Repairer of Broken Walls

​Isaiah 58:12 “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”

“With unprecedented power and courage, Luther had brought to light the Scripture truths as to the individual salvation of the sinner by faith, but failed when he might have shown the way to a return to Scripture in all things, including its teaching as to the Church. In 1526, he has written:
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“The right kind of evangelical order cannot be exhibited among all sorts of people, but those who are seriously determined to be Christians and confess the gospel with hand and mouth, must enroll themselves by name and meet apart, in one house, for prayer, for reading, to baptize, to take the Sacrament, and exercise other Christian works. With such order it would be possible for those who did not behave in a Christian manner to be known, reproved, restored, or excluded, according to the rule of Christ (Matt. 18:15). Here also they could in common, subscribe alms, which would be willingly given and distributed among the poor, according to the example of Paul (2 Cor. 9:1-12). Here it would not be necessary to have much or fine singing. Here a short and simple way of baptism and the Sacrament could be practiced, and all would be according to the Word and in love. But I cannot yet order and establish such an assembly, for I have not yet the right people for it. If however, it should come about that I must do it, and am driven to it, I will willingly do my part. In the meantime, I will call, excite, preach, help, forward it until the Christians take the Word so in earnest that they will themselves find how to do it and continue in it.”

​Luther described the reformed church as “provisional”, as the “outer court” and not the “Sanctuary” and he did not cease to exhort and warn the people. He said:

“If we look aright at what people now do who reckon themselves as Evangelical and know how to talk much about Christ, there is nothing behind it. Most of them deceive themselves. The number of those who began with us and had pleasure in our teaching was ten times greater; now not a tenth part of them remains steadfast. They learn indeed to speak words, as a parrot repeats what people say, but their hearts do not experience them. They remain just as they are: they neither taste nor feel how true and faithful God is. They boast much of the gospel and at first seek it earnestly, yet afterwards nothing remains; for they do what they like, follow their lusts, become worse than they were before and are much more undisciplined and presumptuous…than other people, for peasants, citizens, nobles, all are more covetous and undisciplined than they were under the Papacy…Ah, Lord God, if we only practiced this doctrine aright…then at last we should come to be a Christian assembly, where now we are almost utter heathen with the name of Christian;”

“Luther never pretended that the churches which he had established were ordered after the pattern of the Scriptures.”

(E.H. Broadbent; “The Pilgrim Church”; Gospel Folio Press; 1931; p. 165-167)