# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1981_S386
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

THEOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS

Report on the Nature and Implications
of the Concept of Fellowship

THE NATURE
AND IMPLICATIONS

of the

CONCEPT OF FELLOWSHIP

A Report of the

Commission on Theology and Church Relations of
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod

Abbreviations

AC—Augsburg Confession

Ap—Apology of the Augsburg Confession
Ep—Epitome of the Formula of Concord
FC—Formula of Concord

LC—Large Catechism

SA—Smaicald Articles

SD—Solid Declaration of the Formula of Concord

Scripture quotations in this publication are from the Revised Standard
Version of the Bible, copyrighted 1946, 1952, © 1971, 1973 by the Division
of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ
in the U.S.A., and used by permission

Quotations from The Book of Concord translated and edited by
Theodore G. Tappert. copyright 1959, Fortress Press, used by per
mission

The quotations from The Unity of the Church: A Symposium, © 1957
Augustana Book Concern. are used by permission

The quotation from Essays on New Testament Themes (London: SCM
Press. 1971) 1s used by permission

The quotations from The Struggle for Lutheran Unity and Consolidation
in the U_S.A. from the Late 1930's to the Earty 1970's are © 1980, Estate
of Edward C. Fendt. Used by permission of Augsburg Publishing House

APRIL 1981

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

I.

THE NATURE OF FELLOWSHIP
A. The Scriptural Concept of Fellowship
1. Fellowship: Having Part in a Common Thing
2. Fellowship: A Spiritual Relationship Which Is Given
a. Unity with Christ
b. Unity in the Church, the Body of Christ
3. Fellowship: An External Relationship
to Be Manifested and Maintained
a. “Forbearing One Another in Love”
b. For the Sake of the Spiritual Unity of the Church
B. Scriptural Principles of Fellowship

THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE NATURE OF
FELLOWSHIP FOR CHURCH-BODY-LEVEL RELATIONSHIPS
A. Principles—Not Specific Procedures for Individual Cases
B. A Brief Review of the Church’s
Application of the Scriptural Principies of Fellowship
C. Models for External Unity in the Church
1. Conciliarity
2. Reconciled Diversity
3. Selective Fellowship
4. Ecclesiastical Declaration of Altar and Pulipt Fellowship

CONCLUSION
POSTSCRIPT: A Plea for Responsible Freedom

in the Context of Responsible Commitment

ODOC mMan

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