# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1914_S13
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1914. 13

all things created that are in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him; and he is before all things, and in him all things hold together, . . . that in all things he might have the preeminence." (Col. 1:15–18.) "God has set him, Christ, as head over all things to the church and has put all things under his feet." (Eph. 1:22; cf. 4:15; 5:23.)

Who has created and formed the body of Christ? God has so tempered the body together (1 Cor. 12:24) and has assigned to each member of the body its place, has made some strong, some weak, some honorable, some less honorable. "God has set in the church first apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." (1 Cor. 12:28.) "To one is given through the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another is given the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit," etc. (1 Cor. 12:7–30.) "God has set the members, each one of them in the body, as it has pleased him"; "and distributes to each one individually as he wills." (1 Cor. 12:18, 11.) "Every man has his own gift from God, one after this manner, another after that." (1 Cor. 7:7.) "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us." (Rom. 12:6.)

How has God made us into the body of Christ? "For by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Greeks, bond or free, and have all been made to drink into one Spirit." (1 Cor. 12:13; cf. Rom. 6:3.) Through the sacrament of holy Baptism we are incorporated into Christ, we have become members of his body. As a branch is grafted into a tree, grows on there, and becomes a part of the tree, so through Baptism we are grafted into Christ, so that we grow together with him and become a member of his body. (Rom. 11:17–24.)

How is the body of Christ nourished? Christ says: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever. And the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him. As the living Father has sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me, the same shall live because of me." (John 6:51, 54, 57; cf. the whole passage, vv. 31–58.)

How is the body of Christ clothed? It is clothed with the perfect garment of justification. "As many of you as have been baptized