# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2010_S171 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) Theology and Church Relations the historicity of the Genesis account of creation and opens the door for evolution (reviewed in the August 7, 1995, Christian News). 3. “Minimalists on Parade,” a report in the January/February 2004 Biblical Archaeological Review of an academic conference of leading Bible scholars in Rome, concludes that David and Solomon never existed and that the Bible has little or no reliable history (Christian News, January 3, 2004). 4. The Jesus Seminar, a group of Protestant and Roman Catholic Bible scholars, maintains that some 80 percent of the words attributed to Jesus in the Bible were never spoken by Jesus. 5. The Jerome Biblical Commentary of the Roman Catholic Church, which has Rome’s imprimatur and is dedicated to the memory of Pope Pius XII, says that the Bible contains fiction, myths, and fables; and Whereas, Most major Protestant denominations and the Roman Catholic Church allow their theologians to promote such notions of the higher critics as the J-E-D-P source hypothesis, which rejects the Mosaic authorship of the first five books of the Bible, the fact that the known eighth-century B.C. prophet Isaiah wrote the Book of Isaiah, the fact that the sixth-century B.C. prophet Daniel wrote the Book of Daniel, the fact that the first chapters of Genesis present historic fact and not myth, the fact that the Book of Jonah presents historic fact, and the fact that the exodus took place in the fifteenth century B.C., as the Bible teaches; for example: The massive 2,112-page Lutheran Study Bible, published by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 2009, the work of scores of ELCA scholars, says it presents the best of modern biblical scholarship (p. 15). Lutheran Study Bible (reviewed in the March 23, 2009, Christian News) does not affirm the scriptural doctrines of the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible (pp. 20–22), says the Book of Daniel was written in the second century B.C., says First and Second Timothy were not written by Paul (p. 1952), says the exodus took place in 1290 (pp. 31, 124); says Isaiah 40–66 was written long after Isaiah died by some Second Isaiah (p. 31), says the first five books of the Bible came from some unknown sources designated as J-E-D-P and Q and not from Moses (p. 45), says much of the New Testament came from some fictitious source designated by higher critics as “Q” (pp. 1599–1600), and says Jesus is not the only way to heaven (p. 1658). and Whereas, Many are unaware that the LCMS during its great “Battle for the Bible” insisted that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, the known eighth-century B.C. prophet Isaiah wrote the Book of Isaiah, the sixth-century B.C. prophet Daniel wrote the Book of Daniel, the exodus took place in the fifteenth century B.C., the J-E-D-P and Q sources are fiction and never existed except in the minds of unbelieving Bible scholars, and the books of Genesis and Jonah present historic fact; and Whereas, The Lutheran Study Bible, published by Concordia Publishing House in 2009, clearly presents justification by faith as the chief teaching of the Christian faith, defends the inspiration and inerrancy of the Bible (p. 1560), defends the Mosaic authorship of the first five books of the Bible (p. 3), rejects evolution (p. 10), shows that the Trinity is taught in the Old Testament (p. 14), asserts that Job 19:25–26 teaches the resurrection of the flesh (p. 807), affirms that the eighth-century B.C. prophet Isaiah wrote the entire Book of Isaiah (pp. 1085–86), affirms that Psalm 16 refers directly to Christ (p. 857), affirms that the sixth-century B.C. prophet Daniel wrote the Book of Daniel (p. 1393), affirms that Jesus is the only way to heaven (p. 1811), affirms that Christianity is the only true faith (p. 1839), affirms that homosexuality is sinful (pp. 1910–1911), shows 171 that women should not serve as pastors (p. 2073), and affirms that there should be no sex outside of marriage (p. 2121); therefore be it Resolved, That in response to modern Protestant and Roman Catholic “scholarship” and particularly ELCA’s Lutheran Study Bible, the 2010 LCMS convention declare that Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, the known eighth-century B.C. prophet Isaiah wrote the Book of Isaiah, the sixth-century B.C. prophet Daniel wrote the Book of Daniel, all the statements attributed to Jesus in the New Testament were actually made by Jesus, the J-E-D-P and Q sources never existed, the exodus took place in the fifteenth century B.C., and Jesus is the only way to heaven; and be it further Resolved, That all professors and pastors on the LCMS clergy roster must confess and teach that the entire books of Genesis and Jonah present historic fact, Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible, the known eighth-century B.C. prophet Isaiah wrote the entire Book of Isaiah, the exodus took place in the fifteenth century B.C. as the Bible teaches, the J-E-D-P and Q sources never existed, and Jesus is the only way to heaven; and be it further Resolved, That the 2010 LCMS convention resolve that the LCMS regards the views expressed in ELCA’s Lutheran Study Bible to be far more destructive than the resolution the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted declaring that practicing homosexuals and lesbians may serve as pastors; and be it further Resolved, That the convention, while not endorsing the use of the English Standard Version of the Bible, commend Concordia Publishing House and the editors of The Lutheran Study Bible for the many thoroughly scriptural notes in CPH’s The Lutheran Study Bible, published in 2009; and be it finally Resolved, That the convention ask the President of the LCMS to inform the ELCA that the LCMS regards the destructive views of the Bible expressed in the ELCA’s Lutheran Study Bible as being far more destructive and divisive than the ELCA’s support of homosexual pastors and abortion. Trinity New Haven, MO 3-20 To Encourage Frequent Observance of the Lord’s Supper Whereas, A 2008 survey conducted by the LCMS Commission on Worship regarding worship practice in the LCMS reveals that one-fourth to one-third of the congregations offering blended or contemporary worship services offer the Sacrament of the Altar at these services less than once per month, with up to one- tenth of them never celebrating the Sacrament at all (Question 45, Results of the LCMS 2008 Worship Survey, p. 38); and Whereas, Regular and frequent reception of these means of God’s grace is to be encouraged, for we are even exhorted to frequent reception by the very command and institution of the sacrament itself (Matt. 26; Mark 14; Luke 22; 1 Cor. 11); and Whereas, The Lutheran Confessors at Augsburg noted the importance of the Sacrament of the Altar as a mark of the Church when they appealed to the emperor that “among us masses are performed every Lord’s Day and on the other festivals” (Apology Art. XXIV 1); therefore be it Resolved, That the 2010 LCMS convention encourage the congregations of the Synod to offer the Sacrament of the Altar frequently. Board of Directors Central Illinois District 2010 Convention Workbook 2010 Convention.indb 171 4/15/10 2:39 PM