# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S341
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

_ INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 841

B. The Basis, Nature, and Extent of Church Fellowship
“4, Church Fellowship as a Fellowship of Faith
ty of Fidelity to the source and norm of Christian doc-
‘iptures trine, that is, submission and obedience to the Word
: of God, the Holy Scriptures, is required on the part
members of the Church. If a person (or group of persons)
d’s grace and the guidance of the Spirit acknowledges the
sly:Scriptures as his only authority in all matters of faith and
and conforms thereto, and does not deny, contradict, or ignore
word of God in the Holy Scriptures, he is to be regarded and
towledged as a brother in the Lord and a fellow worker in the
dom of God. Not to recognize him as such constitutes a denial
rist’s work in the brother and leads to schism in the Church.

fuptions of On the other hand, teaching otherwise than the
Fellowship Word of God teaches, setting up dogma contrary
to, or without warrant from, the Word of God, as
well as neglecting or omitting any part of the
,of God, creates divisions in the Church and disrupts its

To overlook divergences from the Word of God in the
ng and life of other Christians, to tolerate false teaching and
tice contrary to Scripture, and to be silent in the face of denials

Word of God likewise contribute to the disruption of the
ty of the Church.

Matthew 28:20; John 8:31; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17; Acts 4:32;
28; 1 Corinthians 3:11,

cts 18: 24-28; Galatians 2: 11-14; Matthew 18: 15-18; Romans
0; Matthew 16:6; Ephesians 5: 11.

2. Church Fellowship as a Fellowship of Confession

ction of The Church’s response and witness to the Word of
Confessions God, particularly in the face of denial and attack,
finds expression in the confessions of the Church.
to the Ecumenical Creeds and the Lutheran Confessions

of This confessional loyalty is of particular importance
el with reference to the witness of the Confessions to
-° the central theme of the Scriptures, the Gospel.
ent in the Gospel is fundamental to church fellowship, for
ospel constitutes the center from which all teachings of the

res are to be viewed. Ultimately all the doctrines of the

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