Crossings Colleagues:

Here's my last piece(s) for the pastors in the Lutheran Church in Singapore.

1. The first is focused on a statement on Baptism handed me by one of the Lutheran pastors here along with the question: "Ed, what do you think about this? It represents the Baptismal theology of majority Protestantism here in Singapore." They discussed it briefly in our final two-day pastors' retreat. I made some ad hoc comments then.
2. The second relates to a "Statement on Divorce and Remarriage" that the LCS is working on these days. I saw an early draft but I don't know where they are in the process at present.

Peace & Joy!
Ed Schroeder

My Dear LCS Colleagues:

Here are two items I pass on to you in these last few days of my time in your midst.

One is my comments on that statement about Baptism that we looked at during the retreat. My comments are the words printed in CAPITAL LETTERS.

The second one is a word of encouragement as you continue to work on your "Statement on Divorce and Remarriage."

Peace & joy in Christ!
Ed Schroeder

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1. Some words about Baptism from an unknown author.

   "In the NT, baptism normally follows confession of faith in Christ - Acts 2:38 & Mk 16:16. The conversion experience comes in 2 stages: a believing stage (born again of the Spirit) and a belonging stage (baptized into the Body of Christ).

   THIS IS STANDARD BAPTIST THEOLOGY. TWO STAGES. NOT AT ALL IN PAUL'S THEOLOGY, NOT IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. BELIEVING AND BELONGING ARE IDENTICAL. FAITH = BELONGING TO JESUS. FAITH IS RESPONDING TO JESUS' PROMISE WITH TRUST. WHEN SINNERS TRUST THE PROMISED FORGIVENESS FROM JESUS IT'S 100%.

   As in natural birth, we are not just "born again"; we are born again into God's family. So, to believe but not followed immediately by baptism is like a baby who is born but not brought home to the family. Baptism is the incorporation of a believer into God's family - 1 Cor 12:13.

   BIRTHING AND INCORPORATION INTO FAMILY AS TWO DIFFERENT THINGS IN "NATURAL BIRTH" SOUNDS LIKE NONSENSE TO ME. ALL THE MORE SO WHEN YOU APPLY IT TO BAPTISMAL THEOLOGY.

   WHEN OUR MOTHERS BIRTHED EVERYONE OF US, WE WERE ALREADY "HOME" IN THAT FAMILY OF OUR PARENTS. BRINGING US "HOME" FROM THE HOSPITAL, FROM THE BIRTHING ROOM, DIDN'T ADD ANYTHING TO OUR ALREADY BEING A FULL-FLEDGED MEMBER OF THAT FAMILY.

   Baptism is not just a symbol but also a spiritual experience of dying to the old self and being raised to a new life in Christ. It breaks off the claims of the old sinful nature and spiritual powers over the believer so that he can now stand in his new authority in Christ to resist the devil and his demons (Rom 6:3-8; 1 Cor 10:1-2).

   "SYMBOL" AND "EXPERIENCE" ARE THE CLUES TO A BAPTIST THEOLOGY OF BAPTISM. BOTH WORDS POINT TO THINGS WE HUMANS DO. WE ENACT THE SYMBOL, WE HAVE THE EXPERIENCE. THERE IS NO MENTION AT ALL ABOUT WHAT GOD MIGHT BE DOING HERE. THUS THERE IS NO UNDERSTANDING OF BAPTISM AS GOD DOING SOMETHING. AND THAT ACTION OF GOD IS THIS: GOD-IN-CHRIST "OFFERING" (=KEY VERB OF GOSPEL) GRACE AND MERCY TO A SINNER--WHETHER A SINNER WHO IS JUST ONE DAY OLD, OR A SINNER 50 YEARS OLD.

   If Jesus' baptism is a prototype of New Covenant baptism, then we see 3 things happening at baptism:

   JESUS' BAPTISM BY JOHN A "PROTOTYPE OF NEW COVENANT BAPTISM?" ABSOLUTELY FALSE. JESUS ASKS FOR JOHN'S BAPTISM. IT IS A BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. THEREFORE JOHN'S BAPTISM IS FOR "SINNERS ONLY." IN RECEIVING JOHN'S BAPTISM, JESUS IDENTIFIES HIMSELF WITH ALL THE SINNERS WHOM JOHN IS BAPTIZING. IT IS JESUS' FIRST EXPLICIT ACT OF BEING A "FRIEND OF SINNERS." THE CHRISTIAN SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM IS BEING BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST--BEING PERSONALLY AND BODILY CONNECTED WITH THIS FRIEND OF SINNERS, AND THUS GETTING THE BENEFITS OF HIS LIFE AND WORK FOR US.

   Firstly, the descent of the Spirit of adoption so that the baptized person is no longer alien but has the seal of sonship (Lk 3:22a). This is followed by an affirmation of God's relationship with the person being baptized: "You are my Son in whom I love: with you I am well please" (Lk 3:22b). Thirdly, it is a consecration to service as the servant of God: "Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry." (Lk 3:23)."

   THAT'S NOT WHAT ANY OF THE FOUR GOSPEL WRITERS ARE SAYING AS THEY TELL US ABOUT THIS EVENT. THE WORDS FROM HEAVEN AS JESUS IS BAPTIZED ARE GOD'S OWN DESIGNATION OF JESUS AS HIS SENT MESSIAH, HIS SUFFERING SERVANT, HIS "LAMB OF GOD" TO TAKE AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD.

   NO OTHER HUMAN BEING CAN CLAIM THE SAME THING TO BE TRUE OF THEM. NONE OF US FOLLOWERS OF JESUS IS THE "DESIGNATED MESSIAH." CHRIST ALONE IS. IF CHRISTIANS DO CLAIM THAT, THEY ARE PUSHING CHRIST OUT OF THE MESSIAH ROLE, AND CLAIMING THAT TITLE FOR THEMSELVES.

   "CONSECRATION" RELATED TO BAPTISM IS TO TRUST THE BAPTISMAL OFFER OF MERCY AND LIVE "BY FAITH" IN DAILY LIFE.

   AS LUTHER SAYS IN THE SMALL CATECHISM, HERE'S WHAT BAPTISMAL CONSECRATION MEANS: BAPTISM "SIGNIFIES THAT THE OLD ADAM IN US, TOGETHER WITH ALL SINS AND EVIL LUSTS, SHOULD BE DROWNED BY DAILY SORROW AND REPENTANCE AND BE PUT TO DEATH, AND THAT THE NEW PERSON SHOULD COME FORTH DAILY AND RISE UP, CLEANSED AND RIGHTEOUS, TO LIVE FOREVER IN GOD'S PRESENCE."

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2. Divorce and Remarriage

   To: Brothers and Sisters in the LCS
   From: Ed Schroeder
   Topic: Some thoughts near the end of my time with you--just a few more days to go.
   Date: May 19, 2004

   The importance of the LCS statement on divorce and remarriage

   It will show the world--and especially world Lutheranism:

   1. Whether you can succeed where others have failed in putting "Lutheran Distinctives" into such a statement. If you can, then you will indeed be the Lutheran Church in Singapore and not (another) Legalist Church in Singapore. Some of you have told me that legalist churches are easy to find in Singapore. There are also many legalist churches in worldwide Lutheranism today. Even one is too many. Jesus said so: "It shall not be so among you . . . ."

   2. Whether you have succeeded, where many other Lutheran churches have failed, in creating a "new spoke" for your LCS wheel that is really Lutheran. The process is simple--but carrying it out is hard work--a spoke that is grounded in the Gospel-hub [that means grounded in Christ] and held firmly in that hub by the proper distinction between law and Gospel (the rim). In this case the law/Gospel rim is the distinction between God's left- & right-hand works in the world.

   3. Whether you have been able to follow Augsburg/Apology, Article 28, as it speaks of "creating new traditions," namely, your "new" statement on divorce and remarriage. Many Lutheran churches in the world have failed to be "Augsburg Lutheran" in creating their "new traditions." Your statement could be a shining light in the darkness for all of us.

   4. Whether you have created a tradition "according to the Gospel" or "apart from the Gospel." Whether you as church leaders are "bishops according to the Gospel" or not.

   5. Whether you have created a tradition that "ensnares and burdens Christian consciences" and "increases the tears of the sufferers," or one that "preserves the doctrine of Christian liberty in the churches" and brings "comfort to troubled consciences."

   6. Whether your statement says No to the "opinio legis"(the desire to live by law) that is the "sinner infection" still present in Christians, and can speak Gospel to people in the midst of broken marriages. It is "natural" (according to our "old" nature) to say: "We have a law, and by this law . . ." When Jewish rabbis said that to Jesus, he responded with harsh words: "You hypocrites."

   7. Whether you are joining the Galatian Judaizers--as always happens when Christians move toward legalism--or listening to St. Paul's Gospel about Christ's freedom from the law for believers. Freedom from the law is not antinomianism. Paul says: It is the heart of the Gospel. (Gal. 5::1)

   8. Whether you can proclaim Christ's good news to people under your pastoral care whose marriages fall apart so that they will not come to the conclusion: "For me 'Christ died in vain.'"

   9. Summary. Your statement is that important. Not just for the "little" LCS, but for worldwide Lutheranism. You can help us all. AC/Apology 28 points the way: "using the left/right hand distinction . . . according to the Gospel . . . not burdening consciences . . . preserving Christian freedom." Remember, this is not Ed Schroeder's theology. I didn't invent a word of it. It's the theology of the Augsburg Confession and Apology of 1530-31. That Augsburg Confession is the official confession of the LCS. It is your confession, your theology. It's finally Christ's theology. So "use Christ," as the Lutheran Confessions often say, for this "new tradition," this new spoke, here in the LCS. Show the rest of us how to do it. We all need help.

Ed Schroeder
Singapore
May 19, 2004