# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S1045
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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298 PARISH EDUCATION

counterattack on the charge that the Missouri Synod, which
been organized on the basis of congregational sovereignty
actually unscriptural and un-Lutheran in this teaching, Dr. Wal
ther’s essay was really an attack on every type of arrogant L ~
theran clericalism. The 1851 synodical convention unanimou,,
voted its approval of Walther’s essay and ordered its publicati y
The first edition of Kirche und Amt appeared the following year. on.
It is not relevant to our study of the historical background f
the teacher’s status to indicate Walther’s theses on the Church. Iti
pertinent, however, to list his theses on the minis s
following:
Thesis I—The holy ministry, or the pastoral office, is an
office distinct from the priestly office, which belongs to all believers.
Thesis II — The ministry, or the pastoral office, is
ordinance, but an office established by God Himself.
Thesis III — The ministry of preaching is not an arbitrary of-
fice, but its character is such that the church has been commanded
to establish it and is ordinarily bound to it till the end of days,
Thesis IV — The ministry of preaching is not a Peculiar order
set up over and against the common estate of Christians, and holier

than the latter, like the priesthood of the Levites, but it is an office
of service.

Thesis V—The ministry of preaching has the authority to
preach the Gospel and to administer the Sacraments and the

try. These are the

not a human

' authority of a spiritual tribunal.

Thesis VI— The ministry of preaching is conferred by God
through the congregation, as holder of all church power, or of the
keys, and by its call, as prescribed by God. The ordination of those
called, with the laying on of hands, is not by divine institution, but
is an Apostolic church ordinance and merely a public, solemn con-
firmation of the call.

Thesis VII — The holy ministry is the authority conferred by
God through the congregation, as holder of the priesthood and of all
church power, to administer in public office the common rights of
the spiritual priesthood in behalf of all.

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

Thesis IX — Reverence and unconditional obedience is due to
the ministry of preaching when the preacher is ministering the
Word of God. However, the preacher may not’ dominate over the
church; he has, accordingly, no right to make new laws, to arrange

. indifferent matters and ceremonies arbitrarily, to impose and exe-

cute excommunication alone, without a previous verdict of the
entire congregation.

PARISH EDUCATION 299

Thesis X — According to divine right, the function of passing
a t on doctrine belongs indeed to the ministry of preaching.
ever, also the laymen have this right, and for this reason they
aes have the seat and vote with the preachers in church courts
. Jn connection with Thesis VIII Walther pointed out that the
. bents of the public ministry have in their public office the
incu. tion of the keys of the kingdom of heaven which the
Church possesses originally and immediately. The office thus
embraces the entire authority of the Church and is, therefore,
the highest office in the Church. He argues that every other public
office in the Church is only a part of the office of the ministry, or an
auxiliary office, which is attached to the ministry of preaching.
Walther stated that the office of schoolteacher, of almoner, of sexton,
of precentor in public worship, and other similar offices, were all to
be regarded as sacred offices of the Church. He pointed out that
each of these has a portion of the one office of the Church; all are
aids to the ministry of preaching.®
Teachers in the Constitution of 1855.— The synodical Consti-
tution of 1855 again classified the teachers as advisory members of
Synod.’ Teachers coming from an unorthodox church body and
wanting to be taken into membership in Synod had to have a col-
loquium just like the pastors.®
The relation of the teacher to the pastor.—In 1863 W. Sihler
discussed the relations of the teacher to the pastor in Lehre und
Wehre. He asserted that the teacher was an assistant of the pastor
in the handling of God’s children for the purpose of teaching and
training and that the pastor had official supervision of the teacher
in these two fields.® According to Sihler, there was no parity be-
tween the pastor and the teacher, but a definite subordination of the
teacher to the leadership of the pastor. Sihler emphasized, how-
ever, that this subordination of the teacher to the pastor should be
for both pastor and teacher a schooling in humility.!° In his relations
with his assistant in caring for the lambs of Christ, the pastor should —
follow the general instructions of the Holy Spirit, who through St.
Paul emphasizes the principle of “in honor preferring one another.”

8 Walther, Kirche und Amt, 1852 ed., p. 387; 1911 ed., p. 342; Walther
and the Church, pp. 71—86.

T Constitution of 1855, chap. III, Part 2.
8 Ibid., Part 2.

9 W. Sihler, “Ueber das evangelische Verhalten eines christlich-
gesinnten Gemeindeschullehrers theils gegen seine Schulkinder, theils
gegen die Gemeinde, theils gegen den Pastor.” Lehre und Wehre, Ix
(January, 1863), p. 12.

10 Ibid, p. 12,