by Gerhardt Forde
A More Radical Gospel by Gerhardt Forde
edited by Mark C. Mattes and Steven D. Paulson
2004 Wm. B. Eerdmans
In this fine eassay, Forde takes on the issue of authority in the church and the Lutheran Reformers address of it. They struck down the authoritarianism of the papacy only to be innundated by the relativism of inspired individuals. Quoted here is the concluding paragraph, plus the sentence immediately preceding it.
...The church is the community called into being by the hearing of the Word whose reason for being is to speak that Word in all the world.
But now, even though much more would need to be said, it is apparent that we have come full circle. We started by insisting that the preaching of the gospel was the highest exercise of suthority in the church, and that is where we arrive again at the end. But that is, I hope, all fitting! So I will close by making some concluding observations. First, last, and always, the preaching of the gospel of Jeus Christ crucified for our sins and raised for our justification is the highest exercise of authority in the church. But second, if this authority is to be exercised today, it shall have to be preached much more radically as the end, both telos, and finis, of the law which actually establishes it for the time being. From the Reformation perspective, the problem in the church is not finally to be traced to a lack of nerve in asserting the law, but rather in the failure to preach the gospel in all its radicallity. There is absolutely no way that the proper authority and uses of the law are going to be established in the church's message without that radical gospel. This call for a more radical gospel is the raison d'etre for my teaching. Since the Reformation, beginning even with the Saxon Visitations (the "graveyard" of the Reformation?) where Melanchthon tried to shore up the sagging enterprise by preaching the law more strenously, just about all the remedies have been tried. We have about used up all our coupons. We have only one left. We should try it--a more radical gospel. If the tree does not bring forth good fruit, spread it on a little thicker! And wait! Have a little patience! Yes, the pope is right in quoting St. Paul, "Woe is me if I preach not the gospel!" But it better be the gospel and not just another confusing mixture with law. The church has no right and no call to flex its authoritative muscle if it is not going to preach this gospel. Furthermore, if the analysis suggested here is right, it will not work--and is not, as a matter of fact, working. To see that , all you need to do is read the statistics. If we are not prepared to preach a radical gospel we can just as well enter into competition with the Kiwanis Club. No doubt we do need to find ways to exercise more discipline. But why should people accept the discipline if we have nothing to offer that they cannot get elsewhere! If they want to escape the discipline, they can just go down the street to some other religious sideshow or support group. If we do not preach the gospel in such a radical fashion that it ends the law, then there will be no establishment of the law either and the role of authority in the church will disappear altogether.
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