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Biblical Textual Criticism Debate

Thank you to everyone who tuned into Saturday’s live stream debate, “Textual and Literary Judgments on the Biblical Text — What Happens to the Lutheran Commitment to Scriptural Inerrancy,” held at Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ill.

The debate included Dr. Jeff Kloha, provost and professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, and Dr. John Warwick Montgomery, research professor of philosophy at Concordia University Wisconsin, Mequon.

During the debate Kloha encouraged listeners to have confidence in the Scriptures, as the creedal church always has. “I have learned to yield respect and honor only to the books of Scripture,” Kloha said, quoting St. Augustine, “of these alone do I most firmly believe that the authors were completely free from error.”

Kloha’s 24-page paper, which he was not able to read in full because of time constraints, is available for download here. In addition, Kloha has provided a list of resources for laity on the topic, available here.

“It is my hope that this conference, and all of our work, might reflect the goals of true theology,” Kloha wrote on www.concordiatheology.org before quoting Dr. Franz Pieper from “Dr. C.F.W. Walther as Theologian”:

And in this end and purpose of theology,
to lead sinners through faith in Christ unto salvation,
Walther saw the most precious thing about the vocation of a theologian.
On this subject he often spoke to the students with fervent eloquence,
that he might endear to them that service in the Church,
which is so despised by the world, as the most important
and blessed service in which a man can be engaged.
Walther was also accustomed to speak of the fact that theology
contains a most powerful admonition for every theologian,
just for this reason, that, in theology everything is
directed toward the salvation of men.

“‘How precious is the book divine, by inspiration given.’ Don’t we love to sing that hymn?” Seminary President Dr. Dale A. Meyer asks. “Please visit ConcordiaTheology.org to learn more about Concordia Seminary’s commitment to the Word of God. And, thank you, Dr. Kloha!”