Got a chance to talk to a theologian about Gerhard Forde today. He thinks he's great and said the book I ordered (On being a Theologian of the Cross) is excellent. He also said there is no "third use of the law" and Chemnitz put it in. I said, it did not read too badly to me in the Book of Concord, but he says, yea, that would work under ideal conditions (such as the garden of Eden). (You can probably guess who I talked to).
6 comments:
Brigitte,
You got the straight story from that theologian.
I have friends who tell me that I am denying the Lutheran Confessions of I deny the "third use".
That, is a ridiculous statement.
If I deny that the Book of James is a solid procalamtion of the gospel, am I denying the Bible?
Of course not.
Some people act as if the men that put together the Lutheran Confessions were perfect, or that God just dropped that collection of Lutheran thought right out of the sky with a bow wrapprd around it.
Forde's theology is awesome, and you will find a great many gems every day you read him.
that ought be 'IF' I deny the third use'
"Some people act as if the men that put together the Lutheran Confessions were perfect, or that God just dropped that collection of Lutheran thought right out of the sky with a bow wrapped around it."
That's a valid thought.
"Forde's theology is awesome, and you will find a great many gems every day you read him."
Thanks, I'm looking forward to reading it.
Brigitte,
I don't want to leave the wrong impression of what I think of the Lutheran Confessions.
I think they are a great body of work that places Christ and His love for sinners as central to our salvation and life in the church.
But as great as they are, they could have been a bit better were it not for political considerations and consessions that may have been necessary at that time.
I don't know enough about the confessions and each document to say much about them. But I have people I can ask about them.
Martin and I are slowly reading through them. Maybe, we'll want to read something that will put everything into more context, yet. The new reader's edition has some introductions to each section, which is nice. But I'm sure much more could be said.
Brigitte,
An understanding of the hisorical context, and an understanding of the belief systems at work in the writers is very helpful, also.
The first Lutherans were not in agreement as to what should and what should not be in those Confessions.
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