11 April 2013

New Lutheran Quote of the Day

Many Lutheran churches have preserved the order of bishops. Some of them even have apostolic succession. So has the Church of Sweden, and we appreciate it. A Lutheran Church can very well introduce it again where it has been lost. So did the Church of Finland and some Baltic Churches in this century. For the sake of love and in order to facilitate communion with other churches we can accept this order. But if the Episcopalians tell us that this order is essential for the true church and that there can be no valid ministry and no true sacraments without bishops, we must not yield submission even for a moment, that the truth of the gospel might be preserved.—Bishop Bo Giertz, "The Freedom We Have in Christ" in Lord Jesus Christ, Will You Not Stay?, p. 19.

1 comment:

Chris Jones said...

For me, Bishop Giertz of Gothenburg is trumped by St Ignatius of Antioch, who wrote Let nothing be done pertaining to the Church, apart from the bishop. We are better off arguing that all of our pastors are bishops, than that we have no need of bishops at all.