For this evening’s lecture, Dr. Walther opened up by discussing the difference between the Lutheran Church and the Reformed Church. Things such as how Lutherans (at the time) recited the Lord’s Prayer in German, putting the word “Father” first, when Reformed Churches put the word “Our” First. Also, how Lutherans have wafers, which are not broken at the Lord’s Supper, when the Reformed Church uses ordinary bread, which is broken before or during distribution. Then he talks about how because of their horrible ignorance, the unfaithful ministers of our Church are to blame. They have shamefully neglected their people. Then he covers Claus Harms’s 95 Theses and his warning on the final one, where he warns to not attempt a copulation of the Reformation on Luther’s grave; because his bones will take new life, and then the Lord have mercy on you. Then Walther discusses how the Lutheran Church believes communion is truly the Body of Christ, when the Reformed Church interpret it as only signifying the Body of Christ. He also brings up how the Reformed Church were in agreement with us on the main points, and minor points. But what the Reformed Church lacks is just this --- it cannot correctly answer the question, “What must I do to be saved?” They do not point the right way to grace and salvation. Then Walther enters the Ninth Thesis. “In the fifth place, the Word of God is not rightly divided when sinners who have been struck down and terrified by the Law are directed, not to the Word and the Sacraments, but to their own prayers and wrestlings with God in order that they may win their way into a state of grace; in other words, when they are told to keep on praying and struggling until they feel that God has received them into grace.” The doctrine which is denounced in this thesis is common to all the Reformed and to the sects of Reformed origin, including the Baptists, the Methodists, the Evangelical Alliance, the Episcopalians, and the Presbyterians. Then Walther talks about Peter, and for the hope of forgiveness and salvation, Peter directed people to, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” Peter was basically saying,”Change your minds.” and, “Have faith.” by saying that. Then Walter talks about Paul and Silas, and the Philippian jailer. Walther discusses how Paul and Silas answer the question of the terrified Philippian jailer, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They didn’t respond like fanatics, instead, they behold in the jailer a person fit to receive the Gospel. He was as godless as before; he had not yet conceived a hatred of sin. He says nothing about that. All he wants is to escape the punishment of sin and obtain a happy, blessed fate beyond the grave. Later, he discusses how Ananias directed Paul with respect to hope and forgiveness to get baptized to wash away his sins. Then he covers the faulty preaching of Law by most sects. Then, he discusses the criteria for preaching the Law Correctly, which was If you do not lead a man by the Law to the point where he puts off completely the garment of his own righteousness and declares himself a miserable, wicked man, whose heart is sinning day and night with his evil lusts, thoughts, desires, dispositions, and wishes of all kinds, you have not preached the Law aright. A preacher of the Law must make a person distrust himself even in the least matter until his dying hour and keep him confessing that he is a miserable creature, with no record of good deeds except those which God has accomplished through him, spite of the corrupting, deteriorating, and poisoning effects of his own act. Then Walther covers three awful errors in practice of the Reformed Church. In the first place, the sects neither believe nor teach a real and complete reconciliation of man with God. In the second place, the sects teach false doctrine concerning the Gospel. In the third place, the sects teach false doctrine concerning faith.A few final good points Walther made that evening are, “Faith cannot be without love, just as little as fire can be without heat.” Also, “You are to do nothing but accept what God has done for you, and you have it and become a blessed person. ... Having this doctrine, what exceedingly happy and blessed people we Lutherans are!” Then he brought the evening to a close.
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