# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1944_S832
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 249

‘(as the Word of God) in its entirety; regards nothing therein as
superfluous or of little value, but everything as necessary and im-
portant and accepts all those teachings also which of necessity must
be deduced from the word of Scripture”), or as the Western District
(Synodalbericht, 1868, p. 28) declared, “Jede richtige Schlussfolge
ist eben auch goettliche Lehre,” warning, however, “so wichtig und
heilsam der rechte Gebrauch dieses Grundsatzes” (quoted above)
“ist, SO verwerflich dagegen ist der Missbrauch desselben, dass man
“naemlich die Schluesse nicht vom Wort, sondern von der Vernunft
aus macht” (ibid, p. 30). (“Every correct conclusion is also divine

rect use of this tenet” (quoted above) “is, so thoroughly objec-
tionable is the abuse of the same, namely, to draw conclusions not
. from the Word but according to reason.”) . We suggest the follow-
ing definition: A Scriptural doctrine is every truth contained in,
or drawn from, or implied by, Scripture.
Tue CenTRAL REGIONAL CoNFERENCE
oF THE NORTHERN Inuino1s DiSTRICT

Water E. RoscHxke, Secretary

[603}
Basis for Lutheran Unity

The undersigned respectfully memorializes Synod to adopt the
following paragraphs as a sufficient basis for Lutheran unity and
to submit them as such to other Lutheran bodies:

1. We accept the Bible as the Word of God.

II. We accept the doctrinal content of the Lutheran Confes-
sions as a correct exposition of Bible truth, granting doctrinal status
only to the restatements of what is expressly taught in the Bible.

III. Since the unity of the Church has often been disturbed
by attempts to solve problems that the Bible does not solve for
us and by efforts to defend truth and reject error by theories that
are themselves vulnerable, we reaffirm our acceptance of the in-
junction: “If any man speak, let him speak as the’ oracles of God,”
1 Peter 4:11. :

IV. We pledge ourselves to an evangelical application of the
Bible principles of sanctification and of brotherly admonition in

our synodical, congregational, and ministerial life and practice.
J. H. GocKEL

doctrine,” warning, however, “as important and salutary the cor- ©