CFW Walther to JA Ottesen March 9, 1867

Clergy Bulletin XII,6:80, February and March, 1953

Letters by C.F.W. Walther

A letter to J. A. Ottesen.

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St. Louis,

March 9, 1867

My dear Pastor:-

It is only today that I reply to your dear communication of the 18^th of last month. You will kindly excuse this delay on account of the load of the various tasks that rest upon me.

Induced by you I have drawn up the enclosed document.¹ May it serve at least to this end that the light and the fire which is slumbering in your spirit may be drawn out, so that the subject may be treated as you require it for your circumstances, for it may easily be that I have treated what you did not wish, and that I did not bear in mid what you wanted to have me treat. However, I hope that my few theses will form the basis on which the entire doctrine of the Sola Scriptura and all its ramifications may easily be built up and improved. The sharper one defines the simplest rules of hermeneutics, the easier the most intricate questions may be blown away like thin wisps of fog. In clinging to those fundamental rules on is, as I believe, invincible over against all sophists, and as soon as one is driven to consternation in even on instance, that is, if one, as we Germans say, permits himself to be bluffed, this is simply due to the fact that one does not remain fully conscious of the significance of the most important principles of hermeneutics.

In order to be sure of my ground I, on last Wednesday, submitted the theses to our local conference, and the conference now wishes to have them appear in Lehre und Wehre. If this plan is followed, some of your Norwegian brethren would be induced to think through the matter before the meeting of Synod.

So far as the question is concerned whether the Norwegian Lutheran Church might have approved a translation in a general way, if an obvious error concerning a Scriptural dogma had been contained in them, without thereby having become a sect, I must answer: Indeed! For every church states, with Augustine: “Errare potero, haereticus non ero.””² It would be a different matter if the fundamental error had not only crept in and had been overlooked, but had been defended as God's Word, for then the Church, by this action, would have become a sect. To deny the possibility of a mistake, even of a grave error in a translation of the Bible a priori, since this would militate against John 14:26, 16:23, I would not dare, since these promises are given, not to a particular Church, but only to the Church as a whole. However, no layman need question the correctness of the translation, though he is not familiar with the original languages, so long as he through the translation has received the testimony of the Holy Spirit, and those whom he has proved to be orthodox teachers give him the assurance that there can be no doubt as to the correctness of a certain passage. the last refugium³ for a layman in case of temptation remains the examination according to the analogy of faith, in case he does not want to learn Hebrew and Greek.

At your next Synod I shall unfortunately not be present, since I at that same time must be present at the session of the Northern District, which begins on June 20.

The Lord be with you and keep both of us in the unity of the true faith; then there will be no trouble about love.

My colleagues send fraternal greetings. Please give my cordial regards to your most highly honored wife.

Your companion in the kingdom and the tribulation,

(Signed)

C.F.W. Walther.

1A series of theses on Sola Scriptura.

2“I may err, but I shall not be an heretic.”

3“refuge”.

Church And Ministry in the ELS in 1952

Clergy Bulletin 11:8 (April 1952) pages 101-105

At the October 9-10, 1951, meeting of the Madison-Chicago Pastoral Conference it was resolved that this conference record its position on the doctrine of the Church and Ministry. Pursuant to this resolution an elected committee reported to a special meeting of this conference held January 22-23, 1952.

We, the members of the Madison-Chicago Pastoral Conference herewith present a brief summary of what we, on the basis of Holy Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, believe, teach, and confess regarding the doctrine of the Church and Ministry.

II Corinthians 4:13b: "I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak."

I. Church
1. The Church is the communion of saints. (The invisible Church, or the una sancta.)

• Matt. 16:16-19 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

• Eph. 1:22-23 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

• The Large Catechism, Triglotta, p. 691 "I believe that there is upon earth a little holy group and congregation of pure saints, under one head, even Christ, called together by the Holy Ghost in one faith, one mind, and understanding, with manifold gifts, yet agreeing in love, without sects or schisms."

• Also, cf. Augsburg Confession, Articles VII and VIIIa.

2. a. Scripture applies the term "Church" to local congregations. These exercise the office of the keys by virtue of the fact that there are believers in them. A local congregation consists of Christians in a certain place who gather about the Word and Sacraments. Matt. 18:17-20.
That a mere casual gathering of Christians does not constitute a Church (local congregation) is evident from Matt. 18:17, where the pronoun "them" is placed in contradistinction to the term "Church".

• Matt. 18:15-20 “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

• An example of how this is carried out is found in I Cor. 5. Matthew 18:15-20 is the precept. I Cor. 5 is an example.

b. We reject the claim that the Scriptures apply the term "Church" only to the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints.

• III John 10 Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church.

• Rev. 3: 14ff “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”

c. Some Scripture passages use the term "Church" in the plural. Therefore it cannot in such passages apply to the una sancta, which is not many, but one.

• Gal. 1:2 To the churches of Galatia.

• I Cor. 16:19 The churches of Asia greet you.

• Rom. 16:16 The churches of Christ greet you.

d. Our Lutheran Confessions also use the term "Church" in the wider sense (the visible Church) and not only in the narrower sense (the invisible Church.)

• Apology VII, VIII, par. 11. Trig. p. 229 "And the gloss upon the Decrees says that the Church in its wide sense embraces good and evil"

e. Scripture speaks of hypocrites within the visible Church.

• Rev. 3:14ff (quoted above)

• Matt. 13:47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind,"

• Matt. 25:1-13 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

• Apology VII & VIII, Trig. par. 47 "we confess that hypocrites and wicked persons have been mingled with the Church"

• Apology VII & VIII par 3 "For we grant that in this life hypocrites and wicked men have been mingled with the Church, and that they are members of the Church according to the outward fellowship of the signs of the Church, i.e., of Word, profession, and Sacraments, especially if they have not been excommunicated."

f. These hypocrites and wicked persons are in the outward fellowship of the Church, but are not on that account members of the Holy Christian Church.

• Rom. 8:9 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.

• I John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.

• John 15:2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

• John 15:6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

• Apology, VII & VIII, Trig, p. 233, par 19 and 20 "Thus John [Matt. 3, 12: He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff] speaks concerning the whole race of the Jews, and says that it will come to pass that the true Church will be separated from that people. Therefore, this passage is more against the adversaries than in favor of them, because it shows that the true and spiritual people is to be separated from the carnal people. Christ also speaks of the outward appearance of the Church when He says, Matt. 13, 47: The kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, likewise, to ten virgins; and He teaches that the Church has been covered by a multitude of evils, in order that this stumbling-block may not offend the pious; likewise, in order that we may know that the Word and Sacraments are efficacious even when administered by the wicked. And meanwhile He teaches that these godless men, although they have the fellowship of outward signs, are nevertheless not the true kingdom of Christ and members of Christ; for they are members of the kingdom of the devil. Neither, indeed, are we dreaming of a Platonic state, as some wickedly charge, but we say that this Church exists, namely, the truly believing and righteous men scattered throughout the whole world..."

3. a. Christians are commanded by God to establish and maintain local congregations for the public administration of the office of the keys.

Precept:

• Titus 1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—

Examples:

• Acts 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

• Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

• Heb. 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

• Romans 10:14, 15, 17 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!” ... So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

• Matt. 18:17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

• Treatise, Trig p. 524, par 72 "the churches are in duty bound before God, according to divine law, to ordain for themselves pastors and ministers."

3. b. The outward features of organization, such as the adoption of a constitution, election of a president, secretary, treasurer, etc., are not divinely instituted since they are not commanded in Scripture.

II. The Ministerial Office

1. a. Every Christian is a priest by virtue of his baptism, but he is not a pastor unless he has been called to that office by a Christian congregation.

b. The holy Ministry, or pastoral office, is distinct from that exercise of the spiritual priesthood which is to be carried out by all believers.

c. The rights and power of the spiritual priesthood belong to all Christians (I Cor. 3:21-23 "All things are yours.") The pastor exercises these rights publicly, that is, in the behalf and in the name of the Christian congregation.

• I Cor. 12:29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?

• Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

• Heb. 13:17 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.

• I Thess. 5:12-13 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

• Rom. 10:15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

• Augsburg Confession, Art. XIV "Of Ecclesiastical Order they teach that no one should publicly teach in the Church or administer the Sacraments unless he be regularly called."

2. The pastoral office proceeds from the apostolate established by Christ. The office of elders or bishops established in the New Testament congregations under apostolic direction (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5) was essentially the same office as that of the apostles, that is, to "feed the flock."

• 1 Peter 5:1-4 The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.

• John 21:15-17 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep."

• I Cor. 4:1Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

• I Tim. 3:1-7 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

• Titus 1:5ff For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you— if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.

• I Thess. 5:12-13 And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.

• Heb. 13:17, 24 Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. ... Greet all those who rule over you, and all the saints.

• Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

• Treatise, par. 10 (Triglotta p. 507) "the office of the ministry proceeds from the general call of the apostles."

3. Therefore the pastoral office is not a product of Christian liberty, but is an office established by God.

• Titus 1:5f you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city (kata polin) as I commanded you

4. Scripture sets forth the duties of the pastoral office, for which the incumbants of this office must render an account to God, I Cor. 4:1-2; Titus 1:7; Heb. 13:17, and also the duties congregations owe to this office, I Cor. 4:1; Heb. 13:17. Scripture also sets forth the qualifications for candidates for this office, Titus 1:5-9; I Tim. 3:1-7.

5.a. The Pastoral office has been entrusted by God to the local Congregation.

• Titus 1:5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city (kata polin - city by city) as I commanded you

• Acts 14:23 So when they had appointed elders in every church (kat' ekklesian - church by church).
  

b. While the apostles were called directly by God, that is, immediately, pastors are called by the local congregation, that is, mediately. There is neither precept nor example in Scripture of a mediate call to the pastoral office being extended through any group other than a local congregation. Two or more congregations may in Christian liberty cooperate in performing their divine work. (Scriptural example: I Cor 14 - the collection for the poor.)

6.a. Christian congregations, in Christian liberty, have the right to establish new offices, as circumstances require, for the efficient performance of their divine work. Acts 6:1-6; I Cor. 3:21-22.

b. Such new offices as concern functions of the pastoral office are divine offices and require a divine call. But the church is not in duty bound, according to divine law, to maintain any office established in Christian liberty.

7. The pastoral office is to be distinguished from all offices established in Christian liberty because the church is commanded to maintain this office.
Titus 1:5ff. Extraordinary circumstances (disappearance of the visible church in times of persecution, isolation in a desert place) belong to cases of casuistry, and cannot be used to establish doctrine.

• Treatise par. 72 (Triglot. p. 524) "the churches are in duty bound before God, according to divine law, to ordain for themselves pastors and ministers."

III. Synod

1. There is no command for a synod in Scripture.

2. There is nothing in Scripture to prohibit local congregations from working together in carrying out the divine work assigned to the local congregation.

3. Those who have the unity of the Spirit are encouraged by Biblical example to help one another in works of charity and other affairs of local congregations which they in Christian liberty decide upon.

• I Cor. 16:1-4 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come. And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem. But if it is fitting that I go also, they will go with me.

• Gal. 6:9-10 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

4. Synodical conventions are actually representative of the member congregations.

• Treatise, par. 7-9 (Trigl. p. 505) "let us show from the [holy] Gospel that the Roman bishop is not by divine right above [cannot arrogate to himself any supremacy whatever over] other bishops and pastors." Scripture passages: Luke 22:25; Matt. 18:2ff; John 20:21; Gal. 2:7f; I Cor. 3:6.

5. The administrative offices of a synod are not divinely instituted as is the pastoral office of the local congregation.

The Deceit of Contemporary

Contemporary/Alternative/non-liturgical worship is not a new invetion. Short-sighted pastors and congregations get all excited about what a tool such non- or anti-liturgical worship could be for outreach and education.

In 1920, Bjug Harstad, then President of the Norwegian Synod wrote:

"The unclarity, lukewarmness and liberalism of the times are dangerous because several harmful things follow from them. Because people do not stress the heart's inner life of faith and heartfelt appropriation of God's undeserved grace and gifts, the forgiveness of sin, life and salvation through faith alone without the deeds of the law, then no particular desire to dwell much with the doctrine of God's essence, attributes, grace and the Means of Grace, is felt, but mostly the need for cooperating in the externals. Meetings and talks revolve then most around practical things, man's own undertakings, often completely ordinary worldly business which sometimes is praised as Christians' deeds of love, while a precise exposition of one or another important doctrine would produce disturbance and disagreement. Must I ask if such church work is anything other than idolatry before God?

This tendency makes the church worldly, especially when with it follows a desire to seek support from the world, whether it now is called knowledge, great men, the will of the people, or a state. That this brings destruction ought we now have learned both from the history of the church and the world in our time. The one has drawn down sickening doubt and crass rationalism, but the other various kinds of socialism, refined anarchism and Bolshevism. Brotherly admonition and chastisement among the pastors and in the congregations is neglected.

Our church body has long ago laid the Word and will of God concerning church discipline on the table. Would that we could revive it in word and action!

"Another fruit of that basic error is that people are vying with each other to gather many members into a large congregation as if the main goal was to get people to enter their names in the external church organization and contribute to it. Lutheran congregations also admit persons who are members of societies which are enemies of Christ, in the false thought that it ought to in order to make them Christians, while, however, among honorable people, the admission signifies a mutual recognition of each other's belief and principles. Before admission the applicant ought to be well instructed about the congregation's confession, purpose and means, so that he himself as well as the congregation can know if he desires admission in order to enjoy the congregation's goods in the Word and Sacraments. People ought not tempt anyone to halt between two opinions."

The only thing a contemporary worship service can teach is that the people at that church no longer think that Confessional Lutheran worship is of value.

Sneak Preachers post 2

The question raised here is whether it is proper for a pastor to be in secret contact with a member of another pastor's congregation. To be more specific, the pastors are of the same Confessional Lutheran denomination as the members they are in contact with. And to be even more specific, the pastors are speaking with the congregation members about their own pastor.

This writer knows of at least a half-a-dozen such situations within one particular Confessional Lutheran denomination. And each of those contacts has greatly disturbed the ministry of the word at those congregations by setting the members against their own pastor.

This writer also knows of 3 such incidents where the congregations have been incited to remove their pastors without Scriptural grounds.

What are Scriptural grounds?

1) If a pastor is a persistent teacher of false doctrine, for Scriputre directs us to "note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them." (Romans 16:17)

2) If a pastor is living in open sin. For God says through His apostle Paul "But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person." (I Cor. 5:11)

3) If a pastor is not doing his duty in feeding the flock of Christ given to him by God with the Word and Sacraments. For Scripture teaches that a shepherd must not only be "able to teach" (I Tim 3:2; 2 Tim 2:2 and 24) but also "“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?" (Ezk. 34:2)

But neither the congregations nor the meddling ministers, the sneak preachers ever bothered to publicly show these men guilty of these faults. "19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. " (John 3)

Rather they worked in secret, without the knowledge of the blameless pastors. They usurped their calls and have poisoned and scattered their flocks.

They have sinned against God and His Church. They have defiled the flock, and-being worse than hirelings-they have raged among the flocks as wolves.

To those false prophets God says:

“You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:2)

To those congregations who listen to these sneak preachers, God says:

16 Thus says the LORD of hosts:
“ Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.
They make you worthless;
They speak a vision of their own heart,
Not from the mouth of the LORD.
17 They continually say to those who despise Me,
‘ The LORD has said, “You shall have peace”’;
And to everyone who walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say,
‘ No evil shall come upon you.’”
18 For who has stood in the counsel of the LORD,
And has perceived and heard His word?
Who has marked His word and heard it?
19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD has gone forth in fury—
A violent whirlwind!
It will fall violently on the head of the wicked.
20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back
Until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart.
In the latter days you will understand it perfectly.
21 “ I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran.
I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

(Jeremiah 23:16-21)

Turn, be reconciled to your own true shepherd, placed there by God through the Call He extended. Your pastor is there because God placed him there. No other pastor, denominational or synodical official has any right to usurp that call.

The Relationship which Christ, the Bridegroom, has established to His Church is throuh His called Shepherd, the pastor. By God's call the pastor represents the Holy Bridegroom to you, the bride of Christ. "What God has joined together, let not man put asunder."

Luther on Sneak Preachers part 1

"It is true: All Christians are priests, but they are not all pastors, for they mus not only be Christians and priests but also be in charge of the office [ministry] and parish. It is the call and command that makes pastors and ministers. Just as a citizen or layman, yet for that reason he is not a doctor [professor], so that he may publicly teach in the schools, nor may he appropriate that office to himself; he must be called to it.

"This I had to say of the sneaky, treacherous preachers, of whom there are now many, to alert the pastors and goverments diligently to warn the people and to command them to take care of such intruders and vagabonds and to guard against them as the devil's own sure messengers. They must show their credentials and proofs that they are sent by God for such work in the parish; otherwise they are not to be admitted and heard, even though they wanted to teach the pure Gospel, indeed even if they were angels and Gabriel himself come down from heaven. For God does not want to have anything done by our own choice or devotion but everything only by [His] command or call, especially in the holy ministry. Thus St. Peter says: 'knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, ... but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit' (2 Peter 1:20-21). Therefore Christ also did not permit the devils to speak, though they declared Him to be the Son of God and proclaimed the truth (Luke 4:34-35; Mark 1:24-25). He did not want to permit such an example to preach without a call" ("Exposition of Ps. 82," 1530 St. Louis edition, 5:721-11)

In Walther's "Church and Ministry" pp 164-5.