The latest issue of the The Canadian Lutheran included a number of letters-to-the-editor on my recent article “‘Can you hear me now?’: Evangelism for the 21st Century world.” It was exciting to see so many people engaging with the article’s content as well as engaging with another article in the same issue highlighting CFW Walther’s thoughts on the place of the Confessions in the Lutheran Church.
Some of those who wrote in thought they perceived a distinction between these two articles: mine which highlighted the importance of speaking understandably to the world around us, and Pastor Teuscher’s which highlighted Walther’s well-deserved regard for the Confessions. Dr. Edward Kettner (professor of Systematic Theology at Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Edmonton) writes an excellent response to these letters demonstrating that there is no necessary contradiction between the two articles. “The need the world has for a clearly proclaimed Gospel and for compassion,” he writes, “in no way absolves us from the responsibility [of] reminding ourselves what the Gospel actually is.” Well put. If we are to proclaim the Gospel to the world, we must first understand ourselves what the Gospel is. And the Confessions act as a guide to a right understanding of the Gospel, of Scripture, and of the faith we profess.
Individual study of the Confessions can certainly help Lutherans grow in their understanding of Scripture and their faith in God – a method by which we can learn to “leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity” (Hebrews 6:1). I know that my own personal reading in the Confessions has bolstered my own faith.
That said, it is certainly possible that not everyone will find the Confessions so easily accessible. They do, as might be obvious, speak the language of another time and place. And while it is certainly an admirable goal to want to see the Confessions read and understood in the houses of laity across our nation, it is, I tentatively suggest, perhaps not a realistic goal. The Book of Concord can be a difficult book for those not used to such in-depth theological discussion. It can even be a difficult book for those who are used to in-depth theological discussion.
The common people should be spared such readings if they prove to be too difficult for them. In fact, our Confessions explicitly tell us to take just such an approach when confronting issues of this type. Consider the following passage from the Epitome of the Formula of Concord:
Now, consider the Latin terms substantia (substance) and accidens (a nonessential quality). They are not words of Holy Scripture and, besides, are unknown to the ordinary person. So they should not be used in sermons before ordinary, uninstructed people. Simple people should be spared them.
But in the schools, among the learned, these words are rightly kept in disputes about original sin. For they are well known and used without any misunderstanding to distinguish exactly between the essene of a thing and what attaches to it in an accidental way. (FC Ep 1:23-24).
This passage tells us two important things: one, that theological “jargon” should never be entirely abandoned; it has its place in the discussions of those instructed in theology (“the learned” – both clergy and laity); second, that our public proclamation must focus on being understandable – intelligible – to the “ordinary person.” Our sermons should never descend into academic Churchese. Likewise, the “ordinary person” may well need to be spared reading the Confessions if the language and concepts prove too difficult.
That does not mean however that the Confessions do not have their place in the lives of Lutheran laity. No, the average person in the pew needs to hear the Gospel message of Scripture, a message the Confessions faithfully expound. This is why we need our pastors to speak clearly from the pulpit. They must clearly explain – in everyday common language that everyday common people can understand – the incredible message of Grace found in the Word of God. They must teach the laity the meaning (if not the literal words) of the Confessions, so that the laity may more carefully read and understand the Scriptures.
When it comes to Confessional preaching, we need clear teaching as much as ever.
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For those looking for a copy of The Book of Concord to read on their own, I highly recommend Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions – A Reader’s Edition from Concordia Publishing House (see the link here for the hardcover edition). This version is presented in updated English, making it easier for the average person to read than some other translations. Among its features is a reading schedule which can help you read through the Confessions in a year. (And if you get the Pocket Edition, it has the added bonus of being very, very portable. Many’s the day when, out for a stroll, I’ve stopped in at my favourite coffee shop, purchased a London Fog, and sat down for a little theological reading. It takes very little space in my satchel so it’s easy to carry around just about anywhere.)
