Vol 2. Issue 3 March 2015

AGAINST THE MODERN ENCRATICS

In the early 350s A.D. a novel doctrine called “Encratism” crept into a group of monks living in the Egyptian desert. There were several different versions of Encratism in the early church, most of which were heretical because they taught that the physical world and the things of daily life were evil to one extent or another. Because of this, every version of encratism agreed that Christians are defiled by the use of meat, wine and marriage.

The encratic doctrine which afflicted the Egyptian monks went a step further to teach that the natural excretions of the body defiled the Christian and merited punishment from God. This meant that normal bodily functions and fluids were sinful, even things like using the bathroom or blowing one’s nose. One can imagine how much spiritual stress this would put on a Christian concerned with his standing before God. Not only were the monks abstaining from sinful motivations, thoughts, and actions, but they had to worry about meriting the Lord’s wrath through normal bodily functions.

As with all false teaching, the encratic doctrine was based on a perverted reading of Scripture. The seat of this doctrine was Matthew 15:11 where Jesus says, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” The encratics took Jesus’ words quite literally. Saliva comes from the mouth. What comes from the mouth defiles man. Therefore saliva defiles man.  While this may seem silly to us, the encratites were simply taking the words of Jesus literally.

Athanasius was Bishop of Alexandria, Eygpt, at this time. (This is the same Athanasius who fought against the Arian heresy that Jesus was not divine, but a creation of God, the same Athanasius to whom the Athanasian Creed is a attributed). Athanasius responds to this teaching with a letter to Amoun, the revered father of the community of monks. He attributes the encratic teaching to the Devil, who, “In order to distract ascetics [monks] from their usual salutary meditation, and appear to overcome them, stirs up the kind of distracting thoughts that are of no benefit in life.” (Letter to Amoun. Pg. 1, found in The Monastic Letters of Saint Athanasius the Great, translated by Leslie W. Barnard). The Satanic point of the encratic teaching was to distract the monks from mediation upon Gospel with thoughts of their own good works.

Athanasius’ argument against the encratics is that Christ isn’t speaking literally but figuratively. He writes that Jesus is not speaking about bodily functions, but that which comes out of the heart.  A few verses later Jesus teaches His disciples privately,

But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man. (Matthew 15:18-20)

What defiles man is what proceeds from his heart, that is, sin. Athanasius writes, “For we only become defiled when we commit a foul sin.”

Athanasius then argues that God created the body to expel salvia and waste, as well as the sexual function of the body. Since they are created by God they are good and God-pleasing when used according to His institution and not for sin.

What can we learn from the encratics and St. Athanasius’ response to them? The Scriptures are not always mean to be taken literally. Usually, when the Scriptures are not read according to their plain sense it is for the sake of distracting the Christian from meditation upon the Gospel of salvation by faith alone by grace alone through Christ alone.

Let me give you a modern example of taking the words of Jesus literally for the sake of concentrating on personal works and holiness. In Luke 18:22 Jesus tells a rich young man who loved his wealth, “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” Did Jesus really expect that rich man to sell everything and become a poor beggar in order to gain heaven? No. This would destroy the doctrine of salvation by faith alone.

Jesus’ point was that the rich young man loved his wealth more than the gospel. That idolatry of the heart would disqualify him from the heavenly treasure, for “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:10) There is nothing wrong with having wealth and riches. The problem is trusting in and loving wealth and riches.

I once read the blog of a young Christian woman who was cut to the heart by Jesus’ suggestion to the rich young man. Feeling that Jesus’ words were to be taken literally, and that failure to do so meant she was weak in the faith, she and her husband sold their expensive home to move into something much smaller and less expensive. After all, Jesus gave the command to sell all your possessions to gain the kingdom of God. She wanted to do everything Jesus commanded in the gospels.

Doing the commands of Jesus was, for this young woman, a way to become a better Christian, even if that command wasn’t given to her. What she had done was make up a man-made work to please God and alleviate her own conscience. She never posted on how the house-selling turned out. However, in a stroke of irony, a week later she posted a picture of her new (and very expensive) running shoes.

What is this but a modern encratism, shunning materialist things and thinking that there is an extra holiness we can achieve by taking Jesus’ figurative words as literal commands for every Christian? This is not the Christian Faith. Christ taught the Gospel that saves sinners from their spiritual defilement by faith in His merits and work. There is no work which we can do before our conversion, during it, or afterwards that will make us any more holy and righteous before God, for it is faith alone which justifies. The good works we then do as Christians are found not in the figurative words of Jesus but in the Ten Commandments, fearing God and loving neighbor according to the will of the Lord.

There is no righteousness to be gained or lost in using the toilet, spitting out saliva, being married, having wealth or owning a nice home. These all are things with which God endows humanity. Therefore we must remain vigilant about how we read the Scriptures, lest we find in the Scriptures more than is demanded of us than simple faith in Christ and good works done according to the commandments. Do not let Satan distract you, as he did the Egyptian monks, with being holier than you can be through faith in Christ. Rely upon Christ for your holiness, blessedness and purity before God, for these are gifts received only by faith. May God grant us such faith Ad Finem Illum, Amen!

Vol 2. Issue 2 - February 2015

BEAUTY FOR ASHES

I have always been uncomfortable with the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday. The rest of the day was an awkward experience. Having an ash cross on the forehead certainly draws attention to yourself. And that’s the problem with it. The ashes, which are a symbol of the death we live in and walk towards because of our sin, easily become something else altogether. They become a sign that we’ve been to church that day. Suddenly I would notice how many people did not have ashes plastered on their foreheads. The sinful flesh would begin to become comfortable with the ashes. They were no longer a sign of God’s judgment and my deserved fate. They were now a mark of my own piety. I had been to church on a day when most people had not. I was holy enough to celebrate Lent. The ashes became a mark of my own righteousness, something for me to showcase to others who weren’t pious enough to wear the ashes.

The sinful flesh easily distorts the humility which is intended by the ashes into a work people do so “that they may be seen by men.” (Matthew 6:5) But the problem with Ash Wednesday runs deeper than a practice which the flesh can warp. The ashes are all law. The law always condemns (which is why the flesh tries to make the law into a badge of honor). The imposition of ashes marks the Christian with the law’s condemnation and that is how Christians leave the sanctuary.

But this is now how the Lord wants His Christians to live. God does smite us with the Law, but the Law is His alien work. (Isaiah 28:21) Isaiah calls the Law the Lord’s “alien” or “strange” work because it is the work in which He takes no pleasure. The Lord says to Ezekiel, “I have no pleasure in the

death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11) He uses His Law to accuse sinners of their sin, to kill sinners dead in their tracks. But this work is done so that He might do His proper work, the work of forgiving sins and raising dead sinners to life through His Gospel. Thus the Lord says in Isaiah 61:3 that the task of Christ will be,

To console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.

Consolation for mourning. Joy for sorrow. Praise for heaviness. Beauty for Ashes. The Lord delights in showing mercy. It is His good and gracious will to forgive sinners who repent. So why leave the sanctuary with the visible symbol of the Law upon our foreheads if our sins are forgiven? This is why we no longer do the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday. Instead, we speak together The Order of the Confessional Service (TLH pg.46-49) to confess our sins. Then each individual approaches the rail, not for further condemnation, but to receive the absolution individually. The ashes are merely a symbol of the Law. The Absolution is something far greater than a mere symbol.

The Absolution is commanded by God. It is given to the Office of the Holy Ministry as its chief duty. On the night of His resurrection, Jesus appears to the eleven disciples. St. John records:

When He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained. (John 20:22-23)

 The apostles, as Christ’s called and ordained representatives, have this as their primary task. Indeed, all their other tasks, preaching, distributing the sacrament, offering counsel, revolve around this duty: to forgive and retain sins.

This is a real forgiveness in which Christ is truly present. It is not a ‘feel good’ proclamation or a pep talk to do better next time. It is the voice of Christ Himself absolving your sins. He tells the disciples in Luke 10:16, “He who hears you hears me.” He also says in Matthew 16:19, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” This is what makes absolution spoken by the pastor a true treasure. It is the word of God Himself.

Hearing the Absolution (publically or privately) provides great consolation to the troubled conscience. Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586) writes:

But if one should diligently explain to me how much comfort comes to a troubled conscience from this, namely that I might know from this where I ought to seek and might find Christ my Lord, so that He might deal individually and separately with me, a very vile sinner, through the Word, and I may be allowed to hear that very sweet statement and comfort as immediately from Him: Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee; go in peace. (Enchiridion 285)

This is far removed from the Do-It-Yourself forgiveness of the modern Evangelicals who prefer to stay home and read their Bibles over hearing the Word of God spoken through His pastor. In absolution Christ deals privately with me through the external Word, not a word within my heart or mind. I hear it spoken to me by the man Christ has put here to dole out His forgiveness.

 

Not only does private absolution deal with each sinner individually with the Word, it also teaches us that it is a means through which God wants to deal with you. Chemnitz again:

Moreover, private absolution also effects this, that I have no need to dispute anxiously and with concern within myself what God thinks of decides about me in heaven, inasmuch as I can become the more sure about that matter through private absolution here on earth, so that I ought not doubt at all that it is valid in heaven also. And the Holy Spirit wants to be present in that very act (Jn 20:22-23) and strengthen and preserve faith through the Word. And for these reasons private absolution is justly to be both exalted and freely used. (Enchiridion 286)

God truly and honestly forgives sins in the absolution so that faith can put its trust in those words and rely upon the absolution in every temptation. The Lord says Christ (and His servants) will give “beauty for ashes.” So we put away the man-made imposition of ashes. After all, what good is a symbol when you can have something real and audible to trust?

This is, of course, teaching you to come to private absolution throughout the year, but especially during Lent. Lent is a penitential season in which we struggle against temptation with faith and prayer. Private absolution is one more means of grace by which Christ wants to forgive your sins and equip you to battle temptation throughout these forty days (and beyond.)

On Ash Wednesday, and any other day of the year, come trade in the ashes of sorrow and guilt so that you might receive the most beautiful thing: the forgiveness of all your sins, spoken by the pastor as if from God Himself. Ad Finem Illum, Amen.

Vol 2. Issue 1 - January 2015

 THE GENERAL PRAYER – PART V

Grant health and prosperity to all who are in authority, especially to the President and Congress of the United States, the Governor and Legislature of this commonwealth, and to all our Judges and Magistrates, and endue them with grace to rule after Thy good pleasure, to the maintenance of righteousness and to the hindrance and punishment of wickedness, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

It is not always easy to pray for those who govern us. Humanity is unruly and rebellious by nature. Sin entered the world through the temptation to “be like God.”(Genesis 3:5) Adam and Eve, at the Tempter’s prodding, not content to be ruled and governed by the Lord and instead chose to be ruled by Satan, though they were promised self-rule. This spiritual rebelliousness translates easily into the temporal side of life. No matter who is governing us, no matter what kind of governmental system we have, it will always be difficult to be governed.

This petition of the General Prayer keeps us honest with the Scriptures, which command us to pray for our governing officials, regardless of our opinion of them and their policies. The General Prayer echoes the words of St. Paul to Bishop Timothy, “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2) We speak these words to God is prayer because the Apostle commands us to pray for our officials and

because our sinful flesh does not want to pray for the governing officials.

The reason for this command lies in the second part of St. Paul’s words, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” We do not pray for the government because of party spirit or blind Statism. We are not to look to the government to meet our every need in this life or offer us protection from every kind of evil. That is not the government’s divinely established duty. St. Paul explains the duty of the civil government in Romans 13:1-5:

Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God's minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake.

St. Paul establishes that all authority is from God and so all in authority are appointed by God. They are given authority to be a terror to those who do evil works, that is, to “execute wrath on him who practices evil.” The governing authorities should be doing what we pray for in this petition of the General Prayer, that is, ruling “after Thy good pleasure, to the maintenance of righteousness and to the hindrance and punishment of wickedness.”

But what is the Christian to do when their governing officials fail at their divinely given task? We are not to satisfy our rebellious desire, for to rebel against the government would be to rebel

against the authority of the Lord who established that government. We are to continue steadfast and unrelenting in our prayers for our government because the burden of their office (and the temptations that attend their office) are great. The apocryphal book Wisdom of Solomon (6:2-10) says:

Give ear, ye that rule the people, and glory in the multitude of nations. For power is given you of the Lord, and sovereignty from the Highest, who shall try your works, and search out your counsels. Because, being ministers of his kingdom, ye have not judged aright, nor kept the law, nor walked after the counsel of God; Horribly and speedily shall he come upon you: for a sharp judgment shall be to them that be in high places. For mercy will soon pardon the meanest: but mighty men shall be mightily tormented. For he which is Lord over all shall fear no man's person, neither shall he stand in awe of any man's greatness: for he hath made the small and great, and careth for all alike. But a sore trial shall come upon the mighty. Unto you therefore, O kings, do I speak, that ye may learn wisdom, and not fall away.  For they that keep holiness holily shall be judged holy: and they that have learned such things shall find what to answer.

Rulers are to seek after holiness and wisdom. God will judge rulers for the misuse of their office so we pray that our rulers will give ear to holiness and wisdom for their own sake and also for the sake of those whom they govern. So we pray according to St. Paul in the General Prayer, “that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.” The goal of all government should be the preservation of the peace so that men might live quiet lives, fulfilling their divinely given vocations in service to their neighbors and family.

Is it ever right to rebel against the government then? Scripture only mentions one instance of disobedience to government. That is when the government demands something of us that violates the will of God found in Holy Scripture. Acts 5:27-29 records:

The high priest asked them, saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man's blood on us!” But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

The apostles were forbidden by the ruling authorities to preach in Jesus’ name. In that instance, obedience to the governing body would have meant rebellion against the Lord’s command and the Christian Faith. This is the only example in the Scripture of Christians rebelling against the authorities because they taught that to rebel against authority is to rebel against THE authority from which all authority on earth is derived: the Lord Himself. Jesus reminds Pilate of this during His trial, “You could have no power at all against me unless it had been given you from above.” (John 19:11) The Christian lives prayerfully and patiently under governmental authority so that they “may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things” (Titus 2:10) and give no one an opportunity to slander the Gospel as inciting rebellion.

So we pray for our government and our officials whether we like them or not. But we pray that they rule not for their own benefit, but after the good pleasure of God and according to His wisdom for the benefit of all their subjects whom the Lord has given to them, so that we might lead quiet lives in godliness and honesty. Ad Finem Illum, Amen!