Fellow redeemed in Christ,
Several weeks ago a couple of students mentioned that the book The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel by C. F. W. Walther contained several paragraphs on the topic which we have been considering during this school year, What's Good about the Public Ministry?
Dr. Walther served for many years as professor of theology at Concordia Lutheran Seminary in St. Louis. It was his custom on Friday evenings during the school year to gather around his desk the entire student body of the semi- nary, together with visiting pastors and laymen, to speak to them in an informal manner about some doctrinal topic.
During the 1884 and 1885 school years, Walther presented a series of lectures on the proper distinction be— tween the Law and Gospel in the public ministry. One of the students who was present took careful notes, and some ten years after Walther’s death these notes were published in book form.
Each Friday during those school years 100 years ago, Dr. Walther presented and discussed a thesis which showed from Scripture how the Law and Gospel were to be distinguished from each other and properly presented by a minister of the Word to his flock. He showed clearly that the Law of God is a doctrine that reveals to us our sin against the holy creator God, condemns us to everlasting punishment, and shows us that there is no way in which we can rescue ourselves from that well-deserved damnation. And he showed beautifully that the Gospel is a doctrine of God's saving love, how God through Christ Jesus has pro- cured for all sinners a complete forgiveness and a perfect righteousness, in which we can even now stand before God as His dear children.
Dr. Walther also showed how the minister of the Word could ruin his preaching and teaching, and thereby en- danger souls, by mixing Law and Gospel together. For ex- ample, he said: "The Word of God is not rightly divided when the Law is not preached in its full sternness and the Gospel not in its full sweetness, when, on the contrary, Gospel elements are mingled with the Law and Law elements with the Gospel" (Thesis VI).
It was in a lecture held on May 8, 1885, that Dr. Walther had occasion to encourage his students in their preparation for the public ministry of the Word. Listen to his words:
”True, the estate of teachers has, in general, been little respected, especially in ages gone by; and as far as the teachers of the Word of God are concerned, they are, of all men, most despised and even hated by the world. Nevertheless their estate and office is the most glorious of all, for the following reasons:--
"1. The work of their office centers about man's spiritual welfare, his immortal soul.
"2. They employ the most salutary means and instrument in their work, namely, the Word of the living God.
"3. They aim at the most salutary and glorious end, namely, to make man truly happy in the present life and to lead him to the life of eternal bliss.
"4. They are most wholesomely engaged in an occupation which entirely satisfies their spirits and advances their own selves in the way of salvation.
"5. Their labor yields the most precious result, namely, the salvation of man.
"6. Their labors have the most glorious promise of the cooperation of the Lord, so that they are never entirely futile and in vain.
"7. Their labors have the promise of a gracious re- ward, which consists in a glory in the world to come that is unutterably great, exceeding abundantly above all they ever could have asked and prayed for in this life.
"If men would stop to consider these points," Walther continues, "they would come crowding into the sacred office of the ministry and that of teachers of religion, as they are crowding into great state offices, which yield them honor and great emoluments [profits]. Parents would deem it a high honor and a special grace of God if they could have their sons trained for this sacred office. Young theologians would feel constrained every day to go down on their knees and praise and magnify God's holy name for having done such great things for them, predestinating them from eternity to this exalted and sacred office. Yea, I am forced to say that, if the holy angels, who have been confirmed in eternal bliss, were capable of envy, they would, even in their state of celestial glory, unquestionably envy every teacher of the Gospel. For all that is recorded concerning them in Holy Scripture does not equal the greatness of the office of teachers and preachers, in which men become helpers in the task of bringing fallen creatures back to their Creator. Without doubt these rescued people will forever and ever thank those by whose ministry they were saved from perdition and brought into life everlasting" (p. 285). Amen.
