# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1930_S38
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

38 Proceedings of the thirty-second convention

offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned." 1 Cor. 1:11, 12: "It hath been declared unto me, . . . that there are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ" [German: "Paulish, Apollish, Cephish, Christish"]. 1 Tim. 1:19, 20: "Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme." 1 Tim. 4:1: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." Cf. 1 Tim. 6:3. 2 Tim. 1:15: "This thou knowest, that all they which are in Asia be turned away from me." 2 Tim. 4:10: "Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world." 2 Pet. 2:15: "Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray." 1 John 2:19: "They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us." Jude 19: "These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit." — To these statements of Scripture come yet the many examples that present schismatics to us, as in John 6:66, where we are told: "From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him."

These Scripture passages suffice to characterize the nature of separatism. Just as clearly, however, it also follows from them that these separatists, who cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine, as it has always been conducted according to God's Word in the orthodox Church, who forsake the doctrine of the apostles, who forsake the right way, who go out from the faithful confessors of the truth, are then also guilty of the further disruption of the Church. These are they who destroy the unity in the Spirit and tear the bond of love. In most cases the word of the prophet, which God spoke through him, finds its application to them: "My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water," Jer. 2:13. Cf. chap. 17:13.

Some words of Luther may find place here. He writes in his sermon on 1 Pet. 3:8-15: "For where this unity [in the Spirit] is divided, it is certain that both parts cannot be the true Church; one must be the devil's whore, if the other is pious. Again, as long as the unity of faith and mind remains, there remains also a righteous, true Church of God there, even though weakness is otherwise still present also." (XII, 740.) The same on John 15:10: "For where love and unity are destroyed, and division and discord arise, there also the harmonious doctrine perishes, so that one falls again from Christ." (VIII, 549.) The same on 1 Cor. 12:1 ff.: "Where there is disunity, sects and division, that is a sure sign that either those who cause such division pay no heed to the certain, right doctrine or do not rightly understand it, and are already also so disposed that they let themselves be tossed and driven by every wind of doctrine, as St. Paul says, Eph. 4:14." (XII, 818.)

We repeat therefore in conclusion: Not those who hold fast to the clear Word of Scripture and to the clearly proved doctrines and customs are separatists or schismatics, but those who,