression that it's not possible to keep God's commandments or that we should not even try to keep His commandments! If you did that, you might be trying to "earn your own salvation" and you might deny "justification by faith alone." (I recently heard a sermon from an LCMS pastor stating that the Sermon on the Mount was given to show us how impossible it was for us to obey God! Nothing was stated that perhaps, maybe, possibly Jesus might have given the Sermon on the Mount in order for us to listen to it and obey it!) And to top it off, the present LCMS church is just not very Catholic anymore! There's little reverence; you hardly ever see a crucifix (I know there are a few exceptions); the Lord's Supper is not offered each week (contrary to what the AC states); you're offered these little thimble shot glasses to drink from; you feel like a stranger if you kneel or make the sign of the cross--I could go on and on. Honestly, in most LCMS churches I feel like I'm in a Reformed church with some Lutheran window dressing! In 2000, I was received into the Catholic Church; in 2002, I had regrets and was confirmed in the LCMS church. Today, I attend daily mass in a Catholic church and attend an LCMS church on Sundays. (I know, that's the unpardonable sin!) Yet, if the LCMS church had a devotional life during the other days of the week (besides Sunday), I would certainly go there instead of the Catholic church. But I don't know a single Lutheran church that has daily Matins or Vespers or that has weekly mass (as I said, I'm sure there are a few exceptions). So I feel like I'm in No Man's Land--I want to be Lutheran, but it's not "Catholic" enough; I want to be Catholic, but it's not "Lutheran" enough (for instance, every time I've heard one of the classic Scripture justification texts read in a Catholic church, never has the priest explained it the way the Scripture presents it. The priest just doesn't even talk about the text but talks about good works instead!) And don't get me talking about Catholic hymnody--it's banal and atrocious!

To Prince Valiant:

And I thought I was the only one living in the vast wilderness of wondering where one should be. I find little of worth in any Synod, yet do not subscribe to Catholic theology. Still, this is Dan's blog and I'll not take up any more of his space. Perhaps I need to start a forum for people like us.

Pastor X:

Hey, it's great to hear there's a like-minded traveler in this wilderness of wondering! I don't know about you, but sometimes I feel pretty isolated. I'm with you--I certainly can in no way subscribe to Catholic theology--it's too far divorced from the Scriptures.

--Prince Valiant

This quote from Cyprian is similar to what we find in the Common Responsory in Matins (LSB, p. 221). The sung verse is: "Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it." (Luke 11:28)

Or as Cyprian writes, "We ought therefore to stand fast on His words, to learn and do whatever He both taught and did. But how can a man say that he believes in Christ, who does not do what Christ commanded him to do? Or whence shall he attain to the reward of faith, who will not keep the faith of the commandment?"

The Scriptures are clear -- faith and works go together.