# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1950_S618
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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628 INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS

2. Does Synod reject the assertion that Rom. 16:
church fellowship only with unchristian enemies of the

3. Does Synod reject the assertion that Rom. 16:1
forbid joint work or worship with heterodox Christians

a person does not explicitly deny the truth or approve of error
by positive word or action?

4. Does Synod hold that any departure from the clear Word
of God, be it in fundamental or non-fundamental doctrines oy
merely in details or points of doctrine, is divisive of church fellow.
ship if persistently advocated?

17 forbids
truth?

7 does not
as long as

St. Perer’s Ev. LuTHeran Concrrcarion
Morrison, Ix.

Herman Beverotu, Chairman
_ Adopted March 12, 1950 MARVIN Brveroru, Secretary

The same memorial was submitted by

(Signed) (Rzv.) W. F. Ror, St. James, Minn.

Signature attested by (Rev.) H. D. Mensinc
Tinley Park, Mll., April 5, 1950

On Rom. 16:17-18
(Memorial 628)

Wuereas, The faculty of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in an
opinion dated May-June, 1946, reiterated in 1948, has stated: “We
shall never be able to say with absolute certainty whether Paul in
Rom. 16:17-18 is issuing a general warning or is speaking of a
special group, and, if the latter is the case, what particular group
he has in mind” (Church fellowship opinions by the faculty of
Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., manuscript for course in dog-
matics, Concordia Publishing House, 1946, page 19); and

Wuereas, That which is not particular is of necessity gen-
eral; and _

' Wurreas, The warning against false teachers in Rom. 16:17-18
is not particular and therefore is general, being directed against
all who. teach falsehood contrary to the true doctrine of God’s
Word; and , .

Whereas, It appears to us that more is here involved than a
difference in interpretation of one Scripture passage, namely, the
doctrine whether all false teachers are to be avoided, after due
admonition, whether or not they may still be regarded-as Chris-

tians; and .
Wnuereas, Rom. 16:17-18 is sorely needed to combat the union-

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 629

+-of our times, in which also members of our Synod are becom-
involved; now therefore be it
Resolved, That we, the undersigned, petition The Lutheran
curch — Missouri Synod, in convention assembled in June, 1950,
: -" Milwaukee, Wis., to declare anew that Rom. 16: 17-18 is plainly
a demnation of all who teach false doctrine, persist in their
a nor, and make propaganda for it; and be it also
- Resolved, That Synod reaffirm its acceptance of the interpre-
‘tation of Rom. 16:17-18 as found in Stoeckhardt’s Roemerbrief,
long a textbook at our seminaries, page a hing shat
“ od’s commandment, teac us
Christions are nave to avoid false doctrine, but also false
. teachers, including church bodies in which false doctrine and
_ false teachers are tolerated. All unionism, which unites
and error in the same church organization, is condemn: y
this word of the Apostle, which is the Word of God.
Wo. SINGLE Warter J. LUECKE
G.R. Naumann’ Kart H. Eaers
A. R. Remxinc M. F. KretzMANn

On Rom. 16:17
(Memorial 629)

Wuereas, Synod’s Constitution, Art. III, applies Rom. 16:17 also

to such errorists as may yet be Christians; and Ro
HEREAS, Synod’s Catechism, Question 186-D, quotes m.
16:19 to prove that we must “avoid all false churches and all other

organizations that profess a religion that is false”; and ;
Wuerras, Synod’s Brief Statement, reaffirmed in 1947, cites
Rom. 16:17 to prove that “all Christians are required by God to
have church fellowship only with orthodox church bodies, and,
in case they have strayed into heterodox church bodies, to. leave
them,” and, again, refers to the passage to ‘prove that we must
avoid “church fellowship with the adherents of false doctrine, and
thus uses the passage without in any way limiting its application
to non-Christians only; and . -
Wuereas, On the other hand, the Lutheran Witness, an official
periodical of Synod, has declared (February 25, 1947, p. 59): “We
incline to the notion ... that Rom. 16:17£. refers to un-Christian

enemies of the Church who by their deceitful tactics are trying

to seduce Christians”; and ; a ;
Wuereas, The Lutheran Witness on December 14, 1948 (p. 414),
quoted these words without disapproving comment: “To apply the
passage [Rom. 16:17] to fellow Christians with whom we do not
agree in all points, or, to put it the other way, who, we are certain,