The Violence God Delights In

and can you get an indulgence with stolen indulgence money?

1/ Simpleminded, Christ-minded (2 Corinthians 11:3)

But I fear,
lest somehow,
as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,
so your minds may be corrupted from the
*simplicity* that is in Christ.

(That Greek word for simplicity, NOEMA, is only used six times in the Scripture, five in 2 Corinthians. The English is translated with different words. Very interesting!)

2/ Indulged to Steal Indulgence Money

The selling of indulgences never happened in Wittenberg. (Probably because Prince Fredrick wanted to preserve his income from his relic collection.) Tetsel came as close as Jüterbog, and the church there has an indulgence coffer (remember the jingle, “A coin in the coffer rings, a soul from purgatory springs”).

When doing some research on Jüterbog for our trip to Germany next summer, I found this little note:

A local folklore story told by Theodor Fontane in his travelogue Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg said that the coffer was robbed from Tetzel by the local knight Hans von Hake who had previously bought an indulgence letter for future sins.

Wait, what?!

If I’ve got this straight, a knight, Hans, went to Tetzel, bought an indulgence for the forgiveness of future sins, and then turned around and robbed Tetzel of the treasure chest (presumably included the money he had paid for the Indulgence). Ha!

This is like the medieval version of wishing for more wishes. You pay for forgiveness, and then steal back the money you spent. Well played, Hans.

Of course, the business of Indulgences was theologically corrupt from the beginning. We are redeemed, not with silver or gold, but with the holy, precious blood of Christ.

Here’s the coffer where the coin would ring. Looks suspiciously like a coffin.

3/ Denominational Flow-Chart

Fiene puts the “ha” in Hans.

4/ This Violence God Delights In

Here’s a stunning line from Tertullian. In Apology, chapter 39, as he begins a defense of the church, and talks of prayer as the violence that gives God joy:

I shall at once go on, then, to exhibit the peculiarities of the Christian society, that, as I have refuted the evil charged against it, I may point out its positive good. We are a body knit together as such by a common religious profession, by unity of discipline, and by the bond of a common hope. We meet together as an assembly and congregation, that, offering up prayer to God as with united force, we may wrestle with Him in our supplications. This violence God delights in.

This reminds us of Jacob wrestling with the Lord in Genesis 32, and the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 19. (In fact, I found this reference in the footnote of Trench’s Notes on the Parables of Our Lord, 494.)

The entire chapter 39 from Tertullian is worth reading as a description of the church in 220 AD.

I was particularly intrigued by Tertullian’s insight that the world hates Christians because we are given over to love, and the world is full of hatred.

But it is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand upon us. See, they say, how they [the Christians] love one another, for themselves are animated by mutual hatred; how they [the Christians] are ready even to die for one another, for they themselves [of the world] will sooner put to death.

5/ Closed Communion, the Biblical Case

When we were driving back from New Mexico, Keri asked me how I would argue Closed Communion from the Bible. Here’s what I’ve put together.

More resources here: www.wolfmueller.co/communion

6/ Stiff-Necked, the anatomy of a Biblical insight

7/ Luther on the Prayer of the CREATURE

In last week’s Worldwide Bible Study we looked at Luther’s Prayer to God as His CREATURES, and dug into what that means. There is a lot here for us to think about, especially as we consider the dangers of gnosticism, and the war the devil wants us to fight against creation.

(Starting at about the 9-minute mark.)

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Remember to go to your pastor's Bible Class this week and, read old theology books. (If you don't have a pastor or congregation, click here. If you don't have old theology books, click here.) 

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Thank you, again, for your time and attention, and for your prayers. Please keep in touch. 

Lord's Blessings, Pastor Wolfmueller

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

www.wolfmueller.co

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