# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1924_S33
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1924. 33

Paul describes the unity of the many different Christians and compares them to one body with many different members, he also tells us how we have come to this unity. "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," 1 Cor. 12:13. The Holy Spirit does not contradict Himself. He has not given us different, mutually contradictory religions or rules or laws, but His Word is a harmonious whole; and if we follow Him, there will be among us no different tendencies, no parties standing over against one another and no separation, but if we follow Him where, how and whither He leads us, we shall surely attain true unity inwardly and outwardly. "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints," 1 Cor. 14:33. Therefore He is called "the God of peace," 1 Thess. 5:23; Rom. 15:33, because He is not the author of disunity and strife, but preserves peace. But with His peace-loving Christians He must fight against the disturbers of the peace, the devil and his seed. And this God of peace alone can give us peace, 2 Thess. 3:16. This the Lord also expressly promises to His Church: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth." That is the provision which Jesus has made to unite His Church and to maintain it in unity: He has given and sent us His Holy Spirit. This Spirit does not work in opposition to Jesus' will, but works in accordance with Jesus' will; "for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: . . . for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you," John 16:13, 14.

This agreement of the teaching of the Holy Spirit with the Word of Jesus is set forth by Paul when he writes: "For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us, even by me and Silvanus and Timotheus, was not yea and nay, but in him was yea," 2 Cor. 1:19.

But let us not now imagine that we need do nothing at all, that we can let the Holy Spirit do His work without men and without means, or that we need only ask the Holy Spirit. By no means! It is true, the Holy Spirit could do that if He wished, but "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe," 1 Cor. 1:21. The Word of God is "revealed by His [God's] Spirit," who alone searches the depths of the Godhead, 1 Cor. 2:10. And through the preaching now ("in words which the Holy Ghost teacheth," 1 Cor. 2:13) God calls, gathers, enlightens, unites the Church and preserves it in the true faith. 1 Pet. 1:5: "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation." Phil. 1:6: "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ." Where Christians follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the clear Word of Scripture, unity must follow and has always followed. Paul warns Christians against discord and division and against the consequences of such disruption. Gal. 5:15: "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another." And then he goes on and shows them the remedy against this evil and tells them,