Bonhoffer, 1937. Chapter 29, "The Body of Christ"

Chapter 29, “The Body of Christ”

When Bonhoeffer has a chapter entitled “The Body of Christ” right after a chapter about baptism our thoughts may go immediately to Luther’s catechism where we expect teaching about the Sacrament of the Altar. In fact, he does not go there. Instead, this chapter talks about the disciples being in the bodily presence of Jesus. After the resurrection, Bonhoeffer talks about the Church as Jesus’ body. This is where we receive our assurance. It is the context of our giving and receiving the message of salvation.

Considering Jesus in his body, Bonhoeffer draws a good distinction (Loc. 3205) when he says God took on the human nature. This is not to say that God took on the man Jesus. This is an entirely different idea. If God simply adopted Jesus, a human son, we believe to no effect. Jesus would be unable to bear our sin. Rather, God became the representative for sinful humanity.

Bonhoeffer’s view is that by faith in Jesus that function of dealing with sin and proclaiming salvation has passed to the Church. This is where we find our fellowship and identity. Jesus has made us the new man in him. Jesus is the head and we are the body. We continue to suffer as Jesus did. Through faithful suffering we become the temple of God, just as Jesus was the fulfillment of the temple.

Guthrie, 2009. Chapter 5, “Hear Jesus Saying, ‘I Will Keep You Safe’”

Chapter 5, “Hear Jesus Saying, ‘I Will Keep You Safe’” pp. 55-70

Matthew 10:28

Guthrie recalls times when bad things happen. A friend suffers through painful medical treatments. She and her family have two children who die. God’s promises of protection seem distant or even false. But in Matthew 10 Jesus tells his disciples that the evil ones can only harm their bodies. They can only cause physical harm. This is not exactly comforting to everyone. Yet Jesus promises us that our struggles, and especially our eternity, are of great importance to him.

When we doubt, we can take comfort that, according to John 17:11-15, Jesus prays for us. He is concerned about our eternal soul. This brings us comfort as we realize that our bodies will die, along with countless others.

Guthrie continues to divide the will of the Father and the Son. “God has answered the prayer of Jesus with a resounding yes!” (p. 64). This continued weakness in her theology is troublesome. She also seems to treat the body as something inconsequential or that will pass away. “While Satan may win a battle or two in the life of the believer, he will never win the war against the soul” (p. 64). Historic Christianity, on the other hand, has consistently confessed that the Lord has created us, body and soul, and has redeemed the two together. Death separates the elements temporarily, but in the resurrection we are complete again.

Pieper, 1968, vol. 2 Chapter 3, "Attributes of Saving Grace"

Chapter 3, “Attributes of Saving Grace”

Pieper draws a distinction between “absolute” and “saving” grace. Absolute grace is a show of God’s power. It cannot be resisted. Saving grace, using means such as the Word and baptism, can be resisted. This does not mean that God does not genuinely desire people to be saved. It means that people are able to resist God’s will in saving grace, though not in absolute grace.

Pieper also observes that man has no merit. If man has merit, grace is not grace. However, grace is directly tied to Christ’s merit. It is his satisfaction of God’s justice which is our hope.

Lutherans are insistent on confessing God’s universal grace. God has given grace to all. He does desire that all should believe. He has no hidden will which guarantees destruction to some. This teaching of Calvinism asserts the effectiveness of God’s will at the expense of his promised love. Conversely, the Arminians demand of man’s contribution denies God’s grace. Neither is acceptable. We are left with the position that saving grace can be resisted due to the hardness of unbelieving hearts. This resistance results in more hardening, which Scripture portrays as the final cause of perdition. In God’s mercy many are saved. We have no way of knowing how many.

Bonhoffer, 1937. Chapter 28, "Baptism"

Chapter 28, “Baptism”

In the New Testament there are different places where attention is focused. The Gospels tend to focus on the call of Jesus and the very physical work of following him. Paul, working among people whose entire Christian experience is after the resurrection, has a greater focus on the baptismal life. It is baptism which makes the clear break from the life of the flesh and the entry into the life of the Spirit. Bonhoeffer suggests that where the Gospels speak of calling, Paul speaks of baptism. This baptism is passive. We receive baptism just as we might receive a call. Our lives change in baptism, since we are brought into the covenant of grace. Baptismal grace justifies the sinner by putting the body of the old man to death. As a consequence we then live by grace. Bonhoeffer states a reluctance to endorse infant baptism without the presence of a community of faith. Otherwise the child will not be brought up in the faith. Baptism is a great and precious gift, received once, and believed upon throughout life.

Guthrie, 2009. Chapter 4, “Hear Jesus Saying, ‘I Will Save You from Yourself'"

Chapter 4, “Hear Jesus Saying, ‘I Will Save You from Yourself'" (pp. 41-54)

It is not uncommon for us to express strong desires, often desires that are counter to reality and/or God’s Word. We dislike disappointment so much we will go beyond what the Lord has said. In Matthew 16, just after Peter has confessed Jesus as the Christ, he is rebuked by Jesus for his hesitancy to see Jesus go to his death. It is the crucified Jesus who is the savior.

Following Jesus is the lifestyle of dying to our own desires and taking on his.

In this chapter, which is much closer to orthodox Christianity than those before it, Guthrie still flirts with the dangers of self-mediated Christianity. When she removes the specific authority of God’s Word and replaces it with our opinion she leaves us on shaky ground.

Pieper, 1968.2. Chapter 2, "The Concept of Saving Grace"

Chapter 2, “The Concept of Saving Grace”

What is saving grace? The concept of saving grace is that care for sinful man which chooses to forgive them. The declaration of the Gospel is grace. It is God’s free favor on account of Christ. The purpose of grace is to save people.

This may be a confusing term because we use the term “grace” to refer to something huyman as well. Yet in reference to salvation, grace is not something infused into us or something we are able to pass on. We may benefit from God’s grace but we never possess it.

Pieper discusses the idea that this infused grace of God never leads to salvation. Salvation is only because of God’s favor, not because of something he places into us. Any other view ultimately leads to salvation by works. Yet when we seek to have salvation on account of anything in ourselves, Galatians 5:4 says we have fallen from grace.

Pieper further says that the Calvinist refusal of universal grace means they must base salvation on infused grace. This ultimately leads to a reliance on something in man rather than trusting entirely to Christ on our behalf. A similar problem exists for Arminians and for any sort of synergist.

Bonhoffer, 1937. Chapter 27, "Preliminary Questions"

Chapter 27, “Preliminary Questions”

In this final section of his book Bonhoeffer draws conclusions based on his earlier study of discipleship. Here he begins by asking several questions which he thinks should come to our minds.

1) How is Jesus’ call given to us today?  Since Jesus the rabbi is not walking around, he has left his call in the Scripture. He is heard, he is found in the ministry of Word and Sacrament, both proclaimed and physically present. There is no need of personal revelation. Jesus is altogether available in Word and Sacrament.

2) Does Jesus speak to us differently now? Jesus in fact has the same message for disciples of every time in history. His will never changes.

3) Don’t we have to decide what way he is calling us, what kind of disciple we are? Jesus calls all the same, to faith in him and love for our neighbor. We imitate Jesus, not one or another of his disciples. This takes away the confusion in our life of discipleship.