There’s something special about Lutheran ministers of the gospel educating people. Because we know the bondage of the will, and because we understand people to be body and soul, mind and spirit, intellect, emotion, and will, not just blank slates, we think of education as far more than an intellectual exercise. It’s a spiritual exercise centered in unconditional gospel. And only conservative Lutherans believe, teach, and confess the unconditional gospel taught in the Scriptures. Do you believe that?

The year I vicared in Houston, I had the privilege of attending a fascinating religious debate. One debater was a respected rabbi from the prominent synagogue that was hosting the debate. The other debater was a distinguished Baptist seminary professor. He taught systematics and comparative religion at Dallas Theological Seminary.

The subject of the debate was the identity of the Suffering Servant of the Lord in Isaiah 53. The question: Who is the “he” in the following Bible verses?

Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:4-6)

The rabbi went first. He explained that some Jewish people teach that the person suffering here is the prophet Isaiah himself, who was stricken when people didn’t listen to his heartfelt message. Other Jewish people believe that the verses refer to a Messiah who is to come. But, explained the rabbi, most Jewish scholars believe that the suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is the Jewish people themselves, who suffered in the Holocaust, with the resulting lesson for the world that such genocide should not happen again.

In his first turn, the Baptist seminary professor explained that Christians have always seen Jesus in the words of Isaiah 53, including many details of the crucifixion. During his explanation he used the term “vicarious atonement,” explaining that Jesus paid the full price for our sins and as a result we have forgiveness and peace with God the Father.

The rabbi had a chance for rebuttal. He said, “We see no evidence in the Scripture of what you call ‘vicarious atonement.’ In fact, Ezekiel says that each person is responsible for his own sin. That’s exactly what’s wrong with you Christians. You think that because someone else is responsible for your sin you can do what you want. You think that you are forgiven without strings attached, and so you live unholy lives. That’s what causes religious wars today, and that’s what caused the atrocities of the Crusades and even the Holocaust.”

While the rabbi was speaking, I was anticipating what the professor would say to explain the connections between justification and sanctification. How would he present the connection between repentance and faith? Here was an opportunity to explain to the many Jewish people present how Christians lead good lives as a result of grace, not in order to earn heaven.

Instead, the Baptist seminary professor replied, “You misunderstand me when you say that Christians teach you are forgiven through faith in Jesus Christ with no strings attached. Christians actually teach that you have to repent and keep the Ten Commandments, or at least try at some level, in order to go to heaven. The only Christians who teach that you are freely forgiven through faith in Jesus, without any strings attached, are conservative Lutherans, and even a lot of them are giving it up.”

We are not giving it up. Instead, in this upcoming series of articles, we will examine how the unconditional gospel informs every aspect of our teaching.