Is Marquart Protesting Too Much?
By Rev. Jack Cascione

 

In my opinion Professor Kurt Marquart is one of the finest theologians in the LCMS. There are few who have served their Synod more faithfully and ably, which is why I encourage my son and others to attend Fort Wayne.

After reading his letter to Christian News, I reviewed my brief article that raised questions about a recently published article in Fort Wayne's October 1999 issue of Life of the World titled "Called & Ordained" by Rev. Chad Bird.

I looked for the words that would evoke Marquart's observations of my writing as "…an unbelievably bitter attack on our Ft. Wayne Seminary", and "…Cascione's tirade goes beyond the bounds of fairness, not to mention charity." What was this unbelievable bitterness and tirade? I can find only one direct criticism where I write: "I disagree."

In regard to the following sentence in the article: "The priestly character of the New Testament ministry is rooted in and flows from the priestly office of the One who speaks and acts through those called and ordained", I still disagree.

Marquart did not write the article in question. In fact in reference to Marquart's and other articles in the publication I wrote: "There is an excellent article in the magazine titled, "The Gospel Ministry in the Lutheran Confessions." I also complimented President Wenthe for his stand on Church Growth. However, Marquart believes it is his duty to defend those who support this incorrect sentence at Fort Wayne.

As far as being charitable I wrote: "If 'Life of the World' is saying that God speaks and acts through those called and ordained just as he speaks and acts through all Christians then the sentence in the 'Life of the World' is correct. If ‘Life of the World’ is saying that God speaks and acts through those called and ordained because they are called and ordained, then they have made the Office of the Keys the property of the Clergy and excluded the Royal Priesthood of all believers."

I think the good professor's overreaction has spotlighted the issue that he knows is all too true. All he had to do was say, "Cascione has misread the article. There is no question that God speaks and acts through all Christians when they properly speak God's Word and not just because they are called and ordained." But no, the words "I disagree" are more than they can bear.

In response to his 9 points I have the following 9 comments.

1. I don't see Walther's doctrine of Church and Ministry as a middle ground between Church Growth CEOs and Hyper-Euro-Lutheran archbishops. Rather than governance by a corporate Board of Directors reminiscent of the Presbyterians or a pre-Waltherian Episcopal Lutheran hierarchy, Walther teaches congregational governance by Voter's Assemblies. Walther's position is not the middle of the road but an entirely different position from the other two.

2. There is no question that the word "priest" is used correctly in the Lutheran Confessions. However, neither the confessions nor the hymn verses cited ever use the term "priest" in the sense of mediator or one through whom God speaks and acts because they are ordained.

Yes, Professor Marquart's article on ordination gave the correct view on ordination. Does this mean he is the "balance" for the other article?

On page 48, The Lutheran Hymnal states: "Finally, Do you believe that through me, a called servant of God, you will receive the forgiveness of all your sins?"

Are we to understand the words "called servant of God", that are set off by commas, as describing the office of the one speaking or as identifying a special quality he possesses because he is called and ordained? The entire question in TLH would be just as correct if any Christian spoke these words to another Christian he or she was absolving excluding the words inside the commas. The office of the ministry does not validate the forgiveness of sins.

"Luther says: 'In the New Testament the Holy Spirit scrupulously avoids given the name sacerdos, priest, to any of the Apostles, or any other office, but restricts this name to the baptized or Christians as their birthright and hereditary name from Baptism; for none of us is born in Baptism as Apostle, preacher, teacher, pastor, but solely born priests and call and elect them for these offices that they may perform their functions of such office in the name of all of us." (St. L. XIX:1260) Pieper Vol. III Page 457.

"All of us in the whole mass of people are priests without the consecrations of the bishop. But through consecration we become the stewards, servants, and administrators of the other priests who may be deposed and changed, just as a priest in cathedral churches is provost, dean, cantor, custodian, and holder of similar offices for the others..." (Luther's Works Vol. 39 page 157)

"As I have written several times by now, it was through the pope's damned law and rule that the precious, customary terms "church," "priest," "spiritual," and the like were taken away from the community and applied only to the smallest group, which we now call the spiritual and priestly estate and those affairs we call the affairs of the church. Yet all of us are in common church; we are all spiritual and priests, to the extent that we believe in Christ. They are only stewards, servants, officials, caretakers, shepherds, guardians, and watchmen. Therefore, I think that goat Emser's dream of two kinds of priesthood lies in sand and mire." (Luther's Works Vol. 39: page 159, see also page 227-238 and page 304)

3. Perhaps I was not clear with the title "Fort Wayne: Long on Form but Short on Polity?" It was a question, not a judgment. More clearly put, is Fort Wayne placing too much emphasis on the adiaphora of the liturgical position of the student's hands and not enough emphasis on the content of Walther's "The True Visible Church" and "The Form of the Christian Congregation"?

Marquart is correct when he quotes Pieper as saying our Lutheran Church has no special constitution to hold it together. The means of grace create, hold, and sustain the Church. The Lutheran Confessions do not prescribe any particular church constitution. But, the Lutheran Church--Missouri Synod, that operates two seminaries, has instructed its seminaries to teach that congregational governance by Voters' Assemblies is the only proper congregational church government for LCMS congregations. Would-be archbishops and CEO's must look in other Synod's for employment.

4. Perhaps Walther only used the term "congregational meeting" instead of "Voter's meetings," but regardless of nomenclature their function is the same. "The removal of Martin Stephan on May 30, 1839, and all the misery that followed that event gave the laymen the necessary jolt to press for lay participation in the government of the Church. This misery drove them into the writings of Luther, and here the laymen found the weapons which they needed to win the battle for CONGREGATIONAL SUPREMACY from the power-jealous pastors." ("Government in the Missouri Synod," by Dr. Carl S. Mundinger, CPH, St. Louis, 1947 Page 205)

"It [the constitution drawn up by Trinity Lutheran Church] established the form and model for government and administration for all congregations of the Missouri Synod." ("1847 Ebenezer 1922" by D. H. Steffens, CPH, Page 147)

"With the keys of the kingdom of heaven every Evangelical Lutheran LOCAL CONGREGATION HAS ALL THE CHURCH POWER it needs, that is, the power and authority to do all things that are necessary for its administration." (Form of the Christian Congregation, C.F.W Walther, CPH, St. Louis, 1989, p.23)

"Finally the congregation is represented as the SUPREME TRIBUNAL, Matt.18:15-18.... Passage quoted" Note 7 on p 29 refers to this using the term 'highest jurisdiction' and referring in turn to the "Power and Primacy Of Pope," 'highest and final jurisdiction to the church..." (Form of the Christian Congregation, C.F.W Walther, CPH, St. Louis, 1989, p.24)

"In public church affairs nothing should be concluded without a vote and consent of the congregation." (Form of the Christian Congregation, C.F.W Walther, CPH, St. Louis, 1989, p.48)

(Under the topic of what kinds of issues may be deliberated in Voters' Assemblies) "In Matt. 18 the Lord Christ entrusts not to secular government but to HIS CONGREGATION THE SUPREME JUDGEMENT AND POWER to matters pertaining to the church, among which are: the election and calling of pastors, the judgment of doctrine, and the power to depose unfaithful teachers." (Form of the Christian Congregation, C.F.W Walther, quotes Hesshusius CPH, St. Louis, 1989, p.54)

"A. The Voters' Meeting: If the congregation is to function and fully exercise its DIVINELY IMPOSED RIGHTS AND DUTIES in a conscientious, profitable, and God-pleasing manner, IT MUST, in the first place, hold public church assemblies in which it considers and determines all things THAT ARE NECESSARY for its special church management. Such public executive church assemblies Christ presupposes when He commands Matt. 18:17-18 'Tell it unto the church.' Such executive assemblies were generally maintained in the first Christian congregation, as the Book of Acts records, 1:15. 23-25, Acts 15:5: 23. "We call these assembly's voters' meetings, for we admit to them as authorized to vote only the adult male members of the church. Since the final authority in all matters is vested in the congregation and not in a few members of the congregation, it would seem evident that all of the members of the congregation are responsible for what the congregation does. But God Himself has made certain restricts." ("The Abiding Word" CPH, 1947,Vol. II, page 460 "The Lutheran Congregation" by G. Perlich)

Why doesn't Fort Wayne simply say it supports the only agreed upon polity for all LCMS congregations, namely, Voter supremacy? God's Word is always supreme. I am speaking about congregational government of which Marquart, and indeed the entire faculty at Fort Wayne, treats as nonexistent.

I'm getting a little tired of recent seminary graduates telling me Walther was wrong and why the Voters' Assembly, according to our church constitution published in 1921, is incorrect about Voter supremacy. Maybe I should lecture our Voters on how inappropriate they are and how God speaks and acts through me? The graduate who doesn't think that the Voters are in charge must think he is in charge. Of course he will then say God is in charge and he is God's representative to the congregation. The fact is the pastor serves a congregation of priests by virtue of the office of the ministry they conferred on their pastor.

5. I asked a native German what "Hauptgnadenmittel," means and they said "head grace mediator." Marquart's correction to "the chief means of grace" seems appropriate. There is about as much difference here as between "Congregational Meeting" and "Voters' Assembly." Nearly all LCMS constitutions identify these meetings as Voters' Assemblies or Meetings. Perhaps Fort Wayne should issue a statement to all LCMS congregations and advise them to change their constitutions? Perlich gives the proper definition above.

6. In response to point 6 I refer to quotes from Luther in point 2 above. I agree that pastors are instruments of God's Word by virtue of their call into the office of the ministry but not because they are a higher order of priest than their members.

I ask the same question again, "Why is Fort Wayne raising the issue that God speaks and acts through those who are called and ordained when God also speaks and acts through those who are not called and ordained? In the best light they make a point with no distinction." The emphasis should be on God speaking and acting through His Word and Sacraments. Calls and ordinations do not enhance God's speaking and acting. The proper emphasis should be on how correctly and accurately God's instruments, the pastors, speak and act on His Word. Congregations must judge the preaching and teaching of their pastors.

Pastors, called and ordained a hundred times, have no monopoly on speaking and acting for God. Luther writes: "One must note, however, that the Lord also speaks to us through human beings. When parents give orders to their children, the tasks may seem insignificant and unimportant in their outward appearance; yet when the children obey, they are obeying not so much men as God.Thus when the government, by virtue of its office, calls citizens into military service in order to maintain peace and to ward off harm, obedience is shown to God.You must have the same conviction about the general call, when you are called to the ministry of teaching: you should consider the voice of the community as the voice of God, and obey." (Luther's Works, Vol. 2, page 272)

I agree with the quote Marquart gives from Walther about obedience to the pastor when he speaks God's Word correctly. Let's also have the Fort Wayne gradates step in line behind the three examples above from Luther since they are interested in obedience

7. Walther says "heavenly" gifts are bestowed on the pastor when God answers prayer. He doesn't specify "spiritual gifts." I happen to count my pay check as a gift from heaven. Walther writes: ".[ordination] is no more than a solemn public confirmation of the call." (Church and Ministry, page 247.) We know the spiritual gifts given at Baptism and the Lord's Supper. What are the spiritual gifts given at ordination? There is no question that God gives blessings in answer to prayer on those who are ordained as well as the members in the pews. I can't count the times God has sent me just the right layman at just the right time to do the right job when I was in desperate need. In fact, our congregation was founded by a layman.

8. We would have a great deal of light on church and ministry if Fort Wayne would teach all its graduates that the only agreed upon form of church government in the LCMS is supreme Voters' Assemblies thus marginalizing all CEOs and Archbishops. The LCMS Convention can change this if they choose and place their congregations under a hierarchy. If Fort Wayne does not agree with Voter supremacy, they should take their case to the Convention and not their own students.

God's Blessings to the most esteemed professor.


Rev. Jack Cascione is pastor of Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS - MI) in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He has written numerous articles for Christian News and is the author of Reclaiming the Gospel in the LCMS: How to Keep Your Congregation Lutheran. He has also written a study on the Book of Revelation called In Search of the Biblical Order.
He can be reached by email at pastorcascione@juno.com.

December 9, 1999