# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1857_S356
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 356 —

The Synod also agreed with the paper's exposition and answer on the
second point: that, in the Eastern District Synod's judgment, there is
no real contradiction if Johann Gerhard says Paul was converted
without preaching, while Luther, on the other hand, says Paul was
converted by Christ's word as a preaching of the Law and the Gospel;
and it resolved that this, too, along with the above, be reported to
the petitioners.

The Synod felt bound, however, to reprove the petitioners for having
brought their doubts about the orthodoxy of a teacher of our Church so
generally recognized as orthodox straight into public view, instead of
first communicating them to the editor of "Der Lutheraner" — who had
occasioned the matter by printing the article in question — and asking
him for the information and instruction they wanted; this is what the
Synod would recommend to them for similar cases in the future.

Delegation from the Norwegian Synod; Establishment of a Norwegian
Professorship of Theology at Concordia College in St. Louis.

Our Synod had the joy of being able to enter into a closer brotherly
fellowship and connection with the Synod of the "Norwegian
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America," whose main field of work has
so far been in Wisconsin and Iowa.

Pastor Ottesen and Pastor Koren — the former as delegate of that
Synod, the latter as his companion — had appeared in our midst to
extend to us the hand of brotherhood toward such a friendly
relationship between the two synods. Pastor Ottesen had also been
charged and empowered by that Synod's church council to propose to the
board [Directorium] of Concordia College in St. Louis that a
Norwegian professorship of theology be established at that
institution, until they should have gathered funds sufficient to found
an institution of their own among them.

The Synod entered gladly into this proposal of the Norwegian
brethren; and after further consultation with Pastor Ottesen, the
following points, contained in the attached minutes, were fixed as a
mutual agreement. (cf. Appendix F in the supplement.)

The two Norwegian brethren expressed their joy and gratitude for the
brotherly reception they had found among us, and for the readiness
with which the Synod had met their proposal to establish such a
Norwegian professorship of theology.

The Synod, for its part, felt compelled to express to the Norwegian
brethren its sincere joy that they had met us with their brotherly
trust; that we therefore felt ourselves obliged all the more to
heartfelt thanks toward them; and that we wished to ask God, together
with them, that he would bind us ever more closely with them, on the
foundation of the one faith and confession, for working together.

Pastor Fürbringer and Professor Biewend were appointed as delegates
from our Synod to the Norwegian Synod's meeting on the second Friday
of October 1859 at Coon Prairie, Wisc. —

Finally, the Synod resolved to send a reply to the Norwegian pastors'
conference [Prediger-Conferenz] in answer to its letter. (cf. Appendix
G in the supplement.)