"The chief danger of the 20th century will be religion without the Holy Ghost, Christianity without Christ, forgiveness without repentance, salvation without regeneration, politics without God, and Heaven without Hell." - William Booth
So it is with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. A recent article by long time ELCA seminary professor, author, speaker and current ELCA president of The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP), Rev. Dr. David J. Lose, is proof to William Booth's point. Addressing the concept of hell, Rev. Lose tries to dismiss the belief by saying “as you read the rest of the New Testament there are very few references to hell (outside similar parables) and in the Old Testament next to nothing.” (read here) Truth be told, “hell” is specifically addressed fifty-five times in Scripture (King James Version, see here) and that does not include other references to it or the use of different words and phrases for “hell” like “lake of fire” and “everlasting punishment.” Hell is a major problem for the liberal leaders of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America because it stands contrary to their belief and teaching that all people will be saved (universalism). The ELCA seminary president goes on, in his article, to say “For the last few decades at least, you see, 'hell' has stopped being a particularly lively or compelling topic in mainline preaching and conversation. Given it’s relatively scant place in Scripture, that may be a far more faithful treatment of the topic than many on the far right of the religious spectrum would guess. But while many of us have a harder and harder time imagining the God we know in Jesus consigning someone to a place of eternal torment and therefore applaud this development, I have wondered from time to time if we’ve figured out exactly what is a good substitute for hell. What, that is, is the motivation for our gathering, our giving, our serving and volunteering? At least things were pretty clear when you had heaven as the carrot and hellfire as the stick. But what now? Even heaven seems increasingly difficult to talk about, as we perhaps too narrowly defined it as, well, the opposite of hell. So if we don’t have the mother-of-all reward-and-punishment schemes to fall back on, have we figured out exactly what we’re offering people.” Rev. Lose then states, “I don’t miss hell...” The Son of God, Jesus the Christ, spoke of hell more than anyone else in Scripture. So Rev. Lose and the ELCA's attempt to deny the existence of hell is blatantly a satanic lead assault on truth, Scripture and salvation. “The friendly preacher who fails to warn of the reality of Hell, betrays the Son of God with a kiss.” - Ray Comfort
19 Comments
Fred
9/9/2014 12:37:25 pm
This false teacher aka President David "screw" Lose is completely wrong when he says that "God condemns people to hell"
Reply
Brian
9/9/2014 02:43:14 pm
"...the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28-29)
Reply
George
9/10/2014 11:06:10 am
This quote from Scripture needs to be sent to Lose. It disputes his claim.
Reply
Janet Muldoon
9/11/2014 07:56:08 am
George, mail it to him certified mail.....reading this verse could save his soul and many others
Fred
9/11/2014 05:00:05 pm
I hope you are not suggesting we are saved by our "works" irrespective of faith in Christ. If so, your position on salvation would not be a bit different then Mr. Lose's (aka Universalism or salvation based on being "good" according to the law).
Reply
Brian
9/12/2014 09:51:53 am
Your terminology is incorrect. Universalism is the belief that every individual will be saved, no matter what he does or believes. The belief that men can earn salvation by doing good works is never called "universalism," even if it is widespread or "universal." If you want to argue that both doctrines are erroneous, you may do so. But they ore OPPOSITE errors, not equivalents.
Brian
9/13/2014 05:21:40 am
As for your admonition not to judge Dr. Lose's soul, my previous comments have said nothing about him personally. It was you who called him "lying satanic scum." Your sermonizing seems to be insincere as well as incoherent.
Nelson
9/13/2014 09:33:18 am
"Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble." (James 2:19)
Reply
George
9/14/2014 01:33:21 pm
This verse marks the end of the age when all people along with their works (for who can divorce one's life from one's activity?) will be judged by God. Those who have done evil will undergo the resurrection unto condemnation, ie. hell. Seems clear to me.
Reply
Fred
9/13/2014 06:12:28 pm
"Brian" I am not sure why any of what I wrote is "incoherent" to you.
Reply
Fred
9/13/2014 06:36:06 pm
The concept of "Universalism" is infinitely more complex then merely "everyone will be saved". Here is a good article on the phenomenon:
Reply
Brian
9/14/2014 12:16:49 pm
Ironically, I see value in both the webpages you recommend here. Those articles are comprehensible because the authors work with the "simplistic" definitions of words one might find in a dictionary.
Reply
Michael
9/15/2014 11:30:41 am
"And having been perfected, [Jesus] became the author of eternal salvation TO ALL WHO OBEY HIM." (Hebrews 5:9)
Reply
Fred
9/28/2014 08:05:21 pm
Is this still another implication that the law saves us? If that's what you are trying to say, you are confused between law and gospel.
Reply
J. K.
10/10/2014 12:27:13 am
The Greek words in question (STRONG'S CONCORDANCE numbers 5218, 5219) both mean "attentive listening," and by implication, "obedience." In the context of Heb. 5:7-9, they must mean obedience to God's will.
Reply
Michael
9/15/2014 11:45:34 am
"If certain sectarists would arise..., holding that all those who had once received the Spirit or the forgiveness of sins, or had become believers, even though they should afterwards sin, would still remain in the faith, and such sin would not harm them, and hence crying thus: 'Do whatever you please; if you believe, it all amounts to nothing; faith blots out all sins,' etc...,
Reply
Fred
10/2/2014 07:37:04 pm
"Part II, Article I: The first and chief article.
Reply
J. K.
10/10/2014 12:39:08 am
" 'Bless God always, and ask him to direct your ways' (Tobit 4:19). These actions properly belong to the kind of faith we have been discussing, one which believes that God is reconciled on account of his mercy and which WANTS to be justified, SANCTIFIED, and GOVERNED BY GOD.... Over and over we say that the Gospel of Christ must be ADDED TO [(not substituted for)] the preaching of the law, that for his sake good works please God." (Apology, Article IV, Sections 279, 281)
Reply
J. K.
10/10/2014 12:53:21 am
"Here our opponents will raise the cry that good works are unnecessary if they do not merit eternal life. We have refuted this slander earlier. Of course, good works ARE necessary. We say that eternal life is promised to the justified, but those who walk according to the flesh can retain neither faith nor righteousness. We are justified for this very purpose, that, being righteous we might begin to do good works and obey God's law. For this purpose we are reborn and receive the Holy Spirit, that this new life might have new works and new impulses, the fear and love of God, hatred of lust, etc. The faith we speak of has its existence in penitence." (Apology, Article IV, Sections 348-350)
Reply
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 Dan Skogen
Former ELCA seminary student and former ELCA member who is fed up with the ELCA's consistent mockery of God's Word. If you have been helped and blessed by Exposing the ELCA's ministry, please help us continue to proclaim the truth of God's Word to ELCA members who need to hear it.
Give online by clicking the "donate" button below: Categories
All
Archives
November 2023
Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. - Ephesians 5:11
|