The Predestination Controversy Upon Which Zion Was Founded

The Predestination Controversy Upon Which Zion Was Founded
Zion’s history is erroneously recorded in many of our archives. Many of our historical documents suggest that Zion was founded over the double predestination controversy. That debate, at least for Lutherans, was settled in the 16th century. Instead, the doctrinal debate of the 1880s was a specifically Lutheran issue. To properly confess the orthodox position, we must keep two truths simultaneously: the doctrine of universal grace – that Christ died for the sins of the entire world, and also the doctrine of grace alone – that God elects those who are saved by His grace alone. These two principles seem to be at odds. How can Christ die for the sins of everyone, while also attributing election only to God’s grace? Asked another way, if Christ died for the sins of everyone, then why is not everyone saved? If not everyone is saved, and those who are saved are only saved by God’s grace, then He supposedly must have chosen to elect some and not others. These questions and concerns are the heart of both the double predestination controversy of the 1500s, as well as the heart of the issue amongst the Lutherans.

The two sides of the 19th century debate in which Zion Lutheran Church found itself immersed were between the Missouri Synod and the Ohio Synod. Back then, there were many different Synods throughout the United States such as the Iowa Synod, Buffalo Synod (from whence I hail!), Wisconsin Synod, the General Synod, Norwegian Synod, Missouri Synod, Carolina Synod, and Ohio Synod.

The Ohio Synod, with its headquarters at Capital University and Trinity Lutheran Church downtown (from which Zion broke) held the view that because of God’s foreknowledge, He foresaw certain characteristics and attitudes in people upon which He would elect them. The Latin phrase for this is intuitu fidei, that is, “in view of faith”, God chooses.

The Missouri Synod, with its headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri (as it remains so today), held the view that we must simply be content with the tension between the doctrines of universal grace and grace alone. The Bible simply does not give us the answer about why some are elected and not others. In order to preserve the doctrine of grace alone, we simply cannot confess that God’s foresight has anything to do with election, otherwise it makes humankind part of the cause. Instead, we attribute it solely to God’s grace, His undeserved kindness.

Pr. Herbst, then Trinity’s pastor, sided with the Missouri Synod on this issue. It is no wonder that the members of Trinity Lutheran Church, who likely had all the Ohio Synod faculty of Capital University in their ranks as well, locked the doors on Pr. Herbst! Pr. Herbst and those who agreed with his doctrinal position founded Zion soon thereafter.

Aside from the importance of getting our history recorded rightly, the issue I care most about today is learning from the mistakes of the past lest we commit the same errors again today. This is why we need to learn history after all! In the case of this theological controversy, the lesson we can for today is why the disagreement took place in the first place. For the Ohio Synod of the 1880s, they simply were not satisfied with letting God’s Word have its way for them. They wanted to answer and confess what the Bible remains silent on. Rationalism is the desire to draw logical conclusions for everything. The Christian needs to learn to be content that we do not need to have all the answers. God does and that will suffice.

The end of June marks another anniversary of our congregation’s founding in 1882. As we celebrate 250 years of our country’s existence on July 4th, it’s a good time to be reminded that we are only six years from celebrating Zion’s 150th! It is by God’s grace alone that both continue to carry out their mission as His servants. To God be the glory!
 

In Christ,
Pastor Hromowyk