# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S881
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 881

which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers” (Acts

a man so account of us [Paul, Sosthenes, Apollos] as of the
of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor.

tacts through His Church in calling the servants needed by
zch. He alone gives to the Church Apostles, prophets,
ts, teachers, and other ministers.

e is, however, no detailed procedure prescribed for calling
“of the Word. The important fact is that the Church ex-

the election of Stephen and his colleagues, and with
the appointing, or electing, of elders. One and the same

is the call which distinguishes the public ministry of the
ithe preaching of the Word by the individual Christian.
every Christian has the responsibility to carry out the
€ommission of our Savior is clear from Scripture. In Acts
read, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went
ere preaching the Word.” And in Col. 3:16 the Apostle
Christians generally: “Let the Word of Christ dwell in
bly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in
hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your
"the Lord.”
clear from these and other passages that it is God’s will that
tian deal with His Word. Each one is to be concerned
‘spread of the Gospel. Each one has the Office of the
3 ich one is to make use of the Word in teaching and ad-
When Christians are thus engaged in the use of the

do not act in the name of the congregation, but are
‘their responsibility as individual Christians.

men who publicly (i.e., officially, for the congregation
2 name of the congregation) exercise the duties of the
a4 he Word are not a special spiritual order apart from the
il Christians; rather the incumbents of the public ministry
and servants under the authority of Christ and His

ie truth that Christ through His Word is the only Ruler
rch regulates the relationship of one servant of the Word

g to the Scriptures, all believers and only the believers |
as ‘has been previously stated (1 Peter 2:9). They are
Christ (Gal.3:28). They are all brethren (Matt. 23: