# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1872_S48
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 48 —

take it away from Him and to justify Him, it was clear that the guilt with all its condemnation had been taken away not only from Jesus but also from the world; for the guilt could not fall back again upon the world, inasmuch as its plenipotentiary, on whom all its guilt lay, had discharged it. So we see that a justification also came upon the world in the same hour in which Jesus was justified, and indeed at the same time with Him. Rom. 5:18." (p. 116.) When it is said in Holy Scripture: If Christ had not risen, your faith would be vain, you would still be in your sins, when the article of the resurrection of Christ is called by the Fathers the most Christian article, when the Church in her Easter hymns expresses nothing but jubilation over it, then surely the Holy Spirit, the holy apostles, who have written through the Holy Spirit, the Church and the Fathers must have had cause why they used such language, why so high a significance is attached to the resurrection of Christ. Now Scripture says: He was delivered for our offenses etc. What does that mean? Christ was delivered for our offenses; the LORD dies on the cross not with a sin of His own, but laden with the guilt of the world, whose surety He was. When He had died, the guilt was paid, and the whole world could cry: For me, for me enough has been done according to the law of suretyship. But Christ did not remain in death; He is risen, raised by the Father. What has been attested thereby? With right one may say that the resurrection of Christ vouches for us His true divinity; it teaches that a general resurrection of the dead will truly take place; but it means still more: the apostle says: Christ was raised for the sake of our righteousness. Through the glory of the Father Christ was declared righteous. The surety has been released, because He had paid all the debts for which He had given His suretyship. Now His payment was made for men; therefore these are thereby also free and released. As Christ died as Savior, so He was also raised from the dead as Savior.

Thesis 6: "This grace, forgiveness, righteousness, life and salvation, regained through Christ's work of redemption for all men, God brings to men in the means of grace. For the evangelical promise, which is contained in the Word of the Gospel and in the holy sacraments, is not an empty sound or a contentless promise, but an efficacious presenting and bestowing of all the goods which God promises in this Word of His grace."

In this paragraph the doctrine of the means of grace is summarized, as it comes into consideration in this connection, namely that the whole treasure, as it was obtained through Christ's doing and suffering and sealed through His resurrection, is deposited and brought in the means of grace, so that men may in these means of grace [receive] the treasure