# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1894_S12
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

12 Proceedings of the fifteenth convention

in this both bridges, footbridge and path, ladder and everything he tears down, by which the Spirit is supposed to come to you, namely the external ordinances of God in bodily Baptism, sign and spoken Word of God, and wants to teach you not how the Spirit comes to you, but how you are to come to the Spirit, so that you are to learn to ride on the clouds and to travel on the wind, and yet they do not say how or when, where or what, but you are to experience it yourself as they do." (XIX, 187.)

How important this is: Spirit not without Scripture! As true disciples of Luther we should take it well to heart and guard ourselves against the slightest departure from it. It will therefore always matter that, toward our people, we really treat the Scripture, expound the Scripture, really introduce them into the Scripture. It is indeed right doctrine that the Word of God by its essence is the divine truth set forth in it. But the Word as it reads in Scripture, and the truth, belong together. Neither Word without doctrine — nor doctrine without Word.

It is still worth the trouble to say what is understood by Spirit when we say: Spirit not without Scripture, Spirit not without the Word of God. Certainly Spirit here means the person of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit as gift; but properly not first of all and in any case not alone. By Spirit is also understood his office, his working, his works in the individual as in the whole, the edification of the individual person as of the whole Church. It is here with Spirit as with the sin against the Holy Spirit. This sin is not properly the sin against the person, but against the office and work of the Holy Spirit. So now here. By Spirit is understood not only the person and his indwelling as Spirit of adoption, but what the Spirit works and creates. Luther too understands the statement that we receive the Spirit through the Word in this way. "Therefore, if you desire the gift of the Holy Spirit, if you desire sure improvement of your children and your household, go this way: Hear God's Word diligently, hold those who are committed to you to the Word. For the Holy Spirit alone heals and makes whole the hearts that are wounded and ruined by sin. But he heals and makes whole through the Word of the Gospel, in which we are reproved concerning sin, righteousness and judgment." (VIII, 235.) "Spirit means and is everything that the Holy Spirit works in us." (XI, 154.) "So that Spirit is a man who lives and works inwardly and outwardly what serves the Spirit and the future life." (XII, 59.) "So it means now to be driven by the Spirit of God: to get such a heart as gladly hears God's Word and believes in Christ, so that he has in him grace and forgiveness of sins." (XIV, 178.) "Spirit means what God creates in us in nature and human capacity, namely spiritual knowledge, light, understanding, which he reveals to us, whereby we know God and turn to him, grasp his grace, and cling to him." (XIV, 25.)