# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1953_S1179
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

needy fellow L,;

UW ;
Federation, th therans now be

INTERSYNODICAL AND DOCTRINAL MATTERS 559

e above communication was received from the Executive
ary of the Lutheran World Federation, inviting The Lutheran
, — Missouri Synod to membership in that organization.
9 join or not to join” the Lutheran World Federation is for
utheran Church — Missouri Synod and the member churches
the Lutheran World Federation a question of far-reaching
Brtance and implications. Because the next convention of the
heran World Federation will not be held until the year 1958,
question of membership in the Lutheran World Federation is
now being presented to this convention for its decision. How-
Br, to give everyone ample time and opportunity prior to our
» 1956 convention for a thorough study of this important qués-
ton, the following is being submitted as a source of information
‘aad a possible basis for study.
‘, All premises and conclusions in the study of any kind of
‘“gelationship between The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod and
the Lutheran World Federation must be based on the Word
‘ ‘of'God. There are two primary injunctions related to this question,

- which the Lord has given:

_ a) John 17:21, where the Lord Jesus in His high-priestly prayer
implores the Father for His Church “that they all may be one,”
a concept upon which the Apostle Paul enlarged in Eph. 4:4-6:
“There is one body and one Spirit ... one hope... one Lord...
one faith .. . one Baptism . .. one God.”

b) 1Cor.1:10: “Now, I beseech you, brethren, by the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and
that there be no divisions among you, but that ye be perfectly
joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

A
“That they all may be one” (John 17:21) means that Chris-
tians seek the fellowship of other Christians and oneness with
them. As Christians we deplore isolation. We yearn for com-
munion with every other member of the body of Christ. A Chris-
tian seeks the fellowship of every other Christian in prayer, in
corporate worship, in Holy Communion, in doing the Lord’s work,
even in suffering for the faith. In Matt.18:19 the Lord Jesus
extends a divine blessing upon prayer fellowship: “Again I say
unto you that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any-
thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of My Father
which is in Heaven.” In Heb. 10:24, 25 we are encouraged to “con-
sider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not
forsaking ‘the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner
of some is; but exhorting one another, and so much the more,

as ye see the Day approaching.”