# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1904_S17
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1904. 17

For what purpose does the Apostle make this presentation? In verse 15 Paul has said: "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say." He thus calls on us to draw a lesson from it. To what is this lesson to refer? In the preceding verse (verse 14) it says: "Flee from idolatry!" and the Apostle returns to this in verses 20 and 21 and says: "I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils." For the sake of the intimate fellowship, then, into which those enter with Christ who eat His body and drink His blood, they must avoid everything that is of the devil, above all every fellowship with false doctrine and every remaining, and wish to remain, in a false way of life. — But because the fellowship also extends to those who eat and drink together with them, so that they are all one body in Christ, duties toward these brethren also arise from the fellowship with the brethren. Therefore Paul says in verse 24: "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth." This duty applies to all: μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω, ἀλλά [let no one seek his own, but] (Luther adds "every man," to emphasize this) τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου [that of the other]. What sort of things the Apostle has in view here he already indicates in the preceding verse (verse 23), where he remarks: "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not." He speaks of things that must be left undone. There are for him things that a Christian can do with a good conscience, such as the eating of meat offered to idols in his own house, of which he speaks here; they are things that in and of themselves are no sin, but which must be left undone out of consideration and love for the fellow Christian. One has the right to them, but they are not expedient, they do not edify. The neighbor might be offended by them; instead of bringing him nearer to Christ they might move him farther from Him, instead of improving him make him worse, instead of converting him from his false doing might strengthen him in it. For the sake of the intimate fellowship created by Holy Communion they are therefore to be omitted, as Scripture requires here in verse 32, chap. 6:12, Rom. 14:13, 20, 21, 1 Cor. 15:2 [as printed] and in other places.

But what if someone insists on his freedom of conscience, if he cannot see how with his doing he could give anyone offense: is he to go confidently to Holy Communion, is the preacher to admit him to it without objection? The Apostle says nothing directly about this, either here or elsewhere. But he has said before: "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say." The preachers should accordingly learn from this exposition how they are to conduct themselves, and then act as the wise, wise as serpents and harmless as doves, as the LORD wills.