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Inspiration and Inerrancy

Introduction

Introduction to the doctrinal statements and documents authored by former lecturers of Australian Lutheran College (ALC) and its predecessor seminaries by Vic Pfitzner

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements by Wendy Mayer

The LCA Debate on Scripture, 1951–1984

January 1951

Hermann Sasse, Luther and the inerrancy of the Scriptures. English version published in The Lutheran Quarterly, 4/1 (January 1951): 3–36. Reprinted with permission.

13 December 1951 (1966)

Doctrinal Statements and Opinions of the Lutheran Church of Australia, Theses [of Agreement] on Scripture and Inspiration. DSTO I.A.VIII: A22–A24. Adopted by the Joint Intersynodical Committees (JUC). www.lca.org.au/departments/commissions/cticr/

October 1962

Melvin J. Grieger, Little Red Riding Hood. Typescript. 2 pp. Lutheran Archives. Biographical file.

Subscript: '(The above is an article written by Pastor M. Grieger, Greenwood, in his parish paper 10/62).'

December 1962

Kurt Marquart, Wolves with less and less sheep's clothing … A lengthy introduction to Pastor M. Grieger's “Little Red Riding Hood”. Typescript. 4 pp. Lutheran Archives. Melvin Grieger, biographical file.

The first of the two documents is a response to the Missouri Synod Cleveland Convention, 1962, and the failure of the LCMS leadership to read out a letter 'of admonition' from the ELCA pastors concerning what was perceived to be a deviation from Lutheran orthodoxy in regard to the doctrine of inerrancy. The second offers considerable background to developments within the LCMS at the time, while taking the condemnation further. The opinions expressed in both are solely those of the respective authors.

1966 (1969)

Hermann Sasse, Concerning the Bible's inerrancy. Published (in German) in Kirchenblatt, 116/10 (October 1966) of the Evangelical Lutheran (Old Lutheran) Church in Germany. English translation, 1969. Reprinted with permission.

The theological statement responds to perceived deficiencies in Sasse's position on inerrancy.

April 1967

Maurice Schild, Luther and the Word. Lectures for Queensland Lutheran Pastors' Conference. Typescript. 21 pp. Lutheran Archives. Qld District Pastors' Conferences 443.200

September 1967

J. T. E. Renner, The New Testament view of the Old Testament with special reference to Gen. 1–3. Typescript. 7 pp. Delivered to Queensland Pastors' Conference. Dated 6 September 1967. Lutheran Archives. Qld District Pastors' Conferences 443.200

1972

Doctrinal Statements and Opinions of the Lutheran Church of Australia, The Theses of Agreement and Inerrancy. DSTO I.B: B2.  Adopted by the LCA General Synod, 1972 Convention. www.lca.org.au/departments/commissions/cticr/

1972

Doctrinal Statements and Opinions of the Lutheran Church of Australia, Genesis 1–3: A Doctrinal Statement. DSTO I.B. B3–B6. Adopted by the LCA General Synod, 1972 Convention. www.lca.org.au/departments/commissions/cticr/

19 January–2 February 1975

Hermann Sasse, Letter to Robert Preus, President of Concordia Seminary LCMS. Personal files of R. J. Mayer. Now deposited in Lutheran Archives. Transcribed and annotated by T. David, Pseudepigraphus ('Hermann Sasse to Robert Preus, January 1975: The great crisis in Missouri did not come suddenly' posted 16 July 2016 on www.pseudepigraph.us).

1977

Henry Hamann, Content Criticism and the Historical-Critical Method, in A Popular Guide to New Testament Criticism. Adelaide: Lutheran Publishing House. Reprinted with permission.

1979

Henry Hamann, The Bible and the Word of God, Chapter 3 in The Bible between Fundamentalism and Philosophy. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House. Revision of 3 lectures delivered at Valparaiso University, 3–5 April, 1979. Reprinted with permission.

August 1981

Clem I. Koch, Inspiration, Inerrancy, and Authority of Scripture. Lecture delivered to Qld District Pastors' Conference. Typescript. 14 pp. Personal files of R. J. Mayer. Now deposited in Lutheran Archives. Published with permission of the Koch family.

22–23 June 1982

Siegfried P. Hebart, 'The Theology of the Word'. Lectures delivered to Qld District Pastors' Conference, Luther Heights Youth Camp, Coolum. Published with permission of the Hebart family.

28 September 1982

Clem I. Koch, A reply to the objections raised by S. Hebart against C. I. Koch's paper on the authority of scripture. Typescript. 2 pp. Personal files of R. J. Mayer. Now deposited in Lutheran Archives. Published with permission of the Koch family.

October 1982

Melvin J. Grieger, Positive and Negative Statement on the Controverted Issue arising from “The Theology of the Word”. Typescript. 14 pp. Lutheran Archives. Biographical file.

October 1982

Melvin J. Grieger, 'A critique of the Theology of the Word according to Dr S. P. Hebart'. 3 parts. Typescript. Lutheran Archives. Biographical file.

2 November 1982

Reinhard J. Mayer, President's Personal Letter. Typescript. 4 pp. Circulated to the pastors of LCA Qld District. Personal files of R. J. Mayer. Now deposited in Lutheran Archives. Published with permission of R. J. Mayer.

Refers to the 2-day consultation at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 26–27 October 1982, Toowoomba, Qld, at which Melvin Grieger presented the two preceding documents; references the 1984 Consensus Statement as 'forthcoming'.

2–4 November 1982

Henry Hamann, Lectures delivered to SA District Pastors' Conference, Tatachilla Youth Camp. Typescript. 29 pp. Löhe Memorial Library FILE RK91 H198.

1 February 1983

Melvin J. Grieger, Which Way L.C.A.? Typescript. 36 pp. Lutheran Archives. Biographical file. Extract, pp. 16–36.

In pp. 1–15 ('An assessment of the problems in our Lutheran Church of Australia') the author sets these out point by point as follows:

  1. Financial problems
  2. The immortality of the soul issue
  3. Women synodsmen issue
  4. Lutheran World Federation issue
  5. The retreat from a clear confession of creation
  6. The J. E. D. P. source hypothesis
  7. The Law does not apply to Christians – 'You legalist!' (the rise of antinomianism)
  8. The contemporary worship issue
  9. Breakdown of marriage and the home

18 February 1983

Reinhard J. Mayer, A response to M. Grieger's concerns re the state of the L.C.A. Typescript. 17 pp. plus 'Covering note'. Personal files of R. J. Mayer. Now deposited in Lutheran Archives. Published with permission of R. J. Mayer.

April 1983

Vernon S. Grieger, Two Opposite Positions on Scripture in the LCA. Typescript. 14 pp. Lutheran Archives. Biographical file.

9 May 1983

Reinhard J. Mayer, Further statement on Inerrancy – Relation to Nobby Address. Typescript. 2 pp. Personal files of R. J. Mayer. Now deposited in Lutheran Archives. Published with permission of R. J. Mayer.

28 May 1984

Reinhard J. Mayer, President's Personal Letter P8405. Typescript. 4 pp. Circulated to the pastors of LCA Qld District. Personal files of R. J. Mayer. Now deposited in Lutheran Archives. Published with permission of R. J. Mayer. Extract, pp. 1–3.

1984 (1987)

Doctrinal Statements and Opinions of the Lutheran Church of Australia, A Consensus Statement on Holy Scripture. DSTO I.B: B10–B12. Adopted by the LCA General Synod, 1987 Convention. www.lca.org.au/departments/commissions/cticr/

1984 (1987)

Doctrinal Statements and Opinions of the Lutheran Church of Australia, Attachment 1: Towards a common understanding on the authority of Holy Scripture. DSTO I.B: B13–B16. Adopted by the LCA General Synod, 1987 Convention. www.lca.org.au/departments/commissions/cticr/

1984 (1987)

Doctrinal Statements and Opinions of the Lutheran Church of Australia, Attachment 2: The extent and certainty of the canon. DSTO I.B: B17–B18. Adopted by the LCA General Synod, 1987 Convention. www.lca.org.au/departments/commissions/cticr/