# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S148 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 148 THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS commission's Social Concerns Committee is included in Appendix III of this Workbook. 3. Critique of the 1960 Catechism Following the 1971 convention of the Synod, the Board of Directors referred Res. 2-35, which was not acted on because of lack of time, to the CTCR. This resolution called for the inclusion of the word “true” in the new translation of Luther’s Small Catechism after the question “‘What is the Lord’s Supper?” (“It is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ’). After the 1973 convention failed to act on a resolution submitted by the CTCR in response to the referral of 1971 Res. 2-35, the CTCR reviewed the matter and decided to continue its study. Having examined the 1960 version of The Small Cate- chism by Martin Luther in Contemporary English, the CTCR reported to the 1979 convention of the Synod that this cate- chism is not an accurate translation of Luther’s German Catechism and recommended to the Synod that it ‘“undertakea revised translation of Luther’s Small Catechism as soon as possible.” In response to this report and recommendation the Synod asked the CTCR to ‘‘make available to all congregations and schools by July 1980 a brief critique of The Small Catechism in Contemporary English and any cautionary notes as to its use” (Res. 7-04A “To Deal with Concerns Regarding Translations of Luther’s Small Catechism"). The commission has completed this assignment and is herewith making it available to the members of the Synod. See Appendix A of this report for the commission’s “Critique of the 1960 Catechism.” 4. ACDC Summary In March 1976, Dr. Preus forwarded the report of the President’s Advisory Committee on Doctrine and Conciliation (*ACDC Report’) to the CTCR with the request that the commission evaluate the report and ‘“‘give every consideration to the more specific proposals dealing with the issues which were suggested by the moderate and conservative caucuses as you coordinate the preparation of a series of Bible studies and as you carry out your responsibilities for ongoing theological education as called for in 1975 Resolution 3-01 ‘To Seek Unity.” The commission has conducted a careful review of the “ACDC Report” and has informed the President that this atudy 38 useful in understanding the recent controversy in the ynod. 5. Evaluation of Effectiveness Training for Lutherans Program The 1979 convention of the Synod referred Res. 4-22 (“‘To Provide Future Funding for ‘Effectiveness Training for Lu- therans’ [ETL] for Parents, Teachers, and Pastors’’) to the CTCR “for doctrinal review of the theological philosophy of ETL” (with the accompanying request that the BPE ‘‘ask the Board of Directors for their approval before any moneys are appropriated by the BPE.”). The commission has completed its review of this program and in Appendix B of this report presents its conclusions. The commission wishes to note especially that the Board of Parish Education has made available a very helpful volume titled You Can Have a Family Where Everybody Wins, which, from a Christian perspective, makes use of Scripture in approaching the whole area of parent-child relationships. B. Studies in Progress 1. The Ministry: Call, Ordination, and Installation— Procedures and Nomenclature The commission’s report on the “ministry” was undertaken in September 1974 in response to requests from the Board of Control of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, the President of the Synod, and the Board of Directors of the Northwest District. In these requests the need was expressed for a theological study of proper ‘‘call” nomenclature and procedures, particularly as these apply to the varied offices of the church. Recognizing the sensitive nature of this study and its implications for the workers of the Synod, the commission discussed preliminary drafts with agencies and personnel of the Synod most directly involved in this matter (seminary faculties, representatives from teacher-training colleges, synodical department heads, the Council of Presidents, Synod’s legal counsel, Task Force I on Constitution, Bylaws, and Structure). At the time of this report the commission has not yet adopted this report. 2. Human Sexuality: A Theological Perspective The need for a study on the issue of human sexuality was expressed in a resolution placed before the 1973 convention of the Synod. Since this resolution (2-34, “‘To Study the Issues of Human Sexuality”) was not acted on because of lack of time, it was referred to the Commission on Theology and Church Relations by the Board of Directors. In response to this referral the CTCR asked its Social Concerns Committee to study the issue of human sexuality. The commission is completing its work on this report and hopes to distribute it to the members of the Synod later this year. 3. Communion Practices Report The 1977 convention of the Synod, noting a 1971 request that a report on Communion practices be prepared (1971 Res. 2-13), asked the CTCR, after consultation with the Commission on Worship, “‘to complete the Communion Practices Report as soon as possible, giving special attention to the matters of Communion practices on synodical campuses and open and close Communion” (Res. 3-12 “To Encourage CTCR to Com- plete Its Report on Communion Practices”). The responses to the CTCR’s “Bible Study on Fellowship” have indicated that pastors and congregations consider Communion practices as the primary area in their pastoral ministry where it is neces- sary for them to apply the Biblical principles on fellowship. Recognizing that the principles formulated in its report on fellowship have important implications for Communion prac- tices and that the members of the Synod are urgently seeking guidance on this matter, the commission intends to give high priority to the completion of this assignment in the coming biennium. 4. Studies on the Scripture During this biennium the commission has been continuing its work on two studies related to the doctrine of Scripture. In 1973 the convention of the Synod adopted a resolution pre- sented from the floor requesting the CTCR “to conduct an intensive study of the doctrine of inerrancy and also of the traditional interpretation of Genesis 1—3 and the interpreta- tion of the Book of Jonah” (1973 Proceedings, p. 46). The commission itself, noting 1975 Overture 3-126 (“To Publish Theses and Antitheses on the Term ‘The Word of God,’” 1975 Workbook pp. 100—101), initiated a study of the ‘Word of God” in 1975. Since questions pertaining to the inerrancy of Holy Scripture and Scripture as Word of God continue to be matters of discussion and debate in theological circles throughout the world, the commission desires to complete these assignments as soon as possible. The commission again wishes to call attention to the reports which it has already prepared on the doctrine of Scripture: a. “A Lutheran Stance Toward Contemporary Biblical Studies” (1966) b. “The Witness of Jesus and Old Testament Authorship” (1966) c. ‘‘Answers to Questions Raised Regarding the Document ‘A Lutheran Stance Toward Contemporary Biblical Studies” (1967) d. ‘“‘A Response to Questions on ‘The Witness of Jesus and Old Testament Authorship’”’(1968) . “Seven Theses on Reformation Hermeneutics” (1969) . “Gospel and Scripture” (1972) ‘A Comparative Study of Varying Contemporary Approaches to Biblical Interpretation” (1973) . “The Inspiration of Scripture” (1975) TFT Ryo 5. Conscience and the Third Use of the Law The commission’s study of conscience and the third use of the Law was begun in response to a suggestion made by the President of the Synod in his January 1975 report to the CTCR. The commission’s Standing Committee on Biblical Studies has been given responsibility for this assignment and has been working toward the completion of its study on this issue.