# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1947_S513
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 518

Bis gracious call and of man’s faith had no bearing upon any
rson’s election, justification, or conversion. Eph. 1:3-5; Rom. 8:29.
4. On Unionism. We believe, confess, and teach that unionism
is church fellowship of any kind with any adherents of false doc-
trine, persistently held, and therefore is disobedience to God’s com-
d, causing divisions in the Church and involving the constant
danger of losing the Word of God entirely. We likewise teach
that the orthodox character of a Church, even if it bears the name
“Lutheran,” is not established by its mere designation nor by its
outward acceptance of, and subscription to, an orthodox creed or
confession, but by the doctrine which is actually taught in its
pulpits, in its theological seminaries, and in its publications. Rom.
16:17, 18; 1 Tim. 6:3ff., 20; Gal. 5:9; 2 John 10, 11; 2 Tim. 4:15;
Acts 20:30, 31.
We therefore reject and condemn any modification of this
Scriptural teaching, especially that which would condone fellow-
,, ship contacts and all other forms of identification between Chris-
tians of ‘different denominations and synodical groups, or which
would declare any Scriptural doctrine or teaching to be nondivisive
of the proper fellowship described and demanded by Holy Writ.
We likewise condemn all overt acts which, in spite of protestations
of orthodox soundness, would make it appear that doctrinal dif-
. ferences do not exist. Eph. 4:3; 1 Cor. 1:10; Prov. 30:5, 6. (Cp.
,. Deut. 4:2; 12:32; Rev. 22:18, 19); James 5:19, 20.
5. On Doctrinal Unity. We believe, confess, and teach that
doctrinal unity must designate the full agreement of individuals or
church bodies concerned in all teachings of the Bible, whether
fundamental or nonfundamental, so that not only the personal
foundation, but also the dogmatic foundation and the organic
foundation remain intact. In other words, we maintain that doc-
trinal unity can be achieved only on the basis of a 100-per-cent
acceptance of the Word of God and of every word of the Holy
Scriptures, since Holy Writ knows nothing of a division between
fundamental and nonfundamental doctrines.
We therefore reject and condemn any distinction made be-
tween fundamental and nonfundamental, between important and
less important doctrines and teachings, in any situation involving
a confession of the truth, believing that such man-made distinctions
have value only in the teaching functions of the Church and are
then largely governed by circumstances. We likewise condemn
the growing tendency to place clear teachings of the Bible, such as
those pertaining to the doctrines of the Antichrist, of Sunday, of
the so-called millennium and other eschatological teachings, into
the category of exegetical problems or open questions, since these
Proceedings, 1947 ; . 33

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