#40- God Makes Christians Through Baptism And The Gospel

“Such are the offenses and objections directed against the Gospel. Similarly, we hear it said in the papacy today that a theologian can emerge from no other place than from Christendom and the church. This position they maintain, and on it they rely as a ram does on his horns. It is true that there is no preacher outside the Christian Church; that is impossible. It is ordained that God will make no Christians except by Baptism and the call of the Gospel. God wants all who are called Christians to be set apart from the world by means of Baptism and the Gospel. Thus there is no true preacher or prophet outside the pale of the church. Scripture states this, and no one can deny it. Just so the Jews say here: ‘No prophet is to rise from Galilee.’

This is a strong argument that agitates many who are convinced of the correctness of our doctrine. Although they are unable to advance anything to refute our doctrine, they are like an intractable horse. All they say is that the Holy Christian Church has not yet determined and approved the doctrine. …  They say: ‘The Christian Church has not yet taken action. This does not emanate from Christendom’  They are waiting for councils and diets, for a meeting of scholars to adopt resolutions. Until such a time they retain their old position. Thus both the fools and the wise declare today that they will wait until the Christian Church comes to a decision, since at present the one espouses this, the other that view.  They assert that the Christian Church has not yet taken up the question. Until the church decides what is right, they propose to hold to the faith of their fathers. Thus they delude the simple-minded….  By the same token it is true that anyone who is not in the Christian Church and whose doctrine has not been accepted by it is a false and heretical preacher”  (Luther’s Works, v. 23, p. 284-285).

Posted in 2017 Reformation Quotes.