"Brief Paragraphs on the Question: When does the New Testament Economy Begin?" by William F. Beck

William F. Beck is best known for An American Translation, or, as it is often called, the "Beck Bible" and other projects involving presenting the Bible to young and old. If you want to know a little more about Beck, his son Reu wrote an article on him in 2003. Beck also wrote several articles and shorter studies for the synodical seminaries' journals. Brief Paragraphs on the Question: When does the New Testament Economy Begin? in the March 1938 Concordia Theological Monthly was his earliest academic article as far as I can determine. It was written when Beck was a parish pastor in Clayton, IL. The article takes up a question that is natural, and frequently comes up in the mind of anyone who has read the Bible--how and when did the church shift from being under, or following, the particularities of the Old Testament's rites and rituals (economy) to the New Testament rites and rituals (economy)?

He begins by stating what Christians believe and is readily understood concerning the matter: 

Jesus, the Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. 3:5,6; 8:6-13; 12:24), set aside the Old Covenant by means of His work of redemption during the thirty-three years of His humiliation (Gal. 4:4,5). In this period He fulfilled the Moral Law by keeping it (Rom. 5:19; 10:4), and by His suffering He freed us from its curse (Gal. 3:13). In this time He also substituted the reality of His atonement for the shadow of the Ceremonial Law and thus made the observance of its ordinances unnecessary (Col. 2:16, 17).

While the basic point is simple to understand, how this transition, or working out, unfolded is a little more complicated, as Beck points out:

The displacement of the old economy by the new nevertheless was not an instantaneous happening. The divine revelations of the abrogation of the whole Covenant and of the individual elements which make up the complex aggregate of the Covenant came at various times. Furthermore, the Covenant was to be eternal. It was difficult, therefore, for a people in whom this Covenant had been inbred to understand that part of it could be set aside, that an act which once was a sin of disobedience punishable by death might by divine direction become a good work. It was also difficult to find the clear line of demarcation between the ceremonial and the moral laws and then to maintain liberty, in the face of great opposition, in regard to the Ceremonial Law. Doubt in regard to the will of God and fear of sinning (e. g., Acts 10:14) lingered in the hearts of God's people and rendered the adoption of the change in practise a gradual one.

He first structures his discussion around the major events in the earthly ministry of Christ: His birth, relation to John the Baptist, baptism, public ministry, crucifixion, and resurrection. He then subjects particular practices of the Old Testament to two questions: "When did God expressly set it aside? At what time did His people become emancipated from it?" He covers the following topics:

Happy Feast of St. Stephen: "Some Difficulties in the Speech of Stephen, Acts 7" by William F. Arndt

Longtime professor at Concordia Seminary--St. Louis, William F. Arndt, wrote numerous books and articles on "Bible difficulties." These works focused on disabusing people of the notion that the Bible contained errors, showing that with calm logic and careful investigation one could resolve most alleged discrepancies, or, even when the resolution surpassed our knowledge or insight, that this did not necessitate or prove a contradiction. Sometimes a fair evaluation was one that might not be able to settle upon a single resolution, but had to leave several possibilities open. Arndt's purpose was to both dismiss alleged proofs of inaccuracies or mistakes that skeptics clung to and to lead believers to trust in the reliability of the Scriptures and have humility when approaching God's Word.

The Gift of Communion (Communion and Mass) by Carl F. Wisløff

Note: Thank you very much to Rev. Benjamin D. Hertel of Saint Luke Lutheran Church in Rensselaer, IN for giving us a review of Carl F. Wisløff's The Gift of Communion (Nattverd og messe/Communion and Mass). While not strictly an L-TOM, nor written by an American Lutheran, it was an influential work, translated by Joseph M. Shaw and published by Augsburg Publishing House in 1964. It is included in the Concordia Heritage Series (the dark green hardback series). You can buy it on Amazon or find a copy through Bookfinder.

Wisløff (1908-2004) was a Norwegian theologian known for his opposition to liberal theology. He was also influenced by Norwegian Pietism, especially in regards to lay preaching and evangelistic endeavors. His most influential book with the Norwegian public was Jeg vet på hvem jeg tror (I Know in Whom I Believe).


Review of Carl F. Wisløff's The Gift of Communion
by Rev. Benjamin D. Hertel


A short, but thick book, Carl Wisløff’s work is not something I would recommend to the layman or the arm-chair theologian. The concepts are easy enough, but the way Wisløff presents his points can be a bit congested and repetitious at times.

Wisløff seems to assume a lot from his reader and that he is a trained pastor. Knowledge of certain terms, events, and theology are sometimes not explained. Nevertheless, Wisløff has, in this short book, amassed a large amount of Luther quotes. Though it reads like a text-book, for this we should be grateful.

Wisløff's main claim is that not enough attention has been paid to Luther speaking against the “sacrifice of the Mass”. He says that Lutherans would rather speak against the Reformed or the enthusiasts and probably find Luther lacking on the subject.

Bible History: Explained and Applied by K.K. Miller

Perhaps you've heard of Kernlieder, the core hymnody that ought to be taught to children. There is also a de facto canon of core Bible Stories that can be recognized not only in Missouri Synod history, but across (American and otherwise) Lutheran history. The Missouri Synod's resources for teaching Bible History are representative of this broad consensus.

While not a true L-TOM, published in 1996, Bible History: Explained and Applied is linked to this same tradition as a supplemental resource to: the Elementary Bible History, which later became 100 Bible Stories; the upper grade Advanced Bible History, which is the 1936 revision of the Comprehensive Bible History; and other coordinated materials such as Bible History References. This book of Rev. K.K. Miller, who was a pastor in the LCR, is a collection of short sermons on the same Bible stories that are covered in the above primary resources. From the Preface: