# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S327
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

438 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

the goal that is set before us and by daily contrition and faith
progress in our Christian life. We look forward to the ee
come when we shall be cleansed of every defilement of sin to
shall share with Christ His perfect life. and
Cf. Rom. 12:2; [Cor.6:9-11; ICor.5:14-15 & 7:1; Eph. 2:10. Phi.
2:13 & 3:12; Col.1:10 & 2:6; IThess.4:3; Titus 2:11-14; IPeter}.3¢

I John 3:6-9.
IX. The Church

We believe and teach:

All believers in Christ constitute the one, holy, apostolic (in
agreement with the Apostles’ doctrine), and catholic (universal)
Church. Jesus Christ is its Head. Through the means of grace He
calls all its members into fellowship with Himself, and also Unites
the members in fellowship with one another.

To all members of His Church the Lord has given all the rights
and prerogatives set forth in His Word. Every Christian has the
right. of direct access to God without a human mediator.

. To the Church has been given the commission to preach the
Gospel and to administer the Sacraments. It is therefore the duty
of Christians to unite in local congregations for this purpose. In
such local congregations the presence or activity of any unbelievers
or hypocrites does not nullify the power of the Word of God. The
efficacy of the means of grace does not depend on the faith of
the administrant, but inheres in the Word of God itself.

In this present world Christ does not promise His Church any
earthly reign over the affairs of men. His Church will remain
a kingdom of the cross until His return for judgment; but He will
sustain it according to His promise. “The gates of hell shall not
prevail against it,” Matt. 16:18b.

It is the duty of the Church to be faithful to its Lord and His
Word in all its testimony, to be steadfast in its confession of His
truth at all times, and to avoid and combat error. It is the duty
of the Church to mold and keep its practice in conformity with
the Lord’s directives in the Holy Scriptures. Therefore we dare
not condone error or have altar and pulpit fellowship and an
unscriptural co-operation with erring individuals, church bodies, or
church groups that refuse to be corrected by God’s Word. We must
also be alert and susceptible to the Lord’s leading to establish and
maintain fellowship with those whom He has made one with us
in the faith, and to seek to win the erring and wayward for unity
in the true faith. We are mindful of our Lord’s intercessory prayer
that we, who are His brethren, may be one, even as He and the
Father are one. ;

: Cf, Matt. 28; John 8:31-32; 15; 17; 20:22-23; Romans 12:3-8; 16;
I Cor. 1:10; 3; 12; Eph.2; 4:1-16; 5:6-11; Col.1; I Tim.6; I Peter 2:9-10;
I John 4:1; II John 9-10.

‘ , X. The Ministry

We believe and teach:

. The ministry of the Word and Sacraments exists by divine
‘ordinance. God continues to call men into this holy office and
entrusts the spiritual welfare of His congregations to these pastors
as His gifts to the Church. It is the will of God that congregations
choose. as their pastors only such.men as have the qualifications

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 439

«tiinedin the Holy Scriptures. Pastors are required by God to

cinta and as faithful pastors. are entitled to the love and.
of their congregations.

* Cf.” Acts 20:28; Rom. 10:12-18; ICor.4:1-2; I Cor. 4; Eph. 4:11-15;

p Tint. 3; 5:17; Heb. 13:7-17.
oe XI. The Lutheran Confessions

We believe and teach:

The Lutheran Confessions (Book of Concord 1580) are true
exhibitions of the truths of the Holy Scriptures. Therefore it is
rightly required that every pastor and congregation in the Lu-
theran Church subscribe to and uphold the doctrines taught in
these.Confessions without any omission, deviation, or reservation.

XH. The Last Things

We believe and teach:

The Church of Jesus Christ will exist and endure on earth,
according to the promises of Christ, until His return for judgment.
When Christ returns for judgment He will raise up all the dead —
all believers in Him to eternal life, and all others to everlasting
damnation.

Among the signs of His approaching ‘return for judgment ‘the

' distinguishing features of the Antichrist, as portrayed in the Holy

Scriptures, are still clearly discernible in the Roman papacy, the
climax of all human usurpations of Christ’s ‘authority in the
Church. We hold it to be an error to teach anything as a sign of
Christ’s second advent not promised or foretold in the Holy Scrip-
tures, such as the expectation of a mass ¢onversion of the. Jews,
a preliminary resurrection of martyrs, and a visible millennial
reign of Christ on the earth before the Day of Judgment.
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again
unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the:
dead, to an. inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that
fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by.
the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed.
in the last time, wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season,
if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations;
that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold
that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto
praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ; Whom
having not seen, ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not,
yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full. of glory;
receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls,”
I Peter 1:3-9,
“Beloved, now are we the sons of God and it doth no
appear what we shall be; but we know that when He shall appear
we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is,” I John 3:2.
Cf. Matt. 16:18; 128-29; 6:40; 18:36; ; :
1-10; TJohn 2:18, Diy ohn 5 28-29; 6:40; 18:36; Romans 11; II Thess. 2:

. le

Your Committee is conscious of the fact that before pulpit
and altar fellowship can be declared to exist between these two