Walther on why we are called "Lutherans" and not just "Christians - Part 3b

The following article comes from the very first edition of "Der Lutheraner" the predecessor magazine to the Lutheran Witness.  When our church body began, people in the United States were critical of us calling ourselves Lutheran.  This article seeks to defend our use of that name.  

In it the first synodical president, C.F.W. Walther, explains why we are called Lutherans, not just Christians.  This translation was first presented in the Husker Lutheran of University Lutheran Chapel, Lincoln, NE in 1989 and has now been entirely reviewed and revised, and is in the public domain thanks to Bob Smith at the Concordia Theological Seminary Library.  We will release a part every other day for the next few days.  

Today's section deals with "Why do we keep the name 'Lutheran'"  It answers the questions brought forward in yesterday's post.  Great quote from the Margrave of Brandenburg.  "I am not baptized unto Dr. Luther; He is not my God and Savior. I do not believe in him and will not be saved through him. Therefore in this sense I am not a Lutheran. when I am asked however whether I confess with heart and mouth the doctrine which God has again given to me through his instrument Dr. Luther, then I do not hesitate nor am I timid to call myself Lutheran. And in this sense I am and may I remain a Lutheran all my life."

Key points are highlighted with Red Font.

Concerning the Name "Lutheran"
C.F.W. Walther
Translated by Mark Nispel
From: Der Lutheraner v. 1, pp. 2-4, 5-7, 9-12. June, 1994

PART IIIb - October 19, 1844

C. Why do we continue to keep this name?

After reading the last issue of this publication perhaps many will want to say to us: "Suppose what you said is true, that all the so-called parties have really included some departure from the Word of God into their confession of the articles of faith and must therefore be viewed as unorthodox: still you have not dared to deny that one may also be saved in such organizations! If you do not want to take back this concession, you have thereby disarmed yourself. For what is more necessary than for a church to be an institution for the salvation of its members? Why then do you so fear carrying a name that such an institution may carry? Why do you persist in being called Lutheran? Why do you not unite with those parties? Does the Lutheran church strive after something greater than eternal salvation?" It is necessary then for us to speak concerning this more clearly.

We agree that in all Christian parties there are souls which are saved. Still, in doing so we in no way are saying that it is all the same whichever religion one stays with and confesses. We are far from agreement with those who say today: "Believe what you want, only be a good man and then you will be saved." That may sound very correct to reason but it must be asked whether one can be a good man when he believes whatever he wants. We deny this. With this concession we in no way concede that there are many true churches. We believe instead that there is only one truth, only one true explanation of the Holy Scripture, and therefore only one true orthodox church, and also only one institution unto salvation. For only the word and only the sacraments, which the church has as God's bearer of the keys, are that through which man is brought to salvation. With this concession, that people are saved in the sects, we don't want to suggest that a man can be saved through the doctrine in which certain parties have turned away fro the faith of the true church. No, we know that every error, when it takes hold in a man, is a poison of death for the soul. Our intended meaning is this: There are many souls in unorthodox communions who are saved, hot through that which makes the sect a particular sect, and not because they are members of these sects, but rather because although many externally are members of these sects still in the heart (perhaps even without knowing it) they cling to a different doctrine namely that of the true church. This church is the mother which alone bears children to Christ.

Does it follow from this that the falsely teaching churches are just as much institutions unto salvation as the orthodox? Indeed not. If many are saved within them this happens because they still have held to the Bible, the Holy Sacraments, and the confession of many of the clear truths of the Gospel from the true church. But they have their own special names not because they hold to this and that doctrine of the true church but because they have added and removed things from such doctrine.

It must be true that since Christianity does not consists of merely one single church which everywhere confesses the same faith and the many different churches which exist contradict each other in their confessions, that either there is indeed no true church on earth, which has the unadulterated doctrine of Christ (which is impossible according to the promise of Christ), or from all the churches in all the world there can only be one which correctly carries the name "True Church." We hold the evangelical Lutheran Church as this "True Church" because she confesses the doctrines of the Word of God purely and clearly, and takes nothing away from it nor adds anything to it. She teaches the use of the holy sacraments without addition or subtraction to the institution of Christ.

When on the other hand all other Christian parties depart from the clear words of Christ, when errors are the cause of their separate existence from the orthodox church, when their errors are the reason for their joining together, so then their names do not stand for the truths which they still have but rather for their own errors through which they have separated themselves from and left the true church.

A Methodist, for example, carries this his special name not because he believes in the divinity of Christ, of the orthodox church confesses this faith also. Rather the Methodist is called such because among other things he does not believe that those things which Christ has done are reckoned unto us but instead only that which Christ has suffered and because the Methodist strives for this and that great error and wages battle for these as for divine truth.

Further, an Evangelical does not carry this special name because e confesses the Gospel with his mouth; for the orthodox Lutheran does this also. But rather the Evangelical is called this because he has the false idea that for the sake of love, for the happiness of man, and for the sake of peace here in time no importance can be laid upon certain truths but must rather be sacrificed for such peace.

Therefore I ask: When the unorthodox have separated themselves through their name from the orthodox, can the Orthodox, without denial of his faith, carry their name and confess himself the them? Indeed not! The orthodox person instead has the duty to distinguish himself by his name from the unorthodox. As Cyprian says: "Let us be separated from them as they have fled from the church." (Ep. I, 3. Ad Cornel). For no one believes that he who has recognized the errors of his church and yet will not leave it and wants to remain in the communion of the false church for the sake of temporal considerations is a true Christian who has the right faith and can be saved. This applies only to those who do not recognize the secrets of evil and the deep things of Satan (2 Thess. 2:7; Rev. 2:24) and walk in simplicity of heart. From weakness they indeed externally follow the sedition makers in the kingdom of God but do not know of the evil things and in their heart they keep the true faith in Christ through God's grace. We see a beautiful picture of this in 2 Samuel 15:11.

But he who purposely errs or wants to persist in an unorthodox communion can not in any way comfort himself that he belongs to that communion of saints known only to God which is spread over all the world. Whoever wants to say: you have yourself said that one can be saved in a sect; therefore I will remain in it although I see that there are abuses and errors within it," only fools himself by such reasoning. For God's Word clearly says: "Go out from them and separate yourself." (2 Cor. 6:14-18). Further: "Guard yourselves before the false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing. Inwardly they are ravenous wolves." (Matt. 5:15) "My sheep hear my voice; a stranger they will not follow but rather they will flee before him." (John 10:5-27).

Indeed it is true, that many who unintentionally take poison are rescued by an antidote; but is such a rescue to be hoped for by the one who willingly empties the entire flask of poison? So likewise many simple people persevere in faith through God's oversight although their preachers mix in the poison of false doctrine with the gospel. But how can one comfort himself with this divine oversight when with knowledge and willingness he seeks such poisonous spiritual food.

Whoever has a (divine) call to go into a quarantined house knows he stands under God's certain protection; but what should be expected when one goes in because of curiosity and mischieviousness and is exposed to the disease. Is it any different when one wants to remain in a false church contrary to his recognition of the truth?

The orthodox church is Christ's chip in which Christ guides the rudder. His pure Word, which does not deceive, is the compass. And his believers navigate over the stormy sea of this world full of temptations into the harbor of blessed eternity. Indeed many save themselves clinging to ship wreckage, which also the false churches have. But will he who chooses to save himself on a beam rather than to seek admission to the ship from which a thousand helping hands reach out to help him arrive a the heavenly port through Christ's grace?

Even if all these comparisons are not correct in every detail, still we think they can enlighten those (who hear that many even in the sects will be saved) who think that it is all the same whether one is in the orthodox church or some erring church, or whether he who is already in the midst of such a church fellowship delays at the crossroads.

But finally, many will say: "Why must it be the name 'Lutheran' that you use?" We answer: We know well that the real substance is not in the name for there are many who call themselves Lutheran who have given up the doctrine long ago, who have laid aside our church in her symbols, especially in the unaltered Augsburg Confession and the small Catechism of Luther. Such false Lutherans are however easy to distinguish from the true Lutherans because our church has published these public confessions for all the world.

However, when we realize that: 1 - it was Luther and no other through whom God in these last times has brought the pure clear doctrine of the Word of God together with the right use of the Sacraments again into the day and onto the plain and, 2 - the communion of those who have confessed this pure doctrine of the Word of God with heart and mouth is therefore named and known by every Lutheran by this name; we can only confess the faith which is in our hearts purely and completely with the name Lutheran. If we would get rid of the name Lutheran the highest suspicion would be aroused that either we are ashamed of the old Lutheran doctrine, or that we no longer consider it to be the only true doctrine agreeing wit God's clear Word and that a new false doctrine is in our hearts. As dear, therefore, as the truth is to us, as dear as God's honor and the salvation of our souls is to us, so little can we, especially in this time of wide spread error, give up the name Lutheran. By this name we separate ourselves from all the unorthodox of all times and publicly confess the right faith of all time.

Because of this, the most serious accusation is made against us that by doing this we tear apart the body of Christ, disassociate ourselves from brothers, wield the sword against heirs of the same inheritance, and declare them to be our enemies. But those who say this are wrong. We disassociate ourselves only from the errors in which so many of our brothers are captured. And we would act without love towards them if we would not loudly witness against that which keeps them in such danger of souls. It is and remains impossible that this action which is in accordance with God's express command can lead to the ruin of God's kingdom. This fact can and must cancel out all other thoughts for a Christian, when it is asked what he should do in any particular circumstance.

But the divine command stands clear that we must not just keep our faith in our heart but must confess it also with the mouth. And so St. Paul says in Rom. 10:10: "One believes with the heart, and becomes righteous; and one confesses with his mouth and is saved." And so says Christ: "He who confesses me before men, he will I confess before my Father in heaven." Matt. 10:32-33. So if we have the Lutheran faith in our hearts, so we must, if we want to be saved and not be eternally damned, confess it with our mouths.

And so all orthodox Lutheran of all times have thus thought and thereby operated. As one example, the Margrave of Brandenburg, at the time of the Reformation, when he was called a Lutheran in order to shame him, explained:

I am not baptized unto Dr. Luther; He is not my God and Savior. I do not believe in him and will not be saved through him. Therefore in this sense I am not a Lutheran. when I am asked however whether I confess with heart and mouth the doctrine which God has again given to me through his instrument Dr. Luther, then I do not hesitate nor am I timid to call myself Lutheran. And in this sense I am and may I remain a Lutheran all my life.

Certainly Luther fought the idea as an abomination that someone should call himself Lutheran on account of an idolatrous faith in Luther's person. Still he understood that he did not have to consider it objectionable if one calls himself Lutheran in order to distinguish himself with this name from the unorthodox and to confess himself to be a part of the orthodox church. Considering this circumstance the dear man writes:

I see a good admonition is needed for those whom Satan is persecuting. Among them there are some who think they might escape danger when they are attacked so they say: I do not agree with Luther, nor anyone, but with the holy Gospel, and with the holy or Roman church. So they would be let go in peace and still hold my doctrine in their heart as Evangelical and remain with it. Truly such a confession does not help them and is the same as denying Christ. Therefore I ask, let these beware. It is true that for the sake of body and soul you should not say: I am a Lutheran or a papists. For neither has died for you, nor is your master, but only Christ; and you should confess yourself to be a Christian. But if you think that Luther's doctrine is evangelical and the pope's is unevangelical, then you must no reject Luther. You will otherwise also reject his doctrine with him, which you recognize as Christ's doctrine. Rather, you must say: Whether Luther is a knave or a saint matters not to me; but this doctrine is not his but Christ' himself. For you see that the tyrants do not act such in order to bring down Luther but that they want to destroy the doctrine. And on account of the doctrine they question you and ask whether you call yourself Lutheran. Here you must not speak with words that bend with the wind, but rather freely confess Christ, whether Luther, Claude, or George has preached him. Let the person go, but you must confess the doctrine. So also St. Paul writes to Timothy (1 Tim 1:8): "Do not be ashamed of the witness of our Lord nor of me because I am bound for His sake." If it had been enough for timothy here that he confessed the Gospel, Paul would not have commanded him not to be ashamed: not for the sake of the person of Paul, but rather for the sake of him who was bound for the sake of the Gospel. Now if Timothy had said: I cling neither to Paul nor to Peter but only to Christ and yet he knew that Peter and Paul taught Christ, he would have thereby denied Christ. then Christ speaks in Matt. 10 about those who preach him: "He who accepts you, accepts me; He who rejects you, rejects me." why is that? Therefore, if someone keeps his messengers (who bring His word), it is the same as when He Himself and His word is kept." (Werke XX, 136).

Notes from the original Translator:  I have changed the reference in the original from "the 13th article of the Apology ..." tr. Indeed, Mr. Oertel denies that the pope is in the place of God according to Catholic doctrine as we read in the "Wahrheitsfreund" (Vol. 7, num. 39, pg. 309). Here however this man whom we deeply pity divulges that he in a moment of trial had thrown himself into the arms of the Roman Church without having carefully tested her doctrine. He continually places his trust in the Decrees of the Tridentine Council when he refers to publicly taught errors of the Catholic theologians and explains that Catholic doctrine is to be chiefly judged according to the decisions of this church council. Mr. Oertel should take the trouble to open to Council. Trid. Sess. VI. Decret. de Reform. C. 1. Ed. Lugd. Page 52 and there he will find that this council calls the pope "the vicar of God himself on earth" and "he who hold the place of God himself on earth." Perhaps Mr. Oertel might have his eyes opened through fundamental study of the uncatholic doctrine of the Roman church. Mr. Oertel has explicitly called us to battle in his "Wahrheitsfrend". We will not fail to appear on the battlefield.

While some of these errors and claims have been modified somewhat by Rome since Walther wrote this article it is hardly clear that the newer errors of intensified Mariology, rationalism and universalism that have infested that Church render it any more acceptable in our day. MN See Formula of Concord, Comprehensive Summarn, para. 5. Triglotta p. 850,5. I refer here to the example of Calvin and the Heidelberg catechism which speak almost like a Lutheran concerning the Lord's Supper but in fact teach nothing else than that which Zwingli and his type teach. In recent times the connection between the Evangelicals and Rationalists has largely been dissolved as the Evangelicals are now essentially fundamentalists and Rationalism has conquered the major denominations. But indifference to sound doctrine remains an unchanged characteristic of the Evangelicals.