# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1877_S36
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 36 —

Exceedingly comforting for us is the account of the Corinthian congregation by the apostle Paul. What offenses were found there! There was a man guilty of incest, 1 Cor. 5:1, so that Paul had to call out to them, v. 6: "Your glorying is not good." And that alone was not yet so terrible. For a congregation cannot help it that the most terrible offenses occur in it. The saddest thing in Corinth was that the whole congregation was of good cheer about it. V. 2: "And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you." They thus still thought things stood well among them. Yet Paul in 1 Cor. 1:2 gives them the beautiful names: "the church of God at Corinth," "those sanctified in Christ Jesus," "called saints."

But there was still more among them. According to 1 Cor. 6:1–8 the Christians sued one another before pagan judges, to the great scandal before the heathen. According to ch. 11:17–22 things went quite dreadfully at the Holy Supper: the rich brought costly food to the love feasts and lived in revelry while the poor went hungry. Therefore God's judgment had broken in upon them, v. 30.

Indeed, according to 1 Cor. 15:12, 34 some even denied the resurrection of the dead.

And when, after a long series of years, the apostle wrote his second letter, he had to say to them among other things, ch. 12:20, 21: "For I fear that when I come I may not find you as I wish, and that you may not find me as you wish; that there be no strife, envy, anger, quarrels, slander, whispering, conceit, tumults; that when I come again my God may not humble me among you, and that I may not have to mourn over many who have sinned before and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication and lewdness which they have practiced."

And yet Paul does not say: Separate yourselves from these people, but calls to them in 1 Cor. 1:10: "I appeal to you, dear brothers, by the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing and let there be no divisions among you, but hold fast together in one mind and in one judgment."

So also today a Christian should remain all the more with such a congregation, where much godless conduct is still found, and be a support to the poor preacher who cannot yet prevail in all things. It is of course a great cross when one is in such a congregation and the children of the world often say mockingly: "And you belong to this fine crowd too?" But one should bear this disgrace gladly and answer confidently: "Yes, I belong to this congregation, but we have God's pure Word here, and with God's help life shall and will become different; we will take up the ungodly [i.e. deal with them]."