# LCMS Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1938_S221
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Intersynodical and Doctrinal Matters 221

VI. INTERSYNODICAL AND
DOCTRINAL MATTERS

Report of the Committee on Lutheran Union
(Memorial 513)

The Committee on Lutheran Union herewith respectfully sub-
mits its report.

Your Committee held six meetings with the representatives of
the Hon. American Lutheran Church, Dr. C. C. Hein, the President
of the A.L.C., recently deceased (whose place was taken by his
successor, Dr. E. Poppen), Dr. M. Reu, Dr. P. H. Buehring, Rev. J.
Lehmann, Rev. K. Hoessel, and Rev. A. G. Bergener. In these meet-
ings chiefly the Minneapolis Theses and the Brief Statement of the
Missouri Synod were thoroughly discussed. As the result of these
discussions the representatives of the American Lutheran Church
now present the following statement, to understand which it will
be necessary to compare the Brief Statement of our Synod.

Declaration of the Representatives of the
American Lutheran Church

Having carefully discussed with representatives of the Hon.
Synod of Missouri, in a number of meetings, and on the basis of the
Minneapolis Theses, the Chicago Theses, and the Brief Statement
of the Doctrinal Position of the Missouri Synod, the points of doc-
trine that have been in controversy between us or concerning which
a suspicion of departure from the true doctrine had arisen, we now
summarize what according to our conviction is the result of our
deliberations in the following statements:

1. Scripture and Inspiration
a. The Bible (that is, the canonical books of the Old and New
Testaments) is the Word of God, His permanent revelation, aside
from which, until Christ’s return in glory, no other is to be ex-
pected.

b. The Bible consists of a number of separate books, written at
various times, on various occasions, and for various purposes. Their
authors were living, thinking personalities, each endowed by the
Creator with an individuality of his own and each having his
peculiar style, his own manner of presentation, using at times even
various sources at hand, Num. 21:14; Josh. 10:13; Luke 1:14.
Nevertheless by virtue of inspiration, i. e., the unique operation of
the Holy Spirit, 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21, by which He supplied to
the holy writers contents and the fitting word, 1 Cor. 2:12, 13, the