# LCMS Convention Workbook_St. Louis Missouri_1973_S136 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 136 SEMINARY ISSUES not the Savior instituted Holy Baptism are “open questions"? 13. Do you believe that Paul, 1 Cor. 14:34 ff., forbids women holding the pastoral office in the church? Do you believe his prohibition holds today? 14, Do you agree with Res. 2-16 of the Denver conven- tion, (Proceedings, p. 88), which says in part: “The apostolic proclamation of the event and the inscripturation of that proclamation took place under the impulsion and discipline of the Spirit of Truth. He glorifies the Christ through the witness of men. To attribute to the church a creatively formative part in the witness to the event is to fly in the face of all that is revealed concerning the activity of the Spirit; such an attribution introduces an intolerable syn- ergism at a crucial point in the saving work of God"?:; and be it finally Resolved. That should any faculty member refuse to an- swer the foregoing questions concerning the _historical- critical method and its results, Synod direct the respective boards of control of each seminary to demand the immediate resignation of that faculty member, Mount Hope LutHeran CuHurcu Casper, Wyo. F. D. Stewart, President Richard Means, Secretary Rev. J. B. Brown, Pastor 3-66 To Repudiate Historical-Critical Method Wuereas, Neither the historical-critical method nor that part of it commonly known as the JEDP source hypothesis have ever been adopted or approved by Synod ag viable tools for interpreting the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments; and Wuereas, The historical-critical method does not offer adequate checks and balances against unlimited academic freedom in the Scriptures and in Scriptural doctrine: and Wuereas, Academic freedom may be optional in the area of secular subjects so long as this does not lead to contra- dictions of. or militate against the Scriptures and or the historic doctrinal position to which the LCMS is deeply committed (cf. Bylaws 653d); and WuerEAS, In the area of doctrine all pastors, professors, and teachers are bound under the sacred Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments and the Lutheran Confessions “without reservation” (Art. II Synod Const.):; and Wuereas, Synod is and must remain the final arbiter whenever a dispute arises as to whether a doctrine is Scrip- tural; therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church— Missouri Synod, in convention assembled, instruct all members of Synod in the public office of the preaching and teaching ministry of the LCMS (pastors, professors, teachers, et al) to cease forth- with, and ‘or to desist from employing as a viable tool for interpreting the sacred Scriptures, higher criticism, the historical-critical method, and that part of it known as the JEDP source hypothesis, or any other method which allows any degree of Gospel reductionism: and be it further Resolved, That all pastors, professors, and teachers of the LCMS be instructed to honor the historic position of Synod, as required by the ordination vow, with regard to the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, demonstrating such attitude by ceasing and ‘or desisting from the practice of academic freedom in matters of doctrine: and be it further Resolved, That the president of each college and seminary of the LCMS be held directly and personally responsible for every member of his faculty to abide by Article II of Synod's Constitution, and this resolution in particular; and be it further Resolved, That all who cannot accept the historic doc- trinal position of the Synod or teach in accord with Article II of Synod's Constitution, be respectfully required to tender their resignation forthwith: and be it finally Resolved, That the President of Synod be required to see to it that the respective Boards of Control implement this resolution, and that the President of Synod be required to act if the respective Boards of Control do not fulfill the responsibilities given them in this resolution. St. Jonn LuTHERAN CHURCH Ionia, Mich. A. R. Gallert, Pastor Clifford Haslick, President Ralph Bartelt, Secretary To Reaffirm Primacy of Gospel Wuereas, We have all been called to have one Lord, one faith, one baptism and one hope for salvation; and Wuereas, Our Lord has called us to this hope and fellow- ship by means of his Gospel of grace and forgiveness which is the only power unto salvation for all who believe; and Wuereas, The Holy Spirit continually uses the Gospel to create and preserve this hope and fellowship among us; and Wuereas, The distinctive mark of the evangelical Lu- theran church has always been the emphasis on the primacy of the Gospel in its witness and life; and Wuereas, It is evident that in the controversy presently disturbing the Synod this unique Lutheran emphasis on the Gospel urgently needs to be applied; therefore be it Resolved, That The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in convention assembled reaffirm its commitment to the primacy of the Gospel in its witness and life; and be it further Resolved, That the emphasis on the Gospel be diligently applied to every effort to bring about a resolution to our present conflict; and be it finally Resolved, That every attempt to subordinate the Gospel to any other tradition or practice be avoided and a con- sistent witness to its primacy be everywhere affirmed. Paciric-ARIZONA PASTORAL CONFERENCE ENcLISH DISTRICT Dennis Schaffert, Secretary 3-68 To Confess Scriptural Inerrancy Wuereas, The church is to teach the whole counsel of God in the Scriptures (Matt. 28:20), while emphasizing the central doctrine of justification by faith; and Wuereas, All doctrine of the Scriptures has been given both for providing direction to the way of salvation and to walk the Christian life (2 Tim. 3:15-17); and Wuereas, The Scriptures hold that all Scripture and all doctrine is important for the life of the church; and Wuereas, The Lutheran Confessions show that our con- fession “must be thoroughly grounded in God's Word so that pure doctrine can be recognized and distinguished from adulterated doctrine” (Formula of Concord, Preface, Tap- pert, p. 18), and that “In order to preserve the pure doctrine and to maintain a thorough, lasting, and God-pleasing con- cord within the church, it is essential not only to present the true and wholesome doctrine correctly, but also to accuse the adversaries who teach otherwise” (FC, 506, 14); and Wuereas, The Scriptures tell us to teach people what is right according to sound teaching, and to correct with full authority (Titus 2:1-15:; 2 Tim. 4:1-5); and Wuerras, The stand of The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod in respect to Scripture is based upon verbal inspira- tion and the fact that Scripture is without error and contra- diction in all its parts because it is God's Word: and Wuereas, The Scriptures teach that they were written for our learning and that we are to be like-minded with the same point of view and with one voice (Rom. 15:4-6; 1 Cor. 1:10); therefore be it Resolved, That we reject the proposition that we are privileged to have “diversity in unity and unity in diversity” in doctrine; and be it further Resolved, That we reject the equating of the Scripture