# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1924_S9
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1924. 9

worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. To one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; to another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say: I am not the hand. therefore I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say: I am not the eye, therefore I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body." According to this it is altogether against God's will, as well as against the nature of the body of Christ, that some members attack the other members in a hostile way or refuse to manifest and testify publicly the unity by which they are in reality joined together as members of the body.

Therefore, e.g., division or schism is forbidden in 1 Cor. 1:10-13: "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been declared unto me, brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith: I am of Paul; and another: I am of Apollos; and another: I am of Cephas; and another: I am of Christ. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of Paul?"

And Eph. 4:3-6: "Be diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father (of us) of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

In these passages it is clearly taught that it is against God's will that parties, divisions and tendencies exist in Christendom. There have been people, and there are still today such, who maintain that divisions and opposition parties in the Church are a blessing. They maintain that thereby Christians are stirred to activity and a spirit of friendly rivalry is cultivated, and that through mutual criticism and watchfulness each party works better and is preserved, on the one side from stagnation and standstill, on the other side from the tyranny and injustice of a monopoly. But to all such who wish thus to play the contented optimists we say: Your view is not truth, but self-