Recent Exoneration of Dr. Matthew Becker and Dr. Harrison's Response

A while back I backed off of blogging.  My intent was to post on less politically charged issues in the church and concentrate more on personal interests.  That almost worked.  While I was in Ft. Wayne for the annual Symposia I learned of the official exoneration of Dr. Matthew Becker of all charges made against him for false teaching.  This did not seem surprising to me as he has taught this way for some years with seemingly minimal backlash. His posts on the ALPB forum were equally transparent.  It seemed that officially no one could really deal with this.  He was free to teach and write openly in defiance of the Synod's position on a whole range of issues: evolution, women's ordination, higher-critical interpretation of the Bible, and so on.  He even took issue with the Athanasian Creed.  I have documented on this blog what Dr. Becker has said and written contra our synodical positions and doctrine (which a quick search will reveal if you are so interested).  I also reported on my own interchanges with him both on ALPB and his own blog.  My comments there are public and can be reviewed.  With each interchange and each response my frustration grew.  So I backed off.  Furthermore I don't consider myself a sufficient academic heavyweight to spar with him effectively.  I left the online debating to others.  Still it seemed it would never be resolved.  A few spoke up.  A few challenged him.  Yet to what end? He appeared to grow even bolder in his defiance.  The higher levels of Synod seemed almost silent.  Until today.  When I read Dr. Harrison's response to Becker's exoneration I was stunned.  Did he really say that?  Yes, he did.  And now the issue cannot be quietly swept back under the synodical rug.  It's out there.  It has to be resolved.  Will this expose our long deep-seated divisions?  Yes.  But they have been there all along even if some would not admit to them.  The difference this time is that we are dealing with it as a matter of truth from Synod's highest elected leader.  We are confessing.  And for that I stand with my synodical president.  May the Lord grant him strength for the struggle to come.  I suspect the hordes of hell will fly free on this one. 

You may read Dr. Harrison's response here at the Witness, Mercy, Life Together blog of Synod.

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