Franz Pieper on Using the Title "Father" for Ministers of the Gospel

The complaint over people using the title "father" in reference to pastors is a perennial canard. I personally don't use it as it hasn't been common in American Lutheranism, but there isn't anything intrinsically wrong with it. 

The Large Catechism teaches that pastors are spiritual fathers and that should be enough to stop the silliness of interpreting Jesus as if He doesn't want Christians to ever call anyone "father." Perhaps my favorite response is to ask the complainer if he also refuses to call his dad "father." 

If a Lutheran pastor is actually Romanizing or developing Easternizing tendencies, identify and deal with the substance of the problem. 

I've been called a "bronzie" more than once, and I obviously love "old Missouri." But if you're out bronzing Franz Pieper in a translation by J. T. Mueller, you've got a problem. 

Here's Franz Pieper on the subject:

A Short Exposition of Dr. Martin Luther's Small Catechism (1912): Reviewing the New Proposed Synodical Explanation to the Small Catechism

As the "field-test" edition of the new version of the Explanation of the Small Catechism has been sent out to all Missouri Synod pastors and congregations, I expect (or at least hope) that pastors especially will take this opportunity seriously to look at the work of the committee.

Two specific things that I am doing as I review the new version, and I would recommend to others as well, are:

1. Read the coordinate section of the Large Catechism before and after each section.

2. Compare the proposed new version to the older versions. I would not only look at the most recent/current version, but also the 1943 and 1912 versions of the synodical explanation. The current version and 1943 versions are reasonably easy to get your hands on, but it is less likely for folks to have a physical copy of the 1912 version.

Fortunately, you can find the 1912 German-English edition online here.



Need to Get Read Level: Pastors 10/10, Laymen 5/10