# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S1156
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 519

of the Gospel to insist that each Christian or each group
ans must work entirely alone or that each Christian serve
j in his own self-chosen way. Such an attitude results in
, suspicion, and poor stewardship. One of the purposes
Gospel is to bring Christians to serve the Lord together in

. It .
brethren, th and love to be expressed in is the nature
(10) Speaking the

humilit © erring brother is cl
in Love wity and candor. Humilj othed in " d?,
Christian remember that he “ty demands that rd’s way.
» too, is fr ord— This fellowship of work can become a reality only

é Mind when a fellowship of faith, confession, and love exists. °
ae It is only when Christians confess the same faith and
sagreed to let the Word of God be authoritative and normative
“Ti matters of faith and life that a real fellowship of work can
t. God’s Word requires that Christians “stand fast in one

ppirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.”
"John 13:13-17; 17:18; Galatians 6:2; Matthew 28:19; Luke 10:2;

erroneous. Lovelessness, arrogance, an
in the treatment of an erring brother
altreatm i :
seen ent of the erring brother may lie conceal
ane avowed faithfulness to the truth. Candor . erm etind :
p or the avoidance of fellowshi ivate

by all the relevant teachings of the Word cn ‘God 4 ath (ortified
‘atism nor unionism may be validate Teo

admonitions out of proper context d by using selected Scriptural Ro 15: 26-27.
regarding oth ext to prove it correct Romans aoe
er relevant Scriptural admonitions. It and by dis. 1 Corinthians, chs. 12—14; 16:1.

brethren to listen to ea
conscience, and to

John 15:1-5; Ephesians 4:13-16; 2 Corinthians 6:1; Philippians

» : is requir
ch other's testimony, to respect each othe
5

Scriptures, judge all relationships in the light of th ; 1:27.
John 1 , © entire ix. THE CHURCH AND ANTI-CHRISTIAN ORGANIZATIONS
Galati eee Romans 12:3-21; Ephesians 4:16; Hebrews 1 (1) Church The Lord has warned His disciples that as long as
Luke 9:49-50; Ro Acts 18: 24-28 Matthew 18: 15-18. A = 10:25, Under Cross this world stands, the Church will be under the cross.
2 Corinthians 13:8 mans 14:1; Galatians 6: 1-5; 2:14. aS 9: 26-39, Christ’s name will be mocked by unbelievers and His
™ > Acts 20:27; authority usurped by impostors within and without Christendom.

As for the faithful members of the Church, the warning of their

4. Church Fellowshi
D as a Fello i
‘ship of Work Lord always applies: “If they have persecuted Me, they will also

(11) The Lord’s A fellowship of faith ¢ i

Behest expression in a fellow pontession, and love will find persecute you,” John 15:20. The Church as the company of God’s
. the Lord to the Church Pa work Such behests of faithful witnesses will continue under bitter attack and at times
ye, are commands not o as "Go ye,” “Pr ay ye,” “Labo: must endure grievous tribulation.

nly for individual, b

corporate activity. The
and deed is the
Christians joined

(2) Church In the face of these onslaughts of the enemies of Christ,

in Combat the Church must stand firm in the faith. It does more

than bear and suffer. It unmasks, condemns, and com-

bats with the sword of the Spirit all religions and sects which alter

or displace the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ by their own

devices or efforts; all organizations and movements which seek

to deprive God of His sovereignty; and all humanistic and secu-

laristic philosophies which exalt the powers of man and refuse to
give to God the glory that is due Him.

| (3) Church The Church must be alert to detect such anti-
in Witness Christian propaganda everywhere, even where it ap-

work of proclaiming th ;
task both of the individe Te osPel in word

together, However, such al Christian and of

a matter of Christia
of good stewardship

(12) One Lord —
One Task

mn freedom and may be
and efficiency, ;

The Lord has

in those lodges and fraternal orders which explicitly or by omission
remove Christ from His position of mediatorship. between God and
man and thus deny the central -teaching of Scriptures, that salva-

pears in moralistic and pseudo-Christian form, as