# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1924_S20
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

20 Proceedings of the twenty-ninth convention

Holy Scriptures that it is impossible for anyone to find fault with it or overthrow it. Therefore we conclude freely that all those are idolatrous, blasphemers, and outside the Church of Christ who hold or teach otherwise." (Art. I.)

Second: when we deal with those who still believe and confess essential parts of the Word of God, but err in doctrines which are also clearly revealed but are not fundamental, we again make certain distinctions according to Christ's command.

We do not wish to be understood as though we did not regard any part of the Word of God as important, or as though one could set clearly revealed doctrines aside. Far from it! We regard the whole Word of God as exceedingly important and as an immeasurable treasure; for our Lord says: "Verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven," Matt. 5:18, 19. And at the very end of Holy Scripture the curse is pronounced on everyone who adds anything to this book or takes anything from it. "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book," Rev. 22:18, 19.

The Lord Himself also teaches us in His Word that among the Christian doctrines there is a foundation and a superstructure. No one who by his teaching overturns the foundation, whether it happens out of ignorance or out of malice, is a Christian; for in the Christian Church no one can "lay another foundation than that which is laid." But if someone builds on this foundation, it is possible that he retains the foundation but builds errors upon it, and these errors are called wood, hay and stubble. Nevertheless such a foolish builder can be a Christian and be saved. For so it is written, 1 Cor. 3:11-15: "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire." Here Paul explains to us in a figure that those who out of ignorance build errors in non-fundamental matters on the foundation can nevertheless be saved, although their work perishes. Therefore we also do not at once condemn as heretics or godless those people who accept, believe and confess the fundamental doctrines but meanwhile hold fast to some false doctrine. For this reason we have also never condemned and excluded whole church fellowships which, alongside the chief articles of the Christian faith, also teach errors. In the Preface to the "Christliches Konkordienbuch" [Christian Book of Concord] of our Church it says: "As to the condemnationes, exclusions and rejections of false and impure