Intuitu Fidei - Quotes




Above is good presentation but the youtube channel of "Ask the Pastor" regarding the historic Lutheran position of "Intuitu Fide" (In view of Faith).  One part of the presentation I disagreed with, but I address it in the video.

Ever since the predestination debate with-in Lutheranism, the view of Intuitu Fidei has been pretty much black balled from the Lutheran landscape.  In certain major denominations in the United States of America, one can not become a pastor in the denomination for holding this view.  The ironic part is, that many (probably the majority) of Lutherans during the scholastic period held the intuite fide view.

A typical and proper rebuttal is for a Lutheran to attempt to reference the Formula of Concord to establish that the "Intuite Fidei" has no place with-in Lutheranism.  (the wrong approach which happens majority of the time is to quote Luther and Bondage of the Will.  This is the wrong approcah because 'Bondage of the Will' is not a confessional document and we are not obligated to agree with him on this book)

A closer look at the context of the authors of Formula of Concord and the signers and the people in the immediate era after the creation the formula of concord, something unique is found.  That many of the signers, promient Lutheran theologian in next era, and one of the primary chief authors of the Formula held the belief of Intuie Fidei.

One must conclude that either that were stupid and wrote and signed a document that excludes them or the modern context/interpetation of the formula differs today (due to Missouri) from what the authors and signers intended.

Jacob Andreas
On of the chief writers of the Formula of Concord.  In his debate vs Theodore Beza named as 'Colloquy of Montbeliard', many of his views were stated.  Below are a several quotes from Jacob Andreas regarding his view of Election.

574 he published a disputation on predestination in which

THESIS 10 reads as follows: “Predestination and election by grace is the eternal decree of God, declaring that He will save those persons who are penitent and believe in Christ, the Savior and only Redeemer of the world.”

THESIS 175: “For God has not promised salvation to all promiscuously, but only to those who believe.”

THESIS 176: “Hence the particular election is included in the universal promise.”4
in this disputation of 1574 Andreae opposes an unconditional election in the following words: "Whoever seeks predestination in an absolute decree of God, because God’s foreknowledge is absolutely certain, leads men to think that such a decree necessarily brings about the salvation of certain persons who under no circumstances can be condemned, while it likewise effects the damnation of others so that they cannot be saved. The result of this is that believers, becoming perplexed when considering this divine foreknowledge, cannot be cheered by consolation; men of Epicurean mind, however, thereby open for themselves and others the door for transgression; because the hidden will of God has decided everything, all our efforts avail nothing…
..

David Chytraeus
But here we must not imagine that God has Stoic tablets1 or tablets of the Fates,2 on which the names of certain persons are enrolled who of absolute necessity must be saved, whether they hear or despise the Word of God, whether they believe in Christ, the Lamb slain for our sins, or not; and in like manner the names of others who of necessity must be condemned. On the contrary, we must remember that we are to draw our conclusions concerning election and predestination from nothing save the Word of God, who is true and just, disposed alike toward all, and in whom there is no respect of persons; and also from the promise of the Gospel, which is universal and offered gratuitously. Thus then are written in the book of life, or elected by God to eternal life, all men who believe in Christ, the Lamb of God that bears the sins of the world, and who persevere in faith to their last breath.
Quote 2
“Predestination is the eternal decree of the will (mentis) of God, by which, of free grace and mercy on account of His Son, He has selected an eternal church, that is, persons who are pleasing to Him, and are heirs of eternal life. The members of this church are all those individuals who receive the Gospel of Christ in faith and persevere in this faith to the end of life, according to the words: ‘Blessed are they who die in the Lord.’ ‘Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life.’”
Jacob Andreas
1