Walther - The Proper distinction between Law and Gospel

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I want to start off with an apology.  I am no where near qualified to introduce
this book.  In some circles there are
people who read this book through every year – finding that it re-centers
themselves on our central proclamation that Jesus died for us sinners.  There are instructors who annually teach this
book – trying to express the wisdom contained to college students who often
want to be elsewhere.  But I am not one
of those people who know this work inside out and backwards and forwards.

Instead I grew up in a mainline church that was afraid of
talking about doctrine.  After all, how
could they know anything?  Why waste
times with doctrinal minutia when I am so confused about any of that stuff.  Part of me says that this all is crazy talk,
anyway.

I would hate it when people would say that because Walther
or Pieper say something, that that is what we should believe.  After all, they are not scripture, nor even a
part of the confessions.

I went off to school and cut my theological eye-teeth, so to
speak, on Carl Braaten, Gerhard Forde, and Robert Jenson.  Not CFW Walther, Pieper, and Sasse.  But I slowly learned that “Orthodoxy” was
more interesting than what I had dismissed, and actually worthy of listening
to.  I started to hear a strange voice –
one my heart cannot understand – namely the Gospel of what Jesus has done for
me.

This Good News is so different that the way the way the
world seems to work.  While God most
certainly wants the world to work, and so the Law does have continuing
relevance to all of us who live under the curse of the law, the news that one
born under the law bore this curse for me is a revolutionary perspective on
this world, if true.

As I grew to understand this, I grew frustrated with much of
our talk in the Church.  I have yet to
really run into anyone who doesn’t think that both the Law and the Gospel have
their place.  And yet, so often when push
comes to shove, we are less than clear in proclaiming it to each other.  As Walther says, it is an Art taught by the
Holy Spirit only in the school of experience (Thesis III).  But all too much “Pastoral Care” seems to
have nothing to do with proclaiming what Jesus has done for us.   Too often, when I feel like I am drowning in
the Law, the advice I’m given is something simplistic and even trite for ME to
do.  It feels as if when I am drowning,
someone throws me bricks instead of a rope. 
Pray harder.  Be a good
Parent.  You should forgive.

In the end it is as useful as a rubber crutch.

But in the Lutheran Confessions I found myself in good
company.  I found myself as one of the
“terrified consciences” who needed the Good news.  And I heard it there.  Unfortunately, whenever I would come out with
a near quote from the Small Catechism or Augsburg Confession in church
discussions, I was criticized for talking strangely.

But when I spoke with some LCMS pastors, they were able to
feed me – even when I still felt called to bring the light of the Gospel to the
darkness, instead of joining them.  Oh –
I had some true pastoral care in the ELCA – it is true.  But usually I found  the “Good News” to be about how we are
supposed to feel, and Jesus was not mentioned.

But behind many of the best pastors I found some references
to this set of Lectures by CFW Walther. 
Their form – lectures on twenty five theses on the topic of
distinguishing Law and Gospel, where twenty-one errors are criticized is hardly
the way we think and discuss things today.  The historical references are all dated.  It directly engages some very real
theological movements of his day, but if you don’t know the history, it is easy
to miss the references.

And in some places it is all too clear what the references
are.  Walther pulls no punches in his
attacks on the Roman Catholicism of his day. 
Some of his attacks seem to excessive. 
For example, pg. 70 says:

"In Canon 21, adopted at its sixth session, this synagog of
Satan decrees:  “If any one says that Christ
Jesus has been given by God to men that He should be their Redeemer, in whom
they are to trust, and not also their Lawgiver, whom they are to obey, let him
be anathema.”  This decree overthrows the
Christian religion completely  …  [ I]f Christ had given us additional laws, that
would have had to drive us to despair."

This seems to be a theological blow below the belt.  While Trent certainly does appear to confuse
Law and Gospel, we Lutherans do confess that Christ does teach the Law, albeit
as his Alien work. (eg. EP V:8, 10 )

When I first read this work a few years ago, I found very
little new that I hadn’t heard in the Apology to the Augsburg Confession,
especially in articles 4 (on Justification) and 12 (on Repentance).  Walther would take this as a compliment.  And his clear discussion was true preaching
to me, even when I had some quibbles about some things.   When does a Christian ever find themselves
as not being held by the devil in even a single sin? (p. 17)  It is clear from Walther says about despair
(on MANY pages) that this ISN’T what he means. 
Is he talking about the same thing on pg. 251-252?  I wish he were clearer.

But for everyone who wants to talk about Jesus as good news,
this book is valuable.  It is meat that
the church needs today.  Anyone who wants
to proclaim that there is something new and special that flows from the cross
of Jesus should read this book.

I hesitated to create a personal book for it because first
it was a part of the Concordia collections, and I didn’t want to complete with it.  Then after those collections were no longer
available, I saw that it was in process from someone else.

Finally, I would like to thank the people who have lead to
this.  First of all, to our God who has
delivered to us the Gospel concerning the Son. 
Secondly, to the messengers our God has used to get the message to
us.  I specifically want to include the
website www.lutherantheology.com
for posting the original English translation, which claimed no copyright when
published in 1929, and  Mikko Paavola who
did much of the work creating this edition. 
He assembled the text and tagged most of the bible references.  And also all the preachers and teachers who
encourage us to look deeper – who walked with us and guide us while this
distinction is taught by the Holy Spirit in our own personal experiences.

All the errors, of course are mine.

SDG

Ken McGuire