# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_October 1858_S314
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

314 The Glory of the Lutheran Church.

But now the Lutheran congregations are supposed to be the only congregations of Christ on earth, and to demonstrate this one cites: "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" — applying these words of the Apostle Paul in such a way as to say: in the confession of this or that church such and such errors are found; that is leaven; leaven leavens the whole lump; therefore those congregations are no congregations of Christ. Here I could first say: but then what becomes of a considerable number of congregations that are called Lutheran, and, because among them the Lutheran confession still stands by civil law, are reckoned to the true church? The holy Apostle Paul, were he to find much leaven in a congregation called Lutheran, would not let himself be turned aside by someone becoming that congregation's advocate (even if it were perhaps so eaten through by leaven that not one of its members any longer cared about the Lutheran confession or the Lutheran church) and saying: in this congregation the Lutheran confession still stands by law; therefore it is to be regarded as an orthodox congregation. Paul would answer: leaven is leaven, wherever it is found, and the more a congregation prides itself on holding the true faith, the more severely it is to be punished for it if, notwithstanding, it has rejected the truth, and the less may one call it a true congregation of Christ.—I could further point out that Paul, in the words cited about leaven, aims first of all at a godless life, and could again turn our gaze to a great number of Lutheran congregations in which such leaven is found in excess, and where no hand is raised to sweep it out. Does not the leaven then leaven the whole lump, so that no church of Christ is present there any longer; or does there remain, despite the leaven, nevertheless a Lutheran, and hence a true, congregation of Christ?—But I will take up the citation of those words of Paul as it is meant. The meaning is this: in the confession of other churches errors are found, and therefore these churches are no true churches; for a little error spoils the whole confession, so that it is no longer a true confession, and the congregation that holds such a confession is not a true congregation of Christ, hence no congregation of Christ at all; rather, true congregations of Christ are alone those that hold the wholly pure confession. To this I reply: certainly a congregation of Christ ought to strive after the truth, and, just as it labors to sweep out the leaven in life, so also to sweep out the leaven in doctrine, and if it neglects to do this, it sins. But a congregation does not therefore at once cease to be a congregation of Christ if it fails to do this (any more than it at once ceases to be a Christian congregation if it leaves sin in its walk of life unpunished). In the congregation at Thyatira (Revelation 2) the woman Jezebel was not restrained from seducing the servants of God*); and yet in the eyes

*) Into fornication and into eating food sacrificed to idols, in that she gave herself out to be a prophetess and taught that fornication was no sin.