# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1911 06 27_S204
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

204

...neighbors go to their hearts, and they therefore generously support hospitals, almshouses, and homes for widows and orphans; but they do not heed their neighbor's spiritual need, for of this need they know nothing at all. But you Christians, who know it well and have yourselves experienced what need it is not to know how one may be saved, now show also by your deeds that not only the bodily but even more the spiritual need of poor fallen people goes to your heart, and therefore support with joy such institutions, which exist and are so necessary solely for the sake of the world's salvation.

"The report has turned out excellently. Whoever has the cause of Christ's kingdom among us at heart will read it with joy and will surely also be convinced by the end that our delegate synod was assembled in the Lord and, under the Lord's gracious guidance of hearts, resolved exactly what it resolved. But should any of our dear readers think that our Synod could have made wiser resolutions, (3) let him let this opinion of his serve not to withdraw his giving and helping hand, but rather to open it all the more gladly, and at the same time to lift it in pleading and supplication to him who, out of the folly of men, when they commit it in the simplicity of pure hearts, always in the end makes the greatest wisdom."

Submitted by Fr. S.

On Civil Authority, Love of Neighbor, and Walking in the Light. Rom. 13.

Beloved Christians! Everyone shall be subject to the authority that has power over him, under which he stands. Every Christian shall be subject to all governing authorities and persons according to the laws and ordinances in force. It makes no difference here what form this authority takes, nor whether it obtained its power rightfully or wrongfully: however and whenever it exists, a Christian shall be subject to it. For there is no authority except from God. Had God not had his hand in the matter, then, on account of the wild and unrestrained love of freedom among the masses, no authority — however necessary — would ever have come about at all, nor could any authority exist. A Christian should therefore know that the existing authority is ordained by God. Whoever therefore resists the authority resists God's order. And those who resist will bring judgment upon themselves, and that from God. For consider also: rulers and those in power are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do good, and you will have praise from it. For it is God's servant to you for good, to protect you. But if you do evil, be afraid! For it does not bear the sword in vain; it is God's servant, an avenger for wrath upon him who does evil. Therefore every Christian now understands that it is necessary to be subject to the authority, not only for the sake of wrath but also for the sake of conscience toward God. For this reason we must also pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, continually occupied with this very matter, namely punishing evildoers and protecting the good. So render to all what you owe: taxes to whom taxes are due, tolls to whom tolls are due, fear to whom fear is due, honor to whom honor is due. — Only where the authority clearly commands what God has forbidden does the saying apply: "We must obey God rather than men."

Yes, we Christians should give to everyone what we owe; we should remain in debt to no one for anything. There is only one debt that we can never regard as fully and completely paid off. That is love for one's neighbor. This debt remains with us through our whole life, to the very last word we speak to our neighbor, to the last glance we are able to give him. For God's law demands of us always and continually that we love our neighbor. Whoever loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not kill," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to the neighbor, but only and always does good. Love, then, is the fulfilling of the law. Love is the real thing God demands of us as far as our conduct toward our neighbor is concerned. All the individual commandments are only expressions of love. Always and continually, I repeat, God demands of us that we love our neighbor. And we Christians are exhorted to this "by the mercies of God," as we have seen in the last letter.

Ah, dear Christians, in general — we do know it, don't we — what? Why, the time, that the hour has come, that we, whom God once awakened out of the deadly sleep of sin, must continually and repeatedly rise from the sleep of sin, which so easily seeks to overpower us poor weak people. Yes, truly, the time and hour for this is here! For our salvation, our eternal salvation, everlasting blessedness, is now nearer to us than when we first became believers and through faith came to God's grace. The night, the night of this wretched earthly life, the life in the flesh, is far spent; it is passing away; but the day, the day that is to bring us eternal glory and perfection, has drawn near. So let us then — for God himself grants us the strength for it — cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light! Let us not do works that belong to the darkness of unbelief. Let us go to meet the eternal day in the armor that is fitting to the light of faith, to the light of God that enlightens us. Let us, in such armor as God supplies to us daily, fight valiantly against the devil, the world, and the flesh, which seek to draw us back into the night and make us unworthy of the eternal day. Yes, let us walk honorably and decently as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in chambers of unchastity and debauchery, not in strife and envy. Let us rather put on the Lord Jesus Christ; let us take on his manner, become like him in his walk in the light and his life of virtue, and follow him in all things!

(3) Namely, among other things, after thorough discussion, to which three full days were devoted, it had been resolved to separate our practical preachers' seminary from the theoretical one, not only organizationally but also in location.