For this evening’s lecture, Dr. Walther opened up by discussing false teachers. He covered how when they proclaim false teachings, they not only choose the false way for themselves, but also pointed that way to the souls entrusted to them. Also, how terror will seize all false teachers on the day when all the souls led astray by them shall stand in judgement before the Lord, who will raise accusations against them. However, the terror facing the false teachers who led them astray is even greater. For example, “On that day every false teacher will wish that he had never been born and will curse the day when he was inducted into the sacred office of the ministry.” Then Walther entered the seventh thesis, which was Gospel should never be preached before the Law. Then he explains why this is so by listing four types of that perverse the proper sequence. The first of which is the order may be distorted if you preach Gospel prior to the Law. He talked about how the Antinomians in Luther’s time preached Gospel first, and preferred no Law at all. For example, if hearers are never made aware of their deep sinful depravity; they were never made to realize that they were enemies of God, worthy to be cast down to the perdition rather than to be saved. The second perversion occurs when sanctification of life is preached before justification, the preaching of forgiveness of sins; for justification by grace is nothing else than forgiveness of sins. A good quote he uses to explain the proper order is, “Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption.” The most beautiful teaching is rendered useless by making this perversion.The third perversion occurs when faith os preached first, and repentance next, as was done by the Antinomians and Herrnhunters. Their teaching at the time was, “Faith is the primary affair; after that you must become contrite and repent.” He explains how that’s foolish. How can a heart that hasn’t been crushed accept faith? It can’t. The fourth perversion occurs when good works are preached first and then grace. He also mentions how all these perversions are equally bad. He covers how the Old Testament is mainly Law, and the New is mainly Gospel. Then he gets into incorrect sermon outlines. The first subject was the way of salvation, which consists of faith and true repentance. A perversion of this kind would constitute you a genuine Antinomian and/or Herrnhunter. The second subject was good works; Wherein they consist, and that they must be performed in faith. That is wrong; for viewed in the light of the Law, any good work even of a Christian, no matter how good it may appear, is damnable in the sight of God. The third subject was concerning prayer. The prayer is based on the certainty of our being heard; true prayer consists in faith. The first part of your sermon, here, would be entirely wrong. The fourth subject was promises and threatenings in the Word of God. Promises; threatenings. When a preacher concludes his sermons with threatenings, he has gone far towards making that sermon unproductive. The fifth subject is true Christianity. It consists in Christian living; in true faith; in a blessed death. This outline is simply horrible. The sixth subject is what must a person do to become assured of salvation? He must amend his life and become a different man; he must repent of his sins; he must also apprehend Christ by Faith. The worst part is part 3; for there is nothing that gives my greater assurance of being saved than faith. Accordingly, the view of the Pietists is wrong, when they claimed that the various stages of the order of salvation are described in the Sermon on the Mountain. Walther goes through the points they make and explains how they are wrong. He also talked about how Luther was forced to declare his position ove against the Antinomians. They claimed that Grace must be preached first, and then repentance. Also, they claim, Law belongs in the court house and on the gallows, and it should be preached to criminals instead of Christians. Then Walther cites where Luther talks about the situation with the Antinomians and them not preaching Law, and how they have fixed matters so that they can set up the Law or Gospel as they please. Walther also covered how Hagar and Ishmael had to be brought into misery before they could be freed from their pride. Also, how man is by nature a conceited being, and how the spirit of pride in himself must be cast out. That requires an application of the hammer of the Law which will crush his stony heart. He continued with Luther smiting the Pope (Antichrist). Luther continues, and the main point was God is an enemy of every proud person; but those who have been humbled and have felt the power of the Law, He comforts, either by men or by an angel from heaven; for He does not want such people to perish. On the other hand, He will not suffer the secure and proud to abide in Abraham’s house. Then Walther brought the evening to a close with one final main point that Luther made, “Now, a teacher and preacher must be trained in these two things and possess skill and experience in them; viz., he must both rebuke and crush the obstinate, and again, he must be able to comfort those whom he has rebuked and crushed, let they despair utterly and be swallowed up by the Law.”
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