# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1894_S15
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1894. 15

1 Cor. 1:24); for he undoubtedly speaks of the bodily, external Word. Where that is not first preached, one should not suppose that the Holy Spirit is at work there, or that any faith is there. Just as it goes with the sun, which has two properties: namely the shine and the heat. Where the shine or brightness goes, the heat comes too. But where the brightness does not go, the heat also stays outside. So it goes here with the external Word and the Holy Spirit as well. The Holy Spirit works nowhere unless he first comes into the heart through the Word, as through a pipe." (XIV, 625.)

Human will, intention, devotion, thoughts and spirit therefore cannot interpret the prophecy and doctrine of Scripture and give the interpretation out of their own resources, since prophecy was not brought forth by human will, but from the impulse and inspiration of the Spirit. The most trustworthy interpreter of a writing is surely its author. So the most trustworthy interpreter of Holy Scripture is its author, the Holy Spirit. And — to avert all misunderstanding — he is not only the best, but the only interpreter of Scripture — and indeed again through Scripture itself. Scripture is not of the interpretation of those who read it, nor of our commentaries; rather it is of its own interpretation, that is, the Holy Spirit explains Word constantly by Word, gives light through one Word upon the other. Only one must take care that the enthusiasts do not pull one's leg here and, in the interpretation of one passage, drag in other improper passages that merely sound similar. As when they interpret the word about the creation of the world with what is said about the destruction of the world, because both passages speak of the world. That is about as if a lawyer gave his client the instruction: If you want to inform yourself about marriage law, read in the law book not only the chapter on marriage law; and not only, because marriage counts legally as a contract, the chapter on contracts; but also the chapter on murder and manslaughter. To interpret Scripture with Scripture therefore does not mean: Run with similar words into all doctrines of Scripture; but: Collect and compare all the passages where Scripture speaks of the same matter. One should therefore not do as our adversaries have now done, when they brought into the doctrine of God's election of grace [*Gnadenwahl*] all the passages that treat of man's faith. —

St. Peter thus sets the false prophets in the Old Testament over against the true prophets; he also describes the source of false prophecy very clearly. By his whole presentation the manner of the false prophets was what we designate with the word enthusiasm. Namely, not wanting to have Spirit, the light of the Spirit, gifts of the Spirit, awakenings of the Spirit through the means appointed by God, the Word. The enthusiasts want rather to be means and source themselves, with their reason and their own