# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1924_S11
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1924. 11

wishes and asks to belong to such a part of the world, and who feels called to make efforts so that the world should not lose this part of its citizens? Only Christians make up the Church. In the world many wicked persons are tolerated by God and by Christians, partly for the purpose of rescuing them from their sad condition; but in the Church we need only those who through faith stand in close union with the one Lord, Jesus Christ, and prove their faith by being obedient to the Lord and living in peace with the members. Christ Himself says: "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned," John 15:2, 6.

It is sometimes emphasized that among people there are many different inclinations and characters, a great diversity of gifts, and that different people require different church fellowships. "There are people of feeling; they are by nature Methodists. There are people who like a dignified liturgical order of worship; they are by nature Episcopalians. There are people who need a strict church government. Their sensuous nature must be met with religious pictures, showy church ornament and splendid priestly vestments. They must be kept in fear and awe by mournful, unintelligible lamentations before a gloriously illuminated altar. They are incapable of governing themselves. They must have a spiritual father over them and be driven like a herd. They require entertainment for their very active religious imagination, and their natural superstition must be led into channels that bring profit to the Church. These are by nature adapted to the monarchy of the Pope." To this we answer: Just as little as the difference between eye and foot, between tongue and hand destroys the unity of the body, just as little is the difference in gifts, inclinations, characters and abilities among Christians a hindrance to the unity of the body, unless their character excludes them from the Church as slaves of Satan; for then they do not belong to the Church at all. We take no measures to keep dead members on the body. Paul paints a beautiful picture of this unity among the members, which need not be disturbed by diversity of gifts and abilities, in 1 Cor. 12 (cited above). Yes, this diversity is rather an ornament of unity. "But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." And: "If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? And if they were all one member, where were the body?" This diversity is indeed a blessing. The most dignified, slowest Christian enjoys his lively, warm and emotional brother and profits from him. Each is willing to bear the weakness of the other, so far as there is weakness in them, and each is improved by the particular gift of the other and so profits by it. Personal taste with regard to church architecture and differing orders of worship can also be satisfied in the united Church without the fellowship being torn apart over it; for we know what is necessary for the true unity of the Church. "This is sufficient for the true unity of the Christian Church, that the Gospel be preached in conformity with a pure understanding of it, and the sacraments be administered in accordance with the divine