# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1906_S24
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

24 Proceedings of the twenty-first convention

one another. To an organism it belongs that all members strive toward one goal. The Apostle therefore exhorts us to hold fast the unity in the Spirit because it is necessary for the building of the Church. Two things come into consideration: to preserve purity of doctrine and to strive after purity of life, and these two condition each other and also the unity of the Spirit.

What is it that in man stands opposed to the unity of the Spirit? That is individualism, egoism, that one stands on one's ego, seeks only one's own and not what is another's or what serves the community. — One must not, to be sure, confuse selfishness with independence, as happens very often. Independent is the man to be called who stands up for what he has recognized as true and right according to God's Word, even if others, indeed the whole world, stand against it. Selfishness, on the other hand, is when one wants to put through one's will, one's interest, under all circumstances. In life it is often difficult to keep the two apart; for selfishness not infrequently clothes itself in the garment of independence, and with independence egoistic elements often mix in. Against selfishness we should always fight in ourselves; independence in others we should respect.

One might now think that unity in doctrine would be best preserved in such a way that the many, in a dependent manner, repeat after the One what he declares to be correct doctrine. But as soon as this thought is expressed, everyone sees that unity in the Spirit is not preserved by it; on this road one would quickly lose the pure doctrine. We should repeat after the Holy Spirit alone, the divine Word. But now it does happen here on earth, when we hear doctrinal lectures, that one lays weight on this, another on that; we cannot manage to say everything at the same time, and so differences easily arise. Therefore Paul calls attention to the fact that we should not diverge in doctrine while we seek to preserve the unity in the Spirit. If someone says that he would ground a thought from the divine Word differently, he thereby shows a certain independence in his conception of Scripture. If this comes from selfish stirrings, that he thinks himself to be something or wants to make himself count thereby, he is in danger of coming upon false ways precisely in doctrine. Of this the Apostle warns. Even if he presents what is right, but does so from a selfish heart, selfishness is aroused in the others too. For the selfishness in the others does not want the one to get ahead. Parties form, and then the doctrinal strife is complete. One bites into certain false directions, so that one cannot find one's way back again. One should not follow these selfish stirrings, but consider that one stands in the congregation of God and is to help preserve the unity. He who holds to God's Word and only God's