# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1896_S9
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1896. 9

the Lord, gave to His Church: "Baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost."

We are not dealing here with the Christian life in general, but with the Christian life only insofar as it presents itself in church life. An individual Christian is not the Church, but where two or three are gathered in Christ's name, there is a church, a congregation of God. The two or three together under Christ, their Head, are a congregation, and what they do and arrange as such, as a congregation under Christ, their Head, that is their church life, or, in its individual functions and institutions, their church practice. For church practice in turn does not coincide with the concept of church life, just as church life does not coincide with the concept of Christian life. Christian life is a wider concept. A Christian lives not only as a member of the Church; he also lives as a member of the family, as a member of the body politic, and in these estates also he lives as a Christian and leads a Christian life in contrast to the life of the children of the world. A Christian householder, as a householder, leads a different life from his unchristian neighbor, who is also a householder. A Christian wife, as a wife, leads a different life from her unchristian neighbor, who is also a wife. And in these estates there is also practice; there deeds are done and arrangements made. When a father punishes his son with words or with the rod, that is a piece of practice, and for the one who suffers it a painful practice, from which he would gladly escape. Here too there is danger that one departs from the right practice, in excessu or in defectu [in excess or in defect], in exaggeration or in neglect. A Christian citizen also lives a Christian life in the state. Although church and state are not one thing, but must be and remain separated and distinct, nevertheless a Christian citizen, as a Christian citizen, is a different man from what he was before he became a Christian, or from the thousands who are not Christians. A Christian obeys the government, submits to the laws for conscience' sake. A non-Christian submits to the laws for fear of punishment, or because he has his temporal advantage in it. So the Christian life, as has been said, extends through all estates. A Christian craftsman lives a Christian life also in his craft. A Christian merchant conducts himself as a Christian also in his trade and business. And a Christian leads a Christian walk especially, and lives a Christian life, where God has blessed him most richly, in the estate which he reckons the highest, in which he lives, namely in the Church and as a member of the Church. As a member of the Church, too, he leads a Christian life in all godliness and honesty.

This church life, however, includes many things that do not belong to church practice, much experience, growth and thriving,