# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S42
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 42 —

paid; she is therefore now free of her guilt; now the whole world can cry Victoria, for her freedom from sin and her righteousness are won. It is not contradictory to this that man is justified by faith, for when faith is spoken of, what is stressed is the personal appropriation on the part of man and the imputation of the acquired righteousness on the part of God. This, however, would not be possible if the world had not first been justified through Christ's death and resurrection, if the condemnation in death had not been followed by the acquittal in the resurrection. Dr. Luther says on the words of Gal. 1:2 [as printed; the quoted words are Gal. 1:1], "And God the Father, who raised Him from the dead," the following: "It almost looks as though St. Paul might well have left these words out; but as I said before, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. His heart, mind and spirit are so aflame that he would gladly pour out at once, in the salutation, the unfathomable treasure of the grace of Christ and preach of the righteousness of God, which is called the resurrection of the dead. For Christ, who lives and has risen from the dead, speaks Himself through him and so drives him on; therefore he says, not without reason, that he is indeed an apostle through God the Father, who raised Jesus Christ from the dead. It is as though he would say: Here the matter is to deal against Satan and the poisonous brood of vipers, Satan's instrument, who would overturn the righteousness of my Lord Christ, raised from the dead by God the Father, through which righteousness alone we are to be made godly before God and to be raised from the dead to eternal life. But because they presume to overturn such righteousness of Christ, they resist both the Father and the Son and that which is the work of both. So, as soon as he opens his mouth, he lets the whole business and main point of this epistle burst out at once. The main point, however, is the resurrection of Christ, who rose for the sake of our righteousness, Rom. 4:25, and thereby has overcome the law, sin, death and all misfortune. Therefore his victory is a victory over the law, over sins, over our flesh, over the world, the devil, death, hell and every kind of evil and misfortune. And such victory of His and glorious, joyful triumph He has given us and made our own. Therefore, God be praised, we have nothing to fear. For though tyrants and enemies may accuse and frighten us, they can nevertheless bring us into no despair or damnation, since Christ, who is risen from the dead and has overcome them all together, is our righteousness. Therefore we say praise and thanks to God in eternity, who has given us such joyful victory and triumph through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen."

Upon an inquiry of the members of the venerable "Norwegiſchen Synode" [Norwegian Synod],