# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_2019_S417
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

LIFE TOGETHER
Thesis 18: Philip was unable to examine himself in this regard
since he erroneously believed that his bigamy was God-pleasing.
Thesis 19: An LCMS pastor confronted with such a parishioner
who is sinning through misunderstanding and confusion has the
duty to inform the conscious of such a parishioner with the Word of
God and call him to self-examination and repentance.
Thesis 20: Such a call to self-examination and repentance, and
the actual repentance of the individual must precede communing at
the Lord’s table. (Discussion: #11)
Thesis 21: Therefore, there are cases in which faithful pastors
will exclude even members of the congregation from the Lord’s
Table.
Thesis 22: Sometimes this exclusion will occur due to public,
willful, mortal sin; yet sometimes it will occur due to venial sin
committed out of error or misunderstanding.
Part III: Exclusion from the Lord’s Table of those outside the
congregation who are ensnared in sin through
misunderstanding and error.
Thesis 23: The Baptism of infants is in accordance with the will
of God. (Discussion: Acts 2; Colossians 2; Matthew 28)
Thesis 24: The forbidding of infants from Baptism is contrary to
the will of God. (Discussion: Converse of #23)
Thesis 25: Thinking that God forbids infants from Baptism is a
sin. (Discussion: #1; #23)
Thesis 26: One sort of venial sin is a sin of error, or
misunderstanding, or lack of knowledge. (Discussion: Galatians 2)
Thesis 27: A sin committed out of error, or misunderstanding, or
lack of knowledge is still sinful. (Discussion: #1)
Thesis 28: A sin committed out of error, or misunderstanding, or
lack of knowledge is a venial sin. (Discussion: #4)
Thesis 29: A Baptist sins in thinking that God forbids infants
from Baptism. (Discussion: #1; #24–25; #27)
Thesis 30: Such a sin is venial and will not imperil the salvation
of said Baptist. (Discussion: #2; #4; #28)
Thesis 31: An LCMS pastor has the duty to call such a Baptist to
repentance. (Discussion: #14)
Thesis 32: Since a Baptist commits the sin of thinking that God
forbids infants from Baptism out of error, misunderstanding, or lack
of knowledge, he is incapable of properly examining himself.
(Discussion: #13)
Thesis 33: Therefore, a Baptist should not commune.
(Discussion: #11; #19)
Thesis 34: It is wrong to lead others into error, and in fact, one
shares in the errors of the other if one thus leads another.
(Discussion: Ezekiel 3)
Thesis 35: An LCMS pastor should not ordinarily commune a
Baptist. (Discussion: #11; #31–34; 1 Cor. 10:17)
Thesis 36: In the above, one can replace “Baptist” with “Roman
Catholic,” and “forbids infants from Baptism” with “thinks the Pope
is infallible.”
Thesis 37: Therefore, an LCMS pastor should not commune a
Roman Catholic. (Discussion: #35)
Thesis 38: In fact, one can replace any confessional group with
the particular doctrinal error of that confessional group (Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America and women’s ordination;

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Presbyterians and a denial of the real presence; Eastern Orthodox
and prayer to the saints, etc.).
Thesis 39: Therefore, a Lutheran pastor should not ordinarily
commune anyone who adheres to a false confession, but rather has
the duty to lovingly inform them of what the Word of God says and
call them to repent of their error and believe it. (Discussion: #14;
#35; #38)
Thesis 40: The practice of closed communion serves faithful
pastoral care by communicating the importance of adhering to
biblical teaching.
Thesis 41: This practice is, in fact, followed by nearly all
Christians, including the Roman Catholic church, Eastern Orthodox
church, confessional Lutherans, and other confessional protestants.
Part IV: Pastoral Exceptions
Thesis 42: As the motivation for this practice of closed
communion is love for the neighbor and concern for his highest
good, so also there will be pastoral exceptions to this generally
holding practice when the highest good of the neighbor dictates.
Thesis 43: For example, the Roman Catholic church’s rule in this
regard is as follows: “If the danger of death is present or other grave
necessity, in the judgment of the diocesan bishop or the conference
of bishops, Catholic ministers may licitly administer these
sacraments to other Christians who do not have full communion
with the Catholic church, who cannot approach a minister of their
own community and on their own ask for it, provided they manifest
Catholic faith in these sacraments and are properly disposed”
(Codex Iuris Canonici [CIC] 844 § 4).
Thesis 44: This is substantially similar to the teaching of the first
president of the Missouri Synod: “The Holy Supper is one of the
marks, one of the banners of the church, one of the seals of the
church’s doctrine and faith (see Rom. 4:11; 1 Cor. 10:21; Ex.
12:48). In whichever church one receives the Holy Supper, one is
confessing that church and its doctrine. There cannot be a more
inward, brotherly fellowship than that into which one enters with
those in whose fellowship he receives the holy Supper. … Even one
who confesses the Real Presence cannot ordinarily, except in the
case of death, be admitted if he is and wants to remain, not a member
of our orthodox church, but rather a Roman Catholic, Reformed, socalled Evangelical or Unionist, Methodist, Baptist, in short, a
member of an erring fellowship. For the Sacrament, as it is a seal of
faith, is also the banner of the fellowship in which it is
administered” (C.F.W. Walther, Pastoral Theology [New Haven,
MO: Christian News, 1995], 110–111, 149).
Part V: Suggestions for Pastoral Exceptions
Thesis 45: When a pastor feels that a pastoral exception to the
ordinary practice of excluding Christians from the Lord’s Table
who are ensnared in sin through misunderstanding, error, or lack of
knowledge, he does well to first discuss this with his ecclesiastical
supervisor.
Thesis 46: Failing this prior discussion, for example when
circumstances force a decision upon a pastor in short order, the
pastor does well to brief his ecclesiastical supervisor after the fact
and seek his counsel on how to move forward.
Southern Illinois District

2019 Convention Workbook