# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1959_S213
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

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PARISH EDUCATION 213

and the Christian congregation should bring their concerned and
effective witness to bear, speaking the Word of truth “person to
person” and “in love,” seeking (1) to build up the marriage on
a solid Christian base, considering both parties in this ministry;
(2) to bring the Lutheran party, as well as his or her spouse, of
whatever religious persuasion, to the conscientious conviction that
a Christian cannot be denied the right and duty of witnessing to
the truth and teaching his children the Word of God. Only faith-
destroying impenitence, not weakness, warrants the full applica-
tion of Matt. 18: 15-18.

Where husband and wife, while of different denominational
persuasion, nevertheless accept Jesus Christ to be their Savior,
they should be encouraged to read and discuss the Word of God
together; exercise the patience of Christ in their study of the truth;
and, as they find agreement, confess together the Apostles’ Creed
and unite in table prayers and the Lord’s Prayer.

This is both possible and necessary: possible, because both have
been baptized into Christ; necessary, because otherwise they may
become either wholly indifferent or even bitter toward the Chris-
tian faith.

The Christian congregation should show special concern for
people in a mixed marriage; comfort them with good counsel; and
assist them so that truth and love have their right, and a joyful
faith may be developed and maintained. The church must be fully
confident that the Gospel has more power and promise than
legalism.

The church will employ constructive procedure in endeav-
oring to (1) instruct, (2) build, and (3) heal. The faith of
Christians must be safeguarded and the marriage preserved as
well. Barriers are not to be erected between the couple, but the
faith of Christians is to be strengthened. To pronounce excommuni-
cation in an arbitrary manner on the basis of a refusal to abrogate
the Roman Catholic premarriage agreement is to deal legalistically.
Such action is not in keeping with the task of the church to in-
struct, admonish, and strengthen its members with the means of
grace, leading them through repentance and faith to wholeness of
life, Excommunication can be valid only when the party involved
persistently refuses to hear admonition or to exercise his responsi-
bility to upbuild the Christian church in his home and to bring
up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Until
evidence of rejecting God’s truth is manifested, the Lutheran party
should by all means be supported in his witness by Word and
Sacrament. Where the Roman Catholic premarriage agreement is
not renounced, the reason should be determined and Christian ad-
monition employed in patience and charity, with each case weighed

in the light of its own particular and variant circumstances.