# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S387
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 387

Il — The ministry, or the pastoral office, is not a human
, but an office established by God Himself.

s III — The ministry of preaching is not an arbitrary of-
ts character is such that the church has been commanded
jlish it and is ordinarily bound to it till the end of days.

sis IV — The ministry of preaching is not a peculiar order,
ver and against the common estate of Christians, and holier
latter, like the priesthood of the Levites, but it is an office

V—The ministry of preaching has the authority to
the Gospel and to administer the Sacraments and the
of a spiritual tribunal.

VI— The ministry of preaching is conferred by God
‘the congregation, as holder of all church power, or of the
a id by its call, as prescribed by God. The ordination of those
th the laying on of hands, is not by divine institution, but

is VII— The holy ministry is the authority conferred by
i ough the congregation, as holder of the priesthood and of all
hp wer, to administer in public office the common rights of
jtual priesthood in behalf of all.

is VIII — The ministry is the highest office in the church,
ch, as its stem, all other offices of the church issue.

esis IX — Reverence and unconditional obedience is due to
h of preaching when the preacher is ministering the
God. However, the preacher may not dominate over the
e has, accordingly, no right to make new laws, to arrange
it matters and ceremonies. arbitrarily, to impose and exe-

mmunication alone, without a previous verdict of the
Hgregation.

s.X — According to divine right, the function of ‘passing
-on doctrine belongs indeed to the ministry of preaching.
‘also the laymen have this right, and for this reason they
the seat and vote with the preachers in church courts
sonnection with Thesis VIII Walther pointed out that the
ts of the public ministry have in their public office the
ation of the keys of the kingdom of heaven which the
epossesses originally and immediately. The office thus
é entire authority of the Church and is, therefore,
office in the Church. He argues that every other public
the Church is only a part of the office of the ministry, or an