# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1860_S41
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— Page 41 —

To the demand now raised, that in defining the preaching of the
Gospel as absolution the necessity of faith in the Gospel should also
be emphasized, the following reply was given: What matters here,
first of all, is to recognize that the great treasure of the Gospel —
the redemption accomplished by Christ for all people, and the
forgiveness of sins thereby won — is brought to all people, in
accordance with Christ's command: "Preach the Gospel to every
creature." To all who hear it, whether they believe or do not
believe, the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed and extended. The
preacher, whenever he proclaims the Gospel, always speaks absolution,
and indeed also to those who do not believe; for absolution is a
divine act and does not depend on the belief or unbelief of human
beings. The unbeliever, to be sure, then pushes away from himself the
absolution that has occurred for him too through the preaching of the
Gospel, and it is on that very account that he forfeits it.

Against this it was objected: According to God's Word, one
neither can nor may forgive sin to unbelieving sinners, but must
rather retain it for them; since, then, the forgiveness of sin is not
granted to unbelievers in preaching, how then can the preaching of
the Gospel always be absolution? — Answer: The fact of the redemption
and reconciliation of the whole human race through Jesus Christ, and
thereby the forgiveness of the sins of all people on God's part —
which the Gospel indeed proclaims, offers, and gives — can never
become untrue on account of human unbelief, even though the
unbeliever does not accept it, but rather pushes it away from
himself, and precisely, indeed solely, for that reason is lost.
Therefore, just as absolution, or the pronouncing of forgiveness of
sins, can be nothing other than the preaching of the Gospel, whether
this happens publicly or privately, so too every preaching of the
Gospel, whether it happens through Word or Sacrament, is always an
absolution from all sins.

Since it became apparent from these repeatedly voiced concerns
that the desired clarity and unity concerning the first thesis was
not yet present, the Synod found itself compelled to deliberate on it
further and more thoroughly. It was first observed that the lack of
real unity among us seems to lie in the fact that some think of the
Gospel as a means of grace separated from the treasure of grace
itself — somewhat as if a king were to send out a message summoning
people to come to a certain place where a treasure was to be
distributed, in which case the treasure would not be with the message
itself but would have to be sought and fetched elsewhere; whereas in
fact it is such that the Gospel contains within itself the treasure
of grace, the forgiveness of sin, and the proclamation of it presents
and conveys this very treasure. The presenting of it does not depend
on whether people believe or do not believe — no, the treasure is
always there with the Word, and is presented to all who hear it. The
sun shines, even if everyone shuts their eyes and does not see its
light. As an illustration one may draw on the example of the raising
of the young man at Nain. Christ's word, "Young man, I say unto you,
arise!" was no empty sound, no empty proclamation, but awakened
hearing and life in the dead young man. So too the Gospel awakens