# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1908_S23
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1908. 23

But how much Christians always have to discuss with one another! Man is a ζῶον πολιτικόν [social animal]. When the children of this world come together, they speak of what fills their heart. So also Christians. Christians always have much to say to one another. In the Church there is always much going on that interests them. First, the Church constantly experiences victories. She continually wins souls and new territory. That is interesting conversation material for Christians. That a Christian congregation had arisen in Rome was the subject of conversation in the whole civilized world, as we see from Rom. 1:8. The Church also continually has distress. She is continually assailed from without and from within. When Christians come together, they do not run out of material for their conversation. — And what a source of spiritual pleasure and spiritual strengthening flows in mutual converse for Christians! When Paul and Barnabas, on their journey to Jerusalem, reported in the Christian congregations the conversion of the Gentiles, "they caused great joy unto all the brethren," Acts 15:3. How Christian fellowship strengthens in faith, the Apostle Paul teaches us in word and example. When he was brought to Rome as a prisoner and came near Rome, the Christians of that capital went out and went to meet the Apostle as far as Appii Forum and the Three Taverns [as printed: "Appifer und Tretabern"], two suburbs south of Rome. What impression did that make on the Apostle? It says in Acts 28:15: "Whom when Paul saw, he thanked God and took courage" (ἔλαβε θάρσος = courage). This is reported to us about the Apostle Paul. He himself writes expressly in Rom. 1:11-12: "I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established; that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me." — Would to God that Christians would cultivate fellowship among brethren in the faith quite zealously and reap its blessing! In this point too there is need of continued instruction and admonition.

Luther explains that Christ wants the believers also to come together outwardly and to confess and teach the faith: "That Christ, to the first part: 'he that believeth,' adds and mentions Baptism, this refers to the command concerning the outward office in Christendom, as He also, in Matt. 28:19, summarizes it in the two parts: 'Teach all nations and baptize them,' etc. And He shows first, that nevertheless the faith of which this Gospel preaches must not remain secret and hidden, as if it were enough for everyone to go off, when he hears the Gospel, and believe for himself alone, and need not confess his faith before others, but so that it might be manifest not only where the Gospel is preached, but also accepted and believed, that is, where the Church and Christ's kingdom stand in the world, He wants to bring us together and hold us together by this divine sign of Baptism.