# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1924_S35
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1924. 35

In these words Paul admonishes Christians to preserve the unity of the Church, and teaches them also how this is to be done. He shows them that if they want to preserve the unity in the Spirit they must note two points. First, they themselves must so walk that they do not disturb the peace through pride, impatience and intolerance toward their brethren. They are to be meek and patient, and each is to bear with the other in love. Whoever does not obey Christ and does not treat his brethren as those who are equally dear to the Lord, but as subordinates whom one may treat contemptuously, rule over, and reject without love; whoever refuses to bear their weaknesses, weaknesses such as are found in every Christian, while he demands that the others overlook his own weaknesses, indeed perhaps even expects that his weaknesses be regarded as virtues: he tears the unity of the Church by his pride and selfishness. By such conduct he provokes his brethren, gives them cause for complaint, draws out their accusations against himself; and if then others, as usually happens with such people, take sides, opposing parties are created. All this can be avoided if Christians walk worthily, as becometh their calling wherewith they are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, and if each bears with the other in love and is diligent to keep the unity in the Spirit. But lest some should come to the thought that one should also tolerate and bear with the false teachers, Paul shows them second what is necessary for unity in the Church to be established and maintained. He tells them that the risen Lord, who ascended into heaven, gave the gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church precisely for this purpose. The Holy Spirit now works through pastors and teachers, that the saints be equipped for the work of the ministry, whereby the body of Christ is built up, till we all come to unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God and become a perfect man.

When Christians are upright in love and avoid every wind of doctrine from crafty and cunning men, they are instructed in the Word of truth so that they all confess one Lord, one faith and one baptism and all speak the same thing. From this it clearly follows that the Holy Spirit unites the Church by always teaching all the same truths, but not by tolerating all possible false doctrines. Indeed, if no one else worked at the Church but the Holy Spirit and those whom He calls to be servants of the Church, and they taught Christ's Word purely and clearly, the product would be the Church, and this Church would be one united Church; it could be nothing else. The disturbance comes from the people who resist the work of the Holy Spirit or mix in their own opinion, either out of ignorance (although they mean well in it) or out of self-conceit or even out of malice.

What then is it that we Christians are to do for the establishment of true unity? Even at the risk of repeating or becoming prolix, I will emphasize the following:

1. "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves," 2 Cor. 13:5; that is, see first of all whether you are truly converted Christians through sincere repentance and true faith. If not, then you do not stand in spiritual unity with the Church, no matter what high position in the visible Church and con-