Poker anyone
As one who only knows one thing about poker, that it was the second thing a cowboy did after he had entered the bar, I have heard it said that it is quite unlike any other card game. In any other game, if you don’t know how to play, you can still play. In poker, if you don’t know how to play, don’t.
That was the situation in Augsburg. It has been repeated many times since in different contexts, perhaps famously when one nation left an economic bloc it placed its cards face up on the table, and secondly more recently when a new president stretched out his arm to an old enemy – but that game is not yet over we must wait to see what the outcome is.
To Augsburg the electors and other dignitaries had been called to give an account of their faith, in order to reach an agreement among them, for some held to a faith which others wished to destroy, in order to maintain a unity in church polity in the Empire. To some it appeared to be a trap, nevertheless they went to play the emperor’s game of poker. The invited guests were to set forth and submit their opinions and judgments in the German and the Latin languages. It was only one group of electors who properly complied with the request and set out their position in what has come to be known as the Augsburg Confession.
The document runs to over fourteen thousand words in one English translation, which appears to be of the Latin text. It should be noted that the Latin text is not a literal translation of the German, which is probably to be taken as the authoritative text. It is more like a communicative equivalent taking into account the differences in grammar and syntax between German and Latin. The two texts however are not even after correcting for the translation identical. Not everything in the Latin is in the German and vice versa. If you wish to read it, and cannot read either German or Latin then you will need to have two English translations in front of you.
Having read it Coco thinks he should have read it many years ago, for it gives a clearer picture of how things have changed since that game of poker was played. The lives of the electors, not to mention the lives of many others, were at stake in this game. It was a game they had to win. And win it they did.
The confession addresses the differences between the Lutheran and Roman churches, demonstrating clearly how the Lutheran practice aligned with all that the Catholic church in the first centuries taught, and that Roman teaching and practice had slowly departed from that teaching, adducing their own scholars to prove the points. In summing up they say (from the Latin text): It may be understood that nothing has been received among us, in doctrine or ceremonies, that is contrary to Scripture or the church catholic. For it is manifest that we have guarded diligently against the introduction into our churches of any new and ungodly doctrines.
Coco follows their lead in saying nothing more, for they said although we could have mentioned more… to avoid prolixity. But they had written fourteen thousand words before getting to that point. Coco has written only five hundred so do not be disappointed if he carries on.
The electors played poker. They did not blink. They stood their ground. They knew they had a winning hand for the cards of their opponents had been demonstrated to be worthless. The emperor conceded.
Coco mentioned that he should have read this many years ago, for it made an interesting reference to changes that the Roman church had made to certain practices to bring faith back into the arena alongside works. In another religion there is the idea of a pair of scales. Your good works go into one side and your evil into the other. Your destiny is determined by the turning of the scales. At least in that view you put the weights on the scale yourself. Rome had a similar view, but with the possibility of adding to the scales after your life in this world was over, but it reserved to itself the right to put anything on the good side of the scales. But if you paid enough then something might be placed there.
Faith was absent. But when the Lord came into this world he was revealed to us when John seeing him called out: Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He did that by making himself the sacrifice for sin, God showing that the sacrifice was accepted by raising him from the dead.
Our destiny is not determined by our works, but by his. His work, his obedience, his righteousness is all counted as ours. And God says to us, Believe it! Take hold of Jesus Christ by faith and you shall live. That had been hidden by Rome for centuries. Augsburg was the culmination of events that had brought this truth back into the public eye. What was Rome to do? It made itself look more like a faith based religion. But as Augsburg is at pains to say we obtain the grace of God through faith in Christ without our merits and not through certain observances or acts of worship instituted by men. If in any sense we trust in good works, we despise the work of Christ on our behalf.
We may demonstrate faith by our good works, but our good works will not add one iota of merit. And as soon as we try to add good works to our faith, we abrogate faith. The merest reliance on any work, whether religious observance, estate or any other good deed, exposes the absence of faith in the complete, sufficient and necessary work of Christ.
Do not be deceived, as Paul wrote to the Galatians: But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.