# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1924_S34
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

34 Proceedings of the twenty-ninth convention

that they are to follow the Holy Spirit and His work in them and let themselves be led by Him; then they will not fulfil the lusts of the flesh nor fall victim to the works of the flesh, among which he names, for example, "idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders," Gal. 5:20, all of which are kinds of disobedience through which most of the divisions and strifes in the Church have arisen and still arise. These three, however: strife, division and parties, are the greatest evils. And the Holy Spirit is the One who is able to remove these evils. Yes, the Holy Spirit must also work the actual success of such peaceful unity among Christians; "for it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure," Phil. 2:13.

From this it also follows what we must do to bring about and to maintain peace and unity, namely this, that we let ourselves be led by the Holy Spirit into all truth and ourselves become instruments, each according to his gifts and his ability, through which the Word of the Holy Spirit is brought to others for their enlightenment, improvement, strengthening and edification. When a Christian submits to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, walks in the Spirit, uses on his part the gifts of the Spirit and makes use of every opportunity to teach, spread, preach and defend God's Word, to write, print, read, sing and confess in this interest, then that Christian is building the one temple of God and becomes through the Holy Spirit a mighty instrument for true churchly unity. This is beautifully set forth by Paul in the 4th chapter to the Ephesians, verses 1-16: "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavouring 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. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."