Modern Lutherans and the Distinction Between Law and Gospel
(Truth in Advertising: If you did not know it, I was a Lutheran Christian, but I have left Wittenburg to "swim the Bosphorus" and have been received into the Holy Orthodox Church. It is from this perspective that I now write the following:) It is my opinion that the present-day understanding of The "Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel" creates handicapped Christians. Lutherans have a doctrine of Law and Gospel. These are the handles by which they grasp the Scriptures. If there is a passage in which we are doing or commanded to do the verbs, that is categorized as "Law." The Law has three functions: curbs bad behavior, mirrors our inadequacy, and guides our new life in Christ. Curb, Mirror, Guide, for short. The Gospel (in this broad sense) is in verses where God does the acting and these passages show us the things He has done for us and how He has saved us. So they go to the Law, hear about how they don't measure up to the holiness req...