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Kieschnick's C.O.W. Is
Wrong On Changing the Nicene Creed
By: Rev. Jack Cascione |
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The LCMS Commission on Worship wants to change the Nicene Creed to read
from, "who for us men" to "who for us human beings."
The Commission on Worship has a majority of new appointees made by Synodical
President, Gerald Kieschnick.
The LCMS Commission on Worship is wrong when they claim that the meaning of
the Greek word for "men" in the Nicene Creed, (which is "anthropos")
means "human beings." This is not what "anthropos"
means in the Bible.
The thinking of the Commission on Worship about the Nicene is as circular as
the Evolutionists who date the fossil by the rock and the rock by the
fossil. The Commission defines "anthropos" by what the
secular scholars say and the scholars define it by what the secular sources
say, and the secular sources support what the secular scholars and the
Commission say.
The FACT is, there is no Biblical support to prove that "anthropos"
means "human being." If the LCMS Commission on Worship used
the same approach for other Greeks words in the Bible such as
"repent," "church," "baptism," and
"justification," just to name a few, there wouldn't be any
Christian religion. If the Commission on Worship took the secular
world's definition for "Jesus Christ" the Lutheran Church would
not have a God.
The first rule of interpretation is supposed to be, "Scripture
interprets Scripture," not "secular scholars and sources interpret
Scripture."
By claiming that "anthropos" means "human being" the
Commission on Worship is also impacting 508 cases of "anthropos"
to read "human being(s)," which currently read "man" or
"men" in the New Testament. By making this change the
Commission is promoting an inevitable gender-neutral Bible, Christ, and
clergy.
The following are only some of the verses with "anthropos" (man)
that couldn't possibly mean "human being."
Matthew 19:5 And said, For this cause shall a man (anthropos) leave father
and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh?
Matthew 26:72 And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man (anthropos).
Mark 10:7 For this cause shall a man (anthropos) leave his father and
mother, and cleave to his wife;
Mark 14:71 But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man (anthropos)
of whom ye speak.
Luke 18:10 Two men (anthropos) went up into the temple to pray; the one a
Pharisee, and the other a publican.
1 Corinthians 7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is
good for a man (anthropos) not to touch a woman.
1 Corinthians 7:7 For I would that all men (anthropos) were even as I
myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this
manner, and another after that.
Ephesians 5:31 For this cause shall a man (anthropos) leave his father and
mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
Philippians 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the
form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men (anthropos):
1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men (anthropos),
the man (anthropos) Christ Jesus;
There is also no question that the use of "anthropos" in the
Nicene Creed includes men and women. There are many occurrences where
the plural use of "anthropos" in the New Testament means both men
and women such as: Luke 2:14, Acts 4:12, Acts 4:17, Acts 5:29, 1
Corinthians 11:28, 1 Timothy 2:4, 1 Timothy 4:10 and Titus 2:11.
However, the Bible never uses "anthropos" to mean humanity.
Adam and Eve are not two forms of humanity! "Humanity" is a
philosophical construct, not a reality. The Bible says, "He
created them male and female." It never says God created
humanity. We should not confess what the Bible does not teach.
The claim that "aner," the other Greek word for "man" or
"husband," only means "men" in the Greek is also
incorrect. At times, the Bible also uses the plural of "aner"
to include women, just as it does the plural of "anthropos."
With the Commission on Worship's interpretation they would be limiting the
following verses to only mean "men," to the exclusion of women:
Luke 11:31 The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men
(aner) of this generation, and condemn them:
Luke 14:24 For I say unto you, That none of those men (aner) which were
bidden shall taste of my supper.
Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, (aner) out
of every nation under heaven.
1 Timothy 2:8 I will therefore that men (aner) pray every where, lifting up
holy hands, without wrath and doubting.
See also Matt. 4:35, Matt. 12:41 (with Luke 11:32), Matt. 14:35 (with Mark
6:54), Acts 2:14, and Acts 4:4, just to name a few more.
Do these verses mean that only men would condemn unbelievers at the judgment
in Luke 11:31; and only men are invited to the heavenly banquet with Jesus
in Luke 14:24; and there are no devout women and only men are baptized in
Acts 2:5ff; and only men lift up holy hands in 1 Tim. 2:8?
The Commission on Worship and the secular scholars also have no explanation
for the fact that "aner" and "anthropos" are often
interchangeable in the New Testament.
The Bible speaks about Joseph of Arimathea as "anthropos" in Matt.
27:57 and "aner" in Luke 23:50. The same thing happens with
"the man which had the withered hand," "aner" in Luke
6:8 and "anthropos" in Mark 6:3; "A certain man," "aner"
in Luke 8:27 and "anthropos" in Mark 5:20; with "A certain
man," "aner" in Luke 9:38 and "anthropos" in
Matthew 17:14; with "5000 men," "aner" in Matthew
14:21 and "anthropos" in John 6:10; and with the apostles, "aner"
in Acts 2:25 and "anthropos" in Acts 2:35.
The conclusion that Romans 5:12 should be interpreted as, "Wherefore,
as by one human being sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so
death passed upon all human beings for that all have sinned:" is
incorrect. Adam was a man and the verse should read, by "one
man." Just as Adam, was a man so also Christ had to be a man.
The LCMS Commission on Worship, appointed by President Gerald Kieschnick,
should confess what the Bible says, and not what the secular scholars and
sources say.
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March 3, 2003 |